stupid-but-gentle-writing - Tumblr blog

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

something that stuck with me once, way back in middle school when i was still learning how to write - my teacher said "writing shock and tragedy is easy, it's humor that's the hardest."

i have been up and down the halls of academia. i have the fancy degree and the experience in publishing. i think i paved most of my own road with the little bricks of sorrow i had stored inside of me. i know i did it mostly with works that are blisteringly lonely. i know why we write like that. it's lifesaving.

but yeah, i mean. i also know how much people think that "sad" media is the same thing as "good" media. our human desire to connect is so hard-pressed that we immediately latch onto any broken themes. the bullied kids and the tales of inspiration. people keep saying things like "glass onion" and "everything everywhere" weren't actually good. because, you know, they're. happy. or happy-ish. happy enough. and we only value art if it's grimdark-adjacent.

do you know - people still consistently whine at me that my writing would be so good if i just capitalized things. i used to flinch. i get kind of a weird, vindictive little rush these days - i get to say thank you for the comment! i have chronic pain and this is how i conserve my hands so i can write more during the day :) grammar isn't real anyway! and now they're trapped in the room with me, you know? i get to pull out my map and show them how grammar is not the same thing as good writing.

writers have this thing. we scratch at our insides, constantly, prying our lives apart into splinters. prying the splinters apart into atoms. when we combust something into poetry, we control it. it cannot hurt us if it exists outside of us rather than burning a hole through the bottom of our lungs. it's not a wonder to me that so much of what i make comes out like a death gasp. i spent a long time at the bottom. i keep going back, too. when you're down there for so long, the only thing you can exhale is fumes.

but humor is hard. humor needs timing; which i can't promise in a paragraph. i can kind-of force it through careful spacing, but i have no idea how fast you're reading these things. humor needs a somewhat awareness of your audience, when really - anybody could be looking. humor needs us to understand what the joke is, why it's a joke, and to think - ha! that is funny. in tragedy, everyone understands the metaphor of a kicked puppy. in humor, you need to introduce them to the concept of a dog.

and forget about positivity. forget about anything not made for adults explicitly. every time i see a well-made children's media piece, i feel fucking horrible for the creators. most of the time, people see children's media as being sort of "not worth" applause, even though i'm pretty sure they have to work twice as hard. i have no idea how hard it must be to not be able to have your character just say. "well, fuck." something about a message of peace or friendship or caring - for some reason, that makes the media not for adults. like, okay. i'm pretty sure my father actually, out of all of us, could use a good book on how to control his temper and talk about his feelings.

but whatever. i write a short story about my ocd, and how it's fucking killing me. it gets an award. it gets published. i write a short story about my ocd, and how i'm overcoming it, and how my days are getting lighter and starting to flourish. i keep getting ghosted. no response. it just is lacking... something.

is this it, forever? you can be an artist, okay. but the trade off is that the things you make - if they're happy? if they're joyful? people will say it's stupid and pandering. you bite your nails off. you file your teeth. you hear something inside of you breaking.

the other day in a writing group, someone i'd thought of as a friend said: "you write so much better these days! i love what you make when you'd rather be dead."

3K notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

5K notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

I need to fill my dash. Any active writeblrs, booklrs or artists if you could like or reblog this please so I can follow?

367 notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

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

1M notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

What did you think when you made me this way? Chapter 3

Total words: 993

Tag List (ask to be tagged): @latenightcupsofcoffee

Trigger warnings: (fear of) abonnement, religious themes (talk of the devil), mentioned homelessness, parent issues, mentioning of parents fighting

______________________________________

The bed the devil had given Anwir was softer than any bed he had ever laid in. The blankets were freshly made and smelled like roses and lavender, two scents he didn’t know he had missed until he smelled them. The pillows were comfortable, one on top of the other so it didn’t feel like he was falling. It was as if the house knew what Anwir yearned for.

And yet he could not sleep.

