writers:

ao3sburbanite:

ironinkpen:

ironinkpen:

• break up your paragraphs. big paragraphs are scary, your readers will get scared
• fuuuuck epithets. “the other man got up” “the taller woman sat down” “the blonde walked away” nahhh. call them by their names or rework the sentence. you can do so much better than this (exception: if the reader doesn’t know the character(s) you’re referring to yet, it’s a-okay to refer to them by an identifying trait)
• blunette is not a thing
• new speaker, new paragraph. please.
• “said” is such a great word. use it. make sweet love to it. but don’t kill it
• use “said” more than you use synonyms for it. that way the use of synonyms gets more exciting. getting a sudden description of how a character is saying something (screaming, mumbling, sighing) is more interesting that way.
• if your summary says “I suck at summaries” or “story better than summary” you’re turning off the reader, my dude. your summary is supposed to be your hook. you gotta own it, just like you’re gonna own the story they’re about to read
• follow long sentences w short ones and short ones w long ones. same goes for paragraphs
• your writing is always better than you think it is. you just think it’s bad because the story’s always gonna be predicable to the one who’s writing it
• i love u guys keep on trucking

• say your dialogue out loud and see if it flows like an actual conversation two real people would have
• keep your vocab relatively simple. trust me on this. if your reader has to keep toggling between your story and dictionary.com, you’re alienating them, not showing off your “writing prowess.” It’s okay to throw in a few fancy words in once in a while to spruce things up, but don’t use things like “he extrapolated” too often
• synonyms are great, but don’t go overboard. instead of “he pronounced, retrieving the container” just say “he said, picking up the box.” again, keep it simple
• doesn’t matter how in love they are. they still need lube
• if the only thing carrying your plot is an easy-to-fix minor miscommunication/misunderstanding, you might wanna throw something else in there to keep your reader on their toes
• describe accents, but try not to put them into dialogue. “Iz cold up een Russia”??? just tell your reader the dude has a russian accent and have him talk
• ur all beautiful and i still love u

Great great great advice. Here’s a little more I’ve learned from writing: 

• Writing in the past tense? Your verbs should be in the past tense (had, was, did, sat, ran, kissed). If you’re writing in the present tense, they should in the present (is, has, does, sits, runs, kisses). Don’t switch back and forth between them – especially not within the same sentence.
• The only exception is if you’re writing a “flashback” from a present tense story, in which case your flashback needs its own paragraph/prargraphs.
• Ravenette is also not a word (at least according to the dictionary).
• It’s better to describe the effects of environmental conditions than describe them directly – “Rose shivered as she stepped out into the snow” is better than “It was cold and there was snow on the ground.”
• Direct descriptions are fine too, as long as they’re interesting, not overwrought, and don’t run into multiple sentences. 
• Most couples don’t go from kissing to boning in one smooth movement (unless it’s a one-night-stand) – in a real relationship the slow build is usually it’s own reward.
• Condoms are a thing. They’re not a mood killer.
• Write, write, and write some more! 
• Read other people’s great stuff and tell them how great it is
• Have fun and don’t give up ❤