Helpful Writing Websites

a list of buildings and structures to use in your writing

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

quotes about books

"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

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

nothing hurts more than finally understanding your best american girl personally

for me writing is the urge to write about that cinematic image i saw while listening to that ethel cain song

the types of laughs and smiles

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

twenty phrases for writing facial expressions

his brows knitted together

her lips pulled into a smile

the corners of her lips quirked up into a smile/smirk

her face twitched

a line formed between his brows

a look of happiness engulfed him

a look of sadness washed over him

his face contorted into a frown

his eyes drooped at that, and his lips pulled themselves into a frown

she raised a brow

she cocked an eyebrow

her brows furrowed

her eyes narrowed

her eyebrows shot up

his brows were tightly drawn together

alternatively, his brows were drawn together tightly

her entire face dropped

her smile fell

his eyes glittered with [any emotion]

his eyebrows pinched together

words to use instead of “said”

normal:

— stated

— spoke

— remarked

— reported

— added

questioning:

— asked

— inquired

— requested

— begged

angrily:

— demanded

— shouted

— growled

— yelled

sad:

— sobbed

— cried

— groaned

— bawled

nervous:

— trembled

— quaked

— stammered/stuttered

happy:

— exclaimed

— chirped

— laughed

— giggled

”people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — isaac asimov

animal symbolism for your writing

dog — loyalty, faithfulness, trust, companionship, pack mentality, family-oriented

cat — independence, aligity, mystery, solitude, curiosity, self-reliance

rabbit — fertility, luck, new beginnings, gentleness, purity

snake — temptation, evil, ill will

deer — grace, gentleness, renewal, vulnerability, innocence

fox — cunning, trickery, intelligence, adaptability, mischief, playfulness, tomfoolery

coyote — cleverness, creativity, trickery, playfulness, knowledge, an omen or a warning

wolf — intuition, wisdom, freedom, wildness

alligator — danger, power, strength, camouflage

elephant — memory, longevity, intelligence, sovereignty

horse — travel, spirit, adventure, transportation, hard work

seal — playfulness, happiness, joy, understanding

seahorse — good luck, magic, persistence, fortune, individuality

shark — power, authority, strength, predatory nature, protection

fish — abundance, perseverance, prosperity, peace, calmness, water

grizzly bear — strength, power, protection, a connection to the wild, healing

black bear — fearfulness, conflict-avoidance, mindful

polar bear — viciousness, coldness, protectiveness

panda bear — peace, gentleness, luck, friendship

red panda — patience, sensitivity, originality, non-conformity

bird — transcendence, messaging/messengers, freedom

worm — decay, death, cycle of life, regeneration, simplicity

bug — filth, transformation, decay, unpleasantness