Vocabulary
Words to Describe Sound
✷
↠ bang
↠ bark
↠ beep
↠ bellow
↠ blare
↠ blast
↠ bong
↠ boom
↠ buzz
Hello I love you’re writing tips!
I have a question.
I would like to ask what’s a good way to start my book? I’ve been making my story board but I just can’t think of any ways to get started on my book and plan out the entire plot. That’s what I’ve been having trouble with.
Thankies~
Hi there! Thanks for dropping an ask. I’m so glad you enjoy the writing tips!
My first recommendation is going to be very simple, probably more simple than you’d like — just write. Don’t worry about the perfect way to open your story because, truthfully, you’ll probably change it by the time you’re done editing anyway. You can start writing in the middle of the plot or just start writing random scenes. The more you write, the more details will come to you, and the more you’ll figure out what you want your layout to be.
Of course, I’ll give you some more ideas than that because that’s not very helpful to your direct question. But it’s something to consider. You don’t have to write your story in order. Your writing process is your own. Nonetheless, here are some ways to start your story!
✧
Writing Tips
Story Openings
➸ danger: drop the readers right into action with something dangerous; don’t worry if they don’t understand what’s happening yet because the whole point is to get them hooked
➸ dialogue: drop your readers right into an important conversation
➸ flashback: give the readers a glimpse into the character’s past, especially if it’s something that will heavily affect the character development; it’ll build the readers intrigue
➸ foreshadowing: let the readers in on what’s about to happen; something as simple as “if only he knew…” will add suspense and intrigue
➸ historical context: tell a story of the culture or some historical turning point to jump into world building
➸ mystery: have your character do something unexplained; it’ll make the readers want backstory
➸ normal day: start with a normal day… until it’s not; write your characters daily commitments (something to show who they are) and then have it all suddenly change; this can be a good way to express the main character’s lifestyle, introduce side characters early on, and world build — but be careful because it can also be rather boring
➸ onomatopoeia: start with a sound that moves into an action for a quick way to hook the reader (boom! crack! crash!)
➸ perspective: give a point of view from a side character (this can be especially intriguing if your main character is an unreliable narrator)
➸ prophecy: start with a compelling prophecy to keep the readers wondering how it will connect later on
➸ question: start with an important question and let the rest of the scene answer it
➸ secret: give your readers something only they know or something only one character knows; it’ll initiate suspense
✧
Tips
➸ avoid info-dumping: you spent all this time building this world and you want your readers to know it… I get it… but they’ll figure it out as the story goes; don’t throw a bunch of information at them right away or they won’t retain it and they’ll get bored
➸ don’t overdo descriptions: readers have an amazing ability to fill in gaps; they don’t need to know every detail of your setting or character appearance; give a prominent detail or two and let them fill in the rest
➸ don’t tell everything at once: your readers need to wonder what will happen or they won’t want to read more
➸ establish the character’s voice: your readers should have a decent idea of who the main character is by the end of the first chapter
➸ keep it moving: the plot should always move forward, even in the start; even though this is an ‘introduction’ chapter, it should flow into the second chapter with ease
➸ know what you want your readers to know: list the details you want established from the very beginning and brainstorm the best way to describe a majority of these while still moving the plot forward
Do you have/can you make promp for friends who have feelings for each establishing a relationship. Sort of like for those "what are we?" moments.
absolutely! I love this idea! <3
Prompts
Friends to Lovers • Establishing a Relationship
❦
scenarios
➵ that awkward confession one person finally gets the courage to admit and is pleasantly surprised when the feelings are returned
➵ going on a first non-platonic date
➵ being nervous but not understanding why because they’ve been comfortable with each other for so long
➵ mutual friends being really happy they’re finally sealing the deal because they’ve been encouraging it for so long
➵ saying ‘I love you’ but feeling the shift in meaning
➵ that first kiss that makes them realize it has always been them
➵ hugging each other a little longer than usual
➵ describing their ideal partner & realizing it’s perfectly describing the friend
➵ neither of them dating anyone else & always using the excuse they just haven’t found the right person (but they both know the right person is in front of them)
➵ neither of them feeling the need to date anyone else because they’re getting everything they want from their friend
➵ not liking any of the other’s previous partners and finally admitting the reason is because they were jealous or being accused of being jealous
➵ dreaming about the friend in a romantic way
➵ asking hypothetical questions that aren’t actually hypothetical
➵ having a feeling their friend is holding back something but not knowing what it is
➵ confronting friend about pulling away from them, and the friend admits it’s because they’ve developed romantic feelings
➵ not wanting to risk the friendship but wanting to be together anyway
➵ making a deal to marry each other in ten years if neither of them find anyone else and secretly hoping it happens
➵ knowing they would be happy together
❦
dialogue
➵ “What are we doing?”
