literary era wips ✧ kofi! ✧ insta
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Moonlitinks - Ave - Tumblr Blog
REMEMBER: WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON A PIECE OF WRITING, NEVER DELETE ANYTHING
Ok, so you have a big paper due in July. You make a folder for the project called "Big Paper." You get to work, and save a file titled "PaperTopic.doc" in that folder.
You go back to your draft the next day. DO NOT simply open "PaperTopic.doc" and start editing/adding/revising. You are going to make a folder titled "Paper Versions." You are going to make a copy of "PaperTopic.doc." You are going to move it into the "Paper Versions" Folder.
Then you are going to go back to the original "PaperTopic.doc," and rename it "PaperTopic 5.14.24.doc." And you're going to repeat this EVERY DAY that you work on this project. Soon the "Paper Versions" will look like this:
I post about this every 6 months or so, and I will continue to do so; because one day, it WILL save your ass. You're welcome.
Also, back it up to an external hard drive at least once a week.
site that you can type in the definition of a word and get the word
site for when you can only remember part of a word/its definition
site that gives you words that rhyme with a word
site that gives you synonyms and antonyms
not even gonna lie this will end me.
File Name: The Bolter 🤍
Pre-order the new edition of THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT with an exclusive bonus track for a limited time on my website now
https://taylor.lnk.to/thetorturedpoetsdepartment
📷: Beth Garrabrant
WATERSTONES BONUS EPILOGUE
A curse for true love bonus epilogue (barnes and noble edition)
I LOVE FAIRYTALES also hello
📌 Writeblr Introduction
Hello! My name is Amadeus, but you can call me Ami, and I'm brand new to tumblr! I'm a Latine vsinger and booktuber in my 20s, so not your usual writeblr, but I hope we can get along! My mind's been dreaming up stories for as long as I can remember, and since I'm only just making my way into the booktubing scene, I wanted to challenge myself to actually bring one of those daydreams to life. I decided to make a blog here in hopes of being part of a fun, supportive, and likeminded group!
I can't wait to meet you all and get to know your works!
some facts about me . . .
I'm a gamer! My current obsessions are Cult of the Lamb and Baldur's Gate 3. I also play a lot of Pathfinder 2e~!
I currently live in Europe.
My birthday is September 7th!
I'm a contralto.
I'm a biracial POC. I'm also queer as heck.
goals . . .
write a fantasy novel.
connect with other writers.
support as many cool writers as possible.
put together a book club!
things i love to write . . .
enemies to lovers
tragedy
strong friendships
found family
morally grey characters
non-humans / supernatural creatures
soft boys
looking for writers who write. . .
fantasy (bonus points for queer fantasy!)
folktale/fairytale/myth retellings
NA or YA
extensive worldbuilding
supernatural creatures
anything involving fiends or the infernal
If this sounds like you, interact with this post so I can check your blog out! 🔥🌺
the one thing i want to be able to do as a writer is make people come back to something ive written. i want that piece of text to haunt them, i want their thoughts to be briefly consumed by this. i want this to be something they remember long after its time. thats the one thing i want to do
to no one's surprise... final results came out as middle; though i thought ending was interesting, too. maybe because not many authors get to finishing their wips? who knows?
always been super curious and wanted to a make a poll like this for a while. for writers (of any kind!) what's the act you struggle with most?
Subplot Romance
Over the years I've created some twitter threads on writing and history and I've decided it's a good time to start compiling and sharing them on this Tumblr. I'm going to tag them "writing".
-
Here's what I've learned about writing subplot romance. (People who write genre romance probably already know this stuff. It's those of us who are mainly leavening romantic subplots into fantasy novels that need this info).
1. Romance = fundamentally character-driven. All internal conflict & internal growth. (Can these two trust each other? Will their character flaws drive them apart?) The more study you put into creating characters and building character arcs, the better your romantic writing.
A romance arc is not the SAME as a character arc, but it 100% NEEDS solid character work undergirding it.
2. Romance needs two ingredients: a compelling reason for the characters to be TOGETHER, & a compelling reason for them to be APART. This forms the conflict in the romance so do not skimp on either.
Eg, a common mistake in male-penned stories: female lead has no compelling reason to want male lead. "He's a good-looking warrior dedicated to winning her throne!" Yeah nah, she's literally surrounded by good-looking warriors dedicated to winning her throne, why's he different?
