Writing advice for myself (after finishing my first long fic)

A few months ago, back on May 24th, I saw Furiosa for the first time and lost my fucking mind. It had been a while since I had spent much time in fandom creative spaces, but when I saw Praetorian Jack swing across the door of the War Rig in front of Furiosa and say the words "You can speak to me," my first thought was "I need to read some fanfic about these two immediately."

Of course, because the film had literally just come out, there wasn't very much on offer yet. I was sure that many talented fanfic writers were frantically typing away, but I could not wait. "Fuck it," I thought. "I'll write my own."

I hadn't written any fanfic since I was a tween, but a week later, I had published a 5,000-word one-shot. And because I had so much fun writing that, I immediately started another fic. It was going to be shorter, just one scene of Furiosa and Jack having a conversation. So I wrote that, and then I thought about some other conversations they might have, and then I wrote a few more scenes, and then things got out of hand and I ended up with 74,000 words.

So that one scene turned into Night Watch, which is currently updating twice a week:

Night Watch - Chapter 1 - widdershins036 - Mad Max Series (Movies) [Archive of Our Own]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

archiveofourown.org

I definitely did not set out to write anything this long, and I am both shocked that I managed it and also pretty proud of myself! But I also learned a lot during this process. I've had a few cracks at writing non-fanfic novels in the past and they always fell apart pretty quickly. But now I am pretty much addicted to writing. It consumes my life. It is a problem.

As soon as I finished writing Night Watch, I immediately moved on to starting another fic. So before I get too far into that, I thought I'd write up some of the things I learned about writing, and then hopefully I can continue to apply them. If nothing else, the navel-gazing will be useful to me (and maybe to other people too?)

All this advice is probably pretty basic. I stand on the shoulders of giants (some of whom have very active AO3 accounts).

#writing #fanfic #furyjack #furiosa #writing tips #writing advice #write #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writer #writers #ao3 writer #bommyknocker

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

theliteraryarchitect

Writers keep in mind while you’re working on your current WIP, you’re learning skills that may not result in you being able to complete that particular WIP to your satisfaction, but WILL bear fruit in your NEXT WIP. Like, you might’ve blown up this science project, but next time (or the time after, or the time after…) you’ll nail it because of what you learned while setting fire to this one.

dduane

THIS.

No writing is wasted.

No writing is ever wasted. Everything adds to your total experience. The payoff may not be immediately obvious. But everything you add into the invisible shotlocker of your total experience counts.

thesunflowersqueen

#writing advice#everything counts#no writing is ever wasted (via @dduane)

#dduane #tags #perfect tags are perfect #writing #writer #writers on tumblr #writerscommunity #creative writing #writeblr #author #authors #Helen queue #writing advice

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

WRITERS:

YOU AND YOUR STORIES ARE WORTH A MILLION BUCKS;
REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH TRACTION THEY GET
YOUR WORTH AS A WRITER CANNOT BE TAKEN FROM YOU BECAUSE IT IS NOT MEASURED BY NUMBERS
KEEP WRITING AND KEEP BEING AWESOME

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #writing #writing advice #writing tips #writing encouragement #writing motivation #writing inspiration #signal boost #we love you writers #Helen queue

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

neil-gaiman

iamstartraveller776

roane72

Best trick I ever picked up. Seriously.

catastrophe-jones

I have also learned this is great for [PICK A COOL NAME FOR A SHIP] and [LOOK UP THE FACTS ABOUT OXYGEN LEVELS] and [WHAT’S THE WORD] and [DOUBLECHECK CHARACTER’S EYE COLOR] and ALL KINDS OF THINGS.

Anything that isn’t critical in the moment, and could be filled in later while I’m currently trying to burn through writing pages that will be lost if I don’t get them out right now? Brackets.

betweentimeand42

This is seriously the best advice, and it really helps put it into perspective that the first draft is just that- a draft. There’s no reason to agonize over a particularly tricky bit of writing when you could just leave it in brackets and skip to the good parts, the parts you’ve visualized. I also use brackets for [fact-check this], [use a stronger verb], [is this in character?] and other notes as I write, just so I don’t forget what I want to work on when I go back and edit.

petermorwood

Note the good sense of [brackets] not (parentheses).

