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So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.)  Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.

If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results: 

What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)

What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory) 

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.) 

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)

Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)

What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.) 

What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.) 

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"Rage" - Writing Snippet - 2

TW: Blood, Gore, Cuts, Burns, Guns

Gale wiped the wet rag across her back. The unnerving sight of the utterly mangled flesh sent shivers down his spine. There was a concerning lack of skin without gashes or scars, how was he to know that this was just the beginning of the mutilation he would witness on Rini's body?

He didn't know what to be more worried about, the innumerable scars littering her body like paint splatter or the fact that she did not react to the antiseptic.

"If it becomes too painful you have to tell me..."

The slight movement of her head was the only indication of her agreement. Once he was done wrapping up the numerous new and old wounds, he got down onto the floor, sitting beside her right leg.He slowly and gently started cutting up the soiled and rough fabric, the kind of fabric that would make sandbags look like a joy to be in.

"How long....how long did they..." he trailed off. The effort it took for him not to immedietly look away and gag at the numerous burns and welts that covered even just her calf was immense.

"How long did they fuck with me?" Rini looked away with a mirthless laugh.

"....5 years"

Gale sucked in a breath, his mind running haywire at all the things that Rini may have gone through, she was, after all, their lab rat, their test subject, their plaything to ravage and destroy without an ounce of concern. Unbridled anger bubbled under his skin, barely contained by the restrictions of logic, if he just went barging into the facility he too would end up like her, and that would help neither her, nor him, no, he had to keep his head straight and devise a plan, a way to break the very foundations of the facility, to unleash chaos upon those wretched...things...they did not deserve the grace to be called human. A human could not possibly torture another of theirs in such a beastly manner.

Gale was proud of his morality, of his ability to differentiate between the good and the bad, between the right and the wrong, but seeing what they had done to Rini, his moral standing was dropping and it was dropping fast, oh he was ready to paint the facility ground red without a sliver of remorse right this second. But he had to wait, he had to hold himself back...

He refocused back onto Rini's thigh, he had been lost in his thoughts trying to pull down the red screen of anger clouding his vision when he saw it.

A sickly burnt patch of skin at the side of her thigh, a circular mark with a star in the middle...the facility logo. The knife froze mid-air and the world caved in around him. He had not felt such absolute white-hot rage like this...in a long long time, it skittered across his skin, like it would burn every single thing he stared at long enough let alone touch.

He let the knife slip, an eerie calm enveloped him as he picked out the colt from the safe, without a single word said he started loading it up with bullets.

"Gale...what are you doing.."

clink....clink...clink

"Gale...no.."

clink...clink...clink

with more strength than she thought she had in the moment, she pushed herself onto her feet, stumbling across the room to the boy who saved her.

"Stop...stop it" she hissed, slamming the safe shut.

As though he couldn't hear at all, Gale slid the last bullet into the revolver.

"I said STOP" Finally, he looked up at her, face as rigid as ice but his eyes betrayed the raging storm muddling his head, all thoughts of logic wiped out, all but one...

"What are you doing?"

"Something I should have done already"

"So what? you're just going to barge into the facility and go bang bang bang?"

"No, I'm gonna barge into the facility and go straight into the Seon's room and shoot him in the brains"

"Do you want to die?"

"No I want to kill Seon, I couldn't care less what happens to me"

"If I can't reason with you, then I'll just have to stop you from going out of this room"

The unwavering determination in Rini's eyes almost swayed Gale, almost...

"You know you can't stop me right?"

"Not physically, no, but I can cut myself up more, so if you leave I'll die anyways" She knew what she was saying was irrational and dangerously reckless, but there was someone else in the room who was just a tad bit more reckless than her right now.

"You won't...do that" Gale's eyes flickered between agitation and fear.

"Do you want to test that theory?"

"....No"

"Give me the revolver"

"No"

"Give.Me.The.Revolver" He let out a frustrated sigh before dropping the weapon in Rini's outstretched hand, his anger calming down a little.

Rini grabbed onto Gale's arm and dragged him back to where they were sitting.

"Now, continue doing what you were doing, and let's get this done quicker, the alcohol stings"

"I...I don't think I can"

"Fine then, sit for a bit and continue when you're back in your right mind"

Gale thumped down on the ground, knees folded up to his chest he cradled his head in his hands.

"They... they branded you, what kind of...monsters would do that to someone" He choked out, his emotions swirling around him, the pain in his voice immense.

"We were always just cattle for them anyways"

"I'm going to make Seon eat his own entrails till he chokes on it and then I'm going to put so many bullets in his head that he'll hear them jingle in there till the moment he dies"

He will feel the pain you felt for 5 years in the 5 minutes that I take to kill him

-Jeah

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Ohh, so I was looking at my storage and found these! I originally shared them on twitter before yeeting the platform. Anyway, feel free to use! Art memes for your oc :D

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"Conversation" - Writing Snippet - 1 (HeroXVillain)

"Woahhhh what the heck???" The hero abruptly stopped midway through punching villain in the face. "What???" "What's with your hair???" The hero groaned and punched the villain anyway, "You're like the 10th person to point this out villain" "Yeah, I mean you don't just change your entire fucking head and not raise ANY questions???" The villain ducked from another of the hero's fists and swung a leg under them, making them fall on their hip. "Oh c'mon it's not THAT different" "…..Hero your hair is grey and holographic…", hero jumped back on their feet. "Yeah and?" The villain and hero circled each other, like they were ready to rip the other's throat out. "You have brown hair hero...well HAD" The villain lunged at hero, landing a punch straight in their sternum. Before Hero had a chance to regain their breath, villain elbowed hero in the jaw. "Time out dude, do you want me to continue this conversation or no?" "Sorry, I got new henchmen, It's their first day, I'm training them" The villain bent down, close to the hero, grabbing their neck, in a firm but not harsh grip. "Yeah ok, we've got about five minutes before I got to knock you out, cough a little, make it look like I'm monologuing, so what's the deal with your hair" "Ouch, loosen it up, anyways, I'm just trying something new, boring brown was infact- boring, Why? is it that bad?" "No, it's not…bad" Villain said matter-of-factly, their face however showed no such emotion. "It's….different…" "Like good different or bad different" the hero added a little gasping to make look it more believable. "It's good, it's good!" "Oooh you like it don't you, I can see it in your eyes" "Well considering the fact that you're an empath I'd hope so, anyways, times up, see you next time" and with that, the villain, punched hero in the jaw one more time, knocking them out cold, before getting up and running away from the scene. The hero would be taken care of, villain had better things to do, like answer the million questions that the bright-eyed bushy-tailed new henchmen had for him. Today was indeed going to be a long, long night. But hey, atleast villain had a new colour to add to their portraits…now all they needed to figure out was how to make paint look holographic.