3. Romance needs chemistry = a believable spark of attraction. Something that blew my mind when I realised it: romantic chemistry =/= sexual chemistry. Sexual chemistry (purely physical attraction) is simply PART of romantic chemistry.
Romantic chemistry is a good deal broader. (Read/watch some good romances to see how chemistry is built by different storytellers. One fave of mine is the Romola Garai EMMA. Peerless friends-to-lovers chemistry. Watch the actors' body language; the way they gravitate to each other; the way their faces light up)
Chemistry tip A: if the driver behind sexual chemistry is lust, the driver behind romantic chemistry is trust. Protag needs/wants someone to trust. It's the way you play with trust/distrust that will create romantic tension.
eg: love interest holds protag's hand. With sexual chemistry, protag simply feels a jolt at the contact. With romantic chemistry, protag feels comforted and trustful - then betrayed when it turns out LI is tracking her pulse to see if she's lying to him (see: MISS SHARP 😇)
Chemistry tip B: if protag is falling for someone, that person should occupy their mind. LI should be mentioned/thought of each scene, even when absent. When present: LI consistently provokes unaccustomed emotion - either positive or negative, depending.
Chemistry tip C: make the characters their best/most lovable/most iconic selves when with each other. Quirkiness, smarts, hilarity. Make these the most fun character scenes in the book & the audience will ship them. Passionately.
4. Build romantic chemistry/attraction through escalating moments of trust and tension. If aiming for happily-ever-after(HEA)/for-now(HFN), then the overall arc is towards greater trust, but you need those moments of tension to give the big payoff scenes appropriate catharsis.
OTOH, if you're writing a tragic/backstabby romance, you need the trust/comfort moments in order to sell the big tragedy/betrayal.
5. Trust, comfort, & happiness are POWERFUL. This is what genre romance thrives upon. Even in dark/spiky stories, the most surprising thing in the story can be the moment when the LI DOESN'T betray the protag. That too can be wildly cathartic. Use it.
6. Just as character-driven skills help you with romance, so if you master romantic writing, you'll be better able to write ALL types of relationship - platonic, friendly, hostile.
OK that's all so far. Two book recs: ROMANCING THE BEAT by Gwen Hayes & THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY by Gail Carriger teach you the rules/expectations of genre romance so you'll know what the rules are for a happy romance subplot & how to break them for a tragic version.
daily reminder that if you HAVE A PLOT IDEA, A PLOT TWIST THAT COMES IN THE FUTURE, DIALOGUE YOU WANT TO WRITE, or ANY SCENE, whether it be a LINE or ONE WORD, WRITE IT DOWN.
this is your sign to write and enter your book again, even if it's contributing a single word for your draft.
JUST DO IT, OKAY. ramble if you even have to. <3
(ps. let me know what you wrote hehe)
good traits gone bad
perfectionism - never being satisfied
honesty - coming off as rude and insensitive
devotion - can turn into obsession
generosity - being taken advantage of
loyalty - can make them blind for character faults in others
being dependable - always depending on them
ambitiousness - coming off as ruthless
optimism - not being realistic
diligence - not able to bend strict rules
protectiveness - being overprotective
cautiousness - never risking anything
being determined - too focussed on one thing
persuasiveness - coming off as manipulative
tidiness - can become an obsession
being realistic - being seen as pessimistic
assertiveness - coming off as bossy
pride - not accepting help from others
innocence - being seen as naive
selflessness - not thinking about themself enough
being forgiving - not holding others accountable
curiosity - asking too much questions
persistence - being seen as annoying
being charming - can seem manipulative
modesty - not reaching for more
confidence - coming off as arrogant
wit/humor - not taking things serious
patience - being left hanging
strategic - coming off as calculated
being caring - being overbearing
tolerance - being expected to tolerate a lot
eagerness - coming off as impatient
being observant - being seen as nosy
independence - not accepting help
being considerate - forgetting about themself
fearlessness - ignoring real danger
politeness - not telling what they really think
reliability - being taken advantage of
empathy - getting overwhelmed with feeling too much for other people
AWWW THANK YOU BESTIE 😭 HOW IS YOUR WRITING COMING ALONG 💗
writing feels like a riddle right now: wrote 5k and scrapped and rewrote, and then wrote up to 10k but then scrapped 7k and now I’m at 8k again. but still feel happy.
