words-are-like-colors

[words-are-like-colors]

Title: Lively Golden Laughter

Rating: General Archive Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Fandom: Haikyuu Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Sugawara Koushi Characters: Kageyama, Suga Additional Tags: Kageyama is a doctor, Suga is a teacher, they met in a bar, drinking, a golden suit Collection: HQSS_II Gifted to: dragonling ( @imaginarydragonling  )

Summary: Kageyama is a medical doctor, working almost every day of his life except for these brief times where he could whisk away into a hidden bar. Sugawara is a high school teacher who spots this bar one night and has his life changed. Notes: The prompt received was "Kageyama in glasses" so here it is!! I may be writing additional parts containing Kageyama with glasses with different pairings.

Word Count: 1350

A quiet bar in the mists of a city. It was a small place at the top of a building overlooking the river below. It was eerie yet comforting. The bar was lit with soft lights, bathing the nearby areas in gentle golden light.

He placed his hand on the glass, looking out into the night. The time on his watch read midnight but that did not matter to him as that he was standing there holding a glass of golden drink waiting for a meeting. This penthouse bar was somewhere most people would never expect to be quiet and desolate, it would usually be brimming with businessmen or younger people looking for a party like in the other bars but for a strange reason, this place was usually vacant. But, he did not mind this so much; this bar was an ideal place to go and sneak off to have a good time at. The bartender was a kinder, old man who he had made acquaintance to some years ago on part of a business where he had stumbled upon this bar in a desperate place to find a bathroom and later a drink. It was here he also met someone that would change his life: Sugawara Koshi. Sugawara was a nice gentleman who had won him over with his soft smiles and cheerful laughs one night.

“Kageyama,” he remembers him saying after they had introduced themselves, “I am rather intrigued. Why would a doctor such as you come to this place? I thought you were supposed to be professional and sober?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Kageyama had replied slowly, still trying to get around the fact that this man made him feel instantly warm and comfortable despite meeting for the first time, “Sensei Sugawara.”

Sugawara had laughed lightly as he smiled, nodding along in agreement. “That's true, but sometimes, you just have to get away from all of the work and stress and struggle of daily life and relax. Teaching is very gratifying something I absolutely love doing, but every now and then, you have to break the cycle and start something different, do something that makes you feel more alive. It is not like I chose drinking as something to become alive on, but it just came to me.” He glanced down at his drink and took a sip before explaining more, “I was walking down the river path when I saw a building from across the way alight at the top, the rest of the tower dark as the night around it. There was a small blob that I could only guess as a person so I went to investigate. It was a good surprise to see on the building’s information that it was a bar. Although, unfortunately, it was much too late on a school night to be going up to the bar so I went back home, only coming back on Saturdays to see if I could find that person.”

“That was me.”

“Yep, a beacon of change and hope.”

So after that night, Kageyama found himself returning to the bar every Saturday, waiting and looking for Sugawara. He had learned more than he could image from the teacher for the several months of this schedule. There was some simple subject such as who Sugawara was and the things he did and his favorites, but also deeper things like how it felt to be kissed and touched by someone who lit his heart. Just remembering the night where Sugawara gently pulled off Kageyama’s glasses to press a promising, passionate kiss was enough to warm his heart to grand heights. Never in his life had he felt this way towards someone. He had a few crushes and fooling around but never had he had this much attraction and curiosity in a person before, that it seems that every time he steps into the bar, he suddenly enters a reality that's full of liveliness. He remembers the night that Sugawara took him home, and took him to bed, and the wonderful feelings he felt of euphoria and passion that he could only describe as an impossible feat.

Glancing up back to the black glass from where he was staring at his drink, he realized that there was a small smile working its way up onto his lips. The other doctors and patients always said that Kageyama had an incredibly creepy smile but he paid no mind to it because of the one time where Sugawara was holding his hand and cracking jokes before saying “Oh, Tobio, I love your smile… it is beautiful when you smile without realizing.” No one else saw him the way Sugawara did, his smiles or laughs that come so easily when around. Why does this dream bar seem to be the only place he feels alive? Why is this the only place that he could feel the blood and emotions pumping through him in such a way that it seems that nothing in the world mattered except for right here?

Even when most would think it was boring, the place was still brimming with wondrous things. One night, Sugawara brought a box of papers he needed to grade from class. He apologized again and again, begging for forgiveness for bringing such an item to their time away from their lives, but Kageyama just took the box from his hands and started to help instantly. There was not much drinking of liquor or talking this night but the comfortable silence said millions. Every breath Sugawara expelled and Kageyama took in showed through life. Kageyama can still remember as clear as day when he had drawn a little bunny on the person’s work as a sort for good job sticker and when Sugawara saw this, he had laughed and said that it was one of the sweetest things he had ever seen.

