I’m A Knitter. I Sometimes Knit Socks.

Writers know 50 different ways to say a sentence but are still speechless when someone asks them what their WIP is about

hi! you can call me calliope. i love reading, writing, and procrastinating on both of the above. i post mostly writing tips, tricks, and whatever i feel like on here. you can also find me on instagram @/thewritermuse!

picrew pfp credits: makowwka

{Juansen Dizon, I Am The Architect of My Own Destruction page 24/ Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 6: 1955-1966/ Alice Hoffman, The Red Garden/ Anaïs Nin, from The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 5: 1947-1955/ Haruki Murakami: Norwegian Wood, page 276/ Michael Ondaatje/ Catherynne M. Valente, The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden/ D.H. Lawrence, from The Complete Works; The Plumbed Serpent/ Jean-Paul Sartre, from No Exit/ Alice Notley, from In The Pines: Poems; "In The Pines,"}

Hi! Sorry for the spam, but I've seen your blog for like 10 minutes and I already love it. Wishing you a great day, lots of writing inspiration & claim the stars ^^

oh my gosh thank you so much, this ask honestly made my day! wishing the same to you <3

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”

-George Eliot, letter to Maria Lewis, Oct. 1, 1841

"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-

Writing Cliffhangers

Intro

Credit: https://getproofed.com/writing-tips/5-tips-on-writing-a-cliffhanger-ending-for-your-novel/

Ah, cliffhangers. Writers love them, readers have a love-hate relationship with them. I don’t have any statistics for this, but I would say that generally, all book series have at least one cliffhanger ending. Cliffhangers convince readers to continue a series, often leaving off at a critical point where the characters and world are in peril. However, cliffhanger endings can also come off as gimmicky, or as a cheap marketing ploy to get you to buy the next installment in a series. So how can you write a cliffhanger ending correctly, have it make sense, and have it belong? Here are some tips!

1. To cliffhanger or not to cliffhanger

Not every tale has to end on a moment of tension, so a cliffhanger ending isn’t always right for your story. Ask yourself:

What do other books in your genre do? Are cliffhanger endings common?

How else could I end the story? Would it feel more natural to do so?

What would a cliffhanger ending leave unresolved?

If you’re using a cliffhanger as a gimmick, you risk annoying your readers. And you should never end on a cliffhanger just because you don’t know how else to end your story! Only do it if it fits with the story you’re telling.

2. Type of cliffhanger

A cliffhanger ending can take many forms. Common types include:

Leaving the story in a perilous situation

Creating ambiguity about what happens next

A character revelation that contradicts something we thought we knew

A thought-to-be resolved situation turns out to be unresolved still

All these will create a situation where the reader wants to know more, but make sure to pick an ending that will work with the rest of your story!

3. Your story must be complete

Even if you end on a cliffhanger, your story still needs to feel finished. Simply stopping before the grand finale where the hero confronts the villain won’t work: it will feel incomplete, like you’re just teasing the reader.

Instead, focus on resolving the main conflict (i.e., the thing that has driven the narrative forward) in your story first. After that, you can introduce the cliffhanger ending to set up the next story or create a sense of ambiguity.

4. Set up your cliffhanger ending

While a cliffhanger ending may involve a twist, it shouldn’t come completely out of the blue. Rather, you should plant the seeds throughout your story. For instance, if your story ends on the protagonist discovering a shocking piece of information, you’ll want to leave clues for the reader earlier on.

This might be a passing comment made by a minor character, or a warning that the protagonist ignored to continue their quest. But it should be something seemingly innocuous that takes on a new meaning when its significance is finally revealed, leading to your cliffhanger ending.

5. Hint at the future

Finally, if you’re planning a sequel to your novel, give some hints about where the story might go next. For example, your story might end with the protagonist victorious, only to discover the antagonist was just an agent of an international spy ring. You could end there, with your lead character shocked at their discovery, leaving the rest ambiguous.

But you could also hint at what might come next. Maybe the protagonist swears revenge. Maybe they realize they need to go on the run. Or maybe they discover a conspiracy and set out to reveal it to the world.

You won’t want to overdo this--nobody likes a massive, suspense-destroying infodump at the end of a story. But hinting at the future is a great way to engage the reader’s imagination and set up the next installment of your story!

fuck it. be creative even if you never really *make* anything. write out plot synopses of stories and then move on. design OCs you'll never use. make mood boards and concept art and don't do anything with them. life's too short to forget everything that inspired you and creation doesn't have to be "complete" to be worth the time you put into it.

Color-Themed Names

Red/pink-themed names

Camellia, Carmine, Cerise, Cherry, Claret, Flynn, Fuchsia, Garance, Garnet, Holly, Jacinthe, Linnea, Phoenix, Pink, Poppy, Reed, Rosa, Rose, Roux, Rowan, Roy, Ruby, Russ, Russell, Scarlett, Sherry, Titian, Zinnia

Orange-themed names

Alani, Amber, Azahar, Cam, Coral, Ginger, Orenji, Sziéna, Topaz

Yellow-themed names

Blaine, Bowie, Boyd, Citron, Citrine, Maize, Marigold, Saffron, Xanthe, Xanthus

Green-themed names

Basil, Beryl, Celadon, Chartreuse, Chloris, Clover, Fern, Forest, Emerald, Esmeralda, Giada, Hunter, Ivy, Jade, Juniper, Kelly, Midori, Moss, Olive, Orrin, Sage, Viridienne, Viridis

Blue-themed names

Aqua, Azul, Azure, Blue, Cobalt, Hyacinth, Indigo, Mazarine, Nila, Ocean, River, Sapphire, Sky, Teal

Purple-themed names

Amethyst, Heather, Iolanthe, Ione, Iris, Lavender, Lilac, Mauve, Sigal, Violet, Wisteria, Yolanda

Brown-themed names

Anise, Auburn, Brindle, Bruno, Coco, Clove, Fawn, Hari, Hazel, Roan, Russet, Sienna, Tawny, Umber

Black-themed names

Coal, Ebony, Jet, Melanie, Onyx, Pepper, Raven, Sable

Gray/silver-themed names

Arian, Ash, Chamois, Ecru, Gin, Gray/Grey, Grayson, Isabelline, Silver, Slate, Sterling, Stone, Storm

White-themed names

Alaska, Alba, Albion, Bianca, Blaine, Dove, Everest, Fidda, Fiona, Ivory, Lily, Opal, Pearl, Snow

Rainbow/misc-themed names

Aya, Ayami, Ayane, Enfys, Hong, Iridiana, Iris, Itza, Itzel, Iro, Jalus, Kelemi, Keshet, Nanako, Ostadar, Raga, Solongo, Szinta, Tolbon, Tourmaline, Vaiva, Walken, Ziazan

Gold-themed names

Altin, Arta, Aurelia, Aurelius, Aurian, Aurum, Cressida, Dahab, Florin, Genji, Gilda, Golden, Goldie, Eurion, Hiran, Kanaka, Kanok, Loreal, Oriana, Orville, Sonali, Sui, Suvarna, Tala, Zahava

I love the autumn--that melancholy season that suits memories so well. When the trees have lost their leaves, when the sky at sunset still preserves the russet hue that fills with gold the withered grass, it is sweet to watch the final fading of the fires that until recently burnt within you.

-Gustave Flaubert, Memoirs of a Madman and November