Writing Resource - Tumblr Posts
Cybertronian Language Ref Project
So, I was absolutely ASTOUNDED to discover there isn't, as far as I could find, any dedicated directory of a List Of Words for the Cybertronian languages, though there is some documentation on the written languages themselves.
Inspired by those, I started creating a document to keep track of Cybertronic languages used in the fanfictions I write, because I have an obsession for fantasy language in a story actually being written out.
Would anyone be interested in sharing this resource? I don't have terribly many words installed yet, and I mostly focus on the common tongue since that's what comes up most often in my stories so far, but I plan to flesh out all of them with time.
Imagine some of the fun miscommunications between Decepticons and Autobots who are mingling, when they have the same spoken word but they mean vastly different things >:DDD
:D Good character template!
Oh sweet mother that’s useful
Here’s just the template
new person: i’m late to this fandom/ship.. there’s not much point writing fic/making art for it is there?
The Fans:
W̡̨͍̞̯ͬͦͤ̍̽͑̌͠E̼̠̪̩̯͈̩̖̳͛͋ͧͭͪ ̣̣̐̚ͅH̡͇͓̓̈́͛ͨ̏͛ͯŲ͔̙̳͇͔̺͓̲͚̐̇ͯ̃́̈N̛̈͐͗̍҉͕̗̗̠̞̗̠̱Ǧ̵̹̜̪̪̖̫̌ͨ̂̇͂ͬȨ̶̥̻̱̦̤̥̬̬͕ͩͪͤͧ̇͗̿R̵̢̘̘̩̠̜̭̭̯̅ͩ͂͆̉̅̎ͩ͜ͅ ̛̖͎̞̎̂̐͊̿̑ͣ͊̐͜͟F̵̹͈̯̘̣̀̽Ô̲̯͇̪̰̼͕̬͒ͣͪ̎͜R͓͚̱͔͌̍̔͐̓̈̚̕͜ͅ ̺̥͙͐́͟ͅN̲̹̘̤̱̅̊ͨ̀͝E̸̺͉̦̼͇̜͑ͯͭ̀W͈̳͉̘͈͓̅̃͘ ̸̣̜͙͉̀̊ͤ̐͐ͫͣ́͝B̵̨͇͍̟͎̞̦̝̄̎̌L̶̠̲̗̙ͥͮ̚Ŏ̊̋ͬ̉͡͏̞̥̤̫̱̪̝̮O̧̳͇͎͊̆ͭ͗̎ͤD̴̯͔̳̘̘̪̼ͨ̓̆͜ͅ
I literally like love fake dating as a trope lmao you guys don’t even understand
I’m a huge sucker for characters that chose to be heroic. Like, no big prophecy, no great chosen one moment, just someone who consciously decided to do the right thing because someone fucking had to.
IT’S NOT ‘PEEKED’ MY INTEREST
OR ‘PEAKED’
BUT PIQUED
‘PIQUED MY INTEREST’
THIS HAS BEEN A CAPSLOCK PSA
Hey, I'm a technical writer in a highly specialized field! There's a lot of paperwork in science, so here's a rundown for scientists:
Incoming sample log
QC data report
Data analysis report
Grant writing
Batch records*
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Corrective and Preventative Actions (CAPA)
Manuals
Quality Systems Manuals
Deviations
Approval and Change Control Form
Training Modules
Lab Journal**
Email reports
Safety Data Sheets (SDS, previously called Material Safety Data Sheets - MSDS if you're writing slightly in the past)
*This is more for industry scientists than research scientists. Depending on where you work, a batch record typically needs to be done contemporaneously (while the batch of whatever you are making, like a drug, is being made by the person doing the actions required to make it) and will often have a whole ass second person to review the data to ensure it is accurate. This is especially relevant for facilities monitored by the FDA/EMA/etc. Manufacturing individuals will be filling batch records out, QC/engineering often review. There is also an investigations department for when things go awry.
**Also really should be kept contemporaneously like batch records. This is more for research scientists than industry scientists.
I worked in pharma in the investigations department for a little bit and pivoted to fixing a previous company's paperwork, so I know a thing or two. This is more geared toward industry than research because that's where my experience is.
On top of all this, the normal office paperwork also applies.