-Jeah

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Writing Worksheets & Templates

will update this every few weeks/months. alternatively, here are all my tagged Writing Worksheets & Templates

Chapter Outline ⚜ Character- or Plot-Driven Story

Death & Sacrifice ⚜ Magic & Rituals ⚜ Plot-Planning

Editing: Sentence Check ⚜ Writing Your Novel: 20 Questions

Tension ⚜ Thought Distortions ⚜ What's at Stake

Character Development

50 Questions ⚜ Backstory ⚜ Character Creation

Antagonist; Villain; Fighting ⚜ Protagonist & Antagonist

Character: Change; Adding Action; Conflict

Character: Creator; Name; Quirks; Flaws; Motivation

Character Profile (by Rick Riordan) ⚜ Character Sheet Template

Character Sketch & Bible ⚜ Interview your Character

Story-Worthy Hero ⚜ "Well-Rounded" Character Worksheet

Worldbuilding

20 Questions ⚜ Decisions & Categories ⚜ Worksheet

Setting ⚜ Dystopian World ⚜ Magic System (AALC Method)

Templates: Geography; World History; City; Fictional Plant

References: Worldbuilding ⚜ Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

all posts are queued. send questions/requests here.

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Small fantasy worldbuilding elements you might want to think about:

A currency that isn’t gold-standard/having gold be as valuable as tin

A currency that runs entirely on a perishable resource, like cocoa beans

A clock that isn’t 24-hours

More or less than four seasons/seasons other than the ones we know

Fantastical weather patterns like irregular cloud formations, iridescent rain

Multiple moons/no moon

Planetary rings

A northern lights effect, but near the equator

Roads that aren’t brown or grey/black, like San Juan’s blue bricks

Jewelry beyond precious gems and metals

Marriage signifiers other than wedding bands

The husband taking the wife's name / newlyweds inventing a new surname upon marriage

No concept of virginity or bastardry

More than 2 genders/no concept of gender

Monotheism, but not creationism

Gods that don’t look like people

Domesticated pets that aren’t re-skinned dogs and cats

Some normalized supernatural element that has nothing to do with the plot

Magical communication that isn’t Fantasy Zoom

“Books” that aren’t bound or scrolls

A nonverbal means of communicating, like sign language

A race of people who are obligate carnivores/ vegetarians/ vegans/ pescatarians (not religious, biological imperative)

I’ve done about half of these myself in one WIP or another and a little detail here or there goes a long way in reminding the audience that this isn’t Kansas anymore.

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Hell is empty and all the devils are here?

heaven is a hoax and there were never any angels.

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Ch - 1

Who is She?

She slowly opens her eyes, trying to blink the drowsiness and fatigue away. An unfamiliar figure moves in her periphery as a young woman shaked her shoulder.

"Magister? Magister! Are you ok?"

Why was this young woman trying to break the haze of comfort that wrapped around her, all she wanted at the moment was to go back to sleep, but wait when did she go to sleep? Something wasn't right, something was poking at the edge of her sleep-hazed conscious.

"Magister! Oh no, I have to, I have to call Hammie"

Hammie? What was going on?

She finally found the strength to pull herself up, laboured breaths coming up in short bursts.

"Oh thank god! Magister, are you alright? Should I call General Hogan?? Is it something serious?"

She looked around, her surroundings, they felt...unfamiliar, the gentle nudge of a headache that had begun as soon as she opened her eyes was now replaced by a roar, she tried to think, where was she? Why was she in this place? Who was this woman? wait no that didn't make sense, she couldn't remember, she could not remember herself, jumbled questions clashed against the emptiness inside her head where her memories were supposed to be.

Recall it now

Reclaim the lost sword

Let it illuminate the journey

The one who shatters the eternal night

Merlin....Merlin....Merlin

The words played in her head like a broken record, repeating over and over with only flashes of broken memories, or was it...they didn't feel like memories, they felt like something else entirely...

"Where...Who- Who are you?"

"Ah, it seems, it has happened again..."

"Happened again? What do you mean, Where am I ?"

"Magister you must calm down and I'll explain everything to you"

Up until now, she had been looking around, trying to gauge her surroundings, the house was absolutely beautiful, all high ceilings and chandeliers. The extravagant glass windows were painted with the stunning view of a sunset rivalling the colours of a Daughneer Painting.

With high velvet curtains and wooden floors polished to perfection, whoever lived in this place must have loved it dearly and put a lot of work into it. Now, with the prospect of an explanation to her bizarre situation, she locked her eyes on the young girl standing in front of her.

The girl took a deep breath and started a speech, which seemed way too smooth to have been said for the first time.

"I'm Dolly, You're a mage who has inherited the title of Merlin, the greatest Mage of all Time. However, for some reason, you lost most of your powers, and your memories have become fragmented, more often than any of us would like you fall asleep and wake up with a blank slate of a mind, and it seems it has happened again".

"We are in the Mystical house and you and me have been living together for some time."

