#writing advice from penn

[crazypenguinwriter]

Character Creation

I wanna give my two cents on something.

So like, I've started to come across a lot of posts on Pinterest about creating entire lists on your characters from their name to their favorite plants and the way they count on their hands. And while there's nothing wrong with making lists for your characters, you don't need to know the favorite snack of every character you create. If you ask me, the most important things you need to know about your character are quite simple:

Their full name (including second, third, however many names they have)

Their age (you can do this approximately, if you don't know an exact number)

Their basic appearance (color of hair, eyes, are they tall/short/broad/slim). Do note the word 'basic', no details are necessary (though if a character has a trinket of some kind they always wear for whatever reason, this is included in the list)

Their personality, or what defines them. This helps you give them a correct voice (hotheads react and act differently than those with a level head) and can help you figure out how they'd interact with other characters. Now do note that this shouldn't be an entire essay or even a long list, as you should be able to see what's up with a quick glance.

Background. This includes family, friends, how they grew up... This one will be the longest, but shouldn't be too detailed either. Just enough to help you see where the character came from and what defines them, what goals they might have and what morals they gained overtime. These can tie back into their personality (and usually do, if I'm honest. We're a complex being filled with mannerisms that come from our history and culture we grew up in, so of course your character's personality is linked with their background)

Other things. Now this one is very, very vague, but here is where I usually put things that define my character but don't fit any of the previously mentioned things. Their favorite plant, if it's relevant to the story in some way (or you just got inspiration and wanted to put it in).

Do keep in mind that this is how I do character creation, and what works for me. If you're more inclined to fill in the essays and long lists of questions for each and every character go ahead, don't let me stop you. I just think that it's quite time-consuming, and I'd rather spend that time either writing the story or being busy with the world-building. Besides, characters change all the time, as we all do. Hotheads can learn to be calmer, level headed characters can learn to let lose and explode, naïve characters grow up and learn to be skeptical... The possibilities are endless, which is why I do my character creation this way. I also usually start with the most important characters (the protagonists, the antagonists) and add others when the plot demands me to. And I spend a long time plotting, so some characters get scrapped or rewritten so many times I've lost count, and I'm not going to spend every time that happens on the '50 questions I need to know about your characters' when I can be writing and rewriting the plot for the umpteenth time.

Anyways, that's my two cents on the topic. Have fun creating!

[deception-united]

Online Writing Resources

YouTube:

Abbie Emmons: A published author. Her videos have great tips and advice for plot and character development.

Hello Future Me: Mostly worldbuilding tips, but very in-depth, with specific examples.

Ellen Brock: A professional freelance editor who provides help with all aspects of writing—outlining, worldbuilding, character writing, plot development, publishing, and generally answering any questions writers may have.

Terrible Writing Advice: Great writing advice, if you can handle the sarcasm.

Podcasts:

Writing Excuses: Albeit fast-paced, the given writing advice is quite useful. There's multiple seasons addressing topics such as story structure, characters, and genres, amongst many others.

The Creative Penn: This podcast is run by author Joanna Penn, who shares the lessons she learned in her own journey and advice for writing and publishing your novel.

I Should Be Writing: Interviews with various authors, and encouragement for aspiring writers.

Story Grid: Outlining methods, writing tips, editing advice, and analysis of various works.

Blogs:

Creativity Portal: Author interviews, creativity generators, writing prompts and templates, and various other writing resources.

Now Novel: Aside from writing tools, this website has multitudes of posts about characters, dialogue, narration, plotting, editing, and story structure, as well as writer motivation.

Helping Writers Become Authors: Tips on dialogue, characterisation, outlining, plot development, structuring, character arcs, and common writing mistakes to avoid.

Almost an Author: This website is great help for aspiring authors, with advice that ranges from genres to motivation for writers to guidance for making writing a career.

Hope this is helpful! I'd love to hear any other resources you use or are familiar with. Happy writing ❤

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[writingquestionsanswered]

hiya! for writers who are complete beginners, kinda sorta maybe write at a high school level, can't describe to save their lives, have overall bad flow (as in they can't decide what little moments scenes to think up and even write, if they do, they're no good), have been told countless times to write daily and just read more but that doesn't cover the basics or foundations of creative writing, not like they can learn from a book bc they're a hands on learner anyway and p.s they're super broke so can't afford writing classes and no library near them offers free ones ---- aka me :( --- do you have any advice? lol i feel kinda doomed and that maybe writing isn't for me, but I don't wanna get my hopes down!! with the right tools, it's possible.

Free Resources for Learning How to Write

I want to start with addressing why you've been told so often "to write daily and read more" as a way to learn how to write. It's very difficult to learn and excel at a craft if you have no experience with said craft. You can read all the information in the world about how to forge a sword, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to pick up a hunk of metal and be able to forge a beautiful sword. You need to spend a lot of time watching other people forge swords, and spend a lot of time actually practicing each step yourself if you want to get good at it. Writing works the same way. Reading lets you experience what fiction should be, writing lets you practice each step for yourself.

Fortunately, there are lots of ways to read fiction for free. You can borrow books from friends, family members, and members of your community. You can check out books and e-books from your local library if you have one. You can look for Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood. There's also a lot of legally free fiction available online. Project Gutenberg, Planet E-Book, Bartleby, Literature.org, Classic Literature, Classic Short Stories, Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, Library of Short Stories, Levar Burton Reads, and sites like Kobo, Amazon, and Audible often offer freebies of both e-books and audio books.

Other free ways to learn how to write:

1 - Follow bloggers and vloggers and authors on social media who talk about the craft of writing. Some of my favorites are: Joanna Penn/The Creative Penn, K.M. Weiland, Liselle Sambury, Abbie Emmons, Hannah Lee Kidder, Brittany Wang, Alyssa Matesic, Bethany Atazadah, Lindsay Puckett, Alexa Donne, Shaelin Writes, Ellen Brock, The Writing Gals, and Sincerely, Vee.

2 - Follow writing craft blogs here on tumblr: (some suggestions) @writingwithcolor, @howtofightwrite, @heywriters, @cripplecharacters, @lgbtqwriting, @fixyourwritinghabits, @wordsnstuff, @yourbookcouldbegayer, @lizard-is-writing

3 - Watch writing craft videos on YouTube: If there's something specific you want to learn about, say, "how to structure a scene," type it into YouTube and many different videos will pop up that walk you through how to structure a scene. Just look for one that strikes you as appealing!

4 - Look for free writing resources online: many authors (especially indie authors and writing gurus/coaches like Joanna Penn, K.M. Weiland, Bethany Atazadeh, Brittany Wang, and Abbie Emmons) offer free writing resources on their web sites or by signing up for their newsletters. Often you'll see writers participating in free online writing summits/workshops which you can sign up for and either watch the videos live or via video playback that is offered for a short period of time (like 24 hours.)

5 - Do a Google Search: believe it or not, there's not a single thing you could want to learn about writing that you can't find for free on Google. If you want to learn how to improve your grammar, go to Google, type in "tips for improving grammar" and you will get a million articles that will tell you how to do just that. Want to learn how to improve your story's flow? Google "how to improve story flow" and you'll have your answer. You can even search for free worksheets, guides, and workbooks on just about anything you want. "Free character development worksheet" brought back a ton of nice looking free worksheets. "Free worldbuilding workbook" brought up several free workbooks and worksheets to help you with worldbuilding. Everything you could want to know is out there.

And, bonus: you can always read through the posts in my WQA master list to get help with a wide variety of craft and writer-related issues.

Happy learning! ♥

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[meret118]

First thoughts on The Diplomat season 2

Wow! It's terrific! I think it would have been even better with a normal length season, but it was still great. Totally worth the binge watch! :) Spoilers below.

Poor Ronnie! I figured if an american was going to die it would be the most minor character, but it's still sad. I'm very glad the impact of their death on the other characters wasn't downplayed.

So many great scenes! The Wyler's argument in the bedroom and the shoes. Stuart chewing Kate out. The fireworks and the aftermath.