We don’t talk enough about how fanfiction writers love to give character large amounts of non-specific paperwork they hate doing
a brief guide to types of fantasy names
I put some syllables together and they sounded nice
I put some syllables together and I can't say they sounded nice per se but they do sound vaguely like they come from Arthuriana so close enough
reasonably common real-world name but a letter or two is changed or added
extremely apt real-world character descriptor but a letter is changed (you know who you are)
two reasonably common real-world names smashed together in some kind of fantasy name particle accelerator
this means something meaningful in a foreign language (real-world)
this means something meaningful in a foreign language (elaborate conlang, self-created)
this means something meaningful in a foreign language (hey Siri, how do you say Fateful in Quenya? Set alarm for D&D Session Zero for 45 minutes from now.)
real-world names, but exclusively ones that are no longer in common usage, frequently either from the ancient Mediterranean region or else medieval European names
"this is Linda and she fights dragons. fuck you."
referred to only by a series of complex and mysterious titles
rigid naming convention across the board, but within that any one of the above is possible
some kind of pun or overly long memeified joke
I don't know what data set the fantasy name generator runs off of and I'm too afraid to ask but not too afraid to reap the benefits
acronym that I never replaced
Literally just a noun
When writing always remember… a character flaw is only a flaw until becomes useful.
Is your protagonist manipulative? Well that’s awful… until they manipulate the antagonist into making a decision that saves the lives of their friends.
Is your protagonist a skeptic? Well that’s not good… until someone tries to lie to them.
Is your protagonist overprotective? That sucks… until someone they love is in danger.
Is your protagonist remorseless? Well that makes them pretty unlikeable… until a hard decision has to be made.
Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language
We are always told to use body language in our writing. Sometimes, it’s easier said than written. I decided to create these cheat sheets to help you show a character’s state of mind. Obviously, a character may exhibit a number of these behaviours. For example, he may be shocked and angry, or shocked and happy. Use these combinations as needed.
by Amanda Patterson
pssssst hey. hey. free and expansive database of folk and fairy tales. you can thank me later
Not every writer wants to post their work online, however there are positives to doing so. If you seek feedback and advice from readers and writers, you might consider posting a draft or two. Even a few chapters or a poem can be uploaded online to get a little audience feedback.
Here are writing sites I’ve explored along with brief reviews of my experience in using them:
Fictionpress & Fanfiction.net Neither site allows you to remove reviews, delete your account, or budges an inch about harassment reports. This attracts many trolls, spammers, and critics who feel you’re entitled to their extremely negative opinions of your work. I don’t want young or amateur writers going through that, and the rest of us don’t deserve harassment either. There are wonderful readers and writers on both sites, but overall it’s an unsafe environment I can no longer recommend (further info).
A decent alternative to FF.net is Fictionpad. It’s a smaller site with fewer fandoms, but it’s easier to use and the admins were nice when I last tried it.
Archive Of Our Own (AO3) | Fanfiction only** | No covers — Invite only, but getting in isn’t hard. High viewership, well organized, and ad-free. Some written feedback, especially if you ask for some, but the “kudos” button is open to the public so anyone can leave their mark of approval. You can also set individual stories to “users only” along with other useful privacy options.
Crossover friendly, so you can finally post that multi-fandom fic and tag each property for search. Ships, subject material, and trigger warnings are also taggable for search (or to weed out in the case of tws). Lets you group individual stories into a series, and has various features for sharing/gifting your work with others. Overall the best place for fanfiction, hands down. — Adult Material Allowed
Major Demographics: Female, All ages.
Popular Genres: smut, epic dramas, fluff/angst, whump
Wattpad | Original & fan fiction | Covers Req. — Wattpad has been steadily improving its features and policies in the five years I’ve been using it. Here, some writers receive tons of feedback and appreciation, but most receive very little. A few authors have gotten published thanks to this site, others have followers in the hundreds of thousands, and still others become site administrators to support the bustling community.
They’ve recently rebranded, and have also introduced a feature to earn writers money. It is currently in beta and being tested with select authors only.
Unlike other sites, this one has very clear international groups and a high ethnic diversity among its writers. There’s an emphasis on supporting foreign authors and their stories in any language. Contests are set up by the site, but also smaller niche ones can be run by individual users.
It’s very fun to use and if the site chooses to feature one of your works you can get a lot of traffic. For the most part however, you have to practice marketing yourself, and/or develop a group of writer friends and read/promote each other’s work. — Adult Material allowed, but along strict guidelines (lots of kids use this site!).
Major Demographics: Female, Teens.
Popular Genres: romance, young adult, supernatural, celeb fic, fantasy
Royal Road | Original & fan fiction | Covers Opt. — This was suggested in the replies, so I did some research. Haven’t used it myself, looks nice, but here are the main points interested writers should know:
Site does not claim ownership of your work, copyright stays with you.
