Writing Advice - Blog Posts

I have a secret. I'm writing a book 😊 my husband has been helping point out if some things need more description or don't make sense. And when I'm ready, my friend who does editing for a living, I am going to review it for me. Even if it's the worst book in the world, I WILL finish it. And mark my words. I will be a published author at least once in my life lol

Hey writers, this is your casual reminder that there is no shame in being self-indulgent and writing what you want to write!

If you want to write a superhero vs giant robots story taking place in outer space, that’s totally okay! If you want to write unhappy endings it’s 100% valid.

If you want to write a certain part of your WIP that you’re not at yet right now you can do that too! If you want to go off and explore something that’s not immediately relevant to your project, that’s fine and valid.

Give yourself permission to write what you like, and to have a lot of fun with it!

Advice for writing relationships

Ship Dynamics

How to create quick chemistry

How to write a polyamorous relationship

How to write a wedding

How to write found family

How to write forbidden love

Introducing partner(s) to family

Honeymoon

Date gone wrong

Fluffy Kiss Scene

Love Language - Showing, not telling

Love Language - Showing you care

Affections without touching

Giving the reader butterflies with your characters

Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms

Reasons for breaking up while still loving each other

Relationship Problems

Relationship Changes

Milestones in a relationship

Platonic activities for friends

Settings for conversations

How to write a love-hate relationship

How to write enemies to lovers

How to write lovers to enemies to lovers

How to write academic rivals to lovers

How to write age difference

Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms

Reasons for having a crush on someone

Ways to sabotage someone else's relationship

Ways a wedding could go wrong

Arranged matrimony for royalty

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

Writing Tips

Punctuating Dialogue

✧

➸ “This is a sentence.”

➸ “This is a sentence with a dialogue tag at the end,” she said.

➸ “This,” he said, “is a sentence split by a dialogue tag.”

➸ “This is a sentence,” she said. “This is a new sentence. New sentences are capitalized.”

➸ “This is a sentence followed by an action.” He stood. “They are separate sentences because he did not speak by standing.”

➸ She said, “Use a comma to introduce dialogue. The quote is capitalized when the dialogue tag is at the beginning.”

➸ “Use a comma when a dialogue tag follows a quote,” he said.

“Unless there is a question mark?” she asked.

“Or an exclamation point!” he answered. “The dialogue tag still remains uncapitalized because it’s not truly the end of the sentence.”

➸ “Periods and commas should be inside closing quotations.”

➸ “Hey!” she shouted, “Sometimes exclamation points are inside quotations.”

However, if it’s not dialogue exclamation points can also be “outside”!

➸ “Does this apply to question marks too?” he asked.

If it’s not dialogue, can question marks be “outside”? (Yes, they can.)

➸ “This applies to dashes too. Inside quotations dashes typically express—“

“Interruption” — but there are situations dashes may be outside.

➸ “You’ll notice that exclamation marks, question marks, and dashes do not have a comma after them. Ellipses don’t have a comma after them either…” she said.

➸ “My teacher said, ‘Use single quotation marks when quoting within dialogue.’”

➸ “Use paragraph breaks to indicate a new speaker,” he said.

“The readers will know it’s someone else speaking.”

➸ “If it’s the same speaker but different paragraph, keep the closing quotation off.

“This shows it’s the same character continuing to speak.”

“The writer's job is to get the main character up a tree, and then once they are up there, throw rocks at them.” — Vladimir Nabokov

The Minimalist Character Sheet

So I am not the biggest fan of those ten page character sheets that include 100 questions like “What’s their favourite ice cream?”. Don’t get me wrong: If those help you with your writing, more power to you! Do what works for you. But I tend to discover all the little details of a character while writing. I only need the fundamental things. Maybe this works for you too!

The Basics

Name: including all nicknames, titles, etc.

Gender

Age

Role in the Narrative

Physical Description: focus on defining features

GMC (If you want to learn more about the concept, check out this post.)

Internal Goal

Internal Motivation

Internal Conflict

External Goal

External Motivation

External Conflict

Personality

Short characterization: internal personality and external behavior

Their biggest failure/issue/flaw: and how it impacts their life/personality/behavior

Backstory: and its consequences, such as triggers

Speech pattern: at least three speech marks that emphasize their personality (if you want to learn more about speech patterns, check out this post)

Behaviour pattern: at least three habits that emphasize their personality

Character Arc: where do they start, how do they change, where do they end?

That’s it! Hope this gave you some pointers on how to start out with character creation.

Have fun writing!

