Latest Posts by lovespiralls - Page 2
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
List of “idiots in love but are in denial” prompts
“I don’t like them like that. Absolutely fucking not. What the hell?”
“I mean, I’d make out with them but like — platonically, you know?” “…You can’t make out with someone platonically.” “Of course you can! We’ve done it like, so many times before already.”
“And why do you think I’d ever like them? I have taste.”
“Would I tuck them in bed and kiss them on the forehead? Yes. Would I fuck them in bed and then pepper kisses all over their face? Also yes. But neither of those options have to mean anything.”
“What do you mean I look at them like they’re everything I could ever want? I call bullshit! That’s slander!”
“You’re so cute.” “What?” “I said you look like a sack of shit, fuck you.”
“What do you mean by that? I do not daydream about us getting married and building our dream home in the country side where no one can bother us on a daily basis.”
“…But there’s just no way, right? Me? Liking them? That’s… No.”
“What? We’re not looking at each other like we’d rather be alone in a private suite than be here with you guys. Don’t be stupid.” “Then stop eye fucking each other for one second.” “But we weren’t? That’s a ridiculous accusation. Friends don’t do that.”
“Shut the fuck up, I don’t care that they’re looking at someone else like they’re in love with them. Why should I care? It’s none of my business.”
gestures that makes me feel love:
(feel free to use the<33 2, 5,6, and 17 are lengg, do tag me when yall writee :) )
when they feed you the first bite
when they hug you from the back and wants to stay like that for a bit, it's just so comforting and healing!!!
staying away past their bed time, waiting for you to finish your work
slow dancing in the living room. with pjs.
knuckle kisses. SHOULDER KISSES. OKAY?? UGH♡
when they have a habit of bumping noses with you, that makes you giggle a little
always smiling in your presence :')
^ "how are you so smiling so hard right now?" "i find myself a little bit more happy when I'm with you. :)"
when they tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear while you talk
when they defend you in your absence
reaching out to hold your hands, always
keenly listens to you rant and vice versa
always so good with kids, and kids absolutely love them!!
sends you pictures and videos often and tells you how much they wish you were there with them
makes time for you. absolutely loves spending time with you!
lying in silence while cuddling snd realising how much their touch comforts you
shamelessly gets back rubs from you (if ure at that level, yall prolly should get married)
teases you on every occasion possible!
"If multi-verse exists, I hope to god, you're my soulmate in every one of them."
when they press kisses at the corners your lips. always.
If you’re having writers block…READ!!!! CONSUME MEDIA
I feel like I don’t hear that given enough as advice for writers block..just read? Watch tv? Movies? Find inspiration in media.
Writers block is a lack of inspiration, so go collect more.
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
Becoming a writer is great because now you have a hobby that haunts you whenever you don’t have time to do it
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.
List of “I still…” prompts
I still smell the traces of your scent on my bedsheets; my clothes; my pillowcase
I still remember your favourite songs; the way you’d sing them out loud thinking no one’s listening, and then getting flustered when you realised I heard you
I still remember all of your little quirks in which I’ve always found so endearing to me, but you always thought were annoying
I still remember the feel of you under my palms; every curve, every line
I still have your number memorised, like the back of my hand
I still remember your smile, the soft quirk to it. How could I not? It’s ingrained in the back of my mind, even though I wish it wasn’t
I still can’t get you out of my mind even though I’m probably long gone from yours
I still remember how you’d laugh at my jokes even though they didn’t make any sense to anyone else
I still have our inside jokes kept somewhere in the back of my mind
I still remember how you taste
I still remember how you sound; your sweet voice you told me you hated when you had to listen back to it over voice recording
I still remember how you’d be there for me, through both the thick and the thin
I still remember how you told me you’d always be there for me
I still remember how our love was supposed to be unconditional… until it wasn’t
I still remember how things went down south. Where did things go wrong? I still don’t really understand what happened…
I still think about you, day in, day out
I still miss you
I still want you
I still need you
And I… I still love you, even after all of this time
Ok here is a compilation of all the software and useful tools I’ve come across whilst writing. Some of them I’ve reviewed on here already, more coming soon.
