Tips on How to Write Pain

TIPS ON HOW TO WRITE PAIN (FOR BOTH ORIGINAL CONTENT WRITERS AND FANFICTION WRITERS)

When I first started writing, about eight years ago, I had the same issue as @imjustafuckinggirl.

How are you supposed to write about pain you’ve never experienced before???

The characters in my book suffer through all sorts of terrible shit, and in no way am I writing from experience, which is marginally easier to do than write about something that has never happened to you.

However, with time, I managed to gather up a few strategies on how to write pain.

1. Don’t Write Paragraphs About It

I know, it’s tempting. You want to convey to the reader just how much pain the character is in, and you think that the pain will be emphasized the more you write about it.

This, however, is a lie.

As a reader, when I’m reading a book or fanfiction where, whenever the writer uses agonizingly long paragraphs to describe when a character is hurt, I skip it.

Entirely.

It’s boring and, quite frankly, unnecessary, especially during a fight or huge battle, which are supposed to be fast-paced.

When it comes to writing about pain, it really is about quality and not quantity.

In my own writing, I stick to short, quick paragraphs, some of them which are barely a line long. This gives it a faster pace and sort of parallels with the scattered, spread out thoughts of the character as they suffer.

2. Describe it Right

Many times, usually in fanfiction, writers over-exaggerate certain injuries.

This partially has to do with the fact that they’ve never experienced that injury before and are just thinking about what it might feel like.

As a girl with two brothers and who often participated in rough play-fights, I can assure you that getting punched is not as painful as you think it is.

(However, it does depend on the area, as well as how hard the punch is, on top of the fact that you have to take into account whether or not the punch broke bones)

I’m reading a high school AU where a character gets punched by a bully (Idk where they got punched it wasn’t stated) and the author is describing it like they’d been shot.

It was to the point where I was like Did the bully have brass knuckles or something????

It was very clear that this author had never been punched before.

When describing the pain of an injury or the injury itself, you have to take into account:

- What object was used to harm the character

- Where the injury is

- How long the character has had the injury

- (For blades) How deep the cut is

- (For blunt force trauma) How hard the hit was

- Whether or not the wound triggers other things (Ex: Concussion, vomiting, dizziness, infection, internal/external bleeding).

There’s also the fact that when some authors described wounds caused by blades such as knives, daggers, and swords, they never take into account the anatomy of a person and which places cause the most blood flow.

Obviously, a cut on your cheek will have less of a blood flow than a cut on your wrist, depending on what the blade hits, and I hope that everyone consults a diagram of veins, capillaries, arteries, etc. when they’re describing blood flow from a certain place.

There’s also the fact that you have to take into account where the blood is coming from. Veins? Arteries?

The blood from arteries will be a brighter red, like vermilion, than the blood from veins, which is the dark crimson everyone likes to talk about.

Not all places gush bright red blood, people!

3. DIFFERENT INJURIES HAVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PAIN

Here, let me explain.

A punch feels different from a slap.

A broken arm feels different from getting stabbed.

A fall feels different from a dog bite.

I’ll give you a list of all the kinds of things that can be described for the three most common kinds of injuries that happen in stories:

Punch/Blunt Force Trauma

How it feels:

- Aching

- Numbness (In the later stages)

- A single spike of pain before it fades into an ache

- Throbbing

Effects:

- Vomiting (If the character is punched in the gut)

- Swelling

- Bruising

- Broken bones

- Unconsciousness (Blow to the head)

- Dizziness (Blow to the head)

- Concussion (Also a blow to the head)

- Internal bleeding

- Death (In the case of concussions and internal bleeding and broken bones- ribs can pierce lungs)

Stab Wound/Cut

How it feels:

- Stinging (only shallow wounds have just stinging)

- Burning

- With stab wounds, I feel like describing the effects of it make it more powerfully felt by the reader

Effects:

- Bleeding (Consult chart of the circulatory system beforehand for the amount of blood flow that should be described and what color the blood should be)

- Dizziness (Heavy blood loss)

- Unconsciousness

- Infection (if left unattended)

- Death

Gunshot

How it feels:

- Depends on the caliber bullet, from how far away they were shot (point-blank range is nothing like being shot from a distance), and in what place. Do careful research and then make your decision.

Effects:

- Bleeding (Consult chart of the circulatory system beforehand for the amount of blood flow that should be described and what color the blood should be. Also take into effect the above variables for blood flow as well.)

- Dizziness (Heavy blood loss)

- Infection (if left unattended)

- Death

Some things that a character may do while they’re injured:

- Heavy/Harsh/Ragged breathing

- Panting

- Making noises of pain

• gasping
• grunting
• hissing
• groaning
• whimpering
• yelping (when the injury is inflicted)
• screaming
• shrieking
• wailing

- Crying/ Weeping/Sobbing/Etc.

- Clenching their teeth

- Unable to speak

- Pressing their hands against a stab wound/cut to try and stem the bleeding

- Eyesight going out of whack (vision blurring and tilting, the room spinning, black spots consuming sight)

- Eyes rolling up into their head

- Trembling/shaking

- Ears riniging (from gunshot)

  

Sure thing, Anonie! Here’s a few tips for when writing dialogue:

·         If you (or someone else) wouldn’t say it in real life, don’t say it in the characters speech.

·         Don’t be afraid to add actions in between the characters speech, it makes it more realistic and easier for the reader to understand what’s going on.

·         Try to read it aloud, does it flow? Does it sound good?

·         I know y’all are sick of hearing it, but *Show, Don’t Tell*.

·         Try and have the dialogue include things important to the storyline, don’t just add it for the sake of things. E.g. don’t write “Hello, how are you?” “I’m fine, thank you. How about you?” Try and stick with saying that they greeted each other, this will keep the reader from getting too bored too quickly.

·         Be confident with how your characters present themselves: if they’re blunt and abrasive, show that in your speech with how they respond to other characters.

·         Speech and actions are the only thing that can show your reader who this character really is. Now, I know I said ‘show, don’t tell’, but there is only so much ‘red lipstick and smudged mascara’ you can write to give your reader a feel of things. Personality is perceived through narrative, speech and actions. For example, I’m a pretty easygoing person, my personality is bright, but that’s not going to mean much to you if I just... say it. Proving it through speech and actions is very important: She blinked up at him with a smile, unwavered by his cold demeanor, “Well, let’s go together, then!” She continued brightly, tugging at his sleeve without a moment of hesitance. You see how it shows how unbothered the character is. Instead of just saying they’re easygoing and bright, they proved it with their actions and response to the other character.

·         (I’m only adding this because I see a lot of people forget it) Start a new line when a new character speaks! Staying on the same line implies that the same person is speaking, so remember to tap that enter button whenever someone else is speaking!

·         You’re allowed to end speech with a ‘,’ it shows that the character has paused and- guess what- in real life conversation we often do pause, so do with that knowledge whatever you please ;)

The protagonist in a situation with...

1.    Someone they love

2.    Someone they hate

3.    Someone they thought was dead

4.    Someone they should’ve killed

5.    Someone they should’ve kissed

6.    An ex

7.    A fan

8.    Their partners ex

9.    Their roommate

10.                       A one night stand

11.                       A herd of sheep

12.                       Their first love

13.                       Their childhood best friend

14.                       Their parents and family doctor

15.                       A maternal figure

16.                       An assassin

17.                       A terrible doctor who’s messed up their stitches

18.                       A policeman/woman that’s kind of cute

19.                       An angry neighbour

20.                       A passive aggressive Christmas shopper

21.                       Their kindergarten teacher

22.                       The first person that comes to mind when they’re in danger

23.                       An escaped zoo animal

24.                       A newborn baby

25.                       A new acquaintance

26.                       A very sick person

27.                       The rude customer at the 7/eleven

28.                       Someone who never forgets/leaves them out of things

29.                       Someone with a fresh stab wound

30.                       A person who never fails to make them smile

  

