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fairyhaos · 8 months

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How To Fucking Write: a guide by fairyhaos

[masterlist]

this post details:

DIALOGUING INTERESTINGLY

hi gays and gals! the first post on starting and pacing a story did really well, so "how to fucking write" is back, with yet more advice and tips for everyone ^^ please feel free to let me know if there's something you want me talk about, because i'll be more than willing to see if i can help. also a reminder that i have a taglist for this series as well, and please reblog if you find this helpful :)

# - HOW TO DIALOGUE.

.. bullet point one : grammar

okay guys, as a native english speaker, i'll be the first to tell you that this language fucking sucks in terms of its grammar, but when it comes to dialogue, understanding how it works even to some extent will help you branch out and vary the way you write dialogue, which makes it so much more interesting.

with dialogue tags (said, asked, etc) if the punctuation mark in the dialogue is not a ! or ? then it should be a comma.

example : [junhui + castle]

as you can see in the first line, a comma is used rather than a full stop, because the sentence hasn't been finished yet. there's a dialogue tag, ('you correct'), that comes after it. and since the pronoun 'you' isn't a proper noun (i.e. a name) then it shouldn't be capitalised, because, again, the sentence hasn't been finished.

with action tags however, (he smiled, he stood up, etc) then it should be a full stop.

example : [i just made one up bc i don't use this a lot lmao]

"I disagree." He stood up, and walked over to close the door. "This isn't safe. You shouldn't go alone."

and now, since there is a full stop, it indicates that the speech is a sentence all by itself. that means the next word ('He') ought to be capitalised.

but the key part when grammar-ing dialogue in order to make it interesting depends on where you put the action and grammar tags.

if you constantly have lines that are just:

"dialogue," he said.

"dialogue," she said.

"dialogue but a bit longer," he said.

... then it can get repetitive, and annoying. by varying your dialogue structure, it can create more interesting dialogue.

example : [minghao + password]

there's a variety of dialogue and action tags being used with each line of dialogue, preventing everything from sounding too repetitive.

the first line starts with a normal sentence, and an action tag. the second is a standalone line of dialogue with no tags. the second has the action tag in the middle of the dialogue. and the last has a dialogue tag in the middle of the dialogue.

by varying the ways in which you write your dialogue, it makes everything a lot more interesting.

.. bullet point two : verbs and adverbs

the easiest way to make dialogue interesting, though, is to use fancy words.

this can be by replacing 'said' with a range of other dialogue tags (see this really comprehensive list for a whole variety of different words), but i'd advise against overusing these. 'said' is your friend! it's the invisible dialogue tag, helps your reader read through your dialogue in comfort, but of course, if you wanna add a nuanced way of describing the dialogue, then replacing 'said' is the easiest way to make your dialogue interesting.

but don't overuse these. for me, i'd focus on action tags and adverbs.

use interesting adverbs that add description to how a character is saying something can go miles. and using action tags that break through what could have been a long section of characters just talking? it helps so much.

i'd recommend having onelook thesaurus open as you write. you don't have to type in just words: phrases, the overall vibes of the word you're thinking of, all of that can be typed into the thesaurus and they'll provide you with pretty good results each time.

it also really helps when you've forgotten a word and can only remember vague bits of what the word should feel like.

.. bullet point three : voices

the best way, however, is ultimately to create a character. write a personality for them, bring them to life, think about the way in which they would talk and then put that down onto paper.

it's difficult, perhaps the most difficult to do, because it's also so tricky to advise someone on how to do this. it's all about the character you want to create, the personality you envision for them, and the only person who can fully write that is you.

however, i would find a few 'ticks' of theirs and use them as indicators in your writing.

for example, in my seoksoo long fic, seokmin's tick is that he always "chirps" what he's saying. and beams. a lot. this identifies his character, makes him unique(ish), and establishes his personality and differs him to the other characters.

but ultimately, it comes down to word choices, when you're writing a character voice.

like, your character describing something with elegant, floral language vs them going "this is so pretty". or perhaps making them stumble over their words when they're panicked vs them simply just going silent when they're flustered.

it's about being specific. about making choices with your words that would have english teachers analyse and unpick your writing, hundreds of years later.

(even if it's fanfic. especially if it's fanfic: because who knows how many fans may join your fandom in the next few years?)

... and that's it ! if anyone has anything else they want advice on (how to structure, how to write dialogue, how to plan etc) then just shoot me an ask, because i'd love to help however i can :)

tagging (comment/send ask to be added!): @selenicives @stqrrgirle @weird-bookworm @eternalgyu @blue-jisungs (tough luck guys btw but youre gonna be tagged in this entire series ehehehe)

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nimata-beroya · 2 years

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Star Wars Writing Resources

Note: None of the resources below are mine. I just assembled them in one place for your and my convenience. Feel free to use and reblog. If you know of any other useful site missing from the list, let me know and I'll gladly add it.

NOTE (05/17/23): There's a new, much more comprehensive version HERE.

Places

Interactive Galaxy Map by Henry Bernberg

Map of the Galaxy

List of planets and moons [Wikipedia /needs expanding]

Planet Name Generator 1 [SciFi Ideas]

Planetary System Generator [Donjon]

Character Development

Star Wars Name Generator 1 [Donjon]

Star Wars OC flow chart by @thefoodwiththedood

Star Wars Name Generator 2 [FantasyNames]

Star Wars Name Generator 3 [FantasyNames]

The character creator

Droid Name Generator

Star Wars Randomizer by @aureutr

Clone Trooper face/helmet template pack by @fox-trot

Clone Picrew by @batdad

Character Picrew [Twi-leks, Zabraks, Torgutas and Nautolans] @/megaramikaeli

Star Wars Character Templates by SmacksArt [the ULTIMATE battery of template for any human/humanoid original character in any era. From troopers to droids, from Jedi to Sith, from KOTOR to the sequel Trilogy. 100% RECOMMENDED]

Miscellaneous

Standard Calendar and Holidays [including month names!]

Galactic Standard Calendar [wookiepedia // including week day names]

Date converter according to SWTOR [Google sheet]

Hyperspace Travel Times (to calculate how much time would take to go from point A to point B within the GFFA)

Materials (fabrics, leathers, silks, plastics, construction, metal composites, etc.)

List of TCW Opening Quotes

Ship Generator 3D

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Republic Military Hierarchy Flowcharts by @cacodaemonia

Languages; Phrases and Slang; Vocabulary

Coruscant Translator (from/to Basic from/to Old Corellian, Proto-Basic, and Smuggler's Cant; Catharese and High Cathar; Cheunh and Minnisiat; Echani and Thyrsian; Mirialan; Flora Colossi, Ortolan, and -everyone's favorite- Mando'a)

In-Universe phrases and slang [Google sheet]

List of phrases and slang [wookiepedia]

List of equivalents to real-world objects [wookiepidia]

Star Wars Menu Generator

Helpful blogs

The amazing @fox-trot, who not only makes astonishing art and write an amazing fic, she also responds to medical questions and gives all kinds of references for writing medic characters.

@writebetterstarwars, which seems to be inactive, but there are a bunch of references there.

@howtofightwrite The place to find out how to write a good fight scene.

@scriptmedic no longer active, but it has a great deal of useful information.

@scripttorture for your whump needs. Major trigger warning for all its content.

Writing in General (For those who don't want to die like Stormtroopers)

SlickWrite: Completely free; online. Checks grammar, punctuation, flow, and writing style according to different settings (including fiction writing).

ProWritingAid: [RECOMMENDED] One of the most thorough online proofreader I've ever used. Although when using a free account gives extremely thorough feedback, it gives +20 different in-depth reports for only the first 500 words for free. However, you can earn a premium account license (for a year or for life) if you get 10 or 20 new users signing up for free; (if you wouldn't mind doing so using the link above and help me earn mine, please). The settings allow you to check your writing according to your needs, from general to formal to creative. It has a bonus that you can check depending on the genre you're writing. For example, in creative, you can choose romance or sci-fiction (there are 14 sub-genre in total). And just like google docs, you can share a document, and people can view, comment or edit.

