#sunnydwrites

[ahb-writes]

Writing Problem: The Story Begins Too Late in the Novel

Problem: The Story Begins Too Late in the Novel

Solution: Gain traction early; use simplicity, momentum, and a bit of the unknown to carry readers toward the more complex and the improbable. The first chapter is context for what the whole novel is about. Don't wait to pull in readers, don't hesitate to tell readers which characters are the most important, and don't hesitate to expose readers (and the viewpoint character) to the narrative's central conflict. Be upfront about what kind of story you're telling.

Develop a strong sense of who your protagonist is, articulate the protagonist's needs (which may change), and hint at the limits or barriers the protagonist must acknowledge, or defy, to achieve their current or a future goal.

Writing Resources:

8 Ways to Write a 5-Star Chapter One (Writer's Digest)

10 Ways to Start Your Story (The Writers Society)

How To Start a Story That Grips Your Readers (Jericho Writers)

7 Steps for Writing Your Novel's Opening Chapter (The Novel Smithy)

4 Key Elements of Scene Openings (September C. Fawkes)

How to Find Your Writing Style (sunnydwrites; ahbwrites)

Writing Riveting Inciting Action: 7 Ideas (Now Novel)

In Media Res: 6 Steps to Start Stories From the Middle (Now Novel)

Writing Great Beginnings and Endings (Writing Questions Answered)

❯ ❯ Adapted from the writing masterpost series: 19 Things That Are Wrong With Your Novel (and How to Fix Them)

[eatinghemlocks]

Themes in Writing

When it comes to writing stories there will be an underlying theme to it. Theme is the overall message of the story told by the author through the characters and the plot. Here are some helpful links to further understand the topic as well as some themes that you can write!

Links for developing a theme in your story:

Building Theme In Your Story (@ sunnydwrites on tumblr)

The Secret Ingredients For Writing Theme (@ davidfarland on tumblr)

What is a Theme? (Reedsy)

Themes that you can write in your story:

Pursuit of Love

Coming of age

Survival

Death

War

Found family

Friendship

Freedom / free will

Family

Finding a reason to live

Redemption

Prejudice

Good vs. Evil

Circle of Life

Loneliness

Loss of innocence

Rebirth

Courage

Revenge

Forgiveness

Justice

Betrayal

Fate vs. Doubt

Hubris / Pride

Sacrifice

Man vs. Self

Power

Corruption

Limits of Knowledge

Honor

Grief

Extras! Here's an extra link to a website with 101 themes if this list doesn't satisfy you. Happy writing!

101 Literary themes

[iminastory]

A little about me:

Studied creative writing + yoga in university, left to be Lavender’s mom, currently building a daily writing habit amidst naps, feeds, and riverside walks.

Posting here:

writing aesthetics, tips, prompts, and WIP updates. I looove hearing about other writers’ processes and seeing their spaces, so here’s mine!

Today I’m:

Warming up with some @sunnydwrites prompts, plotting my novel, and brainstorming essay ideas for my collection on motherhood.

What are you working on this week?

[quasikool]

hi! i hope you're having a lovely day so far. would you mind elaborating on that post about the adhd urge to catalog / organize? i think i have adhd and i love organization and i've thought they went together for a while now, but i can't find any actual information on this?? thank you!!

Hey! Yeah sure, I will try best. Couple points, the first being a disclaimer that I’m not an expert, much of this is from my therapists/prescribers over the years and my own experience. also rambling bc its 10:30pm on a Friday night and my meds wore off hours ago

1. So the thing about ADHD (and many mental health disorders, like anxiety/depression, etc) is that a lot of people (if not most people) experience some of the symptoms some of the time. That’s partly why a lot of ADHD posts online are so popular - many ppl can relate to them to some degree! It only becomes a Thing you need to deal with when the symptoms of it are starting to interfere with your life and health and happiness. 

I’ve told this to several people IRL when they’ve asked me (an infamous haver of ADHD): If the things that make you think you have ADHD are things that are disruptive to your life in some way, it may be helpful to look into an official diagnosis and treatment. Otherwise, there’s really not much need to worry about it, beyond a chuckle and a “hey, i do that!” 

That said, I have diagnosed ADHD, and have been medicated for it for like 5 years. I don’t know if this is important, but I felt like it should be clarified.

2. I’m not sure if organizing specifically is a mark of ADHD, but hyper focussing on projects definitely IS.  

Many people actually like to organize things, especially the things they enjoy. People LOVE to categorize stuff and humans LOVE to find patterns, it just makes sense.  

I’ve noticed from the notes on the post in question that a lot of ppl say their HOBBIES (embroidery floss, fancy tea, beads) are organized, but their everyday life stuff (fridge, laundry, paperwork) is a hot mess.  That is to say - it’s fun to have a project of organizing to hyper focus on for a bit, but not so much fun to keep coming back to it for routine maintenance day after day. And with ADHD, if thing fun: brain do; if thing not fun: brain no do.

3. Final point: I made that post as a joke about myself specifically! I had just had a hyper-focused session where I spent 3 straight hours organizing my computer files, only to have forgotten where I put a certain type of file literally immediately upon completion. It was never meant to be an all-encompassing statement or fact! I’m glad ppl find it relatable and funny, but in the end it’s just a goof about my own brain and my inability to find my own tax forms on my computer. 

If you have questions about any of that, I'm happy to answer if I can!

[sulfurousdreamscapes]

hi there! your latest piece just came up on my dash and i just wanted to let you know that i thought it was intriguing and absolutely gorgeous (and so are your other stories, after having gone through them a bit). please never stop writing!

I am finally getting around to answering the old asks in my inbox. I wasn’t answering them before because my blog was strictly writing-only then, but now that I’ve opened it up to non-writing posts, I figure I should do these.