If you make their bones hollow or thin, then the wings could maybe be a touch heavier, but even still, you need to make Human Wings VERY BIG and SUPER HEFTY/HEAVY!! Like, inconveniently so! It depends on the person's height, weight, and muscle to fat ratios, too! You'd also need really developed shoulder blade and back muscles to actually control the things. If you want a piece of fiction that does Winged Humans in an interesting and slightly more realistic way with how they could fly, I recommend "Growing Wings," a book by Laurel Winter! It's been a minute since I've read it, but one of the scenes I remember is the characters talking about why most of them couldn't fly because of the fact that their Wings weren't strong enough to get them off the ground, but the MC could since she was a very small build! Hope this helps!!

if a person had wings how heavy would the wings be (believe it or not, this is very important)

Saving this for later 👍

Super detailed character profile chart

Character Name:

First Name:

Last Name:

Nickname (if any):

Basic Information:

Age:

Gender:

Date of Birth:

Place of Birth:

Nationality:

Physical Appearance:

Height:

Weight:

Build:

Hair Color:

Eye Color:

Scars or distinguishing marks:

Personality Traits:

Positive Traits:

Negative Traits:

Background and History:

Family Background:

Parents:

Siblings (if any):

Childhood:

Education:

School/College/University:

Major/Area of Study:

Favorite Subjects:

Least Favorite Subjects:

Career/Profession:

Current Occupation:

Previous Jobs (if any):

Career Goals:

Hobbies and Interests:

Hobbies:

Interests:

Relationships:

Marital Status:

Romantic Relationships (if any):

Friendships:

Closest Friends:

Relationship dynamics:

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Goals and Ambitions:

Short-term Goals:

Long-term Goals:

Fears and Insecurities:

Common Fears:

Insecurities:

Quirks and Habits:

Quirks:

Habits:

Beliefs and Values:

Religious or Spiritual Beliefs:

Moral Code:

Political Views:

Favorites:

Favorite Foods:

Favorite Books:

Favorite Movies/TV Shows:

Favorite Music:

Favorite Color:

Dislikes:

Disliked Foods:

Disliked Activities:

Pet Peeves:

Miscellaneous:

Talents or Skills:

Secrets (if any):

Motivations:

What drives the character forward?

What are their ultimate aspirations?

Character Arc:

How does the character change or evolve throughout the story?

Feel free to adapt and expand upon this template!

Writing Tips Master Post

Character writing/development:

Character Arcs

Making Character Profiles

Character Development

Comic Relief Arc

Internal Conflict

Character Voices

Creating Distinct Characters

Suicidal Urges/Martyr Complex

Creating Likeable Characters

Writing Strong Female Characters

Writing POC Characters

Building Tension

Plot devices/development:

Intrigue in Storytelling

Enemies to Lovers

Alternatives to Killing Characters

Worldbuilding

Misdirection

Consider Before Killing Characters

Foreshadowing

Narrative:

Emphasising the Stakes

Avoid Info-Dumping

Writing Without Dialogue

1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd Perspective

Fight Scenes (+ More)

Transitions

Pacing

Writing Prologues

Dialogue Tips

Writing War

Writing Cheating

Worldbuilding:

Worldbuilding: Questions to Consider

Creating Laws/Rules in Fantasy Worlds

Book writing:

Connected vs. Stand-Alone Series

A & B Stories

Writer resources:

Writing YouTube Channels, Podcasts, & Blogs

Online Writing Resources

Outlining/Writing/Editing Software

Writer help:

Losing Passion/Burnout

Overcoming Writer's Block

Fantasy terms:

How To Name Fantasy Races (Step-by-Step)

Naming Elemental Races

Naming Fire-Related Races

How To Name Fantasy Places

Ask games:

Character Ask Game #1

Character Ask Game #2

Character Ask Game #3

Miscellaneous:

1000 Follower Post

2000 Follower Poll

Writing Fantasy

50 WORDS TO USE INSTEAD OF “SAID”

Do you ever find yourself over-using the word “said” in your writing? Try using these words/phrases instead:

stated

commented

declared

spoke

responded

voiced

noted

uttered

iterated

explained

remarked

acknowledged

mentioned

announced

shouted

expressed

articulated

exclaimed

proclaimed

whispered

babbled

observed

deadpanned

joked

hinted

informed

coaxed

offered

cried

affirmed

vocalized

laughed

ordered

suggested

admitted

verbalized

indicated

confirmed

apologized

muttered

proposed

chatted

lied

rambled

talked

pointed out

blurted out

chimed in

brought up

wondered aloud

(NOTE: Keep in mind that all of these words have slightly different meanings and are associated with different emotions/scenarios.)