man that was so much math.
almost 24K in... and getting stuck. :/ hoping to reach 25K+ today and just unstuck myself lmao
writing feels like a riddle right now: wrote 5k and scrapped and rewrote, and then wrote up to 10k but then scrapped 7k and now I’m at 8k again. but still feel happy.
man that was so much math.
screaming crying throwing up eeeeeee
A new Sketch-a-Wish, voted for by my wonderful Patreons for September: A piece inspired from Howl’s Moving Castle featuring Howl showing Sophie the field of flowers near his childhood cottage. Whaaa I put so much detail into the gang in the back, but it’s barely noticeable when you zoom out. 😖
bitches will hear a song and be like 'this makes me feel like i have a gaping hole in my chest' and then they put it on repeat. its me im bitches
wait actually this is so interesting because I HAVE to listen to words while writing. if it's ambience or instrumentals i end up thinking about other things that aren't related to my story and literally zone out.
also the lyrics really help whenever i write. like if it's about self doubt and it's like ie. a taylor swift soft (castles crumbling) where it's like i would just let you down it really hits while writing. also the lyrics help me get in the zone instead of out of it, and i play it on loop so much that it actually gets desensitized lmao.
so WOAH this is actually a really interesting perspective !!
have you ever written set to music
oh gosh no. I get tagged in all these writing playlist games and I never know what to say. Music while I am writing gives me sensory overload. I can't think and I get irritable. Which is weird because I am fine with ambient chatter like writing in a busy café (though I still prefer completely silence). Maybe it has something to do with patterned noise being harder for my brain to tune out.
thanks for the ask, anon<3
always been super curious and wanted to a make a poll like this for a while. for writers (of any kind!) what's the act you struggle with most?
18k in and I am in the fun & games part / entering act 2 and can i just say that i am starting to get anxious again bc i fr fear the middle act bc i feel like writing it is a drag
writing feels like a riddle right now: wrote 5k and scrapped and rewrote, and then wrote up to 10k but then scrapped 7k and now I’m at 8k again. but still feel happy.
man that was so much math.
1500 🎉
welcome to my recent obsession:
followers 🎉
I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE ARE 100+ OF YOU FOLLOWING ME NOW THIS IS SURREAL 🎉
LMAO ANYWAYS THANK YOU
Sorry not sorry for the person I'm becoming when I have a new idea for a story. Those ideas need my attention right now. I will be gone to another universe that you will probably never see on paper.
Writer Q&A Tag Game
Thank you to bestie @writingbyricochet for tagging me! CAN WE JUST START OFF WITH THAT LITTLE WRITING SNIPPET (AND THE KISS SCENE) THAT HAD ME SQUEALING??? I AM SO, SO EXCITED FOR PARADISE LIVED AND DIED. for anyone interested in this amazing writer, her answers are linked here!
1) What motivates you to write?
Whenever I sit there and read a good book in one sitting for hours. The magic. The characters. The romance. The ACTION. It just makes me realize that I want to ignite this same feeling to others, and I want to make my book feel like a second home for them to escape to <3
2) A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)
This is my most recent writing snippet that I'm just SO HAPPY TO WRITE I DON'T KNOW WHY
“Well, I think you’re a selfish—” Rip. The sound of her skirt tearing caused her to pause, and the magpie picked and picked at the edges of her dress. What was it doing? Bari grabbed at the remaining pieces before she exposed herself and got kicked out due to indecency. He stared at her with indifference, scowling like he could not take her at all. “There,” he said. “Now you have no reason to cling to me.” He snatched the magpie from the air and Bari cried out in alarm. Even the bird seemed to sense the dangerous aura that the he emitted, pecking at the space in between them. Altair paused at where the magpie pecked, and his gaze slipped for a second, enough to Bari to snatch her bird back, and the lantern in the other. She really did need to get rid of the lantern, but it wouldn’t move because, apparently, even an enchanted object believed that she didn’t know what she wanted. “Tell me to take a voice.”
3) Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?
Altair, because he's so complex. I always love a character that is more mysterious and has a lot of history to unpack behind them because of all the awful things they've done, but a lot of guilt and regret following them, too. Seeing their transformation arc is BEAUTIFUL.