➵ “What are we, really? Just friends or something more?”
➵ “What is this?”
➵ “Not everything needs a label. We’re just… us.”
➵ “Are you mine?”
➵ “I want to be able to call you mine.”
➵ “I like this — whatever this is.”
➵ “How about a date? A real one.”
➵ “We’re friends, just friends… right?”
➵ “Do you want to be… more?”
➵ “You can’t deny that things have been different. We have been different, but… I like different.”
➵ “I love you. You’re my friend.” / “Just your friend?”
➵ “People think we’re in a relationship, you know.”
➵ “I like you, and I don’t know what to do about it.”
➵ “I had a dream about kissing someone, and now I’m confused about how I feel about them. I don’t know what to do about it.” / “Just kiss them. Maybe that’ll clear things up.” (This happened with me & my partner so I had to include it🥰)
➵ “It’s always been you.”
➵ “I was blind. My person has been standing right in front of me the entire time.”
➵ “I want you. I’ve wanted you for a long time.”
➵ “I don’t know how to tell you this.”
➵ “I’m scared to tell you. I don’t want it to ruin our friendship.”
➵ “I can’t lose you, but I can’t ignore the way I feel either.”
➵ “Let’s take the risk.”
➵ “We deserve to be happy. We deserve to be happy together.”
➵ “Promise we’ll always be friends even if it doesn’t work out?”
➵ “You want to know why I’m not dating? Because there’s only one person I want, and I’m not sure if that person feels the same way.”
Writing Tips
Battle Scenes
﹝ warning: mentions of violence ﹞
A majority of readers I talk to all say one thing… they skim or skip battle scenes. Mostly because they’re boring! A battle is supposed to be a climactic, thrilling moment yet it is often over-described and repetitive. Strike, strike, block, dodge, clang, clash, kill, blood, guts… we know. Here are some tips to keep it interesting!
✹
➳ short sentences
↠ using short sentences creates a fast pace, and battles are filled with quick movements and instinctive life-or-death decisions
↠ readers are less likely to skim over shorter sentences & more likely to be kept immersed
➳ keep it concise
↠ action scenes are not the time to describe the weapons and armor in full detail; keep the action flowing; if it doesn’t move the story forward, don’t add it
➳ dialogue
↠ show some exchanges between characters; add some snarky remarks or expressions of anger; it’ll break up the descriptions and engage the reader’s attention
➳ inner dialogue
↠ show how your character is feeling; we know they’re fighting, but how do they feel about it? wrathful? conflicted? remorseful? scared? nervous?
↠ but remember, no one is going to focus on emotions too much (if at all) when they’re in the heat of the moment; they’ll focus on survival; so try to show emotion through physical action or description
➳ show the motivation for the fight
↠ people fight differently based on their reasoning (aggressor vs defender); during actions scenes readers are generally more interested in the why than the how; we’ve all read enough battle scenes to get the idea of what happens, but what makes this scene special?
➳ the five senses
↠ a great way to be descriptive but not over-descriptive is to write a short sentence for each sense; it’ll paint the picture thoroughly but not bore the reader
➳ strong verbs
↠ avoid adverbs at all costs; it’s the perfect opportunity to use strong verbs
⇨ check out my posts on terms for sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat ⇦
Characterization
Giving Your Character a Unique Voice
✭
⤠ elements to keep in mind
↠ age, background, birthplace, culture, education, social class
⤠ attitude / traits
↠ how does their attitude affect their voice? sarcastic? sincere? suspicious? confident? ambitious? impatient? silly? determined? kind? honest?
⤠ author voice vs character voice
↠ your descriptive writing shouldn’t sound like your character’s dialogue; you are your own person as the author and your character is their own person — you would speak differently (an exception is if you’re writing in first person and it’s your primary character speaking)
⤠ bad habits
↠ interrupting? finishing other people’s sentences? improper grammar?
⤠ catchphrases
↠ what do they say often? what’s their usual greeting?
⤠ concise or wordy
↠ do they rant? do they explain in detail? do they just get to the point?
⤠ don’t rely on accents
↠ your character’s voice should be more complex than simply accents or dialect
⤠ how often they talk
↠ do they say everything on their mind? do they keep to themselves? only say important things? does this change depending on who they’re with?
