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caveatscriptor · 6 months

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#mood #mood atm #about writing #writing #writers on tumblr #writer things #writer #writers #I queued therefore I exist

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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#couldn't agree more #age #ageism #society #trends #society expectations #existing #about me

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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“This is your daily, friendly reminder to use commas instead of periods during the dialogue of your story,” she said with a smile.

#writing tools #queue queue

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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need refs/inspo for period clothing?

here you go:

Medieval (9th-15th century):

10th century and earlier

Romance (1000-1250)

11th century

12th century

13th century

more 13th century

14th century

more 14th

15th century

and more 15th century

Gothic (1150-1550)

Renaissance (1520-1650)

16th & 17th century

16th century

more 16th

Tudors (1500-1550)

more Tudors

Elizabethan Period (1558-1603)

Jacobean Era (1603-1625)

17th century

more 17th century

and again

and even more

this won’t stop

Baroque (1600-1750)

Georgian Period (1714-1830):

18th century

more 18th century

18th century women’s fashion

18th century men’s fashion

Rococo (1720-1770)

Classicism (1770-1790)

children 18th-19th century

Regency Preiod (1811-1820)/ Empire (1800-1820s):

1790-1820s

more stuff on regency and georgian era

even more

that’s not enough regency

and more

how is there so much

early 19th century men’s wear

early 19th century women’s wear

Victorian Period (1837-1901):

Romantic Era (1820-1840s)

Civil War Era/1850-1860s

1870-1890s

more victorian

Edwardian Period (1901-1910):

1900-1910s

Belle Epoque (1880-1910s)

more edwardian/belle époque

Modern:

1910s-1920s [Fashion between the World Wars]

1920s

more roaring 20s

so much 20s

1920s hairstyles

1930s

1930-1940s

1930-1950s

1950s

more 50s

1960s

1960-1970s

1980s

lots of periods in one spot/fashion through centuries:

here, here, and here is almost everything (and properly ordered)

also here with lots of historic fashion magazines

historic fashion

costumes of antiquity

more historical clothing

history of fashion

more history of fashion

“vintage” clothing

historic costumes

children’s historical fashion/toys

details

historic wedding dresses

historic assecoires (hats, shoes…)

hats

masks

parasols

lots of embroidery/jewlery

it indeed is western/european centric, I’m sorry for that, but for other cultures I simply don’t have so many references

#clothing reference #writing tools #queue queue

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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#writing inspo #architecture #symbolism #cemetery #queue queue #writing tools

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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site that you can type in the definition of a word and get the word

site for when you can only remember part of a word/its definition

site that gives you words that rhyme with a word

site that gives you synonyms and antonyms

#writing resources #writing tools #queue queue

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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Girls pose by a jail that recalls the witch trials of 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. Photo taken in 1945.

#history #salem #salem witches #witches #history facts #writing inspo #queue queue

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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#listen #intertesting #ideas #writing inspo #queue queue

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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I want someone to write a book where Mermaids are the women thrown off ships when the sailors got afraid because having a woman on the boat is bad luck. And as they sink to the bottom legs tied together they change slowly until they can breath, until they can use their tied up legs to swim. And they drown sailors in revenge, luring them in by singing in their husky voices still stinging from the salt water they breathed.

#about writing #writing inspo #ideas #queue queue

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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Are These Filter Words Weakening Your Story?

After putting my writing on hold for several weeks, I decided to jump back in. I expected to find all sorts of problems with my story–inconsistencies in the plot, lack of transitions, poor characterization–the works. But what began to stick out to me was something to which I’d given little thought in writing.

Filter words.

What are Filter Words?

Actually, I didn’t even know these insidious creatures had a name until I started combing the internet for info.

Filter words are those that unnecessarily filter the reader’s experience through a character’s point of view. Dark Angel’s Blog says:

“Filtering” is when you place a character between the detail you want to present and the reader. The term was started by Janet Burroway in her book On Writing.

In terms of example, you should watch out for:

To see

To hear

To think

To touch

To wonder

To realize

To watch

To look

To seem

To feel (or feel like)

Can

To decide

To sound (or sound like)

To know

I’m being honest when I say my manuscript is filled with these words, and the majority of them need to be edited out.

