"books are uniquely portable magic" — stephen king
"a room without books is like a body without a soul" — marcus tullius cicero
"that’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet" — jhumpa lahiri
"a book is a gift you can open again and again" — unknown
"the reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries" — rené descartes
"the man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who never learned to read" — mark twain
"there is no friend as loyal as a book" — ernest hemingway
"no two persons ever read the same book" — edmund wilson
"outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. inside of a dog it's too dark to read" — groucho marc
"books open your mind, broaden your mind, and strengthen you as nothing else can" — unknown
"book support us in our solitude and keep us from being a burden to ourselves" — unknown
"reading brings us unknown friends" — honoré de balzac
"reading is a conversation. all books talk. but a good book listens as well" — mark haddon
"the book you don't read won't help" — jim rohn
hospital
police station
school
fire watch tower
observatory
apartment complex
gas station
city hall
coffee shop
bakery
firefighter station
car dealership
college
high school
elementary school
middle school
university
park
research center
animal shelter
camp/wilderness camp
casino
blacksmith
bank
barber
armory
aquarium
dentist
general store
gunsmith/gun store
doctor’s office/medical store/medicinal supply store
jail
library
museum
farm
food store, like a pizza shop or ice cream store
stationary food truck
vacant lot
skate park
country club(s)
tennis court(s)
basketball court(s)
pool
warehouse
fast food restaurant
smirked — teasing, playful, snarky. usually, one side of the person’s mouth is slightly upturned.
smiled — a smile, both sides of the person’s mouth turn up and it can be slight or extreme.
laughed — a general laugh. usually in response to something funny or outlandish, can be dry, loud, kind of quiet, or hearty.
chuckled — laughter’s quiet cousin. usually more subtle than a laugh and can be the suppression of a laugh, like someone was starting to laugh but decided against it.
howled — a loud, intense and higher pitched version of laughter. think doubling over, hands on knees kind of laugh. like a wolf, if you will
convulsed/convulsing with laughter — the person’s body is shaking or moving a lot due to laughter, maybe their arms are moving, they’re bent over, i don’t know whatever you want
beamed — a more strong, noticeable smile, usually wide and cheerful. think your crush just asked you out kinda deal
sandalwood — think intoxicating, slightly masculine (if you want it to be), wood-y,
fresh laundry — think febreeze, freshly cleaned clothes, cleaning wipes, that kinda thing
cinammon — think cinnamon rolls, desserts, sugar, sweetness
vanilla — sweet and soft. it’s a classic and i feel it’s almost feminine because it’s in a lot of perfumes but it can be for anyone
sea salt — think sand on your feet, sea in your lungs, maybe a few seagulls cawing. a very beach-y smell
chlorine — think of pools, summer, theme parks with water slides. it’s not the most appealing smell but it certainly is a smell
strawberry — when i think of strawberries, i think of strawberry picking when i was little and kind of the taste of the strawberries themselves. as for the ice cream or perfume kinda strawberry, it’s a fun and sweet smell
chocolate — think hot chocolate, a hershey’s kiss, that hint of chocolate in your coffee creamer. it’s warm and cozy
coconut — think tropical, beachy, refreshing. when most people see coconuts they see “exotic”
banana — think banana sundae, banana smoothie, fruit-y smell, laffy taffy, that kinda thing
apple — think apple trees, apple jam, apple pie, that kinda sweet crisp smell
pine — think of a damp, dirty forest with towering trees and leaves gracing its floor. maybe a deer or two is nearby. it’s a forest smell basically
metallic — think of blood, wet copper or iron, etc.
dirt/earth — think the smell of dirt, grass, trees. the general smell of nature
rose — think romantic, date night, mysterious, alluring. roses are most commonly associated with life and affection, at least in american culture
sweat — think intense workout, maybe tangy, smoky, etc. just sweat
mint — think of waking up bright and early, toothpaste, doctor’s offices, etc. mint really speaks as fresh to me
damp, wet, wet dog — think of moist places, like a really old pool or something akin to that
dew — think early morning and mist in the air. can be associated with spring as well
musk — think of a scent similar to sweat, but the aftermath. not just pure sweat everywhere, but the scent about an hour after you work out. it smells different for everyone though
smoke — think of that scent you smell when a fireplace turns off, wood stops burning, or when you overcook something
spicy — think of ginger, paprika, spices in general. it’s a kind of fun and daring smell
toasty, warming — this can be anything warm you want: hot cocoa, warm blankets, turning the heater on, summer, fireplace flames
floral — this can be any flower you want it to be. spring is full of it, it is the embodiment of a bouquet, and is the scent you smell when you “stop to smell the flowers”
i would’ve rather suffered with you than be happy without you and maybe that was what was wrong with us all along
ao3 is my safe place
“i am not a speed reader. i am a speed understander.” — isaac asimov
economy or economies — what does the economy look like? is it horrible? is it great? does it vary from area to area?
race(s) — what do your people(s) look like? are they human, are they something else, are there multiple species?