The room he got assigned to was warm. Fintan hadn’t lied when he said he could have a warm place to stay at. The window was on the left side of the bed, the view of the silent street hiding behind dark green curtains. On the right side stood the nightstand, with a night lamp on top of it that Anwir had put on, an old habit. For a few minutes, he had watched shadows dance on the walls before he turned around to face the window.

The thought of leaving had occurred to Anwir. He could climb out the window and leave this place behind (was it heaven or hell?). He could move along with his life and act as if this had never happened. But he knew it would haunt him, he wasn’t made to forget things.

He would never forget this, no matter how many more haunted memories he would live through.

Anwir turned around again, watching his shadow move with him.

Then, a second shadow appeared.

A wave of fear fell over Anwir when he heard the door creaking open. He tried to make his breathing steady, ignoring a million thoughts that all screamed for his attention at the same time. Shadows had appeared countless times when he lived on the street, and every single one of them brought unease with them.

But this time, it was the familiar slender silhouette standing in the doorway that caught his attention and a soft whimper left his lips before he realized it. He could feel his cheeks reddening when the echo of it reached his ears and he realized it meant the devil must have heard it as well.

‘What are you doing here?’ Anwir asked, voice shaking again (or had it always sounded like this?).

The silhouette stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. The night lamp revealed Fintan, his white straight hair falling loose over his shoulder. He was wearing matching pajamas, a faded red blouse that revealed one of his naked pale shoulders, and wide pants that made him have to look when he walked so he wouldn’t trip. ‘I can’t sleep because you are here,’ he spoke, stopping in front of the bed Anwir was laying in.

Not Anwir’s bed, Anwir was well aware nothing in this house was meant to become his.

‘I’m sorry.’ The words left his lips before he noticed it. He didn’t know if he meant them; Fintan hadn’t blamed him (or he had done so and Anwir didn’t understand him, which was also a possibility now that he thought about it).

‘You don’t have to be.’ Fintan was now sitting on the side of the bed, facing Anwir who was laying still, too afraid to make a wrong move and too confused to change positions. ‘I just keep wondering about who you are. But I think you can change that. A bit, at least.’ He angled his head, a curious gesture.

‘I can?’

‘Yes. Do you mind me asking just a few questions?’

‘That depends on the questions,’ Anwir answered, not sure if it were the answer he would give the devil. But he had to be brave, brave enough to not take his words back.

A smile fought with Fintan’s lips and it won, revealing once more his sharp teeth.

Anwir should have known they were perfect for biting.

___________

'Did you like the dinner my parents had prepared?’

‘I did. I haven’t had fish in a long time.’

‘You didn’t? Is there a reason for that?’

‘If fish is out of season, it gets expensive. Perhaps too expensive. Right now, this one would have been out of season and therefore too expensive.’

‘I see. So, your parents, they didn’t have that much money?’

‘Not as much as yours do, it seems. Are you rich?’

‘Maybe. I find it hard to determine that. But I think I am. Do you want to go back to your parents?’

‘Maybe. I am not so sure.’

‘You are not sure. Why?’

‘They don’t want me back.’

‘I see. What happened exactly that made you land on the streets? Someone like you shouldn’t be there all alone. A lot could have happened to you.’

‘I know.’

‘Then, what happened?’

‘There was a fight. They keep having them a lot more lately, but I act like I don’t notice them. This time, though, I came home from school and they were still fighting. Normally, they stop before I arrive. I asked why they were fighting and they answered it was because of me. So I asked why, I hadn’t been home the entire time, so I didn’t understand how I could have caused a fight. And then-’

‘Then what?’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘What happened after that?’

‘Oh. They told me I should have never been born. My power was only causing problems, not solving them, and they never wished they had a child with powers. They thought that someone must have punished them for getting a child like me. And then, they told me to leave. So, I left. They were speaking the truth, people always do when I ask them anything.’

‘Do you mind that?’

‘Mind what?’

‘That you make people speak the truth?’

‘I do. My parents were right, it is a punishment. A curse.’