What do Filter Words Look Like?

Let’s imagine a character in your novel is walking down a street during peak hour.

You might, for example, write:

Sarah felt a sinking feeling as she realized she’d forgotten her purse back at the cafe across the street. She saw cars filing past, their bumpers end-to-end. She heard the impatient honk of horns and wondered how she could quickly cross the busy road before someone took off with her bag. But the traffic seemed impenetrable, and she decided to run to the intersection at the end of the block.

Eliminating the bolded words removes the filters that distances us, the readers, from this character’s experience:

Sarah’s stomach sank. Her purse—she’d forgotten it back at the cafe across the street. Cars filed past, their bumpers end-to-end. Horns honked impatiently. Could she make it across the road before someone took off with her bag? She ran past the impenetrable stream of traffic, toward the intersection at the end of the block.

Are Filter Words Ever Acceptable?

Of course, there are usually exceptions to every rule.

Just because filter words tend to be weak doesn’t mean they never have a place in our writing. Sometimes they are helpful and even necessary.

Susan Dennard of Let The Words Flow writes that we should use filter words when they are critical to the meaning of the sentence.

If there’s no better way to phrase something than to use a filter word, then it’s probably okay to do so.

Want to know more?

Read these other helpful articles on filter words and more great writing tips:

Filter Words and Distancing Point of View

The Reasons Editors reject Manuscripts

Filter Those words and Strengthen Your Writing

#writing tools #queue queue

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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Victoria Schwab Tweets:

“This just in: you can love writing and also find it hard.

“I was once on a panel and another author essentially said, ‘if you don't enjoy every moment, then why are you here?’ and I was...exasperated. Creativity is a complicated beast. You don't have to love every second to be a valid participant.

“I love the ideas. I love brainstorming, and problem-solving, and I love making this better, fine-tuning language.

“I also hate drafting, claw my way through self-doubt, crawl on my hands and knees through the frustration of the unrealized.

“I'm not here because I love every second.

“I'm here because the parts I love are worth the rest.”

#words to live by #writers musings #queue queue

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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Stop using the word "Walk". We don't want that word to die together with "Said".

Here are a few words you can replace walk with.

AMBLE: WALK EASILY AND/OR AIMLESSLY

BOUNCE: WALK ENERGETICALLY

CAREEN: PITCH DANGEROUSLY TO ONE SIDE WHILE WALKING OR RUNNING

CLUMP: WALK HEAVILY AND/OR CLUMSILY

FALTER: WALK UNSTEADILY

FLOUNDER: WALK WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY

FOOT IT: (SLANG) DEPART OR SET OFF BY WALKING

FOOTSLOG: WALK HEAVILY AND FIRMLY, AS WHEN WEARY, OR THROUGH MUD

GIMP: LIMP; HOBBLE

HIKE: TAKE A LONG WALK, ESPECIALLY IN A PARK OR A WILDERNESS AREA

HOBBLE: WALK UNSTEADILY OR WITH DIFFICULTY; SEE ALSO LIMP

HOOF IT: (SLANG) WALK; SEE FOOT IT

LEG IT: (SLANG) SEE FOOT IT

LIMP: WALK UNSTEADILY BECAUSE OF INJURY, ESPECIALLY FAVORING ONE LEG; SEE ALSO FALTER

LUMBER: WALK SLOWLY AND HEAVILY

LURCH: WALK SLOWLY BUT WITH SUDDEN MOVEMENTS, OR FURTIVELY

MARCH: WALK RHYTHMICALLY ALONE OR IN A GROUP, ESPECIALLY ACCORDING TO A SPECIFIED PROCEDURE

MEANDER: WALK OR MOVE AIMLESSLY AND IDLY WITHOUT FIXED DIRECTION

MINCE: WALK DELICATELY

MOSEY: SEE AMBLE; ALSO, USED COLLOQUIALLY IN THE PHRASE “MOSEY ALONG”