LanguageTool: [RECOMMENDED] Another excellent proofreader. It also has a word limit in free accounts, but if you use the add-on for Google Docs, it counts each page as a new document, so hitting the limit is nearly impossible. It helps you to rewrite a sentence, even if it doesn't raise any flags; it's very useful for when your sentence is grammatically correct, but it doesn't feel quite right.

Grammarly, Hemingway Editor: No so great, but they do the basic job.

#star wars writing resources #star wars #the mandalorian #the bad batch #sw rebels #the clone wars #obi wan kenobi #obi wan kenobi show #tbobf #the book of boba fett #andor

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deception-united · 25 days

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Hello! Hope this ask finds you well 😄

Do you have a guide on how to incorporate dialogue into a story? I'm quite confused in this aspect, like, do I end every dialogue in a comma? (excluding questions and exclamations)

Also just writing things like, "he said, she cried, they snickered, John retorted, Jane whined" becomes tiring after a little while.

I've seen some authors just write dialogue without specifying who said it and the reader relies on context clues to decipher it.

All the rules on writing dialogue is perplexing and any guidance you have on this is much appreciated 🙏

Thank you!

Hi, thanks for asking and so sorry for the late reply! Seamlessly incorporating dialogue into your story is an essential aspect of storytelling that can really bring your characters to life.

Let's start with punctuation. Generally, you would use a comma to separate the dialogue tag from the spoken words; however, this isn't a strict rule. You can also use periods or other punctuation marks depending on the structure of your sentence. For example:

"Hello," he said. "Hello." He smiled. "But," he insisted, "I never actually saw her." "But—" He paused. "Never mind."

Regarding your concern about repetitive dialogue tags, you're absolutely right. Using "he said," "she cried," etc., repeatedly can become tiresome. It's good to mix it up and use a variety of dialogue tags, or even omit them altogether when it's clear who is speaking.

Using context clues to identify the speaker is a great technique. It adds a layer of engagement for the reader and can make the dialogue feel more natural. Here's an example:

"I can't believe you did that." The anger in her voice was palpable.

In this case, we don't need a dialogue tag because the context clues ("the anger in her voice") indicate who is speaking.

Here are a few more tips to help you navigate writing dialogue:

Use action beats: Instead of using dialogue tags, you can describe the actions of the characters to indicate who is speaking. For example:

John slammed his fist on the table. "I won't stand for this!"

Sarah wiped away a tear. "Please don't leave me."

Vary your dialogue tags: Instead of always using "said," try using different verbs that convey how the character is speaking, such as whispered, shouted, muttered, etc.

Omit dialogue tags when possible: If it's clear who is speaking based on the context—for instance, when two characters are talking back and forth—you can omit dialogue tags altogether.

Show, don't tell: Use dialogue to reveal character traits, emotions, and relationships between characters.

Read dialogue aloud: This can help you identify any awkward phrasing or unnatural-sounding dialogue.

Remember: writing dialogue, like any skill, will undoubtedly improve with practice and research. Don't be afraid to experiment and find what works best for your story. Happy writing!

#ask #writeblr #writing #writing tips #writing advice #writing help #writing resources #creative writing #writing techniques #writing dialogue #dialogue #character dialogue #writing characters #character writing

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lizaluvsthis · 1 month

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Do you also have any tips on writing if you dont mind?

Hmm... I wouldnt mind...

Liza's writing tips!

HEAD NOTICE: This is just a writing tip and it is not meant to criticize anyone! I'm also doing this for myself to learn more between my skills of writing. (And to make it look authentic and fluent as it goes-)

(As an author I do have experiences so please, I do keep my reminder silent for anyone who might get a bit offended or think their writing isnt good enough.)

(Always remember that it's what you write and you can only improve if it your choice!)

(Don't push yourself too hard!)

Make sure the sentence is complete with proper grammar. (it depends on how or what the story should go)

Examples of incorrect grammar:

"This They house ma"

"Your be star!"

Correction-

"This is their house, Ma"

"You're going to be a star!"

Understand "Your" and "You're" are two different words.

You use "Your" for pointing out to someone you talk to, while for "You're" you use it to the person you talk to but added with 'are'

Example:

"Wheres your money? Just so you know, you're dead when it comes to a hot person"

Putting a coma / "," for extra reading, when the reader wants to take a breath while doing so. (That way they could take a pause or break and then read for the second one)

Analyze on how long the spaces should be. (Either be optional in any authors to put but it mostly matters to the readers who view while reading)

EXAMPLE:

Please make sure to always- ALWAYS... use punctuation marks.

Make the words you say in the fic have a descriptive sentence [with what/how it describes]

If you want to make it as fluent as possible you're gonna have to bring up more tabs or dive deeper within words that can interest/eyecatch someone's attention to.

Example:

Instead of "he crawled into the hole and passed through it"

You make it "the man crouched down as he started to crawl slowly from his thin skinny legs. Within the dark area of the hole, a gap of light passes through the other side. He had now found his way out."

Metaphorically DIABOLICAL- Describing. When it comes to describing, you'll be needing to add up what can ryhme or come close enough with the words that comes out of your mind when you THINK about it. But yeah most preferably you need to search those words to put a better view amongst the reader's imagination.

Do not use the phrase/word over and over again. ("As" / "If" / "But" / "For")

"As she moved her eyes from the sky, but as she was supposed to go. The team snuck in for a group party for her."

I think thats all :>

- ☆ I'd like to credit myself for getting negatively criticized by one of my works. Cough- anyway- hope ya guys do good at your own fics!

#lizaluv #writing tips #even tho im no pro #yall im just a silly berry QWQ forgive me.

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sunsafewriting · 1 year

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for the prompt: do a flip universe + TLOU

“Well, obviously more than one. Two or three, at least, right?” Ava says.

She's got her head in Beatrice's lap, having usurped the print-out Beatrice was reading a few minutes ago. It's inarguably the best setup in the world: she's got the whole rest of the couch to stretch out on, and both of Beatrice's hands on her — one gently stroking back her hair, the other resting on Ava's arm.

“Three seems like a lot,” Beatrice replies.

But that’s not a no, and Ava can work from there. “Diego will help us, won't you, bud?”

He looks over at them from where he's sitting on the carpet, sketching out a new comic. He prefers to draw on the floor rather than at the table, which is presumably because the artistic vibes are simply better lower to the ground. “Totally,” he confirms.

Ava beams at Beatrice, reaching up to catch her wrist, to sweep her thumb over the soft skin there. “See? We can do three. Or four.”

There’s a moment of deliberation, but Ava knows when she’s won. Not only does Beatrice have about six different tells — microscopic, but observed by Ava over the years and lovingly documented — but also Ava has a compelling track record when it comes to this sort of thing.

“Okay. Three,” Beatrice agrees. “But four is definitely too many.”

“True. It might get confusing.”

“Also, I don't feel that a zombie apocalypse is likely enough to merit four separate survival plans.”

“HBO makes a very compelling case, babe. A lot of things can go wrong.”

Which Beatrice is aware of, because she sure doesn't turn a lot of pages of her book while Ava's watching The Last of Us on the TV.

“Plus, it's best to be prepared,” Ava adds. “You love being prepared. This way, we have a backup for our backup.”

While Ava still prefers a general guns-blazing, swing-first-think-second approach to life, she has come to appreciate the value of planning ahead. For example, she’s managed to streamline her morning routine to maximise the window of time she has for making out with Beatrice before one of them has to go to class or work.