‘I don’t think it is a curse, Anwir, I think it might be a blessing.’

___________

I think it might be a blessing.

It wasn’t one for Anwir. It was one for Fintan.

1 note · View note

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

How to Write Captivating Mystery Plots

Tips for mastering the art of suspense in your storytelling.

Add physical and psychological clues in the first act.

Give enough information about the victim to make sure your readers will want justice for them.

Introduce a motif or symbol early on that will appear again during the conclusion.

Introduce several false suspects within the first act.

In the second act, try to steer the investigation toward a false conclusion.

Set up red herrings at the start of the second act.

When your detective has almost solved the crime, create a false sense of success where they feel like a piece of the puzzle is missing.

Hope this helps give you a bit of a start with your mystery writing!

783 notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Photo

Good morning! I’m salty.

I think we, as a general community, need to start taking this little moment more seriously.

This, right here? This is asking for consent. It’s a legal necessity, yes, but it is also you, the reader, actively consenting to see adult content; and in doing so, saying that you are of an age to see it, and that you’re emotionally capable of handling it.

You find the content you find behind this warning disgusting, horrifying, upsetting, triggering? You consented. You said you could handle it, and you were able to back out at any time. You take responsibility for yourself when you click through this, and so long as the creator used warnings and tags correctly, you bear full responsibility for its impact on you.

“Children are going to lie about their age” is probably true, but that’s the problem of them and the people who are responsible for them, not the people that they lie to.

If you’re not prepared to see adult content, created by and for adults, don’t fucking click through this. And if you do, for all that’s holy, don’t blame anyone else for it.

279K notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

hi there! pls reblog this if you write or read fiction because i would most certainly love to check out your blog! i’m coming back to my own writing after nearly six months on hiatus, so i’d love to meet some new faces!

also feel free to tell me about what you write about in the tags-!

:)

#So far it's just one wip #But it is lower fantasy #and more character based #so just vibes no plot let's be real #writeblr

757 notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

Hey everyone! I’ve got this assignment for school, and for one of the parts I need to get some statistics.

It’s about character building, and if any writers seeing this could fill out this form, I would very much appreciate it. It shouldn’t take too long.

If you’re not a writer, please don’t fill this out.

And like with polls, please share for a bigger sample size.

504 notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

How To Write Mythical Creatures Without Sounding Redundant

Mythical creatures are an essential part of literature. Whether it be fantasy, romance, or horror, they are often used as plot devices or notable characters in various different genres due to the familiarity of their myths, which can often draw the readers in. However, authors often forget about the liberty they possess when writing with mythical creatures and stick to a redundant narrative or tropes that can bore a reader.

If you’re a writer working on a piece with mythical creatures, here are some tips on how to write mythical creatures without sounding redundant.

Do Your Research

Writing with a mythical creature is akin to writing with a character created by another person (like you would in fanfiction). While writers can choose to ignore any sort of backstory or myths established by the original creator, it’s essential to do your research in order to ensure your readers aren’t underwhelmed or annoyed by your inaccurate representation.

Researching your mythical creatures also gives you the freedom to twist and turn their myths to your liking. For example, the Japanese Kitsune are foxes that possess paranormal abilities that increase as they get older and wiser.

According to yōkai folklore, all foxes have the ability to shapeshift into human form. This backstory could be twisted and instead used as a werewolf–esque lore for a character. Maybe they’re an old Kitsune or ancient Inari and can shift between fox and human.

If you never research the creatures you’re writing with, you run the risk of not knowing what you’re working with which could lead to accidentally offending the community the creature stems from or even backlash from your readers.

It’s important to realise that unlike everything else about your book, mythical creatures weren’t created by you thus if you choose to use their name and mythology you should respect their stories and at the very least know what type of a creature you’re writing with.

Combine Their Story With Yours

There is a big difference between establishing a mythical creature’s backstory and completely committing to it while writing. Yes, you need to do your research and know your mythical creature’s back story, however, once you establish this you now have the creative freedom to use their lore and myths and essentially customise them to your story.

