thewritinggrindstone

[thewritinggrindstone]

i cannot stress enough how important it is to write at your own pace. to give your mind and spirit room to breathe, to process your creativity and allow it to come organically to you. goals and discipline are a good and necessary part of any hobby, especially writing, but so is rest. rest prevents burn out. and if you push yourself until you burn out you will wind up taking even longer to complete projects or meet goals. even if you are already burnt out that's okay. this is your sign to give yourself the grace to take breaks. your story, your muses, your brilliant ideas will be waiting for you to pick them up with proper enthusiasm when you're ready.

[thewritinggrindstone]

ive gotten quite a few questions about this so i sat down and wrote it all out for a discord power point night. here it is. no mystery, only chaos, and if novellas have no fans then i am dead.

[thewritinggrindstone]

My biggest tip for fanfic writers is this: if you get a character's mannerisms and speech pattern down, you can make them do pretty much whatever you want and it'll feel in character.

Logic: Characters, just like real people, are mallable. There is typically very little that's so truly, heinously out of character that you absolutely cannot make it work under any circumstance. In addition, most fans are also willing to accept characterization stretches if it makes the fic work. Yeah, we all know the villain and the hero wouldn't cuddle for warmth in canon. But if they did do that, how would they do it?

What counts is often not so much 'would the character do this?' and more 'if the character did do this, how would they do it?' If you get 'how' part right, your readers will probably be willing to buy the rest, because it will still feel like their favourite character. But if it doesn't feel like the character anymore, why are they even reading the fic?

Worry less about whether a character would do something, and more about how they'd sound while doing it.

[thewritinggrindstone]

10 Non-Lethal Injuries to Add Pain to Your Writing

New Part: 10 Lethal Injury Ideas

If you need a simple way to make your characters feel pain, here are some ideas: 

1. Sprained Ankle

A common injury that can severely limit mobility. This is useful because your characters will have to experience a mild struggle and adapt their plans to their new lack of mobiliy. Perfect to add tension to a chase scene.

2. Rib Contusion

A painful bruise on the ribs can make breathing difficult, helping you sneak in those ragged wheezes during a fight scene. Could also be used for something sport-related! It's impactful enough to leave a lingering pain but not enough to hinder their overall movement.

3. Concussions

This common brain injury can lead to confusion, dizziness, and mood swings, affecting a character’s judgment heavily. It can also cause mild amnesia.

I enjoy using concussions when you need another character to subtly take over the fight/scene, it's an easy way to switch POVs. You could also use it if you need a 'cute' recovery moment with A and B.

4. Fractured Finger

A broken finger can complicate tasks that require fine motor skills. This would be perfect for characters like artists, writers, etc. Or, a fighter who brushes it off as nothing till they try to throw a punch and are hit with pain.

5. Road Rash

Road rash is an abrasion caused by friction. Aka scraping skin. The raw, painful sting resulting from a fall can be a quick but effective way to add pain to your writing. Tip: it's great if you need a mild injury for a child.

6. 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. Good for torture scenes.

7. Deep Laceration

A deep laceration is a cut that requires stitches. As someone who got stitches as a kid, they really aren't that bad! A 2-3 inch wound (in length) provides just enough pain and blood to add that dramatic flair to your writing while not severely deterring your character.

This is also a great wound to look back on since it often scars. Note: the deeper and wider the cut the worse your character's condition. Don't give them a 5 inch deep gash and call that mild.

8. Burns

Whether from fire, chemicals, or hot surfaces, burns can cause intense suffering and lingering trauma. Like the previous injury, the lasting physical and emotional trauma of a burn is a great wound for characters to look back on.

If you want to explore writing burns, read here.

9. Pulled Muscle

This can create ongoing pain and restrict movement, offering a window to force your character to lean on another. Note: I personally use muscle related injuries when I want to focus more on the pain and sprains to focus on a lack of mobility.