Parentheses AKA round brackets can appear in fiction, usually as an afterthought in a character's thoughts or narration (as I saw them used just recently), but square brackets hardly ever do.

#writing #writing tips #writing advice #write #writblr #writing community #Helen queue #brackets #parentheses

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

thewritershelpers

Genre help: Writing Smut

Anonymous asked you:

Can you provide some tips for writing good smut?

—————————————————————————————————

So, when I saw this in the inbox I got REALLY excited. I was hoping to make a smut-related post at some point in the future, and now, here we are.

This is round #2 because EVERYTHING somehow got deleted :(.

Anyway, smut is generally defined as erotic writing or art. HOWEVER, this is NOT an excuse for you to write an erotic novel as poorly as Fifty Shades of Grey. (And I will stand by that to my grave. Smut is not poor writing; poor writing is poor writing.)

If you are still unsure of what smut is, you can probably walk into the magazine isle of your local grocery or drug store and find some sitting on the shelves.

Here is Good Read’s lists of erotica.

Since I’m writing this for the second time, I’m going to cut to the links. Smut is all about description and not making your reader feel awkward. Is your reader hot and bothered by your writing? Do they want to read more?

So here are some links I scavenged for you that are guidelines/tips from others that I found to be helpful and informative.

This is a tumblog text post that makes a lot of sense.

This is kinda like the former, but states what 50 Shades did incorrectly.

This is a great tumblog article like the above.

How to write sex scenes.

Some general tips

I really hope this helps. All the same links are here that I posted when I originally posted this. Let me know if you are confused/need help with anything!

-H

ozhawkauthor

I get asked this a lot because of all the smut I write; here’s some great tips!

#writing tips #writing advice #writing smut #writing sex scenes #writing #writer #writers #writblr #write #Good Reads #erotica #writing erotica #Helen queue

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

silvermorningglory

h-brook-writes

How the setting looks in my head:

How the description comes out on the page:

feynites

Okay so, bit of advice:

Break it down into its basic elements. What do we got? Mountains, clouds, field, water, sky.

What are the simple descriptions we can use that will immediately get across this concept in the least amount of words possible? Snow-capped mountains. Drifting clouds. Clear skies. Flowering fields. Pristine lake.

Character looked out and saw flowering fields, broken up by the mirror surface of a pristine lake. Fluffy clouds drifted below clear skies, close enough that it seemed like Character could reach out and touch them. Snow-capped mountains bordered the horizon.

If you want, you can then throw in some sensory information to round it out. What’s the air like, what’s the temperature, can one hear the wind blowing through the grass, or birds singing, etc, etc. You don’t want the reader to feel like they’re looking at a picture, you want them to feel like they’re standing in it, so sensory information is usually better at getting that across. If it doesn’t matter to the story how many mountain peaks are in the distance, then leave that to the reader’s imagination. What you really want is for your words to evoke the same feeling that the picture does.

And style, obviously, can come into play, and make things more flowery, or less. To add in more details, just lengthen the list of elements you want to describe, like including more about the flowers or grass or distant hills or visible greenery on the mountains, and go from there.

Also, take breaks. Your brain needs rest, too.

#setting #writing #writer #write #writblr #writing tips #writing advice #take breaks #take a rest #Helen queue

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

ahb-writes

What’s your Writer Demon like?

(from Disenchantment S1E18: “In Her Own Write”)

#writeblr #writing #disenchantment #writing tips #writer demon #writing advice #bean #luci #abbi jacobson #eric andre #Netflix disenchantment #disenchantment netflix #Helen watches #Helen queue

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

ahb-writes

Great advice… No, wait.

(from Disenchantment S1E18: “In Her Own Write”)

#disenchantment #writeblr #writing tips #writing #procrastination #novel writing #fiction writing #writing advice #bean #luci #princess tiabeanie #disenchantment netflix #Netflix disenchantment #Helen watches #Helen queue

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

snarling-through-our-smiles

pigmenting

hitch your heart to one small thing

werecat

reminds me of this!

skeleton-richard

#writing advice #shira erlichman #helen relates to this #helen queue

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

shirewalker

things people do in real world dialogue:

• laugh at their own jokes

• don’t finish/say complete sentences

• interrupt a line of thought with a sudden new one

• say ‘uh’ between words when unsure

• accidentally blend multiple words together, and may start the sentence over again