Not every vampire shines like diamonds in the sunlight, but Edward certainly did. Thor definitely wasn’t blond or as benevolent in the original mythologies, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love Marvel’s Thor either.

If we take my earlier example into account, technically, most foxes seen by humans are weak and possess only one tail which is why they cannot shapeshift, thus the werewolf lore wouldn’t really work for a Kitsune. However, as a writer, you’re given the creative liberty to combine their lore with your story in order to create your desired character.

This ties into the importance of researching your mythical creatures. After all, how would you know what you are or aren’t changing if you never looked into those creatures?

Establish A Reason, And Stick To It

It’s important to know why you decided to write with this mythical creature in the first place. What makes them the right choice for your book? What is their significance to your plot? Would you be able to attain the same result you need if the creature was swapped for a different one?

Once you have established a concrete reason for why you want to write with this mythical creature, go on to see how this will tie into your plot. Maybe your side character is secretly a vampire which helps the main character since they won’t be wounded in battle easily and can go undercover to spy on the antagonists.

You need to know how your mythical creature’s background benefits your plot. And if it doesn’t, then maybe consider why you need to use this mythical creature in the first place.

Know Where You’re Going

You need to know where your mythical creature is going to end up at the end of your book so that you can leverage their mythology to your advantage. Using the previous example, your vampire could nearly go back to the protagonist with the important information but then get a stake in their heart and cloned by a Kitsune to give the antagonists the upper hand.

You can also use their lore as plot devices or easter eggs to move your plot along. A Kirin could be used to show the birth of a new era at the start of the book but be found dead near the end to symbolise the beginning of a war. They don’t necessarily have to be mentioned at any other point in your book, but the mythological significance of such a moment would help convey your message for you.

If you are unsure where your mythical creature will end up at the end of your book, you could take a look at how their story ended in their lore. This would especially work well for characters such as gods or cacodemons.

I hope this blog on how to write mythical creatures without sounding redundant will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and marketing tools for authors every Monday and Thursday.

Want to learn more about me and my writing journey? Visit my social media pages under the handle @hayatheauthor where I post content about my WIP The Traitor’s Throne and life as a teenage author.

272 notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

There is no shame in starting over. Or not outlining. Or writing slowly. Or using clichés. Or writing multiple projects at the same time.

You are in charge of your own writing journey. It’s up to you which path to take, and none is less valuable than the other. - D

8K notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

Hey I went to Finishing Your Wips island. Yeah nobody knew you there :/

26K notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

Animal symbolism in literature

Symbolism is a widespread literary device, and you can use certain animals to foreshadow certain events or characteristics! I’ve gathered up a quick cheat-sheet of some common interpretations of animal symbolism, but I encourage you to do further research if you plan on using these as they may vary by culture!

🐻 Bear - strength

🦚 Peacock - immortality & vanity

🦉 Owl - wisdom & knowledge

🐇 Rabbit - lust & alertness

🦄 Unicorn - purity & grace

🐺 Wolf - self-reliance, loyalty & freedom

🕷 Spider - fate & destiny

🐎 Horse - power & resilience

🦅 Hawk - truth & intuition

🦊 Fox - cunning & deceit

🦌 Deer - change & opportunity

🦋 Butterfly - transformation & rebirth

🦗 Grasshopper - leap of faith

Hummingbird - playfulness

Raven - death & cleverness

Crow - magic & mystery

Got any good ones to add, or different meanings for the ones listed in the post? Let me know in the comments, I love to learn about new symbolism.

Remember to save this post so you can always refer to it and see other people’s added comments with their own suggestions!