10. Tendonitis

Inflammation of a tendon can cause chronic pain and limit a character's ability to perform tasks they usually take for granted. When exploring tendonitis make sure you research well as this can easily turn into a more severe injury.

This is a quick, brief list of ideas to provide writers inspiration. Since it is a shorter blog, I have not covered the injuries in detail. This is inspiration, not a thorough guide. Happy writing! :)

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!

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[thewritinggrindstone]

How much should it cost to be a writer?

It depends what route you’re taking. If you are planning to go for traditional publishing, which looks like you finishing a manuscript and then querying agents who will then take your book to publishers, you should be paying for basically nothing. One exception would be if you decide to hire an editor to get a pass over your manuscript and/or query package before sending it off, but this is not required.

If you are in the process of trying to get your manuscript traditionally published, you may be approached by a “publisher” offering to publish your manuscript for a fee. THIS IS A SCAM! An author should never be paying for “publishing services.” Anyone asking you to pay for your own printing, marketing, etc. costs is taking advantage of you. These are called vanity publishers and they will not turn you a profit, help you attract readers, or provide you the prestige of being published. 

Always check on Writer Beware - search for the name of the person or company. You can also just google that name along with the word “scam” or “reviews.” In general, don’t let yourself be blinded by dreams, or let yourself be convinced that something is a good idea because you really want it to be true. Never, ever, ever pay a publisher.

If you are going the self-publishing route, you will be paying for certain things, but none of those should be payment to be published. You are the publisher. Uploading your manuscript to Amazon or other marketplaces is free. However, you will be paying for things that a publisher typically pays for. This could include:

-Cover art - you could do this yourself, though this isn't recommended. A good cover is key to a book's success, so budget to purchase a pre-made book cover, or hire a professional cover artist.

To find pre-made book covers, you can just Google "premade book covers," or check one of these sites: BookCoverZone RockingBookCovers Beetiful

And here's a list of places to buy both custom and pre-made cover designs that's a good start. You can also check Reedsy and Etsy for people listing cover design services. If there is a self-pubbed author whose covers you love, try asking them what artist they use.

-Formatting - you could do this yourself using a formatting program like Atticus, or you could hire someone who does professional e-book formatting.

Here's an article on the turbo-DIY route. Here's a list of formatting programs you can use. To hire someone, you can simply search for book formatting services or look at places where people list such services for hire, like Reedsy, Fiverr, or certain Reddit boards.

-Ad campaigns - you may want to pay for ad campaigns on platforms like Meta or Amazon. More niche, author-specific platforms like BookBub, Book Funnel, or Book Sirens also come with certain costs. 

-Author services - you may wish to hire an expert in things like marketing, blurb copy, social media metrics, newsletter management, etc. You can find information on that here.

Be aware that scam publishers might try to pitch themselves as "author services" - you should be paying someone to help you with specific aspects of your self publishing work, NOT paying to be published.

-Software and platforms - whether it's a subscription to Duotrope, a paid Scribophile account, access to pro Canva features, etc. you may decide to pay for tools that you will use to do your work well.

-Expert advice - some people offer courses, books, or other resources on how to do specific things like write a compelling blurb or run an effective ad campaign. You may notice that a lot of the links I shared here will include upsells from people doing exactly this!

Be very cautious about this, as most of these people claim that they make tons of money on their self published books, but really, they make their money selling this stuff to people like you. Always check out a person’s free resources first, and wait to invest in this sort of thing until you have a specific question you need answered or are trying to do a very particular thing that you need granular guidance on. 

One thing you should NOT pay for is a review, feature, or interview. Self-published authors will be approached by a lot of scammers who claim that, for a nominal fee, they will share information about your book to their huge audiences. These are completely useless and a waste of money. Never spend money on this.

Always keep track of what you are spending on all of this. You may be able to deduct it from taxes you pay on your income from writing, and you will want to really understand what your profit margins look like.