NIP: WALK BRISKLY OR LIGHTLY; ALSO USED COLLOQUIALLY IN THE PHRASE “NIP (ON) OVER” TO REFER TO A BRIEF WALK TO A CERTAIN DESTINATION, AS IF ON AN ERRAND

PACE: WALK PRECISELY TO MARK OFF A DISTANCE, OR WALK INTENTLY OR NERVOUSLY, ESPECIALLY BACK AND FORTH

PAD: WALK WITH STEADY STEPS MAKING A SOFT DULL SOUND

PARADE: WALK OSTENTATIOUSLY, AS IF TO SHOW OFF

PERAMBULATE: SEE STROLL; TRAVEL ON FOOT, OR WALK TO INSPECT OR MEASURE A BOUNDARY

PEREGRINATE: WALK, ESPECIALLY TO TRAVEL

PLOD: WALK SLOWLY AND HEAVILY, AS IF RELUCTANT OR WEARY

POUND: WALK OR GO WITH HEAVY STEPS; MOVE ALONG WITH FORCE OR VIGOR; SEE LUMBER

POWER WALK: WALK BRISKLY FOR FITNESS

PRANCE: WALK JOYFULLY, AS IF DANCING OR SKIPPING

PROMENADE: GO ON A LEISURELY WALK, ESPECIALLY IN A PUBLIC PLACE AS A SOCIAL ACTIVITY; SEEPARADE

PROWL: WALK NOISELESSLY AND CAREFULLY IN A PREDATORY MANNER

PUSSYFOOT: WALK STEALTHILY OR WARILY

RAMBLE: WALK OR TRAVEL AIMLESSLY

ROAM: GO WITHOUT FIXED DIRECTION AND WITHOUT ANY PARTICULAR DESTINATION, OFTEN FOR PLEASURE; SEE RAMBLE

ROVE: TRAVEL CONSTANTLY OVER A RELATIVELY LENGTHY TIME PERIOD WITHOUT A FIXED DESTINATION; WANDER

SASHAY: GLIDE, MOVE, OR PROCEED EASILY OR NONCHALANTLY; SEE PARADE

SAUNTER: WALK ABOUT EASILY

SCUFF: WALK WITHOUT LIFTING ONE’S FEET

SHAMBLE: WALK OR GO AWKWARDLY; SHUFFLE; SEE SCUFF

SHUFFLE: WALK WITHOUT LIFTING THE FEET OR WITH CLUMSY STEPS AND A SHAMBLING GAIT; SEESCUFF

SKULK: MOVE IN A STEALTHY OR FURTIVE MANNER

SOMNAMBULATE: WALK IN ONE’S SLEEP

STAGGER: WALK UNSTEADILY

STALK: WALK STEALTHILY, AS IN PURSUIT

STEP: WALK, OR PLACE ONE’S FOOT OR FEET IN A NEW POSITION

STOMP: WALK HEAVILY, AS IF IN ANGER

STRIDE: WALK PURPOSEFULLY, WITH LONG STEPS

STROLL: WALK IN A LEISURELY WAY; SEE SAUNTER

STRUT: WALK WITH A STIFF, ERECT, AND APPARENTLY ARROGANT OR CONCEITED GAIT; SEE PARADE

STUMBLE: WALK CLUMSILY OR UNSTEADILY, OR TRIP

STUMP: WALK HEAVILY, AS WITH A LIMP; SEE LUMBER

SWAGGER: WALK WITH AGGRESSIVE SELF-CONFIDENCE

TIPTOE: WALK CAREFULLY ON THE TOES OR ON THE BALLS OF THE FOOT, AS IF IN STEALTH

TODDLE: MOVE WITH SHORT, UNSTEADY STEPS, AS A YOUNG CHILD; SEE SAUNTER AND STAGGER

TOTTER: WALK OR GO WITH FALTERING STEPS, AS IF FROM EXTREME WEAKNESS; SEE STAGGER(ALSO, SWAY OR BECOME UNSTABLE)