Got an idea? Well get planning! Here’s some useful outlining, brainstorming and mind- mapping software:
Coggle
Lucidchart
Mural.ly
Blumind
MindMeister
Mindmaple
Mindomo
NovaMind
Popplet
Scapple
Tree Sheets
Visual Understanding Environment (VUE)
XMind
FreeMind
Oak Outliner
Work Flowy
The Outliner of Giants
Just want to get writing? You want a word processor:
Gedit
Google Docs
Kate
LibreOffice
Microsoft Word
My Writing Spot
NoteTab
Open Office
Quabel
Ted
Vim
yEdit
Making notes? Here you go:
CintaNotes
Evernote
KeepNote
Memonic
MS OneNote
Scribe
SuperNotecard
Tomboy
Timelines giving you a headache? Try these:
Aeon Timeline
Dipity
Preceden
Tiki-Toki
Timeglider
Timeline
TimelineJS
TimeToast
Now perhaps you want to organise those notes. Got a lot of research? Character sheets? Images? Well here’s some tools to keep all that together:
Liquid Story Binder XE
LitLift
PangurPad
Scriptito
Scrivener
Writer’s Café
Yarny
yWriter
Are you easily distracted? The following tools will keep you on track:
Dark Room
FocusWriter
JDarkRoom
Momentum Writer
OmmWriter
Q10
Writemonkey
Zen Writer
Even more productivity tools to help keep you focussed on your task:
Cold Turkey
FocalFilter
Freedom
InternetOff
Keepmeout
Nanny
Productivity Owl
RescueTime
SelfControl
SelfRestraint
Simple Blocker
StayFocusd
Strict Workflow
Time Doctor
Waste No Time
Website Blocker
So you’ve got something down? Need to edit?
AutoCrit
EditMinion
Grammarly
LyX
SlickWrite
SmartEdit
After the Deadline
All done? Perhaps you’d like some e-publishing tools:
Acrobat
InDesign
Calibre
CutePDF
Jutoh
Mobipocket Creator
PagePlus
PageStream
PDFCreator
Scribus
Sigil
Turns out I’d forgotten about screenwriters, so here goes:
CeltX
Plotbot
Scripped
ScriptBuddy
Trelby
WriterDuet
Slugline
Page2Stage
Highland
I’m feeling generous, have some more cool stuff:
750 Words
One Page per Day
Oneword
Penzu
Write or Die
Written Kitten
Focus Booster
Spaaze
AutoREALM (Map building software)
ETA: After a request I’ve added screenplay software to the list.
Words for Skin Tone | How to Describe Skin Color
We discussed the issues describing People of Color by means of food in Part I of this guide, which brought rise to even more questions, mostly along the lines of “So, if food’s not an option, what can I use?” Well, I was just getting to that!
This final portion focuses on describing skin tone, with photo and passage examples provided throughout. I hope to cover everything from the use of straight-forward description to the more creatively-inclined, keeping in mind the questions we’ve received on this topic.
Standard Description
Basic Colors
Pictured above: Black, Brown, Beige, White, Pink.
“She had brown skin.”
This is a perfectly fine description that, while not providing the most detail, works well and will never become cliché.
Describing characters’ skin as simply brown or beige works on its own, though it’s not particularly telling just from the range in brown alone.
Complex Colors
These are more rarely used words that actually “mean” their color. Some of these have multiple meanings, so you’ll want to look into those to determine what other associations a word might have.
Pictured above: Umber, Sepia, Ochre, Russet, Terra-cotta, Gold, Tawny, Taupe, Khaki, Fawn.
Complex colors work well alone, though often pair well with a basic color in regards to narrowing down shade/tone.
For example: Golden brown, russet brown, tawny beige…
As some of these are on the “rare” side, sliding in a definition of the word within the sentence itself may help readers who are unfamiliar with the term visualize the color without seeking a dictionary.
“He was tall and slim, his skin a russet, reddish-brown.”
Comparisons to familiar colors or visuals are also helpful:
“His skin was an ochre color, much like the mellow-brown light that bathed the forest.”
Modifiers
Modifiers, often adjectives, make partial changes to a word.The following words are descriptors in reference to skin tone.
Dark - Deep - Rich - Cool
Warm - Medium - Tan
Fair - Light - Pale
Rich Black, Dark brown, Warm beige, Pale pink…
If you’re looking to get more specific than “brown,” modifiers narrow down shade further.
Keep in mind that these modifiers are not exactly colors.
As an already brown-skinned person, I get tan from a lot of sun and resultingly become a darker, deeper brown. I turn a pale, more yellow-brown in the winter.
While best used in combination with a color, I suppose words like “tan” “fair” and “light” do work alone; just note that tan is less likely to be taken for “naturally tan” and much more likely a tanned White person.
Calling someone “dark” as description on its own is offensive to some and also ambiguous. (See: Describing Skin as Dark)
Undertones
Undertones are the colors beneath the skin, seeing as skin isn’t just one even color but has more subdued tones within the dominating palette.
pictured above: warm / earth undertones: yellow, golden, copper, olive, bronze, orange, orange-red, coral | cool / jewel undertones: pink, red, blue, blue-red, rose, magenta, sapphire, silver.