[thewritinggrindstone]

I feel like my writing is too choppy. Like I’m writing from one action to the next with nothing in between. I think it’s jumping around to much and isn’t really that smooth. It could just be a writer critiquing their own work too hard but I’m not sure. Any tips to avoid this or make it less choppy?

How to Write a Smooth, Rhythmic Narrative

A lot of people have trouble with their writing style, especially new writers who haven’t been practicing for long. The words come out choppy, the sentences jolt and stutter, and the words never seem to fit quite right.

Usually, this goes away with practice. It’s like how artists have a style that they settle into when they’ve experimented for long enough.

This post is to help anyone who may be having trouble with their writing style or perhaps don’t even have a writing style at all!

Keep reading

[thewritinggrindstone]

Overwhelmed with Writing a Book? Try These.

How do you not get overwhelmed writing a book? Well, honestly, "writing overwhelm" is not something most of us can avoid completely. It's normal, and probably even natural, to get overwhelmed from time to time. Writing a book is a big undertaking, with so many moving, developing pieces--all of which we hope will sing off the page in the final published product. So perhaps it's better to ask, how do we deal with writing overwhelm? This is what I want to talk about today.

If you haven't noticed, I almost entirely focus my blog on the writing craft. But every once in a while something outside that scope is brought to my attention, and I feel like I need to do a post on it. So while I won't be going deep into the nitty-gritty of plots and characters today, I hope this article is helpful to someone reading.

Here is what helps me with writing overwhelm, in the order I try them.

Trust the Process

In a show I like to watch called "The Profit," businessman Marcus Lemonis goes into failing businesses to help them succeed. On occasion, he tells people to "trust the process." Meaning, rather than trying to trust him, other people, or maybe even themselves, they should trust the process of becoming a better business.

Years ago, an ad came up on my Facebook, where best-selling author Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) said something similar. He said there will be days when you feel like you can't write, days where it feels impossible and you don't have it in you. That, he said, is when you trust the process.

You trust the process of writing a story, scene, or whatever, regardless of how you feel.

If you are newer to writing, this may be harder to do, because you may not yet have enough experience to discern what the process, or your process, is. But there is plenty of advice and approaches available to help guide you. Be patient, it may take some time to find what works for and resonates with you.

If you are more experienced with writing, then you should be somewhat familiar with the process. Trust it. Feelings are temporary. Do what needs to be done.

Return to the Basics

Never underestimate the power of the basics. When you are feeling overwhelmed, or things aren't coming together, go back to the basics, and if those are properly in place, build from there.

Does your protagonist have a current goal? And an antagonist for that goal? Are they creating conflict? Are there consequences (stakes and ramifications) tied to that?

Is it clear what your protagonist currently, deeply wants? Have you put it in jeopardy? How does your character arc?

What is the setting? Are you utilizing it in the story?  Is it coming alive on the page as you appeal to the senses? Does it relate to the plot elements or the protagonist?

You can ask these things for the whole story, or the scene you are currently working on (though not all of them may apply to every scene you write).

Hit the basics first. You could argue this is even a form of trusting the process.

Focus on One Part at a Time

Writing a book is a marathon, not a sprint. Sure, there may be some (writing) sprints along the way, but . . . it's totally a marathon. 

And you succeed in that, one step at a time.

Sometimes it's helpful to focus only on the current passage or element you are working on.

I prefer to write scene by scene. If I'm overwhelmed, I try to mostly just focus on the current scene.

If a scene still feels too overwhelming, perhaps you could focus on one paragraph, one sentence.

In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott shares the concept of writing enough to fill up a one-inch picture frame.  That's all you have to do. Just fill up a one-inch picture frame. You can do that, right?

Then you do it again. 

And again. 

And just focus on writing a little bit at a time, and soon all those little bits turn into lots of bits, and you'll be further along with your story.

Work on a Different Part

At the opposite end of that, if you are feeling overwhelmed with the current part you are working on, then work on a different part. If the current scene is overwhelming you, skip to a different scene. If you can't brainstorm the plot, then brainstorm the characters. If you can't figure out the setting, then work on the magic system. I think you get the idea.

