#also may I add that google docs really like improved

[despite-everything]

I wrote out this list of instructions/recommendations for making Firefox your default browser, and setting up some extensions I recommend. This is all my personal preference - I’m no expert, but I made these instructions for some friends and family, so I figured I’d share here, too! All the extensions are linked for convenience.

1. Download Firefox, pin to dock of computer, set as default browser 

Why Firefox? Mozilla is a non-profit organization, so unlike Google, they aren’t looking to continually turn a profit, and is an open-source project, meaning you can check the code at any time. Firefox and Safari are independent browsers, but others like Chrome, Brave, and Microsoft Edge all run on Chromium - meaning they’re essentially all Google. The downside to using them is that if your entire internet access is connected to Google, then Google is going to collect data on everything (and then turn around and sell it all over the place).

2. Add DuckDuckGo, set as default search engine for Firefox

Why DuckDuckGo? Unlike Google, DuckDuckGo doesn't collect data from users, and allows IP addresses to remain hidden/protected. Doesn’t use cookies to track activity. Doesn’t share IP address, search terms, etc. with sites you visit (Google, Yahoo, and Bing all share this data). I find that the search results are more “clean” and I usually find what I’m looking for faster, and with fewer “listicles”/bullshit SEO-filled nonsense.

Downsides: Some complex searches may not work (niche content can be missed, but pretty much everything else is good) - so if searching for academic sources, I recommend using Google Scholar instead. Also uses Apple Maps instead of Google, which I don’t like as much, but isn’t a huge problem on the desktop. I have some privacy-centric extensions listed below, which help protect me when I do need to turn to Google.

3. Import browser data from old browser.

4. Set homepage/new tab defaults → Settings.

5. Download Firefox on phone, follow instructions to sync to computer desktop.

6. Install extensions! Improve internet browsing experience! Check out my list of recommendations below.

7. When installing extensions, take a look at the “themes” and customize the look of your browser.

Ad Blockers

Adblocker Ultimate (blocks ads)

uBlock Origin (also blocks ads)

AdGuard Adblocker (guess what this is.)

AdBlock for Firefox (I just really hate ads and want to cover my bases)

Privacy extensions

Privacy Possum (interferes with data collection by sites, helps prevent tracking)

Don’t track me Google (speeds up search results, removes Google tracking feature)

I still don’t care about cookies (allows cookies for sites/prevents pop ups - use with cookie auto delete for privacy)

Cookie autodelete (automatically deletes cookie info from sites, pairs well with above)

Youtube extensions

Return Youtube Dislike (shows the number of dislikes on Youtube - Youtube removed this feature in 2021 for no good reason)

DeRound Youtube (personal preference - makes Youtube thumbnails “sharp”. I think it looks nicer like this.)

Youtube NonStop (prevents “are you still watching” prompts)

SponsorBlock (removes embedded sponsor promotions within Youtube videos)

Other helpful stuff

Unpaywall (checks database of 16 million legal, open-access articles when you view a paywalled scholarly article to see if there’s an open version available)

Don’t Accept image/webp (lets Firefox tell sites webp formats don’t work - enables easier access to downloadable jpeg/png formats on search results)

Absolute Enable Right Click and Copy (some sites block the right click copy/paste option, this extension restores that ability - this seemed to interfere with my use of Google Docs so I disabled it for the site, but it may be coincidental. Need to investigate - this extension is newer to me.)

Facebook Container (prevents Facebook/Meta from tracking all your web activity)

LeechBlock NG (can be enabled to prevent you from using certain sites in a certain timeframe - good for productivity)

Recommended extensions for Tumblr users

Shinigami Eyes (works on other sites too, but highlights trans-friendly people/orgs/etcs green, highlights anti-trans in red. Very useful for Tumblr - makes identifying and blocking hateful users easier)

XKit Rewritten (Tumblr XKit! OG XKit doesn’t work anymore, but I’ve had success with this one. Helps customize the site, sometimes can be used to get rid of/override stupid UI updates)

My personal XKit recommendations:

Toggle on: 

Anti-Capitalism (hides ads)

Mutual Checker (notes who your mutuals are, useful if you follow a lot of people/have a lot of followers and want to know who your “friends” are - especially helpful if you have friends who often change icons/urls)

No Recommended (gets rid of recommended stuff - I clicked “hide” for all the options - I only want to see things posted/reblogged by the people I follow, or things I search for specifically. Clears up the homepage, too.)

Quick Reblog (I personally love this feature - I have it set up “above the reblog button” and checked “yes” for showing the blog selector (useful if you have multiple blogs on the same account), and the “show tags” field. With Quick Reblog, when you hover over the “reblog” button, it pops up a little box that lets me quickly select what blog (defaults to main), add tags, then reblog, queue, or save the post as a draft. I don’t usually add a comment, and never using Quick Reblog, so I didn’t enable that field. You can add more settings, but this is how I like to use it!)

Tweaks (I clicked “Restore links to individual posts in the post header”, “Remove the coloured shadow from focused posts”, “Hide the ‘blaze’ and ‘tip’ button labels”, “Hide my follower count where possible”, “Hide the ‘’Now, where were we?’ button”, and “Hide the Tumblr Live carousel” (I also “snooze” Tumblr Live weekly, but still). Again, these are all personal preferences! This is just how I like the site set up).

#i also included my personal xkit preferences lol #tree talks #firefox #ref

[thesomewhatliterateaxolotl]

Hi!! Question, since you do a lot of IDs (image descriptions) do you have any resources or tips for someone who wants to start writing them as well? What to pay special attention to, what is irrelevant, checklists etc?

Hi Anon!! This made me so happy to see. I'm glad you're interested in writing ID's!!

It's definitely not as overwhelming as it may seem. I will say I'm still learning myself, but here's my process. I boiled down my steps into a basic checklist to get you started:

Describe the category of image (digital/traditional art, photo, social media screenshot, etc.), unless it's already stated in the post.

Next, the summary. Pretend you're explaining the image to a friend (since that's pretty much the goal). You'll find yourself naturally starting out with the broadest/most obvious things. If it's a drawing or a photo, for example, that'll be the main subject[s] and whatever they're doing: "[Character] holds a bouquet of roses." "A fluffy cat blinks at the camera." OneLook Reverse Dictionary is your friend if you can't find the word for an action or pose.

Then, once you have your super basic one-to-two sentences, you can start on the details. When I'm low on energy or time, I stick to describing the most punchy details of the image: "A heart-shaped frame surrounds the characters. The piece uses pinks and reds." I also found this site for identifying drawing styles. For art, pay attention to color (or lack thereof), presence/absence of line art, and shading. For photos, describe style, mood, and color if you think it's relevant. It might be for artistic photography, not so much for a news article or a meme.*

There are different ways to demarcate your ID. You've probably seen that I use brackets around the description ( [ ] ) and sometimes a slash ( / ) right before writing "end ID." I've heard these aren't required, but lots of people prefer the visual distinction.

Use plain text (normal-sized font, no fancy formatting). You'd think it'd go without saying, but I've seen far too many people write their ID's in tiny font. Bold text at the beginning and end is fine, but that's about it.

Some subjective language is fine for describing mood (melancholy, cheerful, etc.), but don't overdo it. Don't add jokes that aren't in the image itself.

*For fictional characters, I usually only describe their outfits and features if they deviate from canon. For real people, I use my judgement on whether describing these details is relevant: Without those details, would they miss out on something important?

As for what's irrelevant, people have different preferences. I've heard from some blind and low vision people that they prefer really straightforward descriptions, while others prefer the detailed ones because they give them an equal or equivalent experience to what a sighted person would have.

I try to strike a balance, writing shorter descriptions for memes/informational images and longer ones for art. Active voice can help simplify your ID, though this isn't a strict rule.

What I have almost universally heard, though, is this: Even the most basic ID is better than none. If all you can do is a quick one-sentence description, that's ok! You've still opened up a previously inaccessible image to a new audience.

Now for resources:

Image Desc. Guidelines - This helped me out a lot when I started out!

Writing Image Descriptions

Giant Google Doc for Describing Memes

Resource for Video Desc. (I'm still learning how to improve my VD's myself)

Lastly, I know not everyone likes joining discord servers to ask questions, but The People's Accessibility Server is a great resource. (I removed the link because I couldn't find a way to hide my discord # from the invite, and I don't want to just put it out there, but here's this invite via keplercryptid's blog.) You can ask for advice, for someone to review your ID's, or even for someone to write them for you. You can DM me as well if you're comfortable with that.

I hope this is a good starting point for you, anon!! Best of luck <3

#ask #anon #aaa i hope this was helpful!!!! i went into hyperfocus writing this lmao #but this made my day anon!! im glad to hear from someone interested in accessibility #and like i said in the post #visually impaired and blind friends (and ppl who have more experience writing these): if u have anything to add or i got something wrong #feel free to let me know! #long post

[spice-honey]

The Fanfic Editing Process

Hello everyone! Today I've decided to share a few tips on editing your chapters, for anyone who is new to writing or would like to improve their writing. Editing is a skill in itself. For me, it takes longer than writing the actual damn chapter. I think good editing takes stories to the next level and it's worth taking a moment to do it, instead of just eagerly hit the 'Post' button

First, what is editing? You assess the text for grammar, spelling, sentence and detail clarity along with plot development. Editing is often rewriting, moving paragraphs around, switching scene orders, adding or deleting characters, and changing POVs (if applicable). It requires a lot of "rounds" before it's ready. Each step below is a round in itself. Remember: you cannot edit a blank page. If you hate your writing, remind yourself this is your first draft - you will edit it later to make it better or different. But you have to write it first.