240 Words to Describe Someone’s Tone/Voice

1. Abrasive - showing little concern for the feelings of others; harsh
2. Absurd - wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate
3. Accusatory - suggesting someone has done something wrong, complaining
4. Acerbic - sharp and forthright
5. Acidic - harsh or critical
6. Admiring - approving; think highly of; respectful; praising
7. Aggressive - hostile; determined; forceful; argumentative
8. Aggrieved -  angry and sad because you think you have been unfairly treated
9. Airy -  giving an impression of being unconcerned or not serious
10. Ambivalent - having mixed feelings; uncertain; in a dilemma; undecided
11. Amused - pleasantly; entertain or divert in an enjoyable or cheerful manner
12. Angry - incensed or enraged; threatening or menacing
13. Animated - full of life or excitement; lively; spirited; impassioned; vibrant
14. Anxious -  typically with a feeling of unease
15. Apathetic - showing little interest; lacking concern; indifferent; unemotional
16. Apologetic - full of regret; repentant; remorseful; acknowledging failure
17. Appreciative - grateful; thankful; showing pleasure; enthusiastic
18. Ardent - enthusiastic; passionate
19. Arrogant - pompous; disdainful; overbearing; condescending; vain; scoffing
20. Assertive - self-confident; strong-willed; authoritative; insistent
21. Authoritative - commanding and self-confident
22. Awestruck - amazed, filled with wonder/awe; reverential
23. Barbed - deliberately hurtful
24. Barking - utter a command or question abruptly or aggressively
25. Belligerent - hostile; aggressive; combatant
26. Benevolent - sympathetic; tolerant; generous; caring; well meaning
27. Bitter - angry; acrimonious; antagonistic; spiteful; nasty
28. Blasé - unimpressed or indifferent to something because one has experienced or seen it so often before
29. Bleak - without hope or encouragement; depressing; dreary
30. Bombastic - high-sounding but with little meaning; inflated
31. Booming - loud, deep, and resonant
32. Bored - to tire or make weary by being dull, repetitious, or uninteresting
33. Brash - self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overbearing way
34. Braying - speak or laugh loudly and harshly
35. Breathy - producing or causing an audible sound of breathing, often related to physical exertion or strong feelings
36. Breezy - appearing relaxed, informal, and cheerily brisk
37. Brittle - lacking warmth, sensitivity, or compassion; aloof
38. Bubbly - full of cheerful high spirits
39. Burbling - speak in an unintelligible or silly way, typically at unnecessary length
40. Callous - cruel disregard; unfeeling; uncaring; indifferent; ruthless
41. Candid - truthful, straightforward; honest; unreserved
42. Caustic - making biting, corrosive comments; critical
43. Cautionary - gives warning; raises awareness; reminding
44. Celebratory - praising; pay tribute to; glorify; honour
45. Chatty - informal; lively; conversational; familiar
46. Cheery - happy and optimistic
47. Childish - silly and immature
48. Chirping - say something in a lively and cheerful way
49. Clipped - speech that is fast, that uses short sounds and few words, and that is often unfriendly or rude
50. Cloying - disgust or sicken (someone) with an excess of sweetness, richness, or sentiment
51. Coarse - rude, crude, or vulgar
52. Colloquial - familiar; everyday language; informal; colloquial; casual
53. Comic - humorous; witty; entertaining; diverting
54. Compassionate - sympathetic; empathetic; warm-hearted; tolerant; kind
55. Complex - having many varying characteristics; complicated
56. Compliant - agree or obey rules; acquiescent; flexible; submissive
57. Concerned - worried; anxious; apprehensive
58. Conciliatory - intended to placate or pacify; appeasing
59. Condescending - stooping to the level of one’s inferiors; patronising
60. Confused - unable to think clearly; bewildered; vague
61. Contemptuous - showing contempt; scornful; insolent; mocking
62. Crisp - briskly decisive and matter-of-fact, without hesitation or unnecessary detail
63. Critical - finding fault; disapproving; scathing; criticizing
64. Croaking - a characteristic deep hoarse sound
65. Cruel - causing pain and suffering; unkind; spiteful; severe
66. Curious - wanting to find out more; inquisitive; questioning
67. Curt - rudely brief
68. Cynical - scornful of motives/virtues of others; mocking; sneering
69. Defensive - defending a position; shielding; guarding; watchful
70. Defiant - obstinate; argumentative; defiant; contentious
71. Demeaning - disrespectful; undignified
72. Depressing - sad, melancholic; discouraging; pessimistic
73. Derisive - snide; sarcastic; mocking; dismissive; scornful
74. Detached - aloof; objective; unfeeling; distant
75. Dignified - serious; respectful; formal; proper
76. Diplomatic - tactful; subtle; sensitive; thoughtful
77. Disapproving - displeased; critical; condemnatory
78. Disheartening - discouraging; demoralising; undermining; depressing
79. Disparaging - dismissive; critical; scornful
80. Direct - straightforward; honest
81. Disappointed - discouraged; unhappy because something has gone wrong
82. Discordant - harsh and jarring because of a lack of harmony
83. Dispassionate - impartial; indifferent; unsentimental; cold; unsympathetic
84. Dispirited - having lost enthusiasm and hope; disheartened
85. Distressing - heart-breaking; sad; troubling
86. Docile - compliant; submissive; deferential; accommodating
87. Drawling - speak in a slow, lazy way with prolonged vowel sounds
88. Dulcet - sweet and soothing
89. Dull - lacking interest or excitement
90. Earnest - showing deep sincerity or feeling; serious
91. Egotistical - self-absorbed; selfish; conceited; boastful
92. Empathetic - understanding; kind; sensitive
93. Encouraging - optimistic; supportive
94. Enthusiastic - excited; energetic
95. Evasive - ambiguous; cryptic; unclear
96. Excited - emotionally aroused; stirred
97. Facetious - inappropriate; flippant
98. Farcical - ludicrous; absurd; mocking; humorous and highly improbable
99. Feathery - extremely light and soft or delicate
100. Flippant - superficial; glib; shallow; thoughtless; frivolous
101. Forceful - powerful; energetic; confident; assertive
102. Formal - respectful; stilted; factual; following accepted styles/rules
103. Frank - honest; direct; plain; matter-of-fact
104. Fretful - expressing distress or irritation
105. Frustrated - annoyed; discouraged
106. Gentle - kind; considerate; mild; soft
107. Ghoulish - delighting in the revolting or the loathsome
108. Glum - dejected; morose
109. Goofy - foolish; harmlessly eccentric
110. Grating - harsh and unpleasant
111. Gravelly - deep and rough-sounding
112. Grim - serious; gloomy; depressing; lacking humour;macabre
113. Growling - low grating voice, typically in a threatening manner
114. Gruff - rough and low in pitch
115. Gullible - naive; innocent; ignorant
116. Guttural - produced in the throat; harsh-sounding
117. Hard - unfeeling; hard-hearted; unyielding
118. Harsh - cruel or severe
119. Hearty - loudly vigorous and cheerful
120. Hoarse - sounding rough and harsh, typically as the result of a sore throat or of shouting
121. Honeyed - soothing, soft, and intended to please or flatter
122. Humble - deferential; modest
123. Humorous - amusing; entertaining; playful
124. Husky - sounding low-pitched and slightly hoarse
125. Hypercritical - unreasonably critical; hair splitting; nitpicking
126. Impartial - unbiased; neutral; objective
127. Impassioned - filled with emotion; ardent
128. Imploring - pleading; begging
129. Impressionable - trusting; child-like
130. Inane - silly; foolish; stupid; nonsensical
131. Incensed - enraged
132. Incredulous - disbelieving; unconvinced; questioning; suspicious
133. Indifferent - having no particular interest or sympathy; unconcerned
134. Indignant - annoyed; angry; dissatisfied
135. Informative - instructive; factual; educational
136. Insinuating - suggest or hint in an indirect and unpleasant way
137. Inspirational - encouraging; reassuring
138. Intense - earnest; passionate; concentrated; deeply felt
139. Intimate - familiar; informal; confidential; confessional
140. Ironic - the opposite of what is meant
141. Irreverent - lacking respect for things that are generally taken seriously
142. Jaded - bored; having had too much of the same thing; lack enthusiasm
143. Joyful - positive; optimistic; cheerful; elated
144. Jubilant - expressing great happiness and triumph
145. Judgmental - critical; finding fault; disparaging
146. Laudatory - praising; recommending
147. Lifeless - lacking vigor, vitality, or excitement
148. Light-Hearted - carefree; relaxed; chatty; humorous
149. Lively - full of life and energy; active and outgoing
150. Loving - affectionate; showing intense, deep concern
151. Macabre - gruesome; horrifying; frightening
152. Malicious - desiring to harm others or to see others suffer; ill-willed; spiteful
153. Matter-of-fact - unemotional and practical
154. Mean-Spirited - inconsiderate; unsympathetic
155. Mellifluous - sweet or musical; pleasant to hear
156. Melodious - pleasant-sounding
157. Mocking - scornful; ridiculing; making fun of someone
158. Monotonous - lacking in variation in tone or pitch
159. Mourning - grieving; lamenting; woeful
160. Muffled - not loud because of being obstructed in some way; muted
161. Naive - innocent; unsophisticated; immature
162. Narcissistic - self-admiring; selfish; boastful; self-pitying
163. Nasty - unpleasant; unkind; disagreeable; abusive
164. Negative - unhappy, pessimistic
165. Nonchalant - casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety, interest, or enthusiasm
166. Nostalgic - thinking about the past; wishing for something from the past
167. Objective - without prejudice; without discrimination; fair; based on fact
168. Obsequious - overly obedient and/or submissive; fawning; grovelling
169. Oily - unpleasantly smooth and ingratiating
170. Optimistic - hopeful; cheerful
171. Outraged - angered and resentful; furious; extremely angered
172. Outspoken - frank; candid; spoken without reserv
173. Pathetic - expressing pity, sympathy, tenderness
174. Patronizing - condescending; scornful; pompous
175. Pensive - reflective; introspective; philosophical; contemplative
176. Persuasive - convincing; eloquent; influential; plausible
177. Pessimistic - seeing the negative side of things
178. Philosophical - theoretical; analytical; rational; logical
179. Piping - high-pitched.
180. Playful - full of fun and good spirits; humorous; jesting
181. Pragmatic - realistic; sensible
182. Pretentious - affected; artificial; grandiose; rhetorical; flashy
183. Quavering - shake or tremble in speaking, typically through nervousness or emotion
184. Querulous - complaining in a petulant or whining manner
185. Rasping - harsh-sounding and unpleasant; grating
186. Reedy - high and thin in tone
187. Refined -  elegant; cultured
188. Regretful - apologetic; remorseful
189. Resentful - aggrieved; offended; displeased; bitter
190. Resigned - accepting; unhappy
191. Restrained - controlled; quiet; unemotional
192. Reverent - showing deep respect and esteem
193. Righteous - morally right and just; guiltless; pious; god-fearing
194. Robust - strong and healthy; vigorous
195. Saccharine - excessively sweet or sentimental
196. Satirical - making fun to show a weakness; ridiculing; derisive
197. Sarcastic - scornful; mocking; ridiculing
198. Scathing - critical; stinging; unsparing; harsh
199. Scornful - expressing contempt or derision; scathing; dismissive
200. Scratchy - rough; grating
201. Sensationalist - provocative; inaccurate; distasteful
202. Sentimental - thinking about feelings, especially when remembering the past
203. Shrill - high-pitched and piercing
204. Silvery - gentle, clear, and melodious
205. Sincere - honest; truthful; earnest
206. Skeptical - disbelieving; unconvinced; doubting
207. Smarmy -  excessively or unctuously flattering; ingratiating; servile
208. Smoky - a raspy, coarse and tone of quality that is deeper than usual
209. Snide - derogatory or mocking in an indirect way
210. Solemn - not funny; in earnest; serious
211. Somber - oppressively solemn or sober in mood; grave
212. Sonorous - imposingly deep and full
213. Sour - resentment, disappointment, or anger
214. Steely - coldly determined; hard
215. Strident - loud and harsh; grating
216. Stony - not having or showing feeling or sympathy
217. Suave - charming, confident, and elegant
218. Subjective - prejudiced; biased
219. Submissive - compliant; passive; accommodating; obedient
220. Sulking - bad-tempered; grumpy; resentful; sullen
221. Surly - bad-tempered and unfriendly
222. Sympathetic - compassionate; understanding of how someone feels
223. Thoughtful - reflective; serious; absorbed
224. Throaty - deep and rasping
225. Tolerant - open-minded; charitable; patient; sympathetic; lenient
226. Tragic - disastrous; calamitous
227. Tremulous - shaking or quivering slightly
228. Unassuming - modest; self-effacing; restrained
229. Unctuous - excessive piousness or moralistic fervor, especially in an affected manner; excessively smooth, suave, or smug
230. Uneasy - worried; uncomfortable; edgy; nervous
231. Urgent - insistent; saying something must be done soon
232. Velvety - soft; smooth
233. Vindictive - vengeful; spiteful; bitter; unforgiving
234. Virtuous - lawful; righteous; moral; upstanding
235. Whimsical - quaint; playful; mischievous; offbeat
236. Witty - clever; quick-witted; entertaining
237. Wonder - awe-struck; admiring; fascinating
238. World-Weary - bored; cynical; tired
239. Worried - anxious; stressed; fearful
240. Wretched - miserable; despairing; sorrowful; distressed