Mentioning the undertones within a character’s skin is an even more precise way to denote skin tone.
As shown, there’s a difference between say, brown skin with warm orange-red undertones (Kelly Rowland) and brown skin with cool, jewel undertones (Rutina Wesley).
“A dazzling smile revealed the bronze glow at her cheeks.”
“He always looked as if he’d ran a mile, a constant tinge of pink under his tawny skin.”
Standard Description Passage
“Farah’s skin, always fawn, had burned and freckled under the summer’s sun. Even at the cusp of autumn, an uneven tan clung to her skin like burrs. So unlike the smooth, red-brown ochre of her mother, which the sun had richened to a blessing.”
-From my story “Where Summer Ends” featured in Strange Little Girls
Here the state of skin also gives insight on character.
Note my use of “fawn” in regards to multiple meaning and association. While fawn is a color, it’s also a small, timid deer, which describes this very traumatized character of mine perfectly.
Though I use standard descriptions of skin tone more in my writing, at the same time I’m no stranger to creative descriptions, and do enjoy the occasional artsy detail of a character.
Creative Description
Whether compared to night-cast rivers or day’s first light…I actually enjoy seeing Characters of Colors dressed in artful detail.
I’ve read loads of descriptions in my day of white characters and their “smooth rose-tinged ivory skin”, while the PoC, if there, are reduced to something from a candy bowl or a Starbucks drink, so to actually read of PoC described in lavish detail can be somewhat of a treat.
Still, be mindful when you get creative with your character descriptions. Too many frills can become purple-prose-like, so do what feels right for your writing when and where. Not every character or scene warrants a creative description, either. Especially if they’re not even a secondary character.
Using a combination of color descriptions from standard to creative is probably a better method than straight creative. But again, do what’s good for your tale.
Natural Settings - Sky
Pictured above: Harvest Moon -Twilight, Fall/Autumn Leaves, Clay, Desert/Sahara, Sunlight - Sunrise - Sunset - Afterglow - Dawn- Day- Daybreak, Field - Prairie - Wheat, Mountain/Cliff, Beach/Sand/Straw/Hay.
Now before you run off to compare your heroine’s skin to the harvest moon or a cliff side, think about the associations to your words.
When I think cliff, I think of jagged, perilous, rough. I hear sand and picture grainy, yet smooth. Calm. mellow.
So consider your character and what you see fit to compare them to.
Also consider whose perspective you’re describing them from. Someone describing a person they revere or admire may have a more pleasant, loftier description than someone who can’t stand the person.
“Her face was like the fire-gold glow of dawn, lifting my gaze, drawing me in.”
“She had a sandy complexion, smooth and tawny.”
Even creative descriptions tend to draw help from your standard words.
Flowers
Pictured above: Calla lilies, Western Coneflower, Hazel Fay, Hibiscus, Freesia, Rose
It was a bit difficult to find flowers to my liking that didn’t have a 20 character name or wasn’t called something like “chocolate silk” so these are the finalists.
You’ll definitely want to avoid purple-prose here.
Also be aware of flowers that most might’ve never heard of. Roses are easy, as most know the look and coloring(s) of this plant. But Western coneflowers? Calla lilies? Maybe not so much.
“He entered the cottage in a huff, cheeks a blushing brown like the flowers Nana planted right under my window. Hazel Fay she called them, was it?”
Assorted Plants & Nature
Pictured above: Cattails, Seashell, Driftwood, Pinecone, Acorn, Amber
These ones are kinda odd. Perhaps because I’ve never seen these in comparison to skin tone, With the exception of amber.
At least they’re common enough that most may have an idea what you’re talking about at the mention of “pinecone."
I suggest reading out your sentences aloud to get a better feel of how it’ll sounds.
"Auburn hair swept past pointed ears, set around a face like an acorn both in shape and shade.”
I pictured some tree-dwelling being or person from a fantasy world in this example, which makes the comparison more appropriate.
I don’t suggest using a comparison just “cuz you can” but actually being thoughtful about what you’re comparing your character to and how it applies to your character and/or setting.
Wood
Pictured above: Mahogany, Walnut, Chestnut, Golden Oak, Ash
Wood can be an iffy description for skin tone. Not only due to several of them having “foody” terminology within their names, but again, associations.
Some people would prefer not to compare/be compared to wood at all, so get opinions, try it aloud, and make sure it’s appropriate to the character if you do use it.
“The old warlock’s skin was a deep shade of mahogany, his stare serious and firm as it held mine.”