I use google docs. You can easily share it with your betas/friends, and keep track of suggestions and modifications they make. They can leave comments on specific passages and words, to which you can also reply. Google docs also has a chat function to edit and discuss live.

Google docs has spelling and grammar check (it's under Tools) that will scan the document below where your cursor is. So if you just want to spell check past chapter 7, go to chapter 7 and use the tool. It will skip anything before it. If you want to do the entire document, start up top.

Crtl + F and look for the specific words that are commonly overused such as that, really, very, just, then, literally, thing and dialogue tags. You don't have to write them out entirely, but if you used 'that' 7 times in a paragraph, you might want to rework some sentences to 5 take out. Readers get tired of repetitive words. You also don't have to banish every single dialogue tag, but when it's a conversation between 2 people you should use them to indicate tone or action. 'Said' is not necessarily dead, but you can omit it 95% of the time

Avoid long sentences. Run-on sentences are okay if grammatically correct, but stick to one idea per sentence otherwise it can be tiring to read.

Adverbs ending in -ly. 'She runs quickly' can be 'she sprints'. 'He walks quietly' can be ' He creeps'. Choose descriptive verbs if you can.

Pay attention to verb tenses. If you are writing in the present tense make sure you don't slip into past tense when it is not appropriate and vice versa.

In your own notes write scene summaries explaining to yourself why this scene is necessary (I use bullet points in the comments). What information or situation is being presented in each passage that is important to the plot in the long run. It helps you to keep tabs on your outline (if you have one). It's okay to just have scenes that don't actually add anything to the story other than the joy of reading them whatever they may be. But if you are struggling with your plot, make sure your story doesn't have a lot of those.

Italics. Depends on your formatting, of course, but if it is to bring emphasis on a single word, my personal rule is to do it once per page. When I copy and paste my chapters into Ffnet/Ao3 it comes without any formatting (bold, italic) so I have to add them back in manually on my final read-through. Surprisingly, I end up adding a lot fewer italics in the final edit than in the original script

The Final Read-through: it is done in your browser, at the document editor of ffnet/ao3. You will catch a lot more errors/weird sentences there despite having it read 100 times on google docs. Your brain just gets used to - visually - to the text and it will skip words as you re-read without you noticing. Having a different font and background will make your brain read it as if it's the first time. I tried tricking myself on google docs by changing font and colour but I didn't find it super effective (it may work for you, I don't know). Grammarly is also good to use here. I disable it on google docs because it slows down my browser. I like it mostly for punctuation.

Read it out loud. Yes, you'll have to disable the cringe factor but you will catch so many clunky sentences and missing words. Make sure narration sounds like narration and dialogue sounds like dialogue. I usually do Step 10 and 11 at the same time.

Any questions, my Asks are open! And if you have tips you'd like to share I'd LOVE to hear it.

Happy editing!

#fanfic writer #ao3 author #creative writing #writing tips #spice honey tips #fanfiction writing #ao3 stuff

[daryfromthefuture]

😈🛒✨🛠⛔🙋‍♀️💖❌ 🤗🤯 for the ask thing (sorry I got a lot of questions!)

oh god, that's a lot! let's see what we have here

😈has there been a point in a story where you did something just to be playfully mean to your readers?

oh, all the time. many of my reader friends open my next chapter with great caution because i tend to be a little mean to my main characters sometimes (without warning, too). sometimes i also like to make already pretty bad conditions even worse for fun <3 i love my readers

🛒what are common things you incorporate in your fics? themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

at this point it's pretty much impossible to find a fic of mine that doesn't involve a doc and marty found family trope, and i love when they hug, so that also does happen all the time. it's a crime that they only had two hugs in the entire trilogy. bob gale, what the hell?

aside from that...emotional hurt, fluff. friendship. these things. i'm not a huge fan of romance, so i tend to stay away from that (except if it's necessary for plot purposes)

✨give you and your writing a compliment. go on now. you know you deserve it.

awww. that's sweet. let me think.

as much as it frustrates me sometimes, my writing is pretty solid in english for it being my third language. i sometimes reread my stuff and think that this is a style i'd also gladly read.

🛠️what tools/programs/apps do you use to write?

i use libreoffice and google docs for the most part! but if i'm in complete writers block, this website helps me a lot! it actually makes me write lmao

⛔do you have a fic you started, but scraped?

yep. i had a bttf prequel fic i wanted to write, but i eventually scraped it because the plot was pretty lame. also my brain was overtaken by other projects that matter more to me now, so it's not a big loss ;)

🙋‍♀️do any irl people know you write fanfic?

in my irl friend group, i usually disguise fanfic as "stories that go nowhere" instead of admitting that i post them for the enitre internet to discover and read. some friends know that it's specifically fanfic, though. my family knows nothing and i'd like for it to stay that way lol

💖what made you start writing?

personally, i've been loving to write since forever. i used to write short stories for myself, up until i discovered fanfic when i was 10. my drive to write fanfiction usually comes from my love for fandoms and characters, and the urge to add my own touch to already existing stories and put those characters into interesting scenarios. you can do so many things while keeping the characters you know and love, and that's really fun!

❌what's a trope you will never write?

y/n or oc x canon. i appreciate everyone who managed to insert y/n or oc into canon so well that the story still makes sense and is well written, but personally i could never do that. the already existing characters bring me enough inspiration to come up with stories, and i'm perfectly content with writing for them.

🤗what advice would you give to give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

don't be afraid to start! things like "but others are better than me" shouldn't stop you. yes, others are better than you. they will always be others who are more successful and have a different writing style that you may think as being better. but you will improve, and be proud of your own work. fanfic is something you write for yourself and also for free, it's your time you're investing and it's perfectly fine to be proud of the stories you tell! and there always will be people who genuinely enjoy what you write :)

wow that was a lot

🤯what's a genre you struggle with as a writer? (ex. romance, action, etc.)?

while i've slowly gotten a hang on romance, i stuggle with action scenes (simply because i tend to focus on emotion rather than plot). also horror? angst, yes. horror? no, nope. don't know how to write that.

thank you so much for the ask!

#fanfic asks #fic asks #ask reply #bttf fic

[miralsyn]

Freeware epub to pdf converter software

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It also lets you open multiple EPUB eBooks at a time as it comes with the multi-tab interface. Besides document format conversion, you can also use it to view and read EPUB eBooks and documents.

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It is a feature-rich batch EPUB to PDF converter through which you can batch convert eBooks, read eBooks, download eBooks, edit eBooks, and manage eBooks.ĪVS Document Converter is another free software to batch convert EPUB to PDF for Windows.

Get books: It allows you to browse and download eBooks from various online eBook stores like Amazon AU kindle, Amazon FR Kindle,, Empik, Google books, etc.

Calibre Library: In this library, you can add and manage a large collection of eBooks by categorizing them in categories like authors, languages, formats, ratings, etc.

Edit eBooks: It offers eBook editing tools ( fix HTML, manage fonts, add cover, check spelling, set semantics,) using which you can edit various aspects of an eBook.

View: It offers a great eBook reading environment by offering essential eBook reading tools like Reading Mode, Page Navigation, Bookmark Pages, etc.

Lastly, click on the OK button to start the batch EPUB to PDF conversion process.

Now, you can edit the metadata, looks & feel, and table of contents, etc., if you want, using available editing tools.

After that, go to the Convert books section and select PDF as the output format.

Launch this software and press the Add books button to load one or more EPUB eBooks.

How to batch convert EPUB to PDF using calibre: The main advantage of this software is its ability to support a lot of eBook formats like AZW3, RTF, TCR, SNB, MOBI, FB2, LIT, and more. In the Convert books section, you also get tools to adjust Metadata (Author Name, Book Cover, Publisher, Title, etc.), Table of Contents, Looks & Feel, etc. In it, you get a dedicated Convert books section, using which you can batch convert EPUB eBooks to PDF format. Besides document format conversion, it is also used as the eBook manager and reader software. calibreĬalibre is a free open source software to batch convert EPUB to PDF for Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can also check out lists of best free EPUB To AZW3 Converter, Epub to Mobi Converter, and CDR to PDF Converter software for Windows. It even offers a Get Books feature through which you can download eBooks from online stores.ĪVS Document Converter is another good batch EPUB to PDF converter that you can try as it offers all essential document conversion tools. Plus, it offers a really good eBook reading environment. My Favorite Software to Batch Convert EPUB to PDF For Windows:Ĭalibre is my favorite software because it lets you edit EPUB metadata and content before starting the conversion. Go through the list to know more about these converters. These software also contain multiple additional tools that may come in handy like batch extract images, rename, add watermark, metadata, etc. To help you out, I have included the batch conversion steps in the description of each software. After previewing input EPUB eBooks, you can start the conversion process. To improve the eBook viewing experience, these converters offer viewing tools like zoom, page navigation, etc. Besides document format conversion, you can use some of these converters to view and read input EPUB eBooks. Some of the document formats supported by these converters are DOC, DOCX, HTML, MHT, FB2, MOBI, etc. Most of these converters are dedicated document converters and support multiple document formats. And, to convert EPUB to PDF, you can use these converters which also let you perform batch EPUB to PDF conversion. To resolve this problem, you can convert it to PDF format as it is supported by a wide range of devices and applications.

#Freeware epub to pdf converter software portable

However, many portable devices and PC’s don’t support the EPUB eBook format. EPUB or Electronic Publication is a popular eBook format that carries both the text and graphics data. Here is a list of best free software to batch convert EPUB to PDF for Windows.