AU List A-Z

Made a list of all the AU’s I could think of. Used to help me when I have no ideas, decided it could help others and I should post it. It took a few weeks to fill it out this extensively and I have no more interest in adding to it, so please don’t bother suggesting anything （；￣д￣）

A

• Accidental Marriage AU
• Actor AU
• Alien AU
• Amnesia AU
• Android AU
• Angel/Demon AU
• Animal AU
• Apocalypse AU
• Arranged Marriage AU
• Artist AU
• Art Student AU
• Assassin AU
• Athlete AU
• Author AU
• Avian (Bird People) AU

B

• Babysitter AU
• Bakery AU
• Ballet AU
• Band AU
• Bartender/Bar AU
• Beach AU
• Blind AU
• Blind Date AU
• Bodyguard AU
• Book Store AU
• Bounty Hunter AU
• Brothel AU

C

• Caterer AU
• Camp Counselor AU
• Camping AU
• Carnival AU
• Castaway AU
• Celebrity AU
• CEO/Boss AU
• Chef AU
• Child AU
• Choir AU
• Circus AU
• Clothing Shop AU
• Club AU
• Coffee Shop AU
• College AU
• Conductor AU
• Choreographer AU
• Coworker AU
• Criminal AU
• Cult AU
• Cyborg AU

D

• Dancer AU
• Dead/Death AU
• Deaf AU
• Demigod AU
• Demon Hunter AU
• Detective AU
• Dimension Hoping AU
• DJ AU
• Doctor AU
• Domestic AU
• Dragon AU
• Drama Class AU

E

• Enemies AU
• Ex AU

F

• Fairy AU
• Fake Dating/Engagement/Marriage AU
• Fashion/Fashion Designer AU
• Fire Fighter AU
• Forbidden Love AU
• Fugitive AU

G

• Gang AU
• Gardener/Gardening AU
• Ghost AU

H

• Hairstylist AU
• Haunted House AU
• Hero/Villain AU
• High School AU
• High School Reunion AU
• Historical AU
• Horror AU
• Hospital AU
• Hunger Games AU

I

• Immortal AU

J

• Judge AU
• Jury Duty AU

K

• Kidnapper/Kidnapped AU

L

• Lawyer AU
• Library AU
• Lifeguard AU

M

• Mafia AU
• Maid AU
• Magician AU
• Magic AU
• Marriage AU
• Mechanic AU
• Medieval AU
• Mermaid AU
• Military AU
• Model AU
• Modern AU
• Monster/Monster Hunter/Monster Tamer AU
• Murder Mystery AU
• Musical AU
• Musician AU

N

• Neighbor AU
• Ninja AU
• Nurse AU

O

• Office AU
• Officer (Police) AU
• O/B/A AU

P

• Parallel Universe AU
• Parametric AU
• Paranormal Investigator AU
• Parent AU
• Pen Pal AU
• Pet Store AU
• Photographer AU
• Pirate AU
• Podcast AU
• Porn Star AU
• Prisoner AU
• Prank War AU
• Prostitute AU

Q

• —

R

• Reality TV Show AU
• Reporter AU
• Restaurant AU
• Resurrection AU
• Road Trip AU
• Roll Reversal AU
• Room Mate AU
• Rival AU
• Royalty AU

S

• Scientist AU
• Serial Killer AU
• Servant AU
• Sick AU
• Social Media AU
• Soulmate AU
• Space AU
• Spy AU
• Stalker AU
• Stranger AU
• Street Racing AU
• Stripper AU
• Student AU
• Survival AU

T

• Tattoo Shop AU
• Teacher AU
• Theater AU
• Thief AU
• Time Travel AU

U

• Undead AU
• Undercover Cop AU

V

• Vacation AU
• Vampire/Vampire Hunter AU
• Veterinarian AU

W

• Waiter AU
• War AU
• Wedding Planner AU
• Werewolf AU
• Wild West AU
• Witch AU
• Wizard AU

X

• —

Y

• Yandere AU
• Youtuber AU

Z

• Zookeeper AU
• Zombie AU

Source: alternateuniverseotp

First Person Prompts

1. The reason I fell in love

2. My imperfections

3. Things I should’ve said

4. Ways to make my life extraordinary

5. The way I felt last Christmas

6. Things I wish I’d done different

7. People I miss

8. Wounds that shouldn’t be opened

9. Things that I’ve fixed

10. Dreams I wish would come true

11. People I hated

12. Reasons why I came to be who I am

13. Something I love about me

14. Ways I can make them fall in love with me

15. People I cannot forgive

16. Hearts I could’ve broken (and ones I did break)

17. The moment that I knew all hell would break loose

18. The reason I have this scar

19. Something I love about you

20. Things I hate about the season I was born in

21. My opinions on the colour yellow

22. Reasons for me being the best protagonist around

23. People who I should’ve cut off long before I let them hurt me

24. People I should’ve told they were beautiful

25. The reason behind my...(tattoo, piercing, hair colour, style, etc)

26. People/a person I wish I could date without hesitation

27. What I think my purpose in life is right now

28. The story of when I kissed...

29. My strangest dream

30. An underrated novel that no one listens to me rave about.

31. Something I’ve done that was illegal

#100 Song Lyric Prompts

No one specifically requested, but I wanted to do this so bad! Here we go...