Popular stories receive much feedback and viewership in the millions.
You cannot remove reviews on your own stories, and you must submit a ticket to remove your story or delete your account.
From their FAQ: “All new submissions are manually checked for appropriate tagging and plagiarism, so expect it to take 12-24 hrs for a submission to be approved.” Also, stories with low-quality spelling and grammar will be removed by moderators.
Keeping a steady update schedule of “polished” drafts seems to be mandatory, and reviewers sound entitled.
One-shots seem to be out of the question, this is a site for novels.
Premium and free options exist for both readers and writers.
Site is affilated with Amazon, has been running for six years, and is based in Israel.
Fantasy, supernatural, epic dramas.
Adult Material Allowed
Smashbook, Livejournal, Inkspired, and Booknet are sites I am aware of, but have too little knowledge of to review. Likewise Wordpress, Blogger, or right here on Tumblr you can regularly post stories or novels and receive feedback. However, for those sites you do have to figure out a blogging system for yourself.
While researching good sites for this post, I found this user’s comments insightful. She suggested Writer’s Digest and Absolute Write as good places to seek professional feedback on your work. They don’t appear to be sites where you post work, but rather they provide tips and resources to help improve your work.
There are dozens of other places online where you can post your original fiction, non-fiction, and fan fiction. Things to keep in mind when site shopping:
READ THEIR SUBMISSION POLICIES & GUIDELINES FIRST
Search for reviews of the site by individuals who’ve actually used the site and are not affilated with the site.
See what the site’s policy is on deleting works & accounts. You don’t want to get your name and work trapped on a site with a bad reputation.
If “popular” stories have very little feedback on them, this means the majority of stories on that site get none.
If most users haven’t updated in months/years, this means the site is practically dead and may soon shut down. RED FLAG: the site does not date anything.
If the “feedback” on users’ pages and stories are “Like my work!” or “Read for read?” and other self-promotional messages, don’t sign up.
If a site looks cool to you but you’re still unsure, make an account with a junk email and post something you don’t care too much about just to test the waters. Good/bad doesn’t matter much right now, what’s important is figuring out how traffic works and what readers there are interested in.
Sites to AVOID due to spam, scams, and shifty behavior:
Inkitt—spam/shifty; claims it’s the #1 site for online publishing, but this is misleading. Their idea of getting users is to send copy/paste “invitations” to pre-existing online accounts (often dead accounts), and lie about how good one’s writing is even though they’ve never read it. Signing up with them also gets you endless emails about their pathetic contests.
Dreame/Ficfun—spam/scam; similar deceptive invitation tactic, except they are relentless (they’ve “invited” me five six TEN times on two different sites). Their gimmick is to offer you pennies for 5yr rights to your work (and their site is trashy with very little reader feedback). Both are owned by their Singaporean parent company Stary PTE Ltd. (who personally sent me my 5th “invite”).
+ If you have a question, please review my Ask Policy before sending in your ask. Thank you!
+ If you benefit from my updates and replies, please consider sending a little thank you and Buy Me A Coffee!
+ HEY, Writers! other social media: Wattpad - AO3 - Pinterest - Goodreads
—
*Based on what I see as receiving the most traffic and feedback on each site. These are not accurate statistics, merely observations.
** “Is AO3 really just for fanfic?” (tl;dr—YES)
Fiction Writing Advice Posts
Hey all, Some of you know that in addition to this Tumblr blog I also keep a blog on my website. A lot of the posts overlap, but not all of them, so I’ve made this list for your reading pleasure:
How to Control Your Pacing
How to Write During a Pandemic
How to Read Like a Writer
What if Your First Draft DOESN’T Suck?
How to Do World-Building Research
How to Properly Format a Manuscript for Submission
10 Questions to Ask an Editor Before Hiring Them
Creating Character Arcs with the DCAST Method
How to Choose the Right Point of View for Your Story
A Beginner’s Guide to Multiple Point of View
Show Don’t Tell? Not Always. Here’s When to Use Summary
8 Ways to Improve Your Fiction Writing
How to Spot Bad Writing Advice: 6 Red Flags to Look For
5 Reasons to Kill Your Critique Group
Are You Using Too Much Stage Direction?