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[space-kitten-606]

Oh oh, requests are open? Thennn give me something about some shenanigans you and Saeyoung would do together if you're okay with that, hehe. You two fit so well I honestly ship u with him (u definitely know who I am but I will still be on anon just out of spite lol)

You ship me with him?! Omg thank you sweetie! You have no idea how happy that makes me! Now, I am a very boring person, and I cannot think of something that could be called shenanigans I’d get up to, really, so I took another thing I was writing that was inspired by a random thought I had at work! I’m sorry if there’s some awkward places, because I changed my mind last minute and replaced Mc with Kitten via an autofunction. I read it over and it looked alright to me, but there’s a chance something slipped through anyway! 

Ambidextrous

Sitting in a cafe together like this was nice, especially since meeting Saeyoung had become a rarity. He was working hard on helping his twin recover and didn't want Kitten to be too involved. After all, he had told her, she went through enough because of him already. So for the most part she had no choice but to sit idle, waiting for him to tell her what was going on. 

Despite Kitten not being a part of this, he was not working alone. The RFA helped him to the best of their abilities. Jumin and Jaehee were working very hard. The heir had the contacts and his assistant was tasked with organizing meetings and collecting information from them, without revealing what Saeyoung had done, of course. It was a dangerous game all around. Kitten appreciated that her boyfriend didn't want her to be worried about all of this, but it was frustrating to just watch as everyone else handled what they could. Why couldn't she do anything? Well. Thinking about it, there really wasn't much she couldn't do in the first place. It would probably just burden him and his friends more if she tried to help. 

Saeyoung watched her intently as she moped, her eyes flicking back and forth. He didn't mind sitting in silence with her like this. Considering his brother's outbursts, comfortable silence was nice for a change. But he couldn't help but notice that there was clearly something going on in her head. And for one reason or the other, she didn't want to tell him. Was she sick of him maybe? Now that they had spent plenty of time apart, maybe she noticed that she wasn't in love with him after all. The thought alone made his heart hurt, but if that was how she felt he'd respect it. 

After a few minutes more of silently enjoying their drinks, he swallowed his anxiety. 

"Is something bothering you? You look upset," he spoke softly. His hand reached across the wooden table, intertwining their fingers and squeezing lightly, "You know, you can tell me if anything is bothering you. Please don't struggle on your own. No more secrets, remember?"

Kitten sighed at the reminder. "You're not gonna laugh?" 

No even more concerned, Saeyoung frowned. What could have happened that embarrassed her like this? Regardless of his thoughts, he squeezed her hand again, replacing his frown with an encouraging smile. 

"I...don't want to sound fake deep, but currently, if we say the RFA is your right hand in helping with Saeran, I feel like I'm your left. Kinda useless and can't do anything on it's own."

Saeyoung let out a low chuckle.

"I told you not to laugh!!", she immediately called him out, pulling her hand away from him to cross her arms in front of her chest.

He raised both his hands in front of him, an apologetic look on his face. "I couldn't keep myself from doing so. It's such a cute analogy," he laughed again. 

Not finding this half as funny as he did, Kitten turned her head to the window, pouting at his reaction. She was trying to pour her heart out and all he did was laugh at her for it. She should've just kept it to herself. 

"I'm sorry Kitten. I didn't mean to upset you. But you seem to forget I am ambidextrous. My left hand is just as capable as my right, and the other way around."

"God," she rolled her eyes, "stop being a smart-ass. You know what I meant."

Leaning back in his seat, Saeyoung nodded. "Yeah. But you see. I think you're a perfectly fine left hand. So to me, being ambidextrous is a good example for this." 

"You're not making any sense."

"Mmh. Is that so? Let me try to explain. I think the things you do - being here for me and cheering me up - are just as helpful as the work the others do. You're not any less important than the others in helping me cope with the things going on right now. And even if not, your analogy is barely holding up. Even a right handed person couldn't do their craft well without their left hand. It may not be quite as precise, but it has an important supporting role in day to day life. Just think about all the things you need your non dominant hand for." 

Kitten sipped on her coffee, thinking about that last part. She did use her left hand for quite a lot of things. And he was right about not being able to just use the right hand exclusively. Even then, however, she was not quite pleased with what he tried to tell her. 

“What if I don’t want to be just a supporting part. I want to help you like everyone else. I feel so powerless in what you’re doing. You’re always so tired and I just. Sit there and do nothing.”

It wasn’t like he did not understand her need to be more involved, to help him with a problem he created himself once again, but why couldn’t she see what she was really doing? How much she was doing by just being by his side like this? He hurt her enough already with all that happened since they got to know each other. 

Saeyoung sighed, his eyes falling shut as he did so. “I wouldn’t even be here without you, Kitten. Saeran wouldn’t be with me. He would still be stuck in that hellhole for all we know, and I would still waste my time working for that god forsaken agency. You have already done the biggest part of this whole situation - opening my eyes to finally see what was going on. To see what I tried so hard to ignore. I understand that you feel like you’re not doing much, but quite the contrary is the case. You have done so much more than anyone else involved in this. Don’t you see that? Please, Kitten. Allow yourself to take a break.”

Not knowing what to say to that, Kitten bit her lip. She did put a lot of energy into helping them, even put her life on the line for them. But now…

“I’m so glad I get to have some down time seeing you.  Things are very stressful and complicated back at my place right now. There are….things happening that I don’t even want you to think about. But when I am here, I can ground myself by being with you. I would like to be like this with you every single day of my life, but it will still take some time until we get there. So….meeting you like this. It’s heaven. It’s important. Hearing your words of encouragement and how you ramble about your day. It means so much to me, Kitten.”

The message slowly began to sink in, shutting down her troubled thoughts bit by bit. Right. She might not know specialists or the knowledge to tell Saeyoung what to do, but if she could refill his energy to deal with the stress he would have to face...wasn’t that enough? He said it was so why couldn’t she just accept that? 

“Okay,” Kitten mumbled, finally looking back into those golden eyes that made her heart jump in her chest, “But if there’s ever anything more I can do for you or your brother, you’ll let me know, right?”

Saeyoung nodded, smiling at her insistence. Kitten’s kindness was truly special. “I will. So, what do you say we’ll take a walk in the park after we finish our drinks, hm?”

“Sounds great! But no tricks, or I will pay you back double!” Her beautiful smile and the playful quip made him laugh. There she was. Saeyoung was ready to remind her of her importance every single day, if it meant he got to see Kitten this careless for the rest of their days. 

#mystic messenger #mystic messenger saeyoung choi #mystic messenger 707 #707xreader #707xoc #kinda #my writing #also may I add that google docs really like improved #with finding slightly incorrect wording and stuff?? #it's so helpful! #Anonymous

[starlessea]

Ultimate Guide to Proofreading

Here’s the next installation of my writing tips series!

[Just a quick disclaimer: this isn’t meant to discourage anyone! We are all still learning. These are just some tips you may want to consider when editing your writing].

As a language / linguistics student, I tend to focus on the grammar, or just the overall presentation of my writing. Obviously, if you’re writing online or self-publishing, without a beta reader that is, then no one is going to scrutinise you over the small things.

However, it can elevate your writing SO MUCH if you simply proofread it. Often, I find myself taken out of the immersion of a story because a typo is so glaringly obvious. Most of the time, we can gloss over them and they don’t impact the reading experience too much - but if your work is littered with small errors, they tend to pile up.

Proofreading is an easy way to get your readers to stick with you - and it often doesn’t even take that long! You just need to know HOW to proofread, and it will save you time. 

1) Spell Checkers

I know this seems really obvious, but I read so much work that could be improved tenfold just by being copied-and-pasted into a spell checker. You can literally type ‘spell checker’ into Google, and use an online service.

Personally, I use Google Docs. I just Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C, and Ctrl+V my work into it - and it will underline the spelling mistakes in red, and the grammar errors in blue. 

It’s as easy as that.

2) Consistency and General Grammar Points

This section is by NO MEANS an exhaustive list, but I’ve just compiled the things I’ve noticed the most when reading online. 

American English vs. British English:

This one is quite self-explanatory. If you’re going to use American spellings, then use them consistently throughout - and vice versa with British. Some common ones to look out for include:

color / colour

neighbor / neighbour

humor / humour

(US/UK respectively)

I found a good article here that gives a more comprehensive list.

Homophones or the Question of Verb / Noun:

You may want to double-check that you’ve used the right form of a word (verb / noun) - especially if they sound the same. 

affect / effect

hoard / horde

practice / practise***

*See this article.

allowed / aloud

were / where

I know these can sometimes get a little tricky for non-native speakers - especially since English is really quite a weird language. But these are the most common errors I’ve picked up on.

A lot of the time, things like Google Docs won’t spot these - so it’s good to be aware of the TYPES of errors you’re trying to find.

Also, remember that Google Search is your friend. I can’t even count the number of times I look things up when writing - THERE IS NO SHAME IN IT. It doesn’t take long to check if you’re using a word in the correct context, or the correct form of the word.

Showing Possession:

A lot of people tend to get confused about using the genitive marker, apostrophe ‘-s’ to show possession. See the examples below:

[Disclaimer: don’t judge my name choices...]

Jade has a bag. That is Jade’s bag.

Jade Simpson has a bag. That is Jade Simpson’s bag.

Jade Simpson lives with her husband, John Simpson. They are the Simpsons.

That is the Simpson household. That is the Simpsons’ house.*** 

*This is the one most people struggle on. There are two Simpsons, so the apostrophe comes at the end to show PLURAL possession (i.e., belonging to BOTH Jade and John).

This is Jess. That is Jess’ bag.

Here, the above can be written as Jess’s, but the extra (-s) usually gets ellided if it is following an ‘s’.

Another thing people get confused about is its/it’s. 

