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Latest Posts by sparklingsilvermagnolias - Page 3
unbothered character dialogue + prompts ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
@celestialwrites for more!!
♡ “breathing air that you contaminate deeply unsettles me.”
♡ constantly putting their feet on their superior’s desk/table.
♡ “please remind me why you are relevant.”
♡ always commenting at the worst moment possible.
♡ “life was far more peaceful when i thought you were dead.”
♡ when someone is yelling at them, the character pulls out a book and just starts reading.
♡ “i gave my last fuck two decades ago, you’re going to need a time machine to find it.”
♡ sees a dead body and just sighs, turns around and goes to the breakfast diner across the street.
♡ “if he opens his mouth again i’m calling the cops for a noise disturbance.”
♡ has one hobby that they get really prickly about if people interrupt or make fun of it.
♡ “when did you finally decide to be helpful?”
♡ sees another character having a panic attack and asks them to quiet down so they can finish their crossword puzzle.
♡ “maybe if you were as tall as your ego you would have seen it.”
♡ other characters having to remind them to either pretend to care or not speak at all during important meetings/situations.
♡ “i could bring the heavens crashing down, remember that the next time you interrupt my coffee break.”
♡ being the key part of the team’s plan but will continuously sleep in.
REBLOG TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WRITERS!!<3
my 10 holy grail pieces of writing advice for beginners
from an indie author who's published 4 books and written 20+, as well as 400k in fanfiction (who is also a professional beta reader who encounters the same issues in my clients' books over and over)
show don't tell is every bit as important as they say it is, no matter how sick you are of hearing about it. "the floor shifted beneath her feet" hits harder than "she felt sick with shock."
no head hopping. if you want to change pov mid scene, put a scene break. you can change it multiple times in the same scene! just put a break so your readers know you've changed pov.
if you have to infodump, do it through dialogue instead of exposition. your reader will feel like they're learning alongside the character, and it will flow naturally into your story.
never open your book with an exposition dump. instead, your opening scene should drop into the heart of the action with little to no context. raise questions to the reader and sprinkle in the answers bit by bit. let your reader discover the context slowly instead of holding their hand from the start. trust your reader; donn't overexplain the details. this is how you create a perfect hook.
every chapter should end on a cliffhanger. doesn't have to be major, can be as simple as ending a chapter mid conversation and picking it up immediately on the next one. tease your reader and make them need to turn the page.
every scene should subvert the character's expectations, as big as a plot twist or as small as a conversation having a surprising outcome. scenes that meet the character's expectations, such as a boring supply run, should be summarized.
arrive late and leave early to every scene. if you're character's at a party, open with them mid conversation instead of describing how they got dressed, left their house, arrived at the party, (because those things don't subvert their expectations). and when you're done with the reason for the scene is there, i.e. an important conversation, end it. once you've shown what you needed to show, get out, instead of describing your character commuting home (because it doesn't subvert expectations!)
epithets are the devil. "the blond man smiled--" you've lost me. use their name. use it often. don't be afraid of it. the reader won't get tired of it. it will serve you far better than epithets, especially if you have two people of the same pronouns interacting.
your character should always be working towards a goal, internal or external (i.e learning to love themself/killing the villain.) try to establish that goal as soon as possible in the reader's mind. the goal can change, the goal can evolve. as long as the reader knows the character isn't floating aimlessly through the world around them with no agency and no desire. that gets boring fast.
plan scenes that you know you'll have fun writing, instead of scenes that might seem cool in your head but you know you'll loathe every second of. besides the fact that your top priority in writing should be writing for only yourself and having fun, if you're just dragging through a scene you really hate, the scene will suffer for it, and readers can tell. the scenes i get the most praise on are always the scenes i had the most fun writing. an ideal outline shouldn't have parts that make you groan to look at. you'll thank yourself later.
happy writing :)
umm do you have any good gateway books into second wave feminism 😓
So if you want to read some of the defining books of the era I'd say
Sexual Politics, Kate Millett
Ob/Gyn, Mary Daly
Dialectics of Sex, Shulamith Firestone
Intercourse; Right-Wing Women; Woman Hating; Pornography; all four by Andrea Dworkin
Against Our Will, Susan Brownmiller
Ain't I a Woman, bell hooks
Sister Outsider, Audre Lorde
I haven't read it but I've also seen The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer recommended a lot.
These are all good starts for second-wave feminism imo. upon reading them you'll also find some recommendations to other books as second-wave feminists referenced each other pretty often.
I would also advise reading history books written about the second-wave on the side. For example, Jewish Radical Feminism by Joyce Antler shades some light on Firestone's, Brownmiller's and Dworkin's life and political perspectives that helps put their work in context. Another really good one is Battling Pornography by Carolyn Bronstein, you can read this in a series with Pornography by Andrea Dworkin and Against Our Will by Susan Brownmiller. And then you also have The Trouble Between Us by Winifred Breines, about the tensions between white and black, straight and lesbian, upper and lower class second wave feminists. Also a very interesting read that puts some works in context and still has strong relevance nowadays
In the past fifty years, fantasy’s greatest sin might be its creation of a bland, invariant, faux-Medieval European backdrop. The problem isn’t that every fantasy novel is set in the same place: pick a given book, and it probably deviates somehow. The problem is that the texture of this place gets everywhere.
