#writing tricks

[kurlyfrasier]

NEED HELP WRITING? (a masterlist)

I have likely not added many that I've reblogged to this list. Please feel free to roam my blog and/or ask/message me to add something you'd like to see on this list!

Synonym Lists

Look by @writers-potion

Descriptors

Voices by @saraswritingtipps

Show, Don't Tell by @lyralit

Tips & Tricks

5 Tips for Creating Intimidating Antagonists by @writingwithfolklore

How To (Realistically) Make a Habit of Writing by @byoldervine

Let's Talk About Misdirection by @deception-united

Tips to Improve Character Voice by @tanaor

Stephen King's Top 20 Rules for Writers posted by @toocoolformedschool

Fun Things to Add to a Fight Scene (Hand to Hand Edition) by @illarian-rambling

Questions I Ask My Beta Readers by @burntoutdaydreamer

Skip Google for Research by @s-n-arly

Breaking Writing Rules Right: Don't Write Direct Dialogue by @septemberercfawkes

Databases/Resources

International Clothing

Advice/Uplifting

Too Ashamed of Writing To Write by @writingquestionsanswered

"Said" is Beautiful by @blue-eyed-author

[byoldervine]

Writing Tips - Character Strengths And Weaknesses

So characters need to have strong and weak points to keep them interesting and prevent them from seeming too stagnant; a character without strengths feels flat and boring, while a character without weaknesses feels overpowered and stagnant. So when it comes to character creation, how do we come up with good strengths and weaknesses?

1. Archetype. What role does your character fill in the story? Would any of the typical strengths and weaknesses for characters in that role apply to them? Could they be modified or altered to better fit?

2. Backstory. What was their childhood like? Do they have good relationships with their family? Have they worked in certain jobs or participated in activities that would lend themself to a certain skillset, or lack of? What struggles have they faced in the past that might have shaped who they are, for better or for worse?

3. Personality. What is this character like? How much of it comes naturally to them? Is any of it a learned behaviour or coping mechanism? Is any of it an act? How aware are they of this? Is it intentional or just a force of habit? Are the strengths and weaknesses you’re considering compatible with the person they truly are, even if they’re not compatible with the act they might put on?

4. Speaking of compatibility. Does it make sense that your character would have certain strengths or weaknesses depending on these other factors of their life? Are the strengths and weaknesses even compatible with each other? A patient character isn’t likely to be reckless or have a short temper, for example, though of course any combo has the possibility to work when approached with care and consideration

5. Double-edged sword. An easier and, in my personal opinion more interesting, way to approach it is to make the strength and weaknesses stem from the same character trait. A selfless character could struggle to prioritise themself. A loyal character could compromise themself or their objectivity in favour of supporting the people they care about. An overconfident character could get in over their head and underestimate the danger they’re in while taking unnecessary risks, but it would also lead them to taking on opportunities and challenges not many other people would, allowing them unique rewards for putting in the effort and courage. What character trait could you take to an extreme? Would it be good or bad for your character?

6. Character development. What about your character should be different from where they started? Think about the kind of person you want them to be at the end of the story, then inverse that to get them at the start of the story. What journey do they need to go through to develop into the new version of themself? If you want them to end as a responsible, patient and selfless person, they need to start off irresponsible, reckless and selfish. And don’t forget that you can build up negative character traits, and that even heroic characters who are objectively good can keep their less heroic qualities

7. Contextual strengths. Remember in ATLA when Katara couldn’t do much of anything in the desert and Toph was unable to effectively sandbend to the extent she needed to compensate for her blindness? Their strengths were turned into weaknesses, which they later worked to compensate for and improve on. What situation would put your character into the same sort of situation? Are their strengths actually useful in most contexts, or just the context of their environment or situation? Are their weaknesses actually useful, and they’re just not in a position to see this? When taken out of their current situation, would they fumble or thrive?

8. Types of strengths and weaknesses. Characters might have physical strengths and weaknesses, such as physical disabilities, additional features, powers or curses, literal physical strength, etc, but they also might have mental strengths and weaknesses such as intelligence, dexterity, balance, problem solving, a wide range of skills or obscure knowledge, memory, quick-thinking, resourcefulness, social skills, gullibility, etc. Beyond this, there are also separate emotional strengths and weaknesses, such as compassion, emotional intelligence, compartmentalisation, emotional range, self-awareness, insecurities, etc. There’s so much that could become a strength or weakness, and characters can have as many as you like from all three areas

9. Nature vs nurture. What your character has been taught or trained to think and feel and behave like does not inherently mean that this is who they actually are. Depending on their environment and the people around them, two people with the same strengths and weaknesses could end up diverging at critical points to become entirely different people, or two people who couldn’t be any more different could land in a position where they both become more and more alike as time goes on. Our environment and the people in it can shape us, both in our past and in our futures, so don’t leave the present as something stagnant; if a certain trait makes sense for them to have but you don’t want them to have it, have them unlearn it

10. External conflict. What literal journey will your character go on for the story? What strength might be useful for it? What weakness could hinder their efforts? Would these work for their character? If all else fails, make it practical or impractical as desired

[rheas-chaos-anthology]

REMINDER

THE POINT OF A PLOT TWIST IS TO ENRICH YOUR STORY, NOT OUTSMART YOUR READERS!!!! SPRINKLE IN YOUR FORESHADOWING!!!! LEAVE CLUES!!!