In English, ‘it’s’ = a contraction of ‘it + is’ (NOT TO SHOW POSSESSION). ‘Its’ is the possessive form in this case.

E.g., The dog lost its collar; it is brown = The dog lost its collar; it’s brown (the collar is brown).

Punctuation Consistency:

Personally, I don’t mind what style of punctuation you use. Whether you put your full stops INSIDE your quotations, or OUTSIDE;

E.g., “Go away.” vs “Go away”.

or if you sometimes like using hyphens in place of a comma; likewise with capitalisation, and whether you decide to capitalise certain nouns etc.

But, whatever you choose, BE CONSISTENT WITH IT.

You don’t want to give your readers whiplash by changing styles every couple of lines. Otherwise, it’s like you’ve chosen one academic referencing style for your essay, only to switch it half-way through. It’s confusing. It may seem like a nit-picking point, but people will notice it - and it’s good written practice to focus on being consistent.

3) Formatting:

Dialogue:

PLEASE PLEASE start a new paragraph/line if SOMEONE NEW IS SPEAKING.

Your readers will be so confused if you don’t properly distinguish who is speaking. It takes away from the reading experience when you think one character has said a line, but it turns out to be another. 

Don’t just rely on “[...]” John said. We should know if someone new is speaking by the format, not just the name that follows the dialogue.

Paragraphs:

Don’t let your work be one block of text. Break it up and make it more digestible for your readers. Try to start a new paragraph for a new topic, place, thought, etc. You can find some really great guides online that go into more detail. Personally, I think it’s quite a stylistic thing - but you should still be consistent in how you choose to establish your paragraphs.

4) Other Things to Look out For

Detography: Have you written a word twice?

Pronouns: Are you using the following correctly?

their/they’re/there

your/you’re

Tenses: Are you sticking to the same tense? Are your verbs all conjugated in the same tense? Do you switch tense half-way through?

Repetition: Are you relying on the same words a lot. Are you using the same verb / descriptive word very close together?

For this, I just make a quick Google search:

E.g., “said synonym” or “angry synonym” - it adds variety to your writing.

Character Names: This seems obvious, but make sure you’ve spelt them correctly throughout - same goes for place names etc.

5) READ YOUR WORK ALOUD

I really can’t stress this enough. Even after studying language, literature and linguistics for as long as I have, I still miss so many of my own errors if I don’t read my work aloud. My editing process literally involves:

Write the draft

Read over the draft and correct any glaring errors

Copy and paste into a spelling/grammar checker

Re-read the new work and edit again

Read aloud and edit as I go

Final read through

Obviously I don’t do this every time - but it shows just how easy it is to miss mistakes when you’re still finding them during step 6.

6) Bribe a Beta-Reader (or a Friend)...

This is a really helpful step if you are able to find someone willing to check over your work. Often, we become blind to our own writing after we’ve read over the same thing a number of times. It can be really useful to get someone to take a look at it with fresh eyes!

Disclaimer: These are just some things I’ve noticed that I tend to look for in my own work. Also, I want to make a point of saying that English is a strange language, so please don’t be discouraged if you’re a non-native speaker feeling confused. I still get confused!

Also, please feel free to ask me any questions! I might not always be available to give a full beta-read of your work, but if you have any queries relating to grammar etc., don’t hesitate to drop me a message!

#writing #writing tips #proofreading #beta reader #proof reading #author #writer #writeblr #writers of tumblr #fanfic #fanfic writer #fanfiction #fanfic tips #fanfic writing #fanfiction tips #writers #writer problems #author problems #english tips #english language #english literature #linguistics #english language tips

[perpetual-stories]

How To Fight Writers Block

hello, hello. hope everyone is doing well. as you can all tell, this post will be about how to fight writers block.

it’s really annoying to me when I hear people say “oh you don’t have writers block, you’re just lazy.”

first of all, yes, I am naturally lazy. second of all, how dare you. writing isn’t as easy as many think. granted, all you have to do is write down words on paper, but it’s not always easy to find the right words to express what you are feeling, or what you wish to say.

I have had terrible writer’s block for the last few days and it’s horrible! as a business owner or a small writing store, I have to be ready to write and fulfill my clients’ ideas and orders.

it’s not easy. It takes a heavy toll on my imagination, and digs me a deep pit of blockage, drowning in the lack of originality because of the constant writing and repetition or certain phrases and sentences in different projects.

i am making this post in the hopes to remind myself about over coming the dreaded and sometimes skeptically believed writer’s block.

What is writer’s block?

Yeah, I know. We all know what that is, but let me define it.

is the state of being unable to proceed with writing, and/or the inability to start writing something new

some people believe it to be a real problem, others believe it's “all in your head”

What Causes Writer’s Block?

in the 1970s, clinical psychologists Jerome Singer and Michael Barrios decided to find out

they concluded that there are four broad causes of writer's block:

Excessively harsh self-criticism

Fear of comparison to other writers

Lack of external motivation, like attention and praise

Lack of internal motivation, like the desire to tell one's story

How to overcome writer's block: 20 tips

1. Develop a writing routine:

Author and artist Twyla Tharp once wrote: “Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits.”

it might seem counterintuitive

if you only write when you “feel creative,” you're bound to get stuck in a tar pit of writer's block

The only way to push through is by disciplining yourself to write on a regular schedule. It might be every day, every other day, or just on weekends — but whatever it is, stick to it!

2. Use "imperfect" words:

A writer can spend hours looking for the perfect word or phrase to illustrate a concept

You can avoid this fruitless endeavor by putting, “In other words…” and simply writing what you’re thinking, whether it’s eloquent or not

You can then come back and refine it later by doing a CTRL+F search for “in other words.”

3. Do non-writing activities:

one of the best ways to climb out of a writing funk is to take yourself out of your own work and into someone else’s

Go to an exhibition, to the cinema, to a play, a gig, eat a delicious meal

immerse yourself in great STUFF and get your synapses crackling in a different way

Snippets of conversations, sounds, colors, sensations will creep into the space that once felt empty

4. Freewrite through it:

free-writing involves writing for a pre-set amount of time without pause — and without regard for grammar, spelling, or topic. You just write.

The goal of freewriting is to write without second-guessing yourself — free from doubt, apathy, or self-consciousness, all of which contribute to writer's block. Here’s how:

Find the right surroundings. Go somewhere you won't be disturbed.

Pick your writing utensils. Will you type at your computer, or write with pen and paper? (Tip: if you're prone to hitting the backspace button, you should freewrite the old-fashioned way!)

Settle on a time-limit. Your first time around, set your timer for just 10 minutes to get the feel for it. You can gradually increase this interval as you grow more comfortable with freewriting.

5. Relax on your first draft:

Many writers suffer form perfectionism, which is especially debilitating during a first draft

“Blocks often occur because writers put a lot of pressure on themselves to sound ‘right’ the first time. A good way to loosen up and have fun again in a draft is to give yourself permission to write imperfectly.” — editor Lauren Hughes

perfect is the enemy of good,” so don't agonize about getting it exactly right! You can always go back and edit, maybe even get a second pair of eyes on the manuscript

6. Don’t start at the beginning:

the most intimidating part of writing is the start, when you have a whole empty book to fill with coherent words

instead of starting with the chronological beginning of whatever it is you’re trying to write, dive into middle, or wherever you feel confident

7. Take a shower:

Have you ever noticed that the best ideas tend to arrive while in the shower, or while doing other “mindless” tasks?

research shows that when you’re doing something monotonous (such as showering, walking, or cleaning), your brain goes on autopilot, leaving your unconscious free to wander without logic-driven restrictions

showering is my favourite thing to do if I may add

8. Balance your inner critic:

successful writers have in common is the ability to hear their inner critic, respectfully acknowledge its points, and move forward

You don't need to completely ignore that critical voice, nor should you cower before it

you must establish a respectful, balanced relationship, so you can address what's necessary and skip over what's insecure and irrelevant

9. Switch up your tool:

a change of scenery can really help with writer's block. However, that scenery doesn't have to be your physical location — changing up your writing tool can be just as big a help!

if you’ve been typing on your word processor of choice, try switching to pen and paper. Or if you're just sick of Google Docs, consider using specialized novel writing software.

10. Change your POV:

great advice from editor Lauren Hughes: “When blocked, try to see your story from another perspective ‘in the room’ to help yourself move beyond the block. How might a minor character narrate the scene if they were witnessing it? A ‘fly on the wall’ or another inanimate object?

11. Exercise your creative muscles:

Any skill requires practice if you want to improve, and writing is no different! So if you’re feeling stuck, perhaps it’s time for a strengthening scribble-session to bolster your abilities

12. Map out your story:

If your story has stopped chugging along, help it pick up steam by taking a more structured approach — specifically, by writing an outline

13. Write something else:

Though it's important to try and push through writer's block with what you're actually working on, sometimes it's simply impossible

feel free to push your current piece to the side for now and write something new

14. Work on your characters:

It follows that if your characters are not clearly defined, you’re more likely to run into writer’s block

15. Stop writing for readers:

write for yourself, not your potential readers

this will help you reclaim the joy of being creative and get you back in touch with what matters: the story.

this is something I really need to do. because of my etsy business i don't write for fun anymore, but instead as a business and a deadline. i'm going to have to pull out my old crappy wattled fanfics or write some new ones.

16. Try a more visual process:

when words fail you, forget them and get visual. Create mind maps, drawings, Lego structures — ideally related to your story, but whatever unblocks your mind!

17. Look for the root of it:

writer’s block often comes from a problem deeper than simple “lack of inspiration.” So let's dig deep: why are you really blocked? Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I feel pressure to succeed and/or competition with other writers?

Have I lost sight of what my story is about, or interest in where it's going?

