First Draft: "I’ll Fix This Later."

Literally me right now

Me after a long day of writing: *closing the lid of my laptop nodding to myself* that was a good sentence

Why do I have multiple hobbies and no time for any of them?

What am I doing? Just talking through my story to myself instead of writing it.

I always tell myself I’ll keep it cute, keep it light, and by the end of draft one it’s always dark and or tragic.

Writers be like: "I love my characters!"

Also writers: "What if I made them suffer horribly for no reason except my own entertainment?"

And, unfortunately, yet again I’m convincing myself a dozen long writing projects is manageable

I hate to break it to you, but they were right. You really do just have to finish that first draft. It can be a hot mess, but you can’t clean up a room that doesn’t exist

when a powerful figure is reduced to kneeling. when the lord is forced to bow. when the exile stumbles into an unwelcoming bar. when the “beast” is chained by their horns. when a god is dragged behind their enemy’s chariot, a captive and trophy. when the loyal “guard dog” character is muzzled and the silver-tongued thief falls silent in horror.

that’s the shit

it’s about the contrapasso. the reversal of roles and the sudden, plunging terror of being unable to hide.

Nothing like spending the night somewhere because of the snow, only I can’t sleep and my laptop’s at home so now I’m writing on my phone while my friends cat claws my shoulder

Writing is like a hard video game level

You’re bitching and screaming at the screen as you try and fail to make progress

But when someone concernedly suggests you take a break?

“Oh no, it’s fun and relaxing!”

I keep seeing people making fun of using growled, hissed, roared, snarled etc in writing and it’s like.

have you never heard someone speak with the gravel in their voice when they get angry? Because that’s what a growl is.

Have you never heard someone sharply whisper something through the thin space of their teeth? Or when your mother sharply told you to stop it in public as a kid when you were acting up/being too loud? Because that’s what a hiss is.

Have you never heard a man get so blackout angry that their voice BOOMS through the house? Because that’s what a roar is.

Have you never seen someone bare their teeth while talking to accentuate their frustration or anger while speaking with a vicious tone? Because that’s what snarling is.

It’s not meant to be a literal animal noise. For the love of god, not every description is literal. I get some people are genuinely confused, but also some of these people are genuinely unimaginative as fuck.