(ive felt all of these on intense levels)
So for over a month and a half I’ve been told in my Creative writing MA class that my writing is too poetic and abstract to work in the form of a novel and that I need to simplify my meanings and sentences. I did as I was told and lost all interest in writing if I have to write in the same style that every other novelist does. Today I received this note from a classmate and didn’t realise how much I needed to hear it. Don’t change your art just because other people don’t get it. Don’t change your style to fit in with everyone else. It’s your story not theirs.
"What? No!"
"So what if I did?"
"I said it and I meant it."
"Only if you say it back."
"Someone had to say it."
"I'm not going to say it again."
"You must have misheard me."
"I couldn't hold it in any longer."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"It's probably not what you wanted to hear."
All the Dialogue Responses can be found here.
If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! 🥰
Sight
tall trees with thick canopies of leaves
alternating light coming in through the moving leafs of the trees
ground covered with a mix of grass, ferns, and fallen leaves
wildflowers adding splashes of colour
animals like deer, boars, squirrels, birds
insects like butterflies and bees add movement and life to the scene
Hearing
the air is filled with the melodious songs of birds
gentle rustling of leaves as the wind moves through the trees
constant hum and buzz of insects
the soft crunch of leaves, twigs, and soil while walking through the forest
Touch
the spongy feel and the soft coolness of moss
the rough texture of tree bark
the cooler temperature in the forest
with a gentle breeze that can be felt on your skin
Smell
the smell of fresh grass
the rich, earthy smell of soil and decaying leaves
the scent of fresh leaves, pine needles, and blooming flowers
the smell of the clean, slightly damp scent of water and wet earth from a nearby stream or pond
Taste
the clean taste of fresh air
the taste of sweet and tangy wildberries
the taste of self-picked mushrooms
the taste of edible wildflowers
the taste of a variety of nuts
the taste of wild greens
More: How to create an atmosphere
Writing pornographic short fic: moderately difficult; kind of mechanical in a fun way.
Ending pornographic short fic: HOW
Please tell me I’m not the only one who is obsessed with organizing my book. Like, I have never been a big plotter, but I like to have my research, mood boards, and character profiles in one place, where I can find them. Most people use Scrivener for this, but as much as I love it for writing, I like to visualize more than scrivener allows me. Plus - the app is really expensive and I have already paid for the desktop version, so I don’t feel like paying for a mobile app.
But what is Milanote?
Imagine your favorite corkboard, except it’s digital and you can access it both from your mobile and computer. Milanote allows you to make and personalize mood boards, to-do lists, write posts, add links to resources, add Spotify playlist, create boards within boards, add photos, and documents, sends you reminders when a certain task has to be done… and much more.
Milanote’s boards are extremely flexible. Besides writing I use it to organize my commissions, school, and finances. The Milanote itself even has plenty of templates for almost everything and I store almost anything in it these days. My family trees, interactive maps, notes, random ideas, character profiles.
It’s super easy to use and perfect if you are looking for something to make your story bible in. The app is available for both ios and android and any computer. You can also invite another person in and share your documents and your notes.
You can also convert your boards to pdf or a word document and download it later.
The only catch probably wood be, that Milanote only allows you to add a maximum of 200 objects for free. If you want more you have to pay a monthly subscription (i think 15 USD a month) - btw. the best purchase I ever made - but maybe the free 200 is enough for you, who knows?
also… did I mention dark mode?
writing fanfiction is just fingers clenching over a keyboard as you ferally mutter i just want this little guy to be held, damn it and proceeding to hurt said little guy (gn) for about 10k words before you actually give them their hug
E.A. Deverell - FREE worksheets (characters, world building, narrator, etc.) and paid courses;
Rach Academia - FREEBIES (workbook, notion template, games, challenges, etc.);
Hiveword - Helps to research any topic to write about (has other resources, too);
BetaBooks - Share your draft with your beta reader (can be more than one), and see where they stopped reading, their comments, etc.;
Charlotte Dillon - Research links;
Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;
One Stop for Writers - You guys... this website has literally everything we need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;
One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It's FREE!
Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;
National Centre for Writing - FREE worksheets and writing courses. Has also paid courses;
Penguin Random House - Has some writing contests and great opportunities;
Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;
The Creative Academy for Writers - "Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication." It's FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;
Reedsy - "A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book" It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;
QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I've never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);
Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It's FREE but has a paid plan;
Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;
I hope this is helpful for you!
Also, don't forget to check my gumroad shop, where you can find plenty of FREEBIES (from notion templates for writers to workbooks and sheets).
-> Check out my freebies
Happy writing! <3
Finale arcade token
The sizzle of a grill
“If you’re gonna act like a clown, I might as well treat you like one.”
Eavesdropping
“This is the worst plot twist I’ve ever seen.”
Lighthouse
Love letters
Helplessness
“A little makeup will cover it up.”
“You brought a knife?! Here?!”
Coffee rings
Spunk
“Calm down, you cartoon villain.”
Filter
Rusted tool box
Operating room
Compliance
“I’m just waiting for the life in your eyes to return.”
Consume
Flickering lights
“You had it this whole time?”
Eye bags
Missing poster
Stained hands
Novelty keychains
Carnival food
Podcasts
“This place is decorated like an IKEA— not that that’s a bad thing!”
Humanising
Passing the blame
“All summer long, baby. All summer long.”
Also see:
June 2021 writing challenge
Writing challenge masterlist
Prompts masterlist