Do I lack confidence in my own abilities, even if I've written plenty before?

Have I not written for so long that I feel intimidated by the mere act?

Am I simply feeling tired and run-down?

once you identify what's wrong, it'll be so much easier to fix.

18. Quit the Internet:

If willpower isn’t your strong suit and your biggest challenge is staying focused, try a site blocker like Freedom or an app like Cold Turkey

19. Let the words find you:

meditate, go for a walk, take that shower

Word Palette is a great app that features a keyboard of random words, allowing you to simply click your way to your next masterpiece.

You can also try AI auto-completers like Talk to Transformer, where you can enter a phrase and let the app “guess what comes next.”

even though they often produce nonsense, it's a great way to help that writer's block.

20. Write like Hemingway:

And if your biggest block is your own self-doubt about your prose, Hemingway offers suggestions to improve your writing as you go

it's a pretty cool app if you ask me.

it highlights your sentences (if need be) and makes suggestions on how to improve them!

well, there you have it! a lengthy post on how to fight writer's block. now i just hope i can combat my own soon.

like, comment and reblog if you find this useful! feel free to reblog in instagram and tag me perpetualstories

Follow me on instagram and tumblr for more writing and grammar tips and more!

#writing #writing advice #writing tips #original writing #writers on tumblr #writerscommunity #writersconnection #writersofig #writersofinstagram #writings

[fuwushiguro]

any advice for new writers?

Hi hi baby! It's 1am and I'm not wearing my glasses so if there's any spelling mistakes or typos.. no there isn't <3

My biggest piece of advice I always tell people is to just write, write anything, even if it's bad! You can look at what you don't like and break down why you don't like it and improve upon it or start from scratch! There's no pressure to share your work, keep at it until you're happy and confident with it. And honestly, even if it's not the best thing in the world, that's okay too! The fact that you've written something and feel happy enough to share it is amazing, there's bound to be someone who reads it and feels happier for seeing it. But again, you're under no obligation to share, do what feels right!

Writing notes is another good thing to do. I am a fiend for not making notes even though I know it'll help me in the long run. I usually get an idea and just run with it. But, I've been working on a new series and I have a MASSIVE google doc for it I share with @toyomitsus and @twicesangel where I write and organise everything and then they give me feedback and add stuff in too if they want.

Which leads into another piece of advice: talk to people about your ideas! Whether it's friends, family or other writers! I get REALLY inspired whenever I bounce ideas off the previously mentioned girls^ they are so supportive and kind and always make me feel really excited and confident in what I'm doing. We have phone calls to discuss things and ideas and we write drabbles, make headcanons, send memes etc. All things that fit in with specific characters and specific AUs and it's so fun.

Don't write anything you aren't excited about or it'll make you hate writing. Don't write something you don't want to because you think it'll get you more notes or attention or whatever. I feel like people can detect sincerity through blogs and writing and people can sort of see when you put your all into something or when your heart isn't in it. So prioritise things you really want to do, it's your blog after all! No one else's. It should be all about what inspires you and makes you happy and feel good.

I sometimes make specific playlists for certain fics or AUs. More often than not I will either listen to an entire album I know I like and fits with the vibe I'm going for or I will listen to one song on repeat for hours until I've finished writing. Lyrics inspire me a lot. I can think of an entire series from one lyric or melody or the way a certain part of the music makes me feel. My inner (ex) art student in me is also very inspired by visuals too like pictures and colours. Use your senses, they'll help you along the way. Even scents like sweets or perfumes may transport you somewhere.

Reading a lot definitely helps too I think. Seeing how other people write and taking what you do and don't like from that. I have a very specific way I like to write so I always get a little shocked if people don't write similarly to me but differences build experience.

I think writing, as I've already said, is really important. I have been writing on Tumblr for a year now and I can't believe how much I've improved from my first fan fic to what I write like now. Every time you write you improve. It's like honing any other skill. You may not realise it, I genuinely didn't, but you get more and more experience with every single thing you write. So don't hold back just because you're worried you aren't good enough. Everyone starts somewhere and everyone improves.

Be sure to take your time though. Don't feel obligated to write if you aren't in the mood for it and the same goes for sharing whatever you do write. Take plenty of breaks. Make sure you're comfortable when you're writing and are in a good headspace. And don't rush.

Other little finnicky things would be to figure out a tagging system. Make sure to tag things with appropriate trigger warnings and relevant character tags. And use a read more for longer works! It's very bothersome to have massive fics clog up the tags and people's dashboards.

Sorry this was so long and rambly and I'm sure there's tons of mistakes but I hope you get the.... jist? gist? u know what i mean 😭 have a lovely day or night and good luck to you and your writing endeavours!

#luxe mail 💰 #writing advice!

[kingofhoole]

Hello, young guardians! I’ve had a few ideas for the GoG RP in my head (mechanics wise), and I’d like to know what your thoughts on them are!

STATS:

- The owl breed of your OC will affect their stats; there are five stats (strength, intelligence, perception, charisma, and dexterity) that points can go into based on a) the answers you give in the forms and b) the breed of the owl itself. There will be chances to improve your stats, so don’t worry if they start rather low! 

- All chaws will have their own special skills and abilities to use! If you allow me to chaw tap your OCs, I will be taking both personality and stats into account. Of course, you’re totally allowed to pick for yourself!

- There is one special ability that is unique to your owl and your owl only. I’m still toying around with them, so make sure to fill out the form if you want to see a hypothetical one for your OCs! 

- There are also special skills I’ll take into account for backstory related reasons. An example of this is “cold-resistance” for owls who grew up in the Northern Kingdoms, allowing them advantage when flying through snowstorms and freezing temperatures. 

ROLLING (AND HOW IT WORKS):

- Flight rolls are determined by your skill level and either your strength (if you are carrying something or in bad weather and not one of the weathering chaw) or your agility (if you are trying to evade hits or go faster). Your flight skill can be considered your “base” level, since flying is a key component! So for example, if an owl not in the weathering chaw found themself in a storm, they would roll 1d10+skill and 1d10+strength, then add it together. 

- When fighting one-on-one with someone else, the way you fight is entirely up to you! The rolling and combat system are really just so I don’t get overwhelmed while writing several NPCs in a fight at once. You roll a 1d20+dexterity to see who goes first, and combat will proceed in rounds in that order so it’s easy for me to keep track of! To hit, you roll a 1d20+skill-level to try and match or go above the enemy’s defense. If you hit, you deal damage! The same applies for the enemy too. Normal talon attacks (not in the search-and-rescue chaw) do 2d4+strength for full grown owls, and juniors do 1d4+strength. 

TRADING AND BONUS:

- There is a trading system! There are three traders who will arrive now and then with different items and different currency they want for their trade. Trader Mags will trade for prey-items and shiny bobbles you might’ve picked up. Barkley, a large fisher owl, will trade for forged equipment. Puff, an odd looking puffin, will trade for anything and has some odd items in return. 

- There is a hunting system! This is really just used to collect currency to trade, so if trading doesn’t interest you, don’t worry! However, there may be times on missions or long flights you need to scrounge up some food. You can try hunting every three days by rolling 1d20+perception to see what type of prey you spot, then 1d10+skill-level and 1d10+dexterity to catch it! Certain chaws might grant advantage in these situations, too. 

- There are NPCs! You can befriend them, make enemies with them, get to know them or even romance a couple of them! I’m super excited to get to use them!

EXAMPLE SHEET:

As a bonus, this link will take you to a Google Doc with a hypothetical sheet in it for a Ryb, if you would like to see!

So what do you think? Should anything be added? Taken away? Or is it good as is? 

#Guardians of Ga'Hoole #Legend of the Guardians #gog #gog rp #rp #roleplay

[writing-with-olive]

A starting place for self-editing your novel

I wrote this in a reblog to one of @boy-who-can-fly​‘s posts, but as I couldn’t add any tags to that that would make it findable to more than just my followers, I figured I’d make the same content in an original post because YAY TAGS!

Without further ado...

1) Take a break.

Some authors have suggested taking a break for six or so weeks, but I find anything longer than three makes me too distanced from my story, and I have to work a lot harder to get back into my protagonist’s head. During this break, don’t so much as look at your story. Instead, focus on something else. Maybe growing your author platform, planning or developing another wip, or researching the publishing industry if publishing is the end goal for your book (this goes for both traditional and self pub). The point of this is that without some distance, it’s going to be a lot harder to see larger developmental flaws.

(this is a very long post, so the rest of the steps are below the break)

2) The first read-through.

After your break has ended, and you’ve got to be a little stern with yourself not to extend it farther than what you set, or else you’ll never return to it, do a readthrough. This means either just reading it off you’re computer or kindle, or going to somewhere like staples and getting it printed and spiral bound (this costs money, but I found it helpful down the line). Two rules: 1) no editing. 2) look at the first rule. This read-through is going to help give you a general sense of what is and isn’t working in your book; the problems you notice here are likely going to be the biggest ones. (if you want, you can combine this step with step three, but I found it more helpful to keep them seperate)

3) Outline.

It doesn’t matter whether you outlined before, or whether you decided to pants it. By the time you get to editing, you need to have an outline that’s reflective of what you actually put on the page. Go through your story, chapter by chapter, and for each new scene write down

what is your character’s goal in this scene

what is standing in their way

what is the outcome of the scene.

This list should not go into depth; one short sentece per point, MAX. That being said, make sure to keep things specific, so “MC wants to convice X to go with them to Y.” is going to be a lot more useful to you later on than “MC tries to convince them to go.” This outline is going to help you objectively look at your story structure, as you can see a lot more of what’s happening at once, without being quite so overwhelmed by the sheer mass of the words you wrote. Yes, this step can be a bit tedious, but it is so, so worth it.