Writing advice from my uni teachers:

If your dialog feels flat, rewrite the scene pretending the characters cannot at any cost say exactly what they mean. No one says “I’m mad” but they can say it in 100 other ways.

Wrote a chapter but you dislike it? Rewrite it again from memory. That way you’re only remembering the main parts and can fill in extra details. My teacher who was a playwright literally writes every single script twice because of this.

Don’t overuse metaphors, or they lose their potency. Limit yourself.

Before you write your novel, write a page of anything from your characters POV so you can get their voice right. Do this for every main character introduced.

It wouldn’t be historically accurate for my story to include BIPOC!

This is an argument often made about European-style fantasy media like Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Disney’s Frozen. Audiences, often white, assume that due to the majority-white setting, adding any visible number of BIPOC to the story would be unrealistic.

What these critics fail to realize is that BIPOC do in fact live, and have lived, in these settings, and records of BIPOC presence in places assumed to be majority-white have been buried, written out, or not taught due to white supremacist and/or colonial bias in the field of history. There are historical European settings that were far more diverse than is often portrayed. Consider:

The Moorish Empire exerted an extensive influence over life and culture in Southern Europe from Spain from 711 to 1492

The Ottomans were heavily involved in European affairs up until the treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, but still considered a part of Europe even through the 19th century

The sheer size of the Roman Empire ensured the continued movement of people from various backgrounds within the Mediterranean well until the end of the Byzantine Empire.

“Historical accuracy” should not be used as an excuse for media to be exclusively white in its casting. While there are places which are or were predominantly white, there will always be factors like global trade and immigration that bring multiculturalism to their doors.

And even if the presence of a certain demographic is unrealistic for a certain setting? Consider that we’ve accepted far worse inaccuracies in historical fiction in the name of artistic license. Consider that our understanding of human history is, and will always be, incomplete.

Further Reading:

Historically Diverse London, “Historical Accuracy,” and Creator Accountability

Making a Black Pride and Prejudice Resonate

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This Q&A is an excerpt from our General FAQ for Newcomers, which can be found in our new Masterpost of rules and FAQs. If you're new to Writing With Color and/or want more writing resources, check it out!

-Writing With Color

There is no such thing as a perfect first draft. There are only great revisions.

Don’t get caught up with trying to make your first draft everything you want it to be. Instead, focus on the fundamentals, and then have fun sculpting it into what you imagine.

Tips to Writing Arguments- Authoring Advice🤬

Arguments. The conversations that contain yelling, screaming, insults, hurting, frustration, and occasionally…humor.

If you are uncertain how to write one, I have a few tips for you.

A Reason:

Perhaps the frustration has been building in one of your characters for days, weeks, and in extreme cases, years. When the emotions build up so does the level of the argument. 

Emotions that has been strengthening for hours compared to minutes will blow up in a more dramatic way.

So there are many reasoning for the argument. Maybe what the discussion is about isn’t actually what the person is upset about. Two characters may be fighting over who ate the last muffin but in reality one of the characters have been feeling left out and has taken their frustration on a muffin.

Maybe the characters simply hate each other and look for any reason to get under the others skin. There are so many reasons and its all determined on your characters.

Serious vs Trivial:

The serious arguments compared to trivial disagreements have much more emotion behind it. There has to be pain, mixed with other emotions creating a complicated mess. 

Most quarrels are minor, (usually not unimportant), but not consequential. Serious arguments can include physical fighting, hateful words, and revealing feelings they have never shared before. But not all significant disagreements are relationship ruining. In fact it can strengthen the bond. 

Trivial- Develops the situation

Serious- Develops the characters

(Note: This isn’t correct all the time. Serious can develop the situation as well as trivial developing the characters)

Development:

I just touched on it but most if not all arguments should be impactful in some way. Minor or Major. 

Maybe it should foreshadow something that’s going to happen or dawns realization on a character. It can destroy or build relationships, or bring the problems up. They can also show the contrasts between characters.

Anyway that’s all I got! Have a FANTASTIC day, and have fun writing!

Tips to Creating Character’s Personalities- Authoring Advice 🏋️‍♂️⛹️‍♂️

Creating various personalities for many characters can be very difficult. Just relax, it doesn’t need to be. Here’s some tips that might help.

Listing Character Traits:

This was actually not helpful for me at ALL, but it may be for you! Take a piece of paper and write down for each character the traits you imagine them having. 

