You Ever Reach That Point When You Wonder If Anyone Will Even Want To Read Your Story? Because That’s

With the impending implementation of Project 2025, I suspect that AO3 will come under fire as well. And given that it’s a US based organisation, and the US has wedged itself somehow into every possible thing, I would also suspect that this will have global impacts. I cannot be certain of it - I’m certainly not an expert on political things and Trump remains, frankly, unpredictable - but I have personally found it’s more helpful to prepare beforehand than to scramble to keep myself afloat in the midst of a crisis. Knowing how important our favourite stories are to so many of us, here’s what I suggest:

Readers, I recommend you find your favourite stories again. Go all the way back in your bookmarks. Tell the authors you appreciate them, and you love their work. I think we could all use some nice words right now. If you want to keep the story, I recommend downloading it: here’s a guide on how to do so from the AO3 FAQ. I personally have wanted to take up bookbinding for a hot second; I might print off my favourite fics for myself and figure out how to bind them. The OTW also recommends downloading your favourites - see link below.

Authors, I recommend you keep your manuscripts. Download them onto an external flash drive and save them for a rainy day four or so years from now. Even the ones you don’t like are worth keeping - I guarantee you somebody else likes them even if you don’t. (I’m speaking to myself here, too.) Project 2025 has blatantly laid out a ban of pornography, and they will take that to mean whatever they want it to; I suggest you don’t even keep your fics on a Google drive if possible it’s definitely easier to keep them all online, trust me, I know, but so does the government. Corporations do not care about you: they will sell you out to whoever is willing to pay. Remember also to turn off AI scraping wherever possible, or better yet use sites that don’t engage in that behaviour.

For further reading from people more qualified than I, here’s the OTW’s statement on what their plans are so far.

I hope I’m wrong. I honestly would love nothing more. But more importantly, we will get through this. Humanity has told stories and put blorbos in situations for literal millennia. We’ll see the other side of this.

love when stories inflict unspeakable horrors onto a person for no real reason. its not karma. its not payback. its not a lesson. its not your fault. no ones even out to get you in particular. youre not the chosen one or special or anything. it just sorta happened and you were there. sorry man

"I don't want to read this" is totally valid.

"This is disgusting to me" is totally valid.

"I don't want to read this because it is disgusting to me" is totally valid.

"I don't think anyone should be allowed to read or write this because it is disgusting to me" is authoritarian.

Biggest Mistakes I See While Editing

These aren't things that you should obsess over while writing your first draft, but if a scene feels flat, this could help:

Sentence length. Vary your sentence length, seriously; sometimes you can change a whole paragraph from flat to exciting by making one sentence only two or three words and by making another an extended sentence - a lot of people have a tendency, especially when editing, to make every sentence a first part, a comma, then a second part. Try changing it!

Dialogue tags. Have you perhaps obsessed over dialogue tags and now you have a hundred different ones? You don't need the word questioned. You really don't. Similarly, where someone might have used a hundred different dialogue tags, said can work better; sometimes you don't want a dialogue tag at all.

Vary paragraph lengths. Not every paragraph wants the exact same set of sentence lengths.

Take a hike. If it sounds terrible, sometimes it's not the sentence. Go on a walk, touch grass, read a book, watch a film; stop looking at the work and do something else. It will feel evil if you keep staring at it.

Wanting to be poetic to the point of being unreadable. Purple prose is real, but it's probably not the problem. Sometimes, however, you can say grass, and not "verdurous green malachite swayed like a dancer along the legs of the local children".

It's okay to tell the reader something. Often, the way to use telling instead of showing is a matter of pacing, so ask yourself is this action important? Opening a door to find a monster behind it can use suitably long retelling, that builds tension; opening a door to get to the other side mid conversation not so much.

Trust yourself. Don't go into editing thinking you're awful. Sometimes, you will know best. I'm not telling you to never take critique, but you don't have to take all of it. It's your story, and you know what you want to do with it.

Of course, there's no need to take my advice. Use what works for you and leave the rest. I hope this helps!

#56

Writing and words are all that keep me going. I cry and bleed and yell and scream through my words, each one cutting me as sharp as a blade. 