So here, on this night, he was waiting for him, waiting for the reason of living to walk into the bar. Kageyama took a step back from the glass and went back to the bar, placing his drink back on the tabletop before sitting down. He and the bartender made light conversation, talking about the news and weather until they heard a rapping on the door. The bartender excused himself, ducking into the backroom to give them privacy. Straightening out his shirt, he walked over and opened the door.

There stood Sugawara, wearing a suit that would make anyone question him but all it did was make Kageyama let out a snort and smile.

“Where’s the usual, Koshi?”

“I left it at home, I thought I would give you a treat.” Sugawara was standing in the doorway with a sly smirk on his lips, dawning a sparkly golden suit that looked like the exact one that they were joking about the week before.

Unable to help himself, he grabbed his hand and pulled him into the bar, closing the door behind him. Last meeting, they had talked about a golden suit. There was no real significance to it, just a dumb joke about a suit woven with love and zeal, the color of gold to reflect the shared wealth of shared between them. Sugawara had said he would buy a suit of a golden color, but Kageyama had not believed that for a second but here he was, standing in a suit that was sparkling for his enjoyment.

The smirk fell away from Sugawara’s lips as he left out a laugh, shaking his head slightly. “Okay, it may be a treat if you use it right. Apparently, golden suits are extremely hard to find, and after almost all week of going into all kinds of places, I found this in a sex shop actually. It's for strippers so its pull away velcro. So if you are catching my drift~~”

“I hope the old man doesn’t mind it if we dirty the bar a bit~” Kageyama hummed back as he pulled his giggling love towards the bar and kissed his lips sweetly.

This night was a night to remember.

[words-are-like-colors]

Drabble List #2

New drabble prompt list! Feel free to reblog!

“That’s how the story goes.”

“None of this is your fault.”

“I know it hurts.”

“Are you serious?”

“You’re safe now.”

“No one’s going to hurt you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“This isn’t what I wanted.”

“My head hurts.”

“I’m right here, okay?”

“Wow, you look… amazing.”

“Are you okay?”

“Who did this?”

“I made a mistake.”

“When I’m with you, I’m home.”

“There’s nothing I can do anymore.”

“This is going to hurt.”

“That was kind of hot.”

“Please don’t let me be alone.”

“Don’t try to fix me. I’m not broken.”

“It’s never too late to get back up again.”

“What if one day I wake up and you don’t?”

“I immediately regret this decision.”

“I’m not okay.”

“I’m scared.”

“You’re the one thing keeping me sane right now.”

“Please stay with me.”

“Please help me.”

“It’s okay to cry.”

“Is that blood?”

“Can I kiss you?”

“You’re everything to me.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Are you testing me?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I think you’re beautiful.”

“I’m lost without you.”

“You have my word.”

“I’m just tired.”

“It just… hurts.”

“Do you promise?”

“I’m not drunk enough for this.”

“Why are you shaking?”

“I never meant to hurt you.”

“Is that my shirt?”

“Please don’t shut me out.”

“Go back to sleep.”

“I can take care of myself just fine.”

“This is new.”

“Take off your shirt.”

“Be you. No one else can.”

“I can’t breathe.”

“Are you going to talk to me?”

“I’m sorry.”

“They’re gone.”

“Just smile. I really need you to smile right now.”

“Would you just hold still?”

“I miss the way things used to be.”

“Am I dead?”

“Look at me.”

“Can we just pretend like we’re normal for once?”

“I told you not to fall in love with me.”

“Please shut up. Just shut up.”

“Please tell me it’s going to be okay.”

“Yell, scream, cry, please, just say something, anything.”

“When you smile, I fall apart.”

“If I die, I’m never speaking to you again.”

“If you don’t want to talk about it then say so. Don’t lie and pretend to be fine when you clearly aren’t.”

“This isn’t what it looks like.”

“I just really miss talking to you.”

“I can’t do this on my own.”

“I’ve got you.”

“We’ll figure this out.”

“Please don’t say goodbye.”

“You’ve shown me what love can feel like.”

“You make me feel alive.”

“I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”

“There is nothing wrong with you.”

“I’m just looking out for you.”

“Be careful.”

“You owe me.”

“Come with me.”

“I trust you.”

“I didn’t want you to see this.”

“I’ve been praying for you.”

“Take my jacket. It’s cold outside.”

“I’ll walk you home.”

“Let me help.”

“Come here.”

“You’re holding back.”

“Remember when we were little?”

“We’re all a little stronger than we think we are.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.”

“This isn’t who I am.”

“I’m willing to wait for it.”

“Are you ready for this?”

“You can do this.”

“Your life was my life’s best part.”

“You were always gold to me.”

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“I’m fine with where I am now.”

“We all want to be somebody.”

“Promise me you’ll come back.”

“I don’t know anyone else who can make me feel this way.”

“I’ve never felt stronger than when you’re with me.”