This keeps it organized and is a good start to a character. (Maybe…it wasn’t for me…but whatever! Give it a whirl!)

Character Interviews:

This can be very helpful, even if its just to remind yourself of the characters personality later in the writing process. Act like you’re asking the characters various questions, and based off their pasts and personalities answer the questions. I find it nice to put this on paper.

This link may be handy: https://www.writerswrite.co.za/prousts-questionnaire-35-questions-every-character-should-answer/

Name them:

It may seem strange but just giving a name to a character can spark ideas. Names can just sprout personality all on their own. Thats why you may want to name them then give traits.

(But some people title them first then decide on a name depending on the personality of the person.)

Create Their Past:

Like wet cement, experiences shape a person. Not only do YOU need to know (not necessarily your readers) but your character knows. If they don’t have a firm past then a huge chunk of your character is missing. 

(I will eventually post a thing about creating backgrounds and pasts but you can always find another person giving out advice.)

Know their role:

Are they the main character? Comic relief? Best friend? 

You need to know this and consider shaping a person to fit in their role. A comic relief has to be…comical. 

BUT, not every main character is the same nor villain. Consider that.

Character Traits:

Here’s a few traits off the top of my head-

Sarcastic, Dramatic, Bad-Tempered, Shy, Lazy, Extroverted, Introverted, Thoughtful, Rational, Irrational, Insane, Arrogant, and Humble.

Everyone has multiple traits and some have the same but in different ways. 

Two people can be Bad- Tempered but one throughs a tantrum when angry and the other one kills a person. Character traits can be called the same thing but can be two drastic different things. Thats why, when planning a persons personality you should be specific. It wouldn’t hurt to say why and when a person acts that way ethier.

I have more but that seems enough for now! Have a FANTASTIC DAY, and have fun writing!

Tips to Making sure your Characters have Different Personalities - Authoring Advice🎭

You have spent time creating each of your characters and yet you may realize that one of your characters seem suspiciously similar to another one of your creations. I have a few tips to help with this.

Hobbies/ Likes/ Preferences:

Maybe both of your characters speak indistinguishably, perhaps they both have the same backgrounds, or both have tempers. A little thing like giving them different favorite foods can go a long way. 

You can put your characters in the same situation or similar ones and show the audience their different reactions. Maybe your characters seem the same but the farther you get to know them, the more you realize you were wrong. People can be the same way.

Backgrounds:

No one has the same past and life as another person (except maybe a sibling but there’s very little chance sisters and brothers are very alike). Parents are different, cultures are unalike, homes are contrasting. 

Try giving your characters separate lives. Experiences shape personalities. 

Make them hate each other:

As strange as it might seem, making the characters hate each other worked surprisingly well for me. 

Maybe, over the simplest thing, they fight and argue. They might have a dark past, or there may be other causes. But arguments (even if its funny to read) distract from the similarities and cause the differences to be more prominent.  

(And besides, it sets up a good enemies to friends subplot. But it might not work for every character. I do not advice on making to many enemy relationships.) 

Contrast the physical appearances:

It’s just a thought, but maybe making the to people look distinctly different can divert readers attention to compare the two. 

“If they look unalike, then they must be.”

Have them be bestest friends:

This is the opposite of another point I made but these are all suggestions, you do not have to follow any of them, but this may be something you want to try.

Just like opposites attract, people who have a lot in common also take interest in one another. Readers may think you made the pair similar on purpose. Like you were trying to have them have similar personalities. 

(BUT do not have them exactly alike, this is just being lazy and should never happen. There are very few exceptions, and they all involve clones.)

Try again:

A very likely reason why your characters are similar is because you didn’t work on them enough. You may need to sit back down at your desk (or floor, that’s my favorite place) and try again.

Redo them completely if you must, or just add on to what you have. But if nothing that I or another person has suggested worked, then your not ready. Eventually your characters will become a perfect mess that they were destined for. 

Tips to Write Best Friends- Authoring advice 💕

There are many types of best friends. Some besties are complete opposites, others would have hated each other’s guts without their experiences together. Some are childhood buddies, and some met much later in life. But each one has similarities and are important.

For me, writing the relationship between two characters is the best part of writing, but for others… it may be difficult.So here are some tips!

Good Moments

Each friendship should have a few good moments in the book. This helps show why their friends and how their relationship works, also provides some clarity on their personalities.

The moments could be bantering between one another. Perhaps teasing, or helping the other cope. It could be anything that isn’t negative. They could be doing an activity together, even if it’s silent. They could be having a meaningful conversation; this is useful for explaining exposition to readers as well 😉. 