What’s texture, specifically? Exactly what Elliot says: material culture. Social space. The textiles people use, the jobs they perform, the crops they harvest, the seasons they expect, even the way they construct their names. Fantasy writing doesn’t usually care much about these details, because it doesn’t usually care much about the little people – laborers, full-time mothers, sharecroppers, so on. (The last two books of Earthsea represent LeGuin’s remarkable attack on this tendency in her own writing.) So the fantasy writer defaults – fills in the tough details with the easiest available solution, and moves back to the world-saving, vengeance-seeking, intrigue-knotting narrative. Availability heuristics kick in, and we get another world of feudal serfs hunting deer and eating grains, of Western name constructions and Western social assumptions. (Husband and wife is not the universal historical norm for family structure, for instance.)
Defaulting is the root of a great many evils. Defaulting happens when we don’t think too much about something we write – a character description, a gender dynamic, a textile on display, the weave of the rug. Absent much thought, automaticity, the brain’s subsconscious autopilot, invokes the easiest available prototype – in the case of a gender dynamic, dad will read the paper, and mom will cut the protagonist’s hair. Or, in the case of worldbuilding, we default to the bland fantasy backdrop we know, and thereby reinforce it. It’s not done out of malice, but it’s still done.
The only way to fight this is by thinking about the little stuff. So: I was quite wrong. You do need to worldbuild pretty hard. Worldbuild against the grain, and worldbuild to challenge. Think about the little stuff. You don’t need to position every rain shadow and align every tectonic plate before you start your short story. But you do need to build a base of historical information that disrupts and overturns your implicit assumptions about how societies ‘ordinarily’ work, what they ‘ordinarily’ eat, who they ‘ordinarily’ sleep with. Remember that your slice of life experience is deeply atypical and selective, filtered through a particular culture with particular norms. If you stick to your easy automatic tendencies, you’ll produce sexist, racist writing – because our culture still has sexist, racist tendencies, tendencies we internalize, tendencies we can now even measure and quantify in a laboratory. And you’ll produce narrow writing, writing that generalizes a particular historical moment, its flavors and tongues, to a fantasy world that should be much broader and more varied. Don’t assume that the world you see around you, its structures and systems, is inevitable.
We... need worldbuilding by Seth Dickinson
Reading fantasy again, I've started thinking about how odd it is how in books like that, the non-human races invariably scoff at human frailty and vulnerability, even those that they'll call friends. Like that's mean?? Why would you be a dick to your friend who you know is not capable of as much as you are, and it's not their fault they were born like that. That's mean.
Like consider the opposite: Characters of non-human races treating their human companions like frail little old dogs. Worrying about small wounds being fatal - humans die of small injuries all the time - or being surprised that humans can actually eat salt, even if they can't stomach other spicy rocks. Being amazed that a human friend they haven't seen in 10 years still looks so young, they've hardly aged at all! And when the human tries to explain that they weren't going to just unexpectedly shrivel into a raisin in 10 years, the longer-lifespan friend dismisses this like no, he's seen it happen, you don't see a human for 10 or 20 years and they've shriveled in a blink.
Elves arguing with each other like "you can't take her out there, she will die!" and when the human gets there to ask what they're talking about, they explain to her that the journey will take them through a passage where it's going to be sunny out there. Humans burn in the sun. And she will have to clarify that no, actually, she'll be fine. They fight her about it, until she manages to convince them that it's not like vampires - humans only burn a little bit in the sun, not all the way through. She'll be fine if she just wears a hat.
Meanwhile dwarves are reluctant to allow humans in their mines and cities, not just out of being secretive, but because they know that you cannot bring humans underground, they will go insane if they go too long without seeing the sun. Nobody is entirely sure how long that is, but the general consensus is three days. One time a human tries to explain their dwarf companion that this is not true, there are humans that endure much longer darkness than that. As a matter of fact, in the furthest habited corners of the lands of the Northmen, the winter sun barely rises at all. Humans can survive three weeks of darkness, and not just once, but every single year.
"Then how do they sane?" Asks the dwarf, and just as he does, the conversation gets interrupted by the northland human, who had been eavesdropping, and turns to look at them with an unnerving glint in her colourless grey eyes, grinning while saying
"That's the neat part, we don't."
Hey, random writing tip: Instead of having something be a ridiculously unlikely coincidence, you can make the thing happen due to who this particular character is as a person. Instead of getting stuck on "there's no logical reason to why that would happen", try to bend it into a case of "something like this would never happen to anybody but this specific fucker." Something that makes your reader chuckle and roll their eyes, going "well of course you would."
Why would the timid shy nerd be at a huge sketchy downtown black market bazaar? Well, she's got this beetle colony she's raising that needs a very specific kind of leaf for nest material, and there only place to get it is this one guy at the bazaar that sells that stuff. Why would the most femininely flamboyant guy ever known just happen to have downright encyclopedic knowledge about professional boxing? Well, there was this one time when he was down bad for this guy who was an aspiring professional boxer...
I know it sounds stupidly obvious when written out like this, but when you're up close to your writing, it's hard to see the forest for the trees. Some time ago I finished reading a book, where the whole plot hinges on character A, who is 100% certain that character B is dead, personally getting up and coming down from the top rooms of a castle, to the gates, at 3 am, to come look at some drunk who claims to be this guy who died 17 years ago. Why would A do that, if he's sure that B is dead?
Because he's a Warrior Guy from a culture of Loyalty And Honour, and hearing that someone's got the audacity to go about claiming to be his long-lost brother in battle, there is no other option than to immediately personally go down there to beat the ever-loving shit out of this guy. Who then turns out to actually be character B, after all.