⤠ humor
↠ what does your character find funny? what kind of jokes do they make, if any? how often do they joke? who do they joke with?
⤠ identify personality type
↠ personality affects speech; consider these types: leader (leads conversation), follower (less vocal / agreeable), antagonist (antagonizes/bullies other characters), questioner (disrupts flow of conversation / questions ideas and intentions), peacemaker (agreeable / finds common ground between characters)
⤠ profanity
↠ do they curse? how often? when do they curse? when they’re angry? being sarcastic? scared? nervous? what curse words do they use?
⤠ realism
↠ your character should speak like a real person; don’t worry as much about grammatical matters; for example, real people don’t always speak in full sentences or use ideal words
⤠ slang
↠ what slang do they use? how often? does this change depending on who they’re with?
⤠ speech quirks
↠ do they stutter? do they hesitate? do they talk fast? or slow? (‘um’, ‘uh’, ‘well’, ‘like’, etc.)
⤠ vocabulary range
↠ how extensive is their vocabulary? do they utilize it in conversation? vocabulary should reflect education
⤠ practice responses (how would your characters respond to these?)
↠ “I have a problem.”
↠ “I don’t like you.”
↠ “Do you like them?”
↠ “What did you think of the show last night?”
↠ “Give me your money and no one gets hurt!”
⤠ tips to know if your character’s voice is effectively unique
↠ if you take away all dialogue tags, could you tell which character is speaking?
↠ could your readers tell the character’s body language based solely on speech?
↠ if you say your dialogue aloud, does it sound like a natural, realistic conversation?
Writing Emotion
Anger
✺
Physical Effects
↦ aggression
↦ arguing
↦ blaming
↦ brooding
↦ clenching fists
↦ clenching jaw
↦ controlled tone
↦ criticizing
↦ complaining
↦ crossing arms
↦ crying
↦ demanding
↦ face flushing
↦ frowning
↦ grinning
↦ hot flashes
↦ inability to listen / comprehend
↦ inappropriate reactions
↦ insulting
↦ impetuosity
↦ increased pulse
↦ irrationality
↦ irritability
↦ losing control (thoughts and actions)
↦ physical reactions, often violent
↦ pupils dilate
↦ rigid
↦ risk taking
↦ sarcasm
↦ slow, unsteady breaths
↦ speaking unusually slow or fast
↦ staring
↦ stomping
↦ sweating
↦ teeth grinding
↦ tense
↦ threatening (verbally or through gestures)
↦ tight-lipped smile
↦ tight muscles
↦ tunneled vision
↦ twitching
↦ withdrawing
↦ yelling
✺
Prompting Anger
⇨ Know What Triggers Your Character
⤠ anger is a secondary emotion, meaning it will be caused by a primary emotion (embarrassment, distress, etc.)
⤠ commonly, anger is caused by the underlying fear of being harmed (physically or emotionally)
⤠ think of your character’s fears and triggers
⤠ the reason behind the anger will affect the type of anger and the reaction
✺
Types of Anger
⇨ Dry vs Wet
⤠ Dry: sharp, stern, threatening, rage, seeing red, being done & vengeful
⤠ Wet: emotional, crying, trembling, screaming, being hurt & embarrassed for caring so much
⇨ Types Described by Therapists
⤠ Assertive Anger: a constructive form of anger in which someone expresses their emotion in a healthy, safe way
⤠ Behavioral Anger: impulsive physical reaction often expressed through violence
⤠ Chronic Anger: continuous, low-level feeling of anger/resentment/frustration often impacting health, relationships, and self-esteem
⤠ Destructive Anger: unhealthy response to anger commonly expressed through verbal/physical actions to hurt others
⤠ Judgmental Anger: response to a perceived injustice which can be expressed through criticizing others and can cause feelings of loneliness or low self-esteem
⤠ Overwhelmed Anger: sudden response due to stress reaching a boiling point
⤠ Passive-Aggressive Anger: avoidant response that includes emotional suppression, often expressed as sarcasm or pettiness
⤠ Retaliatory Anger: reaction to a direct attack, verbal or physical, in which anger is usually directed back at attacker
⤠ Self-Abusive Anger: anger directed inward, often caused by shame and low self-esteem
⤠ Silent Anger: non-verbal reaction to anger in which someone closes themselves off and does not communicate
⤠ Verbal Anger: aggressive anger in which one lashes out at another through verbal attacks; often feels guilt afterwards
⤠ Volatile Anger: explosive and destructive response that makes it hard for person to communicate or express themselves
✺
Writing Anger
➵ describe body language
➵ describe facial expressions
➵ describe physical side effects
➵ show character’s behavior
➵ show character’s inner dialogue
➵ show other characters’ reactions
➵ use short sentences and sharp words to build tension
➵ avoid using the word ‘anger’ or any synonyms; using the word is an obvious sign that you are telling the emotion instead of showing it