But be careful. You can’t just be sprouting meaningful conversations out of nowhere.It’s best to give hints at their relationship in the first or second chapter you meet them. Build the base of their bond.

The good moments should be consistent with their personalities or situation. Character A maybe should not be teasing their bestie a chapter after their dad died. 

Arguments

Disagreements between friends are inevitable. Its bound to happen, therefor conflicts are needed in your story. Your characters are people, and have their own opinions. And those opinions are not identical to their companion’s.

But, unless there’s a good reason and its believable, they should always make up. You chose how to do this, their your characters.

Reading Each Other's Mind

I do not mean literally. And it may not be constant, but best friends (especially if they knew each other for years) should be able to predict each other’s emotions, actions (some if not most of them), and reactions. These buddies should know when not to cross the line, (of course people always make mistakes so take that into account.).

Maybe the besties know each other so well they can synchronize. I am thinking of a team, fighting on the battlefield, fortelling eachothers moves and working together. This can also work for sports teams, charades, and attempting to not to die.

Relationship Development

This does not go for everyone. Some people and their relationships don’t change. But growth never hurts, and can in fact help your story to have some development. 

Example: say if character A realizes she does not appreciate character B, in some form. This changes their relationship because now character A listens to character B’s thoughts.

People and their bonds change. They grow and evolve, so it’s realistic to have growth to you story.

This is all I got! Thank you for reading, and have a FANTASTIC DAY! I’m posting soon!

Tips to Starting a Book or Series - Authoring Advice📚

Before you read, you have to realize that all people are different and have distinct styles. But here’s my recommendations.

Start Writing

I do not suggest start writing your book without planning  what I have meant by this was start writing down your ideas. 

What I did was I took a blank notebook and started writing pages upon pages on my world, characters, plot and story. It took me a few months to finish but finally I was finished and ready to start my draft. 

You can do it in your own way. Perhaps on a computer, maybe on a chart, or not at all. But I highly recommend planning your novel, it could be much easier to write and finish it.

(But seriously, if your writing a fantasy or science fiction book and your characters are going to be traveling a lot, then create a map. It will be SO helpful!) 

Characters

You may not need to plan your plot your story but your world, and your characters need to be thought out. Especially your characters, your world just needs some major details written down if your not going in depth with it but your characters for any genre need to be planned.

You may have to rewrite whole chapters because you messed up your characters personality. Your characters may not be consistent or may be flat. Try character questionnaires and writing the important details of their past and personality.

(Also, make sure you keep the physical attributes of your characters the same throughout the book)

Have your Genre and your Story in Mind 

You can’t just start writing a chapter when you have no idea what your about to write. That is ridiculous, and your probably never going to get your novel done this way.

I suggest writing in a genre you love, one you adore reading. It can be more fun and enjoyable. You shouldn’t be complaining. You love it, why not write it?

Don’t start writing with no idea of a story. Even people who don’t plan their novel know the general direction they want to go, so should you. It will be much easier to write, and less likely of a boring story and writers block. 

Theme

If you want a theme to your novel, it’s best to know it before you start writing. Otherwise it will be inconstant, and it could  make your book seem out of place. 

Anyway that’s all I have (that’s all I felt like writing today). Have a FANTASTIC day, and happy authoring!📖

Tips to Writing Memorable Characters- Authoring Advice 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Here is a few characters you may know. 

Harry Potter       Gandalf      Yoda     Joker       Mary Poppins

Jack Sparrow     Sherlock Holmes     Winnie the Pooh 

Do you notice some similarities? Probably not many, but you still have probably heard of these characters. I haven’t even read or seen the Lord of the Rings, and yet I know who Gandalf is. I have a few ideas why that is. Each iconic character has something unique about them that sticks in your mind.

Appearance-

Harry Potter best suits this category. His name may be famous because of the popular book series named after him, but If I showed you a single picture of a lightning bolt and perhaps some glasses you would immediately know who it is.

His famous scar and classic glasses are famous. This is because Harry Potter has a unique trait about his appearance no one else has. You should consider adding traits like this to some of your characters.

The other famous characters I have listed also have special aspects as well. Yoda is a small, green goblin thing. Winnie the Pooh is a yellow bear wearing a red jacket. 

(Not to mention that people can dress up as your character easier if there’s details specific to them)

Speech-

Who else would hold this category? Yoda has one of the most well known ways to talk. Speaks backwards, he does. Yoda is as memorable as he because of the way he talks.