(im not saying to spell it out/make your plot twist cliche or boring. we are going for a "how did I not see that coming" vibe)

[coffeetank]

Ways to Make a Character Apologise

"I'm sorry."

"I just...want to say I'm sorry."

*brings gift* "This is to make up for what I did."

"You're right, it was my fault."

"I have some reparations to make."

"I would like to make it up to you, if you give me a chance."

"I just need one chance. To prove that I truly regret doing what I did."

"Saying sorry does not make me any less smaller. It's just the right thing to do."

"Do you think you could forgive me?"

"You deserve this apology, so take it grandly."

"I will do anything to prove how sorry I am."

*goes to lengths to apologise* "I'm still not done apologising."

"Come with me, please."

"Let me do the right thing."

"You can choose not to accept it. But that doesn't mean I won't do it."

- ashlee

[jovialcloudqueenisnotonfire]

shh, hush now, dry your tears, "its" is the possessive form of "it" much like how "hers" and "his" have no apostrophe, while "it's" is the contraction of "it is" much like "don't" and "hasn't," because a contraction must always have an apostrophe. there we go, sweetheart, feel better now?

[ahrihnchau]

plotting tip

Try making a table, so that you can track the different storylines and plot structures!

Personally, I have one column for the plot (inciting incident, climax, resolution etc), one for the romance (meeting, getting closer, break-up/climax, resolution), and one for the main theme (like discovering a mystery, the clues, red herring, twist, and reveal).

That way, I can see exactly where my subplots tie into my main plot, and I can easily prune or eliminate filler or determine soggy bits in my writing. It also helps me define what genre I'm trying to write, and if I'm trying to do too much or too little plot-wise.

I hope this was helpful!

[zariahthechocolatecookie]

Sometimes the most important moments for your characters -- the ones that reveal the most about them, or hit the hardest -- sometimes those moments shouldn't be shown from their perspective. Sometimes it's more impactful to show it from the perspective of the people around them.

[uwudonoodle]

Me, just scrolling on my my phone, when I suddenly realize I'm home alone: What am I doing? *runs to my laptop* I can read my story out loud to check for pacing!

[pastelpiggielol]

Tips for writing consistent characters

I often see people asking how to make their characters feel more real and more solid, thankfully I know a few little tricks that might help!

I know me from a few years ago would love to hear this so if your characters are feeling a bit inconsistent or if you can’t figure out how they would act in a given situation, try looking over these!

Humour

It’s always good to decide your characters sense of humour and whether or not they would make fun of a stressful situation or snap at their ally for being careless. Try to refer back to other times they have been in similar situations or talked about those situations in the past to gauge how they would handle it, you could even refer to existing characters in media that act similarly to your character.

Intelligence

I know a very common character trope is excessively stupid or excessively genius and it can be very very hard to write a character that is in a completely different bracket of intelligence to yourself so try to refer to moment you or your friends have had that have made them look either very stupid or very smart and try to make your character have moments like that frequently. If you’re struggling with anything, always refer to real life, it is your most accessible crutch you can get.

Trauma

This may be a lot easier for people who struggle with trauma themselves but for those who are fortunate enough to not have such issues, try to focus on what is happening in that moment, how your character is feeling instead of what might be happening. If you’re trying to write something like flashbacks or a panic attack, make sure to focus on how the current trigger reminds them of the past and not a recount of the past event. Trauma is a complex ailment and needs to be written with care, put yourself in your characters shoes and try to think about how that incident might affect their permanent relationship with that experience.

Intense emotions

Writing any overwhelming emotion, whether that’s sadness, anger, excitement, fear or love, keep in mind that emotions create a physical feeling. Think about how your character would react to those physical feelings, would they push them down or express them? How would their friends/colleagues/surrounding group respond to the way they express their emotions? Think about how you experience emotions and how your character would react to that specific feeling

Weakness

How do your characters feel about weakness? Apply that to how they react to moments of their own weakness, think about how hard they might try to push through it or if they give up immediately. Do they feel angry, sad, determined? Think about their morals and how that would influence their actions

I hope some of you find those helpful!!

