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A Single Word Written is Better Than None

I took a few months off from writing. Not voluntarily. I just couldn’t seem to write a single word. Whenever I would open up a new document, I would simply shut down and freeze up.

I’m a writer who hasn’t written anything in months.

Even writing in my journal became difficult. If someone were to unbury my journal after the apocalypse, they might think I took a four-month hibernation. I was shut off from the world, adding nothing to the world. Not even a single word.

For the past couple of weeks, however, it feels like I’ve gotten a little bit of that writing bug back. Nothing like Stephen King’s two thousand words a day. About five to seven hundred words on a good day.

Even though I’m writing, it feels more like a slow crawl. I look at these low word counts and put myself down for not doing more. I know I’m not the only writer who focuses too much on their word counts and feels bad when we can’t reach the professional levels.

So to you out there who are in the same position, telling yourself you’re not a real writer because you’re not writing a full novel each month. I have a message for you that I need to do a better job of remembering myself.

You Are a Writer Even if You’re Not Published

This holds back a lot of writers. I write mainly short stories, but the fact that none of them have been chosen for a publication journal does weigh heavily on my head.

Still, just because they haven’t been published doesn’t mean they haven’t been written. I wrote those stories, and I am still a writer because of it.

If you’ve finished a story or a whole novel but it hasn’t been published, don’t beat yourself up! You are a writer! Write another one and another one till the world finally acknowledges you!

Having Moments of Writer’s Block Doesn’t Mean You Are Failing

I struggle with this a lot. The idea that if my writer’s block lasts more than a few days, I have somehow failed as a writer and the title should be stripped from me.

Just because I had a few bad months doesn’t mean I’m no longer a writer. And if you’ve had a few bad months too, or even a few bad years of writing, that doesn’t mean you’re not a writer anymore either!

When a pitcher strains his wrist and has to take a hiatus while it heals, is he no longer a pitcher?

A Single Word Written is Better Than None

Don’t feel bad if you’re coming out of a writing slump and it feels like you’re coming out of it very slowly. The pitcher who returns from his injury won’t be throwing shutouts the minute he steps onto the mound. He eases into it.

And so should you!

If you’re only writing a few words a day and you’re feeling disappointed that it’s not at the high word count standard that most professionals hold themselves to, just remind yourself that progress is progress! Whether you’ve written one, two, or a thousand words. It is still more than the absolute zero you wrote during your slump.

Feel proud of your progress!

And remember, no matter what, you are still a writer.

19 points

Writer Bingo

What’s your final score? 👀

Writing Help

General Tips

The purpose of writing

Important: only you can tell your stories

Every fanfiction genre has value

HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED!

Maintaining Motivation

Reasons to Keep Writing

Stretch your hands and fingers

Analyze the stories that you like

Title creation

How to comment on your favorite fics

Moodboard sources

PIRATED FAN FICS!!!

Fanfiction is legitimate (featuring Neil Gaiman)

Angst and Horror: if you can't handle it

Publishing

Writing Smut: overcoming shame

Don't toss your work

Dialogue / Writing rules

Prologue

Paragraph breaks

Sentence length matters!

Dialogue punctuation

Scene Checklist

Body Language

Descriptions between dialogue

3 dots in a sentence (Ellipsis)

Using adverbs

Using adjectives

Coming Outs

Commonly misused words & phrases

Words to Avoid

Flirting!

World Building

World building through plot holes

Using context clues

Creating land

Government

Matriarchal society

Dystopia

Descriptions

Resources for Describing Physical things

Alcoholic drinks & cocktails

KISS SCENES

Clothing references

Sewing sources (includes history of fashion)

Hair texture

Skin color/tone

Sword / Martial arts inspo

Character Development

Character development, agency, plot

Esk*mo is a slur

Naming characters

Naming characters in other cultures

Character sheets

Character sheet

Emotional intelligence

Human body limits

Making threats and the third option

Bartenders

Children

Kids

Asian characters

Muslim characters

Slavic characters

Russian names

Mixed characters

Bilingual characters

Blind or Visually Impaired

Morally grey

Dangerous female characters

Liars

Romance development

Healthy Relationship

Sacrifices

Redemption arc

Redemption arc 2

Regret / Remorse

Prompts/one-liners

Prompt masterlist

Another prompt masterlist

A third prompt masterlist

Best friends to lovers

Mob Boss

Prophecy of lost child

Super power of truth

Enemies to lovers

Enemies to lovers: Reasons to hate

Enemies to lovers: Getting together

Enemies to lovers Prompts!