“I believe in you.”

[words-are-like-colors]

AU where everyone has synesthesia but only for their soulmate so when you hear them talk and can hear the color in their voice you know they are the one

[words-are-like-colors]

Writing Exercise: The Sprint

One of the hard parts of writing as a hobby is that there’s often very limited outside push to get things done and internal push can dwindle from time to time. While replying purely on outside pressure isn’t a good idea for productivity or enjoyment, it’s possible to create a form of it with a writing exercise called the Sprint. 

Step 1: Set a timer.

Step 2: Write as much as you can.

Okay there are some more details in there, but it’s an idea that isn’t hard to simplify. Sprints can be used to further a specific story from a point, to start a new story, to actualize a scene onto paper– almost anything that requires getting words on paper can benefit from a sprint.

Notice the “almost”. The point of a sprint is not to end up with perfection; it’s to get you in the flow of writing and/or to force words onto the paper. Do not expect high quality of writing or perhaps even for all of the work to be usable. Not everything you write has to be put into a story and any writer who expects to keep everything needs a reality check. Part of growing as a storyteller and writer is learning to cut bad pieces, unnecessary scenes, subplots that don’t quite fit– a true edit tears a story apart for the better. 

Getting good at sprints requires learning to turn off that inner editor and self-questioning, allowing you to get something on paper to edit later. 

How to Sprint:

Method 1: Find a site

There are a few ways to do this, the first being sites like Word Sprints, the slightly more novelty Written Kitten, or ones that have actual reinforcement of goals like Write or Die. I recommend testing out a few before you stick with any method, as some people may find, or know, that they work better with certain parameters over others. 

Method 2: Find some friends

Most online options have the comparisons with other writers, but comparing with strangers doesn’t always give the right push that some people need. You can also find and join, or create your own, group in person or on social media where you all sprint together and compare at the end.

Step 1: Gather your group in person or online.

Step 2: Set the timer.

Step 3: Write as much as you can as fast as you can until the timer is up.

Step 4 (Optional): Compare word counts and tips that helped each of you.

If you set up your own group, remember to designate a timekeeper or use an application where you’re all on the exact same countdown. It also helps to make sure that everyone is clear on the rules for the Sprint before you start. 

Method 3: It’s all on you!

Set the timer and go.

It’s best to develop a routine for Sprints to help with getting used to the no-edit rule, particularly when you use it to write a longer story. What start as 15-minute Sprints can turn into and hour or two with practice, but I wouldn’t recommend going beyond two without a break to avoid burnout. Writing for over two hours is different than Sprinting for over two hours.

Tips for success:

Focus on a single project to avoid getting story ideas mixed up with the fast writing pace.

Be reasonable about your goals: time and word count.

Have a plan! Writer’s block can come from not knowing what happens next and Sprints aren’t the time to ponder about it.

Remember than this is a first draft. It’s mean to be torn apart and your final may get rid of over 50% of it.

Keep track of your stats per sprint so you can watch your skills grow and identify areas where you can improve! 

The challenge of finishing a first draft is learning to throw out the idea that it’s going to be good. Even if you plan to have beta readers, they shouldn’t be seeing anything until the second draft where you can clean up the first one and have a coherent story. Writing Sprints are for maximizing word count and moving forward, not for editing or thinking about what happens next.

It’s easier to edit a bad story than to perfect a nonexistent one. 

Try a few Sprints out! Who knows, if done properly they may turn into the easiest way for you to get things done. 

Thinking of asking a question? Please read the Rules and Considerations to make sure I’m the right resource, and check the Tag List to see if your question has already been asked.

[words-are-like-colors]

Title: Your Beauty; Your Stars 

Rating: General Archive Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Fandom: Haikyuu Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Yamaguchi Tadashi Characters: Kageyama, Yamaguchi (Tsukki mentioned)  Additional Tags: 19th Century, Kages is a bartender, Yama is an astronomer, space is a beautiful place and person Collection/Zine:  Nice Serve! A HQ!! Yamakage Fanzine ( @yamakagezine )

Summary: Kageyama spends his days mixing drinks for strangers and watching passersby, but today, he found a new fascination with the stars and wanted to dive in deeper. Notes: This takes place sometime in the 19th century (but gayer). Dropping telescopes is not a good idea. Yamaguchi is somehow less nervous and Kageyama less socially awkward but it is fine.

Word Count: 1927

A man in a pale yellow dress shirt sat in the corner in front of a window, stray green hairs that had fallen from his bun tucked behind his ears. A menu in his hands and a pair of spectacles sitting on his nose gave him a smart, elegant look. His legs were crossed, his foot moving itself to the beat of the nearby bar band. He looked at peace and comfortable, going by the small, subtle smile gracing his lips.

