#wqa

[writingquestionsanswered]

WQA Site News

Hey, everyone! You may have noticed I've been relatively absent over the past couple of months. I've made the difficult decision to close down the ask box for a while, possibly permanently. This is partly because I needed to shift my priorities back toward my own writing and taking time out for myself. It's also partly because I just couldn't keep up with the inbox. It was rare there was ever less than 30 to 50 asks at any given time, and over the years questions seem to have gravitated away from general writing questions to requests for plot specific advice... which of course comes with lengthy plot rundowns. At the end of the day, those types of questions became the bulk of what was in my inbox. I realized that the needs of the community had shifted from needing general writing advice to personalized writing coaching, and that's just not something I'm able to offer here.

I have loved every single second I've put into this blog, and I am so unbelievably proud of the fact that many of you over the years have messaged me to say that you got a trad book deal or indie published your book, or were on your way to one or the other. That's something I will always hold as part of my tiny legacy on this big blue marble. Thank you, so much, for giving me the opportunity to do it.

The blog will stay up so you can access past posts and the WQA post masterlist. And maybe, periodically, I'll open the ask box up for a short period of time. Or, possibly, I may even open it back up permanently one day. Hard to say for sure. But, in the meantime, wherever you are, may your writing be fruitful, your reading be blissful, and may you stay safe and protected always.

Love,

WQA

[gorillageek27]

Hard to say but, Ilene totally blames Kong during her labor, giving birth to Kiko in process. 👉👈👀

Ilene: AAAAAHHHHHH! YOU DID THIS TO ME!

Kong: just keep pushing. You're doing great.

Ilene: YOU'RE MAKING THIS UP TO ME!

Kong: of course, whatever you want.

Ilene: I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER!

Kong:...

[wqatwinspack]

The story of the twins pack...

Abyss, the son of Horn & Halo, split from his family to go form his own pack. Now, a lone wolf, Abyss has to hunt for himself, and find a mate. He's not picky, but many wolves avoid him due to his cold, distant, and unpolite demeanor...

[datadale]

BTW - I created this image using Dall.e

[possuminnit]

lil thingy for funn..

[single-malt-scotch]

there was a moment in ren's stream where gem mentioned she had a brownie to which bdubs said "chocolate?" everyones like "well there are only chocolate brownies. are there other kinds of brownies?" etho chimes in like "oh dont you know about cheese brownies" as like, a joke thing hes making up. but. hes so normal sounding everyone else was like . wait what. admittedly etho has been saying so much weird stuff this season i was like like. hold up is he joking or. but anyways they went back and forth with him and when asked to explain further he quickly said bye and flew away.

which they joked abt how etho just did Not explain himself. they talked about "yes and"-ing and bdubs took a moment to say how he saw etho in this situation. no one there is really "role playing" but have different ways they handle improv situations (bdubs saying hes the kinda guy who just acts like he doesnt know words or how to talk. which yeah actually real). how martyn and ren have a specific way of engaging thats very similar and works very well. "yes and" is kinda a key ability in making improv bits flow.

bdubs says etho obvs doesnt role play, and while he does his jokes and has his humor, when he pulls out a joke like what happened there, the way he presents it sounds so casual that people take him seriously and there isnt always an obvious "yes and" situation being had (and etho doesnt always know how to create it). which kinda has him struggle to continue (imo not helped by his existing shyness) and in this case made it part of the joke that he just fuckin left lol.

[shittypepsispritedaily]

Have you done horse?

DAY 63

[booperbeanv3]

drawstuck #1

stinky

fortold in the clouds

bustin it down strider style (courtesy of @breadfacednerd)

extras under cut

artist commentary

high quality yaoi

zettai ryouiki equius (he doesn't deserve a high wuality png)

[catilinas]

bookclub good today as always but @splendidemendax saying a point i had made was 'a not ungirardian idea' was. it's so over

[lightnersdream]

HELLO

[rememberthelaughtermp3]

real talk i miss ray toro sm.

[ahb-writes]

Solid, foundational perspective for exploring description writing. I think a lot of scenic and environmental detail comes down to organized research.

I may not immediately reference some 300+ photos I have stored on period-specific clothing styles and armor styles, but by searching out the art, photos, artists, and photographers, and organizing them, I have a very strong grasp of the aesthetic my story demands.

The same goes for the language used throughout. Reading books or research papers focusing on certain cultures or academic fields puts me in the right mental space to craft a story that's familiar with the lived-in needs of the characters who occupy those spaces.

Do you have any advice for writing description if you don’t really have a “mind’s eye”? I really struggle because I have a really hard time thinking/imagining things visually. (I know visuals aren’t the only type of description you can include when writing, but I’d still like to improve at them.)

Three Quick Tips for Describing Visuals

Your character has just stepped into the throne room of a medieval castle. You have a vague mental image of what this castle and its throne room look like, but you have no idea how to go about describing it. So, what do you do? Here are three quick tips that will help you with your description:

1 - Gather Inspiration Images - Inspiration images are a great way to refine the picture in your mind's eye and keep details straight. Just go to your favorite search engine and plug in your keywords, then scroll through the results to find images that speak to you. Save them in a folder on your device so you can refer to them as needed. You may even want to create a "mood board" collage or a Pinterest board.

Example: "fantasy medieval throne room"

2 - Gather Your Vocab - Once you have your inspiration images in hand, you find it hard to put what you're seeing into words because you're missing the necessary vocabulary to describe what you're seeing. Fortunately, you can search for lists, diagrams, and labeled images that will tell you what things are called. If you need the door into the throne room, try looking up "door styles" or "types of doors." If you need to describe the throne, try looking up "chair styles" or "parts of a chair."

Example: "parts of a castle" & "parts of a throne" 3 - Gather Your Other Atmospheric and Sensory Details - Next, you want to consider the atmospheric and sensory details, then gather your words. What can the character see? (What color are the stone walls? Is the air hazy? Are there flickering candles in wrought iron torchieres?) What can they hear? (Are voices echoing through the cavernous hall? Is there lute music playing?) What can they smell? (Is there wood smoke from the torches on the walls? Is there the smell of roasted meat wafting from the kitchens?) What can they taste? (If they're nervous, do they taste bile in the back of their throat or salt from their sweat?) What can they feel? (Is the throne room warm from all the people? Cold because it's cavernous and stone?)

Example: "shades of the color gray" & "words to describe smells" Have fun with your story!

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[neptunesailing]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉🎉🎉

thank you!!

[abimee]

love this look of the side part and the fqke bangs made with hair from the opposite side of your head. sort of the look i was giving later years ruyan but with more defined curled tips

[smidge-j]

Normally I would be excited about a thunderstorm but not when I have to go out in it