Enemies to lovers: Fake dating

Past-life Enemies to lovers

Late-night wandering

Compliments

Touch-starved

Romance/physical intimacy prompts

Romance: little acts of love

Smut

Reputation

Break-ups

More sources

Masterlist: body language, words, translator

Masterlist: prompts, LGBTQ+, NSFW Advice

Meme: fanfiction problems

Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

Bechdel Test

Types of fanfic authors

Sharing this here too

I do not usually make posts like this but recently I have seen a lot of content on Instagram, Twitter and I think tiktok too misunderstanding the meaning of intrusive thoughts, which may cause people experiencing them to be upset.

I have tried to shortly explain the difference of impulsive and intrusive and hope it will help people to understand and use the words correctly.

Reblogs are very much appreciated!

The Emotion Thesaurus: Adoration

Hello, everyone! I will be starting a new series that will help you the writers describe emotions.

This guide will be a writer’s tool to characters expression.

This section comes from The Emotional Thesaurus by Ackerman and Puglisi.

Adoration

Definition: the act of worship; to view as divine.

Note: the subject of adoration can be a person or thing

Physical Signs:

Lips parting

A slack or soft expression

Waking quickly to erase distance

Mimicking body language

Touching one’s mouth or face

Reaching out to brush, touch or grasp

Steady eye contact, large pupils

Leaning forward

Stroking one’s own neck or arm as a surrogate

Pointing one’s torsos and feet towards the subject

A flushed appearance

Nodding while the subject speaks

Smiling

Open body posture

Releasing an appreciative sigh

Laying hand over the heart

Frequently moistening lips

Pressing palms lightly against the cheeks

Skimming fingertips along the jaw lines

Eyes that are bright

Agreement

Speaking praise and compliments

Keeping trinkets, pictures of the subject

Constantly talking about the subject to others

Rapt attention, still posture

Becoming unaware of one’s environment

A radiant glow

Visible shakiness

Reduced blinking

Closing eyes to savor moment

Speak with a soft voice

A voice that cracks with emotion

Internal Sensations

Quickening heartbeat

Breathlessness

Feeling one’s pulse in throat

Mouth dry

Throat growing thick

Rising body temperature

Tingling nerve endings

Mental Responses

A desire to move closer or watch

Fixating one’s thoughts on the subject

Acute listening and observation

Ignoring distractions

An inability to see the subjects flaws or faults

Cues of Acute or Long-Term Adoration

Obsession

Fantasizing

Believing that the feelings are mutual

A sense of destiny

Stalking

Writing and sending letter, emails, and gifts

Taking risks or breaking laws to be near or with subject

Weight loss

Poor sleep patterns

Jealousy towards those interacting with the subject

Taking on traits or mannerisms of the subject

Carrying something that represents the subject

Possessiveness

May Escalate To:

Love

Desire

Frustration

Hurt

Cues of Suppressed Adoration:

Clenching or hiding one’s hands to hide sweating or shaking

Avoiding conversations about the subject

Watching or observing from afar

Staying out of subjects proximity

Blushing

Sneaking looks at subject

Creating chance run ins

Writing secret letters, keeping diary

Lying about one’s feelings regarding the subject

Writer’s Tip:

Body cues should create a strong mental picture. If the movement is too drawn out or complicated, the emotional meaning behind the gesture may be lost.

Please like, follow and reblog if you find this helpful!

I’m noticing an increase in new fic writers on AO3 who…uh…mayy not know how to format their fics correctly..so here is a quick and VERY important tip

Using a random fic of mine as example..

The left example: ✅✅✅

The right example: ❌❌❌

Idk how many times I’ve read a good fic summary and been so excited to read before clicking on it and being met with an ugly wall of text. When I see a huge text brick with zero full line breaks my eyes blur and I just siiiigh bc either I click out immediately or I grin and bear it…it’s insufferable!

If a new character speaks, you need a line break. If you notice a paragraph is becoming too large, go ahead and make a line break and/or maybe reconfigure the paragraph to flow better. I’m not a pro writer or even a huge fic writer but…please…ty…

Starting Strong Scenes in Your Writing

Scenes are the fundamental building blocks of novels and short stories, and each one should propel a story toward the climax.

Generally speaking, your scene structure should mirror the story structure. In other words, take a novel-writing approach to a scene, crafting a beginning, middle, and end. Like a story, the beginning of a scene should have a strong entry hook that pulls the reader in.