After you've had some space from whatever you were working on in the first place, and have calmed down, you can try going back to it. Sometimes working on a different element helps you figure out the initial element.

Take a Break

. . . Or sometimes forcing yourself to keep working on the project at all, just overwhelms you some more. You may be too worked up to trust the process or clearly think about the basics, or anything else. Knowing when you need to step away and take a timeout can prevent a lot of meltdowns (or fits of rage).

What do you need to do to get yourself grounded?

Sometimes I just need to go outside and take a walk around the property. If I haven't eaten recently, I'll maybe have my next meal, even if it's early. Good food can do wonders for your mood.

Depending on where I'm at mentally at that point, I may be able to go back to the project, or I may need to work on something else entirely.

Sometimes the best thing you can do, is give yourself some space from the project, so you can come back to it with fresh eyes.

You may want to focus on filling your creative well during this time.

Or, if you have another WIPWIP, you may want to turn your attention to that one instead.

And Remember, Be Patient, not Perfect.

Again, writing a book is a marathon, not a sprint. It demands patience. And often, lots of it. Probably even more than you think you need. Be patient with the project, and be patient with yourself. The story is only a draft. It's not gonna be perfect, so don't expect it to be a masterpiece all at once.

With these things in mind, I hope you'll be armed to deal with the overwhelming task of writing a book.

Related:

How to Write When You Don't Have Time Why Some People Don't Support Your Writing Goals How to Deal with People Who Don't Support Your Writing What to Do When You Want to Quit Writing Dealing with Loneliness

[thewritinggrindstone]

A Single Word Written is Better Than None

I took a few months off from writing. Not voluntarily. I just couldn’t seem to write a single word. Whenever I would open up a new document, I would simply shut down and freeze up.

I’m a writer who hasn’t written anything in months.

Even writing in my journal became difficult. If someone were to unbury my journal after the apocalypse, they might think I took a four-month hibernation. I was shut off from the world, adding nothing to the world. Not even a single word.

For the past couple of weeks, however, it feels like I’ve gotten a little bit of that writing bug back. Nothing like Stephen King’s two thousand words a day. About five to seven hundred words on a good day.

Even though I’m writing, it feels more like a slow crawl. I look at these low word counts and put myself down for not doing more. I know I’m not the only writer who focuses too much on their word counts and feels bad when we can’t reach the professional levels.

So to you out there who are in the same position, telling yourself you’re not a real writer because you’re not writing a full novel each month. I have a message for you that I need to do a better job of remembering myself.

You Are a Writer Even if You’re Not Published

This holds back a lot of writers. I write mainly short stories, but the fact that none of them have been chosen for a publication journal does weigh heavily on my head.

Still, just because they haven’t been published doesn’t mean they haven’t been written. I wrote those stories, and I am still a writer because of it.

If you’ve finished a story or a whole novel but it hasn’t been published, don’t beat yourself up! You are a writer! Write another one and another one till the world finally acknowledges you!

Having Moments of Writer’s Block Doesn’t Mean You Are Failing

I struggle with this a lot. The idea that if my writer’s block lasts more than a few days, I have somehow failed as a writer and the title should be stripped from me.

Just because I had a few bad months doesn’t mean I’m no longer a writer. And if you’ve had a few bad months too, or even a few bad years of writing, that doesn’t mean you’re not a writer anymore either!

When a pitcher strains his wrist and has to take a hiatus while it heals, is he no longer a pitcher?

A Single Word Written is Better Than None

Don’t feel bad if you’re coming out of a writing slump and it feels like you’re coming out of it very slowly. The pitcher who returns from his injury won’t be throwing shutouts the minute he steps onto the mound. He eases into it.

And so should you!

If you’re only writing a few words a day and you’re feeling disappointed that it’s not at the high word count standard that most professionals hold themselves to, just remind yourself that progress is progress! Whether you’ve written one, two, or a thousand words. It is still more than the absolute zero you wrote during your slump.