[inspiredwriterstory]

It's my turn to throw my hat into the ring of writing advice!

Today's post: Writing an incredibly calm and contained villain losing their shit.

I actually love character moments like this because even the most cold and calculated person has a breaking point and when you get there they will literally burn you alive and rip your heart out! My personal favorite example being from the FNF Mod vs Imposter V4, where Black goes from this:

To this:

When a even if the change is not as drastic as the example above, a change in the characters design can do wonders in showing the shift in tone from calm evil villain to a man so pissed off he'd melt the sun.

Which transitions perfectly into the first point: Presentation!

Messed up hair or clothes, blood shot eyes, anything to show characters and readers how disturbed their usual vine of chill has become.

Body language!

Twitch in their eye, much less grace full movements, more strength and jerkyness in their movements! Make the characters lose a good deal of rational body control like most people do when angry!

And to really sell it, Tone!

A voice full if irritation and anger, language used that the character wouldn't usually use. Screaming and yelling combined with with the other two bits can really make a scene where the characters piss off a cold and calculated villain much more immersive! And making the character do slightly irrational things can also help! Human beings lose the ability to think rationally when angry, let them break their rules. Let them do things off instinct rather than carefully planning!

[chordsykat]

Mildy Devious but Very Practical Sorcery to Endear People to Your OC

So, you're doing it! You're starting a new fanfiction with an original character, self insert, or someone else otherwise foreign to the regular canon cast - good show! But! This is not your first rodeo and you know from experience that it can be a tough climb, getting readers to accept this new face into the fold. You realize such things take time, but for this fanfiction, you're looking to employ strategies that will get the audience on your new little baby's side, pretty immediately... what ever shall you do?

The following list of writing tricks is offered with the understanding that you, the writer, consider yourself fairly capable at the skill, and understand that this guide won't cover obvious things that so many other tutorials recommend -- like having an interesting backstory for your character and being relatively good at spinning a yarn. None of these suggestions are replacements for good storytelling! They are, in fact, merely supplemental to it.

That out of the way, let us begin...

Easy Tricks:

#1, Make Your OC the Villain

May seem counterintuitive, but hear me out. No matter what you think and believe about your own character, people are probably going to go into a story distrusting the new guy. It's just the way it is. So why not meet them where they are? Besides -- it's fun to see characters grow into heroes rather than starting them out that way. Wherever they end up, the people reading about them will be relating to them way more, by the time they get there.

#2, Pit Your OC and the Canon Cast Against an Irredeemable Villain

Nothing gets people on the side of some rando faster than a villain who is so unstoppable, so cruel, so utterly loathsome, the readers can't help but cheer on anyone who would stand against them. It doesn't have to be some all-powerful megalomaniac, either. Evil ex-girlfriends work great for this one. The slimier and more despicable the better!

#3, Torture Your OC (Kinky)

The author's barely hidden fetish suddenly comes out to ensnare the new guy and simultaneously flips a sexy switch in some readers' minds that makes them say "That's kinda hot". Is this one a bit unethical? Probably.

#4, Torture Your OC (Non-Kinky)

If you're not into sexual Jedi mind-tricks, then good old-fashioned antagonizing of fictional characters works wonders to bring an audience to care about someone, no matter how real they may be. Bonus points if they die (see tip #7).

Advanced Tricks:

#5, Make Your OC Insanely Attractive

This one needs to be handled with care, as making a character attractive and making them believably so, are two different things. Some readers straight up hate it when someone is described as too-pretty, too-popular, too-rich, or too-famous, so it usually takes time and a little finesse.

#6, Make Your OC Save the Day

As with the attractive-factor, you gotta score points in believability before you can just let this one happen. People don't like OCs who take the spotlight away from the canon cast until they've earned the right to do so. That said, if you do manage to pull this off, you may be rewarded with that rare and wonderful thing -- your OC having its own fanbase.

#7, Make Your OC Dead

If your fairly-likable character dies at the end of the story, you might find people elevating them to very-likable martyr status. That said, if your OC wasn't worth rooting for, for the entire time they were in your fanfic, don't expect their untimely demise to redeem them. Big gamble, all things considered, and you pretty much have to assure they're going to stay dead for at least one story arc... But people *do* tend to view the dearly departed in a more forgiving light, even if they're not real.

As was stated in the introduction, a lot of these do not make up for good storytelling and solid character development, but they can be great in addition to all that. Too, you may want to combine some of them, and see what kind of results you get. And as always, the longer an audience knows someone, the more they tend to trust them. Therefore, if you want to follow one big piece of advice and plan to go the distance anyway, then please... Don't stop writing their story!