So yes! Here’s an ask from 2 years ago!

Thank you so much @sunnydwrites! I’m sorry for the very late answer, but well, I haven’t stopped writing yet. :) Please take care!

[scriptuurient]

hi! i just saw your wip page for "sepia" and i wanted to say i think the idea is really gorgeous. two questions! 1) if you have a tag list, may i please by added? and 2) what has been the most intriguing part of writing it so far?

Oh, wow, thank you! This was really sweet to wake up to. 

I haven’t been active on here in a veryyy long time so I’m planning a little revamp and then you can absolutely be the first person on the Sepia tag list! (I think I lost the last one when I switched laptops whoops)  

As for the most intriguing part of writing it, I think that’s probably a tie between the research itself and writing the epistolary format of a lot of it. 

I have a lot of generalized knowledge about the social dynamics in WWI/WWII/The Interwar Period, however, it’s a lot more challenging to find good sources on queer relationships at the time. I love to dive into research tasks, though, so most of that has consisted of digging up primary sources. 

I don’t really write epistolary forms often, but letters are both a really essential part of the story and a really good way to get to know your characters! Getting them the way I want them has been trial and error and I’m very much enjoying the process.

[theshitpostcalligrapher]

“green milk comes from crocodiles” please! ^^

true

Askbox is currently closed as I work my way through these older asks

[gingerly-writing]

🌞 ~YOU ARE A RAY OF SUNSHINE~ 🌞 Send this to 8 people who deserve it and make sure you don’t break the chain. 💜 💜💜💜

ahhh thanks love!! I don’t pass on chain messages, but I love this all the same!! 💚✨

[sawyersscribbles]

uhhhh hi reminder that all of your story concepts are literally gORGEOUS and i would die for your characters. okay that it's ilyyy

HBG,JAKHRGLAJRG SUNNY YOU’RE AN ANGELLL!! I would die for u or your characters any day of the week don’t even test me, you’re such a bright shining light jnfgjnsg thank you!!!

[note-katha]

i have questions! what has been your favorite part about the creation of stellar black so far? what’s your favorite character dynamic? how did you first get the idea to write it? what has been your favorite world-building aspect so far?

My favorite thing about Stellar Black so far is just how different it is from my usual projects. Many of my stories are about adventure and exploration but here Riore’s more trapped wherever her parents guide her and she’s being lied to for the most part, and it’s just fun and new.

I like Riore’s dynamic (or at least what I have it planned as) with both her siblings? I rarely write poor sibling relationships but with these three, they struggle to communicate and when they finally start to work together, it isn’t sunshine and rainbows.

As for the idea, I’m not really sure, I ran with the small idea of chosen one being deceived and it spiraled out of control because Liv and Charlie (no-url-ideas-tho and spacebrick3) encouraged me to plot it out.

I started adding all the various ideas and concepts I had and let it develop more and more.

And, the only thing I have developed is the magic, which is fancy and everyone has a Signature that they must use in order to do magic!

Stellar Black Q&A!

[thetheporcelainauthor-blog]

@sunnydwrites  challenge.

I’m going to attempt it, if I’m late due to mother nature or sickness whoops. But the book I’m going to write about on Tumblr along with my other projects is:

Teen boy who has to help solve the mystery and relieve the curse of a girl that his family apparently damned for eternity years ago.

Will post page one later!!

Thanks @sunnydwrites

[incandescent-creativity]

hi! i heard you're doing nano this year and was wondering what your nano user is and if we can be buddies? <3

Sure! You can find me here on my NaNo profile.

Best of luck to you this November!

[crtalley]

it feels weird to be like, Actually Hitting Reasonable Goals. like i'm not completely avoiding work??? i'm not manic-focused on my writing to the detriment of all else??? weird.

anyway this is my january so far and i'm really glad bc i'm two whole days ahead of my goal so far which gives me Plenty of relaxation room (esp considering we're moving in 2 weeks,,,)

[icarusatmidnight]

1 and 9 for the summer fest asks!

Aw, thank you!! :D

1) who’s into PDA and who’s super shy?

Mhmm. Thyme enjoys PDA but he tends to do it pretty lowkey himself because he doesn’t like demanding attention from people. He’s the type to rest his head of your shoulder (or vice versa) and loop his fingers through belt-loops and bag straps while they’re waiting like in crowds or on a subway. Nothing major, just little notes of ‘i’m here, hope that’s okay’.

Oleander on the other hand is a very private individual when he’s out in public. He doesn’t mind Thyme’s little gestures  and when it’s later at night, he may reach out from Thyme’s hand but that’s basically the extent of his PDA game. He’d just rather wait and shove Thyme against a wall when they get home, lol.

9) can you picture them getting married? what would it be like?

Oleander and Thyme, totally! I do think they get married down the line though because Thyme would love to get married and Oleander wouldn’t mind getting married to Thyme and would love planning an atrocious wedding so so much! I don’t think it would greatly change their relationship either. They’d still be dorky fools totally in love with each other, screwing around and playing games and being supportive and happy. :D

Thyme would just get to call Oleander his spouse and Olea would get to say husband and they’d both blush red beet for at least the first twenty years of marriage because that’s such an unreal idea of both of them. They’d love it so much.

[writinginslowmotion]

Reblogging to my Writeblr

2 and 3 for the summer ship asks?

2) 

any quirky ships? if, talk about it! Not at the moment. I’m sorry :(

3) 

is there a ship-based scene you’re excited to write? I can’t wait to write the moment when Erica and Sloane finally say “I love you” to each other, because it’s going to be sad but also so sweet. 

[theshitpostcalligrapher]

thank you for opening up your asks for this! could you please do "what's the opposite of a snake? a t i g e r"? thank you!

no a bear

the ask box isn’t open yet, im trying to get through a shitload of old requests