Feel proud of your progress!

And remember, no matter what, you are still a writer.

[thewritinggrindstone]

Any advice on how to fall back in love with writing?

i think you have to go back to your aesthetic roots. early early stuff. not just media you liked when you were younger, but media that defined you, or better yet, confirmed you. things you watched or read that made you see part of yourself in a new light.

my earliest defining piece of media i can remember is Grease. i wore out our VHS tape. a couple years ago i rewatched it and i saw all these little seeds of myself in it, not things that have grown in me but interests that have always been there. the good girl/bad boy dynamic, where the bad boy is only posturing and the good girl is sincere. how absurdly over-the-top it is. the insane pageantry of it all. how it doesn't take itself seriously but still has depth and complexity. conflicts of performativity for the sake of fitting in. toxic masculinity. a dead dove side ship. the earliest version of an archetype i've come to call "leather jacket submissives." these are all things that appear in my work over and over again, things that compelled me toward writing in the first place. it's one of our earliest instincts to see ourselves in stories and go, "there i am" or "there i want to be." that's the deepest root of creative inspiration.

our tastes can grow and we can learn to like other things, but they rarely change. i think it's important to take time, especially if you're stuck or blocked, to return to the things that defined what art means to you. the very first stories you recognized yourself in.

[thewritinggrindstone]

its so freeing when you realize you can literally write whatever you want 

[thewritinggrindstone]

Outlining, personally, is my best friend. I outline everything, from my story to this very blog post. In this series about structure, I am going to have a subseries of outlining tips and walkthroughs as outlining is basically structuring your novel via dot points. This subseries is going to be basically showing you how to organise your notes about character and conflict and why outlining is going to be a lifesaver if you are a writer like me.

Should I Outline?

Generally, writers fall into two categories: Pantser and Outliner. An outliner plans their writing with little or a lot of detail and a Pantser These two methodologies are compared, fought over and passionately debated on. Put simply, I am an Outliner and don’t understand why people would like to pantser, but I would like to say that both categories are right. Writing does not have a set amount of rules that everyone has to follow, and I would recommend you do some self-discovering and figure which system works for you if you are a pantser, congratulations! I wish you well, and I wish I could be you!!! Off you go and write the book or piece of your dreams.

Benefits of Outlining

Okay, so you have decided that you are an outliner, that you need to plan out details of your novel. Outlining is great! It really is! Here are some benefits of Outlining: Prevents Dead-Ends Have you ever started writing something and ran into a dead end? I did that with my first WIP, and it felt horrible because I, at that point in time, really loved my story, but now I can’t really pick it up again. So outlining prevents dead ends because you don’t ever need to rewrite a heap of chapters but adjust a few plot points. Provides Foreshadowing A way to make your book complex and have symbolism is to foreshadow certain plot points. Outlining gives you that chance to have that complexity that otherwise might have the chance to be. Pacing is Smoother Pacing is important as you want to adjust it to make sure it flows smoothly. If you don’t know that your protagonist was going to die you wouldn’t adjust the pacing accordingly.

The Misconceptions of Outlining

Outlining sometimes get a bad rep and if you look at these surface-level criticisms of Outlining you would think that too. I did for a long time: Outlining Limits Creativity There is an idea that once you outline your novel, you cannot deviate from that path. Fears that you have boxed yourself is a writer greatest fear, but this is simply false. Outlining is about putting your ideas into a system that is organised and is changeable if it ends up not working. My outlines often become hugely different as I found better ways or plotlines that would suit my conflict or characters better. Don’t be ashamed to move away from your first plan. Outlines Need to Be Formal Now, this is definitely wrong. Personally, formal formatting is the worst. I often have pretty sticky notes that have certain plot points writing on them. In my next post about outlining and structure, I will be talking about different types of ways to outline, but you definitely don’t need to list plot points and character moments like a shopping list.

