Sea Writes - Blog Posts

Crowley gets a call for roadside assistance. Someone has broken down. Have they, really?

A short and silly fic, inspired by the inestimable poet Harauld Hughes (i.e. Richard Ayoade).

WIP TAG GAME

I was tagged by @anatomic-girl to share a sentence or excerpt from my WIP(s) that start with the letters POSH. I had to really delve in for the O but I found one in the end yeay! All in good omens wips.

No pressure to do anything but if you want to play … tag along! Maybe @copperplatebeech @foolishlovers @sapphosewrites @di-42 Listen well, the next word is HARK. 😉

P. WIP ficlet from the bookshop years between s1 and s2. Gentle domestic fluff. The plants seem to be taking over my writing.

O. WIP loose retelling of Diana Wynne Jones fantasy story. Tanacrow and his family of travelling entertainers sometimes smuggle things to the North. This time the packet is a posh blonde.

S. WIP short story set in early 1800s, or a bit later possibly. Regency era! Aziraphale is sold off to lord Crowley for a gambling debt.

H. WIP short story. Crowley is pressured into giving a lift to a friend of a friend, who turns out to be an irritating fribble.

………

P. Prowling around the bookshop muttering to himself Crowley finally settles the plant in the corner of a well-lit reading nook in front of a north facing window. The brugmansia waits expectantly (this day was progressing far differently than he had assumed, in as far as it had had expectations. Less doomfull for sure). The demon shakes a finger at him and splutters. "Look. You-. Hmph." He angry-walks a small circle. "You keep on growing and blooming okay! No spots, no mold. For him", he hisses.

………

O. One could not say certain things in the South, you had to be careful in choosing your words. People were always watching. And listening. And reporting.

He stood up at the exact moment when Shax opened her mouth to admonish him for dreaming yet again. She let out an irritated hiss and he felt her mild glower following him into the wagon. Bee chuckled from the driving seat as they softly murmured to the horse pulling their home towards the next village, their next show.

………

S. Swinging their hands gently to and fro the redhead smiled winningly up at him. “I’m quite drunk y..know.” For the first time since the angel had entered the room his face softened infinitisemally as he spoke in a soft yet clear voice. “Yes, I can see that.” Crowley’s smile grew.

Ignoring the rest of the intoxicated company around the gaming table the blonde spoke without ever taking his eyes off the slightly swaying man in front of him. “I will go and pack my things, Gabriel, since you’ve apparently sold me to Lord Crowley. We will be off to Gretna Green I suppose.”

………

H. He stared. Surely this was not the same ill-clothed, rude, boring, irritating person that had stepped in his car? These clothes fitted him, flattered him, suited him. The clothes did not suit the time perhaps but they certainly fitted Aziraphale. The velvet waistcoat delectably fastened around his sturdy middle, just waiting to be… (no. Nope. Not going there. ) The angelic vision gave him a coquettish smile when he strutted out into the street and loosened the bowtie around his neck. Crowley swallowed, repressed the urge to help him loosen his bowtie (nope, stoppit, not going there either you dimwit) and stared some more. His elbow slid of the roof of his Bentley and he staggered slightly. The angel, observing the effect he had, widened his smile a fraction. “Well, my dear,” Aziraphale murmured, “now I think I am ready for this trip as well.”

………

You can find me on AO3 as thechangelingsea. If you’re excited by any of these projects let me know. I’ve been on a forced digital detox bc of concussion. Now I am slowly getting back to writing more than scattered sentences in notebooks and I am dithering between all of these projects, which to continue first?!?!

Okay, so I posted my first story on AO3. *waves shyly into the wide unknown that is called tumblr*

About 700 words. Focused on domestic fluff, because I can’t get enough of it basically ;).

Comments and/or kudoes are appreciated.

Something is up. Dancing in the sunbeams in the bookshop. Aziraphale suspects a certain demon might have something to do with it.

Things Real People Do in Dialogue (For Your Next Story)

Okay, let’s be real—dialogue can make or break a scene. You want your characters to sound natural, like actual humans talking, not robots reading a script. So, how do you write dialogue that feels real without it turning into a mess of awkward pauses and “ums”? Here’s a little cheat sheet of what real people actually do when they talk (and you can totally steal these for your next story):

1. People Interrupt Each Other All the Time In real conversations, nobody waits for the perfect moment to speak. We interrupt, cut each other off, and finish each other's sentences. Throw in some overlaps or interruptions in your dialogue to make it feel more dynamic and less like a rehearsed play.

2. They Don’t Always Say What They Mean Real people are masters of dodging. They’ll say one thing but mean something totally different (hello, passive-aggressive banter). Or they’ll just avoid the question entirely. Let your characters be vague, sarcastic, or just plain evasive sometimes—it makes their conversations feel more layered.

