WriterofthePrompts Ultimate Ask Masterlist 2 (Updated 05/20)

Wow, first of all I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the support on the First Ask Masterlist! Obviously I had to make a second one with all the asks I’ve answered since then so here you go. You can also check out my list of Random Writing Tips. As last time, some of these posts have notes from lovely people who have added onto my answers with their advice and you can also help out fellow writers by adding your tips or ideas to the posts in the replies or by reblogging. Hope you enjoy! 😊

Writing Tips

Can’t think of what to write for a scene? Cut it.

The “organized chaos” form of outlining

Resources for writing a story synopsis

Can a comedy also have a good message?

Writing a fantasy fit for most ages (also under Fantasy)

When you’ve got an idea but don’t know how to expand it

Building on your story yourself

Will posting writing online hurt publishing chances?

Using a prompt for a series

Ways to give information to a character

How to give the same information to multiple characters at different times

Dialogue tips

Coming up with a title (expanded)

Making the real villain a plot twist

GRAMMAR CHEAT SHEET

Some resources for creating a language

How to decide if you want a good or sad ending (Also, how not to screw up an ending) (Also, why the GoT ending makes me sad)

How to skip over the passage fo time in writing (Part 1)

How to use scene breaks for the passage of time, change in location etc. (Part 2)

Story Structure Tips

Travelling scenes: when to skip and how to make them impactful

Writing a sloooow carriage ride without being boring

Moving back and forth in time in the story

difference between inciting incident and plot point 1

Blending backstory with present to further the plot

Writing scenes with a lot of characters

Writing a story as a journal or video log style

Third or first person?

Limited third person vs first person

Writing a long series

Connecting your ideas

When to introduce major and minor conflicts

How to develop your own style of writing

When to describe a character

Motivation and Positivity

Worrying about “originality” with your writing

Staying focused on writing

Sticking to one idea before moving on to the next?

Turning off the editor voice

starting to write and keeping motivation

quick tip on writing down inspiration in the moment

How do you know you are cut out to be a writer?

When you feel your plot isn’t exciting enough

When you think your idea is stupid (it’s not)

On covid-19 and whether I think it’s “bad” to take inspiration from it

When you think you’re writing has lost feeling

Character Development

Writing unnecessary scenes with your characters just for fun

Tips for writing a fully-fledged peppy girl

Teen raised by twenty-year-old family member

Mentor/Mentee relationship

Describing nature the way a nature-lover would

Showing a dead family member’s impact on the MC

Writing about a character losing loved one

Ways to show a character’s disgust

Why a “good” character would switch to the bad side

Why the “White Saviour” thing is a cliche and sucks

Villains who do things like “killing the dog”

Good and bad reasons to kill off a character

Character exercise when you lose their voice

Resources for learning more for a Jewish character (in the notes)

A reason a character might feel cliche

Representations of Gluttony and Laziness as humans

World Building

Creating a creation myth

The creation of gods based on people’s beliefs

History research post (also under Historical)

Making an acronym from an organization

Naming world building aspects

strange weather ideas

ideas for ridiculous rules to join an excuse club

Why someone would put on a massive tournament

a character trying to learn the language on a new world (also under Types of Characters)

Making a magical setting exciting (also under fantasy/paranormal)

When you have too much information for an expansive world

Weaving a complex magic system into your story (also under fantasy/paranormal)

Using words referring to our world in a fictional world

Fantasy/Paranormal

Why gods would abandon their world

Aphrodite, Hephaestus and Ares: the original love triangle

basing gods on multiple gods

Why someone would control dreams

Dark fantasy with a dream shop

Conflicts for someone with the power to share dreams with others *

Ways to break a curse

Reasons why someone would need to break their curse now

Coming up with a good curse for your character

Ways to break the curse to get the Prince out of the tower

When the princess rescues the prince

Prince/ss of one kingdom raised by another king

why a princess would run away

Prompts for a King or Queen getting assassinated *

Why a villain would overthrow a royal family *

Reasons two Kings would marry each other *

which fairytales deserve retellings

Fairy tale prompts

Using fairytale characters in retellings

Stories written from the POV of fairytale villains

Writing a fantasy fit for most ages (also under Writing Tips)

Friendship between a dragon and a human

Vampire and human couple meeting

Angel and ex-demon hanging out together

demons that feed on love and joy?

mythical kids meeting humans

Sword fight resources (also under Historical)

Using an axe as a weapon

Haunted house story from ghost’s perspective

A family moves in to a house that is alive

Does the afterlife have to include religious aspects?

Writing the grief of a girl finding her friend as a ghost

Witch sisters with unequal powers

Reasons a village would be afraid of a kind wizard

How a wizard’s guardian might tell them they are a wizard

Making a magical setting exciting (also under world building)

Weaving a complex magic system into your story (also under world building)

Things a magic council would use money for

Ideas for magical powers

Ideas for ancient magical powers

Prompts about cities that are always in night

Prompts about a changeling

Reasons a magical world would need a saviour

mirroring strengths and weaknesses for magic manipulation

How an immortal could die under mysterious circumstances

How to get regular folk involved in a magical world

“Underused" fantasy settings

Funny dialogue making fun of fantasy cliches

Prompts about a hidden/occult society

Autumn prompts about fae

Manatees being confused for mermaids

Fantasy modes of communication

Sci Fi

Futuristic space pirates

How to tell who is the clone and who is the original

Artifacts curious aliens would steal from Earth

Weird things that would wipe out a part of the population

How a person could go back in time

Question prompts for a virtual afterlife

How a half-human character might realize their alien half

“Non cliche” ideas for an apocalypse story

Time travel prompts for the current era

Historical

Writing about the Tudor court

History research post (also under World Building)

Sword fight resources

Using an axe as a weapon

Quick reasons why genocide doesn’t just happen overnight

Writing a female astronomer in ancient Greece (also under Types of Characters)

Dragons in Ancient Egypt?