“I have paper,” Diego says. “We can write them up now. I think the most important thing is probably to get a catapult, or a sword. But there aren’t a lot of good places around here to get swords.”

“Put down get a sword as step one anyway, that’s a great start,” Ava tells him. “I also vote that we steal a really cool car for step two. Obviously, it has to be heavy-duty enough to plough through zombies, but the most important thing is that it’s super dope. Better than Mary’s. I’ve got to have this, because you know she’s going to out-apocalypse me.”

“Steal a car,” Diego echoes back. “Brackets, cool.”

He’s been getting very into brackets, as of late. Also semicolons, but he seems to just pepper them into sentences whenever he wants, with no regard for their intended function. Although it’s very possible that he actually does understand how they work, and is just drunk on the power of learning a new punctuation mark.

“Clean water. Or some means of effectively decontaminating water,” Beatrice suggests.

Ava shakes her head. “No, that’s too legit. We can put that in our, like, good plan. The second plan. This first one should just be based on what you’d most want to do if all of society fell apart.”

“I’d most want to make sure we had clean drinking water.”

“It has to be ridiculous and fun. Like, we should also steal a boat. The zombies most likely won’t be able to swim. And I think I’d rock a captain’s hat.”

“Or a pirate hat,” Diego supplies. “Boat is step three. Hat is step four.”

“Exactly. See?”

“This is starting to seem less like a survival plan and more like a list of your dream crimes.”

“The beauty of the apocalypse is that nothing is a crime,” Ava tells her. She kisses the back of Beatrice’s hand and then nudges it back up to her hair. Beatrice automatically resumes her steady, gentle motions, and Ava settles into the feeling with a pleased hum.

“Well, I don’t really have a list of dream crimes.”

Ava can’t say that comes as a surprise. Beatrice does have a list of dream bookstores to visit though. If the zombie situation isn’t too out of control, they could totally manage to hit a few of those locations post-apocalypse, too.

“You can borrow some of mine,” Diego offers generously.

Ava nods. “And then we can put your clean water in the third plan.”

“I thought it was going in the second?”

“I demoted it. I think our second plan should be to secure a mall. Then we’ve got everything we need. We can just lock all the doors and keep the zombies out. Boom. Nailed it. Can’t have a boat in a mall, though, so that needs to be its own separate plan.”

Malls are also currently in Ava’s good books because when she went to buy a jacket last week, she got to kiss Beatrice in the changing room. But they’re also strategically defensible strongholds. Never let it be said that Ava's decision-making is too heavily influenced by opportunities to make out with Beatrice. Even though it is.

“That’s so smart,” Diego says, scribbling down the idea on another sheet of paper. “Malls even have water, too, so that works for everyone.”

“And we should get a horse for the mall.”

“How does the horse help with the zombies?”

“I don’t know, but that had horses in The Last of Us, and it just feels right.”

“So then also cowboy hats,” Diego reminds her.

“Of course.”

#we have been watching TLOU and im super enjoying it #anyway doing little short prompts is fun so little stress #sunsafewriting #avatrice #ava x beatrice #avatrice fic #avatrice fanfic

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babytarttdoodoo · 10 months

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Please (if you want to) expand on what you said about the different ways Roy and Jamie swear because that is extremely fascinating

I mean, I'll start by saying I am in no way a linguistics expert. I also lack the cultural and social background to speak about the swearing habits of Mancunians and Londoners with any authority. (Again, to clarify, I am Scottish.)

However, being familiar with the accents in question, being immersed in British media my entire life, and having had voice training does mean I have an instinctual 'feel' for what sounds right for their characters... or what does for me, at least.

Swearing and rambling under the cut.

Beyond just swear words, the cadence and tones of Roy and Jamie's voices are vastly different.

Jamie talks faster, for one. It is a bit of a trend that the further north you go in the UK, the speedier the speech gets. I slow down a lot, even if I'm just visiting England, in order to be understood by non-Scots.

Therefore, Jamie uses longer words or phrases more casually in conversation (if not always correctly, bless his heart) because the rhythm of his speech allows for it. This also means that if he swears mid-sentence, it's basically just punctuation and comes across as a habit.

Adding adjectives adds emphasis. So when he is intentionally swearing directly at someone, he would call that someone a "big hairy baby twat" rather than just a "twat".

(I will also point out that I think "fucking dickhead" is criminally underused by Jamie in both canon and fanon.)

Roy, on the other hand, has a slower rhythm. He still swears very naturally (obviously) but is more likely to use single syllable words i.e. "fuck", "prick", "shit".

The way that vowels sound in his accent also plays a part here. For example, he says "fah-ck", as opposed to Jamie's softer "foh-ck", which is immediately more tonally aggressive (the different way they draw out the vowels is important too but I can't think of how to describe it).

Roy doesn't need to add on anything extra because the harder tone of his voice gives every swear a weighty impact. However, that's not to say he can't get creative.

Let's take Roy calling the woman harassing Jamie a "nutty arsemonger" in the Protective RoyxJamie fic. I agonised over what Roy was going to say because when he takes a second to think about how he's going to insult someone, things get colourful.

Cultural influence plays a bigger part in these scenarios.

The use of "nutter" is pretty widespread in the UK. "Nutty" as a descriptor, however, is a bit more specific and something I'd personally associate with the South.

That has to be paired with something and, particularly as he's talking to a woman, that makes things complicated.

Now, if I'm being brutally honest, in reality, someone of Roy's background and age would probably have said "cunt". It's very much not as big of a deal over here as I know it can be in the States. Tat said, it still felt a bit harsh to me as something someone in the 'Ted Lasso' universe would say. It's also very gender-charged and if Roy were going to use it, he's more likely to say it to another man.

For similar reasons, I discounted him calling her a "cow" or a "bitch". Less severe, but still not quite right for a man in his (at this point) early 40s who goes out of his way to be respectful to the women he knows. (Moments of idiocy aside, of course.)

That brought me to "arse". Anyone can be one. Great.

But he can't just say "nutty arse" and call it a day. Firstly, because "s" is a soft sound, especially in a deep tone, and the insult sounds incomplete in Roy's voice if he doesn't end on a hard note. Say it to yourself, try out your best Kent impression - it isn't right, is it?

Jamie absolutely could just say "arse" because the "ah" sound is very harsh in his accent and the "s" is more pronounced by his higher voice.

But Roy needs something more to round out the phrase. I landed on "arsemonger" eventually because of the meaning more than anything. (Generally used for someone without class, implies promiscuity.) Introducing that "ger" at the end also sounded a lot better and more natural.

I don't know if I'm making any sense here but hopefully this communicates a bit of what I meant?

If you're looking to delve a bit deeper (without the swearing), a good point of reference might be the Ninth Doctor and Rose's era of 'Doctor Who'. It's not perfect (Christopher is from Salford, Billie from Swindon) but it's another really good example of North/South talking habits.

'Only Fools and Horses' might give you a good idea of the language Roy grew up around, just bear in mind it's more in tune with his parents' generation.

'Coronation Street' is the obvious touchstone for Manchester accents but I haven't watched it in a long time. The kids in 'Waterloo Road' might be a bit more relevant as contemporary examples.

#the art of swearing #I could be talking nonsense #jamie tartt #roy kent

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fuh-saw-t · 2 years

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-How to Write Character Dialogue-

Part 2: Characterisation Boogaloo

One again beginning with the mandatory 'This is just my process with my writing style. I don't work on what is correct - I work on what I find is best in my opinion. You can take this advice, adapt it to your own style, stories and characters, etc'.

This post concerns the specifics of dialogue. The more open-ended advice can be found here, under the Macro-View.

The 'Micro-View'

Once again, I made that term up.

Every story, character, scene and method of presenting events, thoughts, feelings and expressions will inevitably be unique. Here, I'll explore different approaches, methods and considerations that you can take to heart whilst writing the dialogue of your characters.

