Read on Twitter
random writing tips that everyone says/u can find anywhere bc shaz has been throwing me a lot of cc anons even tho im not a teacher or expert of any kind kjdhfkd but if u for some reason find my input valuable, here 
use adverbs sparingly (not saying never). it weakens the action itself and whatever you're trying to say with the adverb can be displayed in a different way thats probably stronger
show dont tell - for MOST cases. a lot of hard-hitting lines are tells but usually you want to show and if you dont actually know what "show dont tell" is, here is a neat thing i found on p1nterest
says/said is fine. really. readers just gloss over those. and when you decide that you need something more definitive its going to be more noticeable in your narrative
you dont need epithets but if you want to use them, thats fine if theyre not super cringy (blunette...) and even better if it fits their character profile like lets say. firebender aka nayeon in ao3 user sorrymom's famous Burning!
but if youre using "the japanese" please....stop
but if youre using "the japanese" please....stop
this is tricky and only comes with practice bc while you can be influenced by other writers, eventually you have to develop your own voice and if you feel fake bc its a mix of everything you like plus ur own projections, just remember that you are YOU and no one else can be you!
read!! a lot!! reading is writing, especially if you allow yourself to explore a mix of styles but it can also be a double-edged sword because there are so many great writers out there but yk. practice! see above tweet!
take from your real life. sit and observe. paint the scene and note your actions. let yourself feel. if youre young and stuck in quarantine, take from media
a simple little practice piece is to write down what youre doing right now. maybe let a memory wash over you. then when you're done with that, do it again but with a different character and adjust the scene and how they feel to their personality (what u make of it)
grammar is important, but probably not as important as you think it is. using gram*arly will flatten it
for example fragments can be great for isolating an image or thought and overall add to your own individual voice. they can be utilized super well for rhythm too!
for example fragments can be great for isolating an image or thought and overall add to your own individual voice. they can be utilized super well for rhythm too!
spell check is your friend and catches most errors but you should also do a quick reread (or get a friend to) if you dont care enough to do a full edit/get a full beta
if its something you do care about - edit, edit, edit! if you dont know how to, just try to be objective and look at it like how you would other writing. what do you find important that you think is lacking and how can you improve it?
its okay to scrap things that arent working out. i know that SUCKS because you put a lot of work into it but sometimes things just never come together. HOWEVER, please keep it in your files because you might look at it 6 months later and BOOM - idea!!
please try not to compare yourself to others :( i know its rly hard but everyone is on their own journey and a lot of ppl you admire prob started out in a similar position. tbh i dont really know what to say here kdjfdk but if youre experienced and feeling this way- READING BAN!
when you know your characters, they write themselves!! you dont have to make profiles for each of them (but pls indulge yourself if u enjoy doing so) but knowing their motivations and how they would react in any given situation rly rly helps the story flow
omg this thread became way longer than expected jkdhfk but if you want like outline/longfic advice, i am not the person to ask LMAO. you can utilize gdocs tools if you want!! usually i just jot down notes at the bottom of the doc or even create a 2nd doc
also if you disagree then im probably not going to argue with you because idc and writing is supposed to be fun. we dont have to adhere to anyth considering this is a creative activity that WE continue to build and restructure 
im probably going to add random things btw like some ppl find it helpful to read their writing out loud bc it helps with rhythm and flow but i never talk so frankly that exerts too much energy
punctuation matters!! learn how to use them, experiment. try not to use them willy nilly even if its really tempting because its like hey! i just discovered this new technique and am going to use it EVERYWHERE. (but also you are valid, keep having fun <3)
also:
https://kitception.tumblr.com/post/161448832851/kittens-very-long-post-about-writing-long-fic
and their l1stography:
https://listography.com/kittenyarns/notes/online_writing_tools
https://kitception.tumblr.com/post/161448832851/kittens-very-long-post-about-writing-long-fic
and their l1stography:
https://listography.com/kittenyarns/notes/online_writing_tools
i dont use this but i have it bookmarked because i know its useful so if youre a go-getter have at it
http://www.hemingwayapp.com/
http://www.hemingwayapp.com/
same as above except i actually use this sometimes for the sentence context function
https://ludwig.guru/
https://ludwig.guru/
more on showing vs telling! i have this bookmarked too which frankly means a lot https://wordsnstuffblog.com/post/176128445800/showing-vs-telling
from the same person^
their masterlist because i like their thoughts https://docs.google.com/document/d/15TIf4rRM1xytsjM9z1Ve8kSxlFyb97ga1_kAo35GAfw/edit?usp=sharing
in other words, shut UP (i love this one omg) https://thewritewire.tumblr.com/post/143452004783/to-get-rid-of-overwriting-cull-ruthlessly-never
if your head hurts like mine does, just WRITE!!