Eidra is my new favorite. I hope she and Stuart don't get back together though. He asks her not to go to Cairo, even though that would be a promotion, asks her to go public with their relation, even though he knows he may be going back to DC very soon, ambushes her with personal shit at work multiple times, refuses to believe they're over, and then says she's the problem. She deserves way better.

I hope we see more Dennison next season. I can't help but wonder if a lot of his scenes were cut for time. I would have liked him to tell Kate why he's supporting Trowbridge and wants nothing to do with her anymore for example, and what he thinks about how she's handled the whole thing. They primarily focused on the plot and the Wyler's relationship this season.

The story of Debora Cahn only doing six episodes when Netflix wanted eight because she was tired seems odd to me. If she needed more time or help why not ask them for it? They love the show, and renewed season three before this one even dropped. It just feels . . . odd to me.

I still loved the new season, except for one thing - I was shocked that Kate didn't push back on burying what really happened in the meeting with the PM etc. That seems totally OOC to me. It's practically the only time she's kept her mouth closed the whole show! Later, she even tells the VP what they know about her instead of lying or just saying orders from Billie and playing dumb. Keeping quiet is not in her nature, and burying it doesn't seem like advice she would give either, at least not right then.

Allison Janney rocks! She was manipulating Trowbridge of course, and Kate too. Until Billie reacted the way she did I wondered for a second if Hal lied so Kate would take the job. Shouldn't they tell Eidra about what Roylin told Hal?

Why is Kate so easily manipulated by Penn? Is it just because she's a woman too? The only other one who was able to do it, other than Hal, was Roylin in season one after all. Penn speaks, and it's like Kate completely changes her opinion to whatever Penn says every time. I hope we learn something to explain it. It just feels like bad writing in an otherwise brilliant show at the moment to me. Maybe the explanation was cut for time this season? (When she finally does stand up to Penn, it bites her in the ass of course.)

Hal just can't take the win. He has to go behind Kate's back. Again.

WOW! That ending!!!! I did not see that coming at all!

Favorite Lines:

1."Did you fuck him?"

"No!

". . ."

"I didn't."

"Were you planning to?"

"Yeah." (Said very matter of factly.)

2. "I didn't do this to you when you, when you kept things in the vault."

"Why did you never ask me?"

"Because I trusted you."

"I don't trust you. I don't. Do you trust you?"

"Is this the part of the conversation where you get mean because you're not getting what you want?"

"It's not mean. I love you, but this is based on something other than trust. That can't be news to you?"

"I need to eat something. You're making my head hurt."

So he has food sent up so she'll eat off his plate and drop it. Plus it's not his head that's hurting. Even though he's the one that has lied repeatedly their whole marriage. Yet in this case he's actually trying to protect her. . . . And so he can get his foot in the WH too. So many layers! :)

3. (About Scottish Independence) "They're nice, sweet people. They are cold all the time. Let them make their own decisions."

[breelandwalker]

Hi hello! I want to use your "repel unwanted person" charm from Grovedaughter (my favorite book on the subject ever since I found it, by the way!) but I'm at a loss as to where to find thistle leaves this time of year. I'm thinking of substituting it with cayenne or maybe garlic, but I thought I'd ask for your advice first as the one who wrote it. What substitution do you recommend? Something I can find at the grocery store would be ideal since it's not good foraging season. Either way thank you for taking the time to read this and for writing such good books ^^

The lovely thing about the internet is that there are quite a few sites that will carry the herbs we need for our spells year round. It may take some searching to find the right one if you're outside the U.S., but at least a few of them deliver worldwide now.

My go-to's for single ounces are Penn Herb and Mountain Rose Herbs, both of which currently have thistle leaves in stock.

If you wanted to, you could also substitute something spicy or acidic to be your repellent instead of prickly leaves. Cayenne, garlic, chili peppers, and lime peel are all excellent options.

Hope this helps and I'm glad you're enjoying the book! 😊

[lucky-clover-gazette]

⭐️

Fanfic Writers: Director’s Cut

Reblog this if you want readers to come into your ask box and ask for the “director’s commentary” on a particular story, section of a story, or set of lines. 

Or, send in a ⭐star⭐  to have the author select a section they’ve been dying to talk about!

ahhh i wish i had capri fic to do this with! but it will have to be a scene from my tears of the kingdom 50k word crackfic-turned-earnest story instead <3

plain text is from the fic, italics are commentary. this is from the last chapter and is mostly about the original yiga clan character i added to a cast of real npcs! i know a few readers liked musa especially, so i hope you enjoy the added insight re: her characterization :)

Link's eyes wander to Musa and Salli, still standing against the canvas wall of the Gazette. Musa is glaring right at him, then looks away when she realizes she’s been caught.

One of my main intentions for Musa's character from the start was to create someone who "masks" in the same way Link does, but also has the unhinged passion and conviction of the Yiga Clan (and Traysi). So that's how we get Musa's particular blend of awkward aggression—glaring intently at her former enemy , but looking away the second she’s noticed.

She’d been civil to him earlier, with the coffee machine. And he’d been civil back. But that was in front of Traysi. Does he even want to be friends with Musa, considering everything that’s happened between them and their factions?

He does like Salli, though. And Traysi and Douma are chatting up a storm.

Link leaves the pizza in the pot to keep warm and walks towards Salli and Musa. He awkwardly leans against the canvas panel beside theirs.

“Overwhelmed?” asks Musa, not quite mockingly. She’s here too, after all.

Link nods. She motions him closer.

While working on this final chapter, I was SO excited to finally write Link and Musa interacting in a way that wasn't trying to kill each other. There's a lot of comedic potential, given their many similarities and the fact that they'd both HATE to know they have anything in common.

“You’re the hero, right?” asks Salli, her eyes wide.

“Yeah, that’s him,” says Musa, before he can deny it. But why would he deny it, in this situation? There’s nothing to connect him to the silent blonde Yiga footsoldier who accompanied Traysi to the Depths.

I think of the people at this party, only Link, Musa, and Traysi actually know who everyone else is. Salli and Mimos don't know that Link was the footsoldier; Douma and Juanelle don't know that Musa and Salli are in the Yiga Clan; and Penn doesn't know any of that, and also doesn't know that Link is the Hero Link at all.

“You probably don’t recall,” Salli tells Link, “but we’ve met before.”

Both Link and Musa startle at that.

“A few years ago, you gave me some gardening advice in Hateno Village. Thank you.”

Link does a fine job hiding his relief, but Musa releases a sigh. Salli looks between them, narrowing her eyes. Thinking… something. It occurs to Link that to Salli, the pair of them have never met—despite Musa literally kidnapping one of Link’s closest friends.

“I want a Noble Pursuit,” Salli says after a pause. “I’ll leave you two to chat.”

And then she’s gone, leaving Link and Musa to stand at an awkward distance.

I love the little hints of Salli and Musa's longtime friendship throughout the entire fic. It's mentioned most explicitly in Musa's journal, which only Traysi reads, but I still wanted to put some things elsewhere for the reader to notice that Link wouldn't.

It makes sense that Salli would be glad to give Musa the opportunity to talk to Link in an environment where they can't try to kill each other, especially when Salli doesn't know that Link knows who Musa is. Salli has had to deal with Musa's obsessive planning of Link's death for like a year+, and was glad to see that original plan get a replaced with a nonviolent one. So by letting Link and Musa talk alone, she's hoping that Musa might genuinely gain a new appreciation for the person she so badly wanted dead before changing her mind.

“All of these secret identities are giving me a headache,” Musa says.

Link nods.

I love this little moment of reluctant solidarity. That's a good way to summarize this entire scene, actually.

“She was telling the truth, by the way. About meeting you. I was there, too.”

Link tries to remember a Yiga encounter in Hateno Village. Gardening, specifically, manages to ring a bell. Nobody tried to hurt him directly, but a footsoldier had managed to grapple Zelda… until they and their accomplice abruptly disappeared.

Musa smirks. “If it’d been up to me, we wouldn’t have shown mercy. I’m not sentimental enough to get distracted.”

Link stares pointedly at Traysi, now smiling ear to ear as she speaks with her sister.

HA.