How to avoid White Room Syndrome
by Writerthreads on Instagram
A common problem writers face is "white room syndrome"—when scenes feel like they’re happening in an empty white room. To avoid this, it's important to describe settings in a way that makes them feel real and alive, without overloading readers with too much detail. Here are a few tips below to help!
Focus on a few key details
You don’t need to describe everything in the scene—just pick a couple of specific, memorable details to bring the setting to life. Maybe it’s the creaky floorboards in an old house, the musty smell of a forgotten attic, or the soft hum of a refrigerator in a small kitchen. These little details help anchor the scene and give readers something to picture, without dragging the action with heaps of descriptions.
Engage the senses
Instead of just focusing on what characters can see, try to incorporate all five senses—what do they hear, smell, feel, or even taste? Describe the smell of fresh bread from a nearby bakery, or the damp chill of a foggy morning. This adds a lot of depth and make the location feel more real and imaginable.
Mix descriptions with actions
Have characters interact with the environment. How do your characters move through the space? Are they brushing their hands over a dusty bookshelf, shuffling through fallen leaves, or squeezing through a crowded subway car? Instead of dumping a paragraph of description, mix it in with the action or dialogue.
Use the setting to reflect a mood or theme
Sometimes, the setting can do more than just provide a backdrop—it can reinforce the mood of a scene or even reflect a theme in the story. A stormy night might enhance tension, while a warm, sunny day might highlight a moment of peace. The environment can add an extra layer to what’s happening symbolically.
Here's an example of writing a description that hopefully feels alive and realistic, without dragging the action:
The bookstore was tucked between two brick buildings, its faded sign creaking with every gust of wind. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of worn paper and dust, mingling with the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee from a corner café down the street. The wooden floorboards groaned as Ella wandered between the shelves, her fingertips brushing the spines of forgotten novels. Somewhere in the back, the soft sound of jazz crackled from an ancient radio.
Hope these tips help in your writing!
the look of love (for writers)
"it's all in the eyes i was once told"
catching the stare of someone across a crowded room
subtle furrowing of eyebrows beyond a blank facade
coldness easing into warmth
a fond mothering gaze
corner of the lip nudged upward
forced glower/glare as they break underneath
batting their lashes, playful
a boisterous laugh
intrigue piercing the stoic
proud smugness at the other's success
lingering glances
a childish joy bursting through
pupils dilate
eyelids shut in a look of peace, calm and trust
look of longing/betrayal
"there was once a time when they were mine"
terseness
features fold into a scowl
an urgent flinching back
coldness returns (as though the warmth had never come)
lips part then purse
invasion of shock
slow stare at the floor
the ripple effect of a swallow
frustrated breath/sigh
bitter laugh in reminiscence
dread tearing through the seams of their composure
look of hatred
"darkness"
mean smirk- teeth bared grimace- scowl
dismissive gaze
gaze of contempt/impatience
threat lowering the voice
sardonic goading grins verging on manic
rolling one's eyes
flicker of irritation in the eyes
stares stubbornly ahead despite distraction
gritted teeth, clenched jaw
fierce biting remarks
even measured complexions betraying no thought
strangling oneself back from violence
utter apathy
murderous silence hanging in the stare
snobbish laughter
smiling at another's downfall
Writing References: Character Development
50 Questions ⚜ Backstory ⚜ Character-driven Story
Basics: How to Write a Character ⚜ A Story-Worthy Hero
Basics: Character-Building ⚜ Character Creation
Types of Characters: Key Characters ⚜ Literary Characters ⚜ Flat & Round Characters ⚜ Morally Grey ⚜ Narrators ⚜ Allegorical Characters ⚜ Archetypes ⚜ Stereotypical Characters
Worksheets: Backstory ⚜ Character ⚜ Kill your Characters ⚜ Antagonist; Villain; Fighting ⚜ Change; Adding Action; Conflict ⚜ Character Sketch & Bible ⚜ Protagonist & Antagonist ⚜ Name; Quirks; Flaws; Motivation ⚜ "Interviewing" your Characters ⚜ "Well-Rounded" Character
Personality Traits
5 Personality Traits (OCEAN) ⚜ 16 Personality Traits (16PF)
600+ Personality Traits ⚜ 170 Quirks
East vs. West Personalities ⚜ Trait Theories
Tips/Editing
Character Issues ⚜ Character Tropes for Inspiration
"Strong" Characters ⚜ Unlikable to Likable
Tips from Rick Riordan
Writing Notes
Binge ED ⚜ Hate ⚜ Love ⚜ Identifying Character Descriptions
Childhood Bilingualism ⚜ Children's Dialogue ⚜ On Children
Culture ⚜ Culture: Two Views ⚜ Culture Shock
Dangerousness ⚜ Flaws ⚜ Fantasy Creatures
Emotional Intelligence ⚜ Genius (Giftedness)
Emotions (1) (2) ⚜ Anger ⚜ Fear ⚜ Happiness ⚜ Sadness
Emotional Universals ⚜ External & Internal Journey
Goals & Motivations ⚜ Grammar Development ⚜ Habits
Facial Expressions ⚜ Jargon ⚜ Swearing & Taboo Expressions
Happy/Excited Body Language ⚜ Laughter & Humor
Health ⚜ Frameworks of Health ⚜ Memory
Mutism ⚜ Shyness ⚜ Parenting Styles ⚜ Generations
Psychological Reactions to Unfair Behavior
Rhetoric ⚜ The Rhetorical Triangle ⚜ Logical Fallacies
Thinking ⚜ Thinking Styles ⚜ Thought Distortions