from the 
queen
queen
i hate that this is under the previous tweet but
FEEL FREE TO IGNORE EVERYTHING THATS BEEN SAID!!
sometimes even well-written stories that are technically faultless still, for some reason, read a bit cold
FEEL FREE TO IGNORE EVERYTHING THATS BEEN SAID!!
sometimes even well-written stories that are technically faultless still, for some reason, read a bit cold
meanwhile there are stories that aren't technically perfect but rly made emotions burst out of my chest! 
vocabulary helps, but you don't need to sound 'smart' by trying to cram a lot of unique words into a small space. it's really a beginners mistake i think (trust me ive gone thru that phase too LOL)
don't pluck any ol phrase from thesaurusdotcom. please cross reference the meaning of it as well as the context in an actual sentence (ludwig is great for this!)
ive seen a lot of misplaced words and it can really make readers sort of tilt their heads bc it doesn't quite work
ive seen a lot of misplaced words and it can really make readers sort of tilt their heads bc it doesn't quite work
ive tweeted a lot of hot takes (not in this thread <3) but im valid! and you should, yk, think about it even if they're phrased in hyperbolas 
you don't have to use them but italics offer a lot in the way of intonation and meaning in a rly concise manner. that being said you might want to pull in the reigns sometimes (honestly I'd say go ham but it's definitely feedback I've seen around)
formatting also aids the story a lot, especially learning where to break your paragraphs bc a surefire way for a reader to x out of your fic is seeing a fat wall of text esp since a lot of people read on their phone. if it extends past your phone screen, consider a break or 2!
using bold isn't as common as italics but feel free to experiment! lists and such can work really well too for that extra pizzazz and can be a relief from the regular formatting. i also enjoy text conversations bc they can bring a rly nice ~real~ quality to your work
lapslock; try it out once! it brings a certain atmosphere to your story that's a bit more subdued compared to regular capitalization and tbh i think fragments work better in lapslock. some ppl have even made it their signature (kellycough)
pls don't write in capslock though LOL
pls don't write in capslock though LOL
for scene endings, esp for multichaptered fics, leave an impression. i find this rly important in my work and ik some ppl live for cliffhangers but ive read great stories that end with an 'average' sounding sentence too. whatever floats your boat!
honestly a lot of this stuff comes naturally, especially with more practice. pls don't feel bad about your work if they don't follow these tips :( everyone is on their own journey and when you write more most ppl tend to speed up bc you Know how to write and it comes easier
try speed writing!! it can really help the flow of the story even if you think you're writing garbage as you go along (u can always edit after). taking multiple stops can rly stunt your writing and make your rhythm a bit choppy
if you've been following me since The Beginning you've seen a lot of how I've progressed and improved and experimented and im much better for it (still by no means an expert tho shdhjf) also this is NOT an invitation to go back and read my old fics 
try short fic!! especially as you're learning. ik a lot of ppl want to write great longfic from the start but honestly that's rly rly hard. short fic will allow you to experiment with different styles and also i think force you to be concise with your words. brevity >>
my compliment to myself on this thread is that im a fic writer so I think many of these are easy to read and relate to. a lot of resources you find online are more tailored to ppl who want to make writing their profession but fanfic is really- for fans! do what u want, indulge!!