[byoldervine]

Writing Tips - Character Tone VS Narrative Tone

Sometimes characters will do things that they believe are good or bad, but the narrative tone tells you otherwise. It can be hard for some people to separate the character’s feelings and actions with what the writer is personally agrees with, so let’s look into how we can make that happen - which also works as a media literacy guide of what to look for when theorising - and only theorising - if a writer does or doesn’t agree with a character;

1. Tonal dissonance. If a character’s mood doesn’t pass the scene’s vibe check, chances are that the character is about to do something the narrative isn’t framing as a good thing. Say Character A is telling Character B a secret they learned from Character C. B’s response might be to be confused or concerned about the situation and ask why A would tell them. Mixing in other bad vibes, such as the weather or setting or lighting of the scene, can additionally make the audience question whether the action was right - and bonus points if they also have the offending character acting poorly in other ways or getting called out for previous wrongdoings in the same scene

2. Karma’s a writer. Actions have consequences both in and out of your story, and using them to reward or punish choices your characters make can indicate whether or not they were the right thing to do. Expand on that through character interactions if you want more nuance

3. Hide away. A character hiding their actions for whatever reason can indicate that, even subconsciously, they’re aware that it wasn’t something others would approve of. Make them sweat, have them struggle to keep it secret. Let it lead to more wrong moves in future to cover up for the original issue, such as one lie covering for another lie. Let it become more trouble than it’s worth until they have to accept that they messed up, even if a bit of stress was the only karma they get for it in the end

4. Pick a theme. Between overarching themes and individual character themes, you can potentially come up with some pretty good long term lessons; if the character acts against the themes and the lesson they’re going to amount to, punish them for straying in a way that’s appropriate and proportional to the act, then work it into some sort of lesson for the character to learn. For example, if the theme is nature vs nurture and you want the lesson to be being true to yourself rather than what others make you into, a character acting on nurtured traits rather than natural traits might be punished through pressures to conform and the act getting amped up as further conflicts between the two sides of themselves present

5. Recruit a mouthpiece. Which character would be the most likely to call out the offending party’s BS? See if you can come to a scenario where they’d do so - albeit making sure it all stays natural and in-character. Maybe they go about it in a way that doesn’t even hit the mark, but at least it’s been said so your audience has had it addressed. Remember; don’t just insert X random character and have them be uncharacteristically analytical, have it be someone who would already do that and word it in a way that fits their character voice. Above all the interaction needs to feel natural rather than forced

[rheas-chaos-anthology]

TRUST YOUR READERS

i swear, TRUST THEM!

Leave gaps for the readers to fill in. Don't spell everything out. Leave things up to interpretation. The gaps are pockets for people to put fanfiction/theories/ideas into.

I'm not talking about "this doesn't make sense"

I'm talking "insert your ideas here"

[coffeetank]

Sarcastic Dialogues - I

"I forgot to remind you: I don't give a fuck."

"I would like to propose a murder."

"You'll have to be there." // "Only if you let me plant this bomb."

"I can't go, I have allergies." // "To what?" // "People."

"Oh, look! A braniac without a brain!"

"Do you like my netted top?" // "You're wearing a hairnet."

"Every day I resist the urge to kill you."

"I'm actually very smart." // "And I'm actually Brad Pitt."

"Age is just a number." // "And homicide is just a dare."

"Oh! Isn't he just gorgeous?" // "No."

"My heart and my soul are—" // "What heart and what soul?"

"Hey, I tried!" // "That's your definition of effort?"

- ashlee

[authorsharonforester]

Blanket Writing and Editing Techniques To Help You Finish Your Story Once And For All By Sharon Forester

Welcome to the writing and editing technique list, fellow authors (and lovely others)!

To learn more about me and my books, go to authorsharonforester.weebly.com.

There might be one reason or another why you're wanting to read this list today. My reason for having this list is because I want to share with the world what I have found works best for me based on what I've learned in life overtime as a writer. I believe it might help someone out there who might be struggling with following through with their plans of discipline on their writing or editing processes. On that case, you might be someone hearing this for the first time, someone who has been looking for a list of techniques and are now ready to see what will work best for you. You, the reader, might end up being one of them, and I am happy to help! Alternatively, you might be someone who already knows about these choices, but you're looking for a new perspective in order to regain your inspiration or motivation.

1) Write In Pencil/Pen First, Then Type

Writing in pencil before typing the story in computer is not a waste of time. People don't realize that by doing this you finish the first draft and the first round of editing at the same time! There are writers out there who are able to type in their stories the very first time with no problem, but if you are like me, and the creative juices stop flowing and you loose that imaginative rainbow, an old-school writing session might be the perfect answer to help you concentrate on your story and... Get. It. Done. Of course, in the end, you are going to do what is best for you if this item on the list ain't it.