563 notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

I have this disease called starts too many WIPs syndrome

9K notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

What did you think when you made me this way? Chapter 2

Total words: 608

Tag List (ask to be tagged): @latenightcupsofcoffee

Trigger warnings: (fear of) abonnement, religious themes (talk of the devil), mentioned homelessness, parent issues

_________________________________

The devil's house was bigger than any house Anwir had ever seen. He couldn’t help but stop and stare at it when the woman opened the front gate and walked him through the clean and colorful garden. He could feel Fintan looking at him (how? He did not know, he hadn’t shown any emotions since he had answered his question) and as soon as his gaze became unbearable, he closed his half-open mouth and followed the family inside.

Inside, the house was even bigger and Anwir’s mouth fell open again. The interior was simple yet detailed, showing how deep this place could go. There were paintings on every wall, a few plants in corners with deep dark green leafs casting shadows as soon as the man turned the lights on. He walked straight to the kitchen, followed by the woman, leaving Anwir alone with the devil in the living room.

The situation slowly started to sink into Anwir. He was in a stranger’s house (would he count the devil as a stranger?), surrounded by richness he could only dream of. He didn’t want to wonder how a family could have such richness, so he pushed the thought away. He felt dirty and out of place, with his clothes that never really dried or always got wet. Panic would have settled if it wasn’t for the fact he had always lived in a panic since he ran away, accepting the fact the world never went the direction he thought it would go.

‘You should hang your jacket there and put your shoes over there,’ and Fintan grabbed Anwir’s shoulder to turn it towards the places he pointed to. This time, there was the same shock, the same sense of short pain going through his shoulder.

But he did what he was asked to, not wanting to discover what would happen if he went against the words of the devil.

‘Are you hungry?’

Anwir looked up from his shaking hands before he nodded. Yes, he was hungry, he didn’t remember the last time he hadn’t felt like that. It was hard, living on the street, and life before that had even been hard. He hadnt fully understood the reasons why; he knew life wasn’t fair from a young age, but that had been it. He had understood that, he hadn’t understood that it had applied to him.

Not until now.

‘They will be cooking dinner soon,’ and Fintan walked towards the kitchen. If he was surprised by the fact the man and the woman were whispering to each other in tones that indicated they were in a state of disbelief, he ignored it and instead went straight to the fruit bowl to grab an apple from it.

‘Have this meanwhile,’ and he handed the apple to Anwir.

It was a perfect apple; it was round and bigger than any apple Anwir had ever seen. The perfect shade of red (it was like blood, once he noticed that, he couldn’t forget) rested on it. He wanted to grab and bite into it, but a wave of hesitation suddenly fell over him.

The devil looked at and studied him before he pushed the apple closer to Anwir. ‘Take it. It shows you haven’t had anything good in a while. I don’t want you to starve.’

Anwir took it.

________________________

I don't want you to starve.

Fintan didn’t want him to die in any way. And there were many ways, the devil knew because he had seen them all.

I don’t want you to starve.

No, he wanted Anwir to stay alive. And there were many reasons for why, and Anwir knew none.

#abandonment tw #religion tw #devil tw #homelessness tw #parent issues tw #my writing #writer #oc writing #writumblr #the truthseeker #creative writing #current wip #low fantasy #fantasy wip #superpower wip #superpowers wip #work in progress

2 notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

If you’re considering writing that story or that poem or even that fic, this is your sign to do it. Even if you’ve never written anything before. This is your sign to try. Everyone always starts somewhere. (And you don’t even need to share it if you don’t want to—it can be just for your eyes only, and that’s okay!) Writing is so much fun, but it can be daunting at first. But know this: the only bad kind of writing is writing that goes unwritten. Making something new and bringing something into this world that didn’t exist before you conceived it is one of the most wonderful and rewarding things to ever experience. So go! Do it! Write that thing you’ve always wanted to write! Write that thing you always wanted to read but never found anywhere! This is your sign to start!

537 notes · View notes

stupid-but-gentle-writing · 1 year

Text

A lot of writing advice is told as factual, that you must take it or your writing will be bad.

No.

If a piece of writing advice isn't constructive to you, if it doesn't help you, or if you dislike it, then disregard it.

Your creative process feeling right is more important than pleasing every other writer.

1K notes · View notes