How do you describe a scene without repeating too much conjunctions? Yk what I mean? Cuz my writing style seems very monotone lmao 😭😭
Conjunctions
➳ definition: conjunctions are connector words; they connect words, phrases, or sentences
➳ using conjunctions is not wrong by any means, but they can sound repetitive
➳ you can eliminate them by writing in simple sentences
➳ you can eliminate them by using semicolons
➳ or you can expand your list to use a wider variety
➳ whenever you use a conjunction, stop and ask yourself if the phrase can be split into separate sentences ; if it can’t, consider using a wider variety (remember, do this in the editing phase, not the first draft; drafting is just to get your thoughts down)
➳ I hope this helps <3
✾
Coordinating Conjuctions
(fanboys)
➝ for
➝ and
➝ not
➝ but
➝ or
➝ yet
➝ so
✾
Correlative Conjunctions
➝ as much… as
➝ both… and
➝ either… or
➝ hardly… when
➝ if… then
➝ just… as
➝ neither… nor
➝ no sooner… than
➝ not only… but also
➝ rather… than
➝ scarcely… when
➝ so… as
➝ so… that
➝ such… that
➝ whether… or
✾
Subordinating Conjunctions
➝ after
➝ although
➝ as
➝ as if
➝ as long as
➝ as much as
➝ as soon as
➝ as far as
➝ as though
➝ because
➝ before
➝ by the time
➝ even
➝ even if
➝ even though
➝ if
➝ in as much as
➝ in order to
➝ in case
➝ just as
➝ lest
➝ now that
➝ now
➝ provided
➝ since
➝ so that
➝ supposing
➝ though
➝ unless
➝ where
➝ whereas
➝ where if
➝ whether
➝ while
Vocabulary • Synonyms
Anger
note: these words have different connotations
✸
↦ acrid
↦ acrimonious
↦ aggravated
↦ belligerent
↦ betrayed
↦ bitter
↦ boiling
↦ burning
↦ caustic
↦ cross
↦ disgusted
↦ displeased
↦ exasperated
↦ ferocity
↦ foaming
↦ frustration
↦ fuming
↦ fury
↦ hateful
↦ hostile
↦ hot
↦ indigent
↦ irate
↦ irked
↦ livid
↦ loathsome
↦ offended
↦ peeved
↦ perturbed
↦ rabid
↦ rage
↦ rancorous
↦ raving
↦ resentful
↦ resistant
↦ scornful
↦ seething
↦ smoldering
↦ spiteful
↦ steaming
↦ ticked
↦ vengeful
↦ vexed
↦ wrathful
Writing Prompts
Coffee Shop AU
❀
➵ ‘oh my gosh we close soon and this person won’t leave’ // ‘oh my gosh they close soon and I don’t know how to ask for their number’
➵ barista making specific latte art for someone
➵ barista making latte art not as good as usual because they’re so nervous because oh my this customer is so attractive
➵ barista dropping a tray and one customer helps pick everything up
➵ it’s really slow so the barista and customer end up talking for hours
➵ the coffee shop is closed, but there’s someone outside in the rain so they’re invited in to keep warm
➵ barista remembering one customer’s name but actually they had it wrong the entire time and the customer doesn’t want to correct them
➵ customer doesn’t like coffee, but they were walking by and the barista was super attractive so they came in anyway
➵ barista writing bad pick up lines on a customer’s cup
➵ the shop is really crowded so a customer asks to share a table with another customer
➵ barista is bored and relentlessly tries to strike up a conversation with a busy customer
➵ new barista flirts with customer without realizing they’re flirting with the shop owner
➵ new barista frequently gives customer a free drink without realizing it’s the shop owner; shop owner should be upset about loss of profit but they’re not; ‘should you be giving me free coffee?’ // ‘oh I’ve actually been paying for it myself, don’t worry about it’ ; shop owner is way more upset at that
➵ new barista accidentally gets locked out of shop, random guy picks the lock with a soft stare that says ‘don’t ask questions’
➵ two customers use wifi and work; one is a writer and the other has looked over their shoulder to read the story; chapter ends on a cliffhanger; when the writer gets up to leave the other person awkwardly asks what happens next
➵ two customers frequent the same coffee shop at the same time every day; one day one of them shows up late and the other had already ordered for them
➵ barista draws heart next to customers name every day; customer is undeniably enamored but barista does it for everyone and doesn’t realize why that customer stares at them so sweetly
➵ customer flirts relentlessly with every barista, but the new employee is completely oblivious/unbothered
➵ customer leaves a huge tip and barista doesn’t know how to accept it
➵ customer leaves something behind and barista chases them down the street to return it
➵ two people frequent the same coffee shop to use the wifi and do their work; little do they know they work for the same company and have been emailing each other the entire time (bonus points if they end up sharing a table and complaining/talking about the other person to them)
Writing Tips
Punctuating Dialogue
✧
➸ “This is a sentence.”