Every so often, the bartender would look at this man. He had requested a menu but had not risen to his feet again to order something, as if he was waiting for someone to walk up to him. Typically, if there were patrons like this, the bartender would ask his colleague to pick up the order, since it was not his job to go around and take orders like a waitress, but there was something alluring about this man that pulled him in. He looked beautiful and soft, the light from the window bending and twisting around him, filling every necessary spot with gorgeous light. There was something more about him, something more that the bartender wanted to gaze upon and learn about this man.

The bartender watched the man for a moment longer. During this time, the man had placed the menu on the table and pushed his golden framed glasses up his nose with a simple tap of his finger. The bartender glanced around for any peepers and walked out from behind the bar. He checked his appearance, corrected his rolled up sleeves, and with a deep breath, he stepped up to the gorgeous man.

“Excuse me.” The bartender reached out to tap the man’s shoulder, but he suddenly jolted. The man had looked up at him and everything the bartender saw upon his face made his pathetic heart flutter. Sparkling freckles dotted his cheeks and nose in a manner that it was as though the star system had infused itself into his skin, and it was gorgeous. Thin, simple round frames rested over dark eyes as if they were the theorized rings of Saturn. He would not have been surprised if the man could control the eternity of space with a flick of the wrist. And now the man’s cheeks were filling with pinks and reds, like the sands of a space planet, and… and oh—

—the man was blushing. He rose his hands up - unfortunately, no solar system was imprinted on his palms - and was waving them slightly. “Sir? You okay?”

The bartender was not prepared for how lovely his voice was as well. Was everything about this man perfect?

“Yeah.” He said dumbly, nodding. “Fine, I am fine. I just came to get your order.” His mind screamed the word ‘lies’ at him because the main reason he came over was to find out just what it was about this man that made him so alluring.

“I don’t want anything.”

“What?” He had expected a calm whisper for an order of some fancy drink or a tasty meal, not nothing. “You must have wanted something.”

“Oh, no, I am sorry. I didn’t find anything I wanted.”

Normally the bartender’s typical manner of walking away or getting angry would have resurfaced by now, but as he looked at the man, he found that he had unlimited patience. “Is there anything special you wanted?”

“Why not sit with me? I am quite in need of some company.”

The bartender stared at him, trying to understand why he was asking a bartender to sit down and share a drink. The man waved it off.

“Ah, I’m sorry. It was inappropriate of me to have asked. Pay me no mind.”

Although it really was inappropriate, the bartender found himself shaking his head.  “No, it is alright. I will just ask my supervisor. I am sure he will let me off for a minute or two.” Before he went back to the bar, he hesitated and asked. “While I am there, is there anything you want?”

“Surprise me, you are the bartender after all.”

“Yes, sir.” The bartender gave him a curt nod before hurrying back to the bar. His supervisor gave him a wink, clearly knowing without having to be told, and gestured to the array of bottles on the shelves before going back to his own work.

The bartender nearly slipped a few times while trying to make the drink because he could not stop glancing at the man. They made eye contact just as the whiskey bottled slipped from his fingers, and he nearly dropped the bottle. The man pressed the back of his hand to his mouth, covering a laugh, and embarrassment gripped the bartender. Mentally and physically shaking himself - since the drink had to be tumbled - back out of the feeling of abashedness, he suited himself up for an introduction.  

The man had a sort of glee in his eyes as the bartender sat down with him.

When the man reached out for his glass, the bartender noticed something peculiar. The smallest finger of his left hand was crooked in the middle, just enough to be noticed when his hand was not bent. He tried to ignore it, he really did, especially since it was impolite to stare - not like he hadn't broken the rule at least 50 times already - but he just couldn’t. It was too cliché to say that everyone was flawed in some way, even if they were as beautiful as the night sky, but it was true; flaws were what made people themselves which in turn made them beautiful.

So as he placed his own glass onto the table and leaned back in his chair, he cleared his throat and asked gently, “I couldn’t help but notice. Did something happen to your finger?”

“Oh, technically yes.” The man shook his head, a jaded look on his face. “I get asked that a lot, but pay no mind—” he said as he noticed the apologetic look on the bartender’s face “—it is not that I am much ashamed of it. It was more of  a mere accident than anything.”

The bartender nodded. A question rose to his lips but he bit it back, knowing that if the subject wanted to be talked about, the man would have surrendered the information on his own.

“I guess I should introduce myself. Isn’t that what people do when they meet for the first time?” So transparent, so utterly transparent; the bartender knew he had a slight smile on his face because it was just his luck that he forgot to introduce himself and that he hadn’t gotten the man’s name. Thank the heavens that the man remembered. “I am Yamaguchi Tadashi, professor of astronomical sciences at the nearest institution. But please, just Yamaguchi or Tadashi is fine. Being called professor makes me feel old somehow.”