1. “Will nature make a man of me yet?”- The Smiths, This Charming Man
2. “If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?”- Lynyrd Skynyrd, Free Bird
3. “When my time comes around, lay me gently in the cold dark earth. No grave can hold my body down, I'll crawl home to her.”- Hozier, Work Song
4. “I don’t think that we should be alone together, when we’re in a room you get my eyes, you open your mouth I’m hypnotised”- The Neighbourhood, Single
5. “She looks as if she’s blowing a kiss at me and suddenly the sky is a scissor”- Arctic Monkeys, That’s where you’re wrong
6. “You think you want to be alone, just wait until you’re crying on the shower floor” “They’ve got a pretty face, but they’ve got a pretty empty head.” “But how the hell do you fall in love, the last time I checked you can’t fall in slow mo”- LANY- The Breakup *There were too many good ones in this song, I couldn’t help myself*
7. “I know it’s mad, but if I go to hell will you go with me or just leave?” - Panic! At The Disco, Do you know what I'm seeing?
8. “I don’t know who’s protecting me, but we hit it off”- Drake, Sandra’s Rose
9. “Do me a favour and break my nose, do me a favour and tell me to go away?”- Arctic monkeys, Do me a favour
10. “Baby just came back around, said she needs time to explore, said I can’t love her no more”- The Neighbourhood, Baby came home
11. “Just one mistake, you say you’re not in love no more, but was it really love if you can leave me for something so innocent is this the end?”- LANY, Thick and thin
12. “You can have Manhattan, I know it’s for the best, I’ll gather up the avenues and leave them on your doorstep. I’ll tiptoe away so you won’t have to say you heard me leave.” “You can have Manhattan, the one we used to share, the one where we were laughing and drunk on just being there. Hang onto the reverie, could you do that for me?”- Sara Bareilles, Manhattan
13. “You don’t love me, big fucking deal, I’ll never tell you how I feel.” “I'll send my best regards from Hell”- Marina and the Diamonds,Starring Role
14. “I been writing these songs ‘bout how I can’t be with you. I don’t want to be a monster, but I’ve been here for days, drinking too much now I want you, can’t get you off my brain.”- Henry, Monster, Eng. version
15. “Change lives, get better, yeah that be the plan” “That’s why you see me winning, yeah, even after I lose”- Jay Park, Ask bout me
16. “Love is not looking over shoulders, Love is you should trust what I told you” “Love is not struggling to say I love you”- 6LACK, Disconnect
17. “All these people taking miles when you give them an inch, all these followers but who's gonna follow me until the end?”- Drake, Emotionless
18. “She’s in the rain, you wanna hurt yourself I’ll stay with you, you wanna make yourself go through that pain, It’s better to be held than holding on,”- The Rose, She’s In The Rain *Absolutely love this one, don’t @ me, I will die for the The Rose**
19. “Sex by the fire at night”- Bruno Mars, That’s What I Like
20. “I’ve got the good side of you, sent it out into the blue.”- Troye Sivan, Good Side
21. “Standing by the window, rain falling, I want to have you full in my embrace and tell you, even when I’m born again and love you, even then, will you be with me?”- KREAM, 선물 Gift *Translated*
22. “It all passes, Someday, For sure, Certainly”- RM, ft. NELL, everythingoes *Translated*
23. “Please stay as long as you need, can't promise that things won't be broken, but I swear that I will never leave. Please stay forever with me”- Sleeping With Sirens, Scene One- James Dean & Audrey Hepburn
24. “When you move, I'm put to mind of all that I wanna be, when you move I could never define all that you are to me”- Hozier, Movement
25. “Wake up and smell the coffee, is your cup half full or empty?”- Billie Eilish, come out and play
26. “Am I a bad person? Or am I just in pain?”- DEAN, Sulli, Rad Museum, Dayfly *Translated*
27. “Kiss me on the lips, a secret just between the two of us, deeply poisoned by the jail of you, I cannot worship anyone but you and I knew the grail was poisoned but I drank it anyway”- BTS, Blood Sweat & Tears *Translated*
28. “When the sun sets and darkness comes, I only remember your warmth, where the stars wrap around us. I’m going there, I’ll be there”- SEVENTEEN, Highlight *Translated*
29. “I don't ever wanna feel like anything I do ever had a fucking resonance or meant a thing to you.”- Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, I Hate You
30. “You can’t take this away from me, the way I hit the melody, the waves bring clarity, running through me”- Tom Misch, Del La Soul, It Runs Through Me
31. “It was a lie when they smiled and said you won’t feel a thing”- My Chemical Romance, Disenchanted
32. “The fog has lifted and things get clear, all the lies pass by like a reel of film. I hate you”- EXO, 내가 미쳐 (Going Crazy) *Translated*
33. “I’m sorry- no, I’m not sorry, I’m just getting started and my life’s a party”- DEAN, Eric Bellinger, I’m Not Sorry
34. “Ain’t it fun, living in the real world?”- Paramore, Ain’t It Fun
35. “Ready or not, we are coming back- yeah, we’re over, we can tell you ‘bout what you need. You can look it up when you’re older”- Evergreen, Cargo Cult
36. “You, you got so much potential, every moment spent with you I bet was always eventful”- Aminé, Kehlani, Heebiejeebies- Bonus
37. “Could you imagine the taste of your lips if we never tried to kiss on the drive to Queens? 'Cause I imagine the weight of your ribs if you lied between my hips in the backseat”- Halsey, Roman Holiday
38. “Forever isn’t for everyone, is forever for you?”- Arctic Monkeys, Snap Out Of It
39. “Wish you good luck being lonely, I’mma push red every time you phone me. You vow to be a memory”- Ella Mai, ft. Ty Dolla $ign, She Don’t
40. “I’ve been dazed and confused from the day I met you, yeah I lost my head and I’d do it again”- Ruel, Dazed & Confused
41. “I just want you closer, is that alright? Baby let's get closer tonight”- Paolo Nutini, Last request
42. “You have no idea how pretty you are when you wake from sleep, you have no idea how beautiful you look as you get ready for bed”- Zion.T, No Makeup *Translated*
43. “I was thinking I could fly to your hotel tonight, baby, ‘cos I can’t get you off my mind”- Shawn Mendes, Lost In Japan
44. “She's soothing like the ocean rushing on the sand, she takes care of me, baby, she helps me be a better man. She's so beautiful, sometimes I stop to close my eyes, she's exactly what I need”- Jeremy Passion, Lemonade
45. “And her lips are like the galaxy's edge and her kiss the colour of a constellation falling into place”- Arctic Monkeys, Arabella
46. “It's how you look, not how you feel. A city of glass with no heart”- Queens of the Stone Age, If I Had a Tail
47. “I’ll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife”- Hozier, Take Me To Church
48. “Bitter and hardened heart, Oh, aching- waiting for life to start”- Keane, Bend & Break
49. “When you move I'm put to mind of all that I wanna be, when you move I could never define all that you are to me”- Hozier, Movement
50. “She said, ‘Baby, I'm afraid to fall in love, 'cause what if it's not reciprocated?’ I told her, ‘Don't rush girl, don’t you rush, guess it's all a game of patience.’”- Pink Sweat$, Honesty
51. “Share a casket with you, we’ll be buried alive, me and her playing truth ‘til the day we die.”- Granata Ft. Phoniks, You Dont Need Me
52. “And hope that I had survived yesterday, and today is jealous of tomorrow.”- Emeli Sandé, Breathing Underwater
53. “Heaven if you sent us down so we could build a playground for the sinners to play as saints, you'd be so proud of what we've made.” Stephen, Crossfire
54. “Tell me how do you cope with it? How do you sleep with yourself at night? How do you cope with it? How do you sleep with yourself at night?”- blackbear, make daddy proud
55. “If anyone looks perfect, you look perfect next to me.”- Nick Wilson, Obsolete