➸ “This is a sentence with a dialogue tag at the end,” she said.
➸ “This,” he said, “is a sentence split by a dialogue tag.”
➸ “This is a sentence,” she said. “This is a new sentence. New sentences are capitalized.”
➸ “This is a sentence followed by an action.” He stood. “They are separate sentences because he did not speak by standing.”
➸ She said, “Use a comma to introduce dialogue. The quote is capitalized when the dialogue tag is at the beginning.”
➸ “Use a comma when a dialogue tag follows a quote,” he said.
“Unless there is a question mark?” she asked.
“Or an exclamation point!” he answered. “The dialogue tag still remains uncapitalized because it’s not truly the end of the sentence.”
➸ “Periods and commas should be inside closing quotations.”
➸ “Hey!” she shouted, “Sometimes exclamation points are inside quotations.”
However, if it’s not dialogue exclamation points can also be “outside”!
➸ “Does this apply to question marks too?” he asked.
If it’s not dialogue, can question marks be “outside”? (Yes, they can.)
➸ “This applies to dashes too. Inside quotations dashes typically express—“
“Interruption” — but there are situations dashes may be outside.
➸ “You’ll notice that exclamation marks, question marks, and dashes do not have a comma after them. Ellipses don’t have a comma after them either…” she said.
➸ “My teacher said, ‘Use single quotation marks when quoting within dialogue.’”
➸ “Use paragraph breaks to indicate a new speaker,” he said.
“The readers will know it’s someone else speaking.”
➸ “If it’s the same speaker but different paragraph, keep the closing quotation off.
“This shows it’s the same character continuing to speak.”
Writing Tips
Descriptions in Between Dialogue
✧
⤠ how characters interact with the environment
⇝ moving something, picking something up, looking somewhere
⤠ how the environment interacts with the characters
⇝ weather, other character’s actions or movements
⤠ gestures
⇝ facial expressions, body language
⤠ shifts in position
⇝ standing, sitting, leaning, shifting weight, crossing arms/legs
⤠ physical reactions
⇝ body temperature, fidgeting, heart rate, character quirks
⤠ environmental descriptions
⇝ descriptions using the five senses, setting, character’s appearances
⤠ internal dialogue
⇝ emotional reaction to what was said, reflection of past experiences, connections to other characters/settings/actions
➵ I want to reiterate… descriptions using the five senses ; when in doubt, think of the five senses your character is experiencing and pick what best moves the story forward
Writing Tips
Words to Avoid
This does not include dialogue.
These can be used (of course, it’s your writing!) just try to make sure they are not overused.
❉
↳ tell & don’t show
➳ telling words force the reader away from the story; showing immerses them
➝ consider
➝ decide
➝ feel / felt
➝ got
➝ has / have / had
➝ hear / heard
➝ is / are / was / were / am
➝ look
➝ next
➝ notice
➝ ponder
➝ recall
➝ remember
➝ see / saw
➝ smell
➝ taste
➝ then
➝ think / thought
➝ watch
➝ wonder
❉
↳ extra & can be removed
➳ declutter your writing; keeping your story concise holds the attention of the reader better
➝ absolutely
➝ completely
➝ down / up
➝ just
➝ really
➝ totally
➝ very
❉
↳ vague
➳ don’t make the reader guess what you mean; show them exactly what you’re describing
➝ a little
➝ a lot
➝ about
➝ almost
➝ appear
➝ approximately
➝ few
➝ like
➝ lots
➝ many
➝ might
➝ more
➝ most
➝ much
➝ often
➝ perhaps
➝ rather
➝ roughly
➝ seem
➝ some (somebody, somehow, someone, something, sometime, somewhat, somewhere)
➝ thing
❉
↳ absolutes
➳ don’t give the reader the opportunity to find discrepancies in your story
➝ absolute
➝ all
➝ always
➝ complete
➝ entire
➝ every (everybody, everyone, everything, every time, everywhere)
➝ never
➝ none
❉
↳ adverbs
➳ be as concise and meaningful as possible; every word you use should be the ideal descriptor
➝ anything ending in ‘-ly’
➝ if you’re using ‘-ly’ there is a better verb or adjective to use
➝ angrily, quickly, sadly, softly, suddenly, etc.