As you read through this item on the list, here is something you might think about: I say to you, "Write the story first because when you type it in, you are editing the first draft, thus making you ready to print the second draft." But you say to me, "How is this any different than typing the story in the first time around, and then print it to edit the first draft? It's still a two-step process, and neither one is any faster than the other." But I say to you, writing the story out works well because you are letting the story out in a concentrated flow, you can write in places where there is no internet, and when you start typing the story in with your first edit, you are making a lot of changes that make the story better. When the story has been typed the first time, you are reading through and fixing edits before you go back to change scenes, switch vocabulary words, add or subtract sentences, and more. When you print out the story, you are printing it for the intention editing the second round instead of the first, finally, and you save computer paper and ink.

I am used to writing before typing because I have done it ever since I was a little girl. Since the end of sixth grade, to be exact. For a while, I was convinced it was a waste of time just based on the thought that I needed to eventually type everything into the computer and start editing the first time around to perfect it as best I could. That's also what everyone around me said I had to do if I chose to write first.

As I got older and began to work the process of getting my writing typed in in its entirety before getting it printed, I realized I wasn't going to type everything in word for word. It turns out, that would have been unrealistic and indeed a good waste of time. I was unconsciously editing what I typed, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph. It was inevitable for me to ignore the obvious errors on the pages. By the time everything was typed in, I had already gone through my first editing round, and therefore was ready to print out the second draft to edit it again, and get the story all that closer to publication. For me, that was the biggest accomplishment that changed my writing hobby for the better, and it might just as well do the same for you.

2) Print Out The Story Drafts

One major thing that will help you focus on editing your manuscript whether it's a short story or a full fledge novel is printing the work out. On the computer screen, the work is more accessible electronically but you are more likely to skim through the most important mistakes that could have been edited to change your book for the better. Printing the work out gives you the opportunity to write down specific notes when making your edits. The notes might involve stuff you are thinking about changing or enhancing as you correct the mistakes on the computer file. Some people like to print and edit several chapters at a time, other people like to print out the entire story and go from there. How you approach this is up to you, but they are suggestions offered to you for a better writing and editing experience. After printing out the files from your computer, you might be thinking about how to organize the pages that make up the short story or novel. Some people like to use rings to clip  the pages together like it's its own book and call it a day. Others like to go more in depth and use paperclips to clip the chapters separately (if there ate any), and place the entire manuscript inside a manilla folder or a folder with pockets. What I do is get a binder and a pack of sheet protectors. I place each chapter inside their own individual sheet protector, and then place them inside the binder in story order. I have seen others go the extra cost and length of placing each page of a singular chapter inside a sheet protector and place the entirety of the story inside a binder.

3) Use Different Colored Pens

There are people who don't need to be so detailed with this step, but if you are like me and need a colorful (or more organized) boost for focus and concentration, then colored pencils or pens are writing utensils you can use to help you through the writing and/or editing process of your story project. I normally print my stories out in black ink, but there are times where I will use a different colored ink to save on black (because it is used for everything else you print out and it can get pricy to restock). On either case, I use colored pens that are not the same color as the printed document to make the edits stand out when I need to look them over and type them into the computer when imputing them. I use one color pen to start editing, and when my brain feels done with that pen color, using another color to continue my edits does the trick. Some people--maybe it's you, maybe its not--like to use colored pens spontaneously like that. You might not read the same page multiple times, but you might find yourself reading slowly to make sure you caught everything before moving on. Now, other people--again, maybe it's you, maybe it's not--like a more organized approach. I've tried to organize my various edits by assigned pen color to fix everything at once. It was not something that has worked for me in the past, but I am open to trying it again in the future. I have the tick of wanting to fix everything in every editing category on one page with the same color pen before moving on to the next page because it seems like less work. Here is an example of this: I used a green pen to correct punctuation, blue to correct grammar, purple to correct story development errors (like plot holes), orange for added scenes or sentences, and red for deleted scenes or sentences. This kind of usage might require you to either read the same page several times or read the page very slowly to make sure you caught everything. How you structure your reading and construct your color-coded editing categories depends on your personal preferences and what works for your brain. This is when it is a good time to explore your organization tactics as you edit your story.