56. “When I meet you after time passes, I’ll know (you were my future), I’ll know (I was your yesterday). When I meet you after time passes, I’ll know (you protected me), I’ll know (I desired you).”- SEVENTEEN (Wen Junhui & Xu Minghao), My I*Translated*
57. “I need my sex n’ drugs, I need my money first, bless me with all my sins.”- Abhi The Nomad, Ft. Harrison Sands & Copper King, Sex ‘n Drugs
58. “Naked and fallin' in love, look here I got you. Safe where there's no one to judge, keep it insightful.”- Keiynan Lonsdale, Preach
59. “All alone, all we know is haunting me, making it harder to breathe, harder to breathe.”- The Neighbourhood, Leaving Tonight
60. “Now I see you get off of the subway, haven't seen you in months but it's okay. I'd forgotten but I feel the same, hate that I still wish you were...”- Claud, Wish You Were Gay
61. “A perfect stranger lying next to me, he's playing God with broken figurines. He keeps calling me his little queen and I believe.”- Jake Wesley Rogers, Little Queen (This song deserves way more recognition, make sure to give it a listen!)
62. “Hell is so close to Heaven, hell is so close to Heaven. Hold on don't look back, you know we're better- we’re better than that. Lost and thrown away, you know we're better- we’re better than that.”- Sleeping With Sirens, The Strays
63. “Alone tonight, I’m drawing my dreams across the sky farther than I can imagine- She wants it.”- CIX, Movie Star *Translated*
64. “Yeah I mixed words and some whiskey on the flight just to make sure I landed on time and I wrote me a song I could sing just in case I forgot everything.”- Marc E. Bassy, Last One I Love
65. “Don't ask questions you don't wanna know, learned my lesson way too long ago.” “Deadly fever, please don't ever break, be my reliever 'cause I don't self medicate”- Billie Eilish, my strange addiction
66. “And it's worth it, it's divine, I have this some of the time.”- Hozier, Cherry Wine
67. “And I realize you're mine, Indeed, a fool am I.”- Queens of the Stone Age, No One Knows
68. “Look in the mirror ‘til I forget everything I know, everything I did was just a way to make the time feel faster.”- Miya Folick, Stock Image
69. “Do you feel how I feel? Are you numb? Do you tread crystal waters, bound to be stung? Are you scared? If I see you, we're upon, will you dye your hair dark so you're no longer blonde?”- Isaac Dunbar, Cologne
70. “Tell me; To you I’m bad & hurtful. Because I’ve been busy, you’re hurting. Bad, bad, bad, I’m bad, bad.”- Crush, NAPPA (나빠)*Translated*
71. “Just for the record, the weather today is slightly sarcastic with a good chance of: A. Indifference or B. disinterest to what the critics say.”- Panic! At The Disco, London Beckoned Songs About Money Written By Machines
72. “‘Cause you don’t say what you feel, I'm the one driving but you take the wheel. You wanna wait, 'til we're older, I'm the one who started this, but now I just want closure.”- Ieuan, Closure
73. “Our names carved in the pavement, sealed by what's left of our handprints, now. I told my mom, she'd love to meet you, but it's too bad she won't get the chance to.”- COIN, Malibu 1992
74. “I'm running outta time to hold you close, running outta time to be your man. I'm just lost in this moment, I've been zoning.”- blackbear, 4u
75. “Standing on your mama's porch, you told me that you'd wait forever. Oh and when you held my hand, I knew that it was now or never”- Bryan Adams, Summer Of ‘69
76. “I'll go out, grow my hair too long, sing your least favourite songs at the top of my lungs. I'll go out, kiss all of your friends, make a story and pretend it was me who made this end.”- The Vamps, Hair Too Long
77. “Getting my mind right, I'll wait 'til the time's right. I'm meaning to tell you why it's hard to sleep at night. There's nothing to fear now, girl, we should be here now. So why don't you hear me out?”- Jeremy Zucker, Ft. blackbear, talk is overrated
78. “We haven't spoke since you went away, comfortable silence is so overrated. Why won't you ever be the first one to break? Even my phone misses your call, by the way.”- Harry Styles, From the Dining Table
79. “Look overhead at the stars and the ocean, foggy emotions, moments, erosion. This supernova could cause a commotion, my minds of the notion, you'll still be my motive”- Ansel Elgort, Supernova
80. “I love that new dress you bought, yeah, you sure look nice. Heard you liked that new restaurant, you know, I've been there twice. And the way that you switch up your hair, all of the moments we've shared, strolling the streets back in Rome, oh, how I wish I was there. It ain't fair.”- Ruel, Face To Face
81. “Welcome to your life, there's no turning back. Even while we sleep we will find you acting on your best behaviour, turn your back on mother nature.”- Tear For Fears, Everybody Wants to Rule the World
82. “I'm wide awake, not losing any sleep, I picked up every piece and landed on my feet. I'm wide awake, need nothing to complete myself, no.” Katy Perry, Wide Awake
83. “If you don't realize, all of the things your life can do you will be left behind, swept up by the storm of those you knew.”- Meltycanon, thankful
84. “I always knew that we'd be by each other's side forever, now our time has come and I'd be satisfied if we died together. Yeah, our climate's fucked, we might as well enjoy the weather, our time is up and I'd be satisfied if we died together.”- Samsa, Anthropocene
85. “There's still so much to say, I'm faded, broken, pretending you're on the line, wasting my time. Sinking deeper, watching you spend your night, like I'll be fine and I'll be over this.”- NYK, Faded
86. “I’d rather go to hell, than be in purgatory, cut my hair, gag and bore me, pull this pin, let this world explode.”- My Chemical Romance, Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)
87. “I reached for a shooting star, it burned a hole through my hand Made its way through my heart, had fun in the promised land.”- blink-182, Wishing Well
88. “Let go of your baggage, but don’t think I don’t understand it’s probably a challenge,”- Isaac Lewis, Fly
89. “It's been a long night in New York city, it's been a long night in Baton Rouge. I don't remember you looking any better, but then again, I don't remember you.”- John Mayer, Who Says
90. “They say that love kills, it ain't quite what it seems, don't be shocked when you lost what you called ‘meant to be’.”- StayLoose, Bryce Fox, Sociopath
91. “When they come for You, I will shield Your name, I will field their questions, I will feel Your pain.”- Kanye West, Ultralight Beam
92. “Two steps forward, one step back and it won’t be long til my heart attack, yup! And common sense falls second place to the way it feels when you kiss my face, yup!”- The Band CAMINO, 2 / 14
93. “Leaving empty souls when he avenged, evil spirits flowed, he drank the blood like lemonade.”- Morcheeba, Blood Like Lemonade
94. “Your smile will become a classic; the brilliance of sunlight, the haziness of the moonlight exist for the sake of promises.”- WayV, Moonwalk
95. Dear God, I hope you got the letter and I pray you can make it better down here. I don't need a big reduction in the price of beer, but all the people that you made in your image- see them starving on their feet.”- Lawless, Sydney Wayser, Dear God
96. “Down below, sandy, like the ocean floor, quiet, like I like it; here I'll never be alone.”- slenderbodies, anemone
97. “I love everything, fire spreading all around my room, my world's so bright, it's hard to breathe but that's alright- hush.”- Sub Urban, Cradles
98. “I'm telling myself, I'm telling myself, ‘I don't need you anymore’.”- Lia Marie Johnson, Cold Heart Killer
99. “So I moved to California, but it's just a state of mind, it turns out everywhere you go, you take yourself, that's not a lie. Wish that you would hold me or just say that you were mine- it's killing me slowly.” Lana Del Rey,  Fuck it I love you
100. “See, she knows that I love her, but I don't think she'll stay and she knows that I need her, but my love's lost its weight. Spend my days longing for something real, spend my days stuck in the way I feel.”- JOBA, Sad Saturdays