4) What process of writing do you enjoy the most?
Drafting and creating plot twists! And brainstorming / daydreaming about ideas. If you can't tell, I'm not much of a plotter haha.
5) What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)
Inner dialogue! And I think I really like getting in depth with characters, so you really know them.
6) What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?
I think I love it because we're all honest about the writing process. Writing is really lonely and it actually can really drain you mentally without the right mindset. Personally, I have a lot of anxiety, so seeing people that understand me really makes me feel like I can write and simply enjoy it. It also makes me feel less alone.
7) A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)
Scrivener, my love. I also love watching author interviews like Chloe Gong and Stephanie Garber and just seeing what their drafting and publishing journey has been like, and it inspires me to write! Pinterest is also great for aesthetics, and Spotify is the best for playlists <3
8) A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)
I love the Enchanted Kingdom (soon to be named...) I've built so far. It's filled with curses that have been unresolved in the first lives that these gods have lived, and now have reappeared to kinda ruin the Kingdom. My world is very fairytale slash studio ghibli esque, so I'm having so fun with the tidbits now!
9) What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?
Oh, God. DO I KNOW THIS PERSONALLY. I swear my rough patch hasn't ended... writing after nearly not writing for a good two years really does something to you.
Writing is all about mindset. It doesn't matter how much of an oddball idea you have. If you don't believe in it, it'll never get finished. Every time I doubted myself, my anxiety got so bad I shut down immediately. And I was so worried about what other people would think when reading my books, that I stopped myself from writing the books I want to write in the first place. Whether you have people around you discouraging to write, or can't believe in yourself, at the end of the day, it's just you and your book. And what's the point of writing if you're just following a trend? Or slugging yourself to finish a book you can't even connect with? Each book is a piece of yourself, and I think the greatest realization I had is to write the story you want to read. And it doesn't matter if it's about some girl who makes a deal with a god to save her sister, or about some alien on a spaceship, or about carnivals! Writing is so amazing because you can connect with readers who enjoy the same things you do, but it all starts with believing in yourself first.
When you get stuck, don't panic. If you haven't read an article about how Boredom Leads to Creativity, maybe take a quick break about writing that first! Writing isn't about who finishes the book first, but it's about quality and a game of luck. Maybe you need a break away from writing. Maybe you need to reconnect with your characters. Maybe you're just tired of toiling over and over again on this plot line.
There is no set method to returning to your project. But what has helped me is learning why I want to write. It doesn't matter how much I return to my world, or try to force my characters into more trauma if there's no reason why I'm writing this. Like, is it to enjoy it? Is it to have people experience these feelings I've felt months ago, and hold importance to me? Even the simplest reasons are the deepest ones. <3
And finally (sorry this advice is literally a hundred pages long, can you tell I'm procrastinating right now?), writing is meant to be serious, but it's also meant to be fun. The draft is simply just that: a draft. You can get ideas from random lines you wrote, or even take out characters to write a different book about! Don't ruin the one thing you've learned to love. Personally, writing in fun / ugly fonts: Arial, Comic Sans, etc., has really helped me focus on what I want to say instead of whether this book will ever get queried or not. Set a routine. Write everyday, or don't if you're more of a mood writer. The instant you feel the itch to write, JUST FUCKING DO IT, OKAY. THIS IS A SIGN. It doesn't matter if it's a scene in the third act and you're only on chapter 1. It's a sign that the story wants you, and only you to write it.
FINALLY FINALLY, I swear this is my last piece of advice, and the shortest: Believe in yourself, even when no one else does. Writing is hard, but rewarding. I believe in you. <3
wowooww that was long, tagging @orphicpoieses @macabremoons @halfbit @leisoree @sleepysuiteheart @the-chaotic-writer @heymacareyna @hallwriteblr @sculpture-in-a-period-drama @pixelw0rds @thetruearchmagos + other mutuals and anyone who wants to participate! i would love to hear your responses, PLEASE.
crying because i need this in my room so bad
Dropping here today the latest Sketch-a-Wish voted on by my Patreon members for April! This piece features Shiori, Seryu and Kiki from the opening scene of Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim! I ate this duology up and was just raving about how much I especially loved Raikama (Channari) literally hours before Elizabeth announced the prequel spinoff HER RADIANT CURSE! 😭 It was fate! I’m so excited!!