If I cannot live the life I wanted to, then I shall live it through the sorrows and joys of words. Words and books and poems and characters for all those feelings that were never felt. 

masterlist

Hi! Hope you're having a great day. I'm reaching out because I'm trying to start a community on here that's for writers and readers of fiction (target audience from 13-25ish). I want it to be like a bookstore that's run by the authors. So, authors (or aspiring authors) can have an accessible and interactive way to talk about their works and readers can ask about stories/engage with authors. There'll be different games to keep things fresh and I'm planning on a lot of genres being represented. Do you think this is something you'd like to be part of? If so, I can send a link when it's ready!

That sounds cool! Hit me up when it’s ready!

I love the notes I gave myself during my first draft. I think one of my favorites is: we need to standardize pet names.

PLEASE Write Your Book!

I'm serious. Please write it. If you need a sign to start, continue, or whatever is inbetween, this is it. Go do it.

I spent the past couple weeks indulging myself in some BookTok recommendations. While some were indeed good (Kings of Sin, my beloved), some were just...I don't need to finish my sentence there.

I DNF'd some books for the first time since I read Lord of the Flies (sorry Golding, you put me to sleep with your descriptions) and I powered through others in hopes that they would eventually get better. The general consensus I ended up getting was that I could not understand for the fucking life of me how these books got published. The writing in some of them was no better than that of a 2010s teen writing Maximum Ride fic on Wattpad for the first time, with the characterization abysmal enough to match.

I don't want to knock any specific author or book here, because I will concede one thing: they finished their books. They got them published. They're successful. For that, I commend them, because I'm still on my way there myself and I can't take that away from them. Jolly good show.

But that brings me to my point: if they can do it, YOU absolutely can do it too.

If some of these Amazon and NYT bestsellers can have prose on a Wattpad level with characters that have enough poorly-written cognitive dissonance to make Deadpool or Walter White jealous, your fleshed out, deeply intuitive, and remarkably creative epic can sit right alongside them no problem. Whether you're writing the next GoT or a romantic slice-of-life, there is a not a goddamn thing on this planet stopping you from rolling up with the big dogs.

If these guys can do it, so can you.

So, stop telling yourself you can't. Stop letting other people tell you you can't. Stop comparing yourself to these authors who, respectfully and bluntly, can't write for shit (or at least need to fire their fucking editors, good lord).

WRITE YOUR DAMN BOOK. PLEASE. WE NEED IT.

(If you like my guides, prompts, writing, or art, consider supporting the blog today! All donations help me keep this thing up and running and all are appreciated <3)

hi! i need help with writing descriptions, no matter they always feel very boring and repetitive, especially if it’s a one character scene, when i try to describe emotions and such — it just all feels very tell no show?

Hey anon!

So I'll divide your question into 2 parts :

a) the general description and b) describing emotions

GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS:

1. Describe With Purpose, Not Just for Filler:

Every description should do something—set the mood, reveal character, or add tension. Ask yourself:

Does this description tell us something about the character?

Does it affect the scene's mood?

Would the scene feel different without it?

Example: Instead of listing details about a room, show how a character interacts with it.

The room was small, with a wooden desk, a single chair, and a bookshelf in the corner. (Factual but lifeless.)

The room barely fit the essentials. The bookshelf leaned slightly to one side, stuffed past its limit, and the desk was clean—too clean, like someone had wiped it down one too many times. (Gives a sense of personality.)

note: this is not to say that simple doesn't work. Simple does work too. In fact in descriptions I prefer not to overload the reader with too much info. Sometimes tell not show is exactly what you want.

2. Use Comparisons, But Make Them Interesting

Instead of just saying something is big, small, cold, warm—compare it to something vivid. But avoid clichés like "as cold as ice" or "as dark as night."

Example:

(The house was huge.)

The house loomed over the street like it had been dropped there by mistake, too grand for the tiny patch of land it stood on.

3. Vary Sentence Structure & Rhythm

If every description is the same length, it starts feeling robotic. Mix short and long sentences to create flow.