For a few moments, all she was physically able to do was stare at her in disbelief, if what the girl, Dolly was saying was true that meant that she had apparently fallen asleep and woken up to a world she once knew but did not recognise anymore.

"Y-You mean to tell me, that I am the "Greatest Mage of all Time", that I am some Merlin, and this..this house is mine? Why...do I keep forgetting everything". The torrent of visions she was getting just a few moments ago had long stopped, but the words...they kept echoing...

Recall it now

Reclaim the lost sword

Let it illuminate the journey

The one who shatters the eternal night

Merlin....Merlin....Merlin

"Unfortunately, Magister, nobody is able to answer that question, trust me, when it started you and me, we went all around Esperia trying to find a cure, no magic nor medicine was able to heal you"

"I-You said that I inherited the title of Merlin, but then..what is my name, my real name?"

"You once told me, only once, and believe you said your name was Eudora"

Eudora...

"Eudora...That's...a very nice name, I like it, I suppose it fits me doesn't it"

"It does, but magister and I am so terribly sorry for putting this burden upon your hands when you have just found out so much, I just came from the other side of the river, I was out buying some of the wheat when suddenly someone screamed about a fire, I tried to look for where the fire had begun, and I even called Chippy, but the fire remains incessant, I came running back to call you, I don't think you can stay hidden any longer Magister, you have to go and help the villagers, everything must seem new to you right now, but trust me magister, you are the only one who can help them now!"

"No it's ok, I may not remember anything but that doesn't mean that I'll refuse to save those who need my help, I'll try my best, but whose...Chippy?"

"Oh right, Chippy is your Hamster Familiar, you'll find on the connecting bridge to the village, and he'll tell you more!"

"o..k, right I'll go now"

"Wait, I think you should change your appearance before going out, it may help to keep your identity a secret"

"I have to do that? Moreover, I can do that??"

Dolly grinned and nodded,

Eudora walked over to a nearby mirror; her eyes roamed over her body, it looked frail and fragile, dark circles adorned her eyes and cracked and bloody lips talked back at her. Looks like her previous self wasn't handling being the Merlin very well, if she was honest, it scared her, not a little but a lot, would she also end up like her previous self, burdened with the weight of holding the title of Merlin, eventually loose her memories again and then end up in the same exact position, trying to remember. The idea of getting to know herself from others, not knowing who to trust and who to be wary of... was terrifying, as these thoughts swirled in her head she muttered an encantation she didn't realise she knew and instantly her appearance changed.

Thin, greasy strands changed into, long, thick brown hair, and her weary and pitiful face morphed into a youthful and sturdy one, with blazing green eyes and strong set features, giving her an air of importance she knew she commanded.

"Magister, you look...rejuvenated!"

"Thanks; she looked like she could use some help" Eudora said, pointing at her reflection in the mirror.

Dolly smiled, "Now Go!"

Eudora nodded. Now wasn't the time to wallow in self-pity or fall into crisis about what was happening to her; it was time for her muscle memory to kick in and save those who depended on her.

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Flashbacks~

Golden Chains "Your Highness, the bath is ready" The servant quietly announced, looking towards the floor. "I'm coming" She languidly rose from the Divan, stretching back her long slender limbs and walked over to where the servant was standing, a tray holding expensive soaps, milk and honey balanced atop her hands. She walked into the fragrant pool of water and let her handmaiden scrub and lather her body, finally walking out after they were done, wearing a piece of cloth, body slick with water and hair dripping. She stood idly, servants wrapping silks and jewels around her. They then bowed and filed out of the room. She admired herself in the mirror. "Rajah, do you think I should put a blindfold on him, what's the point of him having sight if he doesn't like looking at me, then he'd appreciate the gifts I give him too" The tiger growled with such intensity that the guard standing at the door flinched in fright. "Good Choice" He showed the rows of sharp teeth lining his jaw. She went to the balcony and plucked a single Jasmine flower from one of her many Jasmine plants. "Oh, and guard-" she glanced at the guard standing outside "Feed Rajah today, my Rajah got a bit hungry last time, so I need someone else to feed him" "Yes your highness" He gulped "Oh don't be scared, he is a very good boy" and bent down to pet him. She walked down the hallway, stopping only to grab an apple which she unceremoniously bit into, the juice flowed down her chin but she threw it away. "This tastes inedible, guards, take her away" Guards rushed in and grabbed the woman holding the fruit basket, dragging her away. She walked down the stairs into the treasury. It was filled up to the brim, with gold, crowns, gemstones and so many coins. She walked by it all, grazing her hand across the coins, towards the centre of it all. A large space had been cleared off. There sat a man, hands cuffed to the ground, with soiled clothes and a ragged beard, an unfinished plate of rice and daal was left abandoned on his side. She dropped the flower in his lap, he didn't even so much as glance at it. "Why Ali you used to love this bloom before" He didn't answer She grazed a nail across his jaw. "I asked Rajah if taking away your sight would teach you a lesson, and he said yes! Such a good boy isn't he?" she grinned He looked up with wide eyes, "NO- DON'T" "Why shouldn't I ?" "I'm begging of you !" "I don't see it" He clasped his hands together in a desperate attempt to please her "Hmm, maybe I will, or maybe I won't, you'll see eventually, or well maybe not see at all" and she laughed out loud. She turned back, lazily picking up a gold lamp. She rubbed its side and set it down on the ground, walking out as she saw blue smoke emerging from it.

Remember this?

Let's do a deep dive because this was actually one of those stroke of genius that i have like once a year

The story's premise is clear, Princess Jasmine, a character from the famous Disney movie and an even renowned Arabian Nights story has been twisted into this au where Queen Jasmine isn't the clever and bright-eyed young woman striving to protect and improve her father's kingdom. This is a jump into the future, many years after Jafar is captured.