4) Read Out Loud When Editing Your Story

This is a really big item that took me a little while to learn. Reading your work out loud allows you to catch errors you need to edit more easily versus just reading it in your head as you move along the page. When you read out loud, you spot errors more easily, you finish the project faster, and it will withhold the obstacle of overthinking about editing and overediting the story. These things are exactly what you want to accomplish here. When you read in your head, your brain goes through this process of automatically correcting or adding any missing data in sentences without realizing that that data is the very thing we are trying to catch during the editing process. It's not a good thing to feed because it'll make the editing process take longer, it will cause you to overthink how or what you should edit, and you might find yourself overediting the same piece or the same page multiple times, making it hard to move forward. I avoided reading out loud for most of my life because I was convinced that it would waste my time. I thought that I could handle editing my stories without any other exterior help if I just read everything carefully and slowly in my head. When I gave in to the technique a while back, I was mind blown to realize I caught mistakes that mattered by starting to do this when I edited the third draft of my book. Obviously, I decided reading out loud was something I was determined to put into practice during my editing process from now on. It causes me less headaches, I edited my stuff much faster, and I wasn't overediting non-existent mistakes on the same page over and over again.

5) Write Notes About Your Story Project ​ One helpful hint for the writing and editing process is to always write notes about your story. It doesn't matter if you are in the writing or editing process. This will be equally as helpful to you. When thinking about the word "notes," we mean ideas for sentences, scenes, dialogue, descriptions with the intention of adding or changing information in the story. These notes might include ideas for new stories after this project is done or if you want to work on an alternative project. Some people like to have a separate electronic document or a notepad or diary/journal app where they type in all their notes. There are people who like to have a separate notebook or separate pieces of paper they put in plain sight in various locations to write down their notes as ideas come up for them. Some people prefer to leave notes when they comment on the printed or electronic documents they are editing. How you want to approach this is up to you, but this is a solid tip that is guarantee to help you move forward in writing and editing your stories. You are letting your thoughts, emotions, and ideas about the story flow freely and onto paper one way or another so you don't forget them. Those ideas don't always come back after you are done thinking about them when you've ignored the opportunity to jot things done, so take advantage of taking notes when that happens.

6) Grasp A Comfort Toy To Stop Nervous Ticks

If you have nervous ticks with your hands like I do, then you will want to have something on your person to occupy your hands, especially for the specific one feeding the ticks. Your ticks may look different than mine, but my personal nervous tick is pulling my hair, a common thing that happens to a lot of people. For this reason, I have a small blush doggy and a small plush bunny (both normal toys), and a squishy cake stress toy that I hold in my hair-pulling hand to withhold the habit. It keeps me more focused on my work and I don't end up bald on the front of my head. For some of you, the object may be a random item that isn't a toy. (I have met people that have told me they hold a big eraser or a banana in their hand to keep it occupied from hair pulling, and snapping fingers, or rubbing fingers together into a rug burn.) For others, it might be a normal toy, a fidget toy, or a stress toy. Whatever the material or type of toy or object, do what works for you. This process may take a bit of effort to incorporate, but if you stay disciplined, you will remember to tackle the behavior preventing you from staying focused in your writing or editing, and you may even get rid of the nervous tick altogether.

7) Take Advantage Of The Imaginative Rainbow

We all have bursts of happiness and sadness in our lives just as much as we have bursts of inspiration as well as discouragements. When you feel utterly inspired to write or edit your story at a moment's notice, it is so important to stop what you are doing to work on the project taking over your mind if you are able to do so. Even if it is sloppy on the page, you can always go back to fix it later, but remember that you can't have the idea back after it's gone. Savor the ideas or sessions when the creative juices are flowing and that rainbow is working because that is when the most creativity lies. It is normal to be taking a shower or cleaning the house or running an errand, and suddenly that rainbow inspiration hits hard. Sit down with your document and ride the way of the rainbow until it runs out. It is one of the best writing or editing sessions you will ever have. You don't want to miss out on the spur of the moment ideas that come with a suddenly active imagination. The reason it's so important for us to do this is because that rainbow means you suddenly have the most amazing ideas ready to come alive. When your brain is active like this, pour out your ideas onto the page because there is no better time to do it. I have found to been more likely to finish projects, amazing changes or additions, or have the most written ideas this way. This item on the list is related to the item informing you to take notes. Most authors carry a little notebook with them to write down notes in case of random bursts of inspiration. This is something I suggest you do as well if you are a writer. It will help you in the long run. It has genuinely helped me (note: I use the notepad app on my phone to take my notes when I get that rainbow).

8) Take Much Needed Breaks

No matter what we do, the mind will sometimes run out of energy for the current activity you are working on, eventually forcing you to take a break from writing or editing your book or story. At this point, your brain is telling you it needs to refresh. This happens for numerous reasons: mental overload, feelings of inadequacy, imposter syndrome, writer's block, burn out, and more. Taking mental breaks from writing or editing can help you regain control of your writing and editing process all the sooner than wasting time sitting there staring into space as time passes. If you are determined to finish your writing project but your brain is fried and not letting you, then a wonderful tip to put into practice is to taking a break from writing and/or editing to refresh the mind. One of the most common things you can do is keep your mind busy with another hobby for a while, watch some TV, listen to music, play games, or do some puzzles before returning to the writing/editing. You could do things beyond another activity, like practicing mindfulness meditation, taking a walk, getting a chore done around the house, going off to run an errand, or hanging out with a friend before returning to your writing/editing. After 10 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour, you might notice your brain is ready to start writing/editing again.