Extra Notes

I hope this was helpful! 

[thewritinggrindstone]

ok, because i just saw a terrible take, i feel compelled to say that there is no "fic market" to "oversaturate" in fandom. good gravy.

[thewritinggrindstone]

Hi! Newbie writing who loves writing, I just wanted advice for how to write a character who is emotionally numb and distant and how they can overcome it?

Or who to write numbness in general?

Writing Detached Characters: A Guide to Emotional Numbness

Welcome to the latest instalment in my series on ‘how to write different emotions’. Contrary to the series title, today’s blog will be covering how to write a lack of emotion, or rather, emotional numbness. This is an area many writers covering PTSD, depression, or closed-off characters might be interested in. Thank you anon for the request, and I hope this blog helps you with your writing! 

Understanding the Motive for Emotional Numbness

Emotional numbness can stem from various sources and they all influence a character's behaviour differently. Understanding the root cause of their numbness is crucial to portraying them authentically. 

Trauma-Induced Numbness: Characters closed off due to trauma may appear more disconnected and guarded. Their numbness is a defence mechanism to avoid reliving painful experiences.

Chronic Stress: Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to emotional exhaustion and numbness. These characters might show signs of burnout and a lack of enthusiasm for activities they once enjoyed.

Depression: Characters dealing with depression may exhibit numbness as a symptom. They might struggle with feelings of hopelessness and an inability to experience pleasure.

Each motive ties directly into the character's behaviour, so it’s a good idea to research how numbness varies based on the cause.

How to Showcase Emotional Numbness in Your Writing

When crafting an emotionally numb character, subtlety is key. Here are some ways to show their numbness through various aspects of writing:

Body Language

Closed-off Posture: Crossed arms, avoiding eye contact, slumped shoulders.

Minimal Gestures: Limited use of hand movements, lack of expressive body language.

Tense Muscles: Frequently clenched jaw or fists, indicating suppressed emotions.

Lack of Physical Contact: Avoids hugs, handshakes, or any form of touch.

Facial Expressions

Blank Stare: Eyes that seem to look through people rather than at them.

Neutral Expressions: Rarely smiles or frowns, maintaining a consistently neutral face.

Delayed Reactions: Slow to show any reaction to surprising or emotional events.

Flat Affect: Consistent lack of facial movement or expression regardless of the situation.

Note: remember to not take this too far! This isn’t to say your character doesn’t feel anything at all and will never react to anything but more so that their reactions will be very muted. Yes, they can get happy/surprised, etc. but they won’t have wide grins or loud exclamations of shock. 

Appearance

Plain Wardrobe: Clothes that are simple, unassuming, and devoid of vibrant colours; preferences for baggy/shapeless clothing. 

Neglect of Personal Grooming: Messy hair, unshaven, or generally unkempt appearance.

Monochrome Outfits: Preference for neutral, muted colours like grey, black, and white.

Practical Over Fashionable: Chooses functionality over style, reflecting a lack of interest in appearance.

Dialogue Cues

Monotone Speech: Flat, emotionless tone without inflection.

Brief Responses: Short, to-the-point answers with minimal elaboration.

Avoidance of Personal Topics: Steers conversations away from personal or emotional subjects.

Lack of Expressive Language: Uses simple, direct language without metaphors or descriptive flourishes.

Adjectives and Verbs

Descriptive Words: Detached, apathetic, vacant, stoic, unfeeling, indifferent, withdrawn, impassive, numb, aloof.

Action Words: Avoids, withdraws, dismisses, isolates, ignores, neglects, shuns, evades, suppresses, restrains.

Emotionally Neutral Verbs: Walks, talks, looks, sits (instead of strides, argues, gazes, lounges) listens, observes, reacts, replies, continues.

Subdued Descriptors: Plain, muted, dull, flat, colourless, bland, lifeless, monotonous, reserved, restrained.