“She’s a special case,” says Musa, with no further elaboration. “I would have killed you and the princess in a heartbeat.” Then she frowns, but not in a sad way. It’s a thoughtful, conflicted frown. “You saved both of your lives, being so kind to Salli. And you didn’t even know it.” Musa’s frown deepens. “People outside the Yiga Clan are kinder than I expected them to be.”

This is a direct reference to an entry in Musa's journal, where she makes the same observation after traveling Hyrule for the first time. She grew up in the Yiga Clan, full of almost entirely unpleasant and mean people, so of course that's how she acts and what she expects from others. Salli is the exception to the norm, and that's why Musa cared so much about defending her friend when the Yiga Clan turned their cruelty on her.

Link… doesn’t know how to respond to that. But Musa doesn’t seem to expect a response.

This was meant as a direct contrast to Traysi, who almost always expects some kind of engagement with the things she says. Even with Link, who she doesn't pressure to speak, she still generally awaits indication that he's paying attention.

“I’m glad Salli stopped me from killing you,” she says after a long pause. “And I’m sorry you lost your friend.”

A surprising thing for her to say. Still not clear at this point if Traysi told Musa about the Light Dragon, or if she's referring to a more general kind of "lost." Either way, it touches Link.

Link doesn’t know why he thinks of the Lightning Helm. But he does, and he remembers the way she’d reacted when she saw that he had it. It wasn’t the same anger she’d shown when he dispatched her inventions—his possession of the Yiga-made helm has seemed much more personal to Musa than someone simply breaking her toys.

We have Musa being unexpectedly kind to Link, and Link instinctively thinking of a way he can return her kindness. This "people are kinder than I expected" theme connects to the greater themes of masking, things appearing different from how they really are, etc.

He takes out the Lightning Helm and offers it to Musa. Recognition flashes in her dark eyes, but she doesn’t dare move.

“That’s right,” she mutters, “you... “ And then, at full volume: “You’re giving it back?”

Link nods. He has the full upgraded rubber set, anyway.

Musa reaches for the relic, but stops herself. “It doesn’t work for me,” she reluctantly admits. “I could never figure it out.”

But it clearly means something to her.

“It would be illogical to accept,” Musa says, weakly.

“Sentimental,” Link replies. Her eyes widen, for a second, but she quickly regains her cool.

The only word Link ever says to Musa in this fic. I think it’s fitting :)

“Fine,” Musa tells him, swiping the Lightning Helm from his hands. “But you take this. I can always make a new one.”

She withdraws the zonaite helm from her inventory and shoves it towards Link. If him accepting is what it’ll take for her to keep the Lightning Helm, he’s happy to comply.

Another main story theme: confident passion. The Yiga Clan is cringe and free. They are an intimidating and confident clan of assassins, and they’re also engineering nerds who sing songs about bananas and turn themselves into chickens. In their most shining moments, each main character of this fic—Link, Traysi, Mimos, Musa, and Salli—demonstrates confident passion in their interests. But they’re also insecure, at times, and use their confidence to uplift each other.

It doesn’t matter that Musa never figured out how to use the Lightning Helm. It was a project that she and her mentor put work and passion into, to the point that it literally killed her mentor. The helm still means something to her beyond its utilitarian purpose, and having it would give her confidence in her passion for future projects. And it would also just make her feel better, in the same way that a hug from Traysi helped Link feel better when he finally told the truth about the Light Dragon.

Well, maybe happy is a stretch. It’s easier to absolve Salli and Mimos of the Yiga Clan’s cruel impersonation of Zelda, because Link can’t imagine either of them actually standing by the emotional harm it caused. But Musa intentionally plotted to cause him and his friends emotional harm, just to get what she wanted. And while she had agreed to stop the Yiga Clan from impersonating Zelda, Link still has to wonder if that had solely been to please Traysi, rather than make amends with him.

“You know,” Musa says, “I have some familiarity with the Zonai legend of draconification myself.”

Proving him wrong in real-time. Traysi isn’t currently present to approve of Musa being kind to Link. Musa is doing this on her own.

Link gasps, pushing himself away from the canvas. But Musa speaks casually, as if her words have no weight at all.

“The way the Zonai write about it, everything is very set in stone.” She cringes. “Ignore the pun.”

Reference to her asking for a pun to be redacted during the interview, and then it literally being redacted in the article. And, more thematically, to the idea of her “masking” the parts of herself she thinks are unserious.

Link warily leans back.

“But then again,” Musa smirks, “the Zonai were also certain that their devices could only use crystallized charges as a power source, and…”

She reaches under her red scarf to pull out a metal pendant on a chain. Link recognizes her power source and a chill runs down his back.

I love how even in this scene, Musa still finds a moment to be smug and self-congratulatory. One of my favorite quotes in this fic is when Musa says something in her journal like, “Salli says I’m capable of more than I think, which is silly because I’m very capable of the things I’m actually good at.” Musa is both deeply insecure about anything she’s not immediately skilled with, and obnoxiously self-assured about the things she knows she does well. Girl, me too.

“It really does beg the question,” says Musa, every word dripping with implication. “What else could they have gotten wrong?”

I needed there to be a reason for Link to suspect that Zelda could be saved after he fought Ganon, and this was my solution. It seemed just suggestive enough to fit into the game’s story, without fully confirming or denying the possibility.

By the cooking pot, Traysi bursts out laughing. Musa’s expression softens, just for a second—but then she seems to remember her current company, and it’s back to a measured frown.

:)

“Tell her I said any of this and I’ll tear you limb from limb,” Musa tells Link. And then, softly again, “Don’t be mad that she told me about Zelda. She just really wanted to find a solution for you. She talks a lot about you, when you’re gone.”

Link regards Traysi from a distance—abrasive, self-centered, and pragmatic, and not ashamed of those qualities in the slightest. How many times has he questioned the depths of her true feelings towards him? How many times has he worried, in the back of his brain, that she sees him as a source rather than a friend?

I liked giving Traysi a little more of a private side here. Through Musa, Link gets a hint of the person Traysi is when she doesn’t know he’s paying attention. Y’know, mask off.

“She’s more sympathetic than she lets on,” Musa says. “Unlike me, of course. I’m exactly as sympathetic as I let on.”

Another Musa line I adore. And then it’s directly followed by…

Traysi reaches towards the pizza in the warm cooking pot, then draws back her hand in pain. Both Link and Musa run to her aid without a second thought.

“Are you okay?” Musa frets, taking Traysi’s hand gently in her own. Link gets in both of their personal space, looking over the injury. After an initial assessment of the very minor burn, he locks eyes with Musa and nods. She’s fine.

The way they both immediately put aside whatever weirdness they have between them, simply based on a shared affection for Traysi… so fun to write.

“Calm down, guys!” Traysi says with an amused smile. “I just touched the handle for a second.”

Musa narrows her eyes at the tiny wound as if she personally despises it. And then she leans down and presses her lips to Traysi’s hand.

GAY PEOPLE!! After several chapters of them antagonistically flirting in front of the somewhat oblivious Link, we get an indulgently obvious moment. And Musa’s willingness to comfort Traysi in such a sweet way, despite her personality Being Like That, in front of strangers, is payoff to her comment about being exactly as sympathetic as she lets on. In this moment, in order to comfort Traysi, she’s choosing to let on.

“Muse,” Traysi murmurs, “not in front of Link.”

The idea of Traysi being extremely private about her romantic life, while talkative and oversharing about everything else, is adorable.

Musa regards Link with what appears to be murderous intent. But then Traysi runs a hand through her hair, and she returns to her typical indifference.

Despite their very nice conversation, the fact that Link’s presence means that Musa can’t flirt with her girlfriend has her going evil-assassin mode. But then Traysi pets her hair and she’s fine :)

“I’m here too,” says Douma. Under her breath, she adds, “freaks.”

Douma was a fun late addition to this fic. In BOTW, she talks to Link about how off-putting she finds Prince Sidon despite his charming reputation. This characterization seemed about right to me.

[skyrimsimmer]

Writing advice needed!

