quillwritten

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Reminder that you are not self-centered or narcissistic for having fun reading what you write! If you think your writing, plot, and/or characters are well-executed, they ARE. It’s YOUR story and it’s beautiful

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"This fic was ai generated—" Cool, so lemme block you real quick

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DONT BE AFRAID TO COMMENT ON OLD FICS DONT BE AFRAID TO COMMENT ON FICS IN A FANDOM THE AUTHOR MAY NO LONGER BE ACTIVE IN. IF THE STORY IS STILL UP LET THEM KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IT MIGHT JUST BE THE REMINDER THAT MAKES THEIR DAY.

SINCERELY SOMEONE WHO JUST GOT A REPLY THAT MADE ME WANNA MAKE THIS POST

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Probably the single hardest lesson for me to internalize in writing was that you don’t design a character you design a character arc.

One reason you as a writer might end up stuck with a flat or boring character, or one that just isn’t doing the things you need to create a vibrant plot, despite working out all the details of their life for hours, is because you’ve made the mistake I always do. You’ve made a character who is a blend of all the characteristics you envision for them, rather than saving some characteristics for the end of their journey. 

What do I mean by this? Maybe you envision a character who is a handsome prince, honest, brave, and true. In your plot, though, he’s going to be an antagonist for a bit but you don’t really want him to be seen as a bad guy, necessarily. But when you drop him into your story, he’s just… there. Being honest, brave, and true. 

That’s because the prince has no character arc. He is a static figure, a cardboard cutout. 

Let’s go a little deeper with a great example of one of the best character arcs in YA animation: Prince Zuko. He is, objectively, honest, brave, and true (to his cause of finding the Avatar) from the outset. But he’s also a dick. He’s a privileged, imperialist brat, who is rude to his uncle and vicious to our protagonists. 

By the end of the series, though, Prince Zuko is still honest, brave, and true, but he’s also a good person who has learned many lessons over the course of his trials and obstacles. He has failed over and over again at his initial goal of capturing the Avatar. He has failed at winning his father’s regard. He has failed at numerous smaller goals of day to day adventures. He has learned from all of these. We have seen his journey. But, if you started your vision of how to write Zuko from who he ends up being, he’s got nowhere to go as a character. 

It’s not just about what flaws he has corrected though. It’s about what lessons about life he has internalized. What flawed views of the world he has corrected and how. 

Rather than saying, “The character starts out a dick and learns to be nice,” be more specific. “This character starts out believing the empire he is loyal to is morally in the right for its conquests, but over the course of working for that empire’s ruler and seeing his cruelty first hand, not to mention fighting the empire’s enemies and mingling with its civilian victims, he becomes a better person and learns the error of his ways.” 

Already, right there, you have more than a cardboard character. You have a character who has an arc that molds to your plot. 

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In response to criticism of your writing, be aware there is always a way to make something work even if your critics say it’s insane to try. It’s always always about the execution.

“Too descriptive?” “Too purple?” Try reading Robin McKinley or Patricia McKillip and tell me description and flowery writing can’t work.

“Too low-stakes?” The entire field of cozy fantasy laughs at the very idea. Check out Legends and Lattes if you haven’t yet.

“Not enough description?” I used to read Patricia Wrede books where I still too this day don’t know what anyone looks like. Don’t care.

“Too violent/gross?” The field of horror would like a word.

“Too unoriginal?” Baby, people are still writing the same tropes and getting published. Tiktok loves that stuff, as I understand it.

“Too long?” Have you seen Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell? That puppy was a debut!

“Too short?” Flash fiction. Short stories. Novellas.

I could keep going. The point is, it’s not what you do that makes your writing sing but HOW you do it.

Unfortunately, figuring out how can take a lifetime!

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The “oh I could definitely write this fanfic in under 5000 words and it really wouldn’t take me that long” voice in your head is actually the devil speaking

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I don't CARE what genre your fictional world is, put a talking skeleton in it NOW

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❝ I wish I could say fanfic writing as a part of my special skills while applying for a job ❞ and what if I say you actually can? because writing fanfic can actually be used as a part of your special skills while applying for a job and it is valid. writing is writing. literally the only thing differentiate fanfic writers from writers who publish and sell original works is that fanfic writers can’t publish and sell their works. that’s all. that’s the only difference. don’t let anyone tell you “fanfic writers aren’t real writers because their works aren’t as good as those of writers who write and sell original works” because that’s utter bullshit. I’ve read so many well written fanfics that are so much better than some published original novels. (here’s the proof.)

wanna know the trick? if you don’t think you’re gonna be taken seriously if you say you write fanfics while in a job interview, then say creative writing. because writing fanfics is considered creative writing. it is creative writing.

fanfic writers can write novel-length fiction, fanfic writers can write as good as any other writers who write original works if not better. fanfic writers are writers and they are just as valid.

you, a fanfic writer, may even be more dedicated and passionate than writers who sell original works because, while they write because it’s their job, you literally write 👏🏻 for 👏🏻 free 👏🏻 out ��🏻 of 👏🏻 pure 👏🏻 love 👏🏻 and 👏🏻 passion.

that’s a whole novel and you wrote that with pure love and passion. that’s pretty mind blowing.

so yes, you absolutely can and should say creative writing while applying for a job, and say it proudly. you are a writer.

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feeling called out today

credit: _ADWills

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love shakespeare. did a hamlet run tonight, looked someone dead in the eye to say “am i a coward?” during a speech and the fucker shrugged and nodded

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okay hey real question: what are good ways to describe fat characters?

I see a lot of ‘have more fat characters’ and I’m Here For It but as someone who is skinny and in a world where most existing literature makes characters fat only as a joke or an indication of some variety of moral badness, I’m not really sure how to describe them in a way that’s not objectifying or insulting. like, I’ve grown up on poetic descriptions of thin characters (‘long slim fingers’ and ‘willow figure’ etc etc) but I haven’t read flattering descriptions of fat characters and I don’t know where to start. I’ve seen a lot of ‘how to describe poc’ or 'how to describe disabled characters’ or whatever and I’ve seen art ref posts for drawing fat characters, but no posts about how to write them well. so. open call for advice or for examples you’ve found and like??

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"im so tired of dog/cannibalism/religious metaphors" then write something different & share it with the world. do it. if youre so special & so talented. at least the ppl writing cliché stuff are writing

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first day as a second century warlord i have my men tie branches to their horses’ tails to stir up dust and make it look like there’s a lot of us but i forget it just rained so there isn’t any dust and the enemy can clearly see there’s like twenty of us all spread out in a line

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being a writer is so embarrassing sometimes like awww no my feelings got hurt guess i'll go make up 90,000 words about it. ugh

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"Can't wait to see where you take this story" well I can't wait to see where this story takes me either

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