TRAIPSE: WALK LIGHTLY AND/OR AIMLESSLY

TRAMP: WALK HEAVILY OR NOISILY; SEE LUMBER AND HIKE

TRAMPLE: WALK SO AS TO CRUSH SOMETHING UNDERFOOT

TRAVERSE: WALK ACROSS OR OVER A DISTANCE

TREAD: WALK SLOWLY AND STEADILY

TRIP: WALK LIGHTLY; SEE ALSO STUMBLE

TROMP: TREAD HEAVILY, ESPECIALLY TO CRUSH UNDERFOOT; SEE LUMBER

TROOP: WALK IN UNISON, OR COLLECTIVELY

TROT: PROCEED AT A PACE FASTER THAN A WALK; SEE NIP

TRUDGE: WALK SLOWLY AND WITH HEAVY STEPS, TYPICALLY BECAUSE OF EXHAUSTION OR HARSH CONDITIONS; SEE PLOD

WADDLE: WALK CLUMSILY OR AS IF BURDENED, SWINGING THE BODY

WADE: WALK THROUGH WATER OR WITH DIFFICULTY, AS IF IMPEDED

WANDER: TO MOVE FROM PLACE TO PLACE WITHOUT A FIXED ROUTE; SEE RAMBLE

RESOURCES: (X) (X) (X) (X) (X)

#writing tools #queue queue

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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idk if anyone will find this useful, but this is how i go about planning my stories. i mostly write fantasy, so that’s what this is most applicable to. but it could work with other genres too.

so there’s three major components to a story: the characters, the plot, and the world. creating them individually is the easy part, but they all connect and affect each other in different ways. (like you can’t have a character who loves peaches and eats them every day if they live a peasant in a region that doesn’t grow peaches, for example.)

so i created a cheat sheet to help connect all three components together.

1) the world creates the characters.

this is related to the peach example above. the characters should be a direct result of the environment they grew up in and the environment they currently live in.

2) the characters are limited by the world.

also related to the peaches. characters can’t do anything outside of what the rules of their surroundings and universe allow, such as eating peaches when they’re not available. this also applies for magic users. they can’t have unlimited magic, so keep in mind what you want out of both the characters and the world when creating magic systems.

3) the characters carry the plot.

we’ve all heard it before: “bad characters can’t carry a good plot. good characters can carry a bad plot.” but we all like a good plot anyway. try to make sure you’re not giving your characters too heavy or too light of a plot to carry.

4) the plot pushes the characters.

if nothing in the plot happens, your characters will remain static forever. if you struggle with plots, try starting with what character development you want to happen, then go from there.

5) the plot depends on the world.

you can’t overthrow the evil government if there isn’t one. think of what your world needs most and what your plot is centered around, and fit those two together.

6) the world is changed by the plot.

even if your plot is centered around something most of your world would call “insignificant”, the world will still experience some change from the plot. either the evil government will be gone, or maybe that one teacher is now way more careful about keeping an eye on the test key. either way, the world will be different from now on.

final note: usually people will be able to write one or two of the components with ease, but don’t know where to go from there. i personally can’t write plots, but thinking this way has really helped me actually make a story out of the world and characters because i looked at what i needed from what i had. i really hope this can help you too! happy writing!

tl;dr this is a cheat sheet to help anyone who struggles with writing one or two of what i consider the three major components to a story.

#writing tools #writing resources #queue queue

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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reasons to not quit writing:

your writing is a skill, not an inborn talent (unless, yeah, maybe it is). not everyone can do what you do and love

everyone says they want to write a book. everyone has what it takes to write a book. not everyone does it anyway. you be the small percentage of success you read about

your writing will always seem brickshit horrible because you wrote and read it a million times

you love this writing thingy. quitting it will be like cutting off your fingers one by one.

someone out there will want to read what you wrote.

someone out there wants to know what is on your mind.

someone out there appreciates your art. they will share it with their friends. they will share it with their loved ones. they will share it with their future self because maybe what you wrote saved them.

if you give up now, you know you will just come back to it again, whether it’s years from now, months, or next week. you love writing, that’s why you planted the seed of thought that you are going to write this book, and whether you come back to it or not, your unwritten stories will come back to you.

#let's preservere I say #and no I have not a word to my name #I'm in outlining hell #ugh #writers mood #writers life #queue queue

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caveatscriptor · 7 months

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and suddenly i felt self-doubt