currency or currencies — what do people use to trade? do they trade with items, like one pound of beef in exchange for one pound of scrap, or currency, like one dollar for one peach?
magic — decide if you want to have magic in your world, none at all, or if you want to put a spin on magic, like technology (smartphones, laptops, etc.) is considered magic
magic system — how does your magic work? are there different elements? maybe different element combinations can make others?
rules of magic — what are the absolute don’ts and dos in your magic system? also, what are the don’ts and do’s for magic in your society or societies?
magicians — are there magicians? are they typically one race, can they be anyone, or are multiple races known for being magicians? how are they related to magic? are some races better at becoming magicians and dealing with magic than others? what makes someone a strong or weak magician if you’re going to have power differences?
how magic relates to science — if you’re going to have science in your world, how does magic tie into it? is magic just apart of science? is magic its own thing and science another?
flora and fauna — how is the wildlife? are the plants and animals the same as the ones on earth, or are they unique? are there a variety of organisms or only a few?
geography — what does the planet look like? is it mostly land, water, or something else? are there landforms? if so, what are they and what do they look like?
natural resource(s) — what resources are available on the planet or planets and where?
climate(s) — what is the weather generally like on the planet or in specific areas? for example, is it always hot in one area but always cold in another, or is the entire planet one way?
culture(s) — manners, calendar(s),
technology — how technologically advanced are your people? are some areas or civilizations more advanced than others? are they barbaric?
medicine — how advanced or simple is medicine? is it available to most people? is the kind of treatment you receive race specific? does free medical care exist or is it available?
transportation — how do people get around? do they walk, use cars, bikes, planes, and or trains, or something else entirely?
communication — what are the language(s)? what are the methods of communication? are there specific alphabet(s)?
there aren’t any rules to writing. except saving your draft. hey did you save your draft? wait i think you didn’t save your draft haha. hey somebody by the name of you just called and said you might wanna save that draft
joyous, delighted, ecstatic, cheerful, elated, glad, gleeful, jolly, merry, thrilled, upbeat, overjoyed, jubilant
upset, depressed, melancholy, mournful, somber, sorrowful, pessimistic, sorry, unhappy, blue
fuming, raging, irritated, annoyed, bitter, enraged, irate, furious
fearful, afraid, anxious, panicked, panicky, startled, petrified, shaken, terrified
disintegrated, fatigued, tired
fat, full, gigantic, massive, enormous, tremendous, colossal, considerable, hefty, huge, sizable, substantial, full, immense
cramped, limited, meager, microscopic, miniature, minuscule, modest, narrow, small-scale, young, paltry, poor
attractive, beautiful, charming, cute, elegant, good-looking, graceful, handsome, lovely, neat, pleasant
repulsive, unattractive, hideous, grotesque, grisly, unseemly, unsightly, horrid, awful
displeasure, disapprove, aversion, disgust, loathing, hatred, enmity
approve, adore, admire, cherish, appreciate, love, dig, fancy, prize
effortless, obvious, simple, painless, straightforward, smooth, child’s play, light, basic
difficult, tough, troublesome, complicated, serious, heavy, rough, arduous, backbreaking
velvety, silky, smooth, spongy, fluffy, elastic, mushy, delicate, comfy, creamy, pliable
rocky, rugged, harsh, coarse, choppy, chapped
blazing, boiling, heated, searing, sweltering, warm, scorching, sizzling
chilly, freezing, icy, brisk, frigid, cool, wintry, frosty
dense, fat, chunky, broad, wide, massive, hard
skinny, slim, small, slender, gaunt, lean, fragile, delicate, narrow, meager
concede, comply, allow, concur, grant, settle, sign, set, recognize
clash, oppose, divide, feud, haggle, object, oppose, quarrel, quibble, dissent, bicker, contend
kind, cordial, fair, friendly, good, lovely, swell
rude, callous, dangerous, evil, malicious, nasty, vile, ugly, hard, vicious
big, boisterous, deafening, resounding, roaring, ringing, raucous, rambunctious, intense
muted, hushed, muffled, low, soft, reticent, noiseless
stiff, thick, tough, unyielding, sturdy, solid, hard, substantial, rigid
baggy, lax, relaxed, sloppy, slack, limp
appetizing, delectable, delightful, exquisite, heavenly, enjoyable, pleasant, savory
unpalatable, unappealing, unappetizing, unsavory, indigestible, inedible, savorless, nasty
female, lady, madam, beauty
male, gentleman, dude
house, shelter, dwelling, residence, mansion, apartment, shack, box, condo, building
alike, akin, analogous, allied, parallel, matching, equivalent, comparable, identical, related
soul, tune, opera, melody, piece, singing, chamber, measure, hymn, song
design, painting, illustration
article, book, piece, scripture, manuscript, story, passage, novel, reading, work
all synonyms found on www.thesaurus.com
for me writing is the urge to write about that cinematic image i saw while listening to that ethel cain song