• repeat filler words such as ‘like’ ‘literally’ ‘really’ ‘anyways’ and ‘i think’

• begin and/or end sentences with phrases such as ‘eh’ and ‘you know’, and may make those phrases into question form to get another’s input

• repeat words/phrases when in an excited state

• words fizzle out upon realizing no one is listening

• repeat themselves when others don’t understand what they’re saying, as well as to get their point across

• reply nonverbally such as hand gestures, facial expressions, random noises, movement, and even silence

This is all good advice, especially if your dialog tends to be somewhat stiff or unnatural, but reading it all in a list, I’m imagining a section of dialogue with literally all of these, back to back, in order, and it’s fucking hilarious. Someone write me a microfic. I don’t even care who it’s about.

#dialogue #writing advice #writing tips #Helen queue #writing #writer

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

herostoneverland

library-mermaid-blog

I am laughing so hard oh my god clickhole

If you just scrolled past, don’t. Go back and read it. I promise it is not what you think

animentality

Franzen has a point.

Source: clickhole.com

#writer #writers #writier advice #advice for writers #writing #writing advice #hilarious #lol #so funny #helen queue

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

bitterblued

steinbecks

writing a kiss, tips for everybody

whatever the hell you’re doing with tongue, stop
invade, fight for dominance, and wrestle are literally the worst descriptors ever in the whole entire world of talking about kissing
tongues do not roam and they do not go exploring they are like TIDES they come forward a little bit and then maybe recede a little bit EVEN IN FRENCHING
most kissing action actually happens with the lips GO FIGURE??
kissing is really awkward you get noses bumping everywhere and sometimes saliva all over your chin or theirs, please keep this in mind, only the chastest kisses are clean and neat
really aggressive tongue is really an acquired taste not gonna lie (L O L)
Avoid scientific clinical words like probe for the love of god
if you’ve ever listened to a kiss you know it sounds really gross with all the sucking and smacking breathy moans and hums are the way to go
No one pays enough attention to the lips imho y’all are so damn focused on tongues

xekstrin

#yo for real though like stop it with the tongue invasions

#writing #kissing #write #kiss #writer #kisser #writing resource #writing tips #writing advice #helen queue #tongues ew #lol

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

bitterblued

alliaofrph

alliaofrph.tumblr.com

alliaofrph:

WRITING HELP/CHARACTER

writing a bitchy character (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10)
writing a cocky character (1,2,3,4)
writing a emotion character (1,2)
How to play a hippie
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Characters You Need to Reinvent
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100 Positive Traits
Mental Illness in Writing
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JOBS/HOBBIES

Actors
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GENDERS

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NAMES

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QUOTES

Song Lyrics Masterlist
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Masterlist of Bio Quotes
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+130 Quotes

SMUT

Smut Guide: Casual Sex
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KISSES

How to: Write a Kiss (2)
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GRAMMAR

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ART

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how to draw jeans
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pose reference blog [its actually a blog full of references i-]
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MAKEUP

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BODY CARE

the runaway to gorgeous skin
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how to wash your face 101

HAIR

messy bun tutorial
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filling in eyebrows
banana facial mask (moisturizes)
strawberry facial mask (acne prone skin)
avocado facial mask (dry skin)
yogurt facial mask (sensitive skin)
list of oils to add to your face masks
already made masterpost :*

OTHER

sleep calculator
survive nature
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need a hug?
like the sound of a coffee shop?
can’t remember the name of a song?
the thoughts room
how to love yourself
upload anything from your iPhone etc. to your laptop
learn another language
make HUGE unpoppable bubbles
play some piano
draw a stick man and watch the story!
thousands of stars (you can zoom in/out and learn about them)
check if a username is taken (any site! twitter/tumblr, etc)
draws stuff as you move your curser
tell your thoughts to no one
play with cob web
make music with balloons
learn to play the guitar
learn to build a ship in a bottle
learn origami
learn some yoyo tricks
make your own stuffed animals
how to decorate iphone cases
make a candle
important things you should remember
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look for literally any book you want (free)
waterproof your shoes
know what your emotion is
how to love yourself
ultimate writers resources masterpost
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how to answer the top 35 asked questions when applying for a job
want to draw?
The quiet place