I see a lot of writers here on tumblr and I am needing some advice. I have been working on a book since early last year however due to lack of motivation to work on it because of my health I have pushed dates for the book to be published. I have books by Joanna Penn that I bought and have skimmed through. Right now I am working on finding historical information from the Iron Age to modern day 2024. The main character is immortal due to being a supernatural creature a werewolf. I have only watched a few shows to learn about The Vikings since the main characters family comes from Norway. I know enough about the Vikings from books I got for Christmas and been reading the books to understand more about them. Can anyone share some links on information from Iron Age to Modern day for me as I have come up empty on finding those links through bing and google.

I'm hoping to have my book published before Christmas this year if my health does improve after seeing important doctors in the coming months. Thank you for the help! Feel free to reblog my post mentions are off because i don't like my blog name being mentioned in blogs that are negative.

[sunset-a-story]

Writer Q&A Tag Game!

I got tagged by @touloserlautrec on this one and you can see their answers here.

I'm not sure who hasn't gotten this one yet but I'm no pressure tagging @squarebracket-trick @captain-kraken @vsnotresponding & @tisiphonewolfe (and open tag)

1. What motivates you to write?

The whole absurdly-large scope of Sunset is going on in my head whether I'm writing it or not. You know when you have a song oppressively stuck in your head and the only thing that helps is to listen to the song all the way through? It's like that. If I don't write it out, my brain just churns it over and over on a loop.

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

Ooo. Hrm. Here's something from Arc 2.

Gerrit's heart sank. The idea that this sort of attack was more than a sporadic phenomenon was a dreadful, heavy thing that he didn't have proper words for. But that was the benefit of telepaths--he didn’t have to. When Gerrit would normally have needed to look away, attempting to grasp his fingers around some sort of words that even remotely fit the gravity of what he was being told, instead he just looked at Penn and felt. Penn held his gaze for a moment and Gerrit felt a gentle nudge of his telepathy. Penn understood. “Go.” Penn clapped him on the back.

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

It's tough to pick! I'll say Marek just because I enjoy his antics and stalwart refusal to be a "serious corporate adult" while being one of the most competent people in the Corp. (Plus he and Baguette are a package deal.)

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

I guess I'd have to say planning/mapping the big picture. Sunset covers a lot of threads that all branch out to affect others down the line with cascading consequences. It's all connected somehow and I feel like I do a decent holding it all in my head.

(That and I think I can write some pretty damn funny dialogue to break up the tension of the rest of the story.)

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

The people! It's so amazing to meet so many supportive writers and get to get excited about everyone's projects. Listening to other rant about their oc babies brings me so much joy.

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

I've been using StimuWrite 2 which has been a great motivating tool. It's a program helps to keep me focused and I can create a mini fake coffee shop background with it.

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I love our take on telepaths because it's not a matter of just hearing thoughts or seeing them like on a movie screen. It's synesthetic and young telepaths have to learn to translate this internal language.

Each telepath's experience is different. Penn's is heavily smell-based like information he takes into his body from outside. Jake's is more external with sounds and physical sensations pressing themselves onto his skin, wrapping around him. Reeve's is more internal with tastes and colors that flow from the backs of his eyes and down his throat like a liquid--so if his knack gets overwhelming it can make him feel like he's choking or drowning.

I like to think that how telepaths perceive their knack has an influence on them in the same way that what knack someone has will influence who they are. (This also makes conflict between telepaths really interesting to write!)

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

Allow yourself to have fallow times where you aren't writing. That's part of the process. I think the saying is something like anything in nature that is producing endlessly without rest or renewal is dying.

Don't give up on your projects, write that shitty first draft, but don't beat yourself up with guilt when your brain needs a break.

[bookpublisher1]

Resources and Tools for Writers

Resources and Tools for Writers: A Comprehensive Guide

Writing is a beautiful and often challenging endeavor, where words become art, stories take shape, and ideas find their voice. To support the creative journey, writers have access to a vast array of resources and tools that can enhance their craft, streamline their work, and expand their knowledge. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the diverse resources and tools available to writers, from writing software and reference materials to writing communities and self-publishing platforms.

Writing Software and Tools

1. Word Processing Software: Word processors like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Scrivener are essential tools for drafting and editing your work. They offer features for formatting, spell-checking, and document organization.

2. Grammar and Editing Tools: Online grammar checkers like Grammarly and ProWritingAid help writers identify and correct grammatical errors, punctuation issues, and style inconsistencies.

3. Mind Mapping and Outlining Tools: Software like MindMeister, Scrapple, and Workflowy can help writers brainstorm, outline their work, and visualize the structure of their projects.

4. Note-Taking Apps: Apps like Evernote and OneNote are perfect for jotting down ideas, collecting research, and organizing notes on the go.

5. Writing Prompts: Websites and apps like Writing Prompts, Reedsy, and The Write Practice provide daily writing prompts and creative exercises to stimulate your imagination.

6. Writing and Word Count Tracking Tools: Tools like NaNoWriMo's word count tracker and online timers like TomatoTimer help writers set goals and monitor their progress.

7. Reference and Research Tools: Tools such as Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote are useful for managing references, citations, and research materials.

8. Thesaurus and Dictionaries: Online thesauruses like Thesaurus.com and dictionary resources like Merriam-Webster are invaluable for finding synonyms, antonyms, and definitions.

9. Readability Checkers: Tools like Hemingway Editor and Readable.io assess the readability of your writing, helping you create content that's easy to understand.

10. Screenwriting Software: If you're a screenwriter, software like Final Draft or Celtx can assist you in formatting scripts to industry standards.

Reference Materials

1. Style Guides: Manuals like The Chicago Manual of Style, The Associated Press Stylebook, and The Modern Language Association (MLA) Handbook provide guidelines for formatting and citation.

2. Writing Guides: Books like "On Writing" by Stephen King, "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott, and "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White offer invaluable writing advice and wisdom.

3. Dictionaries and Thesauruses: Traditional print dictionaries and thesauruses are still valuable reference materials, especially for writers who prefer the tactile experience of flipping through pages.

4. Writer's Market Guides: The "Writer's Market" series provides information on publishers, literary agents, and markets for various genres.

5. Grammar and Style Books: Resources like "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Lynne Truss and "The Elements of Eloquence" by Mark Forsyth offer in-depth exploration of grammar and style.

6. Online Blogs and Articles: Numerous writing blogs and websites, such as Writer's Digest, The Creative Penn, and The Write Life, provide articles, tips, and inspiration for writers.

Writing Communities and Workshops

1. Writing Groups: Local and online writing groups, such as Meetup, Goodreads, and Facebook writing groups, writer’s circle provide a space to share your work, receive feedback, and connect with fellow writers.

2. Writing Workshops: Many organizations and universities offer writing workshops and courses, both in-person and online. They often provide structured learning and feedback opportunities.

3. Critique Partners: Building relationships with critique partners is a valuable way to get constructive feedback on your work. Websites like Critique Circle and Scribophile can help you find critique partners.

4. Author Forums: Websites like Absolute Write Water Cooler and KBoards (for indie authors) are popular author forums where writers can ask questions, share experiences, and seek advice.

5. Writing Conferences: Attending writing conferences and book fairs can help you network with industry professionals, learn from experts, and gain insights into the publishing world.

Publishing Platforms and Self-Publishing Tools

1. Traditional Publishers: If you're pursuing traditional publishing, resources like the Writer's Market guide and QueryTracker can help you find literary agents and publishers. Confused if to go or not for traditional publishing here are 5 Reasons Why Traditionally Published Books Sell Better Than Self-Published Books

2. Self-Publishing Platforms: If you're considering self-publishing, platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark, and Smashwords provide tools and guidelines for self-publishing your work.

3. Book Cover Design Tools: Software like Canva and Adobe Spark can assist with designing eye-catching book covers.

4. Formatting and Layout Services: For professionally formatted books, services like Vellum and Brave Healers Production can help you create professional interior layouts.

5. Book Marketing Tools: Social media networks are essential for book marketing and promotion.

6. Email Marketing Services: Services like Mailchimp and ConvertKit are valuable for building and maintaining a mailing list for your author newsletter.

Income and Rights Management

1. Royalty Tracking Software: Tools like BookTrakr and AuthorEarnings provide insights into book sales, royalties, and income tracking.