Uncommon Words: Body ⚜ Emotions
Villains ⚜ Voice & Accent
More References: Plot ⚜ World-building ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs
Small romance things that make me go FERAL
A very totally incredibly non-delulu list by Writerthreads
arm/shoulder/waist/SMALL OF THE BACK touches
HANDS BRUSHING, BUT TOO NERVOUS TO DO ANYTHING MORE
calling them by their name ("What's your opinion on this, X?") (they way they say their name makes their heart do funny things)
the way their voice goes heavy/breathy
CHIN RESTS ON THEIR SHOULDER
whispering into their ear and the way their breath tickles
non-affectionate nicknames just for them
recognising their laugh and trying to make them laugh just to hear it again
little private smirks/winks, watching their reaction when someone makes a joke
sniffing their hair/recognising their on their shampoo
eye contact so deep they feel like sinking
SMALL PECKS ON THE CORNER OF THEIR MOUTH/CHIN/FOREHEAD
recognising the sound of their footsteps
co-existing in the same space, acknowledging their presence and feeling safe
CARESSING THEIR CHEEK WITH THEIR THUMB
recognising their nervous ticks and comforting them, like putting a hand on their bouncing leg
tracing scars, freckles, moles, lines of their muscle, you name it (SCREAMS)
grinning when they blush
watching with pride as the other does a presentation/leads a mission/takes charge
making up private signals for each other
HAND KISSES
NECK KISSES
playing with their hair/brushing their hair/braiding their hair
Ah, love. That lingering warm, fuzzy feeling in your chest. I love love.
Ideas to Show Secret Pining
"Why don't you join me?"
"I'll give you a ride, don't worry."
*does something they don't like* "What? I like it."
*immense staring at every chance they get*
*thinking of their crush while listening to songs*
"You said you liked it so I brought it for you."
*finds ways to spend more time with them*
*friendly bullying intensifies*
"I'm looking forward to seeing you there."
"Are you gonna be there?"
"How about we sneak off, just you and me?"
"Why don't I cook for them? What's their favourite dish again?"
*aggressive google searches about how to propose to your crush*
"I'll join those dance lessons, maybe then she'll notice me."
*hopeless around them*
*failed flirting attempts*
*increased compliments*
"My problem is that I like them a little too much for my sanity."
*gets jealous* "So, are you seeing them or something?"
"Are you okay?" // "Completely okay!" (definitely not okay)
*tries to sabotage their crush's date*
*gets into trouble so they can be scolded by their crush*
"I want you to come with me, please?"
-ashlee
a list of 100+ buildings to put in your fantasy town
academy
adventurer's guild
alchemist
apiary
apothecary
aquarium
armory
art gallery
bakery
bank
barber
barracks
bathhouse
blacksmith
boathouse
book store
bookbinder
botanical garden
brothel
butcher
carpenter
cartographer
casino
castle
cobbler
coffee shop
council chamber
court house
crypt for the noble family
dentist
distillery
docks
dovecot
dyer
embassy
farmer's market
fighting pit
fishmonger
fortune teller
gallows
gatehouse
general store
graveyard
greenhouses
guard post
guildhall
gymnasium
haberdashery
haunted house
hedge maze
herbalist
hospice
hospital
house for sale
inn
jail
jeweller
kindergarten
leatherworker
library
locksmith
mail courier
manor house
market
mayor's house
monastery
morgue
museum
music shop
observatory
orchard
orphanage
outhouse
paper maker
pawnshop
pet shop
potion shop
potter
printmaker
quest board
residence
restricted zone
sawmill
school
scribe
sewer entrance
sheriff's office
shrine
silversmith
spa
speakeasy
spice merchant
sports stadium
stables
street market
tailor
tannery
tavern
tax collector
tea house
temple
textile shop
theatre
thieves guild
thrift store
tinker's workshop
town crier post
town square
townhall
toy store
trinket shop
warehouse
watchtower
water mill
weaver
well
windmill
wishing well
wizard tower
Tips for writing those gala scenes, from someone who goes to them occasionally:
Generally you unbutton and re-button a suit coat when you sit down and stand up.
You’re supposed to hold wine or champagne glasses by the stem to avoid warming up the liquid inside. A character out of their depth might hold the glass around the sides instead.
When rich/important people forget your name and they’re drunk, they usually just tell you that they don’t remember or completely skip over any opportunity to use your name so they don’t look silly.
A good way to indicate you don’t want to shake someone’s hand at an event is to hold a drink in your right hand (and if you’re a woman, a purse in the other so you definitely can’t shift the glass to another hand and then shake)
Americans who still kiss cheeks as a welcome generally don’t press lips to cheeks, it’s more of a touch of cheek to cheek or even a hover (these days, mostly to avoid smudging a woman’s makeup)
The distinctions between dress codes (black tie, cocktail, etc) are very intricate but obvious to those who know how to look. If you wear a short skirt to a black tie event for example, people would clock that instantly even if the dress itself was very formal. Same thing goes for certain articles of men’s clothing.
Open bars / cash bars at events usually carry limited options. They’re meant to serve lots of people very quickly, so nobody is getting a cosmo or a Manhattan etc.
Members of the press generally aren’t allowed to freely circulate at nicer galas/events without a very good reason. When they do, they need to identify themselves before talking with someone.