4) Sort out what you need to fix, aka start making a game plan for your edits.

Now that you’ve read through your wip at least once through, and probably twice, you probably have a pretty good idea of what you need to fix. The key here is that right now, you want to be fixing on the global edits - the things that span beyond just a single scene or chapter. The reason why is that you don’t want to be spending hours perfecting a scene that you’re just going to need to cut later because it doesn’t advance the plot.

In a new document or spreadsheet (whatever you think will work better for you, I liked using a google doc), write issues you see with:

Each of your main cast (regarding character development, motivations voice, etc)

Setting/s (consistancy, realism for your world)

General worldbuilding (consistancy, things poorly explained/set up)

Main plot (following a given plot structure, building tension, etc)

Each subplot (how it intertwines with the main plot, plot structure, building tension, etc)

Other major things you noticed during your readthroughs

These things tend to be larger scope, and generally are worth addressing first.

5) Picking your edit.

Look at the list of edits, and see which one is going to cause the most ripples through your story. This is going to be the first thing you look at to fix. If there are more than one edits that will all have major impacts on the story, think about which edit would make the other ones easier.

For example, in my wip, Project Toxin, my plot was, well, a trainwreck and a dumpster fire’s love child. But my characterization for my MC was also a wreck. Still, getting the overall plot more in order would make it easier for me to edit my MC, so I chose plot first.

6) Make a game plan for your edit.

Before diving in and ripping through your first draft, come up with a game plan. Brainstorm possible solutions to the edit you’ve chosen, and look at what ripples it would cause. You want to make sure that what route you take isn’t going to upset something major or crucial to your story. Most likely whatever solution you choose will cause some other upsets, so just make sure to think through what makes most sense for your story.

For example, when working on my story, I was fixing plot first. Figuring out my game plan meant looking at my scene list and moving things around/adding/cutting content until I had a plot that was much more satisfactory, and that was, in my mind, not a wreck.

Possible game plans for different types of edits:

1. Plot:

Look at your scene list. What helps to advance the plot? What is dragging the pacing. Are there any elements that you are adding or cutting in your overall story that need to be accounted for? With this in mind, cross out scenes that you want to cut, move scenes around that need to come in a different order, add scenes that need to be added, and mark scenes that need to be combined into one.

2. Characters:

For each of your characters, look at their character development. It’s going to be hard to make them come to life better on the page unless you’ve got a grasp of who they are, even if you didn’t plan them out originally. If you have not, consider listing in a spreadsheet or google doc what their backstory is, what their goals are, why they want those goals, and what a few of their strengths and weaknesses are. Also think about their voice: what words do they use more often? Sentence structures? What do they sound like when they’re talking? Stuff like that. If your character is inconsistant, pick one version of them that you want to follow (knowing that they will likely change over the course of the story), and look at what parts of them you will need to change to accomodate that.

3. Setting/Worldbuilding:

I’ve put these together here as they’re somewhat similar. For poorly explained aspects of worldbuilding, look at where you might add in little details so you can better set that foundation (this is not usually a global edit). If things are inconsistant, look at what makes the most sense for your story, and like what we talked about with characters, alter the rest to accomodate that.

7) Making edits.

This is where you really get to dig in and really move things around. Using the edit you’ve picked and the game plan you’ve developed, go through scene by scene and make the changes. I strongly recommend having a seperate doc from your rough draft to store your second draft in. Currently, my process is to have both open at the same time, and if a scene is already fine, I’ll just copy/paste it over. At least for me, however, it’s usually not, and I’ll either make tweaks to fix it up, or, more often at this early stage, I’ll rewrite it. As an added bonus, I also find that rewriting it makes my prose a lot stronger, since I’ve grown so much as a writer since I originally wrote the scene.

Since you know your story better, you may find other elements that you want to change are improving as you edit. If not though, don’t worry - they’ll get their own editing pass.

8) Repeat steps 5-7

You made a list of edits you needed to make back in step four. Now, follow steps 5-7 to make all of those edits and changes.

9) Repeat steps 2-8

Two steps telling you to repeat in a row? Yes. The deal now is that you want to make sure you’ve cleaned up any global edits before moving on to anything smaller. If you’ve been thourough thus far, this will be a very fast step. If not, think of this step as a safety net. There may have been ripples that you didn’t notice earlier on, and it’s a good thing you’re catching them now.

10) Chapter edits

At this point, we’ve cleaned up all the big edits. Now we’re going to look at each chapter. Within each chapter, there needs to be a mini-arc. A beginning, middle, and end. This is the time to really focus on that. Also focus on things like tightening up prose, combining or compressing paragraphs, making sure you’ve adequately set the scene, etc. If you’re over the word count limit regarding your genre, also focus on cutting a certain number of words from each chapter to put your story back within those limits.

11) The little things

This is about combing through your wip to find all of the little errors that have made their way through edits. Typos, weird or incorrect grammar, useless adverbs, things like that. At this point, everything is on a more superficial level.

Beta Readers

Given that this has gotten quite long, I’m not going to go in depth about beta readers here, but around step 10/11, you’re going to start recruiting beta readers (you’re going to want to try and have multiple rounds of somewhere around 10 betas each, which is why having a good author platform is useful: recruiting is easier). Between each round, you’re going to look at their feedback and make the necessary edits. After several rounds of beta readers, you’re going to look it over a few more times, and then if you’re going the traditional publishing route, you’re going to query agents. If you’re going the self-pub route you’re going to look to hire a professional editor. If you’re not looking to publish, this may be the end of the line.

Good luck editing!

#writing #writing advice #writing tips #writing references #writeblr #writers on tumblr #editing #amediting #how to edit #novel editing #editing guide #novel writing #writing refs #editing references #editing refs #long post #developmental editing #big edits #major edits #killing your darlings #olive's writing vibes

[cytarabi]

Hey! I've become a huge fan of your fics on ao3. I wanted to know how do you push out so many beautiful chapters so quickly? What's your writing process like? I'm working on a big JB fic, which I'm trying to finish timely, but high quality. Always like to see how other writers do their thang! Thank you!

Hi! I remember your name!! <3 Thank YOU for the question and praise, that’s so sweet!!

I love seeing how other writers do their thang, too! And I’ve found it can be very, very different for each author.

TLDR I write a lot of my fic ahead of time. I outline the entire fic, chapter by chapter before I start writing. I use several tools to speed the process and/or to make it more artsy fartsy.

I’ve found that I’m a “plotter” and not a “pantser” (two main ways of writing, unless you hate being labeled lol.)

Plotter means that I prefer plotting out most of the story before I write the details. Here’s been my process for my multichapter fics:

1) I come up with an idea and let it brew! I think about key scenes or dialogue I love and I jot them down in my phone on Google notes. Write down your ideas, you’ll probably forget them.

2) During this brewing time, (for As Black As Thunder and my next fic) I take the time to read, read, read. I read works and jot more notes! I have an entire Google doc for Rebecca by Daphne de Maurier where I wrote down her tone usage, figurative language and summary of each chapter. I can’t tell you how much this has helped get me in the write TONE for the work. Tone is SO important. Readers reading a thriller will expect thriller beats! Deep Fried Drinks was a rom com, so the verbs, adjectives etc are very different from creepy Gothic. When I started As Black As Thunder (ABAT), wow, it was hard to nail the tone at first. But by the second half of the fic, I’m fully immersed in it and it’s much easier to create the tone naturally. Without using inspiration, I don’t think it would have turned out as well. For ABAT, I think I took two weeks of no writing, when I’m used to writing every day. It was hard not to write, but wow, was I ready when I started!

3) When I’m ready to outline, I do! I open a google doc for the fic and start throwing everything I can think of in there. My ABAT doc was only like three lines for 6 months... lol! I’ve only just started looking into story structure, so my older fics are all wonky. BUT for ABAT and Deep Fried Drinks, I tried to follow story structure for plots. First act, second act, third act, character arcs, etc. My longest fic, Time Stops, dropped a bunch of readers in the middle and I think it’s because my middle SAGGED majorly. I didn’t try to follow a structure, just sort of plotted it out how I wanted to, and it was probably very repetitive and boring. For ABAT, I plotted a mid point turn to spice things up, chose things to make the character more proactive, etc. I highly recommend Ellen Brock on Youtube for any plotting advice. She’s an editor, and I’ve learned so much!

4) Organize plot into chapters, write key notes for chapters and fill out background info. The first two are self explanatory, but the third is my favorite! One thing that speeds my writing (I have no idea if people do this or not) but I have lists. So many lists! For ABAT, I have lists of common outfits for characters (I usually hate writing about outfits but I’m glad I wrote more for this work). I also write the character arc for each main character. For ABAT, I have the following for Brienne:

Brienne 

Symbols: white crocus flower (purity, youthfulness, sensitive to rain), White begonia, Small birch saplings struggling for light

Goal: serve public, be idealistic, honorable

Lie: (hidden for spoilers)

Truth: (hidden for spoilers)

Flaw: stubborn, idealistic, watched her father get fame and respect for his engineering, wants to do the same thing and do it perfectly, doesn’t understand systemic racism 

Motivation: serve people, be accepted by the public, belonging, abandonment

Stakes: public rejection, Tarth name on the line, mockery, insanity, failure

So when I think about a curve ball for Brienne at any point of the story, this character section helps me stay true to character. I have a section for Brienne, Jaime, Cersei and Missandei. Cersei has a larger section because she’s a villain... ;)

In addition to this section, I also write down their personalities and strengths. You know, like if they went to an interview lol. For example, I have Missandei have the following strengths: 

Missandei

Adaptability: able to adapt

Intellection: introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions

Consistency: all people should be treated the same

Futuristic: fascinated by future

Learner: loves to learn

I ALSO have an emotion worksheet and this is SO USEFUL. They say in writing: show that the character is angry, not tell the reader. WELL, IDK about you but I can’t keep track of all the little quirks characters do and yet, I want them to be consistent. If while writing a scene, I sometimes think, “Hmm what is Jaime doing if he’s in awe right now?” I search for “awe” at the top of my fic, and bam, I have options, more or less. For a lot of emotions, I brainstormed ideas based on character traits, arcs, Gothic tone etc. I fill all of this out before I write the first chapter. 