Amount

In the writing of dialogue, your first consideration should be 'does this character need to say anything here?'

Oftentimes, I see dialogue which, if removed, has no change on ambience, the scene, character development, characterisation or any relevant interactions. Does your character need to input their opinion here? Not thinking of the usual 'who asked?' sort of way, but does it change, show or do anything? Do they need to exclaim "Woah!" or can that instead be described, or omitted entirely?

Too much useless character dialogue can sort of 'clog up' your page, if you get what I mean. What I'm referring to, however, in no means include things that you believe adds something to your character, a character relation, or the ambience and feel of the scene. I made a note of this in the previous post, but I felt this deserved an elaboration/secondary mention.

Emotions and Intensity

Dialogue in intense and emotional moments, especially in a dramatic scene, I think can do wonders. It serves to engage your reader and direct the scene, instead of just having people kick each other or cry. As dialogue should be separated through paragraphs at each person talking, it makes the scene move quickly - the reader reads it quickly, too. Kind of meta, isn't it?

Make use of syntax. Short sentences, pauses, ellipsis (the dots and omission kind), false starts, etc. All of these can show emotion and make your dialogue feel natural, without having to state it outright. E.g.

"I don't think this is working," he said. "It's not that I'm… ungrateful, that's just— that's not what I mean. We need to try something else, something new."

Not the best example I could give, but this post isn't exactly a Times Best Seller (as if that means anything).

Someone who is nervous ‐ for any reason, if they're in front of their crush, are experiencing fear, etc - may use a lot of these pauses and false starts. But it's good to remember not to overdo them. Read your text out loud. Seriously, it helps. Overusing pauses and false starts can really dampen their effect.

Also, people never stutter as much as you think they do, unless they have a speech impediment (which is perfectly valid, if that's a part of your character). Stuttering is fine, but don't overdo it nor use it in situations where it doesn't call for it, unless it's a recognised trait in your character. Even then, going "N-N-N-N-No" never looks good. Like, it genuinely doesn't look good on the page nor screen. Yes I do judge that.

Italics can also be used as emphasis to convey intensity. So can dashes. Use exclamation points wisely, punctuation marks can be easily overused.

As another note, please use description and character actions alongside emotive or intense dialogue. Dialogue is never separate to your descriptions nor your story. Think carefully about how you can use expressions, actions and descriptions of tones to further the feeling you're intending to show in your dialogue, or to change the meaning of what a character is saying in context.

Informal Speech and Accents

Popular character distinctions can involve the written display of slang, informal speech and accents. Personally, I adore these traits, as they can add character and insinuate things that do not have to be explicitly said; the use of informalities can really distinguish your character and make them memorable and unique.

But, as with everything, things can go horribly wrong (in my opinion).

Rule one of dialogue: don't get caught up trying to make your dialogue grammatically correct. It's not going to sound natural. Slang and general, everyday informalities may not be in many dictionaries nor will it be accepted by autocorrect or grammarly, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be in your writing. Different characters' uses of colloquialisms (such as, 'Heyo!' 'How's it hangin?' 'Darn it.') can add a certain quirk to them, whether this means they use general popular slang or no slang at all. Don't ever think of removing colloquialisms from a characters' dialogue for the sake of having correct grammar. This also goes for traits of AAVE. Use it when you see fit, whether or not conventional grammar agrees with it. All variations of English are valid. Moreover, I adore it when fantasy or other-world stories make their own unique slang, informalities or alternative vocabulary. It can say so much about the world they live in, and what some groups' ideologies are.

However, make sure you don't overdo the use of slang or divergent grammar and syntax. It's good to make your characters talk differently and have styles of speech that are distinct from one another, but what's even more important is that your reader can understand what you're writing. If you're using so much that someone has to have Urban Dictionary open while they read your story, that's not a good sign. This also goes for accents; it's sometimes beneficial to diversify speech, but if the spelling differences and grammatical changes get so prominent a reader can't read it or has to re-read to understand, you have a bit of a problem to correct. If they can't understand the dialogue, they don't understand your story. I've had to put multiple written works (published books, even) down because the use of slang and how they write in accents was so proficient I couldn't figure out what characters were saying.

Overall, I'd say not to write out accents (changing spelling with how words would be said). It can really make the dialogue unreadable, and can often turn out sounding like an offensive caricature.

Education

A common character dialogue difference which I also love is the distinctions between those who are educated and those who are not. Of course, this is very diverse among characters and can go beyond that black-and-white summary. A character's status may be at play, their ego, or even how they are educated - a character who is educated by people who value different things or hate another group may speak differently to one who is educated in another way.

Common distinctions made to show educational or cultural differences between characters include contractions and vocabulary.

Contractions (such as 'don't' or 'I'll') are something I often see absent in characters of high status or education. This, though often functional, can be overdone. I'll touch more on my other approach to this later, but the complete absence of contractions can make someone sound like a robot. Urgent situations may make even the most high-status, educated character use ellipsis (in the omission way, as referenced in the last post), contractions and other forms of shortening.

Moreover, in relation to vocabulary, the character may not use long words at every interval. They may be more articulate and expressive in their word choices, but that doesn't equate to using lesser-known or complicated words. If you want to diversify your character's vocabulary, though, always take into account pragmatics and general use, and if it sounds natural in the context. Again repeating to read your dialogue out loud and get a proofreader. It can save your writing, seriously.

On a mirroring note, if you're dealing with highly uneducated characters, be careful with how you present them. Just because someone is uneducated, or doesn't have an expansive vocabulary or a solid grasp of grammar, doesn't mean they're any less intelligent or expressive. The character may articulate their feelings in a different way, but that is not a lesser way. Let the character be creative with their words and how they lay them out. Remember that a lack of education in a character does not, in any way, equal stupidity.

Related: Educated characters who overuse big words in weird contexts sound dumber than any uneducated character ever will. Facts, ykno.

Character Limitations

There are a lot of ways you can accidentally limit the range of your character's expression through the writing of their dialogue. Here's things to look out for. And yes, these are all things I've seen before.

To do with typography (fonts, font sizes, bold and italics), I heavily advise against giving a character a distinctive typographic style of speaking. For example, doing this:

"I AM HERE!"

"HELLO!"

"What's the matter?"

This, in a way, limits your character extensively. A character who is consistently written to speak in all-caps or bolded lettering will always sound like they're yelling, and will not have room to express themselves in a more sympathetic, emotive or calm way. This is unless you forfeit the style, which is a problem in itself. It creates inconsistency: a writer's biggest downfall, in some cases. In fact, this use at all is inconsistent, as not all characters will have their dialogue written with the same method of typography. Also, it just kind of looks ugly on the page and can cause accessibility problems with those who have dyslexia or sight issues.

In addition to this, there is what I mentioned before to do with the use of contractions. A character who always sounds articulate and in use of an extensive vocabulary doesn't always have to be this way. Of course, they shouldn't break character, but if they're in a heavily-emotive situation where they don't have time to properly think out what they're saying, they're not going to speak as if they're reciting the Bible. There's nothing wrong with posh, well-spoken characters. It's just a matter of knowing how to diversify their own speech and having the confidence to explore other sides to their character through their dialogue.

This also goes for other characterisation decisions. You have a quiet character who speaks little, in small utterances? I love those character types! But don't limit their expression and characterisation by seeing that as the only thing they can do. An excited, wonderous character who asks a lot of questions and uses exclamatives often can have their quiet moments. An angry, usually violent character can become soft-spoken.

In fact, I'd say these changes in dialogue can really uplevel stories and characters. When a character changes their usual dialogue quirks (when the plot/scene calls for it), it can mark an incredibly pivotal and key point in their development and personality.