When inventing a fantasy religion a lot of people a) make the mistake of assuming that everyone in fantasy world would worship the same gods and b) assume that polytheistic religions see all of their gods as morally good
some fucking resources for all ur writing fuckin needs
* body language masterlist
* a translator that doesn’t eat ass like google translate does
* a reverse dictionary for when ur brain freezes
* 550 words to say instead of fuckin said
* 638 character traits for when ur brain freezes again
* some more body language help
(hope this helps some ppl)
Struggling with emotional scenes? Here are some tips for writing emotion!
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1. While you’re writing, try to build an explanation for their feelings. What triggered their emotion? Is their reaction rational or are they overreacting? Do they fight, flight, fawn or freeze when provoked? Do they feel threatened?
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2. Show, don’t tell. Describe what is happening instead of plainly stating the situation. Try not to use words like sad, happy, devastated, in pain, angry, nervous, scared, or worried. They cut back on the emotional integrity of the scene and make it hard for readers to connect with your characters. Here are some different behaviors for different emotions.
-Eager-
Bouncing up and down
Unable to sit still
Breathing deeply
Fidgeting
Pretending to do something
Trying to stay busy
Constantly looking at the clock
-Nervous-
Red and hot face
Sweaty palms
Voice cracks
Shaky hands
Biting nails
Biting lips/inside of cheek
Wide eyes
Shallow breathing
Heart racing
-Excited-
Wide smile
Squeal/scream
Bouncing up and down
Fidgeting
Playing with hands
Tapping foot
Talking fast
Tapping pencil
Pacing back and forth
-Scared-
Curling up/bringing knees to head
Closing eyes
Covering ears
Stop breathing or breathing quickly
Biting nails
Shaking
Gritting teeth
Hugging/squeezing something tight
-Frustrated-
Stomping
Grunting/mumbling/yelling
Deep breaths
Red and hot face
Hitting/kicking something
Pointing
Straining/veins become more visible
-Sobbing-
Eyes filling up with tears
Eyes burn/turn red
Red cheeks
Face becomes puffy
Pursed lips
Holding head down
Hyperventilating
Fast blinking
Trying not to blink/holding back tears
-Happy-
Smiling wide
Laughing loudly
Cheeks hurting
Talking loudly
Higher pitched voice
Animated/expressive
-Upset-
Walking slowly/shuffling feet
Head down/avoiding eye contact
Biting inside of cheek
Dissociation
Keeping quiet
Fidgeting
-Bored-
Pacing back and forth
Sighing loudly
Complaining
Fidgeting
Blank face
Looking for something to do
Making up stories
Talking about random topics
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3. Try and bring some trauma into your character’s emotions. For example, something might happen that reminds them of a suppressed/traumatic memory. This is an easy way to hook your reader and have them really feel like your character is a real person with real emotions. They might have some internal conflict they need to work through and a certain situation reminds them of that. They might become irritable at the thought of their traumatic experience and they might snap at whoever is nearby.
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4. Most characters won’t dump their entire backstory or feelings in a conversation. Try and reserve your character’s emotions to make more interesting scenes later on. For example, your character may be triggered and someone may ask them what’s wrong. Will they give in, soften up and share? Or will they cut themself off and say they’re fine? Also take into account that your character might not know the other character very well and won’t be comfortable sharing personal information with them, like details regarding their trauma.
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5. Last but not least, you don’t need to have a major event happen to connect emotionally with your audience. You don’t have to kill off a character every time you need to spice up your story, even simple interactions can just help your readers understand your character better. Show how they react to certain topics or situations. Describe their feelings, their surroundings, their body language. Their defense mechanisms will help the audience to better understand what kind of person they are.
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Overused Words in Writing & How to Avoid Them
We’ve all got our comfort words—those trusty adjectives, verbs, or phrases we lean on like a crutch. But when certain words show up too often, they lose their impact, leaving your writing feeling repetitive or uninspired.
1. “Very” and Its Cousins
Why It’s Overused: It’s easy to tack on “very” for emphasis, but it’s vague and doesn’t pull its weight.
Instead of: “She was very tired.” Try: “She was exhausted.” / “She dragged her feet like lead weights.”
💡 Tip: Use precise, vivid descriptions rather than vague intensifiers.
2. “Looked” and “Saw”
Why It’s Overused: It’s functional but flat, and it often tells instead of shows.
Instead of: “He looked at her in disbelief.” Try: “His eyebrows shot up, his lips parting as if words had failed him.”
💡 Tip: Focus on body language or sensory details instead of relying on generic verbs.
3. “Suddenly”
Why It’s Overused: It’s often used to create surprise, but it tells readers how to feel instead of letting the scene deliver the shock.
Instead of: “Suddenly, the door slammed shut.” Try: “The door slammed shut, the sound ricocheting through the empty room.”
💡 Tip: Let the action or pacing create urgency without needing to announce it.
4. “Said” (When Overdone or Misused)
Why It’s Overused: While “said” is often invisible and functional, using it in every dialogue tag can feel robotic.
Instead of: “I can’t believe it,” she said. “Me neither,” he said. Try: Replace with an action: “I can’t believe it.” She ran a hand through her hair, pacing. “Me neither.” He leaned against the counter, arms crossed.
💡 Tip: Don’t ditch “said” entirely; just mix it up with context clues or action beats.
5. “Felt”
Why It’s Overused: It’s a shortcut that tells instead of showing emotions.