 If your character has a distinctive voice, this will link something to your readers mind. Your character can be unique just by the way they talk. Consider giving quirks to your characters speech. (Maybe not your main character. Readers may find it annoying after a while. Choose a side character.)

The Joker, Winnie the Pooh, and even Jack Sparrow all have unique ways to communicate.

Personality-

Perhaps the hardest to write. Personalities are always difficult, and yet one of the most effective.

Cap’n Jack Sparrow’s personality is the reason why him and the whole franchise was famous. 

The character of the character is usually the funnest and maybe funniest to read. If a character is funny and charismatic they are automatically my favorite. Personality can make readers love or hate your character. But even if they do hate them at least you did your job and gave them a personality. The more readers love or hate your character, the more they will remember them. And the more the reader is entertained by just simply reading about them.

Jack Sparrow has the funniest lines and oddities.if you want to give a reader a reason to remember your character, I suggest giving them a strong and unique character.

Quirks-

Everybody has quirks, so your character should already have some. But little strange things a character does will just be one step to having a iconic character. 

Collecting rocks, singing while doing work, sleeping with a stuffed animal, writing poetry, baking, obsessed with perfection, random mood swings, and art are all examples of quirks (some may apply to a few readers.)

Maybe you should try a quirk against a person’s personality. Say if a person is the most serious person you would have ever met and they love dogs. They go completely out of character because they saw a puppy. This will not only make your readers love them but also remember their strange oddity.

Quotes-

One of my favorites! I love repeating random quotes from my favorite books.

(Don’t tell me you don’t know where “And In the morning, I’m making waffles.” is from.)

The things characters say can inspire people, make them laugh, make them think, make them love or hate the character. Dialog is part of the characters personality, and reveal the wisdom that a character was hiding. The more unique the quote or meaningful, the more its associated with the book and your character. Thats what you want for an iconic character. Think of every character you love, can you name one quote from each one, or multiple?

Actions-

The actions a character makes can be unique to that character. Actions can reveal a person’s true colors. Some choices can cause readers to have respect or despise a character. 

(A character without any actions and choices are probably not going to become iconic. (unless that’s what makes them memorable, a couch potato with no cares in the world))

Achievements-

The achievements of a person can make them legendary, that includes characters. Not many legendary characters are helpless morons with no spine.

Powers-

Powers can automatically make your character unique. I don’t have much to say on this topic because it’s so big. I can talk for hours about powers, but I won’t. Maybe give your character some powers, like Mary Poppins, Yoda, Gandalf, or Harry Potter. 

Thats all I got!

Who is this                                             

Vs.

 Thank you for reading! Have a FANTASTIC day! Have fun writing, fellow author!😊

Tips to Writing Siblings- Authoring Advice 🎪

Siblings are like besties but most of the time they wouldn’t be friends if they weren’t born or adopted by the same parents. And quite frankly, I think siblings are one of the best relationships to write. It can be so fun! Constant bickering, chaos following where ever they go, and the secret family love they have for eachother.

Of course, some siblings are enemies. This isn’t uncommon in stories. Some siblings have finally just met, and need time to get to know each other. And some avoid each other like the plague. But I want to talk about normal, perhaps teenager siblings. This can be for any age though, so ENJOY!

Arguments

If there’s something you can predict being on this list, it’s disagreements. SIblings didn’t have a choice to be placed together, (this is different than best friends), there for they could have contrasting and grating personalities. 

Some siblings are constantly fighting, sometimes with words other times with physical violence. But make sure the arguments are not hateful. They could be if the people are really furious, but most of the time there should only be shouting and glares. Nothing that could ruin a relationship.

Love

You may not know it, but 9/10 siblings love each other (in a family way). They have grown up together (unless if there’s a serious age difference or were separated). They have shared their lives, and had many fond memories.They should care about each other. Stick up for one another. If one is in danger the other should risk their life to save them, even right after a argument.

Usually siblings don’t explicitly show their love. In fact they try to hide, perhaps even lie. This is usually because of their pride and not wanting the other to have an upperhand. Adult siblings, I have noticed, are normally not so prideful and do show their feelings. But almost all teenagers, children,and young adults do not.

This can change if they have been through a traumatic situation. Most people reveal their true emotions during hard times, especially if they had almost died. So take this into account.

Good Moments

The best parts of relationships. Good moments are necessary in all bond that involve love. 

Siblings may not be similar in personalities but they should know the other’s personality well. Like I said earlier, they have shared their lives together, they should know their siblings inside and out. They know what they like, their preferences and favorite stuff.

Siblings can be completely opposites, but they should have some similarities. Not only in physical descriptions, but also in their dislikes and likes. Like how everybody is different, everyone is also similar in some way.