Now, this little part here is a warning about what you choose do when you are taking a break. Doing any of the activities up above are great ways to take mental breaks from doing one activity and occupying yourself with another. But there are dangers that can come with this. While you are switching activities, it is very important not to become distracted with the activities you are choosing to do. For this reason, you need to be disciplined in keeping your story in mind. You gotta prepare yourself to switch back to it once you feel your brain is ready. When you start playing a game, watching a show/movie, getting the sudden urge to rearrange your house, or staying out of the house for hours at a time, you might find that the day has passed you by. If you have a brain that wanders all too easily, then you might want to consider setting a time limit versus going with the flow of things. Test the waters during your break time without getting pulled away from your writing/editing to see what works for you. 

9) Read Other Stories/Books

We might come to a point in our writing or editing process that feels kind of bland. You might find yourself repeating the same words or sentence structures, as if your brain forgot all of the vocabulary and grammar you have spent years mastering in school. Reading other people's works helps you study creative writing as you enjoy someone else's story. As a result, you mentally feel capable enough to zhuzh up the story you're writing/editing. (Note: Creative blandness may also be a sign of burn out or a case of writer's block.) This is a golden nugget of a suggestion that not only helps you enhance your writing skills but also gives you something fun to do (which has some health benefits of its own). Reading other people's works helps you regain the freshness of all that writing knowledge locked away in the back of your mind. Not only that, but it also materializes ideas about the story you are working on alongside the enhanced sharpness of grammar and punctuation, sentence structure, and vocabulary. If you're suddenly beating yourself up comparing yourself to another author, a act caused of imposter syndrome, then it is advisable to take a break from your writing and reading, and return to the story with a clearer mind after occupying yourself with a different activity or allowing yourself some time to rest. Getting back to work on your own writing after you've read someone else's work is very helpful in making you feel better about your own writing skills when you are not undergoing imposter syndrome. The next time you sit down to write or edit, you see your enhanced skill accomplishment recorded on paper and you realize that you ARE good enough to be a writer. And that is always the best feeling the world.

10) Crush Imposter Syndrome Like A Bug

When you do a search on Google, the engine defines imposter syndrome as: "a behavioral health condition that causes people to doubt their skills, intellect, or accomplishments, even when they have evidence of success." None of us will argue that this is one of the worst feelings in the world.

When you're in the midst of writing or editing your work and you start feeling like you are not good enough, this is a time in your journey where your mind is out to get you by not wanting you to finish your work. Why? That's the million dollar question to creatives and other dreamers alike. I don't know why our brains do this to us, but it is the reality of something we need to fight hard against if we want to get anywhere with our dreams--in this case, our writing--whether its just to publish for fun or for profit, or both. Otherwise we are letting our minds control us, resulting in regret at the end of the road of life in not having achieved a thing.

There are a lot of important things you can do to keep the imposter syndrome at bay (a mixture of things mentioned in the other items of this list would help), but the one I will mention here is one of upmost importance in the mental wellness field: positive affirmations. Feeding your brain positivity is the healthiest thing you can do to clear your mind of negative toxicity that plants an obstacle in your writing dream. You can practice saying positive things to yourself (positive affirmations) wherever you are. You can also go to a place where there is a mirror, look at yourself, and dictate the words to yourself. This suggestion might seem silly, but the action rewires your brain to be kinder to yourself overtime, which is what you want in order to reduce, and, hopefully, eliminate negative self-talk. You can write down positive affirmations and stick them in places you know you will see them. Read them from time to time to give yourself that much needed reminder. 

One other important practice (as mentioned in the "Take Much Needed Breaks" item) to exist on top of the mental health field is mindfulness meditation. There are different ways to practice MM than just sitting down with crossed legs and closed eyes. There are endless techniques out there. You could try movement mindfulness meditation if you prefer to be more active, or you could try game-like meditations if you prefer to do something more interactive. Do some deeper research on the concept and try different techniques to see what works best for you. It's a wonder way to help manage your thoughts and feelings to reward you with more loving decisions towards yourself.

11) Change Your Working Environment

If you notice that you start having trouble concentrating and a multitude of tactics hasn't worked, then you need to spice up your environment a little bit because there might be a problem with it. Going about doing this depends on the kind of person you are and what works best for you.