Instead of: “She felt nervous.” Try: “Her palms slicked with sweat, and she couldn’t stop her leg from bouncing.”
💡 Tip: Let readers infer emotions through sensory details or behavior.
6. “Really” and “Actually”
Why It’s Overused: They add little to your sentences and can dilute the impact of stronger words.
Instead of: “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.” Try: “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
💡 Tip: If a sentence works without these words, cut them.
7. “Walked” or “Ran”
Why It’s Overused: These are go-to movement words, but they can feel bland when used repeatedly.
Instead of: “He walked into the room.” Try: “He strolled in like he owned the place.” / “He shuffled in, avoiding everyone’s eyes.”
💡 Tip: Use verbs that convey mood, speed, or attitude.
8. “Just”
Why It’s Overused: It sneaks into sentences unnecessarily, weakening your prose.
Instead of: “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” Try: “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
💡 Tip: Delete “just” unless it adds essential nuance.
9. “Thought”
Why It’s Overused: It tells readers what a character is thinking instead of showing it through internal dialogue or action.
Instead of: “She thought he might be lying.” Try: “His story didn’t add up. The timelines didn’t match, and he wouldn’t meet her eyes.”
💡 Tip: Immerse readers in the character’s perspective without announcing their thoughts.
10. “Nice” and Other Vague Adjectives
Why It’s Overused: It’s generic and doesn’t give readers a clear picture.
Instead of: “He was a nice guy.” Try: “He always remembered her coffee order and held the door open, even when his arms were full.”
💡 Tip: Show qualities through actions instead of relying on vague descriptors.
Final Tips for Avoiding Overused Words:
1. Use a thesaurus wisely: Swap overused words for synonyms, but stay true to your character’s voice and the scene’s tone.
2. Read your work aloud: You’ll catch repetitive patterns and clunky phrases more easily.
3. Edit in layers: Focus on eliminating overused words during your second or third pass, not your first draft.
Character Flaws and Their Meanings
Impulsiveness : Acts on instinct without careful planning. Perfectionism : Sets unrealistically high standards, leading to self-criticism. Indecisiveness : Struggles to commit to decisions or choose a path. Arrogance : Overestimates one’s abilities and dismisses others. Pessimism : Habitually expects negative outcomes in most situations. Cynicism : Distrusts the motives and sincerity of others. Overconfidence : Places excessive faith in one’s skills, often underestimating risks. Stubbornness : Resists change and refuses to adapt to new ideas. Jealousy : Feels envious of others' success or possessions. Insecurity : Experiences frequent self-doubt and a lack of confidence. Procrastination : Tends to delay tasks, often leading to missed opportunities. Passivity : Avoids taking initiative and relies on others to act. Aggressiveness : Responds with hostility or force rather than reason. Selfishness : Prioritizes personal gain over the welfare of others. Fragility : Is overly sensitive to criticism and easily discouraged. Egotism : Constantly focuses on oneself and one’s own importance. Defensiveness : Quickly rejects or rationalizes away critique or new information. Manipulativeness : Exploits others to fulfill personal needs or desires. Recklessness : Shows a careless disregard for potential risks or consequences. Resentfulness : Holds lingering bitterness and grudges over perceived wrongs. Distractibility : Finds it hard to maintain focus amid competing interests. Impatience : Lacks the willingness to wait, often spoiling opportunities to learn. Perfunctory : Performs actions in a mechanical, uninspired manner. Self-Doubt : Consistently questions personal abilities and decisions. Arbitraryness : Makes decisions based on whim rather than reason or evidence. Rigidity : Is inflexible and unwilling to consider alternative viewpoints. Gullibility : Trusts too easily, often leading to being misled or deceived. Obsession : Becomes excessively fixated on particular ideas or details. Aloofness : Maintains emotional distance, appearing detached or indifferent. Intolerance : Refuses to accept differing perspectives or lifestyles.
Writing Advice for Brainstorming
Mix genres and time periods: Experiment by combining elements from different eras or genres to create unique settings and narratives.
Use "what if" scenarios: Pose unexpected questions (e.g., What if time travel operated on emotions rather than mechanics?) to spark novel ideas.
Draw from diverse mediums: Engage with art, music, or even scientific papers to inspire unexpected plot twists.
Embrace absurdity: Let illogical or surreal ideas guide you; sometimes the wildest thoughts lead to compelling stories.
Reverse clichés: Identify common tropes in your favorite genres and deliberately invert them to create fresh perspectives.
Incorporate personal anomalies: Transform your idiosyncrasies and personal struggles into rich, multi-dimensional characters.
Use mind-mapping: Visually plot your ideas in a freeform way to uncover hidden connections between disparate elements.
Do you have any tips for how to slow down time in a story?
How to slow down time
To slow down time in your story you need to use a mix of different writing ingredients: you need different descriptions that capture the reader in the moment as well as internal monologue and different sentence structures.
Detailed Descriptions:
Sensory Details: Use the five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch to describe what the character is seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, and tasting in intricate detail.
Detailed Observations: Zoom in on small, often overlooked details. The sound a tea cup makes as it hits the ground, the way an expression on a character's face changes, the turning of heads as someone enters the room.
Slow Motion: Manipulate the time by describing how it feels like slow motion to the characters: "Time slowed down, and it felt as if the whole of humanity had decided to stop breathing for a moment."
Physical Reactions: A detailed description of the physical aspects of a scene. The movements a character makes, how their gaze turns, their breathing changes, their body begins to shake.