2. Copyright and Contracts Resources: Authors should familiarize themselves with copyright law and have legal resources for contract reviews if working with publishers.

Author Platforms and Websites

1. Author Websites: Creating a professional author website is a must. Platforms like WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace offer user-friendly website builders.

2. Blogging Platforms: Blogging can help you connect with readers and showcase your writing. WordPress and Blogger are popular blogging platforms.

3. Social Media: Building a presence on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook can help you engage with your audience and promote your work.

Financial and Business Tools

1. Tax Resources: As an author, you may need to navigate complex tax matters. Tax software or the services of an accountant or tax professional can be invaluable.

2. Business Tools: Software for bookkeeping, invoicing, and project management can help authors manage their finances and business affairs effectively.

Online Writing Tools

1. Online Writing Platforms: Online platforms like Medium, Wattpad, and Vocal.Media provide opportunities to publish and share your writing with a broad online audience.

2. Collaborative Writing Tools: Tools like Google Docs and Scrivener support collaborative writing projects by enabling real-time editing and sharing.  Don’t miss the 5 FREE Writing Tools Authors Must Try In 2023

Conclusion

The journey of a writer is a continuous exploration of creativity and self-discovery. The resources and tools available to writers today are as diverse as the voices and stories they bring to life. This comprehensive guide should serve as a valuable reference for writers looking to enhance their craft, navigate the publishing world, and connect with their audience. Whether you're just starting your writing journey or have been on it for years, these resources and tools are here to support your passion and help you turn your ideas into art.

[rabbitcruiser]

Benjamin Franklin Day

Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was born on this day in 1706, in  Boston, making today Ben Franklin Day. He was a polymath, or expert in  many subjects. Some of the titles that could be given to him are  inventor, scientist, politician, diplomat, civic activist, printer,  author, postmaster, and mapmaker. He also founded or was a part of many  organizations and groups.

Franklin was the tenth and youngest son of a soap and candle maker,  Josiah Franklin, and Josiah's second wife, Abiah Folger. The elder  Franklin wanted his son to follow the path of a preacher, but did not  have the money to send him to school. Benjamin only attended school up  until the age of ten, when he began working full-time in his father's  shop. At the age of twelve he was sent to apprentice his older brother  James, who was a printer. James started The New England Courant  in Boston when Benjamin was fifteen. Benjamin wanted to be printed in  the paper, but James would not allow it. So, he wrote letters under name  of Silence Dogood, a fictional widow, and slid them under the print  shop door at night. The fourteen letters he wrote were published; they  gave advice and were filled with critical observations of the world.  Benjamin eventually confessed to writing them, and James was not happy.  Later, after harassment and beating at the hands of his brother,  Benjamin ended up running away to New York, and then ended up in  Philadelphia in 1723.

In Philadelphia, Franklin found work as an apprentice printer. He  then went to England for several months of print work. He came back to  Philadelphia and helped out a printer, but eventually borrowed money and  set up his own printing business a few years later. Franklin bought the  Pennsylvania Gazette in 1729, which became the most widely read newspaper in the colonies. He printed it and contributed pieces under aliases.

In 1728, Franklin had a son, William; it is not known who the mother  was. In 1730, he married Deborah Read; it was a common-law marriage, as  Read's first husband had deserted her. The Franklin's had two children:  Francis, born in 1732, died at the age of four from smallpox. Sarah was  born in 1743.

The Library Company, the nation's first subscription library, was founded by Franklin in 1731. He started publishing Poor Richard's Almanack  in 1733, under the pseudonym of "Richard Saunders." Its lively writing  and witty aphorisms separated it from other Almanacs of the day, and it  was printed for twenty-five years. The first fire department of  Philadelphia, the Union Fire Company, was organized by Franklin in 1736.  Franklin also worked for environmental cleanup in the city, and  launched projects and advocated for paved and lit streets. The first  learned society in the country, the American Philosophical Society, was  launched with the help of Franklin. In 1751, he brought together another  group of people to form the Pennsylvania Hospital.

Franklin's bright mind came up with many inventions. His 1752 kite  and key experiment demonstrated that lightning was electricity, and he  also invented the lightning rod. He came up with other electricity  related terms that we still use today, such as "battery." He invented a  fireplace that became known as the "Franklin stove." Compared to the  popular fireplaces of its time, it gave off more heat and used less  fuel. Franklin refused to patent it, and wanted his invention to serve  others freely. Franklin invented bifocals, which could be used for both  distance and reading. He even invented a musical instrument, the  armonica, which Beethoven and Mozart wrote music for. He charted the  Gulf Stream and gave it its name, and suggested the idea for, and helped  design the first penny in the United States.

In 1757, Franklin went to England to represent the Penn family over  who should represent the colony. Until 1775 most of his time was spent  in England. He served as a Colonial representative for Pennsylvania,  Georgia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. His wife Deborah died in 1774,  while he was still in London.

Franklin was originally a loyalist, but after the 1765 Stamp Act his  views shifted. He testified before Parliament, helping persuade members  of that body to repeal the law. He later became embroiled in what became  known as the "Hutchinson Affair." Thomas Hutchinson, an English  appointed governor, had written letters that had called for the  lessening of liberties of colonists. Franklin got ahold of the letters  and sent them to America. He was condemned publicly, and soon came back  home.

He was elected to the Second Continental Congress, and was part of  the committee of five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. He  also was a signer of the Declaration. He was the first Postmaster  General of the United States; long after his death he was honored by  being put on the first US postage stamp.

He left America to become the first Ambassador to France. During this  time he helped secure a treaty with them in 1778. He also helped to  secure loans during the war. When the guns fell silent, he was present  at signing of Treaty of Paris in 1783, which formally ended the war.

Franklin returned to his home country, and became a delegate at the  Constitutional Convention; he signed the Constitution, being the oldest  person to do so. Although Franklin owned slaves early in his life, his  views changed over time, and in his last years he worked for the  abolition of slavery. After suffering from gout and other ailments, he  died on April 17, 1790, at his daughter Sarah's home. His funeral was  attended by 20,000 people.

It is fitting a day would be dedicated to Benjamin Franklin, as he is  so much more than just the man on the $100 bill. The breadth and scope  of his achievements are almost unparalleled, not only in his political  contributions to a fledgling country, but in his many other pursuits as  well.

Here are just some of his accomplishments and activities: As writer/printer/publisher:

wrote as Silence Dogood in The New England Courant

published Poor Richard's Almanack for twenty-five years

owned the Pennsylvania Gazette

wrote an acclaimed autobiography

As an inventor:

"Franklin stove"

proved lightning is electricity and invented the lightning rod

bifocals

swim fins

carriage odometer

armonica

flexible catheter

As a founder:

The Library Company—the country's first subscription library

Union Fire Company of Philadelphia—the first fire department of Pennsylvania

American Philosophical Society

Pennsylvania Hospital

As a politician:

Colonial representative in England

member of Second Continental Congress

first Postmaster General of the United States

helped draft the Declaration of Independence and signed it

first ambassador to France

present at signing of Treaty of Paris

delegate to Constitutional Convention and signed Constitution

How to Observe

One way to celebrate the day is to follow the example he left of living a full life. Maybe you can start to do this by following his daily schedule.  Learning more about the man may be a good way to celebrate his birthday  and life as well. Why not read the man's own words in his Autobiography? You could also read his Silence Dogood letters, or some of Poor Richard's Almanack. Besides reading his own words, you could read books about him, or explore resources at the Library of Congress. Once you tire of reading you could find and watch the PBS mini-series on Franklin. Finally, you could plan a trip to visit his grave and the Benjamin Franklin Museum in Philadelphia.

Source

Benjamin Franklin, an American polymath and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, was born on January 17, 1706.

[waheelawhisperer]

Moar violence asks (7, 14, 21, 22) and Bluebonnet + Feilan asks (3, 9, 16, 17). Feel free to ignore/trim if some/most are too open-ended or annoying.