E.g, a rich, high-status character having a meltdown, swearing and mixing up their words; a quiet character talking for a long time to console their best friend on something they relate to; the excited character finally losing their spark and becoming serious when upset; an angry, violent character becoming docile when interacting or confessing to their crush. Choices in dialogue styles for different characters, depending on scenes and situations, can change the game entirely.

Overall, my advice in creating realistic, engaging and in-character dialogue that shows your character's distinct personality and characteristics is to read the dialogue out loud, don't bother too much about grammar and more about readability and get a proofreader or friend that'll be honest in their opinions to look over your story.

Even more, I'd highly recommend experimenting. This goes for everything in writing, honestly. Practise writing dialogue by writing conversations between your different characters, even if said conversations won't appear in your story. Practice writing scenes. Experiment with your style and how different characters talk. Lay out your characters personalities and think about how you can implement details into their speech that subtly show who they are and what they think. Consider punctuation - it matters more than you'd expect it to.

Grow your style at your own pace. Listen to constructive feedback, and openly search for people to show their opinions and give advice on your work. Make sure you understand your characters, their values and their quirks.

And, most importantly, have fun!

#creative writing #writeblr #ask blog #writing #writing advice #writing prompt #letsdiscuss

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fierceawakening · 8 months

Text

Lesson 3: So How Do I Verbs (And Sometimes Nouns), Then?

Hello students!

Today I'm going to (finally) explain to you how to conjugate verbs (and how to make nouns possessive; they work the same way) in Phyrexian.

Along the way I'll teach you useful stuff like how to make nouns plural.

Once again, this is an example of how Phyrexian works very differently than English does.

Look at this Phyrexian word, solm. It means smack or hit:

solm

Or, in some dictionaries, you'll see the same word, but with a blank spot between the last two consonants, like

sol_m

Don't worry about the blank just yet. Just know that eventually Some Stuff Goes In There, and that solm and sol_m are the same word, for now.

You change words in Phyrexian by doing things to their vowels. Think of it this way:

Phyrexians don't like vowels. They sound all fleshy. The consonants are clicky and sharp and sometimes straight up metallic, so they can stay. But the vowels? We do weird things to those because EW VOWELS BLEH.

(Yes, this is canon. Phyrexia, please get some therapy. You're both metallic and organic and that's perfectly fine. Stop hating yourselves please.)

Most words in Phyrexian can be nouns or verbs, depending on where you put them in your sentence. (Remember: if it's at the end of a sentence, it's almost certainly a verb.)

So this is also a word I could use for the noun, a hit or a blow or a slap or the like. But suppose I want to say "hits/blows" rather than specifically one hit or blow.

I make nouns plural by doubling the first vowel. This gives me:

soolm

Punches!

If you see a word in Phyrexian that's in the subject or object position and it has a doubled vowel like this, oo or aa or ɒɒ or what have you, you're almost certainly dealing with a plural noun.

But that's less fun than throwing the punches, right? So how do we say "I punch you" or "She punches them" or the like?

That's what our magic underscore is for! We add in a vowel between the last two consonants to tell us who is hitting who.

This is technically called a relational infix. (Relational because it expresses the Relationship between subject and object and Infix like Prefix or Suffix but it goes In the word.)

I think they're called this because a "conjugation" implies verbs only, and these are used for other things too. But if you want to call them conjugations I promise I won't tell.

Here are all the relational infixes, from the chart I posted last night:

What the heck is all this?

Well, I'll tell you.

The horizontal axis tells you who you start from (who's the subject of the sentence, generally), and the vertical tells you who you're pointing toward.

So if I'm trying to say "I hit you," I look at the horizontal axis and find 1st person (I or we), and then search vertically for 2nd person. That square reads "a" (with something funny in parentheses. That doesn't apply here which is why I picked this verb. I will get to that, but for now you can just think about which vowel goes where.)

Therefore I-hit-you is

solam

If I'm doing this right now, I need my mood marker to make it a full sentence. So I grab my xe from lesson 2 and my beginning and ending punctuation and of course my cool looking spacebar because Phyrexians are extra and it's great and

^xe-solam.

Declaration: I-hit-you.

I hit you.

This is a weird system if you're used to English (or, like, literally any other language I know.) But the cool thing about it is that you can ALSO use this schema for sentences that you have to get a little weirder with in English:

^xe-solom.

Declaration: I-hit-me.

I hit myself.

What the heck is a "myself?" How do you decide when you say myself or me or I? Phyrexia don't care. If I verb toward me that means I-verb-to-I and there you go.

This is also useful because you can also use I-toward-I, you-toward-you, them-toward-them to indicate possession. My compleation. My minions. My vegemite sandwich. Whatever. It's gonna have an o in it, and that o is going to be stuck between the last two consonants. I am told this is cozy.

But there are a couple of weird things, of course, before you go forth and speak or type Weird Cyborg at people.

One is first person. In English we have two ways to talk about this. "I," meaning the speaker as a particular individual, and "we," meaning the speaker AND a group the speaker is part of.

Phyrexians are a Borg expy. There is no difference in Phyrexian between I and we (or you and y'all, or him and them.) The reader/listener gathers it from context.

I believe that when it's important to indicate that you mean yourself, for example if you're trying to express "I'm going to leave the group and go after our enemy, while you stay here" you would name yourself. Like:

Declarative: I/we Fierceawakening I-go-[to-]them.

This is headcanon at the moment but it's educated guess headcanon.

Another confusing one is "fourth person." As English speakers, we are used to first person (I/we), second person (you), and third person (he/she/it/they). Phyrexia, what is this?

Most honest answer is I don't know for sure. This one trips me up something AWFUL.

What it's described as being used for is the generic, like "One must do such and such." Hence "one" in the chart above.

In practice, it seems like it's often used not just in that way but also for phrases like

"son of Yawgmoth"

In English, this would be 3rd>3rd, because both the son and Yawgmoth are neither me nor you and so would be "him." But in Phyrexian, 3>3 would sound like you mean "he is his own son," so... no, can't do that. You need another person, so that "he" the son and "he" the Father of Machines (and of This Guy) are differentiated.

But is it 3rd to 4th or 4th to 3rd? And why?

Again: I honestly don't know. This is not how any other language I speak works.

But most examples of this we have in sources are 4>3, or y.

So I'm going to cautiously advise 4>3 until I see more examples of 3>4 and can reason out the difference and give you an actual explanation of what the hell is going on.

So now: those weird parentheses.

These mean that in certain situations you change something else about the word along with adding your infix.

The two ways of changing words are:

Clanking: If you see a ' in parentheses after or before your infix, it means that (if the consonant isn't already clanked) you look up whether the consonant indicated has a clanked version, and if it does, you use that.

so a(') (3>1, they verb me/us) means that you add an a, and then if the ending consonant isn't clanked, you look up whether it has a clanked version and clank it if it does. Since there is no clanked m, solam could be they-hit-me OR I-hit-you.

Similarly, (')a (1>3, I/we verb them) means you find where you put your a, then look at the consonant before it and clank it, if it isn't already and there's a clanked version of that consonant. Since there is no clanked l, solam can ALSO be I/we-hit-them.

I imagine that for verbs like this that don't have clankable consonants, surrounding context is important.

Vowel Harmony: For words with some vowels (a, e, and i, but not others), when you add certain infixes, you also change the initial vowel.

This is shown by an ɒ (the first letter on the chart above) in parentheses before the infix vowel. So say I had this verb:

'at_n, "greet/acknowledge"

and I want to say "I greet you," as I did in "Hello, students!" above.

I look at my chart for 1>2, and I see that my infix is "a." Easy enough!

But I can't just say "atan," as I see my ɒ indicating that I have to harmonize my vowels. So I look at my chart and see "a becomes ɒ," the first one, and therefore I

'ɒtan, "I-greet-you."

...change the initial vowel and add my infix.