I have a brother who gets on my nerves a lot. But we both love many foods, shows, and activities. This should be the same for your characters, maybe not foods but perhaps other things. This is a good way to have good moments.

Flashbacks aren’t bad either. I don’t mean for you to write a flashback, those are usually really boring, but if the siblings bring up a funny moment in their past, they can have a good laugh and the reader can see more of their relationship.

Relationship Development

Siblings relationships are strange. Develop your characters in your own way but siblings sometimes don’t need their relationship to develop. They already care about one another, they already know almost everything about the other, but as they grow as people their bond may grow to.

Maybe the siblings were put into a life risking situation. This can make the them realize that they have limited time together and may change them in some way. Or it may be that one is moving away. Perhaps their parents died. Anything can happen. 

Sibling relationships are special. They can care about each other simply because their blood. They are family, almost everyone can relate to having family. Less people have lovers or even best friends. Therefore it’s important for you show their connection right, and also make it fun or depressing for the reader to read. It should never be boring.

I base a lot of my characters who are siblings off of my own brother and sister. So not of this advice may apply to you. But thanks for reading, have a FANTASTIC day!😀

Tips to Write Best Friends- Authoring advice 💕

There are many types of best friends. Some besties are complete opposites, others would have hated each other’s guts without their experiences together. Some are childhood buddies, and some met much later in life. But each one has similarities and are important.

For me, writing the relationship between two characters is the best part of writing, but for others… it may be difficult.So here are some tips!

Good Moments

Each friendship should have a few good moments in the book. This helps show why their friends and how their relationship works, also provides some clarity on their personalities.

The moments could be bantering between one another. Perhaps teasing, or helping the other cope. It could be anything that isn’t negative. They could be doing an activity together, even if it’s silent. They could be having a meaningful conversation; this is useful for explaining exposition to readers as well 😉. 

But be careful. You can’t just be sprouting meaningful conversations out of nowhere.It’s best to give hints at their relationship in the first or second chapter you meet them. Build the base of their bond.

The good moments should be consistent with their personalities or situation. Character A maybe should not be teasing their bestie a chapter after their dad died. 

Arguments

Disagreements between friends are inevitable. Its bound to happen, therefor conflicts are needed in your story. Your characters are people, and have their own opinions. And those opinions are not identical to their companion’s.

But, unless there’s a good reason and its believable, they should always make up. You chose how to do this, their your characters.

Reading Each Other's Mind

I do not mean literally. And it may not be constant, but best friends (especially if they knew each other for years) should be able to predict each other’s emotions, actions (some if not most of them), and reactions. These buddies should know when not to cross the line, (of course people always make mistakes so take that into account.).

Maybe the besties know each other so well they can synchronize. I am thinking of a team, fighting on the battlefield, fortelling eachothers moves and working together. This can also work for sports teams, charades, and attempting to not to die.

Relationship Development

This does not go for everyone. Some people and their relationships don’t change. But growth never hurts, and can in fact help your story to have some development. 

Example: say if character A realizes she does not appreciate character B, in some form. This changes their relationship because now character A listens to character B’s thoughts.

People and their bonds change. They grow and evolve, so it’s realistic to have growth to you story.

This is all I got! Thank you for reading, and have a FANTASTIC DAY! I’m posting soon!

Writing Advice: 10 Worst Experiences During the Writing Process😭

The experiences to prepare for, and to relate to during the writing process. Good luck fellow author! 

10. When you are trying to think of the perfect word thats right at the tip of your tongue. (Its worse when you loose the word all together)

This one is at number 10 because it is horrible, but you are still mentally active and not ready to cry yourself to sleep. Though it stinks!

Solution:

Think of a similar word, usually the second one on your mind and look for synonyms on google or other sources. The word you’re looking for or a better one may come up. If not than either choose one of the options or look for synonyms of another similar word.

9. When you write something that may not be correct so you research the topic for an hour. (I’m not talking about the big stuff you should have looked into before you started writing, exp: cultures, I mean basically meaningless stuff)

This has happened to me twice (once about horses and once about how to grill a pig) It’s second on the list because it takes up more time than the first one and it’s annoying. But usually not demotivating.

Solution: 

Do not do it.

8. When you read an article or watch a video about writing and realize you have been doing it wrong the entire time. 

Do I have to explain?

Solution:

Take in the advice if you like it and continue on with your book using the advice but do not go back and change what you have already written. Leave that to your editor self.