If silence is what helps you concentrate better, then you will need to make sure the room you are in is an environment that won't have noisy distractions. Alternatively, if background music is what will help you focus and concentrate, then you can do a couple of things to satisfy that. You can put on background music or a random tv show or movie for the purpose of relaxation or white noise for your brain. Something about the intentional background sounds helps a lot of people get things done better than trying to shut the world out. It might be something that works for you too. It works for me but it depends on how I feel from one day to another.

One important thing you need to keep in mind about this is that the music or white noise should be something you are unfamiliar with or vaguely familiar with. Being too familiar with the sound risks the cause of distraction, which is the very thing you are trying to avoid. You can pick something you are familiar with, but you need to make sure it is something that won't steal your focus when you need to be writing or editing your work. Otherwise, you will have to change the sound or try something else. If, no matter what you do, you have trouble concentrating in the environment you are currently working in, then another thing you can do to ensure a proper working environment is to move to another environment that is more likely to meet your needs. 

12) Start An Alternative Writing Project

When feeling burned out, distracted, or unfocused, starting a different writing project before returning to the original one can do wonders for your writing or editing process. Some of us operate better doing one project at a time. Sometimes I hate stopping a project to do another one because it makes me feel like I am taking two steps back on my writing path, but there is nothing wrong with doing this for the sake of your mental health and writing momentum. The fact is when your brain feels done with a project, it temporarily loses its creative juices. You try dragging yourself along to finish it, but doing that will make you end up wasting more time than saving it. Even 5 minutes of switching projects to refresh the mind can help you get back on track in your original work. The bright side of this too is that you advance in two projects at the same time instead of just one. Additionally, you practice writing more often, which is a useful thing to do.

Congratulations! You have reached the end of the writing and editing technique and tips list! I appreciate the fact that you've read this far. I hope that you have gained some new knowledge or insight with this list that you can use with your own writing and editing projects. I've grown as this list was accumulated, and I'm always ready to hear what your story as an author is (and what your creative story is), and what process works best for you personally. Learning new ways to do things is an exciting adventure! And I could always use new ways of improving my writing and editing skills. See you next time!

[twotangledsisters]

Do you have any writing tips?

Oh, a lot!

I actually used to have an entire blog for writing tips: @deardragonbook you'll want to scroll down a bit to reach the tips, I don't post there anymore but there's still good content... I think the most popular post I ever did was "Sad things you can do in a book other than killing of a character"

But here's some more up-to-date tips!

-Don't force it... but do force it a little bit. I find if you wait for inspiration to hit sometimes it never will, but if you sit down for just five minutes and write uninspired, often times you will enter into a more inspired state. Now if you sit down and after a while you're still not inspired, unless it's one specific chapter you've gotta push through, it's okay to wait! Forcing a story doesn't tend to end with a good story.

-Warmup! We know to warm-up with sport, most people know to warm-up before drawing, the same goes for writing! I have a very random little file where I just write scenes from no specific fic, in no specific order, for no reason other than to warm up.

It has Frederic and Arianna arguing over what their daughter's favorite dessert is.

Teenage Cassandra asking Arianna for help with makeup.

Captain doing push-ups in the garden.

Owl playing dead to get the attention of a six-year-old Cass.

All of these in 200-300 word sprints that I write BEFORE I start working on one of my propper stories! I've done this with numerous stories and projects, just little warm-ups to get a feel for the characters and flow!

-Remember there are writing styles! Some people opt for long sentences with lots of description! Others (like myself) opt for minimal description and spend more time on feelings and actions. Neither one is better or worse, it just depends on what you prefer and the story you're trying to tell!

-CHANGE POV!! This one may be controversial but whenever I'm really, really stuck in a story 9/10 times I can fix that by taking a quick detour to show a different character's pov... I don't know why this work but it just does!

-Find a program that works for you. I've used word/google docs/good-notes/scrivener and more! I write a lot more and a lot faster with scrivener, it's a million times easier for me to go back and check what I've written before when I need to. Having my notes and my outlines in the same document as the main story is great. This just depends on how your brain works but if you haven't tried alternative writing program, you definitely should! You might find one that makes your process a lot easier.

-Use references. Just like in art, you can check out how other writers described a bustling market or palace architecture to inspire your own writing!

I use Descriptionari a lot for this but there's many similar sites out there, reddit writing communities is another great one!

-Have fun! Cheesy, I know, but if you love a story it's going to be a million times easier to write. Don't worry too much if yet another cuddles scene between your fave pairing is getting in the way of the pacing, if it's bringing you joy I can assure you it's bringing plenty of your readers joy too!

Anyway... If there's something more specific you'd like tips on do say cause writing is such a broad subject matter, but those I think are some important ones I have to remind myself of often :D