3. People Trail Off... We don’t always finish our sentences. Sometimes we just... stop talking because we assume the other person gets what we’re trying to say. Use that in your dialogue! Let a sentence trail off into nothing. It adds realism and shows the comfort (or awkwardness) between characters.

4. Repeating Words Is Normal In real life, people repeat words when they’re excited, nervous, or trying to make a point. It’s not a sign of bad writing—it’s how we talk. Let your characters get a little repetitive now and then. It adds a rhythm to their speech that feels more genuine.

5. Fillers Are Your Friends People say "um," "uh," "like," "you know," all the time. Not every character needs to sound polished or poetic. Sprinkle in some filler words where it makes sense, especially if the character is nervous or thinking on their feet.

6. Not Everyone Speaks in Complete Sentences Sometimes, people just throw out fragments instead of complete sentences, especially when emotions are high. Short, choppy dialogue can convey tension or excitement. Instead of saying “I really think we need to talk about this,” try “We need to talk. Now.”

7. Body Language Is Part of the Conversation Real people don’t just communicate with words; they use facial expressions, gestures, and body language. When your characters are talking, think about what they’re doing—are they fidgeting? Smiling? Crossing their arms? Those little actions can add a lot of subtext to the dialogue without needing extra words.

8. Awkward Silences Are Golden People don’t talk non-stop. Sometimes, they stop mid-conversation to think, or because things just got weird. Don’t be afraid to add a beat of awkward silence, a long pause, or a meaningful look between characters. It can say more than words.

9. People Talk Over Themselves When They're Nervous When we’re anxious, we tend to talk too fast, go back to rephrase what we just said, or add unnecessary details. If your character’s nervous, let them ramble a bit or correct themselves. It’s a great way to show their internal state through dialogue.

10. Inside Jokes and Shared History Real people have history. Sometimes they reference something that happened off-page, or they share an inside joke only they get. This makes your dialogue feel lived-in and shows that your characters have a life beyond the scene. Throw in a callback to something earlier, or a joke only two characters understand.

11. No One Explains Everything People leave stuff out. We assume the person we’re talking to knows what we’re talking about, so we skip over background details. Instead of having your character explain everything for the reader’s benefit, let some things go unsaid. It’ll feel more natural—and trust your reader to keep up!

12. Characters Have Different Voices Real people don’t all talk the same way. Your characters shouldn’t either! Pay attention to their unique quirks—does one character use slang? Does another speak more formally? Maybe someone’s always cutting people off while another is super polite. Give them different voices and patterns of speech so their dialogue feels authentic to them.

13. People Change the Subject In real life, conversations don’t always stay on track. People get sidetracked, jump to random topics, or avoid certain subjects altogether. If your characters are uncomfortable or trying to dodge a question, let them awkwardly change the subject or ramble to fill the space.

14. Reactions Aren’t Always Immediate People don’t always respond right away. They pause, they think, they hesitate. Sometimes they don’t know what to say, and that delay can speak volumes. Give your characters a moment to process before they respond—it’ll make the conversation feel more natural.

Important note: Please don’t use all of these tips in one dialogue at once.

Crowley found out that Aziraphale had put an extra bookshelf in the backroom of the bookshop on a measly Monday morning. When Muriel took him to the back and showed him the hidden cd collection behind a collection of books about dowdy fabric patterns they asked him whether he knew what the bookshelf was for. His breath hitched for a moment. Behind his glasses he blinked a couple of times. And he growled how the fuck should I know Muriel. He stalked off - looking his worst* murdery murderous look - slamming the bookshop door behind him, and hating the cheerful jingling with all his heart. Around the corner he relieved some of his feelings by shouting at some quivering nettles**.

It turned out that Aziraphale had co-opted Maggie's help in finding 'bebop' music. While Aziraphale did not really listen to that sort of music, he did have an extraordinary good memory. He had memorised many of the cd's Crowley had listened to. And collected them for some inexplicable reason. Crowley didn't get it. He didn't know why Aziraphale hadn't told him about this. He didn't get it. But he knew why of course.

Later that day he returned to the bookshop and slipped quietly into the backroom. He closed the door softly and took a deep breath. Smelling the dusty musty books always made him feel close to... He slowly ran a finger over the albums. Thinking back to those moments in the bentley listening together. Listening alone. Wondering. How long it would take for his angel to come back to him.

*so that means best depending how you look at it.

**The nettle, very confused and not having experienced demonic energies before, promptly grew a bright blue flower in between its pink ones. When Crowley saw that he stopped shouting and caressed the flower softly.

My latest Guardian Books cartoon. Inspired by this news story.