Now, it is not said here but many speculations can be made as to why Jasmine has turned to this ugly shade of red. Maybe she started liking her power a little too much, or maybe something happened. My favourite? Jasmine was able to get that little Jafar lamp back, at that time she did it because she wanted to make sure nobody else got ahold of the lamp, but over the years, Jafar started whispering venom to her, breaking her resolve of never free Jafar from his eternal cage, he spun lies to her making her believe that Aladdin was the real antagonist, poisoned and broke her mind to the extent that it could never be repaired, what Jafar didn't expect was that after Jasmine released him and asked for mindless faith from her subjects and all the riches of the world, she didn't release him like she had promised, his "oh so clever" little girl, was just a little bit more clever than he expected.

We can guess what happened next, she turned against Aladdin and Alladin was nothing against the mindless puppets Jasmine commanded.

So now that we have a villain origin story, let's analyse this story,

"Good Choice" He showed the rows of sharp teeth lining his jaw. She went to the balcony and plucked a single Jasmine flower from one of her many Jasmine plants.

This little bit here just shows how Jasmine's feminist and idealistic temperament had shifted to a proud and overconfident attitude.

She walked down the hallway, stopping only to grab an apple which she unceremoniously bit into, the juice flowed down her chin but she threw it away. "This tastes inedible, guards, take her away" Guards rushed in and grabbed the woman holding the fruit basket, dragging her away.

in the words of cinema sins, if they're eating an apple, they're an asshole. No but in all seriousness, these lines here tell us how she no longer feels empathy for her poorer subject convincing herself that their lives are worthless and disposable and WAYY below her.

There sat a man, hands cuffed to the ground, with soiled clothes and a ragged beard, an unfinished plate of rice and daal was left abandoned on his side. She dropped the flower in his lap, he didn't even so much as glance at it. "Why Ali you used to love this bloom before" He didn't answer She grazed a nail across his jaw. "I asked Rajah if taking away your sight would teach you a lesson, and he said yes! Such a good boy isn't he?" she grinned He looked up with wide eyes, "NO- DON'T" "Why shouldn't I ?" "I'm begging of you !" "I don't see it" He clasped his hands together in a desperate attempt to please her "Hmm, maybe I will, or maybe I won't, you'll see eventually, or well maybe not see at all" and she laughed out loud.

Ok, we're getting to the fun part (sadism am I right) This whole scene establishes that it had been many MANY months since the Jafar incident(newest edition), the biggest marker being that Ali had no reaction towards the flower, i'm not saying he's gonna jump up and clap his hands in happiness, i'm saying he has ZERO reaction to the flower, the answer of the first few days, the terror of the first few months, the resignation that came after that, none, it has been so long that he cares not one bit, he's numb.

Now you may wonder, why is he so terrified of losing his sight, well ask yourself, where did Aladdin live before the events of the main MAIN story, exactly, Aladdin, he believes that the world should be seen, the beauties of it explored, appreciated, all of that. Besides, there's a power dynamic at play, Jasmine is slowly taking all sense of freedom away from him, movement, fresh air, food etc etc. Jasmine gets a high out of Ali by keeping him scared and as soon as the numbness hits she does something that invokes his fear again, case in point.

Moving on to my favorite part

She turned back, lazily picking up a gold lamp. She rubbed its side and set it down on the ground, walking out as she saw blue smoke emerging from it.

One thing I should clarify here before I explain this is that this is an au where genie was not freed by Ali

I think this might be the vaguest part of the entire excerpt and if you understood what this means BRAVO TO YOU!!!

Let's unfold- We know what Jasmine is doing, she's summoning genie, now why is this bad ?

well Mr Aladdin here has already used up his three wishes.

In simple language this is torture to both Aladdin and genie because Genie has to sit there and witness Aladdin practically wasting away while neither of them can do anything about either of their predicaments.

Torture!!! yay!! :D

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Other Words for "Look" + With meanings | List for writers

Many people create lists of synonyms for the word 'said,' but what about the word 'look'? Here are some synonyms that I enjoy using in my writing, along with their meanings for your reference. While all these words relate to 'look,' they each carry distinct meanings and nuances, so I thought it would be helpful to provide meanings for each one.

Gaze - To look steadily and intently, especially in admiration or thought.

Glance - A brief or hurried look.

Peek - A quick and typically secretive look.

Peer - To look with difficulty or concentration.

Scan - To look over quickly but thoroughly.

Observe - To watch carefully and attentively.

Inspect - To look at closely in order to assess condition or quality.

Stare - To look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something.

Glimpse - To see or perceive briefly or partially.

Eye - To look or stare at intently.

Peruse - To read or examine something with great care.

Scrutinize - To examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

Behold - To see or observe a thing or person, especially a remarkable one.

Witness - To see something happen, typically a significant event.

Spot - To see, notice, or recognize someone or something.

Contemplate - To look thoughtfully for a long time at.

Sight - To suddenly or unexpectedly see something or someone.

Ogle - To stare at in a lecherous manner.

Leer - To look or gaze in an unpleasant, malicious way.

Gawk - To stare openly and stupidly.

Gape - To stare with one's mouth open wide, in amazement.

Squint - To look with eyes partially closed.

Regard - To consider or think of in a specified way.

Admire - To regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval.

Skim - To look through quickly to gain superficial knowledge.

Reconnoiter - To make a military observation of a region.

Flick - To look or move the eyes quickly.

Rake - To look through something rapidly and unsystematically.

Glare - To look angrily or fiercely.

Peep - To look quickly and secretly through an opening.

Focus - To concentrate one's visual effort on.

Discover - To find or realize something not clear before.

Spot-check - To examine something briefly or at random.

Devour - To look over with eager enthusiasm.

Examine - To inspect in detail to determine condition.

Feast one's eyes - To look at something with great enjoyment.

Catch sight of - To suddenly or unexpectedly see.

Clap eyes on - To suddenly see someone or something.

Set eyes on - To look at, especially for the first time.

Take a dekko - Colloquial for taking a look.

Leer at - To look or gaze in a suggestive manner.