From what we're told this by itself can be said like we say hello, without a mood marker. But to formally make it a sentence since we're in class:

^xe-'ɒtan.

Declaration: I greet you.

#fierce teaches phyrexian #gitaxian braindump 3 #relational infixes for me! relational infixes for you! relational infixes for them! re--*bricked*

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thatdesklamp · 8 months

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Writing advice from la lamp de desk

Summary of my tip-top writing tips:

‘Said’ is your best friend; avoid adverbs, you don’t need them; never use adjectives instead of someone’s name; avoid clichés like the plague; don’t mix metaphors; use the Emotion Thesaurus; just practise, all the time, and you’ll get better.

(I also feel the need to say that I was asked for writing tips on multiple occasions--I am not this wanky and conceited to offer this unsolicited)

Dialogue

‘Said’ is your best friend. You do not need to use other ‘dialogue verbs’ (shouted/explained/whispered/replied) as much as you think you do. ‘Said’ is like proper punctuation; it blends in and you don’t notice it… unless it’s not there. Use ‘said’ all the time, because your reader will not notice it. The reader always notices other ‘dialogue verbs’ (they stick out and draw the reader’s attention quite a lot) and so overuse of them becomes confusing. Often, too, people can use them redundantly, especially if the reader can figure out the character’s tone from the rest of the scene. For example: if Sally has just realised Mark has been cheating on her, you really can just have her say: “I hate you!”. You don’t have to write: “I hate you!” Sally shouted. The reader gets it.

An exception to this rule is often said to be when the dialogue verb (the ones that ‘stick out’) provide more detail. For example, if the scene with Sally and Mark was very tense and heated, the reader expects the “I hate you” to be shouted, and said viciously. Of course! Context clues. If instead, you write: “I hate you,” Sally whispered.”, then suddenly the words takes on a whole new meaning. It’s something unexpected! The ‘whispered’ verb was necessary, when the ‘shouted’ verb was unnecessary. ‘Whispered’ stands out, but it stands out for a reason.

(As with all writing ‘rules’, there are no rules, and this doesn’t mean you cannot use other dialogue verbs: I do, all the time. It’s just important to remember that you can use ‘said’ much more than you think, which allows you to use other dialogue verbs judiciously, and not unnecessarily.)

(Here’s a full post I made about dialogue going into more detail with more advice)

Adverbs

Avoid adverbs, you don’t need them. It’s often said that adverbs are unnecessary because they can always be replaced by something better. It’s a common trap to add them on to a word redundantly, when a stronger, single word would be a better fit: why say ‘walked clumsily’ when you could say ‘stumbled’, etc. Another common saying is that adverbs are used to tell and not show: why say ‘he spoke nervously’ when you could say ‘his voice trembled’. Also, see my section on the emotion thesaurus for more detail on this ‘show not tell’ idea.

(This doesn’t mean you can’t use adverbs; simply recognise that, potentially, there is a better and stronger way to write that one sentence that, likely, doesn’t include an adverb.)

(There will be a silent disclaimer like this for every section, but I can’t be arsed to write one every time, so just remember that there are no hard and fast rules in writing, but it’s good to be aware of the general rules, so you can choose to break them when it works well).

Names and adjectives

Never use adjectives instead of someone’s name. Please, please, 99% of the time you never ever have to do this. Someone’s name is like ‘said’; it blends in, and the reader doesn’t notice it, so you really don’t have to worry about overusing it as much as you feel you should be. Some writers will use adjectives in place of someone’s name because they’ve heard the rules against repeating words: they’ll instead write ‘The brunette hummed’ or ‘The older said’ or ‘The lawyer considered’, etc etc.

The issue? Why does the reader need to know this?! You are introducing new information to the reader, and they do not need to know it! The reader does not need to know that the character has brown hair, and, in fact, it doesn’t make any sense within the context of the scene to draw their attention to the character’s hair colour. Why do we need to know? The answer: we don’t. At all. All this does is interrupt the flow of the scene, and make the reader’s brain stumble a little. It feels clunky—you do not need to do this! I see it all the time (often when the two main characters are the same gender and use the same pronouns, and the author is struggling to show the reader who’s doing what). It’s a real pet peeve of mine—just use the character’s name! Or use a pronoun! It’s okay!

The only time this should be used is, similar to the ‘said’ rule, if you are intentionally drawing the reader’s attention to the information you are introducing via the ‘name-substitute adjective’, but this would be a pretty rare occurrence. E.g., Johanna is a high-flying lawyer, but is currently giving out really really poor advice to a friend of hers. Using ‘the lawyer’ instead of her name ‘Johanna’ would remind the reader of her profession, and could serve as something mildly comedic.

Clichés

Avoid clichés like the plague. This is explained really really well in the video, ‘How to Bore your Audience’ by the YouTube channel, The Closer Look. To summarise: when I talk about clichés, I’m talking about the writing phrases or situations that have been so widely said and used and overdone that they no longer generate and effect in the reader. Idioms (turns of phrase, expressions) count here, too. The video gives a really good example: ‘He looked like a deer in headlights’. When you read the phrase, you don’t think of what the simile is intended to convey; the wide-eyed look of fear, the franticness of the car swerving, the horror of innocence being slaughtered, etc. You just think: oh, yeah, they’re probably scared, or whatever. Clichés don’t work as a literary technique, because they don’t affect the reader in any decent way: they just tell the reader what they should know, rather than show them. (Watch the video: there’s loads more detail there, and it’s fab.)

Metaphors

Don’t mix metaphors. This ties in with clichés, when people don’t realise they’re using clichés, or turns of phrases/idioms. Using more than one metaphor in a sentence, when the metaphors have contrasting meanings or use contrasting analogies, can be confusing and won’t generate a clear image in the reader’s head. Good example adapted from Daily Writing Tips: “The pastor warned of impending danger lurking just beneath the surface, which had been hanging over the town’s heads in recent years.” So, first, the danger ‘lurking just beneath the surface’: you’re imagining that, with all the sinister images like murky water, the close-to immediate threat, the danger rising up to meet you… and then, suddenly, it’s above you, and the metaphor’s been switched, and it’s very confusing and the reader is jarred. Not fun, not fun.

The Emotion Thesaurus and ‘show-don’t-tell’

The Emotion Thesaurus is the new love of your life. Most budding authors have heard of the ‘show-don’t-tell’ rule. Don’t ‘tell’ your reader that a character is upset, ‘show’ them; it’s less impactful to say ‘Chloe was smug’ than to say ‘Chloe’s lips curled into a smirk, her chin jutting out’. Etc etc. But how do we think of all of these ‘show’ phrases? How do we remember how humans actually… behave?

USE THE EMOTION THESAURUS! Linked here, it gives loads of body language etc. examples that are so so helpful as a jumping-off point for how to express emotions.

The website, One Stop for Writers, is just a general godsend. There are also masterlists of character motivations, positive and negative traits, and billions of checklists and worksheets and ticksheets. Take some time off and just scour it: it’s the best thing ever, trust me.

Just practise, man.

Nothing comes naturally. I’ve been writing for years and years and, since I’ve been publishing on ao3, I can literally see how I’ve improved over the course writing IW. You will get better, and you will write faster (when I first started, it took me multiple hours to write one page), and you just need to write more. That is it: that is the only way to improve. You don’t need to publish anything if you don’t want to: write for yourself and yourself only! I still abide by this, to be honest; I know I’d be able to get loads more interaction with IW if I published quickly and regularly, but I would end up seeing writing as a chore, and as something solely for the readers, rather than as something that I genuinely enjoy and do as a hobby alongside everything going on in my real-person life.

Just work at it. Do it for enjoyment, and don’t worry if it’s bad. It might genuinely be bad: but everyone’s was, at the beginning. No-one starts off being amazing. Everyone keeps improving; I know I am, and I know loads of things that I need to improve at, and so I’m going to keep on writing and I’ll trust that I’ll get better with practise.