MOVIES

Giant Movie masterpost
Disney movies masterpost
Superhero movies masterpost
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Scary movies masterpost
Tumblr dedicated to finding movie links
When to pee during a movie

#writing #writer #write #writing masterpost #writing tips #writing advice #writing resource #helen queue

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

benaya-trash

gr8writingtips

writing tip #700:

your characters are like geodes

if you want to see what they’re really made of

you must break them

this is the best writing tip ive heard in ages

#writing #write #writer #writing tip #writing tips #writing advice #helen queue

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

bellarkefanfiction

writerlyn

The most important writing lesson I ever learned was not in a screenwriting class, but a fiction class.

This was senior year of college. Most of us had already been accepted into grad school of some sort. We felt powerful, we felt talented, and most of all, we felt artistic.

It was the advanced fiction workshop, and we did an entire round of workshops with everyone’s best stories, their most advanced work, their most polished pieces. It was very technical and, most of all, very artistic.

IE: They were boring pieces of pretentious crap.

Now the teacher was either a genius OR was tired of our shit, and decided to give us a challenge. Flash fiction, he said. Write something as quickly as possible. Make it stupid. Make it not mean a thing, just be a quick little blast of words.

And, of course, we all got stupid. Little one and two pages of prose without the barriers that it must be good. Little flashes of characters, little bits of scenarios.

And they were electric. All of them. So interesting, so vivid, not held back by the need to write important things or artistic things.

One sticks in my mind even today. The guys original piece was a thinky, thoughtful piece relating the breaking up of threesomes to volcanoes and uncontrolled eruptions that was just annoying to read. But his flash fiction was this three page bit about a homeless man who stole a truck full of coca cola and had to bribe people to drink the soda so he could return the cans to recycling so he could afford one night with the prostitute he loved.

It was funny, it was heartfelt, and it was so, so, so well written.

And just that one little bit of advice, the write something short and stupid, changed a ton of people’s writing styles for the better.

It was amazing. So go. Go write something small. Go write something that’s not artistic. Go write something stupid. Go have fun.

#writing #writing advice #writing tip #writer #writers #helen queue

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

silvermorningglory

As we change, our writing changes too. You cannot write the same poem twice. And that’s a good thing.

Katerina Stoykova Klemer (via writersrelief)

#writing #writers #write #writing quote #writing advice #helen queue

thesunflowersqueen reblogged

diarythebookwyrm

aetherial

Checklist for character development.

Created by myself, compiled from questions gleaned from several sources, and some of my own additions.

It should be noted, that not every character will check every one of these things off. It is not REQUIRED to have all this information, but this checklist is, rather, a guideline for helping you think of your character as an entire, three dimentional being with thoughts, feelings, possessions, contradictions and background.

A character is 20% revealed to the reader, 80% writer/author/Mun knowledge. What the Reader sees is just the tip of the iceburg, but without the other 80% the character can’t help but come off feeling shallow. There’s nothing beneath the surface - KNOWING as much bout your character as possible, instrinsicly, in detail, intimately, can do nothing but help build believability and dimension to your character.

Use only the things on this list that you feel are important, but I would like to remind you that the reader learns a lot about a character NOT through exposition (that’s kind of a cheat, and always feels , to me, like a rather clunky way of conveying knowlege), but through their actions, quirks, thoughts, and even through the things they own and carry with them. What kind of food they eat and how they eat it. What they wear. What they carry in their wallets. I encourage you, as writers, to consider these things when creating a character, and encourage you MORE to leave the exposition out and tell us about your character through these other means!

If nothing else, this will give you a LOT to work with when writing with your character. Maybe it’ll spur you to write about the character’s parents. Or the relationship between them and their family. Maybe you’ll find yourself inspired to write something about how they lost everything in a fire - and the importance each remembered lost item held.

There is certainly no rule that says you HAVE to do it this way, but invariably, the most memorable characters are the ones that we as readers can relate with. It’s hard to relate with just words - but people - with beliefs and dreams and fears - that’s something we can get behind.

I certainly hope you find this useful, and since so many have been inclined to reblog and like this, I shall endeavor to add more character creation and writing tips, lists and excercises up on this blog!

fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment

I think this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

- Pen

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