OTP Christmas Scenarios That Are Sort Of Original, But Somewhat Cliché:

1. Handing their S/O a positive pregnancy test with a sprig of holly and a note reading ‘Merry Christmas’.
2. Getting trapped in a shopping mall together during after-hours in which they were christmas shopping too hard.
3. SWEATER PAWS AND CUDDLES.
4. Losing S/O at a christmas market and having to make an announcement over an intercom as to reunite them again (I’m thinking early 80’s era with fluorescent jackets and big old scarfs and brick phones that they left at home).
5. Fluffy, pretty, ‘princess’ character meets emo, grunge, moody character at a trashy christmas party and accidentally (drunkenly) makes them fall for them.
6. A competition for cringiestchristmas sweater at an office party, in which your otp comes wearing the same sweater.
7. Christmas Eve has your otp trapped in an elevator until late, both hungry and cold and now asleep together on the floor with bags of shopping discarded across from them.
8. Being hit in the face by an angry customer swinging their arms about and their S/O beating them up in the parking lot.
9. Christmas shenanigans under the tree, if you know what I mean.
10. Otp acting domestic whilst cooking their families christmas dinner and worrying about whether their parents are getting on with each other.
11. Planning a beautiful engagement for christmas day, only to lose the ring.
12. Mothering their S/O’s younger siblings and making sure they’re getting enough to eat.
13. Falling asleep in front of the fire whilst their S/O is playing them ‘dance of the sugar plum fairy’ on piano. They pull a blanket over them and curl up beside them.
14. Spilling hot chocolate/coffee/a hot-fucking-beverage on the other and insisting on paying for a new drink and new clothes for them, unaware that they’re rich and very capable of buying themselves another coffee. Besides, they don’t know that this jacket is Louis Vuitton and cost more than the knock-off Gucci belt that had caught their eye in the first place (probably looking a little lower than the belt, but we digress).
15. First christmas with their S/O and panicking to their best friend/sibling about what to get them. Somehow, a plushie didn’t seem exactly suitable when they knew the other had bought them an engagement ring.
16. Flying overseas for christmas, but having their baggage lost/delayed, meant they had to walk around their hotel room naked for a few days. That was their excuse anyway.
17. Burning christmas dinner and trying to order take-out (congratulations, you plebs).
18. Being gifted tickets to see a family member overseas, but having to leave their S/O at home for christmas, not expecting them to turn up on their doorstep on christmas morning with a bouquet of roses.
19. Finding their S/O drinking eggnog from the carton and crying at ‘Love Actually’ on their return from working all day. Pulling the other into their lap and kissing their forehead until they stop crying and fall asleep.
20. SLIPPING ON ICE, SPENDING CHRISTMAS IN HOSPITAL AND GUESS WHO THEIR DOCTOR IS??? *cue us pterodactyl screeching and them ensuing sexy shenanigans***
21. Decorating the christmas tree together and blowing the fuse for the electrics. Waiting in candle-light for the electricians to arrive and- let me just say- nothing stays fluffy in candle-light.
22. Bringing each others home country traditions to the dinner table and experiencing a weird mix of food.
23. Secretly learning their S/O’s mother-tongue to surprise them and be able to talk to their family at christmas.
24. Buying animal-proof fairy lights, confusing their S/O, but it all makes sense when there’s an ENTIRE puppy in their living room on christmas day.
25. Falling asleep in the passenger seat whilst their S/O drives them to a family members house for christmas, but not wanting to wake them for further directions because they look so p e a c e f u l.
26. Cuddling in the bathtub because it’s so cold outside and their S/O got caught in the snow on the way home from work.
27. Kissing under the mistletoe is underrated, go big or go home.
28. Sleeping in until midday because they just want to be in each other’s arms and it is so warm with them right here beside them.
29. Making out under the christmas tree because the lights reflecting in their S/O’s eyes just looked too ethereal for them not to kiss them until they lost their breath.
30. Eating dinner together and sharing kisses over the dining table. This isn’t always fun when their S/O has a hate for brussel sprouts.
31. Falling asleep on their significant other’s chest whilst they’re wrapping christmas presents, meaning that some aren’t wrapped the next morning because the sellotape had RUN OUT.
32. Failing to get the right meat and their S/O sending them back multiple times until they end up going together and realising that they weren’t even going to the right store.
33. Slow kisses.
34. Text messages asking for their S/O to put the kettle on for them as they were almost home.
35. Sitting on the doorstep in the cold, waiting for their S/O to come home from working on christmas day (emergency services?) and hugging them for so long whilst whispering ‘merry christmas’ into their neck and kissing any inch of skin they can reach.
36. Slow dancing to Frank Sinatra’s christmas songs in the kitchen and forgetting to check the potatoes in the oven.
37. Ice skating and them BOTH BEING REALLY GOOD ACTUALLY.
38. ACCIDENTALLY WEARING MATCHING NAUGHTY/NICE JUMPERS IN PUBLIC AND THEN BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER.
39. Avoiding the mistletoe at all costs, however, everyone is trying their best to get the otp there.
40. Neighbour au in which one gets drunk on mulled wine and ends up knocking at the other’s door, drunkenly trying to seduce the other and- instead- passing out in their living room.
41. MAKING OUT IN THE CLOAKROOM OF SOME POSH CHRISTMAS PARTY.
42. Just lots of making out in general. Jesus wanted us to repopulate which means fuc-
43. Crawling into their roommate’s (S/O’s) bed because it is too cold in their own and they want cuddles.

10 Ways to Find Inspiration to Continue Your Story/Curing Writer’s Block (For now).

1. Reread! It sounds obvious, right? But reread, even if it’s just a paragraph. Think of it from a readers perspective and assume which direction the story will go in- then take the complete opposite direction.
2. Write out multiple ways the next part might go. I do this all the time, it gets quite complicated so I tend to write uncertain parts in purple and ones I like in dark green. This causes you to brainstorm the subject without you realising you’re doing it and throughout all of this you can read back and pick out the ideas, from each of them, that you liked.
3. Write about something else. Take a break and write an excerpt of something you don’t usually write. Poetry is one of my favourite things to write when I need to take a break from fiction, but it can be anything really! Try an excerpt of a genre you don’t usually write in, I guarantee you’ll come back with a new mindset and some fresh ideas.
4. Go on an adventure. I’m serious, go outside and ignore your book for a day or two. I tend to just go to London and explore, but I’ll always end up on Southbank with another idea. Going out on your own gives you time to think and writers tend to see the same four walls for long periods of time so it’s good to get out. You might even see something unexpected that you can grasp as inspiration for your story.
5. Have a ‘can do’ attitude. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, it’s not doing you any good. I remember when I first started learning Korean, I convinced myself that I’d never pick anything up, but you can’t keep thinking like that if you want to progress. You are the best, you are awesome, you will succeed.
6. Don’t hesitate to ask for an outsider’s point of view. I have people ask me questions about their story everyday and being someone who hasn’t written, rewritten and read that piece a million times can make things seem clearer for me, because I am reading it for the first time. I ask people for help all the time, even if it’s just proofreading (my grandparents do that for me lol) I always ask their opinion. Make sure to ask for an outsider’s point of view, that way you can also ask them what they think might happen next, then throw in a curveball that they didn’t see coming.
7. Bullet point what could happen. This is literally I something I do all the time. When I’m working and there’s no one around I just jot down all my ideas, it seriously helps as I always forget things. Like all the time.
8. Start reading something that isn’t normally a genre you’d read. The amount of ideas you can come up with simply by changing your reading genre is beyond incredible. I use to just write fiction, but started reading dystopian and thriller and recently I can find aspects of the genre’s in my writing. It also opens your mind up to so many other possibilities.
9. Alternatively, read something you do normally read. I have probably told you all this on an average of 736 times, but my favourite series is the Delirium books by Lauren Oliver and- I’m telling you- they fix everything for me. I have read the trilogy 3 times over now and everytime I read it, I feel my writing improve, even just a little bit. It’s familiar ground and helps evoke memories of when you were reading it the previous time and the time before that and the time before that. Going back to familiar ground and paying attention to detail, the style of writing and language techniques always help when you get back to your piece.
10. Study something. Immerse yourself in something else. I’m also doing this at the moment- ironic that the admin has writer’s block at the moment. I recently rediscovered Greek Mythology (my sad, gay, emo adolescence is calling) and have been loving it. Studying something is actually a lot more exciting than you may originally think. A few years back I had such bad writer’s block that I ended up learning the basics of Law. The boredom I found in it was enough to drive me back to my writing, but that’s not the point, I learnt some things whilst in my rut and now I have something to show for it. Just ignore your work for a while and do something else: study a new culture, join a cooking class, become part of a book club, explore a new city, learn about architecture, whatever it is!

Oh, I love this idea! I’m so glad I’ve helped in the past, I hope I can help this time around as well. Anyway, here are some prompts for you, they’re a mix:

• Aello wasn’t nervous, she didn’t get nervous- that’s how she’d been raised, anyway- but standing here in front of a class of 17 prepubescent boys was a little nerve-wracking.
• “Fresh meat, boys!” Aello whipped around, at the comment, eyebrow raised in challenge. It was blonde boy, maybe a third taller than her, but there was strength in his arms and he clearly wasn’t scrawny like the boys she knew back home. She stepped forward, head held high,“Yes, ‘Fresh Meat’ that could break both your legs in seven seconds flat.”
• She grinned. It wasn’t like she’d been expecting a cacophony of chatting girls as she entered the training room, but she’d hoped maybe one or two other girls she might hang around with. Twenty-one sweaty, muscled boys was a treat.
• Actually, Aello was extremely good at what she did, she wouldn’t have been accepted if she wasn’t, but there was something fun about occasionally screwing the rest of the team over. The first time she’d played this card, she was being legit, but she’d come to learn that they were more affectionate with her afterwards, so she continued.
• The one pro of being the only girl was the amount of extra work they skipped her out on. Aello’s Head of House was a complete pushover, but extremely kind. For example, her housemates would each divide her chores between themselves when she mentioned cramps or discomfort and it was becoming routine that every month someone was sent to her room with a hot water bottle, tea and any snacks that Ashton had managed to snipe from the pantry. It wasn’t so bad being a girl.
• There wasn’t anyone she’d taken a particular ‘liking’ to as such, but it was clear that some others had taken a liking to her. It wasn’t unexpected. What was unexpected, however, was when she cut her gorgeous long hair to a pixie cut. Though, her number of admirers didn’t seem to dwindle.