Rubberneck - To stare at something in a foolish way.

Make out - To manage to see or read with difficulty.

Lay eyes on - To see or look at.

Pore over - To look at or read something intently.

Ogle at - To look at in a lecherous or predatory way.

Pry - To look or inquire into something in a determined manner.

Dart - To look quickly or furtively.

Drink in - To look at with great enjoyment or fascination.

Bask in - To look at or enjoy something for a period of time.

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Words to use instead of ‘said’

**Using the word ‘said’ is absolutely not a bad choice, and in fact, you will want to use it for at least 40% of all your dialogue tags. Using other words can be great, especially for description and showing emotion, but used in excess can take away or distract from the story.

Neutral: acknowledged, added, affirmed, agreed, announced, answered, appealed, articulated, attested, began, bemused, boasted, called, chimed in, claimed, clarified, commented, conceded, confided, confirmed, contended, continued, corrected, decided, declared, deflected, demurred, disclosed, disputed, emphasized, explained, expressed, finished, gloated, greeted, hinted, imitated, imparted, implied, informed, interjected, insinuated, insisted, instructed, lectured, maintained, mouthed, mused, noted, observed, offered, put forth, reassured, recited, remarked, repeated, requested, replied, revealed, shared, spoke up, stated, suggested, uttered, voiced, volunteered, vowed, went on

Persuasive: advised, appealed, asserted, assured, begged, cajoled, claimed, convinced, directed, encouraged, implored, insisted, pleaded, pressed, probed, prodded, prompted, stressed, suggested, urged

Continuously: babbled, chattered, jabbered, rambled, rattled on

Quietly: admitted, breathed, confessed, croaked, crooned, grumbled, hissed, mumbled, murmured, muttered, purred, sighed, whispered

Loudly: bellowed, blurted, boomed, cried, hollered, howled, piped, roared, screamed, screeched, shouted, shrieked, squawked, thundered, wailed, yelled, yelped

Happily/Lovingly: admired, beamed, cackled, cheered, chirped, comforted, consoled, cooed, empathized, flirted, gushed, hummed, invited, praised, proclaimed, professed, reassured, soothed, squealed, whooped

Humour: bantered, chuckled, giggled, guffawed, jested, joked, joshed

Sad: bawled, begged, bemoaned, blubbered, grieved, lamented, mewled, mourned, pleaded, sniffled, sniveled, sobbed, wailed, wept, whimpered

Frustrated: argued, bickered, chastised, complained, exasperated, groaned, huffed, protested, whinged

Anger: accused, bristled, criticized, condemned, cursed, demanded, denounced, erupted, fumed, growled, lied, nagged, ordered, provoked, raged, ranted remonstrated, retorted, scoffed, scolded, scowled, seethed, shot, snapped, snarled, sneered, spat, stormed, swore, taunted, threatened, warned

Disgust: cringed, gagged, groused, griped, grunted, mocked, rasped, sniffed, snorted

Fear: cautioned, faltered, fretted, gasped, quaked, quavered, shuddered, stammered, stuttered, trembled, warned, whimpered, whined

Excited: beamed, cheered, cried out, crowed, exclaimed, gushed, rejoiced, sang, trumpeted

Surprised: blurted, exclaimed, gasped, marveled, sputtered, yelped

Provoked: bragged, dared, gibed, goaded, insulted, jeered, lied, mimicked, nagged, pestered, provoked, quipped, ribbed, ridiculed, sassed, teased

Uncertainty/Questionned: asked, challenged, coaxed, concluded, countered, debated, doubted, entreated, guessed, hesitated, hinted, implored, inquired, objected, persuaded, petitioned, pleaded, pondered, pressed, probed, proposed, queried, questioned, quizzed, reasoned, reiterated, reported, requested, speculated, supposed, surmised, testified, theorized, verified, wondered

This is by no means a full list, but should be more than enough to get you started!

Any more words you favor? Add them in the comments!

Happy Writing :)

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HOW TO WRITE A CHARACTER WHO IS IN PAIN

first thing you might want to consider: is the pain mental or physical?

if it’s physical, what type of pain is it causing? — sharp pain, white-hot pain, acute pain, dull ache, throbbing pain, chronic pain, neuropathic pain (typically caused by nerve damage), etc

if it’s mental, what is the reason your character is in pain? — grief, heartbreak, betrayal, anger, hopelessness, fear and anxiety, etc

because your character will react differently to different types of pain

PHYSICAL PAIN

sharp and white-hot pain may cause a character to grit their teeth, scream, moan, twist their body. their skin may appear pale, eyes red-rimmed and sunken with layers of sweat covering their forehead. they may have tears in their eyes (and the tears may feel hot), but they don’t necessarily have to always be crying.

acute pain may be similar to sharp and white-hot pain; acute pain is sudden and urgent and often comes without a warning, so your character may experience a hitched breathing where they suddenly stop what they’re doing and clench their hand at the spot where it hurts with widened eyes and open mouth (like they’re gasping for air).

dull ache and throbbing pain can result in your character wanting to lay down and close their eyes. if it’s a headache, they may ask for the lights to be turned off and they may be less responsive, in the sense that they’d rather not engage in any activity or conversation and they’d rather be left alone. they may make a soft whimper from their throat from time to time, depends on their personality (if they don’t mind others seeing their discomfort, they may whimper. but if your character doesn’t like anyone seeing them in a not-so-strong state, chances are they won’t make any sound, they might even pretend like they’re fine by continuing with their normal routine, and they may or may not end up throwing up or fainting).

if your character experience chronic pain, their pain will not go away (unlike any other illnesses or injuries where the pain stops after the person is healed) so they can feel all these types of sharp pain shooting through their body. there can also be soreness and stiffness around some specific spots, and it will affect their life. so your character will be lucky if they have caretakers in their life. but are they stubborn? do they accept help from others or do they like to pretend like they’re fine in front of everybody until their body can’t take it anymore and so they can no longer pretend?

neuropathic pain or nerve pain will have your character feeling these senses of burning, shooting and stabbing sensation, and the pain can come very suddenly and without any warning — think of it as an electric shock that causes through your character’s body all of a sudden. your character may yelp or gasp in shock, how they react may vary depends on the severity of the pain and how long it lasts.

