Do u ever read a friend’s fic and it’s like holy shit how do you consider me qualified to talk to you?
A good thing to remember when writing: the first letter of the first word of a sentence is always capitalized. Always. Secondly, “said” is almost never capitalized. This:
“Hey.” Said the guy.
should nEVER EVER HAPPEN. “Said” pretty much never ever starts a sentence and certainly never with quotes or dialogue.
USING SAID: “Hey,” said the guy.
Any time you would put a period at the end of the quote, but it is followed by a dialogue tag, replace the period with a comma.
If the quote ends with a question mark or exclamation mark, the capitalization remains the same: “Hey!” said the guy.
ONLY, ONLY EVER, USE A PERIOD IF THE DIALOGUE TAG (THAT’S WHAT SAID AND ALL THOSE OTHER WORDS ARE) COMES BEFORE THE QUOTE: The guy said, “Hey.”
THIS HAS BEEN A PSA
Get to really know your character. From novel to OC in a fanfic, know every little thing about them. What is their favorite color? Most hated food? Deepest fear? Guilty pleasure? Are they afraid of heights or spiders? If you don't know them intimately, you can't write them well. It's like trying to tell the life story of a stranger you pass on the streets. You can't explain why they punched the wall, but they did. You can't write a character that people will get attached to them if you aren't attached yourself. A fun way to figure out their nuances is take those silly personality quizzes online. They actually make you think really hard on the little stuff and it helps big time. Remember that the world around them will also affect things. If a war is going on, the most likely won't be eating like kings. Do they resent it or is it all they've know? Sometimes it's the little things that really open up a character. It can be as stressful as trying to pull all the skeletons from your best friend's closet, but it's worth it in the end. (I.E. had a character afraid of the color orange and they were stuck in a pumpkin patch with their friends. Panic ensued and fighting happened, all because it was a feared color.) Any detail can seem too little to include, yet they can be the driving force behind a scene. Oh, and keep notes on their personality and preferences. It's easy to forget it all when you set down your writing.
Your value as a person is not at all dependent upon the quantity or quality of writing you produce
Your identity as a writer is not at all dependent upon the quantity or quality of writing you produce
Your stories are still important even if they can only live in your head
You are still important even if you can’t tell your stories right now (or ever)
Having a story that fails or flops or stops or falls apart doesn’t mean that story is worthless, a waste of time, and you are not worthless or a waste of time because you couldn’t see the story through
Don’t tell yourself getting published is your capital-G Goal, and that you’re worthless until you’ve been published. The goal is to practice that art that makes you so happy. If you’re writing specifically to get published, you’re no longer writing for you.
You are still important whether you last wrote ten minutes ago, yesterday, a month ago, or three years ago.
People, your parents, society, capitalism will tell you all of these things aren’t true. Fuck them.
And please be kind to yourselves and to your writing.
Love,
A writer who has learned all these things the hard way so maybe you guys won’t have to
If you type, write, draw, game, or generally use your hands a lot (especially if you’re prone to RSI or Carpal Tunnel!) try these stretches as both a preventative measure, and on the spot relief. Take care of yourself and your body, friends!
Start with hands up, fingers stretched out. Stretch your thumb as far as you can over your palm. Hold and repeat 4 times.
Touch each finger to your thumb. Hold each for 30 seconds. Repeat on each hand 4 times.
Start with a fist. Open half way, hold for 2 seconds. Stretch fingers out, hold for 2 seconds. Repeat 4 times.
Start with one arm out, palm up. Pull your fingers back with your other hand. Hold for 10 seconds. Do the same with your other hand. Repeat 4 times
Start with arms up, palms out. Bend wrists down until you feel the stretch, but keep your fingers loose. Hold 10 seconds. Bend wrist upwards, until you feel it in your wrist and arm. Hold 10 seconds. Repeat 4 times.
Never let anyone tell you that you can’t write. You are NEVER: too young, too old, too mature, too naive, too uneducated, too intelligent, too unoriginal, or too boring.
ANYONE can be a writer and EVERYONE is just as qualified as published authors.
You don’t have to have an english/literature/creative writing degree to magically make you worthy enough to try. Many published authors just picked it up after their day jobs, did it for a hobby. If they can do it, you can as well.
No one can stop you unless you let them, yours is the only opinion that should matter. So write your fanfiction, your novella, short story, screen play, or novel. Don’t give a damn about what the naysayers believe. Be fucking proud of every word you put down on the page (yes, even horrible rough drafts) because you’re amazing.
You ARE a writer. Be proud of that.
Too, many, commas,,,
Is this ooc??
I used that word already
Do people even blush this much??
*squints* Is that canon?
Tropes
*cries while writing death scene*
Wait what happened last chapter?
I wrote like a thousan- 354 words!?
*googles the lifespan of a tropical fish*
have I spelt his name wrong all this time?
Would they say that tho?
Changes plot 539932 times
Looses inspiration, goes back to tumblr
Try actually writing on paper before you type it. Your hands have a harder time of getting ahead and nothing is more fulfilling than using an entire notebook for your stories.
TO UKRAINIAN FRIENDS
If you are looking for an emergency exit from Ukraine, Poland will open EIGHT safety points on the border with Ukraine (you will get warm food, medical help and from there you will be guided to safety) in two of our voivodeships: lubuskie and podkarpackie. It is confirmed by the Polish Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Paweł Szefernaker.
SOURCES:
https://www.rp.pl/konflikty-zbrojne/art35748991-szefernaker-na-granicy-z-ukraina-powstaja-punkty-recepcyjne-dla-uchodzcow
https://www.wprost.pl/polityka/10633681/polska-reaguje-na-agresje-rosji-na-ukraine-powstana-punkty-dla-uchodzcow.html
I've marked those voivodeships on the map!
Please share because it can save lives!!!!!!
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A simple blog dealing with writing, books, and authors. Writing blog is Sinedras-Snippets. Icon and header by miel1411
164 posts