Metals
Pictured above: Platinum, Copper, Brass, Gold, Bronze
Copper skin, brass-colored skin, golden skin…
I’ve even heard variations of these used before by comparison to an object of the same properties/coloring, such as penny for copper.
These also work well with modifiers.
“The dress of fine white silks popped against the deep bronze of her skin.”
Gemstones - Minerals
Pictured above: Onyx, Obsidian, Sard, Topaz, Carnelian, Smoky Quartz, Rutile, Pyrite, Citrine, Gypsum
These are trickier to use. As with some complex colors, the writer will have to get us to understand what most of these look like.
If you use these, or any more rare description, consider if it actually “fits” the book or scene.
Even if you’re able to get us to picture what “rutile” looks like, why are you using this description as opposed to something else? Have that answer for yourself.
“His skin reminded her of the topaz ring her father wore at his finger, a gleaming stone of brown, mellow facades.”
Physical Description
Physical character description can be more than skin tone.
Show us hair, eyes, noses, mouth, hands…body posture, body shape, skin texture… though not necessarily all of those nor at once.
Describing features also helps indicate race, especially if your character has some traits common within the race they are, such as afro hair to a Black character.
How comprehensive you decide to get is up to you. I wouldn’t overdo it and get specific to every mole and birthmark. Noting defining characteristics is good, though, like slightly spaced front teeth, curls that stay flopping in their face, hands freckled with sunspots…
General Tips
Indicate Race Early: I suggest indicators of race be made at the earliest convenience within the writing, with more hints threaded throughout here and there.
Get Creative On Your Own: Obviously, I couldn’t cover every proper color or comparison in which has been “approved” to use for your characters’ skin color, so it’s up to you to use discretion when seeking other ways and shades to describe skin tone.
Skin Color May Not Be Enough: Describing skin tone isn’t always enough to indicate someone’s ethnicity. As timeless cases with readers equating brown to “dark white” or something, more indicators of race may be needed.
Describe White characters and PoC Alike: You should describe the race and/or skin tone of your white characters just as you do your Characters of Color. If you don’t, you risk implying that White is the default human being and PoC are the “Other”).
PSA: Don’t use “Colored.” Based on some asks we’ve received using this word, I’d like to say that unless you or your character is a racist grandmama from the 1960s, do not call People of Color “colored” please.
Not Sure Where to Start? You really can’t go wrong using basic colors for your skin descriptions. It’s actually what many people prefer and works best for most writing. Personally, I tend to describe my characters using a combo of basic colors + modifiers, with mentions of undertones at times. I do like to veer into more creative descriptions on occasion.
Want some alternatives to “skin” or “skin color”? Try: Appearance, blend, blush, cast, coloring, complexion, flush, glow, hue, overtone, palette, pigmentation, rinse, shade, sheen, spectrum, tinge, tint, tone, undertone, value, wash.
Skin Tone Resources
List of Color Names
The Color Thesaurus
Skin Undertone & Color Matching
Tips and Words on Describing Skin
Photos: Undertones Described (Modifiers included)
Online Thesaurus (try colors, such as “red” & “brown”)
Don’t Call me Pastries: Creative Skin Tones w/ pics I
Writing & Description Guides
WWC Featured Description Posts
WWC Guide: Words to Describe Hair
Writing with Color: Description & Skin Color Tags
7 Offensive Mistakes Well-intentioned Writers Make
I tried to be as comprehensive as possible with this guide, but if you have a question regarding describing skin color that hasn’t been answered within part I or II of this guide, or have more questions after reading this post, feel free to ask!
~ Mod Colette
30 Day Fluff Challenge! Every day for thirty days, you’ll be given a sugary sweet prompt.
“You’re my new pillow”
Making pancakes
Birthday
Messing around in IKEA
Painting together
Prom-posal
“If we both want to fit, we’ll have to cuddle”
Comfort food
“This is my favourite place in the whole world”
Wearing each other’s clothes
Crying during a movie
Baking
Getting dressed up for a completely casual date
Taking care of each other while sick
Buying each other a book
“I want to stay up with you”
Sleeping in the same bed for the first time
Pillow forts
Beach day
Drive in movie
Barbecue
Proposal
“Dance with me”
Making each other dinner
Regular at a coffee shop
“Come on. Tell me a story”
Taking care of an animal
Carnival / fair
One year anniversary
First date
Also see:
