Readers Aren’t Stupid. If A Character Is Crying, You Don’t Need To Add “because She Was Sad.”

There is nothing worse than having inspiration and the will to write and having to go to work, knowing you won’t have it in you to write after.

Me: changes my stories timeline and everyone’s age

Also me: roasts my characters for getting their kids ages wrong while I edit

When I'm trying to write, 80% of the time is used trying to figure out how the hell regular people talk.

And you know what, we’re just not gonna talk about how many wips I’ve started lately. We’re just not gonna do it. And I’m definitely not coming up with world building for another one based on a tiktok.

Or I let my anxiety think, “what’s the worse that could happen?”

“how do you come up with your plots?” i let my intrusive thoughts win.

Reading a book: “Ah, yes, brilliant. That totally makes sense. How clever!”

Attempting to write a book: “I am a complete and utter fraud. Who gave me permission to wield words? Someone revoke my keyboard.”

sci-fi writers are either like, 'this ship travels at 12 parsecs and here’s the exact formula for faster-than-light travel,' or 'it’s space. don’t worry about it.' there is no in-between. both will look at you like you’re stupid if you ask too many questions.

And my goal is to do that to someone else

my kink is being forcefully slammed back into my hyperfixations by outstanding pieces of art

I’ve found that writing little scenes that don’t need to be in the story can help with this. Like writing the “they woke up, did their routine, went to work” scenes can help you get to know them, see them as any other person, which can help when trying to write their story. Obviously this would take forever to do with every side character, but with my main characters it helps a lot. And you can even write random interactions between side and main characters, which has also helped me.

Your characters aren’t just plot devices. They existed before the story started, and they’ll exist after it ends. Give them history, quirks, and contradictions. Maybe they always order the same coffee because it reminds them of home. Maybe they pick fights because it’s easier than being vulnerable. Maybe they love thunderstorms because they grew up listening to the rain through a broken window. The best characters feel alive because they have little pieces of reality stitched into them.

Writing is all fun and games until you have to describe a room.