❉
↳ continuous action words
➳ these words reduce the sense of urgency; keep your readers hooked by keeping the tension
➝ after
➝ as
➝ continued
➝ when
➝ while
➝ ‘-ing’ verbs
❉
↳ transitions
➳ transition words allow writers to avoid finding connections between sentences, but meaningful connections increase immersion and flow
➝ after
➝ also
➝ anyway
➝ as
➝ besides
➝ even though
➝ finally
➝ however
➝ later
➝ meanwhile
➝ next
➝ so
➝ soon
➝ then
Smokable Herbs & Their Benefits
note: this is intended for writing knowledge; do your own research prior to smoking any herbs
❁
⤷ BLUE LOCUS
⟶ lucid dreams
⟶ decompresses nervous system
⤷ CALEA ZACATECAS
⟶ lucid dreams, mental clarity, sharpen senses
⤷ CALENDULA
⟶ clarity/remembrance of dreams
⟶ anti-inflammatory
⤷ CLOVE
⟶ relieves congestion, headaches, & flus/colds
⤷ DAMIANA
⟶ relieves depression/anxiety, aphrodisiac, calming
⟶ relieves headaches
⟶ desert herb native to south & central america
⤷ GOTU KOLA
⟶ mental clarity
⟶ relieves respiratory issues & skin infections
⤷ HYSSOP
⟶ relieves anxiety, encourages focus
⟶ relieves respiratory issues, treats emphysema
⤷ INDIAN WARRIOR
⟶ muscle relaxer, sleep aid
⤷ LAVENDER
⟶ calming
⟶ relieves headaches/migraines
⤷ MUGWORT
⟶ remembrance of dreams
⤷ MULLEIN
⟶ decongestant, anti-inflammatory, soothes infected lungs, relieves colds
⤷ PASSIONFLOWER
⟶ calming, sedative, pain relief, sleep aid
⤷ PEPPERMINT / SPEARMINT
⟶ relieves anxiety, rejuvenates mind/body
⟶ improves blood circulation, clears respiratory passages, healing properties
⤷ RED RASPBERRY LEAVES
⟶ high in flavonoids, vitamin a, vitamin c, potassium, calcium, & phosphorus
⟶ antioxidant, reduces blood sugar levels, neutralizes nicotine present in blood
⟶ herbal cigarettes were commonly wrapped in red raspberry leaves ; produces a strong, full-bodied smoke ; good substitute for tobacco
⤷ ROSE
⟶ relieves depression/anxiety, increases libido
⟶ antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
⤷ SKULLCAP
⟶ anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, mild sedative
⤷ WHITE HOREHOUND
⟶ anti-inflammatory, stimulates appetite, analgesic
⟶ treats asthma/bronchitis/whooping cough, relieves headaches/toothaches
⟶ native to the mediterranean
⤷ WILD DAGGA
⟶ mild euphoric effect
⟶ muscle relaxer
Hello, would you be able to post tips on how to start a pirate au? This is my first time making one.
【 Hi! My tip for any au (or any story, really) is simply research. It’s important to understand the dynamics and realism. So I put together some pirate knowledge for you! I’ll probably make more posts on this soon. I’m thinking pirate terms, ship terms, common weapons, things like that. If you’d be interested, let me know. Hope this helps, and good luck on your story (: 】
The Pirate Life
warnings: violence
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↳ Drinks
⇝ portable drinking water was hard to come by so many ships carried an abundance of wine, beer, and rum
⇝ a famous mariner drink is grog (sugar-water, lime juice, and rum) which was known to prevent scurvy
⇝ another is bombo/bumboo (sugar-water, nutmeg, and rum) or rumfustian (water, raw eggs, sherry, gin, beer)
↳ Eye Patches
⇝ not only worn because someone lost an eye
⇝ worn to keep one eye adjusted to darkness
⇝ when fighting/raiding below deck they could switch the eye patch instead of waiting for vision to adjust
↳ Flags
⇝ not all pirate flags were black with a skull and crossbones
⇝ most pirate flags were plainly black or red (completely red flags were known as the most aggressive)
⇝ if there were designs, many adorned hourglasses to represent the inevitability of death
↳ Freetime
⇝ when not working, pirates often played cards or dice (although, gambling was against the rules on some ships), sang, danced, partied, etc.