Here’s an example of some emotions I have for ABAT:

Emotion List (remember to have introspection, unique perspective) 

Awe:

B: wrinkle deepened between brows, parted lips, fixed gaze, stands still

J: arched brow, open mouth, stare, goes closer

C: lowering chin or raising chin, goes closer

M: adaptable, quick to react

Deceptive:

B: looking away, walking away

J: scratching ear

C: smiling, neatly placed hands

M: long blink

Thoughtfulness:

B: staring off, quiet, daydreaming

J: staring at object important to him, twisting pencil or object in his hand, squeezing his hand

C: squeezing hand, staring at object she wants to get rid of or improve

M: daydreaming, staring off at her own outfit—it’s foreign

5) Now the fun part: writing! I used to write with scene structure outline, but I think I’ve grown off the training wheels. But it really helped me in Deep Fried Drinks to plot out the chapter scenes ahead of time, and I used Ellen Brock’s proactive and reactive videos to help me out with that. I throw on some music to get me in the mood of the story and I write during my kid’s nap, about two hours every day. Sometimes I’ll write at night, but lately I’ve been too tired to do that. My tip for this part is to try and figure out what you want to improve. What are you good at, and what could you improve as a writer? My first fics had like zero figurative language. Awkward. This takes a level of awareness that’s hard to reach but watching or researching creative writing technique really helps me. For example, I used to NEED to write all five senses out for each chapter ahead of time. Now it comes naturally to me! I would say now my main issue is phrasing? Pacing? And I need to tone down the melodrama for my next work....... lol! I write, write, write--and usually, I write 60-90% of the fic before I start editing!

6) Editing. Fun fun fun. I don’t mind editing, I just don’t think I’m that GOOD at it. I try to read through my chapter twice and edit as I go. I look for things I want to take out or add, look for show vs tell, formatting, etc--do things make sense? Did I miss anything? In ABAT, I’ll write something in chap 20 that I need to start in chap 18, so I’ll go back and make a quick note to “add part about document somewhere in this chapter” so I don’t confuse readers. When I edit chap 18, I’ll add that line or paragraph in. It’s all an intricate web! I also have a list of vague words I try to eliminate or replace with stronger words (I have more words if you want them). I found that I have certain words or phrases that echo a lot, like “while”, “turned around”, “turned” or “did not”--now I search for these phrases/words and try to change them:

Get rid of vague words, fix by explaining more:

Some 

While

Thing

Stuff

Very

Really

Big/small

Good/bad

Simple verbs: had, was, went

Got/get

Few

Several

What

Do/Did

It

Like with all writing “rules”, they can be broken, but it helps to know why they are rules. I steered away from adverbs, and I think it improves my writing. Other writers have different prose and adverbs work so well--it all depends on your style! If I find these vague words in dialogue, for example, I almost never change them because dialogue is usually freaking vague lol!

7) Beta reader(s)! I honestly think this work is better than my other stuff because I have a newer beta reader, theunpaidcritic!!! *I bow* She’s literally an expert so it’s SO helpful for me in every way--I can’t fangirl about her enough. If you’re struggling to get a beta reader, I recommend joining a JB discord (transformative werk is my favorite discord, and there is a beta read request thread) or post a request on reddit!

8) Post! Once you’ve edited and gone over beta reader notes, it’s time to post! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!

For time reference, I started this process around mid-May for ABAT, and I will be done by early September. Maybe I’m just a fast writer? Compared to angel-deux, ha, I look slow. Everyone is different! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I am ALL about helping out! :) <3 <3 <3

#cytarabi answers #jaime x brienne #writing #braime

[copperbadge]

ritavonbees replied to your post “Because I have exfoliative keratolysis, where moisture on the hands...”

weird, all the skin peeled off my hands exactly one time in my life and i freaked out and went to the doc xD they just shrugged and said probably dermatitis tho

Yeah, usually exfoliative keratoylsis is chronic; also if it peeled off the backs of your hands at all it probably wasn’t that, since it only affects the palms and insides of the fingers. Stress can do that though, and sometimes allergies too! 

arvethli replied to your post “kenna-girl replied to your post “Because I have exfoliative...”

Omg that foot cream is the BEST moisturizer. I got some when I visited the US and I love it so much. Gonna have to order some more online.

I hate moisturizers in general, because I don’t like having greasy stuff on my hands, but like, if I have to, at least it’s a really effective one, so I have to use it less often :D 

warm-honeyys replied to your post “Because I have exfoliative keratolysis, where moisture on the hands...”

there's a name for it!? i thought i was just....defective. because no-one else in my life has this condition. thank you so much!

Yeah, I thought I was just having a really bad dry skin episode, which was partially also because it appears to be seasonal in my case (it pops up primarily in the autumn-winter and winter-spring transition periods, when it’s clammy and humid out. 

It’s actually somewhat common I think, but because usually it’s pretty mild and not painful, nobody much talks about it. I’ve run into tons of people who have it and didn’t know. 

ifiknewiwouldtellyou replied to your post “Because I have exfoliative keratolysis, where moisture on the hands...”

Wait wait wait..I have all the eczemas, including dishydrotic the palms (worsened by washing) but...would this explain the painless, non-itchy full-sole foot peeling I get? Gods, my skin is all sorts of stupid.

compromised-by-castiel replied to your post “kenna-girl replied to your post “Because I have exfoliative...”

oooooooooooh is that what it's called? I have that on my feet, for ages I thought I had athletes foot or something that wouldn't go away

It’s not as common on the soles of the feet, but yes, what you both have could very well be exfoliative keratolysis. I don’t have it on my feet so you may want to google for what to do in specific, and definitely bring it up with your doctor the next time you see them, but you could try slathering the affected areas with a moisturizer with uric or lactic acid a few times a day and see if it improves. 

maplerosekisses replied to your post “Because I have exfoliative keratolysis, where moisture on the hands...”

You know, I never considered that this would cause immunocompromise, but it seems obvious now, and helps explain why my mom is perpetually sick. She works with toddlers (the main reason she gets sick), but she also has this, and it happens more often since this started. Her dermatologist also told her there's a common ingredient in most wet wipes that can make it worse, which...again, toddlers.

Yeah, I never really took the “immunocompromise” part seriously because it’s just a layer of dermis, but apparently it’s more serious than I realized when I first figured it out years ago (also of course as you get older it can get more important). 

Your mom might want to consider Gloves In A Bottle or a similar product -- it’s a lotion you rub on like moisturizer, but it purports to bond with the top layer of skin to add a protective barrier. I used to use it when painting and it made it easier to get paint off my hands without making my hands feel weird. It can’t hurt, anyway. 

#ritavonbees #reply all #arvethli #warm-honeyys #ifiknewiwouldtellyou #compromised-by-castiel #maplerosekisses

[the--sad--hatter]

Hello there kind human :) Do you have any trusted sources for writing tips, beginners or writers that want to improve? I thought if there is one person I could ask it's my favourite ficition writer and you made a lot of inspiring progress so, any tips/links? thank you ~~

Oh. Wow. Well, first of all, human? That’s offensive. 😂

But really though, thank you. You’re very kind, and I am flattered you would ask me! I actually do know of a few software's that have been instrumental in my improvement. Here are some of the tips, tricks, and apps I use. 

First up, There are many writing groups on Facebook that can be invaluable. Join a few, and do your research before you start posting or asking for advice. Make sure it’s got members who actually respond properly, and as with every internet platform... be very careful who you interact with and what information you share. When it comes to your creative ideas, ask advice by all means, but don’t just post the entire plot of your novel for everyone to see. 

Another thing I found helpful, was searching writing tags on Tumblr. There is a wealth of great advice in those tags. It’s where I learnt the bracket tip. Instead of interrupting my writing flow to research something, I put it in brackets. 

e.g - He studied the serrated edge of the blade, noting the craftsmanship that had gone into it. Rarely had he seen such talented work with (RESEARCH ORE AND METALS) before.    

Software and Websites (Links are bolded, I have only linked websites I have personally used, but always be cautious when downloading. Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date and be careful) 

Stories usually start with a seed of inspiration, and that can come to you in many different ways. Evernote is a great app to make sure you don’t forget an idea that may come to you on the train, as soon as you wake up, while the kettle is boiling etc. Save all your ideas, whether they be lines of dialogue for a character you haven’t met yet, a mental picture of a tree that could be in a new world, or a plot line for your current WIP. 

When it comes to actually writing, you’ll need a good word processor. For most people that’s word, but there are other out there. I personally write everything in my outlook email because the layout is less distracting to me and I know how t invert the colours (I like to write with white text on a black background. 

Focus Writer allows you to maximise the window to take up the ENTIRE screen, minimising distractions. It also has some nifty ‘skins’ so you can personalise it. 

Google Docs is another popular one, it’s pretty self-explanatory with its title. 

Ywriter is made primarily for novelists, and has a lot of cool features that make it easier to write scenes. You can add character notes and scene notes. 