Why Nobody Cares About Your Plot
How to Use Adverbs Like a Pro
How to Activate Your Passive Characters, One Verb at a Time
3 Easy Ways to Transform Boring Descriptions
3 Ways to Increase Conflict in Your Dialogue
A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Killer Feedback from Beta Readers
How to Know What Kind of Editing You Need
10 Best Books About Fiction Writing
xoxo
building your main character
Hello :) I recently bought save the cat writes a novel but didn't have the motivation to read it until I came up with this new fantasy idea.
As a pantser, I really want to learn how to plot, and I thought this book was a good idea to give me some structure as to what goes into plotting (like know the rules so you can break them after pftt).
I decided to take some notes along the way so I don't have to keep re-reading this thing later down the road. It might be helpful, it might not be, but I thought it'd be a nice writing resource to put out to the world. ♥️
I think it's safe to say that most of us don't want to read, nor write, a perfect character - one who's good at everything, and has no problems in their lives.
Creating a flawed character, one that later transforms and learns a "universal lesson" is probably much more interesting to both read & write about (as most authors [like me] like to dump their trauma on characters lmao).
But to do so, your character needs:
A problem that needs fixing.
A want or goal that the hero is pursuing.
A need for their lesson to be learned.
Basically, a character's flaw (though doesn't need to be a HUGE one) or issue should be affecting, at least in their thoughts and possibly others, their world, relationships, and life. This is essentially their "problem," and one they hope to fix. It may also be seen as the start of their journey.
Aside from that, it's important for a character to want something, and be trying to get it. This is essentially what they think will fix their issues, but may turn out not to be true later on. This want should be tangible or specific in some way. And the fact that someone or something is preventing them from getting is, is part of their journey!
Side note: wants can also change throughout the novel. An example used was how Frankenstein goes from wanting to create life to wanting to destroy the very life he created. Not all characters get what they want, either. Take a character who wants to see their mother, for instance, only to find out she died in the end of the novel (sorry for this sad example lmaoo). Though she never gets to see her mother, she learns a few lessons along the way, and her getting to see her mother is what the novel may focus on more.
Characters can also be mistaken on what they think will make them happy, which is another reason why they think they want something.
That leads to what the hero really needs. Delve into their backstory.
Why is your hero so flawed?
What happened to them to make them the way they are?
What do they really need?
Essentially, this internal transformation (character development) combined with the actual plot and external action will create a plot/novel.
In the end, there may be some universal lesson or overarching perception that your character gains. Here's 10:
Forgiveness (of self and others)
Love (self-love, family, romantic)
Acceptance (of themselves, of circumstances, etc.)
Faith (oneself, others, world, religion)
Fear (overcoming or finding courage)
Trust (oneself, unknown, others)
Survival (will to live)
Selflessness (sacrifice, altruism, heroism, etc.)
Responsibility (duty, accepting one's fate, standing up for a cause)
Redemption (atonement, accepting blame, remorse, salvation)
Subtext : What We're Not Saying
Subtext in writing is everything characters don’t say. If you’ve been following me for a while you know one of my favourite things to say is “Characters never say what they mean” that’s subtext—it’s the implied, the unsaid, the hints picked up by readers, and it’s one of the most important parts of creating meaning in writing.
Let me explain. A parent and their child are talking over the phone, maybe the context is the child moved out after a particularly bad argument and this is the first time they’re speaking since it happened. The kid says, “I really miss you and the rest of the family, I’m sorry for what happened, let’s not fight anymore.”
The scene kind of falls flat. Where’s the conflict? The dynamic? The challenge? Through the child just saying exactly what they mean, we lose out on a lot of meaning—kind of ironically.
Instead, maybe they say, “They have daisies growing in the garden here, I think Clara would like them.” Better—we’re implying this kid is thinking of their sister, that they’re feeling a little homesick, or nostalgic for their old life. We’re saying they miss the family, they’re trying to connect again with Clara so they’re sorry for what happened, they’re calling because they don’t want to fight anymore.
But without saying that, the parent can reply, “She’s into roses now.” A rejection of that connection, the portrayal that whatever that old life was has been tainted forever—it can’t just come back.
That’s a very quick example, but there’s so much subtext you can create with the simplest of scenes. One of my favourite scenes I’ve ever written was two friends walking through a museum talking about the exhibits, but really they were talking about legacy, and their fear of their own mortality, all without ever saying that out loud.
People never say what they mean because saying what you mean is scary. Had the child asked outright for that connection, they would have been opening up to outright rejection. Instead, the relationship can hide behind this implication—words between words. Subtext.
Good luck!
Beyond this, consider how these professions might vary depending on who the customers are - nobles, or lower class. Are they good at their job or just scraping by? Do they work with lots of other people or on their own? City or village?
