I Know We Writers Complain About Writing A Lot As A Joke, And That's Completely Fine, But It's Also Important

"i'll get older but your lovers stay my age" alina starkov and"i'm a soldier who's returning half her weight" zoya nazyalensky and "you kept me like a secret" evelyn hugo and "i kept you like an oath" celia st james and "all i felt was shame" kaz brekker and "you held my lifeless frame" inej ghafa and and "you never called it what it was" severin montagnet alaire and "did the love affair maim you too" laila and "i'm in a new hell every time you double-cross my mind" helene aquila and "i'd like to be my old self again but i'm still trying to find it" laia of serra and "you lose the one real thing you've ever known" elias veturius and "check the pulse and come back swearing" roma montagov and "this thing was a masterpiece till you tore it all up" juliette cai and-

Realistic Procrastination Tips

Intro

Ah, procrastination, also known as the bane of writers everywhere. It’s the easiest trap to fall into as a writer. You don’t feel like writing, so you just...don’t. Or maybe you completely forget about it when you’re watching TV or scrolling through social media, and by the time you remember you’re like, “Eh, it’s too late to write anyway.”

Procrastination is most likely always going to be an issue for all writers in some way. However, there are ways to counteract it. Today I’ll be sharing some realistic tips for procrastination that have actually helped me!

1. Make writing a habit

When I say to make writing a habit, I don’t mean you have to write every day. You can write every other day, every two days--whatever works for your schedule. What I mean is that you have to get used to the idea of writing.

A lot of the time, we hesitate to write because we get into the mindset that writing is an arduous task. But in reality? When you just sit down and start writing, you’re more likely to continue than you are to stop. Starting is the hardest part of writing. Once you begin, you’ll find it’s much easier to keep going. Train yourself out of that “writing = hard” mindset and in the words of a certain shoe company, just do it. And if you’re having trouble disciplining yourself, have someone else to hold you accountable. It’ll make you more likely to finish your goals.

One thing I do to form a writing habit is to write in my spare time. Usually, that means I write during school, in the earliest hours of the day (when my classes are easier and I have less homework). Tip: little things accumulate. If you can spare even half an hour or so to write--or think about writing--every single day, it adds up!

2. The “Room Rule”

Okay, so I just made this up, but it still applies. Basically, it means that you should keep as many unneeded electronic devices as possible at least one room away from you--whether that means moving yourself away from your phone, or putting your phone somewhere that you can’t see it. Pretend you’re in a classroom where if the teacher catches you with your phone, it’ll immediately be confiscated and you’ll be kept after school (which honestly, is probably pretty realistic for some of my followers who are students). Seriously, though. Social media is one of the best ways to procrastinate, so the best solution is to just get it out of sight. Once you start scrolling, it takes a really long time to stop.

If you still have distractions on whatever device you write on, you can clear your distracting tabs. Alternatively, you can put them in another window out of sight or do all your research before you start writing. Another option is to use an app to restrict what sites you can access, like Forest.

3. You have time

I’ve mentioned many times already that writers often think that they don’t have time to write. Well, I've got good news for you: you definitely do still have time to write. Every word counts! Even if you don't have enough time today, you'll have more chances tomorrow.

A similar trap procrastinating writers fall into is convincing themselves that they can't make the time to write. For example, I'm a student, and for the longest time I would tell myself I had too much homework to write. But then when I finished my homework, I would have plenty of free time...which I spent on my phone. Yeah, I know. Eventually I figured out that if I was going to make any progress at all in my WIPs, I was going to have to make myself do it.

If you really want to write, you should carve out the time to write in your schedule. Don't give yourself an excuse! Obviously, this doesn't apply to people who genuinely don't have time to write--you shouldn't burn yourself out trying to juggle a busy schedule and your WIPs.

Honestly, the best way to deal with procrastination is to deal with yourself. Examining your feelings toward writing and finding time to write are steps toward figuring out your own best method of productivity. It's a very personal journey that I wish you luck on. Finally, to all of the procrastinating writers reading this post...go write! I believe in you!

Everyone loves a moody, witty bastard until she's a woman

Douglas Adams is the best when it comes to describe characters

having a meltdown over what i’m gonna do when i’m not seventeen and songs don’t mention me

posts that make me want to rip my heart out part 5

favourite thing in the world is when the pages of a book go all soft and yellowy and the edges are slightly fuzzy and rounded. these books couldn’t give you a papercut if you tried they’ve been loved too much. they love you too much

Extremely Comprehensive World-building Checklist

Inspiration for every country

Map, or basic understanding of the layout. I recommend Inkarnate for making maps!