7. When you are irresolute (look it up) because of a family/friend. colleague/ exd’s opinion. (I mean they talk down at you for being a writer, or something similar)

This is hard on our feelings box and/or heartbreaking. But this list is mostly my opinions and since I haven’t felt the crush of this fully, its higher. I am sorry for those who have been hurt.

Solution:

Don’t listen to them! In fact, let it fuel you. Show them who can do what! Or who can be successful! You can do anything!

6. When you feel overwhelmed. This may be because you can’t make yourself forget that you have so much to do before finishing the book. Maybe your busy.

The editing, marketing, and paying are what overwhelm me. The writing phase is not particularly easy, but it was less stressful for myself. It may not be the case for you. You may still have chapters to finish, a world to build, characters to create. It could be very stressful.

Solution:

Make it fun! Make it a game and your going through the levels. Once your done creating your world and characters, you can finally write! The thing you have been waiting for months! 

Remember, you are building your world. Enjoy every moment of it. Because one day, you will finish your book or series and you have to say goodbye to your baby and creation. Enjoy it while it lasts!

5. Losing motivation to write.

Are you surprised this is only half way down the list? I’m not. Even though this is horrible, it’s not the worst thing. There are simple solutions.

Solution:

It may be different for everyone but here’s a few ideas that are good for me.

1.Start writing. Yep. If you just write, that motivation will soon come back. (This works best if you are very familiar with your characters)

2. Look back through your notes and future plans. Get excited, again, for your book or series.

3.Watch videos and read articles about writing 😉, they can help you get through the problem or just be fun.

4. Remind yourself why you want to write and why writings fun. its different for everyone but reading is an example.

5. Sleep, be healthy, socialize, get sunlight and fresh air, exercise. These can clear your mind, get you in a good mood and helps your overall day.

4. When you realize your dialog sucks or unnatural. 

This may not be as bad as some of the others I already mentioned, but dialog can help or ruin a book. Dialog can spark ideas of character development, relationships, sub-plots, or even how to continue the overarching plot. But if you do it wrong, it can take forever to fix.

3. When you are stuck.    You want to write but you can’t think of anything. I like to call this Writer’s Traffic instead of Writer's block. 

This is one of the worst case of scenarios for me as a writer because I want to write but instead I am staring at a computer screen.

Solution:

Skip the scene. Skip the next few lines. Leave a note for yourself so you can come back to it at a better time. 

2. When you realize you don’t know your characters enough.

It’s hard to admit, but when your character is inconsistent and its not part of their personality then you have a problem. You may even have to rewrite most of your book if you’re far in. If you don’t know your characters and your on chapter 4 then stop now and save yourself.

Solution: 

Do character questionnaires, explain anything important in their past. Anything traumatic they have experienced, their personality, how they would react in a certain situation. It’s really important to know their background (Note: You need to know, not your readers unless necessary) 

Link to a character questionnaires. https://www.writerswrite.co.za/prousts-questionnaire-35-questions-every-character-should-answer/    also they got some awesome writing advice!

1.DUN DUN DUN!THE LAST ONE! When your writing (or lack of) has an effect on you daily life and you feel absolutely miserable.

You would be surprised how often this happened to me, It’s almost like a heavy depressed feeling that makes it painful to basically do anything. 

Maybe it’s outside writing that makes you feel this way but you just can’t write. Everything is dull and grim, your head hurts or you have no motivation to do anything.

You just can’t.

Solution:

Use your miserableness as a motivation. You want to get rid of it, right? Then you must do what helps. Here’s a few tricks. 

1. Drink water. Perhaps your dehydrated.

2. Exercise. This one is really helpful on more than your emotions. Do this before considering taking a nap, because naps can make it worse.

3. Go to bed earlier. If your like me than your nocturnal but if you simply go to bed at 10 then you will feel much better in the morning. I suggest reading or doing something other than look at a screen before going to bed. Screens can make it troublesome to fall asleep.

4. Socializing. You may be awkward but at least you have a mother? A father? Grandparents? A best friend? Siblings? Random people online? Anyone who can distract you, and make you feel better. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a pleasant conversation, just one that won’t bring you down. Socializing can make you feel so much better.

5. Get a horrible beta reader. (this is a joke…kind of) A beta reader is a person who reads your book or a chapter and gives feedback. A good beta reader is honest and gives praise and criticism. This is what I meant for a bad beta reader. Someone who you trust who will probably be scared to hurt your feelings. Even though it might not be true, positive feedback will help. 

That is all I have! I hoped you enjoyed! Have a Fantastic day! I will be posting again soon!