Violence Asks:

7) what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

RWBY: I can't say I truly hate any RWBY characters (even the ones who are utterly repulsive as human beings are at least decent as characters), much less because of the way the fandom acts about them, but there are certainly characters I like less than I ordinarily would for this reasons. I like Ironwood less because his stans are obnoxious and somehow think his plan would've worked (Team RWBY was right to fight and wrong to evacuate later and I will die on this hill) and that Team RWBY are the villains of the show, I like Jaune less because the Jaune harem people are incredibly fucking weird, I like Taiyang less because people keep insisting that his advice to Yang didn't suck and that Yang's disability arc was written well, I like Sun less because Black Sun shippers are annoying, and I like Blake and Yang less because Bumbleby shippers are annoying, there are so goddamn many of them that even a vocal minority is difficult to escape, and the worst of them will excuse any flaws in the show's writing or criticism thereof because the sapphics kissed and then buy out merch made by a company named after a homophobic slur.

Arknights: I don't like Platinum, and every time I see someone ship her with Nearl or Blemishine, I like her a little less.

Fate: I already hated Emiya Shirou but the way the Fate Stay Night fanbase gushes over him makes me want to run him over with a bulldozer. I also can't stand Waver or Iskandar after a former friend talked them up for years, they never once lived up to his hype, and then he tried to convince me that AI art was a victimless crime.

College Football: I already hated Baylor because of its athletics department's numerous scandals, but their fans are shitty self-centered entitled asshats on top of being mostly Evangelicals. They will forgive anything if the money sports win.

I absolutely despise Penn State for the same reason (scandals) but their fans are fucking horrendous and keep insisting that the head coach involved was a great guy, actually, and that their program didn't deserve the death penalty.

I was actually fond of LSU until they played Texas at DKR and then their players faked cramping/injuries because they were getting gassed and the coach whined about the visitor's locker room being too hot. Then two of their most recent coaches turned out to either have committed or enabled sexual assault, so there's that.

Georgia fans got significantly more obnoxious after they won a national championship, but they were barking at kids even before that, so they've pretty much always sucked.

Iowa state fans were actually tolerable until they had one good season and Texas/OU announced they were changing conferences from the Big 12 to the SEC, at which point they decided to be the whiniest and most annoying of the Hateful 8 despite mediocrity literally being the height of their program's accomplishments.

The Boys: Homelander and Soldier Boy are shitty people and good characters, but every time I see right-wing dipshits idolizing either of them or the newest batch of reader x fanfiction, I hate them both a little more.

14) that one thing you see in fics all the time

I mostly read RWBY fic when I read fic at all, but there's a list of annoying bullshit a mile long and about half of it comes from Coeur Al'Aran. Most of the rest is fanon that gained too much steam, but I really don't want to go into all of it right now.

21) part of canon you think is overhyped

RWBY: Volume 8 was dogshit and I don't understand why people enjoy it.

Bumbleby is overhyped to hell and back as a supposedly-amazing slowburn when I'd give it a B at best in terms of execution. Like very other fucking plotline in RWBY, it suffers from a persistent refusal to align resources and scope, prioritize specific elements of the show, or give anything major the time and focus it deserves. It's fine, though - the fanbase will fill in the blanks with headcanon and then claim that means the writing (that doesn't exist) is brilliant and anyone who thinks otherwise just lacks media literacy, just like they do every other time RWBY's writing fails.

Salem honestly sucks as a villain and simultaneously feels underwhelming and insurmountable at the same time because the writers dropped the ball on Volume 8 so Ironwood and Cinder could be the main villains for some fucking reason.

Arknights: The sociopolitical commentary isn't nearly as deep or incisive as tumblr likes to pretend and frequently fails to grow beyond "capitalism/imperialism/bigotry/Western society bad" like congrats you've identified and portrayed a problem but your solutions frequently either suck or don't exist

The prose is average and also 50% of it is unnecessary. Being obscure is not the same as being good.

Fate Grand Order: All of Lostbelt 5 was overhyped as shit to be honest

Elden Ring in general is overrated as hell and suffers from most of the Standard FromSoft Flaws, but that's more a consequence of the frankly absurd amount of hype it got rather than it being a bad game.

College Football: TCU had one good season with a bunch of Covid super-seniors, I doubt they'll have more than 8 wins this season. Sonny Dykes isn't the next Nick Saban until he actually manages to replicate this level of success consistently.

22) your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

Chapter 7 tells us that Dobermann is afraid of heights and Nearl is a goober who puts too much power into her Arts sometimes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OC Asks:

3) What’s something pointless/petty/unimportant that IRRATIONALLY ANNOYS THE HELL out of your OC?

Bluebonnet hates the sound of dripping water it drives her insane.

Feilan 1 absolutely hates it when people beat around the bush and try to play/manipulate him instead of just being forthright about what they want, which is a direct response to several flirtatious women trying to use sex appeal and wheedling to get him to do their bidding

Feilan 2 gets agitated during sparring/combat because his parents have a very active sex life and aren't really careful about hiding it from their children and the various grunts and gasps and shit people make while fighting sound too much like sex noises to him. He's walked in on too much kinky middle-aged fornication to not have hangups about physical intimacy.

Feilan 3 does not like it when people grab him by the wrist. That is a Yang and Ruby zone only.

Feilan 4 hates sushi to the point where being around it forces him to fight not to be violently ill because raw animal protein of any kind reminds him of the way Team RWBY was when he first met them and the fact that he spent a good semester facing the very real threat of becoming food.

9) What would cause your OC to choose to do something petty/pointlessly cruel?

Bluebonnet is generally very sweet and friendly even to people who aren't particularly pleasant, but her inability to Pull Bitches is a sore spot for her. Make fun of her for it and she'll get real nasty, real quick. Also, don't prank her, because she will escalate (though she will be appropriately horrified if she accidentally goes too far).

Feilan: Alcohol is the big one, especially for Feilan 1, and especially if he's drinking because something bad happened to him recently. He has a bad habit of taking out his stress on the closest available target and can get real mean when he's drunk.

Hurt someone he specifically cares about or just innocent people in general and Feilan has no issues with visiting retribution upon you in kind. Do not attack Beacon Academy. It will not end well for you.

On a more lighthearted note, antagonize him or act like a dick and he will respond in kind.

For Feilan 1 in particular, you can add being General James Ironwood or anyone associated with General James Ironwood to the list. Feilan 1 and Jimmy do not like each other at all for a variety of reasons, and Feilan tends to be at his pettiest when dealing with Ironwood and his military. This has bitten him in the ass at least once.

16) How strong or weak is your OC’s Impulse control? What’s the worst thing that happened because of their impulsivity or inability to be so?

Bluebonnet is not impulsive in high-stakes situations like combat (she's a very good soldier/Huntress/leader when the situation calls for it) but is otherwise the embodiment of "fuck it we ball" in social in social situations (she will, for example, happily go on a bar crawl the night before midterms if her friends rope her into hijinks). Bluebonnet lives for Shenanigans and her grades in school suffered for it.

Feilan is not particularly impulsive at all. His stupid decisions are mostly carefully considered and planned out in advance, and normally he can't be impulsive if he wants to survive. The main thing that makes him impulsive is the presence and attention of attractive women.

17) How does your OC sabotage themselves? 

Bluebonnet sees or hears something, thinks "this seems fun!", and then later realizes that it was not, in fact, fun (or that it was fun but also a terrible idea). She mostly has her shit together otherwise, but the big way she screws herself over is via her love life. She's chronically dateless and easily infatuated, and those two things combine to make her very frustrated and prone to tunnel visioning on whatever she thinks will result in a relationship. She will do almost anything she's asked if someone pretty smiles at her and desperately needs a friend around to knock some sense into her at all times.

Feilan gets it into his head that he wants to be a Huntsman despite having no training at age 17 and all his problems arise from there. He starts his stories by finding a way to get into Beacon anyway, but those ways aren't strictly legal and are often very dangerous. The main conflict up until the Battle of Beacon typically involves him trying not to blow his cover. Feilan, stop lying to people. It will be healthier for you in the long run.

[bloseroseone]

Top 10 Author Podcasts Every Aspiring Author Should Listen To

If you’re an aspiring writer, there’s no better way to learn than by immersing yourself in the wisdom of experienced authors, publishers, and industry experts. Podcasts have become a go-to resource for writers of all levels, providing accessible and often free advice, inspiration, and guidance. Let’s dive into the top ten podcasts that every aspiring writer should check out!