And here the bartender was, finding more and more things that were beautiful about this man. His looks, voice, sincerity, and even his name were more evidence on why he had attracted him. The bartender lost his voice for a second before clearing his throat. “Kageyama Tobio.” He said in short, still slightly stunned.

“Kageyama, Yamaguchi, they go together somewhat, don’t you think?”

Cute was the only word that could describe the bright smile that was on Yamaguchi’s face. He wasn’t covering it with a hand anymore, letting himself shine. Kageyama couldn’t help but smile too, a small laugh passing past his lips. “I guess so, rather coincidental.”

After that, they talked for a while. Kageyama got up to refill their drinks at one point and while he was at the bar, his supervisor was smirking like the little devil he was, but it was for the best. This time, he successfully made the drinks without slipping up. He couldn’t help but wonder about the broken finger again. He would understand if Yamaguchi worked with heavy tools or did dangerous things often but hearing that he taught astronomy didn’t exactly line up. It seemed rather recent because Yamaguchi kept rubbing it absentmindedly, as if it was still causing him slight pain. He would have gotten used to it if it was an old wound.

Kageyama went back to Yamaguchi, and placed their drinks on the table before sitting down. His eyes lingered on Yamaguchi’s finger until Yamaguchi spoke up.

“You are still curious about it.”

“Yes,” Kageyama sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He knew that he could either be completely unreadable or as transparent as glass, and at this moment it seemed that the latter side of him was winning. “I cannot help it.”

Yamaguchi held out his hand, and Kageyama took it carefully. As he ran his fingertips over the slight curvature of it, Yamaguchi spoke, “It was an accident, as I said before, nothing impressive or story worthy. Basically, it was my partner’s fault.”

“Partner?” Kageyama raised an eyebrow, heat flaring up within him for unjustified fear yet relief.

“Research and teaching partner, Tsukki. He accidentally bumped the table when I was packing up my telescope and I dropped it upon my finger, breaking it. It hasn't been right since.” Yamaguchi sighed, looking at his pinky before folding his hands back in his lap. After a moment, he suddenly spoke up again. “Kageyama, did you think I meant ‘partner’ in a romantic sense?”

“I…” Kageyama was hopeless. A gorgeous man was sitting before him and once again he was betrayed by the fluster taking hold of him. His mouth gaping, all he could do was stare as his mind started up and shut down several times.

He was dumbstruck until Yamaguchi let out a pleasant laugh, his mouth turning up into a huge smile. “I presume that was a yes? I see, Kageyama. Can I ask if you were perhaps hoping that I did not have one? I can guess by the look on your face, but I’d rather make sure first.”

“What look on my face…” Kageyama muttered fruitlessly, knowing full well that his cautious optimism was showing on his expression. Taking his glass, he took a sip before clearing his throat and saying, “Yes, of course,” taking a leap of faith, he continued, “how can I not want to be with someone so…”

“So?”

“Gorgeous--”

“Gorgeous?”

“Oh, um, beautiful--”

“Beautiful?” Yamaguchi was giggling now, his hand over his mouth as he tumbled into soft laughter. Confused, Kageyama watched as Yamaguchi stopped laughing to catch his breath. “Kageyama, are you trying to hit on me?”

“Ah, well.” Face heating up, he scrambled mentally for something to say, “I, um, no, well, I? I guess? I mean…”

“It is okay.” Yamaguchi cut him off once more, but with a comforting smile this time. He moved his hand away from his mouth and came to a rest on Kageyama’s hand that was holding his glass in a vice-like grip. “I think you are handsome too. As I mentioned before, I work at the nearby Institute, so if you ever want to do more than just hit on me, look for me there.” Rising from his seat, he slowly pulled his fingers back and slid his coat on.

Kageyama was staring again, as he had been doing from the beginning, but this time he was met with a kind gaze, one full of promise. He wanted to grab Yamaguchi’s hand and do or say something to make him stay.

Then, a warm pair of lips graced his temple and he saw stars.

[words-are-like-colors]

Chapters: 1/1 Words:  2,210 Fandom: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto Characters: Todoroki Shouto, Midoriya Izuku Additional Tags: other members of Class 1-A, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, season 3 anime spoilers Summary:

Out of all the Villains Izuku has faced in his short time as a UA student, he hadn’t anticipated being so challenged by an unpolished floor, yet here he is all the same. With his concerns about finishing his punishment chores mixing with those about falling behind in school, Izuku is ready for the three day suspension to end. And all of Todoroki’s staring certainly isn’t helping matters.

Summer Gift Exchange fic for @words-are-like-colors, hosted by @writer-appreciation

Beta’d by @restless-fire-and-ice

[words-are-like-colors]

the reason i don’t go to the doctor anymore is because i went once and the medical intern was super young and super hot so naturally i got nervous, and when he measured my heart rate he said ‘hmm it’s…faster than average’ and then he smirked. cos he knew. cos i’m not subtle. cos i’m a dumb motherfucker. anyway imagine your OTP

[words-are-like-colors]

Writing Tip: Keep an eye on your “was”

Want a quick, powerful way to tighten up your writing? Open up your story. Ctrl+f the word “was.” Now see if you can cut that number down by half by rephrasing those sentences to have more active, dynamic verbs and more robust descriptions. 