⇝ stopping at ports was a fairly regular occurrence so they could take a break from the harsh sea to sell goods, repair the ship, and of course find women
↳ Life of Crime
⇝ sure, some people became pirates for the life of crime, but the overwhelming majority were simply sailors who abandoned their jobs due to horrendous working conditions
⇝ pirates were treated far better by their captains than navy men
⇝ there were even periods of time where pirating wasn’t illegal — governments would enlist pirates during wartime to plunder enemy ships. these pirates were labeled ‘privateers’ and legally allowed to operate under ‘letters of marque’ which basically made them military contractors
↳ Longevity
⇝ pirate careers were a few years long tops (even the famous blackbeard only lasted two years)
⇝ many were killed or injured especially because medical facilities were practically nonexistent
↳ Positions
⇝ well-run ships had a clear division of labor
⇝ positions included captain, quartermaster, boatswain, carpenter, cooper, gunner, navigator, etc.
⇝ the captain had absolute command during battle and chose where/when to go somewhere
⇝ the quartermaster oversaw ship operations and divided the loot
⇝ pirates were not as chaotic as media portrays — they were actually quite democratic
⇝ but the illusion of being brutal would be beneficial for plundering as the possibility of surrender was increased
⇝ most pirates were illiterate, but there were quite a few who actually came from higher social classes
↳ Raids
⇝ looting gold/silver was much less common than looting supplies (food, drink, candles, navigational tools, repairing equipment, medicine, etc.)
⇝ most pirates didn’t want to kill people — they would steal the goods and leave the crew (or let the crew join them) especially because the bounties weren’t usually worth it
↳ Rules
⇝ most pirate ships took their rules very seriously, with punishments being severe
⇝ common rules were against lying, stealing amongst themselves, fighting on board, gambling, etc.
⇝ walking the plank was not a common punishment (it actually rarely ever happened) — punishments were usually flogging, dunking, tying to the mast, hanging, marooning, or keelhauling
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Famous Pirates to Check Out for Motivation: Stede Bonnet, Anne Bonny, Francis Drake, Calico Jack, William Kidd, Henry Morgan, Mary Read, Bartholomew Roberts, Edward Teach (Blackbeard)
Writing Tips
Scene Checklist
Does your scene include everything it should?
「 note: this is for the editing stage; remember, first draft is for the writer & editing is for the reader; get it down before worrying about these things unless it is just for practice 」
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ACTIONS
↦ are the actions necessary?
↦ are the verbs as descriptive as possible?
↦ do the actions match the character? why did the character take those actions?
↦ are the actions clear?
DIALOGUE
↦ what is the purpose for each statement?
↦ does each statement move the story forward?
↦ are the dialogue tags as descriptive as possible?
↦ does the dialogue match the character? why did the character say those things?
EMOTIONS
↦ are each character’s emotions clearly stated or implied?
↦ are the character’s emotions justifiable?
↦ how does the character’s emotions affect their actions?
LANGUAGE
↦ are you showing or telling?
↦ does the scene have clarity & coherence?
↦ does the scene have the desired tone, mood, & voice?
PURPOSE
↦ is this scene necessary? (if removed, would the story still make sense?)
↦ are there stakes at risk in this scene? is there tension?
↦ has something changed from the beginning to the end of the scene?
↦ possible purposes: advance the plot? reveal character goal? increase tension? develop character? reveal conflict? react to conflict? explain backstory? foreshadow? build world? reinforce theme, tone, or mood?
SETTING
↦ will your reader clearly know the setting throughout the scene?
↦ room? house? city? state? country? planet? galaxy?
↦ time of day? season of year? weather?
↦ chronologically within story?
STRUCTURE
↦ is there a distinct beginning, middle, and end?
↦ is the chronological order of events clear?
↦ does the scene smoothly transition from one to another?
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DWIGHT SWAIN’S SCENE VS SEQUEL
↦ Swain believed scenes should repeat these sequences in order to keep the interest of the reader piqued
↦ Swain says “a scene is a unit of conflict lived through by character and reader” & “a sequel is a unit of transition that links two scenes”
↦ scene: goal, conflict, disaster
⟿ goal: character’s decision to do something for a purpose
⟿ conflict: something opposing the character’s ability to achieve goal
⟿ disaster: a disruption or turning point to keep the readers hooked
↦ sequel: reaction, dilemma, decision
⟿ reaction: character’s emotional/analytical reaction to the disaster
⟿ dilemma: what should the character do now
⟿ decision: what does the character do now
↦ does your scene have one of these three-part patterns?