Psychological Aspects: Focus on the anxiety of a character looking at a clock that never seems to move, their nervousness seeping out of them
Internal Monologue:
Memories and Flashbacks: Add context by showing memories or flashbacks that relate to the situation.
Pondering: Let the character reflect on the situation, their feelings and their plan for the next steps. Let the reader explore the character's inner life.
Dialogue:
Reduced Dialogue: Dialogue brings a scene into real time. Use it thoughtfully and sparringly, with lots of inner thoughts and reactions in between.
Silence: Make use of silence between the characters which can be filled with more descriptions.
Language:
Smaller Steps: Write out each action taken, no matter how small, and focus on describing each step that happens.
Control Pacing: Use your sentence structure to create long descriptions that slow it down, and short, impactful ones to pick up the pace if needed for a moment.
More: Masterpost: How to write a story
- Jana
Small fantasy worldbuilding elements you might want to think about:
A currency that isn’t gold-standard/having gold be as valuable as tin
A currency that runs entirely on a perishable resource, like cocoa beans
A clock that isn’t 24-hours
More or less than four seasons/seasons other than the ones we know
Fantastical weather patterns like irregular cloud formations, iridescent rain
Multiple moons/no moon
Planetary rings
A northern lights effect, but near the equator
Roads that aren’t brown or grey/black, like San Juan’s blue bricks
Jewelry beyond precious gems and metals
Marriage signifiers other than wedding bands
The husband taking the wife's name / newlyweds inventing a new surname upon marriage
No concept of virginity or bastardry
More than 2 genders/no concept of gender
Monotheism, but not creationism
Gods that don’t look like people
Domesticated pets that aren’t re-skinned dogs and cats
Some normalized supernatural element that has nothing to do with the plot
Magical communication that isn’t Fantasy Zoom
“Books” that aren’t bound or scrolls
A nonverbal means of communicating, like sign language
A race of people who are obligate carnivores/ vegetarians/ vegans/ pescatarians (not religious, biological imperative)
I’ve done about half of these myself in one WIP or another and a little detail here or there goes a long way in reminding the audience that this isn’t Kansas anymore.
Writing with Colors
A list of resources to help you describe different colors in your writing.
The Color Thesaurus A collection of infographics that show various shades of different colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Color Reference Chart Another collection of infographics that show various shades of different colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Hair Color Reference Chart A collection of infographics that show various shades of different hair colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Eye Color Reference Chart A collection of infographics that show various shades of blue, brown, and green eye colors, each shade/color labeled by name.
Different Ways to Describe Hazel Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing hazel eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
Different Ways to Describe Green Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing green eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
Different Ways to Describe Blue Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing blue eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
Different Ways to Describe Brown Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing brown eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.
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I’m a writer, poet, and editor. I share writing resources that I’ve collected over the years and found helpful for my own writing. If you like my blog, follow me for more resources! ♡
Symbolism in Writing
Weather Symbolism
Rain: cleansing, sadness, renewal, obstacles
Sunshine: happiness, hope, clarity, energy
Storms: conflict, turmoil, dramatic change
Snow: purity, stillness, coldness, isolation
Fog: confusion, mystery, uncertainty
Wind: change, freedom, unrest, communication
Animal Symbolism
Eagle: freedom, vision, strength, courage
Lion: bravery, power, leadership, pride
Dove: peace, love, innocence, spirituality
Wolf: loyalty, cunning, survival, community
Snake: transformation, danger, temptation, wisdom
Butterfly: transformation, beauty, impermanence
Plant Symbolism
Rose: love, beauty, passion, secrecy
Oak Tree: strength, endurance, wisdom
Willow Tree: sadness, flexibility, resilience
Lotus Flower: purity, enlightenment, rebirth
Ivy: friendship, fidelity, eternity
Cactus: endurance, protection, warmth
Object Symbolism
Mirror: self-reflection, truth, illusion
Key: opportunity, secrets, freedom
Bridge: connection, transition, overcoming obstacles
Candle: hope, spirituality, life, guidance
Clock: time, mortality, urgency
Mask: disguise, deception, concealment
Number Symbolism
One: beginnings, unity, individuality
Two: partnership, balance, duality
Three: creativity, growth, completeness
Four: stability, order, foundation
Five: change, adventure, unpredictability
Seven: mystery, spirituality, luck
Season Symbolism
Spring: renewal, birth, growth, hope
Summer: vitality, abundance, joy, freedom
Autumn: change, maturity, decline, reflection
Winter: death, stillness, introspection, endurance
Light and Darkness Symbolism
Light: knowledge, purity, safety, enlightenment
Darkness: ignorance, evil, mystery, fear
Shadow: the unconscious, secrets, mystery
Twilight: ambiguity, transition, mystery
Element Symbolism
Fire: passion, destruction, energy, transformation
Water: emotion, intuition, life, change
Earth: stability, grounding, fertility, growth
Air: intellect, communication, freedom, change
20 Alternative Losses Your Protagonist Can Face That Don't Involve the Death of a Person.
In one of my recent posts, I talked about losses as a core principle in driving a plot forward.
It's recommended in almost all guides. But here's the thing: someone doesn't have to actually die to create that emotional rollercoaster.