Editing

Grammarly is probably the most popular, and for good reason. It’s free, easy to use, and concise. 

Hemmingway Editor is a lil different to other editors because it’s strictly for editing writing flow. It helps you change adverbs, cut passive tenses and most usefully, it will identify sentences that are hard to read. Again, it’s free.

All of the software I’ve linked is free, though some do have paid versions, I’ve never felt the need to upgrade any of them. 

When it comes to writing, most authors have their own ways of doing things. You’ll figure out your own way through experience, and there’s no wrong way of doing it. But for me personally, finding the right writing and editing platforms went a long way to helping me grow and improve. It felt less daunting once I had it all figured out, and I could focus more on the ideas. 

I hope this kinda answers your questions, and if anyone has any other advice, please add to this!  

#I really don't feel like I answered the questions at all #I tried though #I don't actually know how I do what I do most of the time #I wing it #and feel like I fail 99% of the time #but I persist #I'm so sorry #tarastudiesalot

[trentharlow96-blog]

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[ofmymuses]

Hello! I saw somewhere you are writing a book and I currently doing the same thing! May I ask you on some tips? I struggle with attention span, my own writing style and the pacing. How do you deal with this kind of stuff? Also with critics? I know I need it to be better but I am still super sensitive. GOOD LUCK TO YOU BTW!!!

hey  hey  !!  firstly,  i  want  to  thank  you  for  messaging  me  here  rather  than  over  on  my  indie  –   i’d  just  rather  keep  it  purely  rping  stuff  over  there  so  again,  thank  you  :~)  &  also  thank  you  for  the  well  wishes  !!  i’m  super  excited  &  i  wish  you  the  absolute  best  with  your  book  as  well !!   ~  what’s  yours  going  to  be  about ?  if  you ( anyone  reading  this,  not  just  anon )  ever  want  dm  me  &  gush  about  our  books,  i  would  actually  love  to  :’’’)

but  onto  some  tips  …  please  keep  in  mind  that  these  are  just  what  i  do  because  i,  too,  have the  attention  span  of  an  actual  rock  DFKGHS.  if  you  ever  need  help  with  anything  else  (  regarding  story writing  or  anything  else  ),  feel  free  to  come  back  @  any  time  +  i’d  be  more  than  happy  to  help  :-)

so  …  i  don’t  think  it  really  matters  where  you  choose  to  write  your  story  –  in  any  writing  software  or  wherever –  but  i’d  suggest  writing  in  google  docs  simply  because  it  says  as  you  go  &,  knowing  from  experience,  there’s  nothing  more  heartbreaking  than  writing  for  an  hour  just  for  the  app  to  crash  +  you  lose  all  you’re  writing.

(  i’m  going  to  put  the  rest  under  a  read  more  so  i  can  write  all  my  thoughts  &  not  worry  about  it  being  super  long  – which it is, sorry about that –  &  clogging  the  dash  )

i  made  a  separate  tumblr  account  strictly  for  my  book  where  i  can  put  my  thoughts, ideas,  chapter  outlines,  character  stuff,  etc  on.  whenever  i  go  to  write  in  my  book,  i  keep  that  tumblr  signed  in  &  i  get  off  the  dash  and  only  keep  the  actual  blog  open  because  not  only  does  it  help  having  it  open  to  add  anything  important  you  may  think  of  while  writing  but  it  also  helps  keep  your  attention  off  the  dash  ‘cause  you  won’t  be  following  anyone  on  that  account  so  none  of  the  posts  will  be  your  friends  or  anything  that  really  pertains  to  you.  you’ll  also  be  able  to  follow  /  reblog  writing  help  stuff  or  just  things  that  inspire  your  book  there  without  worrying  about  “messing  up”  the  content  on  your  main  blog.

don’t  open  any  tabs  of  things  that  might  grab  your  attention  —  social  media,  youtube, game sites, etc.  it’s  super  important  to  only  keep  writing  help  tabs  up  so  you  aren’t  tempted  to visit  the  other  tabs  +  potentially  get  lost  among  them  and  lose  time.  the  tabs  i  personally  keep  open  are:  google  docs  for  writing,  spotify  ( or 8tracks )  for  inspiring  music  &  thesaurus ( or powerthesaurus )  for  help  finding  new  words.  this  is  just  me,  personally,  but  you  can  open  anything  that  you  think  will  help  you  stay  focus  &  inspired  to  write.  if  it  doesn’t  /  if  it’ll  just  be  a  distraction,  don’t  open  it.

pop  on  some  music  that  gives  off  the  vibe  of  your  story.  this  can  help  you  stay  inspired  &  get  more  in  the  zone.  what  i  always  do  is  think  of  different  games  /  books  /  shows  that  are  the  same  genre  and  look  up  playlists  for  that  other  thing.  or  you  can  directly  look  up  the  genre  of  your  book  +  writing.  so,  if  you’re  writing  a  scary  book  about  a  haunted  mansion,  you  could  look  up  “writing” + “horror”  ( or just “horror” )  &  i  guarantee  you  a  lot  of  different  options  will  come  up  to  help  you  really  get  into  that  setting. !!  BUT  !!  if  music  distracts  rather  than  inspires  &  if  you  prefer  writing  in  complete  silence,  just  ignore  this  ~  it’s  not  for  everyone.  a  bit  of  a  tip  i  do  have  for  you  though,  if  you’re  in  a  noisy  area,  is  to  put  headphones / earphones  in.  it  won’t  block  out  ALL  of  the  noise  but  it’ll  at  least  help  muffle  the  sound  around  you.

there  really  isn’t  one  set  way  to  stay  focused  ;  you  can  google  different  ways  to  keep  your  attention  on  one  thing  but  something  that  really  helps  me  is  writing  about  something  i  love  or  something  that  inspires  me  !  writing  a  story  about  a  romance  that  blossoms  when  your  true  passion  is  in  the  adventure  genre  is  a  surefire  way  of  making  it  hard  to  focus  when  writing.  no  one  likes  to  write  stuff  you  aren’t  interested  in  ~  so  don’t  do  it  !  it’s  your  book  and  no  one  can  tell  you  not  to  write  what  you  love.  just  find  a  topic  /  genre  you  really  enjoy  &  start  there.

regarding  pacing  ….  ( future edit: i  realize  i  didn’t  understand  what  type  of  pacing  you  meant ....  so  i  didn’t  really  answer  your  question  but  i  have  links  at  the  bottom  to  help  you;  sorry  about  that !!  ) let  me  tell  you  upfront  that  i  am  the  worst  when  it  comes  to  pacing  because  i  either  write  for  5  hours  straight  or  write  for  5  minutes  then  walk  away. and  that’s  okay  !  in  reality,  you  can’t  force  yourself  to  write.  this  just  leads  to  sloppiness  and  while, yes,  it’s  the  first  draft,  you’ll  be  giving  yourself  extra  things  to  do  in  the  future ( figuring out what you wanted to write  /  what  you  meant  at  the  time / editing, etc etc ).  SO  !  what  do  you  do  when  you  don’t  feel  like  writing  ?  i’ve  been  using  this  word  a  lot  and  i  apologize  but  you  should  inspire  yourself  to  write.  i’d  suggest maybe  watch  a  movie  that’s  similar  to  your  book  or  watching  a  bit  of  a  playthrough  of  a  game  ( or  play  a  bit  of  it  yourself  if  you  have  it  )  that’s  similar  to  your  book  or  even  read  a  bit  of  a  different  book  !  you  can  also  wait  until  you  feel  the  urge  to  write  again  but  there’s  never  telling  how  long  that  could  be.  something  that  i’m  going  to  try  doing  is  making  a  schedule  for  writing  your  book.  this  can  absolutely  help  keep  you  on  track  as  well  as  making  sure  you  don’t  burn out  from writing  too  much.

when  it  comes  to  critiquing  my  stories,  i  always  show  it  to  my  mom  /  brother  /  boyfriend  /  anyone  i  trust  to  give  their  real  opinion.  i  think  it’s  important  to  get  critics  from  people  you  KNOW  will  be  honest  (  but  not  rude  or  hurtful  )  about  it.  i  do  this  throughout  writing  &  not  when  i’m  fully  finished  ~  this  is  just  because  books  can  be  very  long  &  take  a  while  for  people  to  finish  meaning  you  get  feedback  slower  than  if  you  were  to  show  your  writing  during  the  process  ??  if  that  makes  sense ?  you  can  also  send  it  to  online  friends  (  which  is  another  reason  i  love  google  docs  btw !!  you  can  so  easily  send a  viewing  link  out  )  and  get  an  opinion  from  them.

regarding  writing  style  ….  i  feel  like  this  is  a  lot  like  when  artists  find  their  art  style.  you  can  just  write  &  let  the  words  flow  or  you  could  also  read  books  from  different  authors  &  see  which  interests  you  or  you  could  even  google  different  styles  ?  you  shouldn’t  force  yourself  to  do  a  certain  style  though,  pick  one  that  flows  well  for  you  &  isn’t  stressful  to  write.

i’m  sorry  for  how  long  this  got  DFDKGHD  i  didn’t  realize  how  much  there  was  to  say  but  i  think  i  got  it  all  out.  i  hope  it  helped  you  out  even  a  little  bit  !  i’ll  leave  you  with  a  few  resources  to  further  help  you  out  :~)  like  i  said  before,  please  do  come  back  if  you  have  any  other  questions  or  if  you  want  to  tell  me  about  your  book  because  i’d  looooooove  to  hear  it  ~

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#Anonymous #general help #answered #BEST WISHES TO YOU + YOUR BOOK!! #also drinking game: drink whenever i say 'inspired' or 'your book' DFJGHSDG