Just write. Please please please, just write.

#fucking that Eng lit a level uppppp!!#ALSO #JUST WRITE YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT IT ONLINE TRUST ME #IT'S OKAY TO WRITE WITHOUT GETTING VALIDATION FROM OTHERS #FOCUS ON ENJOYING IT FOR YOURSELF FIRST OR ELSE YOU'RE GOING TO STRUGGLE TO ENJOY IT WHEN YOU PUBLISH IT I PROMISE

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dreamtigress · 2 months

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#79 please!

79. Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

I am seriously honored to be asked this one.

Of note, my advice is geared towards the way my neurodivergent brain works, so mileage may vary. AuDHD for the win.

In whatever way you like to write/keep notes, make an Ideas/Notes document, and jot down all of the ideas that come to you. Be they snippets, a new piece of headcannon, a chunk of dialogue, whatever. Whenever they come, and you can get 'em down, nail those suckers down. You might never use them, or they might get edited beyond recognition, but I know that if I make note of them, I won't lose them to the ether. To that end, if I'm driving and an IDEA comes, I call and leave myself a voicemail. I can access my notes doc from any internet connection, and jot down ideas ALL the time. It is so advantageous.

I don't always write linearly. I have a ongoing timeline to keep track of my stories and ideas in order, and what things happen when, but I tend to write when the muse hits for a specific piece. I do sit down and try to finish things, in some semblance of order, but I don't force it. I allow myself to work on the piece that is speaking to me, that is delivering the dopamine. I can swap back and forth between WIPs fairly easily now.

Go back and re-read your own work when trying to find or remember a specific characters voice. Often, when I sit down to write a POV, I will go and skim other sections by that same character to give myself a refresher on how they sound in my head and look on the page. As I expand into more varied character POVs, this has become super helpful.

My workflow tends to go:

Rough/First Draft (get it all down, even if it is a little choppy.)

First Edit Run (soon after finishing the rough draft, if not immediately. Refine dialogue, add in bits of background, describe emotions/moods, double check if the physical blocking makes sense.)

Second Edit Run (Usually a day or three after the First Edit. Double check that all the additions FLOW.)

Find _ Edit Run (Using Find to look for repeated/overused words, like 'look', and any 'had hads' or '*'d hads'. I dislike repeating words, and the Thesaurus is my friend. This one goes super quick.)

Read Aloud Edit Run (Read the entire work aloud to myself. This is so key in finding hidden repeated words, badly placed alliteration, clunky dialogue, and run on sentences. It also helps me place punctuation better.)

Final Edit Run (Usually weeks after the original writing. I give myself time and space to 'forget' the work, and then come back with fresh eyes. I usually change very little at this stage, but sometime there's last minute tweaks. If Beta readers have given me feedback, this is usually when I implement it.)

@stormkpr I am so jazzed to get to answer this question, seriously. And it has actually helped me clarify some of my own thoughts on writing, so THANK YOU!!

From here: https://www.tumblr.com/dreamtigress/745684465673748480/fanfiction-writing-asks?source=share

#writer asks #a03 writer #fan fic writer #soc fandom #kanej writer #writing advice #honored #creative writing

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bethany-vs-the-blank-page · 9 months

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In a day and age where it’s easier to be rude than to be polite online, I just wanted to take a minute to talk about constructive versus destructive criticism for writing.

I will be discussing this in the scope of hobbyist writers; particular writers who receive comments ( especially fan fiction writers). This is because both the writer and the reader are not usually professionals in their respective areas and as such, writers may not know how to interpret a criticism and readers may not know how to effectively communicate their criticism.

As a disclaimer, I myself am not a professional writer or editor. I just think this is something that needs to be talked about more. Please feel free to add to the conversation with your own thoughts, opinions, or (constructive) criticisms.

To begin, let’s define three things: criticism, constructive criticism, and destructive criticism. Criticism is the act of passing judgement. It’s when someone gives their feedback on something. While criticism is not inherently a bad thing, it is important to distinguish between different kinds of criticism. Constructive criticism is criticism that is framed in a way that encourages a creator to keep creating by constructively giving ways that their technique can be improved. It is feedback that is given in a positive manner and is helpful. Destructive criticism is criticism that is framed in a way that discourages a creator to keep creating by excessively and unfairly pointing out flaws in a creation. It is feedback that is unrelentingly negative.

In hobbyist writing, there are often places that authors can improve, and readers often root for them to improve as well. Most of the time, readers and commenters want to be positive and helpful, although there are unfortunately a select few who go out of their way solely to be rude. However, sometimes comments that are meant to be constructive criticism can appear to a writer as destructive criticism, thus discouraging a writer when a reader did not intend to.

So what’s getting lost in translation? I personally think that the biggest factor in this is the absence of tone. When we’re speaking aloud, additional visual and audio clues help us understand how someone is speaking to us. For example, the phrase “You’re here?!” could be seen as someone getting a pleasant surprise if they smile and look up, or it could be seen as an unpleasant one if the person scrunches their brows, makes a face, and lowers their voice. Those cues, however cannot be translated onto paper. An example more closely related to writing could be the following comment: “you wrote this???” Without those extra cues, it is difficult to determine from an author’s standpoint whether this commenter means this in a “Wow! That’s awesome that you did!” kind of way or a “This is so bad I can’t believe you had the guts to attach your name to it” way. It’s entirely possible that an author can misunderstand the intended tone of a comment, thereby turning what was meant to be a compliment into a complaint in their mind. Using punctuation can help ensure that the sentence retains it’s original meaning, but it is not a guarantee.

Secondly, I believe that the line where constructive criticism turns in destructive criticism is much blurrier than one would like to imagine. While the line should seem clear cut, remember that what a commenter might think is a positive framework could be seen by the author as a negative framework. Here’s an example:

“I thought the story was good, but X should have definitely not done that and the romance feels kind of forced. Also those sentences sure be running lol.”

Read it again from a commenter’s perspective. Hey, they led with the statement that the story was pretty good right? Then they gave their feedback and even made a little joke about some bad grammar, because grammar is hard and everyone makes mistakes. That’s doesn’t seem so bad.

But read it again from an author’s perspective. Sure, the reader said they liked it, but now that part feels forced, as if they were only saying that to be polite, and the joke seems much more mean. The reader might have meant well, but now it comes off as a little discouraging, doesn’t it?

Here are some things that I’ve noticed that can turn a well-intentioned criticism into a destructive one. First is that commenters either gave a vague example of something they liked, or they don’t list anything positive about the story at all. No matter how bad you think a story is written or executed, you need to be able to name one specific good thing about it if you want to give criticism. Don’t just say “The story was good…” Say something specific. Additionally, be specific about what needs to be improved. It’s much less overwhelming to hear that only one small thing needs fixing rather than the whole piece. Second, be careful about phrasing something like “X was good, but…” That’s not to say don’t use “but”; just be mindful about how it’s being used. It can make the first good thing seem like it’s just there for courtesy, and not something that was genuinely good about the writing. One good way to do this would be to ask questions, especially if it’s about a plot hole. Just remember to phrase any questions in a positive manner as well. Third, don’t make too many criticisms, or if you feel like it’s necessary, make sure to add more things that you liked. My suggested ratio would be at least one positive thing for every 2-3 criticisms, and I would suggest dispersing them throughout a comment so that a list of criticisms doesn’t come off as a rant. And finally, make sure to clarify your intentions. This comes in with the absence of tone that was discussed earlier. A comment should be framed in a way so that it is clear that the reader is genuine about trying to help the author find ways to improve and that they have earnest for the writing. It helps to start with something positive, give the areas of improvement, and also end with something positive.

