“Sometimes The Smallest Things Take The Most Room In Your Heart.”

“I can’t think of a better way to revenge someone who tried to break you, than to live and love life more without them.”

— Innocent Mwatsikesimbe 

Tips for writing quickly

I am currently writing my debut novel (while working a full-time job) so I thought I’d share my tips on writing quickly. 

Writing the first draft is actually the easy and fast part! When you start editing, that takes the most time.

I work with brief outlines. Some work with strict outlines, but others use basic outlines for writing. I find that with basic outlines and a few points on what is supposed to happen helps me write faster because making the outlines basic gives me more room to keep it exciting.

If you work shifts like I do, identify what time in the day you are most productive and try to write then. For me, I won’t consider working in the afternoon because that’s when I’m in a slump. I prefer working in the morning or even late at night (even when I’ve just gotten home from work). 

Block distractions – I use Forest and the screen restrictions on my phone. 

I use OmmWriter (I got it when it used to be free) to block distractions and keep the music off, but turn the keyboard clicking feature on – since I love the sound so much it encourages me to write on! 

NEVER go back and edit or re-write. Going back to fix anything is the worst thing you can do. Instead, write a note for yourself, a random liner in the document or outside of it, and get it on the second draft.

Research later. If I forget a word or term, I put ELEPHANT or TK and search for it later to replace. If there is something I want to research, I quickly add a comment or note so I can research later. 

There are plenty of writing processors that have Talk-to-text. Use it! 

Do writing sprints with friends, or by yourself. If you have friends who write or study, get on FaceTime or Zoom together and set a specific time where you all get something done. When I’m by myself, I put up “write with me” or “study with me” videos on in the background sometimes to get in the mood of wanting to do something productive. If you’re an ARMY, try this. 

Keep writing notes on hand. Notes are important for names, birthdays, character descriptions, and more. You can have this digitally of course, some have use a binder, others a small booklet or note book. This saves time in finding information. 

Schedules are very important. If you want to write for a living, treat it like a job! Even as my passion, I treat it like a job and strive to be consistent with it. I find it helps to keep up a schedule instead of setting a deadline! The schedule has to be made a priority. You can set a schedule with your family or your partner, where you write after or before work every day, and let them know it is important for you to do. Treat your writing like a priority and everyone around you will, too. 

Any advice on writing someone who's got a crush? I don't want to make it sound too "omg I think they're perfect" every other sentence.

Writing a character with a crush...

When you’re writing a character with a crush, tension is created through action and reaction. Every time your character acts, hesitates, speaks their mind, holds their tongue, makes a move, get’s discouraged, etc. builds the tension and encourages the reader to become invested. Crushes in storytelling should be shown through the character’s actions and the world’s reactions, not through dialogue or narration. 

Show the reader the character taking 20 minutes to build up the courage to walk up to their locker, where their crush has one right next to theirs because they’re worried they’ll blurt out the wrong thing if the other person shows up. Don’t just tell the reader that the character feels nervous around them or gets butterflies. Show the butterflies threatening to erupt as their crush sits at the only available seat left in homeroom, which happens to be next to them. 

Types of Romantic Tension

Tips On Writing Skinny Love

Guide To Writing Friends To Lovers

Guide To Writing Enemies To Lovers

Resources For Writing YA Fiction/Romance

Guide To Writing Will-They-Won’t-They

Rivalry vs. Abuse

Guide To Writing Forbidden Love

20 Mistakes To Avoid in YA/Romance

Best Friends To Lovers Resources

How to develop an Enemies-To-Lovers story

Prompts

Skinny Love Writing Prompts

Study Date Prompts

Best Friends-To-Lovers Prompts

Enemies-To-Lovers Prompts

Tol & Smol Couple Prompts

Romantic Prompts

Soulmates Alternate Universe Prompts

General Romance Tips

Resources For Romance Writers

Creating A Love Interest For An Introvert

Writing Opposites Who Attract

Describing Heartbreak

Balancing Fluff and Conflict

Writing Great Fanfiction

How To Write The Perfect Kiss

On Romantic Subplots

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Masterlist | WIP Blog

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This week’s writing tip comes from the legendary Alice Walker. 

Remember, self-care is as important to the writing process as it is to life.

“You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place. Like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.”

— Azar Nafisi

Writing Tip #207

Everyone knows the age old rule “show don’t tell” but people rarely explain what that actually means. Don’ tell your reader what happened, put them in the scene so they can experience it with the characters. Don’t say “Ella walked to the dining hall and discovered Stacy and Rick arguing in the corner”. Write about Ella walking to the dining hall, how she heard hushed voices and couldn’t make out the words at first but recognized the voices. Write about how as she got closer she could make out fragments of the argument and when she passed them in the hall they stopped speaking as soon as they spotted her. This will make for a much more interesting story.

That's the cruel reality of our times. You can't trust anything you read until you compare it with more than 3 sources.

“If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed.”

— Mark Twain (via historical-nonfiction)