1#. The Creative Penn Podcast - Author Podcast

The Creative Penn Podcast, hosted by Joanna Penn, is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in author podcasts, especially those exploring self-publishing. Joanna provides expert guidance on all aspects of independent publishing, from effective book marketing to essential writing techniques. This author podcast caters to a broad audience, whether you’re drafting your debut novel or promoting your latest self-published book, delivering practical insights that support writers at every stage of their journey.....Continue reading

[byneddiedingo]

Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Anniversary Party (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming, 2001)

Cast: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming, Kevin Kline, Phoebe Cates, John C. Reilly, Jane Adams, Parker Posey, John Benjamin Hickey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Denis O'Hare, Mina Badie, Michael Panes, Jennifer Beals, Matt Malloy. Screenplay: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming. Cinematography: John Bailey. Production design: Emma Bailey. Film editing: Carol Littleton, Suzanne Spangler. Music: Michael Penn.  

Hollywood professionals Alan Cumming and Jennifer Jason Leigh wrote, directed, and starred in The Anniversary Party, a movie about a gathering of Hollywood professionals. Which at least follows the advice to write about what you know. But that way lies a certain insularity, which is probably the biggest problem their movie has. Watching it made me feel like an outsider, even a voyeur. They play a couple, actress Sally Nash and novelist turned filmmaker Joe Therrian, who have recently put their marriage back together after a separation, and are celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary -- not usually a landmark occasion, but considering their marital difficulties can be considered an achievement. So they invite their friends, most of them colleagues and co-workers in the film industry, plus some newcomers, including the hot young actress Skye Davidson (Gwyneth Paltrow), whom Joe has cast in the movie he's making. This in itself is a source of tension, which some of the guests are not above pointing out, because Skye is playing a character from Joe's novel who is clearly based on Sally, and he didn't cast Sally herself, perhaps because she's too old to play the role. Also among the outsiders in the gathering are Joe and Sally's next-door neighbors, Ryan (Denis O'Hare) and Monica Rose (Mina Badie), whom they invited because they'd like to quell the tension that has arisen between the two households over the barking of Joe and Sally's dog. The volatility within the group gives rise to some snarky gossip and a few ruffled egos, but it remains mostly under control until Skye produces some ecstasy that releases everyone's inhibitions. Naturally, it climaxes with a big fight between Joe and Sally, in which the unstated tension is clearly and loudly stated. There's nothing particularly new about the film and the characters, but the ensemble work of the cast is fun to watch and Leigh and Cumming know when and how to end their movie on a quietly amusing note. 

[writingquestionsanswered]

Anonymous asked: Sorry if this is a stupid question, but is it okay if I just say fuck it and write something "poorly written" on purpose?

[Ask edited for length]

I'm going to try to tackle this question in parts, because it's actually a quite good question with a complex answer. So, bear with me...

The answer to "is it okay to write something 'poorly written' depends on two things: the chosen definition of "poorly written" and your intentions with the work.

Defining "Poorly Written" - What does and doesn't qualify as "poorly written" is largely subjective, meaning that it's different for everyone and every situation. There are certainly things that fall into a more objective category... like, if your work is riddled with typos and bad grammar, that will be broadly seen as "bad writing." But, just because a few people say something on the internet doesn't make it broadly true. When you see advice on the internet like "if your character holds important information back from the reader until the end, that's bad writing," don't just assume that's true. Dig into it. Research it. Verify it on multiple reliable sources. If you can find that same advice coming from multiple reliable sources (see below) it's probably broadly true and something you should strongly consider if you want your work to be broadly successful. You can break a "rule" here and there, but be mindful about it.

Some of my favorite reliable sources for writing advice: K.M. Weiland/Helping Writers Become Authors, Joanna Penn/The Creative Penn, Writers Helping Writers/Angela Ackerman/Becca Puglisi, Jane Friedman, Advanced Fiction Writing, Chuck Wendig/Terribleminds, Kristen Kieffer/Well-Storied, Mignon Fogarty/Grammar Girl, Nathan Bransford, Abbie Emmons/Make Your Story Matter, Bethany Atazadeh, Brittany Wang

Your Intentions with the work: obviously, if you're writing for yourself or a small group of friends, just for fun and entertainment, do what you want. If you're writing with the intention of publishing and you want your work to do well, you do need to mostly stick to the "rules" that are known to work on broad levels.

The reason you see advice like, "all dialogue should serve a purpose," is because it's understood that broadly-speaking, most readers don't enjoy dialogue that is obviously fluff and serves no purpose, for the same reason that your eyes glaze over when you're in a group of friends and someone starts telling a long and irrelevant story about some minor inconvenience they had the other day. People don't like their time being wasted, and if you force your reader to read two pages of your characters having a completely irrelevant conversation about fashion, you're going to lose the reader's interest.

I see a lot of advice like, "If your characters know important information that they don't tell the audience until the end, that's bad writing..."

Part of the problem with advice that you see from random people on the internet is that, quite often, they see a bit of broad and reliable advice, but when they repeat it, they strip it of a lot of the additional information that makes it true. This bit of "advice" is a great example of that, because there's a lot of detail missing. For example, having a character withhold information from the reader is fine to a degree (this is called an unreliable narrator), but there needs to be some indication early on that the reader isn't getting the whole story. There need to be other clues the reader can pick up on throughout the story that makes them question whether or not they're getting the whole truth from the reader. Otherwise it comes off like the writer dropped it into the story at the very end for convenience or drama's sake.

Others I've seen are "If your character has a backstory that's not 100% relevent to the plot, you need to cut it"

Stories can be plot-driven (more about the plot than the characters), character-driven (more about the characters than the plot), or a combination of both (where both have equal importance.)

If you're writing a story that is partially or fully character-driven, who your character is--and how they got to be that person--is one of the most important aspects of the story. Not only because it helps the reader understand why your character is where they are when the story starts and why things need to change, but it helps explain why they make the decisions they make, who and what's important to them, why it's important for them to reach their goal, and gives us a starting point for how they're going to change throughout the story. It's their backstory that is going to build all of that up for the reader.

Backstory explains your character's important life experiences up to the start of the story. So, there is no point in going into detail about the two years your character lived on a beach in New Zealand if that experience didn't play a role in who they are at the start of the story. It just becomes useless information that serves no purpose and clutters up the story for the reader.

Or "Here's why this trope is boring and overdone and why you should remove it"

Advice about tropes and cliches are often opinion-based, because for every person who says "love triangles are dumb and here's why you shouldn't do them" you'll find people who say "I only read books featuring love triangles."

The key thing to remember with tropes is that when you read they're tired and overdone (which makes them cliches), it's fine to use them, just find a way to put a new spin on them. Find out how the trope is typically used and do something different.

And now I just feel awful. I feel like the entire premise of my story is just complete trash and I need to scrap it and start over. I feel like I need to remove everything that I actually want in a story so that it's "correct".

You definitely don't need to do that. Again, take random internet advice with a grain of salt. If it's something you're really concerned about, try to verify it on multiple reliable sites. If you can't, you're probably fine. If you can, those sites will probably also offer alternatives or ways you can fix the problem.

I'm self publishing, does it actually matter?

YES. FULL STOP.

If you are planning to self-publish but are not going to take the time to make sure you're putting the best book out there you can, you are only hurting legitimate self-published authors who do put in the effort to make sure they're putting out their best work.

Having said that...

Will people really read my story and go, "Oh dear, these characters didn't just pop into existence as soon as the plot started! They actually existed and did things before the story takes place!?

No, probably not, but that's because this is a really dramatic interpretation of the advice that backstory should be relevant.

Again, the reader doesn't give two shits that your character spent a year backpacking through the Alps unless that experience played a role in who they are when the story begins. If they had good or bad experiences during that trip, learned things, met people who matter later, etc., then that becomes plot relevant. But, if you can remove this bit of backstory from the story completely and it has no impact on who the character is or the reader's understanding of the character, then it doesn't belong there. Period. Again, the reader doesn't want to have their time wasted, so they don't want to read story after story of your character's time in the Alps if it doesn't matter.