Compare: 

She was wearing a white dress that offset the tan of her skin, and her hair was coiffed into tight ringlet curls. 

vs

The dress hugged her figure, the white fabric a bright contrast against her late-summer tan. Her hair, coiled into tight ringlets, bounced around her shoulders. 

See the difference? 

Here’s the deal with “was.” It, along with its fellow “being” verbs am, is, are, to be, been, being, describes a state of…well…being. Other verbs describe actions: run! jump! laugh! cough! fight! kiss! things that you do, in other words. But the being verbs don’t really do much of anything. 

Sometimes, “was” is used to create a sentence in passive voice. In fact, that last sentence is in passive voice! (sneaky, right?) What’s passive voice? It’s a nifty linguistic trick that lets you hide the subject of a sentence. 

The body was dragged for miles. (what dragged it?) 

A bullet was found lodged in the wall. (who found it?) 

The book was placed on the bookshelf. (who put it there?) 

Sometimes, this is pretty useful. It’s useful if you’re a journalist who needs to report an event but you’re missing some of the facts. You can’t make a guess as to who did something, so you’ve got to just quietly skirt around that part. Cool. 

But sometimes, you’ll see bizarre passive sentence constructions like: 

The bullet was found by police lodged in the wall. (what were the police doing in the wall, that sounds uncomfortable)

The bullet was found lodged in the wall by police (wait so the police put it there?) 

The bullet lodged into the wall was found by police (k but that seems a little wordy doesn’t it). 

Those sound weird, right? Wouldn’t it be so much easier to just say: 

Police found the bullet lodged into the wall

That’s way better, right? Clear, concise meaning, no wasted words. 

So that’s Problem #1 with “Was” - it’s often used in passive sentence construction, and passive sentences can be vague, unnecessarily long or confusingly worded. If you change your passive voice sentences to active voice, you’ll get more punch in your writing. 

Problem #2 with “Was” is it’s a good sign that you’re telling instead of showing in your story. When you say “something was X,” you are stating a fact. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with stating facts or telling sometimes in your writing, but if you do it too much, you’re going to create narrative distance between the reader and your story. We’re not going to feel like we’re “there.” 

So don’t tell us, “Billy was sad.” Show us the quiver of his lip, the gleam of tears in his eye, the hitch in his chest as he fights back a sob. 

Problem #3 with “Was” is it allows you to write static descriptions without any action. You can spend whole paragraphs telling me what something looked like, and thanks to our pal the “being” verb, nothing has to happen in those paragraphs! Yay! Now guess what? Your reader is going to be bored as shit. Those are the paragraphs of description that the reader is going to skim over because nothing is happening. 

Allow me to illustrate: 

The dog was red. 

Okay? So…? 

The red dog. 

…Wait a minute. The red dog what. What is the red dog doing? 

If you cut “was” out of the equation, all of a sudden all of your sentences are going to require action verbs. Stuff will have to happen. And that can only be good for your writing. 

So look. Here’s the thing. “Was” isn’t evil. You can use it. Sometimes, you want to use it for a specific effect. But it’s a good idea to go back through your manuscript and read all of your “was” sentences and decide whether you really want them to be that way – if you’re doing something specific – or if you just fell back on it out of habit. 

Hope this was helpful, and good luck! 

[words-are-like-colors]

Halloween themed drabble prompts!!

because its the spooky season and i’m really feeling fall fever~ 

Boo! Person A is pretending to be a ghost by covering themself in a sheet in order to scare Person B

Ensue a battle of the ages when Person A and Person B are sorting through their Halloween haul together and spot a piece that they both want at the same time.

The power’s just gone out! Person A is nervous or downright terrified and trying not to let Person B know this. Person B notices either way and takes action into their own hands (for better or for worse).

While walking through a haunted house together, Person A is taken aback by a jump scare and falls onto Person B.

Ready to call it a night, Person A tells Person B that they want to stop trick-or-treating. Person B wants to stay out longer and tries to convince A not to go.

Unaware of Person C hiding out in a closet, ready to scare them, Person A and B are immersing themselves into a spooky night filled with horror movies.

While telling stories around a campfire, Person A swears they hear a sound coming from the forest’s underbrush. Person B is unconvinced and decides to investigate.

It’s time to decorate! Person A and Person B are decorating their home or place of work together. 

It’s Pumpkin Spice Latte season and Person B is mocking Person A for being so excited to get the Starbucks holiday drink. 

While walking through the store, Person A and Person B spot costumes to try on - madness ensues. 