Overcoming Emotional Numbness

Since there are several reasons why someone might be emotionally numb, each cause has different ways to overcome it. Here are a few common approaches:

Therapeutic Intervention: Therapy or counselling can help characters address underlying trauma or mental health issues. Techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are often effective.

Supportive Relationships: Developing a trusting relationship with a friend, family member, or romantic partner can provide the emotional support needed to open up. This would be a better option for a character who has developed numbness due to past relationships and needs to ‘heal’. 

Personal Growth and Self-Discovery: Characters may embark on a journey of self-discovery, engaging in activities or experiences that help them reconnect with their emotions. It would be fun to see a numb character do this with a love interest or close friend. Maybe they’re ‘forced’ to go to an amusement park and the other characters are shocked to see them whoop/yell on one of the rides. 

Resources for Understanding and Overcoming Emotional Numbness

Here are some valuable resources to help you better understand and write about emotional numbness:

Books:

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Waking the Tiger by Peter A. Levine

Research Papers:

Emotional Numbness in PTSD

Emotional Numbness Research Papers Directory

More:

Scholarly Resources on Emotional Numbness 

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Quillology with Haya Sameer; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors! While you’re at it, don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey! 

[thewritinggrindstone]

If it doesn’t impact the rest of the story, you didn’t raise the stakes

              I recently went back to a chapter at the midpoint of my novel and changed a huge detail of it because I thought it didn’t raise the stakes enough as it was. Because of this change, I had to go through every single scene and chapter beyond that point and edit it to fit in and make sense. It was annoying, but that’s how I knew I achieved what I wanted to.

              Raised stakes change everything about a story.

              If your characters can continue on as they were, then you didn’t really raise the stakes at all. This heightened pressure or danger has to be heightened enough that their lives as they know them are different now.

              Consider this: at the midpoint, you introduce a mutated form of a monster your characters have been facing that’s more deadly and intelligent than its predecessor. It’s a super scary scene, but after that, your characters go back to their safe house to talk over how best to kill it.

              Suddenly, this new monster doesn’t feel as much of a threat. It’s just another element of the same threat they’ve already been facing.

              To properly use this element as a way to raise the stakes, it should take away something the characters rely on—safety, allies, powers, etc. Something they can’t get back, and don’t get back for the rest of the story. They now have to adapt to new circumstances, and things will never be as easy for them again.

              So maybe instead, they flee to their safe house only to discover that it’s no longer safe—the monster is smart enough to get through their hidden entrance and corner them. Now they’re stuck out in the open, taking turns keeping watch and slowly deteriorating to sleeplessness and stress.

              That’s a delicious steak.

[thewritinggrindstone]

It's Worth It

As someone who has been stuck in the drafting stages for a long time, I get it. The slog gets tough. You take ages to rewrite something, only to realize the changes you've made contradict what needs to come later. Many hours have been wasted staring at walls, trying to get things to work.

But it will work. You will reach a point where everything makes sense. You will find a way to let go of great words that no longer have a place in your story, because you will be be able to replace them with better ones. You will end up with a better story that you will be proud of.

Keep going.

[thewritinggrindstone]

one of my favorite things to do in limited perspective is write sentences about the things someone doesn't do. he doesn't open his eyes. he doesn't reach out. i LOVE sentences like that. if it's describing the narrator, it's a reflection of their desires, something they're holding themselves back from. there's a tension between urge and action. it makes you ask why they wanted or felt compelled to do that, and also why they ultimately didn't. and if it's describing someone else, it tells you about the narrator's expectations. how they perceive that other person or their relationship. what they thought the other person was going to do, or thought the other person should have done, but failed to. negative action sentences are everything.

[thewritinggrindstone]

“characters in fic are too good at identifying scents” is officially an “his eyes did not literally darken” level of complaint to me now like it’s about the drama it’s about the romance it’s about atmosphere it’s about taking you to a heightened version of reality!!! please suspend your disbelief at least enough for vibes-based sensory descriptions it will be So Worth It i promise