Or "Look, and now they're having a silly conversation and talking to each to her about things unrelated to the plot! And that guy has a pet cat that's never used for anything! This is awful, poorly written trash!"

Again, this is an overly dramatic interpretation of the very solid advice that dialogue needs to matter.

That doesn't mean that every single word uttered needs to be blatantly plot-relevant, but truly, broadly-speaking, readers don't want to read an eight-paragraph argument about which pizza place has better pizza in your character's town unless this argument is in some way relevant to the story. You may be an exception to that rule... you may love to read stories that meander and have a lot of fluffy dialogue and pointless scenes, but you're in the minority, and in that case, you might be better off posting your work to someplace like your blog or Wattpad where you can use tags to find the small segment of other readers who like to read original fiction fluff.

But... the bottom line is that I don't think your story is in as bad of shape (broadly-speaking) as you think it is. Writing advice can feel very, very personal, especially when we see it from randos in internet threads who can't tell the difference between fact and opinion. So, don't take it to heart. Do some research on reliable sites, and if you can't find a bit of advice mentioned, it's probably nothing to worry about. If it is mentioned, they're probably going to tell you how to fix it without scrapping everything you've already written.

Truly, no worries! ♥

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[doublydaring]

3 & 4!

3. What are your top 5 books of the year?

My top five books are as follows:

1. The Night Watchmen by Louise Erdrich - this book was supposed to be assigned as part of a Native American Lit course I took 2 years ago but we never ended up reading it for the course so it just sat on my shelf for all that time. I finally picked it up and I am so happy I did, obviously it was my #1 book this year. This book has points where is gets so dark and points where it is light and airy. It is grounded and magical. It is part biography and part fiction and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I read it in early May and it has stuck with me so vividly.

2. All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren - I wanted to put a little work into the classics, and I love political intrigue. Reading this book makes you feel like you're wading through the hot, thick air of the American south in your steel frame car before the advent of air conditioning. It is about sick and twisted people, and the prose is long and languid. It is a fictional story based on real-life political figure Huey Long, and I was obsessed.

3. The Once and Future King T.H. White - Unlike the two preceding novels, this book took me forever to finish. I bought it in April and finished it in November. It is technically a compilation of five books and is over 800 pages in my defense. The first book is reminiscent of the whimsy of Gullivers Travels, Merlin turns arthur in animals and such and he lives in ant society. Fun stuff like that. But the books grow up with Arthur. As he gets older the tone changes and the analysis gets deeper. The book is in conversation with Mallory's Le Morte D'Arthur and I think this makes it the quintessential Arthurian novel. It acknowledges the past which shaped it and reinterprets it beautifully for the modern reader.

4. A Passage to India E.M. Forster - full disclosure Forster is probably my favorite author of all time so I am biased but this book is so good! An incredibly nuanced take on race relations and colonialism from a white dude at the turn of the century. The movie is literally the worst thing ever. They completely change the plot to make the white girl the main character so she's more sympathetic than the Indian man she totally fucks over (he's the main character in the book).

5. The House with The Green Shutters George Douglas Brown - I had to read this for my intro to Scottish lit class and I got OBSESSED. Tumblr girlies you would eat thus up its about houses and haunting. An absolutely dismal and dreary interpretation of the classic kailyard novel this book is not short but if you open it you will want to take it in in one sitting. The story unfolds before you and you just have to watch in horror. Please read this book.

4. Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

So firstly, all the authors listed above with the exception of Forster who I was previously familiar with. But to spice things up I'm going to say Lynda Barry. I read her semi-autobiographical writing advice book "What It Is" and I adored it. You are actually probably familiar with her work from her four panel comic about looking at art that goes around here every once and while, there's a big guy and a little guy looking at a painting and they say I don't get it and the big guy picks the little guy up to get a better look and they realize they're mirroring the pose of the painting. That's Lynda Barry. All of her work is like that. Simple, poignant, sort of makes you happy and sad at the same time. I highly recommend you read some of her stuff if can get your hands on it. It will make you laugh and cry.

Thank you so much!! Send me more asks about books!

[jcmarchi]

Future Leaders in Aerospace prepares the next generation for research careers

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/future-leaders-in-aerospace-prepares-the-next-generation-for-research-careers/

Future Leaders in Aerospace prepares the next generation for research careers

MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro) recently hosted the 2023 Future Leaders in Aerospace Symposium, inviting women and underrepresented minorities in aerospace fields to campus for a two-day program. The symposium was open to applications from recent graduates and students within one to two years of earning their PhD, with the goal of helping early-career academics to launch and navigate an academic career in aerospace engineering.

Hosted annually, the event’s co-sponsors included ​​the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University, the Ann and H. J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and the Penn State Department of Aerospace Engineering. MIT AeroAstro began the program as “Rising Stars” nearly a decade ago as a way to offer its growing population of women engineers a pathway to leadership and research careers. Partner universities soon signed on to co-sponsor and co-host the event, spurred on by MIT alumni entering those universities’ faculties and bringing with them their enthusiasm for the program. Since then the program has expanded to include people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, all of whom have historically been underserved by academia.

“We started this many years ago so that we could convene, meet each other, know each other, because you are the future leaders we’re counting on,” Dava Newman, Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics, told participants in her opening remarks. 

“This event is an opportunity to share our knowledge and experiences about the faculty search process as well as to hear the latest in research from the participants’ lightning talks,” says Professor Kerri Cajoy, chair of AeroAstro’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. “Connecting with the other senior faculty, junior faculty, and keynote speakers in attendance and hearing their perspectives and experiences is also valuable.”

A practical guide to academia

This year’s Future Leaders in Aerospace focused on the pragmatic realities of establishing an academic career. The participants, representing 13 universities from across the United States, presented their research to their peers and faculty for feedback — an early jump on the job talks that are a key part of any faculty search. These technical sessions spanned a huge array of topics across aerospace fields, from Ariel Black’s (Purdue University) “Characterizing Cislunar Fragmentation Events” to Tara Mina’s (Stanford) “Toward the Next Generation of GPS,” underscoring the diversity of interests and perspectives and new ideas.

“This has been amazing, I’m really loving the opportunity to network and get to know my peers in the same place in their careers as me,” said Anaiya Reliford (Howard University.) “It’s great to see how different everyone’s work is. It really shows the interdisciplinary nature of aerospace fields.”

Faculty panels offered advice and insights based on experience. “Starting Your Career,” moderated by Professor Chuchu Fan, covered such topics as fundraising and grant writing, launching a research group, and getting teaching experience. Their advice ranged from the starkly practical — “The best way to write a really good research proposal is to write a lot of bad ones first” — to the nuanced and heartfelt.

“You’ll get more support than you expected. When I first went on the job market I’d just had my son, he was several months old. I wondered if I should wait a year or more before even applying,” Fan told the participants. “But I found that if you ask for help, people are really willing to offer it. I got offers like, you can bring your baby to the interview. If you don’t have a nanny we can hire one while you’re here. I could ask for breaks during the interviews. Don’t hesitate over whether this is a good time — don’t be afraid to ask for what you need.” Fan herself attended a Rising Stars in EECS (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) workshop as a PhD in 2016, before joining the MIT faculty in 2020.

The other panels — the Faculty Application Process, moderated by Professor Kerri Cahoy; Mentoring, Tenure, and Promotion, moderated by Professor Dan Hastings; and Work-Life Balance, moderated by Professor Carmen Guerra-Garcia — all struck similar notes of honest candor. Some common themes emerged across all of the panels, as well as the keynotes from Heidi Hammel (NASA/James Webb Space Telescope), Sonya Smith (Howard University), and Zachary Cordero (MIT). Among these were the necessity of learning by doing, accepting failure as part of the process, and, perhaps most of all, just going for it — whatever “it” is, whether applying for tenure-track faculty jobs, submitting multi-million dollar research proposals, or asking for housing and child care. 

Professor Lonnie Peterson summed it up succinctly: “There’s never a perfect time to apply, you have to just do it. Maybe there’s never a right time in general, for anything — so if you flip that, one time is as good as any.”