EMOTIONAL PAIN

grief can make your character shut themself off from their friends and the world in general. or they can also lash out at anyone who tries to comfort them. (five states of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and eventual acceptance.)

heartbreak — your character might want to lock themself in a room, anywhere where they are unseen. or they may want to pretend that everything’s fine, that they’re not hurt. until they break down.

betrayal can leave a character with confusion, the feelings of ‘what went wrong?’, so it’s understandable if your character blames themself at first, that maybe it’s their fault because they’ve somehow done something wrong somewhere that caused the other character to betray them. what comes after confusion may be anger. your character can be angry at the person who betrayed them and at themself, after they think they’ve done something wrong that resulted in them being betrayed, they may also be angry at themself next for ‘falling’ for the lies and for ‘being fooled’. so yes, betrayal can leave your character with the hatred that’s directed towards the character who betrayed them and themself. whether or not your character can ‘move on and forgive’ is up to you.

there are several ways a character can react to anger; they can simply lash out, break things, scream and yell, or they can also go complete silent. no shouting, no thrashing the place. they can sit alone in silence and they may cry. anger does make people cry. it mostly won’t be anything like ‘ugly sobbing’ but your character’s eyes can be bloodshot, red-rimmed and there will be tears, only that there won’t be any sobbing in most cases.

hopelessness can be a very valid reason for it, if you want your character to do something reckless or stupid. most people will do anything if they’re desperate enough. so if you want your character to run into a burning building, jump in front of a bullet, or confess their love to their archenemy in front of all their friends, hopelessness is always a valid reason. there’s no ‘out of character’ if they are hopeless and are desperate enough.

fear and anxiety. your character may be trembling, their hands may be shaky. they may lose their appetite. they may be sweaty and/or bouncing their feet. they may have a panic attack if it’s severe enough.

and I think that’s it for now! feel free to add anything I may have forgotten to mention here!

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One thing that is chilling to see in fiction is when trauma is normalized. When a character has been living in a situation so long it’s just become normal to be devalued, to be treated as something to be used and discarded, to be beaten and touched and wrung out for all their worth, then fighting to be relevant again.

And a trope I’ve always loved in relation to this is when they say something about it in casual conversation, thinking it’s normal, and someone is like “person a did WHAT to you?”

Then they’re so shocked to find out it’s not normal to be treated that way.

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A Possible Theory on Why Some Fandoms Are More Popular And Long Lasting Than Others

So i was thinking the other day, why the hell are some book/movie/game/etc fandoms lasting for 50+ years and others die in a year?

I was comparing some of my favourite fandoms, the Percy Jackson fandom and the Harry Potter fandom and what I noticed and discovered is to make a good fan base, you HAVE to create a good organisation in your story/game/movie/book etc.

What do I mean?

In Percy Jackson for example, we have our main character’s home base. Camp Half Blood. It’s developed in the background throughout the whole series, there is a companion book on the Camp itself, and the whole area is relatively fleshed out and utilised throughout the whole series. It’s described in detail, there are official maps released, people love the camp.

In Harry Potter, we have, of course, Hogwarts. It’s by far more developed than Camp Half Blood, with detailed classes, architecture, art, story, lore, founders. And our main characters spend majority of their time in the building itself. Hell, even the villains of the story used to attend Hogwarts

Why does this matter? Why does world building matter?

Aha. Here’s my hook. Fandoms stay alive as long as fans stay connected to the community. And how else to develop the strongest connection possible than fans being able to build their own original characters or ocs and imagine they’re in the story?

Human imagination is a powerful thing, as soon as they have a world (Hogwarts and Camp Half blood) to build off of, they can create their own characters and imagine more stories building off the Canon to keep their love for the universe alive.

This is why role play communities are so popular, in addition to having your original character and developing a story for them, having a community to showcase and use your character greatly increases your attachment to this community.

Once you make your fans feel like they are part of your world, it’s the strongest connection. Because by default, humans are selfish, they feel more close to something if it’s like they have involvement in it.

Characters VS World Building.

It’s the age old question, what’s more important?

Neither.

No one is more important than the other, it’s just a matter of what you’re trying to accomplish.

With focusing on world building, you almost confirmed yourself a space for your fans to imagine themselves in. And you can have a lot of fun with world building! Creating your own original words, terms and concepts. Your own take on real world events and items and applying it to your story.

However you can’t focus on both so your characters might need to be limit to 2-3 main ones, to balance out your complex and intricate world.

With focusing on characters, you build yourself loyalty based on attachment to characters. This may not yield as much original characters/fan led creation as focusing on world building, but the perks are your characters explode into main stream. Art will be drawn of them, fanfictions will be written about them, headcanons, adaptations etc. By pouring effort into your characters, you create deep and meaningful bonds with specific characters that people will remember.

Maybe 10 years down the line, your fans may not remember everything about the story, or the environment or the world you created, but they will look back one day and go “Good lord, that was an AMAZING character that I still love to this day.” And that’s amazing for you.

This is exactly the case with Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. In my opinion, Hogwarts is wildly more developed than Camp Half Blood for obvious reasons. Hogwarts is a school and CHB is a homebase. Most of the time PJO characters are on quests away form their home base but HP characters are almost always in Hogwarts.

So how do you world build?

1. Of course create your organisation, base it off maybe a real life historical organisation with your own twist.

2. Build a rich and complex backstory, with specific historical figures that contributed to the creation of your organisation.

3. Build ROLES. Build divisions and department in your organisation. Think houses in Hogwarts and cabins in Camp Half Blood. Build specific roles your fans can imagine themselves as. Prefect, Head Girl/Boy, Head Counsellor.