Here’s how I might rewrite than comment to ensure it is interpreted as constructive and not destructive criticism:

“I really thought this chapter was great!!! The buildup and suspense was amazing and I LOVED that plot twist! That being said, it felt a little strange that X did that, given what we’ve seen about their character. Maybe they have a secret? And I’m interested to see how this romance will develop since it doesn’t quite feel all that natural. X and Y just haven’t interacted that much, y’know? Also, I just wanted to say that there’s a sentence in the middle that just feels a little wordy. Anyway, I loved this so so much, please keep the story going!”

Seems a lot more encouraging now, eh?

In conclusion, if there’s one thing I want any readers to take away from this, it’s that the difference between constructive and destructive criticism can be a matter of perspective. If you were the author, would that comment make you excited to continue practice writing and get better, or would it make you want to put down your pencil and quit? Remember that both reader and writers are human, and extend some grace in writing comments and interpreting comments.

That’s all, folks. Happy reading, writing, and commenting!

#writeblr #writing #writers #criticism #writing community #constructive criticism #destructive criticism #comments #readers #fanfiction

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formlessvoidbeast · 8 months

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Question: How do you feel that you have explained enough when writing? When your words are flowing like water from your pen, and the rush is so fast at times you feel like before you stop to ink those details in, the direction, that careful context that brings your readers along for the ride, you end up being swept away onto the next part in your fervour.

And you revise it, yeah, course you do, but how can you tell when you have sufficiently written the right bridges and smoothed out the crinkles in your writing form?

Please, share.

Ok, so, I've been thinking about how to answer this. I think maybe the answer is that I'm not that kind of writer?

The moments when I am being swept along to the next big thing are vanishingly rare. I need to get this scene right before I can go write that scene. This is not a strength. It has taken me years to get comfortable leaving myself something like [some transition] at the end of a scene to come back to it later and moving on to the next bit I can write rather than getting completely stuck.

scrolling back up to revise now: I think also part of not getting swept along to the next bit is knowing that I can always get to that next bit. It's not going anywhere. I'll get there when I get there and the scene will have had time to mature in my head in the meanwhile. But then, I am less at mercy of the whims of hyperfocus than many a writer who is diagnoseable with ADHD or the like. I am not. I don't have to get it done Right Now Immediately or it'll never get done, you know?

I am also not that analytical of a writer. I don't really think logically about if I've written the right bridges and smoothed out the crinkles? It's all vibes up in here. It's right when it feels right. If it feels sparse and incomplete, I add more. Sometimes it feels overstuffed and the pacing is off, and I have to delete some (that one is much harder. I am very proud of the fact that I am now able to take the axe to some of my words sometimes. It is not my strength, but something I'm working on).

Getting a feel for that kind of thing comes with practice. I know a decade ago I didn't think in satisfying narrative arcs when coming up with characters? I was spitballing with a friend fleshing out their OC the other day and found myself going 'ok, if the beginning of their arc is realizing that these people are depending on them and they need to step up, then the satisfying conclusion should be realizing that they can depend on these people in turn'. It's something I might have done instinctively earlier in my writing? But now I have the experience and tools to think about more intentionally.

I am also not that analytical of a writer in the fact that I just write functional words. I greatly admire authors who can think deeply about individual word choices through the entirety of a work, picking them like a poet so every sentence is perfect. They're out there building the literary equivalent of towering aqueducts, stone by stone and word by word. That's not me. I'm just standing in the word fields digging a trench one small shovelful at a time, and eventually I've dug a ditch that the water pretty much flows through to get where I wanted it to go, and that's good enough.

The story is never going to be the story it was in my head. In my head, a story is all unspecified vibes, powerful images, and the occasional good snippet of prose. The story in my head doesn't have to have grammar and punctuation. It's never going to be what it was in my head, but if I can get the main emotions across that's good enough for me. And again, I can't tell you how to know when you have gotten the emotions across. That's something you have to figure out yourself with time and practice (and also by the reactions of the people who read your story. it's hard to do in a vacuum.)

Thank you for this ask! It has been interesting to think about my writing process this morning. But I'm also very sorry I don't have a better answer for you. It's all done by feel over here.

#life of ts #writing is hard #askbox

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valkyriexo · 1 month

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Just to let you know your new fic about chan helping when you faint has a lot of repeat sentences. Like, it repeats a lot of the things written immediately after one another. No hate at all, I just wanted to make sure you are aware! Love your account!! 💖

Yes, I did notice this! It has to do with me copying and pasting from my Word doc. I copy it in parts, just so I can double-check punctuation and wording a little before it goes in. Sometimes when I don't like it, though, I'll rewrite and rewrite until I get a version I like, and then paste it in. But I'm learning Tumblr doesn't like pasting, so when I paste, it doesn't delete the part I highlighted, just adds it right after.

I also didn't mean to post it when I did (never using the mobile version again, lesson learned).

Thank you, thank you for letting me know! Please don't be shy to reach out if you see other mistakes, like this🖤

#val

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cacodaemonia · 1 year

Text

I thought I'd share this site I've been using for a couple of years that has really helped me with punctuating dialogue. I've included some snippets from it below the cut:

Dialogue interrupted by dialogue tag Dialogue can be interrupted by a tag and then resume in the same sentence. Commas go inside the first set of quotation marks and after the dialogue tag (or action).

“He loved you,” she said, “but you didn’t care.”

“He loved you,” she said, hoping to provoke a reaction, “but you didn’t care.”

Separating this into two sentences also works. The first sentence will end with a period and the second will begin with a capital letter.

“He loved you,” she said, hoping to provoke a reaction. “But you didn’t care.”

...

Dialogue interrupted by action or thought but no dialogue tag Characters can pause in their words to do something and then resume the dialogue. If there is no dialogue tag, special punctuation is required to set off the action or thought.

Enclose the first part of the dialogue in quotation marks but omit the comma. Follow the end quotation mark with an em dash and the action or thought and then another em dash. Resume the dialogue with another opening quotation mark, complete the dialogue, and end with a period and a closing quotation mark. There are no spaces between the quotation marks and the dashes or between the dashes and the action/thought.

Thus the spoken words are within quotation marks and the action or thought is set off by the dashes.

“He loved you”—she pounded the wall with a heavy fist—“but you never cared.”

“He loved you”—at least she thought he had—“but you never cared.”

Compare this to a similar construction without dialogue:

He’d forgotten all about me—my heart ached at the thought—but I’d never forgotten him.

...

Dialogue abruptly cut off When dialogue is cut off—the character is being choked or something suddenly diverts his attention or another character interrupts him—use an em dash before the closing quotation mark. Dialogue can be interrupted mid-word or at the end of a word. Consider the sounds of words and syllables before deciding where to break the interrupted word: you wouldn’t break the word there after the T (t—), because the first sound comes from the combined th (th—).

“He loved y—“

Dialogue abruptly cut off by another speaker When a second speaker interrupts the first, use the em dash where the first speaker’s words are interrupted and again where they resume.

“He loved you—”

“As if I could believe that.”

“—for such a long, long time.”

Dialogue that trails off When dialogue trails off—the character has lost his train of thought or doesn’t know what to say—use the ellipsis.

“He loved you . . .” A long, long time ago, she thought.

+++

I would also like to add something I've learned, though I can't recall from where (and please correct me if I'm wrong!):

Writing dialogue similar to the third example above, but without dialogue markers, works a bit differently. For example:

“He loved you,” she said, hoping to provoke a reaction. “But you didn’t care.”

“He loved you." She smirked, hoping to provoke a reaction. “But you didn’t care.”

Note that the first comma becomes a period because 'smirked' is not a dialogue marker—in other words, it's not something that could take the place of 'said.' And then, of course, the 'she' following it is capitalized, whereas in the first example, it's not capitalized.

I hope this is helpful for some folks!

#writing #writing advice #dialogue #dialog #writing dialogue #writing dialog

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