Start with the setting. Often a new scene signifies a change in time and location. Establishing the setting at the top of a scene helps your readers get oriented. It also sets the tone and mood of what will unfold in the coming pages. A setting can serve as much more than a backdrop in literature. Have your scene take place somewhere that builds tension and hinders your protagonist. If you’re writing a thriller, describe a dark and foreboding place where the worst might happen. Be descriptive and use sensory details to make your setting come alive before you jump into the action.

Use visual imagery. In screenwriting, writers have to think in pictures. What images will excite an audience at the top of a scene? Your approach should be the same when writing any kind of fiction. As you write the opening of a scene, use descriptive language to engage a reader through detailed imagery. Think like a screenwriter as you’re writing scenes.

Drop the reader into the middle of the action. Hit the ground running by starting a great scene in media res. It doesn’t have to be a fight scene or a car chase, but physical movement creates momentum and builds tension in a story. It’s also a way to instantly engage a reader. Be sure you begin the scene before the high points of the action so you build up to the scene’s climax.

Write a character-driven scene opener. A good scene starts by giving characters a goal. Start by putting your protagonist in a situation that creates an obstacle or opportunity for both the scene and the overarching storyline. Try starting with dialogue, like an intense conversation between your POV character and a mystery character whose identity is revealed later in the scene. If you’re writing from an omniscient third-person point of view, consider starting a scene with a secondary character, even the antagonist, and use it as a chance for deeper character development.

Summarize past events. You might choose to use the beginning of the scene to do a quick recap of what’s brought your main character to this place and moment in time. A summary is especially helpful if you’re writing in third-person and a new scene switches to a different character. Take the opportunity to remind the reader where we left off. Instead of a straight-forward update, get creative. Go into deep POV and let a character’s thoughts provide the summary instead of the narrator. Be sure to keep this summary brief—just a line or two—so you can get back into the action.

Introduce a plot twist. The start of a new scene is a chance to pivot and take your story in a new direction. Start a new scene at a turning point in your story. Dive into a flashback or character’s backstory, revealing critical information that changes the course of the story going forward.

Keep the purpose of the scene in mind. Effective scenes are clear about what they set out to accomplish and how they contribute to the overall plot. They might include plot points or reveal important information needed to move a story forward. Establish your scene’s intention from the very first word and keep the rest of the scene on point.

Rewrite until you’ve found the perfect scene opening. When you’ve finished the first draft of a scene, go back and read it through. If your scene needs something, but you can’t figure out what, it might be how the scene starts. The best way to know if your opening works is by reading how it plays with the rest of the scene. Review the last paragraph and see if it ties back to your beginning. If the intro feels weak, rewrite it. Maybe your real opener is hidden in plain sight somewhere else in the body of the scene.

Make sure your opening scene is your strongest. While your entire book should be filled with compelling scenes that start strong, the very first scene of your book needs to lead the pack. This is the reader’s introduction to your story and where you’re revealing the characters, the setting, and kicking off the plotline with the inciting incident. This first scene has to hook the reader from the first line so they keep turning the pages.

Read a lot of books. If this is your first novel and you need some inspiration and ideas to help you start off your scenes, start by reading other books. Choose a book by a bestselling writer like Dan Brown or Margaret Atwood. Study the different ways they approach every scene. Reading other authors is a great way to hone your scene-writing skills.

Follow like and reblog if you find these helpful!

~GENTLE PROMPTS~

tickling you from the back before actually hugging you

knuckles brushing against each other and person a getting shy

hesitant glances at each other in a crowd

person a helping person b through panic/anxiety attacks

one small kiss before fully devouring the other person

THE SHY PERSON A INITIATING THE FIRST KISS ADJKSF

person a contemplating on whether to send person b a text

HOLDING HANDS UNDER THE TABLE

gentle ear rubs because person b knows person a loves them

knees touching intentionally and person a getting shy

person b complementing person a IN PUBLIC

PLAYING WITH EACH OTHERS HAIR

person a shyly playing with person b's rings while cuddling

small "shh' im here" when someone else is crying

FOREHEAD KISSES FOREHEAD KISSES FOREHEAD KISSES

pressing your foreheads together after a kiss

TRACING PERSON B'S TATTOOS kill me kill me now

holding hands while walking in a friend group

unintentionally caressing each other

SAYING I LOVE YOU BEFORE LEAVING TO WORK?? GIVE ME

acting foolish around each other

random flirty texts or hOrNy texts too

person b trying to cook person a's fav dish

DRUNK DANCING

lazy kisses that dont even count as kisses but you could live in that moment forever because LOVE

person a trying to keep person b still for a picture

MOVING PERSON A BY THEIR WAIST bye

person b winking at person a in public whILE A GETS ALL FLUSTERED