Here are 20 different losses your protagonist can face without losing someone to the cold hands of death:
1. Loss of a dream job opportunity
2. End of a long-term relationship or marriage
3. Betrayal by a close friend or family member
4. Financial ruin or bankruptcy
5. Loss of a beloved pet (The pet could go missing.)
6. Rejection from a prestigious program or institution
7. Injury or illness leading to the loss of physical abilities
8. Destruction of a childhood home
9. Loss of custody of a child
10. Failure to achieve a lifelong dream or goal
11. Being falsely accused of a crime
12. Natural disaster destroying personal belongings and home
13. Loss of a valuable family heirloom
14. Experiencing discrimination or injustice
15. Being forced to move away from a beloved community
16. Losing a significant competition or contest
17. Loss of memory or cognitive abilities
18. Falling out with a mentor or role model
19. Closure of a cherished local business
20. Loss of one's reputation due to scandal or rumor
Thank you for all of your support. If you love my blog, consider gifting me a rose. Val's here, and I hope your characters are ready to paint the town red.
Check out this printable template that helps you structure the nuanced parts of your plot you normally skip out on.
You also receive a free add-on that enhances your plot. It saves you time and helps you maintain quality.
Tips from a Beta Reading Writer
This one's for the scenes with multiple characters, and you're not sure how to keep everyone involved.
Writing group scenes is chaos. Someone’s talking, someone’s interrupting, someone’s zoning out thinking about breadsticks. And if you’re not careful, half your cast fades into the background like NPCs in a video game. I used to struggle with this so much—my characters would just exist in the scene without actually affecting it. But here’s what I've learned and have started implementing:
✨ Give everyone a job in the scene ✨
Not their literal job—like, not everyone needs to be solving a crime or casting spells. I mean: Why are they in this moment? What’s their role in the conversation?
My favourite examples are:
The Driver: Moves the convo forward. They have an agenda, they’re pushing the action.
The Instigator: Pokes the bear. Asks the messy questions. Stirring the pot like a chef on a mission.
The Voice of Reason: "Guys, maybe we don’t commit arson today?"
The Distracted One: Completely in their own world. Tuning out, doodling on a napkin, thinking about their ex.
The Observer: Not saying much, but noticing everything. (Quiet characters still have presence!)
The Wild Card: Who knows what they’ll do? Certainly not them. Probably about to make things worse.
If a character has no function, they’ll disappear. Give them something—even if it’s just a side comment, a reaction, or stealing fries off someone’s plate. Keep them interesting, and your readers will stay interested too.
Battling Writer's Block
Believe it or not there are people out there who believe that writer's block isn't a thing. Nope, I'm not kidding, that is what my lecturer said last year and I just want to assure anyone that may believe it doesn't exist/ or are thinking of giving up on their work, don't. It is a very real thing and is very common to experience especially if you've written so much that you've managed to burn yourself out. Also, nobody in my class liked that lecturer for the rest of the year after making that comment so if you don't believe it's real...I wish you luck is all I'm gonna say lol.
So how do you prevent this?
Well first of all, you can't, but you can decrease how likely it is to happen.
Organisation
First thing is first, get your notes and your characters down somewhere you can look at them. Organisation will help a ton. Personally I have notes scattered all over the place both physical and on a folder on my laptop. Ideas come at random so I jot them down and then always forgot to put the physical notes somewhere. This meant I got stressed because I knew I had a good idea but couldn't remember exactly what it was. I did end up finding the notes and have now bought a folder to store my papers in. But this disorganisation meant I spent a lot of time overthinking my skills as a writer which then affected my confidence and ultimately resulted in writer's block.
Create
The next thing you can do is relax and create. Plots will come in time, focus on creating -- that's the fun bit especially if you're working in the fantasy or sci-fi genre! Don't create your plots first because as soon as you create your characters you might realise those plots won't work with those characters anymore. While this may not directly contribute to writer's block it definitely could affect your confidence so if you already have a good plot idea but find your characters don't fit then store away the idea for later to use with characters that will work for it.
Also I know I only focused on the writing aspect of creation but if you want to create other things then do that, too! Draw, make models, maybe a small mistake you make might give you inspiration!
Take a walk
This is common advice I see and that is taking a walk. If you can't find the inspiration to work on your current project but want to write something, grab your laptop or notebook and just wander around in a park and focus on your senses. What can you hear? What are the conversations people are having? What can you see? Try and show it instead of telling. Is there wind, can you feel it?
Create Your Own Definition For Your Favourite Words
If you don't want to write something too complicated and can feel your motivation disappearing but want to try and regain it, search for words and show your meanings for it instead of what the official definition is. For example the word 'love', the official definition is generalised and always straight to the point but the word means different things for different people. So what is love to you?
Poetry
Adding onto the previous paragraph, maybe try poetry! Last year I was dreading my poetry module but I have actually enjoyed it so far. I never thought I would but at 3am I find myself drafting up a poem to work on the next day. I do have old notes somewhere so when I find them I'll post them here so you have a sort of visual for how some poetry forms work. My favourite type of poetry is freeverse so if you're wanting to create a story without necessarily rhyming but keeping within the poetry theme, that would be a great way to start!
Relax
Finally, read. Sit down somewhere with a cup of hot chocolate or your favourite drink and read. Take some time for yourself, your writing isn't going anywhere and either way it takes time. Writing is a skill to develop not something to rush. Rushing will result in confusion and you may miss out some minor plot points you wanted to add. Reading helps you learn so pick out pieces that you enjoy from the book and see if you can incorporate it into your own work somehow.
To all my fellow writers out there, take a breath. Everything will come to you in time.