4. Describe describe describe. You have all this amazing lore in your arsenal, now weave and intertwine your characters with them. Make your characters attached to the organisation and want to protect it. Mix your plot and story with it, make it so your organisation MATTERS to the story.

TL;DR

World building is hella important.

Heyyy, this isn’t proofread. Reblog or like if you enjoyed it. Or don’t.

Tags: ask to be added or removed

@lovely-rants-alot @shinchansbitch @jeahreading @totally-not-castor @unhinged-as-hell @sunshinerainbowsandlollipops @zeherili-ankhein @cafffeineconnoisseur @schrodinger-ka-billa @mireyaaaaaaaaa @your-dazzling-sun @daonedaonlyskh @iamgayforyourmom1510 @the-lying-heavens @abyssmita @mentallyunstablequeen101 @debacleofdaemons

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10 Non-Lethal Injuries to Add Pain to Your Writing

While lethal injuries often take center stage, non-lethal injuries can create lasting effects on characters, shaping their journeys in unique ways. If you need a simple way to make your characters feel pain during a scene, here are some ideas: 

Sprained Ankle

A common injury that can severely limit mobility, forcing characters to adapt their plans and experience frustration as they navigate their environment.

Rib Contusion

A painful bruise on the ribs can make breathing difficult and create tension, especially during action scenes, where every breath becomes a reminder of vulnerability.

Concussion

This brain injury can lead to confusion, dizziness, and mood swings, affecting a character’s judgment and creating a sense of unpredictability in their actions.

Fractured Finger

A broken finger can complicate tasks that require fine motor skills, causing frustration and emphasizing a character’s dependence on their hands.

Road Rash

The raw, painful skin resulting from a fall can symbolize struggle and endurance, highlighting a character's resilience in the face of physical hardship.

Shoulder Dislocation

This injury can be excruciating and often leads to an inability to use one arm, forcing characters to confront their limitations while adding urgency to their situation.

Deep Laceration

A cut that requires stitches can evoke visceral imagery and tension, especially if the character has to navigate their surroundings while in pain.

Burns

Whether from fire, chemicals, or hot surfaces, burns can cause intense suffering and lingering trauma, serving as a physical reminder of a character’s past mistakes or battles.

Pulled Muscle

This can create ongoing pain and restrict movement, providing an opportunity for characters to experience frustration or the need to lean on others for support.

Tendonitis

Inflammation of a tendon can cause chronic pain and limit a character's ability to perform tasks they usually take for granted, highlighting their struggle to adapt and overcome.

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors! Instagram Tiktok

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some words for worldbuilding (pt. 1)

Air

billow, breath, bubble, draft, effervescence, fumes, puff, vapor

Arena

aquarium, bazaar, coliseum, field, hall, mecca, stage

Building

abbey, architecture, armory, asylum, bakery, bar, booth, cathedral, club, construction, court, department store, dock, edifice, emergency room, factory, food court, fort/fortress, framework, garrison, greasy spoon, hacienda, hangout, headquarters, hotel, inn, institute/institution, jetty, laboratory, mansion, mental hospital, monastery, mosque, museum, nursing home, office, pavilion, penitentiary, plant, prison, rampart, repository, ruins, sanctuary, shrine, skyscraper, stockade, storeroom, structure, temple, theater/theatre, treasury, warehouse, wharf

City

capital, metropolis, town, village

Furniture

altar, banister, bench, booth, bunk, cabinet, chair, couch, crib, davenport, dresser, furnishings, futon, jetty, lectern, partition, perch, platform, pulpit, rail/railing, screen, secretary, stand, wardrobe

Geographic division

area, county, desert, dynasty, kingdom, outskirts, quarter, sector, suburb, territory, tract, zone

Habitat

abode, ecosystem, environmentalist, habitat/habitation, harbor, home, land, nest, paradise, premises, refuge, settlement, tent

Habitat, human: accommodations, apartment, barracks, cabin, castle, condominium, convent, domesticity, dungeon, element, encampment, estate, grange, hacienda, home, house, housing, hut, jail, lodging, madhouse, monastery, neighborhood, old country, palace, prison, reservation, resort, sanctuary, shanty, suite, vacancy, villa

Habitat, rural: barn, burrow, conservatory, desert, farm, forest, grange, jungle, sanctuary, wilderness/wilds, wood/woods

Land

abyss, avalanche, bank, bay, bed, bluff, campus, cape, cavern, cliff, compost, cove, crevice/crevasse, dirt, downgrade, dune, elevation, estuary, expanse, field, fossil, garden, glacier, gorge, green, ground, gulf, harbor, hillock, inlet, knoll, landscape, lawn, lot, marshy, menagerie, mine, moat, mound, mountainous, nature, outlook, park, patio, pit, plateau, plaza, porch, prairie, projection, property, quagmire, ravine, ridge, savanna, shelf, soil, stack, table, trench, tundra, valley, well, wood/woods, yard

Nation

country, home, land, nationality, soil, state

Personal item

adornment, amulet, beads, best-seller, briefcase, cache, cargo, charm, contraceptive, disguise, effects, equipment, favorite, gem, glasses, handbag, jewelry, knickknack, luggage, marionette, memorabilia, necklace, novelty, object d’art, odds-on-favorite, paraphernalia, pledge, possession, pride, puppet, purse, resources, ring, souvenir, stuff, supplies, sustenance, thing/things, trappings, trifle, valuable

Planet

cosmos, Earth, galaxy, moon, planet, sphere, world

Region

capital, commonwealth, quarter, region, settlement, suburb

Room

alcove, attic, bath, bedroom, boutique, cellar, den, enclosure, foyer, gin mill, hall, lavatory, loft, outhouse, parlor, restaurant, saloon, shop, stage, store, tenement, theater/theatre, vestibule