Major historical events, think about how wars have sparked new political philosophies and how they’ve shaped cultures today (think about how Liberalism stems from a response to oppressive monarchies)

What’s the culture of the different countries in your world? What kind of arts do they practice, if the arts are widespread? What’s available for entertainment, does the average person have enough downtime to participate in leisure? What’s the architecture like? What are the major exports of each country?

Are there any major historical figures in your countries? Any influential works of literature that have been studied?

What does daily life look like for people in different socioeconomic classes?

Is the culture of country side villages and towns similar to urban areas? How does it differ?

What is the religion? Does each country follow something different, or is everyone the same? Is it mono or polytheistic? Who are the religious leaders? Do people attend church, or is worship practiced in private? Are there any rituals?

Building off of religion, is there any religious conflict?

What does the government look like? Is it an absolute monarchy? Constitutional monarchy? Or some form of democracy or republic? Who’s the leader and what other positions hold power?

Does each country have a government, or is your world ruled under one government?

What do the different classes look like in your country? Do the higher social classes look down on those beneath them? Is there a general sense of class consciousness, and class conflicts?

Climate of each country, territory, or state

Typical jobs of every country, territory, or state

What kind of transportation is available?

What does the military look like? Is there one? Do any militias operate in the rural areas?

Does your world have any myths or legends? What were they influenced by, and how do they influence the culture? Are there any superstitions around these myths?

Typical foods, what do most people eat? Is the food bland, or flavorful? How does access to food differ for different people, and does the type of food eaten change with social status?

Type of laws, do the people have any protected rights? What might get someone thrown in a cell for a night? Do your countries have an organized prison system, or do they operate by throwing everyone in the castle’s dungeons?

What kind of economy do the different countries have? Is it regulated by the government? What’s the major currency?

What’s the social life like? Are there certain customs to follow? What’s considered polite or impolite?

How are foreigners seen? Is there any hostility towards them, or are the citizens of your countries more accepting of other cultures?

What are the relationships like between countries?

What weapons are used in war?

What’s the general attitude towards war and other conflicts? Do any of your countries use a pacifist approach? Do any countries protect their neighbors from a common enemy?

Sanitary system, do they have sewage? Think about how disease was common in cities before proper sewage was invented.

Educational System for the poor, is there any sort of public education? Is there any sort of access to higher education, if it exists in your countries?

Educational system for the rich, do nobles typically hire tutors or is there a system of private schooling?

How is education viewed? Is it valued?

How do the people communicate, between cities or even countries? Is there any form of published communication, or is everything passed through spoken word?

Morality, what is considered moral or immoral?

What are the beauty standards of your country? How are different physical appearances viewed?

What’s the clothing like? What does the average peasant wear, what does the average noble wear?

What language is spoken? Do different countries speak different languages? Is there a common tongue?

Are good hygiene practices common? How often does the average person bathe?

Is marriage viewed as a religious or legal institution? What’s the general attitude towards marriage? Is it common? What does the courting process look like?

Are water and other resources readily available? Do they have to be outsourced to other countries?

Science, is it accepted? Do people actively research new things in your countries?

Going back to the prison question, what is the legal system like? Do people get trials? What sort of crimes result in different penalties? Who makes the final decision of punishment, a judge? The lord ruling over the territory the crime took place?

How is death treated? Are funerals held? Do they bury their dead, or use funeral pyres? Are funerals viewed as a celebration of the person’s life, or a time to mourn?

What kind of diseases are common? What do the symptoms look like?

What are your countries’ attitudes towards alcohol and other substances? Is drinking a common practice, or widely frowned upon?

When looking at these different aspects of your world, it’s also important to remember that the histories of our world don’t have to dictate what happens in yours. For example, public education wasn’t really common in the United States until the 1800s. On the other end of that, one of the earliest formal schools was founded in Egypt in 2061-2010 BC and many Middle Eastern cultures have pushed for education since then as the ability to read religious scripture was important.

That said, using the characteristics of different countries can be useful in guiding your own and the histories of said countries can guide you even further. Your world can resemble ours, or be totally different and backwards. At the end of the day, have fun!

so I got into grad school today with my shitty 2.8 gpa and the moral of the story is reblog those good luck posts for the love of god

"yo bro, who got you smiling like that?"

🥰✨people who express any kind of interest in my wip✨🥰