Writing about WOC in the 1950’s

Aftermaths of a civil war

Thriller/Crime (aka I-swear-I’m-not-a-criminal-just-a-writer asks):

writing assassins

Sassy Assassins 3!

How an assassin with special abilities would discover these abilities

Clues that would make a character suspect another for murder

Writing a CIA/FBI/Military character (also under Types of Characters)

Serial/mass murder…causes?

tests to get into secret organization

Writing a serial killer as your main character (also under Writing Types of Characters)

Tips for writing a consistent murder mystery

Murder mystery party prompts (humorous)

How to come up with subplots for a mystery

Writing about a mob character (also under Writing Types of Character)

Why a step father might be a suspect in a teen’s disappearance

Prompts of killer kids terrorizing their babysitter

Prompts about a college kid being stalked on campus

The Masked Sinner prompts

Prompts about a crime scheme in 1950’s

Superheroes and Super Villains

Sidekick wanting to be a superhero

Super villain cause ideas

Sidekick and villain falling in love (also under Romance)

Superhero story originality

How a super villain can get notoriety

Woman unknowingly falls in love a super villain

World building ideas for superhero stories

Effects of the power of intangibility

Alter ego prompts

Romance

How a princess and a pirate fall in love

two exes who end up working together

How two random kids could meet at school

Sidekick and villain falling in love (also under Superheroes)

Cliches in romance scene?

Original ways that a couple could break up

How to introduce a living girl and ghost love interests

Conflicts in relationship between chef and their pupil

Miscellaneous

Prompts about being abandoned

Character who has never danced in pressured into it

The best ask ever

MC and sister get kicked out of clan. What next?

Reasons characters would hate another (a concubine)

A disturbing cultish 1950’s-esque town

Some links to help find Beta readers

Why a principal would hate a student

Why a character would forgive their ex

Prompts about anomalies

Reasons a parent would be controlling

Minerva and Severus - brotp headcanons

When examining Minerva and Severus’ friendship, it’s logical that you’d start with when their paths initially crossed: September ’71 to July ’78. In this period, Minerva is Severus’ teacher. She’s in a position of power over him, and is the Head of…not just a rival house, but the Head of the one that his bullies are part of, the one his ex-best friend is in, and the one he held in such disdain. And so, my favourite headcanon is that little 11 year old Severus Snape hates Minerva McGonagall.

(More under the cut. A LOT more. This is a bit of a favourite topic.)

Keep reading

531 notes View Post

pickleteatime

4 years ago

The 5 Stages of Grief-- I Mean of Plotting a Book

(And a masterlist of blog posts that help along the way)

All plotting styles are different and these are just the 5 stages that I go through and think are most common.

I will be updating this with links as new posts are published, so bookmark this post if you find it helpful!

1. That little idea

The little idea can come from literally anything. That’s the beautiful thing about a creative mind. The idea is also usually very, very tiny at first. It’s a character or a setting or a bare-bones plot or a prompt. But it’s an idea!

Prompts Masterpost Using an Image as Inspiration

2. A bigger idea!

This is where you flesh out the little idea. I braindump (i.e. writing down every little idea I have pertaining to the story, including plot points) during this time. This is also a good place to figure out the central idea/question/themes, and important characters.

The Ten Genres 50 Character Name Ideas OC Names of the Day #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 How to Make a Story File (w/ template)

3. Setting the stage

Now is the time to flesh out your worldbuilding, characters, arcs, and relationships.

How to Make a Story File (w/ template) When You Have a Large Cast of Characters The Anti-Villain: A Study in Motivation My Personal Character Files: The 6 Box Method (w/ template) Some Worldbuilding Categories ½ Some Worldbuilding Categories 2/2 Worldbuilding in Detail Vol. I: Flora and Fauna Worldbuilding in Detail Vol. II: Religion 7 Worldbuilding Tips Little Quirks and Habits for Your OC Words to Describe Dress of a Character (Semi) Master List of Character Motivations

4. The Worst Puzzle Known to Man

Now you’ve got to start arranging the plot points you have into a cohesive-ish order. I find this is also the time I get tired or bored of my story, so I’ve included my post about beating writer’s block. Because, as we know, it can happen well before you even start writing.

Tips of Writer’s Block 5 Better Ways to End Your Story Raising Stakes

5. 5 Seconds to Launch

A working outline should be ready for you to work from now. You’ve ordered the plot points, filled in the gaps, your characters and their relationships are ready to go. While I have a “working title” from the get-go, this is when I settle on the final title.

5 Ways to Find Your Novel Title Gillian Flynn: A Closer Look at Two-Word Titling Some Titling Formats and Examples

Reminder: I will be updating this with links as new posts are published, so bookmark this post if you find it helpful! Please let me know if any links are incorrect!

1K notes View Post

pickleteatime

4 years ago

good riddance, 2020. 🥂✨

3K notes View Post

pickleteatime

4 years ago

Down East Folktales "trailer"

Our Major (ongoing, new) Work: Down East Folktales. Here’s “trailer” of our NSFW horror story, which was published in the #stucky Anthology <Not Without You>.

Visit here for more juicy stuff👉https://twitter.com/lickydogbuddy

286 notes View Post

pickleteatime

4 years ago

some snake drawings , defo preferred the sketch to the finished piece . if anyone has any tips on how to get the character distinction , like so you would look at a drawing and know who it is, they are all greatly appreciated