Example:

The sky was dark. The streetlights flickered. The pavement was wet from the rain. (Too stiff, repetitive.)

The sky hung heavy, a sheet of unbroken black. The streetlights flickered—weak, sputtering ghosts against the dark. Rain pooled in the cracks of the pavement, reflecting the city in distorted, shattered pieces. (More dynamic and immersive.)

4. Make Mundane Actions More Engaging

Common actions—walking, drinking, sitting—can feel repetitive. Instead of always describing how someone moves, describe what their movement says about them.

Example: (She sat down on the chair and drank her coffee.)

The coffee was bitter, but she didn’t add sugar. She was too tired to care, or maybe just used to the taste of things that didn’t quite go down easy.

5. Use the Five Senses

Relying only on sight makes descriptions feel flat. Bring in sound, touch, smell, and taste to create depth.

Example: (The market was busy and full of stalls.)

The market was a riot of noise—fishmongers shouting deals, the metallic clang of knives against chopping boards. The air smelled of salt, spices, and the sharp tang of citrus from a freshly cut lemon.

6. Avoid “List” Descriptions

Instead of dumping all details in one go, weave them into the action.

Example:

The car was old. The paint was peeling. The tires were worn out. The seats were cracked. (Feels like a checklist.)

She ran a hand over the car’s hood. The paint peeled away in thin, brittle flakes, catching on her fingertips. One of the tires sagged, low on air. Inside, the leather seats were cracked, their stuffing exposed like old battle wounds. (More immersive.)

7. Change the ‘Camera Angle’

If descriptions feel stale, shift perspective. Zoom in on small details or pull back for a bigger picture.

Example: (The sky was blue and the trees were tall.)

(Zoom in) The sky stretched unbroken, a shade of blue so deep it looked painted on. A single cloud drifted by, lazy and indifferent.

(Zoom out) The valley lay sprawled below, a patchwork of green and gold, rivers carving silver veins through the earth.

DESCRIBING EMOTIONS:

1. Ditch the Label, Focus on the Reaction

Instead of saying "She was nervous," think about how that nervousness manifests. Does she tap her fingers against the table? Does she try to swallow, only to realize her throat is dry? Does she force a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes?

(She was scared.)

Her grip tightened around the mug, the warmth failing to chase away the cold in her hands.

The doorknob rattled. She flinched so hard her knee slammed into the desk, sending a sharp jolt up her thigh.

2. Use the Environment as a Mirror

Solo scenes can feel isolating if it’s just a character thinking in a void. Use the surroundings to echo their mood. If they’re anxious, maybe the room feels too still, the clock ticking just a little too loud. If they’re sad, maybe the sky outside is stubbornly blue and bright, like the world refuses to match their mood.

Example: The cold wind pushed against her back, and for a second, it felt like someone was there. But when she turned, it was just the empty street behind her.

3. Sensory Details Are Your Best Friend

People experience emotions with their whole body. What does fear taste like? What does joy feel like against the skin? Even a simple emotion like anger can be described in different ways—burning hot like a wildfire, or cold and simmering like a blade pressed to the throat.

Example:

Her jaw ached from clenching so hard. The words pressed against her teeth, sharp and bitter, demanding to be let out.

His vision blurred at the edges, not from tears, but from the heat rising in his skull. He could hear his own pulse, a steady drumbeat against his eardrums.

4. Using body language:

Example:

He smiled, but it was tight—too tight. Like if he let go, he might crack right down the middle.

5. Break the Inner Monologue Habit

If your descriptions feel like a constant stream of thoughts (I feel sad, I feel angry, I feel lonely), try breaking it up with actions.

Example:

She stared at the email, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. Then she backspaced everything she had typed, closed the tab, and shut the laptop. She’d try again later. Maybe.

His fingers found the bracelet at his wrist, the one she had given him years ago. He traced the worn-out engravings with his thumb, the metal warm against his skin.

She set two plates on the table before remembering. Staring at the extra one, she let out a breath and put it back in the cabinet. Old habits.

At the end of the day, writing descriptions is like learning to see the world through your character’s eyes. The more you practice, the more natural it’ll feel.

Hope this helps! 💛