Person B was unaware of how upset Person A would get when scared on purpose and is now trying their hardest to comfort Person A.

What’s better than two people coming together to bake? Person A and Person B are making Halloween themed cookies the day before a big party.

During a Halloween party, Person A becomes intoxicated and begins trying to mess with/flirt with/scare Person B. 

Person A is a part of the small few who don’t like Halloween, but Person B refuses to stop singing “This is Halloween”. How will Person A deal with this?

The Skeleton War is here - Person A is obsessed with this ongoing internet joke and wants Person B to join them in the War. The only problem? Person B has no idea what they’re talking about.

Looks like somebody got the wrong size when shopping for costumes. Person A is stuck in the middle of getting their costume on and needs Person B to help them get out of it.

Person A and Person B are carving pumpkins together! Person A, in an attempt to make Person B laugh, gets their head stuck in their pumpkin (a sad attempt at imitating the Headless Horseman). How will they get out?

Can anyone think of a better place to be on Halloween than a graveyard? Person A certainly can’t, and they drag Person B along to a graveyard for a night of more spiritually-based spooks.

Person A and Person B are handing out candy to the neighborhood kids and are having a difficult time deciding on proper turns, as they both find they’re far too immersed in their movie to want to move. But the doorbell won’t stop ringing and someone is going to have to answer it.

It’s time to go to a costume party, and Person A and Person B want to match for the contest being held! But they can’t reach a decision on who is going to be stuck in the “sexy” version of the costumes they’ve picked out. 

[words-are-like-colors]

Nice Serve! A HQ!! Yamakage Fanzine Now Available for Download!!

>> DOWNLOAD HERE <<

After months of hard work and through the combined efforts of our contributors and proofreaders, we’re pleased to present Nice Serve! A HQ!! Yamakage Fanzine!

The PDF zine comes with 24 artwork, 10 fics and 2 art/fic collaborations. That’s 96 pages of SFW Yamakage goodness!! Best of all, it’s available for free. Click the link above to get your copy now! 

But don’t go away just yet! We have a very special announcement coming up, hopefully in mid to end-October–!!

We hope you enjoy the zine. A huge thank you to all our wonderful creators and proofreaders, none of this would have been possible without you! 

Happy Yamakage Day! 

PS: If you’re viewing the PDF on a PC, you can click on everyone’s names in the creator list to jump to their work. Just click the bottom right hand corner of any page to return to the creator list! Most special mention and credits to Satellites - a Matsuhana Fanzine for the inspiration!

[words-are-like-colors]

Creating Conflict

Or, as I call it, causing ~drama~

The key that keeps readers interested in your story is conflict. If nothing is at stake, then there is not much to see. So, here are a few general tips to cause some ripples in the ponds of your characters’ lives.

“Prioritizing”: Your character has two main motives that they have been working towards, but they end up in a situation where they have to sacrifice one to save the other. Depending on how easy or hard the choice is, this range from “disappointing” to “devastating” in the sacrifice. 

Character Flaws: As I talked about in my cornerstones post, every character should have a flaw. Flaws are flaws and not strengths for a reason- they get in the way. Have your character have a moment of weakness, where they lose their values and give in to temptation or get carried away.

 In addition: Even without their key flaws, characters can sometimes just… be wrong. Maybe they miscalculated. Maybe they misunderstood. Maybe they made the wrong guess. They did what everyone does: They Done Messed Up, and now they have to deal with the result.

Liar, Liar: Someone is lying, or even keeping secrets, and now, it’s causing problems. They can’t go forward without the truth, or worse, they are making mistakes due to a warped perception of the situation.

Draw backs: Let the good things come at a cost. One key rule for worlds with magic or superpowers is that all power should come at cost- equal to or greater than the power itself. 

“Because I Said So”: Don’t forget, there are other characters in your story, and even if they are on the protagonist’s own side, they are not always going to just merrily go along with whatever the protagonist said. Maybe they disagree. Maybe they are powerful enough to get in the protagonist’s way, and maybe it’s that important to them that they try. If fighting an enemy is hard, fighting a friend is harder.

Take It Back: Your character makes a decision that seems right at the time. Maybe it was the obvious choice, or maybe it was taking a risk. But uh-oh…now there are unforeseen consequences. 

Or, the opposite…

Decisions, Decisions: Maybe your character has to make a decision where there is not an immediately obvious choice. Make sure that both/all the options have both positive and negative possible or certain outcomes. There is no obvious right or wrong choice. Bonus, it’s funny to watch the fandom debate it later. 

Strip Them Down: Remove your character’s greatest strength. For whatever reason, your character’s most valuable asset is not available, and now, they have to live without it. Bonus mode- it would be really, really helpful if they had it right now!