100 Dialogue Prompts- Angst Edition

1. “This will be the last time you lie to me.”
2. “You know it’s not like that.”
3. “How could you think this wouldn’t hurt me?”
4. “You’re never going to be the same after this.”
5. “I just think it’d be best if we never met.”
6. “I can’t believe you would even think to leave me like this.”
7. “You never loved me, did you?”
8. “It didn’t have to be like this, but now you’ve ruined everything.”
9. “I hope you’re happy.”
10. “If you had have kept your mouth shut, then he’d still- he’d still be here!”
11. “What did you want once this was all through? Tell me!”
12. “Now I have to deal with the consequences of your actions. Thanks, it means a lot.”
13. “You could’ve- could’ve stayed. You could’ve helped me fix things.”
14. “I knew she’d never change, she was too stubborn, too similar to me.”
15. “This isn’t going to be fixed. You’ve ruined this for good now.”
16. “I hope I’m not put in the same part of hell as you.”
17. “When did you think you could hurt me again? Today? Tomorrow?”
18. “You’re back in my life and I want to die again.”
19. “You only ever brought me pain and I’m sick of it.”
20. “I hope you got what you wanted.”
21. “You made me miserable and I still loved you.”
22. “When you die, I’ll be the first to dance on your grave.”
23. “Don’t underestimate me, I have more power than you can even comprehend.”
24. “If only you knew what you’d brought upon yourself.”
25. “We’re never going to have a happy ending, just remember that.”
26. “Everytime something goes well, I momentarily forget how much I despise you.”
27. “Don’t pretend like you’re not happy to see me like this.”
28. “There is nothing worse than seeing you get what you want.”
29. “Your mind must be a horrible place.”
30. “You can cut me, bruise me and skin me alive, but you will not take her from me.”
31. “How is it that we always end up in this predicament?”
32. “I want to wipe that grin of your face with my sword, but my mother taught me to play nicely.”
33. “Did anyone ever tell you how pathetic you are? It’s incredible how low my standards are for you.”
34. “Ah, well if you want them back alive, I suggest you lay down your own life.”
35. “Don’t be ‘smart’. The battlefield is no place for Math Scholars.”
36. “You shouldn’t have come. You can’t be-”
37. “Stop talking or tomorrow won’t come.”
38. “Hand me the gun and I’ll kill him myself.”
39. “I shouldn’t care for your life, but I’m starting to and it’s becoming an inconvenience.”
40. “If you live to see her, please send my best regards and this box of her father’s ashes.”
41. “It would’ve been nice to get to know you better, but I’m afraid I don’t care.”
42. “I can’t help but think you’re a terrible person.”
43. “Seeing your face has unconventionally made me want to die. I wasn’t quite prepared for this feeling.”
44. “You could have loved me, I’m quite good at seducing, but you’re actually vile.”
45. “I hope I see you in a bodybag sometime.”
46. “Let’s pretend you didn’t cheat on me with my sister and be good people for a few minutes.”
47. “We should probably stop talking forever.”
48. “If I hated you anymore, I think I’d probably be crowned as satan’s right-hand man.”
49. “To say I ‘tolerate you’ is a vast overstatement.”
50. “You broke her heart and came back for more, you bastard.”
51. “This isn’t fifth grade, this is a courtroom, you whore.”
52. “I think you’d be the perfect match for my ex-husband. He loved to sleep with multiple people.”
53. “I’m not coming home, don’t look for me.”
54. “Time was always a measurement of this relationship and we finally ran out.”
55. “Please don’t look at me with such hatred.”
56. “I could’ve died and you couldn’t have cared less.”
57. “Just get out. I- I don’t want you hear, just leave.”
58. “You’re not the same person I married, don’t tell me I’m wrong.”
59. “I wish you wouldn’t beg for forgiveness, it has the opposite effect of what you want.”
60. “Don’t hate me for this. You would’ve done the same.”
61. “This could’ve been the end and you were ready to let me go.”
62. “You should’ve left me, you could never deserve the person I’ve become.”
63. “Hate me all you want. I know I’m right.”
64. “Today you broke my arm, I hope tomorrow it’s not my heart.”
65. “Nothing can justify this, you’ve ruined him.”
66. “You live with so much guilt, I hope it drives you mad one of these days.”
67. “My life was ruined because of one mistake. You were that mistake.”
68. “You are everything I hate, don’t ever come back.”
69. “Evil doesn’t come close.”
70. “Your wrongdoings are becoming your pastimes.”
71. “I wish you had of just done it for the thrill of it, but now you’re in deep shit.”
72. “Next time, I won’t be here to salvage your wreckage. This is the last time.”
73. “You should have ruined me when you had the chance.”
74. “No one will keep your name alive. Once you’re gone, everything you once stood for disappears too.”
75. “Don’t pretend you haven’t thought about your life without me.”
76. “This is always how it ends.”
77. “Break my heart once more, I dare you.”
78. “Forget how you loved me once, I mean nothing now.”
79. “This isn’t Romeo and Juliet, this is real life and I can go on without you.”
80. “You don’t own me, I don’t belong to you.”
81. “I should’ve died. That would’ve made you happy.”
82. “Are we going to carry on like this or are you going to give him back to me.”
83. “She drowned and he lost his mind.”
84. “We shouldn’t. You’re married and I’m pregnant.”
85. “You’ve never been loved, I can tell.”
86. “Who told you I needed fixing and what made you believe them?”
87. “You’re almost as far-gone as I am.”
88. “Maybe it’s best that we don’t go home.”
89. “Roaming the streets was never safe for her. What makes you think it’s different for you?”
90. “I think you’re going to ruin me. Am I right?”
91. “Do you remember our last feud? I wouldn’t want someone to lose their life again, would you?”
92. “Kiss me quick and leave them be.”
93. “I hate seeing you so sad. It’s just so dramatic how humans show emotions and being sad is such a boring one.”
94. “Will you ever forget my number? No? Ah, because you still love me.”
95. “After the funeral, let’s surrender.”
96. “What made you think I cared for you?”
97. “It’ll be fun explaining this to your sister. I hope she likes horror stories.”
98. “Don’t act as if we’re friends. I know how much you want to slit my throat.”
99. “Let’s not get angry. Let’s calmly and sensibly take this outside so I can ruin your face.”
100. “Please ruin yourself for me and I’ll watch in adoration as I fall apart as well.”

30 More Character Questions

Because I have a thing for weirdly specific questions and people seemed to like the other list I made :D

1. Can they sleep with a leg/arm dangling off the side of the bed? 2. What’s their favourite weird food combo? 3. When they sneeze do they cover their mouth, hold their nose, or do nothing? 4. What was their favourite nursery rhyme when they were a kid? 5. What’s the longest they’ve ever stayed awake? 6. Do they have that one muscle that always cramps? 7. Would they prefer to be telekinetic or telepathic? 8. Do they use someone to warm their hands/feet in the winter? 9. Do they walk normally down the street or kick every leaf pile they can find? 10. How do they cry? 11. Do they whistle? 12. How do they sleep? 13. What do they find creepier - the basement or the attic? 14. If they had wings what colour would they be? 15. Any scars? 16. If they were any kind of mythical creature what would they be and why? 17. What is their biggest fear? 18. What would they die for? 19. Are they a fan of the warmth or the cold? 20. If they had one wish what would it be? 21. What’s their favourite way of being kissed? (if they like being kissed) 22. Favourite colour? 23. Do they stim at all? 24. Have they ever woken up screaming? 25. What’s their favourite meal? 26. If they were given the chance would they change any physical aspect of themselves? (Hair/tattoos/gender etc) 27. Do they have any coping mechanisms? 28. Can they cook? 29. Are they a fan of sleeping in the nude? 30. What is the one thing that will immediately piss them off?

#asdfghjkl#and this one#like damn daniel#yes#this is it#this is the post I saw on a pinterest thing#and i finally found it#show @heir-to-the-diamond-throne#some love#characters#character#character development#character traits

heir-to-the-diamond-throne

heir-to-the-diamond-throne

30 Character Questions

I always want to know the weirdest things about characters so I thought I’d write them down. Maybe they’ll help if you’re trying to flesh out a character?