30 day AU challenge
2021 writing challenge
30 Day Fluff Challenge! Every day for thirty days, you’ll be given a sugary sweet prompt.
“You’re my new pillow”
Making pancakes
Birthday
Messing around in IKEA
Painting together
Prom-posal
“If we both want to fit, we’ll have to cuddle”
Comfort food
“This is my favourite place in the whole world”
Wearing each other’s clothes
Crying during a movie
Baking
Getting dressed up for a completely casual date
Taking care of each other while sick
Buying each other a book
“I want to stay up with you”
Sleeping in the same bed for the first time
Pillow forts
Beach day
Drive in movie
Barbecue
Proposal
“Dance with me”
Making each other dinner
Regular at a coffee shop
“Come on. Tell me a story”
Taking care of an animal
Carnival / fair
One year anniversary
First date
Also see:
30 day AU challenge
30 day angst writing challenge
MILANOTE FOR WRITERS
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 Websites
1. a website with a list of superpowers and what they are
2. a website that generates random au ideas
3. a website that generates names, basic info and futures in a bunch of languages
4. a website that checks your grammar
5. website that lists types of execution in the states
6. a website with info on death certificates
7. a website with info on the four manners of death
8. a website with info on the black plague
9. website with information on depression
10. a website with info on the four types of suicide
11. website that lists famous quotes
12. website with different kinds of quotes
13. a website with info on food in every country
14. a website with a list of different colors
15. website with a list of medieval jobs
16. website with a list of fabrics
17. website with a list of flowers and pictures
18. website with a list of flowers and no pictures
19. website with a list of poisonous plants
20. website with a list of poisonous and non-poisonous plants
21. website with a list of things not to feed your animals
22. website with a list of poisons that can be used to kill people
23. website with info on the international date line
24. website with a list of food allergies
25. website with a list of climates
26. website with info on allergic reactions
27. website with info on fahrenheit and celsius
28. website with info on color blindness
29. website with a list of medical equipment
30. website with a list of bugs
31. website with an alphabetic list of bugs and their scientific name
32. website with a list of eye colors
33. website (wikipedia sorry) with list of drinks
34. website with a list of religions
35. website with a list of different types of doctors and what they do
36. website (wikipedia again sorry) with a list of hair colors
37. website that generates fantasy names
38. website with a list of body language
39. website with a list of disabilities
40. website with an alphabetic list of disabilities
step 1: conceptualize fic
step 2: plot out intricate details of fic
step 3: avoid actually writing fic
step 4: eventually get bored of fic and abandon it for a new project
step 5: repeat.
30 days of writing prompts based on your music playlist!
Click shuffle three times
A song that always makes you cry
A song that reminds you of someone you hate
The last song you listened to
Your go-to sing along song
A song you always sing in the shower
Click shuffle twice
A song recommended by a friend
A song you hate but can’t take off your playlist
A song from a movie / TV show
Click shuffle four times
A mix of the first and last song on your playlist
A song with a blue album cover
A song starting with an f
A song that you always skip
A song with a colour in the title
A song that’s older than you
A song that used to be your favourite
Click shuffle seven times
A song that makes you believe in love
A song that makes you believe that love is dead
Click shuffle twice and skip three songs
A song with a pink album cover
Your least favourite song from your favourite album
A song with the word fun in the title
A hopeful duet
A song about friendship
A song that you’d play at a party
A song that you’d play at a wedding
Your favourite song
Also see:
Writing Challenges / 30 Day Writing Challenges
Prompts masterlist
What people think writers’ search histories look like: how to get away with murder, best way to dispose of a body, how long do humans take to decompose, how much blood do you have to lose to die, can i strangle someone with dental floss... etc
What an actual writer’s seach history looks like:
When you’re daydreaming a scenario and then suddenly come up with something that would work way better
Stop judging fic writers for not having perfect spelling and grammar
We write fic for fun, it's for us, we do it as a hobby in our free time.
We're not obligated to edit to an extreme and perfect our spelling and grammar
For some fic writers, English isn't our first language or we're not fluent in it (oh and there are of course the fic writers who don't write in English at all)
We may not have time to edit a fic, especially if we're pressured to it posted by a certain time
If we're posting a short drabble that doesn't even reach 1-2k, hell even if it does reach 1-2k, we may not see a reason to edit it
But people writing longer fics and even multiple chapters aren't obligated to perfect their grammar and spelling either. Most likely we'll revise once, we're not going to through like 5-6 different revisions for a fanfic that we're just having fun with
Fun fact: editing is a bit of a nightmare, especially if English isn't your first language (do not get me started on fic writers who translate their fics from their mother language into English). Rigorously editing can make fic writing less fun if we feel like we have to perfectly edit it each and every time, and writing is for fun, we're supposed to enjoy it (to fellow fic writers: if editing drains you or you feel the need for your grammar to be perfect, it doesn't have to be. Focus more on the writing (the fun part) than you do the editing)
Fic writers aren't bad writers if their spelling and grammar isn't perfect