For younger characters:
Apprentice to any of the above
Messenger/runner
Page/squire
Pickpocket
Shop assistant
Student
Looks after younger siblings
(Images all from Wikimedia Commons)
ways you can further develop your main character
give them a misbelief
no characters have a personality when the plot starts. all of them have backstories, a past, and a mindset that they grew up with!
basically, a misbelief is the wrong mindset that they grew up with, and is also a belief that will be restructured by the end of your novel.
this not only shows character growth and development as their mind is "restructured" or they learn their life lesson, but also drives the internal plot of your story, which differs from the external (or action) plot that most people seem to read.
+ this gives readers a deeper insight to your character!
give them a goal
every character has a goal, or something they want in their lives. having them strive for it would essentially drive your plot, and may also help you dig deeper into your character's motivations!
this goal doesn't always need to be achieved, or may be impossible to (for example, someone wanting to meet a loved one who turns out to be dead; they may have not reached their goal, but it took them on a journey)
this goal should also be concrete if possible! vague ones like "they want to be happy," isn't very helpful. what do they think will make them happy?
(side note: wanting everything to be the way that it is can also be a goal, cause they're striving to make things go back to the way they were!)
more notes / explanations here! most of these notes in this post are taken from story genius by lisa cron, and i thought they might help. please take all this information with a grain of salt, and maybe use it in a way that'll work best for you! <3
buy me a kofi | insta | main
building your main character
Hello :) I recently bought save the cat writes a novel but didn't have the motivation to read it until I came up with this new fantasy idea.
As a pantser, I really want to learn how to plot, and I thought this book was a good idea to give me some structure as to what goes into plotting (like know the rules so you can break them after pftt).
I decided to take some notes along the way so I don't have to keep re-reading this thing later down the road. It might be helpful, it might not be, but I thought it'd be a nice writing resource to put out to the world. ♥️
I think it's safe to say that most of us don't want to read, nor write, a perfect character - one who's good at everything, and has no problems in their lives.
Creating a flawed character, one that later transforms and learns a "universal lesson" is probably much more interesting to both read & write about (as most authors [like me] like to dump their trauma on characters lmao).
But to do so, your character needs:
A problem that needs fixing.
A want or goal that the hero is pursuing.
A need for their lesson to be learned.
Basically, a character's flaw (though doesn't need to be a HUGE one) or issue should be affecting, at least in their thoughts and possibly others, their world, relationships, and life. This is essentially their "problem," and one they hope to fix. It may also be seen as the start of their journey.
Aside from that, it's important for a character to want something, and be trying to get it. This is essentially what they think will fix their issues, but may turn out not to be true later on. This want should be tangible or specific in some way. And the fact that someone or something is preventing them from getting is, is part of their journey!
Side note: wants can also change throughout the novel. An example used was how Frankenstein goes from wanting to create life to wanting to destroy the very life he created. Not all characters get what they want, either. Take a character who wants to see their mother, for instance, only to find out she died in the end of the novel (sorry for this sad example lmaoo). Though she never gets to see her mother, she learns a few lessons along the way, and her getting to see her mother is what the novel may focus on more.
Characters can also be mistaken on what they think will make them happy, which is another reason why they think they want something.
That leads to what the hero really needs. Delve into their backstory.
Why is your hero so flawed?
What happened to them to make them the way they are?
What do they really need?
Essentially, this internal transformation (character development) combined with the actual plot and external action will create a plot/novel.
In the end, there may be some universal lesson or overarching perception that your character gains. Here's 10:
Forgiveness (of self and others)
Love (self-love, family, romantic)
Acceptance (of themselves, of circumstances, etc.)
Faith (oneself, others, world, religion)
Fear (overcoming or finding courage)
Trust (oneself, unknown, others)
Survival (will to live)
Selflessness (sacrifice, altruism, heroism, etc.)
Responsibility (duty, accepting one's fate, standing up for a cause)
Redemption (atonement, accepting blame, remorse, salvation)
traits turned sour
honest - insensitive
persuasive - manipulative
caring - overprotective
confidence - arrogance
fearless - cocky
loyalty - an excuse
devotion - obsession
agreeable - lazy
perfectionism - insatisfaction
reserved - aloof
cautious - skeptical
self loved - selfish
available - distractible
emotional - dramatic
humble - attention-seeking
diligent - imposing
dutiful - submissive
assertive - bossy
strategic - calculated
truthful - cruel