1. When they tap their fingers do they use the pads of their fingers or their nails? 2. What textures can they absolutely not stand? 3. How long can they go without showering before they feel gross? 4. Do they leave clothes on the floor or a chair? 5. Do they sleep with the bedroom door open or closed? 6. Which do they prefer: 3am or 3pm? 7. If they suddenly woke up with animal ears and tails what animal would they be? 8. If they could only eat one thing for 20 days straight what would it be? 9. Are they the type to re-read a book? 10. Would they want to know the exact date and time of their death? 11. What’s their favourite mythological creature? 12. If they had to listen to one song on repeat 100+ times what would it be? 13. Do they believe in an afterlife? 14. When they get tired do their eyelids twitch? 15. What are their favourite textures? 16. Do they crack their joints? 17. Would they eat/drink something too hot or wait for it to cool? 18. Are they the type to adopt strays? (Animals or people) 19. Do they get work done straight away or wait until the last moment? 20. How do they bathe/shower? Long or short? Hot or cold? 21. Are they the type to daydream? 22. Do they work best in a messy space or a neat space? 23. Do they keep any personal photos? 24. Do they indulge in anything? 25. Would they do the exact opposite of what someone says just to spite them? 26. If they’re alone and hear a noise would they go and investigate? 27. If they’re lost what is the first thing they would do? 28. What is that one dream that makes no sense but is absolutely terrifying? 29. What is the stupidest thing they’ve ever done just because someone said they couldn’t? 30. Are they stoic or melodramatic about being injured?

Superhero Prompts! Here you are, darling:

• It wasn’t how things had been told. There was no proficy, no destined star, no radioactive spiders. Just an old tale that happened to come true. She didn’t like the sound of it and definitely wasn’t keen on the talons growing from the tips of her fingers.
• He hated everyone. He most things, but this was beyond compare, this was humiliating. It could have at least been something weird, or maybe even odd, but he just looked stupid. How would an orange outfit ever go with his complexion?
• Always predictable, always the outcast, that’s always how the superhero movies started, but Tamira was not like that. Having the ability to physically change gender, appearance and age sounded like a lovely power to have, the best of the bunch. All fun and games when you’re the popular girl in school, even better when you can’t control that very power in the gym changing room.
• Nothing was familiar when you had every sense heightened enough for you to hear, see and smell things from miles away. The first time it had appeared was incredible and jarring and Leila didn’t know if she could handle this.
• Transformation or invisibility, even being able to summon a demon sounded more exciting than this. For it wasn’t everyday that you were diagnosed with the ability to tell when natural disasters may occur before they happen. With great power comes great responsibility and he didn’t want great responsibility, he wanted a full eight hours sleep.

Hello lovely! This is such an awesome ask and I have an ungodly amount of ideas for this, but a lot of them are pretty far-fetched, so bear with me… Anyway, here you are:

• Accidentally summoning a demon (My favourite, because what if someone messes up the wording of their line and boom, satan’s child stumbles onto the stage and kicks a kid off or something as equally dramatic.)
• Confessions- a good old love confession can always end in a fist fight if it’s heated enough.
• Unexpected discovery of superpowers/supernatural abilities.
• Natural disasters.
• Half the cast not showing up, but still having ‘the show must go on’ mentality. (a little cliché…)
• Impulsive behaviour?
• Impromptu mental breakdown (let’s be real, we’ve all had them).
• Radioactive species infestation.
• Building being held hostage/at gunpoint (it depends how dramatic you want it to be).

Here you are, darling! I hope they help:

• “Are you joking me?” She was screeching at him like a mad woman, only feeling more infuriated when her son smirked back at her.
• He swung around, bag full of possessions. He liked to say there were in limbo right now, not his but not their previous owners either. His mother was staring at him from the bottom of the staircase and he had the audacity to grin.
• “One of these days you’re going to get caught.” His mother grit out, hands on her hips as if he weren’t 17 years old, but the ripe age of 4. He tutted,“How exciting, I love to change things up now and again.”
• It was raining and the TV was getting wet. He hadn’t really expected his mother to come and collect him from the address, but in the back of his mind he was the tiniest bit hurt that she hadn’t surprised him.
• He grit his teeth as the latch clicked. His mother was home. He had £1,000 worth of items that weren’t his on the kitchen table.
• “Let’s get lunch.” She said decisively, watching as he nodded in agreement, packing the ramen noodles in the inside pocket of his jacket. She scolded him, smacking him around the head.
• “I can’t help it!” He yelped, pulling the bags of shopping out the car as he stumbled into the kitchen, someone else’s phone heavy in his pocket. His mother span around to look at him in exasperation. She was at a total loss for words.

Hello, love! This is a very, very good question and something I have recently been covering in my writing classes. So, here are a few things I (and my writing classmates- all over 40) recommend:

• “If you can’t grab the reader with the first sentence, then don’t bother writing the story.”
• “Don’t drag things out, no one wants to read 8 pages of someone walking to the supermarket, darling.”
• “Be persistent in keeping the reader involved and interested.”
• “Don’t write like Shakespeare, he was on something too strong to handle, be sensible, love.”
• “If you’re getting bored with your writing, then imagine how much more disinterested your reader is!”
• “Think of the first chapter of your favourite novel- what did they do to make you want to keep reading?”
• “Don’t base things on word count, PLEASE, for the love of God…”
• “Write like you mean it. Your reader picks up on everything.”
• “Eloquent language is lovely and all, but if your reader doesn’t understand it, then how likely are they to carry on reading?”
• “If you’re writing a murder-mystery, then don’t. They’re my least favourite.”
• “Stay focused. You should stay focused the whole way through, but especially on the first chapter.”
• “What aspects pushed you away from a writer’s work? Now avoid using them.”
• “Don’t try to ‘get the story going’ in chapter 7. People want the story ‘going’ from the beginning.”

Okay, babe, I’ve got your back! Here is a few a few ideas:

• “You’ve always acted like I was nothing and I didn’t even realise! How could I be this stupid?” She was clenching her hands into fists now and her jaw was beginning to hurt from gritting her teeth so much.“B-but I love you!” He yelped, standing from his seat and gripping her elbow as she tried to leave.“You only ever loved the idea of loving me.”
• “I hate you! You ruin everything for me, ever since you came into my life!” He was crying and he hated crying, but how could he stay composed when they were in this very predicament.“So, what, you want to break up?” He yelled back, making them both flinch at the sound of his very voice.“N-no,” He replied, quieter this time as he thought things through, “B-because I love you.”
• She paced the room, running a hand through her hair as she slowly lost her composure,“You didn’t even consider me in this plan of yours? How could you think I’d be fine with it if you just up and left?” Her hands were shaking and those soft brown eyes of her girlfriend’s were glistening with tears. She knew she’d crossed the line, but she couldn’t stop herself, “You never really wanted me here, did you?” Her head shot up at the words and suddenly she was being pulled into a hug, tears falling at a rapid pace.“I did it because I love you.”
• It wasn’t like every other day and that was what had started the whole feud in the first place. They’d been tiptoeing around one another for what must have been months now, ticking time bombs ready to detonate.“I think you should leave- I- I can’t even look at you right now.” She grit out, willing herself not to cry, for her voice not to shake, anything that made it seem like she wasn’t affected by his malicious words.“Why? because you know I’m right and you can’t bear to admit it? Because you know how much of  what I said is right?” He continued and she was on the verge of breaking.“No! Because even after all of this, after all the things you’ve said and done, I know I’ll still love you!”

Writing prompt: There were 12 deadly sins: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces.

• Aries- Seeing something you shouldn’t have/Being somewhere you shouldn’t have.
• Taurus- Falling in love with someone who is already in love with someone else.
• Gemini- Leaving things up to fate, then not accepting that same fate.
• Cancer- Taking something from someone less fortunate.
• Leo- Breaking someone’s heart for your own satisfaction (well-being is fine).
• Virgo- Staying safe and doing nothing, rather than stepping out of your comfort-zone.
• Libra- Being reckless. Putting your life at risk without care whether you live or die.
• Scorpio- Putting someone down to make yourself feel better.
• Sagittarius- Falling in love with more than one person, whilst only being in a relationship with one other person.
• Capricorn- Cutting off your family/friends for no real reason other than wanting to be independent.
• Aquarius- Drawing blood from your enemy.
• Pisces- Putting yourself before someone you once loved.

Hello, darling! This is a good question and I’m honestly not sure if I even know the answer, but I’ll try and give you some tips! Here you are, love:

• Read it, write it, breathe the genre. Just immerse yourself in the genre you wish to write and see what you can come up with.
• Write short excerpts. They’ll probably end up going nowhere, but it’s always best to start somewhere and this way you get to see what you like and don’t like.
• Don’t stick to genres all the time. I find that determining a genre before getting started is like trying to ice a cake that’s not even been cooked. It’s just not how it goes and it’s not going to work. If you keep clicking back into the mindset that “ah yes, this is a horror story” you’re going to lose your passion really fast.
• Try to pick out the characteristics and movement of the genre you’re trying to write, rather than ‘writing the genre’. I’m not explaining this well, but basically try to pick out aspects from a book you’ve read recently that shares the genre of what you’re writing. This way you can incorporate small things into your story instead of brainwashing yourself into writing a certain genre.
• Trust your gut. If you want to throw in a curve ball, but aren’t comfortable with writing something like that for the first time, just try it! It could go amazingly and pushing yourself out of your writing comfort-zone is such a great thing to start doing as early on as you can.