DWIGHT SWAIN’S MRU
↦ MRU: motivation-reaction units
↦ these are for alternating sentences or paragraphs
↦ motivation: objective thing your character externally senses (what happens?)
↦ reaction: subjective response your character internally has (how does your character react? feeling, reflex, action, dialogue?)
↦ this is very difficult to follow, especially without practice, but it is a way to guarantee your reader’s interest & attention
Writing Tips
Story Endings
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Importance of the Ending
↣ readers invested their time into your publication ; make it worth it!
↣ the conclusion turns readers into fans
↣ endings should be memorable & satisfying ; this will make the readers want to indulge in more of your work
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Choosing Your Ending
↣ know your genre ; different genres can get away with different endings
↣ a thriller novel ending unexpectedly or ambiguously would be more satisfying to readers than a romance novel ending that way ; and vise vera, a romance novel ending emotionally and with happily ever after would be more satisfying than a thriller ending that way
↣ make it unpredictable but fair ; readers should feel like they could have seen it coming
↣ find a happy medium between what your readers want and what is unexpected
↣ be careful with unresolved or ambiguous endings ; regardless of the ending, the readers need to feel satisfied or they won’t come back
↣ be careful with expanded endings ; most editors frown upon relying on epilogues to reach a satisfying resolution
↣ have your ending in mind from the beginning ; this isn’t always plausible, but it’s very helpful — you’ll end up having hints to the resolution you may not even realize, & readers want that
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Types of Endings
⤷ ambiguous
→ an ending open to interpretation ; allows readers to come to their own conclusions
⤷ dialogue
→ ending with a quote from one of the characters
⤷ emotional
→ leaving the readers feeling some intense emotion ; negative, positive, or bittersweet
⤷ expanded
→ expands past the events of the narrative to resolve aspects that may not be explained in the main chapters ; usually takes form of an epilogue with a time skip
⤷ happily ever after
→ type of resolved ending where everything works out in the end
⤷ humorous
→ ends with a joke or in an ironic way
⤷ lesson learned
→ ends with clear, profound character development
⤷ reflection
→ ends with characters looking back on their choices, achievements, and experiences
⤷ resolved
→ leaves reader with no questions or loose ends ; all aspects have been clearly & satisfyingly resolved
⤷ tied
→ brings the story full-circle so it ends where it began
⤷ unexpected
→ a twist the readers did not see coming but also makes sense
⤷ unresolved
→ leaves readers with unanswered questions ; usually to lead into the next book
World Building
Types of Government
♛
⤷ anarchy
➝ society without enforced government
⤷ aristocracy
➝ small, elite ruling class holds power over lower socioeconomic strata ; members chosen based on wealth
⤷ autocracy
➝ controlled by one singular person of power without restraints
⤷ communism
➝ state owns and operates industry on behalf of the people ; citizens are apart of a classless society that distributes goods & services as needed
⤷ democracy
➝ power held by the people through voting in order to ensure fair representation and prevention of abuse of power
⤷ dictatorship
➝ power held by one person or a group of people who control the masses
⤷ fascism
➝ control of the people by promoting ancestral/cultural values & eradicating foreign influences
⤷ federalism
➝ union of smaller states which are self-governed yet united under a central government
⤷ junta
➝ militaristic rule after taking over by force
⤷ monarchy
➝ authority is vested in a single figure for life and passed down hereditarily ; level of power may vary from absolution to nonexistent
➝ constitutional monarchy: limited power as outlined in a constitution // absolute monarchy: unlimited power
⤷ oligarchy
➝ authoritative power rests with a small faction of people or families who are deemed worthy due to wealth, education, and/or family history
⤷ plutocracy
➝ ruled by the wealthy
⤷ republic
➝ democratic model in which the people elect representatives
⤷ socialism
➝ collective and cooperative ownership of production, opposed to private
⤷ stratocracy
➝ ruled by the military following wars and expansion
⤷ technocracy
➝ scientists are decision makers ; rulers are chosen based on experience/knowledge/skill
⤷ theocracy
➝ power rests with religious figures ; scriptural laws and legal codes are coincided
⤷ totalitarian
➝ total control by government including the prohibition of opposition & extreme regulation of public/private life
⤷ tyranny
➝ absolute control by ruler with an oppressive power