Shape

angular, beaten, billowy, checkered, concave, conical/conic, crescent, curly, deformed, elliptical, flat, gnarled, kinky, misshapen, obtuse, round, shapeless, spiral, straight

Vehicle

camper, conveyance, motorcade, transport

Vehicle, air: aircraft, armada, blimp, dirigible, helicopter, shuttle, UFO

Vehicle, land: ambulance, bicycle, car, cherry-picker, dolly, excavator, model, traffic, truck

Vehicle, water: armada, boat, craft, fleet, sailboat, yacht

Water

abyss, aqueduct, basin, beach, blackball, brook, cape, channel, condensation, creek, deep, estuary, fountain, gulf, heading, inlet, lake, oasis, pond, promontory, reservoir, sea, spray, strait, tide, wash, wave, whirlpool

NOTE

The above are concepts classified according to subject and usage. It not only helps writers and thinkers to organize their ideas but leads them from those very ideas to the words that can best express them.

It was, in part, created to turn an idea into a specific word. By linking together the main entries that share similar concepts, the index makes possible creative semantic connections between words in our language, stimulating thought and broadening vocabulary.

Source ⚜ Writing Basics & Refreshers ⚜ On Vocabulary

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Writing Angry Scenes: Tips to Avoid Melodrama and Make It Real

Anger can be one of the most intense, relatable emotions to read—and one of the trickiest to write. When handled well, an angry scene can pull readers deep into the emotional world of a character, building tension and driving the story forward. But when handled poorly, anger can easily slip into melodrama, making the character’s feelings seem overblown, forced, or even cringe-worthy.

So how can you avoid these pitfalls and write anger that feels real and compelling? Here are some tips to make angry scenes powerful without overdoing it.

1. Understand What Fuels Your Character’s Anger

To write anger authentically, you need to understand its roots. People get angry for complex reasons—fear, frustration, betrayal, grief, and even love. Ask yourself what’s truly driving your character’s anger. Are they afraid of losing control? Do they feel abandoned or misunderstood? Are they hurt by someone they trusted? Anger rarely exists in isolation, so dig into the deeper emotions fueling it.

When you understand the core reasons behind a character’s anger, you can weave those nuances into the scene, making the anger more relatable and layered. Readers will feel the depth of the character's rage, not just the surface heat of it.

2. Show, Don’t Tell—But Don’t Overdo It

“Show, don’t tell” is classic writing advice, but it’s especially crucial in angry scenes. Don’t rely on generic phrases like “She was furious” or “He clenched his fists in anger.” Instead, look for unique ways to convey how this specific character experiences anger. Maybe their voice drops to a deadly calm, or their eyes narrow in a way that makes everyone around them uncomfortable.

That said, showing too much can backfire, especially with exaggerated descriptions. Over-the-top body language, excessive shouting, or too many “flaring nostrils” can tip the scene into melodrama. Use body language and physical cues sparingly and mix them with subtler reactions for a more realistic portrayal.

3. Use Dialogue to Reveal Hidden Layers

People rarely say exactly what they feel, especially when they’re angry. Angry dialogue isn’t just about yelling or throwing out insults; it’s an opportunity to show the character’s deeper thoughts and vulnerabilities.

Consider using controlled, icy responses or unexpected silences. Maybe your character says something hurtful in a low voice rather than screaming. They might express sarcasm, avoidance, or even laugh at the wrong moment. Anger often carries hidden layers, and using these nuances can help your character’s dialogue feel genuine, even haunting, without falling into dramatic clichés.

4. Control the Pacing of the Scene

The pacing of an angry scene can be the difference between a powerful moment and a melodramatic one. In real life, anger doesn’t always erupt instantly; it can simmer, spike, or deflate depending on the situation and the character’s personality. Experiment with different pacing techniques to create tension.

You might build the anger slowly, with small signs that something’s brewing. Or maybe the character explodes suddenly, only to calm down just as quickly, leaving a chill in the air. Controlling the pace helps you control the reader’s emotional engagement, drawing them in without overwhelming them.

5. Avoid Clichéd Expressions and Overused Reactions

When writing anger, avoid falling back on clichés like “seeing red,” “boiling with rage,” or “blood boiling.” These phrases have been overused to the point that they lose their impact. Instead, get creative and think about how your character’s anger might feel specifically to them.

Maybe their skin feels prickly, or their jaw aches from clenching it. Think about details that are unique to the character and to the moment. By focusing on small, unique sensory details, you’ll help readers feel the anger rather than just reading about it.

6. Let the Setting Reflect the Emotion

The setting can be an effective tool to amplify a character’s anger without overstating it. Small details in the environment—such as the hum of a refrigerator, the slow ticking of a clock, or the distant sounds of laughter—can create a sense of contrast or isolation that heightens the character’s rage.

For example, imagine a character seething in a peaceful park or a quiet library. The calm of the surroundings can make their anger feel more potent. Or maybe they’re in a crowded, noisy room where they feel unseen and unheard, which fuels their frustration further. This use of setting can add depth to the scene without the need for dramatic gestures.

7. Let Consequences Speak for Themselves

An effective way to avoid melodrama is to let the consequences of the anger show its intensity. Characters don’t always have to yell or physically react; sometimes, a single choice can convey more than any outburst.

Perhaps your character cuts off a close friend or says something they can’t take back. Maybe they throw away a meaningful object or walk out in silence. By focusing on the consequences of their anger, you can reveal the impact without over-explaining it.

8. Let the Emotion Simmer After the Scene Ends

Anger is rarely resolved in a single moment, and its effects often linger. When writing an angry scene, think about how it will affect your character moving forward. Are they holding onto grudges? Do they feel guilty or exhausted afterward? Does their anger transform into something else, like sadness or regret?

Allowing the anger to simmer in your character’s mind even after the scene ends creates a more authentic and layered portrayal. It shows that anger is complex and doesn’t just disappear the moment the scene is over, adding emotional weight to both the character and the story.