Or, do the opposite…

Boss Fight: Maybe, instead of your protagonist getting weaker, it’s your antagonist that gets stronger. Strengthen the opposition and see if your characters can adapt to survive, or if they lack what it takes. 

Change of Plan: The rules of the game have changed. This can mean different things depending on your story. They could be literal rules, or more general. Think Hunger Games- did I say two tributes? I meant one, after all. Fight to the death now, please.

Amplify the Emotions: … And the results that come with. People do crazy things in the heat of the moment. You can’t think straight when all you can do is feel. Blinded by anger, sadness, or even joy, your character makes a bad choice. 

*Pile It On: You know what a full plate needs? Even more stuff. Your character is already juggling, trying to balance a variety of responsibilities. So add one more ball. Do they crash and burn immediately? Does it take a while? Do they succeed?  Any which way, the stress is high.

*Note: this one can be difficult on the author, too. Make sure that with all these plot lines, you’re not losing track, yourself.

“Murphy’s Law”: Simply stated, this is a plot tool that says, “whatever can go wrong, will.” I’m just going to say right away… be careful with this one. It’s really frustrating for your audience to watch the characters fail or lose or face misfortune over and over and over again. It makes it feel like nothing will ever come out of rooting for them, so you may as well give up now. Murphy’s Law can be great in the proper proportions, please, let your characters have some victories, or there’s no point to it.

And hey, don’t forget about your inner conflicts. You never know when those are going to have the opportunity to cause trouble. 

Give ‘em hell, kids!*

***disclaimer: you do not have to be a kid to give them hell.

~Penemue

[words-are-like-colors]

A preview of my zine piece for the “Nice Serve!” @yamakagezine . The PDF for this zine is free and coming out this month. Please enjoy!!!! 

[words-are-like-colors]

Satin in Candlelight

Read it here: AO3 link

Fandom: Kuroko no basuke Creator: @words-are-like-colors Giftee: @obsessionality Main Character/Pairing: Akafuri Summary: Waking up in the dead of night, Seijuro starts to watch the shadows. Nothing much happened other than expected dull reality so he decides to go pay his dear lover and servant a visit. It becomes apparent that the deep winter cold is a great problem.

[words-are-like-colors]

Picture Perfect

Read it here: AO3 link

Fandom: Daiya no A Giftee: @words-are-like-colors Main Character/Pairing: Miyusawa Summary: Kazuya turned over, punching his pillow as he tried to get back to sleep, tried to turn off the memories running through his brain. Eijun looked up from his camera settings, eyeing the layout of the lights and reflectors. “Kazuya, I’m not sure this is the best setup, it doesn’t feel right. Maybe we should take a break?” “Just take the shot, Eijun. It’s fine. Trust me, wouldja? Let’s get this done, finish up strong. You can do it.” Kazuya nodded, eyes showing his trust in his partner. “Alright,” Eijun said, taking a deep breath. “You do know what’s best.” After their loss to Inashiro, Eijun’s not dealing with it well. Kazuya is determined to help him.

[words-are-like-colors]

some fucking resources for all ur writing fuckin needs

body language masterlist

a translator that doesn’t eat ass like google translate does

a reverse dictionary for when ur brain freezes

550 words to say instead of fuckin said

638 character traits for when ur brain freezes again

some more body language help 

[words-are-like-colors]

This month’s theme is Transitioning to the school year/Autumn!

If you can’t see the prompts, they can be found here!

Rules:

You can make things for any fandom/ship/broship/character/etc as well as original works and ocs. (Make sure they follow the rules to the blog)

Tag everything appropriately

Ns.fw must be tagged as such and put under a “read more”

You can post multiple entries in one day, combine prompts, or do them out of order

Please have the month and day you’re doing somewhere in the post to make it easier for me to know if I’ve reblogged it or not. EX. August day 12

Tag your entry(s) with veraspromptchallenge2018 in the first five (5) tags (or tag the blog, the more exposure your works get, the better!)

Writings can be added to the AO3 COLLECTION!

Writers, whether or not you turn this into a 5-sentence challenge, or a “send me a ship and number”challenge is up to you!

All writings will be reblogged to @writer-appreciation!

If you would like to be tagged in future posts like this, please let me know!

If there are any themes/prompts you would like to see in next month’s (or future month) challenge, please send them in to me!  

**Some of the prompts are thanks to the writer discord group

ABOUT | FAQ | AO3 COLLECTION | PREVIOUS PROMPTS | WRITER DISCORD 

Keep reading

[words-are-like-colors]

Satin in Candlelight

Read it here: AO3 link

Fandom: Kuroko no basuke Giftee: @obsessionality Main Character/Pairing: Akafuri Summary: Waking up in the dead of night, Seijuro starts to watch the shadows. Nothing much happened other than expected dull reality so he decides to go pay his dear lover and servant a visit. It becomes apparent that the deep winter cold is a great problem.