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. 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
- Writing unnecessary scenes with your characters just for fun
- 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
Story Structure Tips
- Travelling scenes: when to skip and how to make them impactful
- 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?
Motivation and Positivity
- Worrying about “originality” with your writing
- Staying focused on writing
- Turning off the editor voice
- starting to write and keeping motivation
- quick tip on writing down inspiration in the moment
Character Development
- 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 give information to a character
- 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
Writing Types of Characters
- Writing a good guy MC who turns out to be the villain
- Bad guy turning good and making them sympathetic
- Dr. Doof: how to write a great villain
- A character raised by a computer
- Bilingual character tip
- Interracial couples
- Some negative traits for someone in a zombie apocalypse
- a character trying to learn the language on a new world (also under World Building)
- Good guy vs bad guy stories aren’t a cliche
- Writing a CIA/FBI/Military character (also under Thriller)
- writing a drunk character with some heartfelt moments and humour
World Building
- Creating a creation myth
- History research post
- Making an acronym from an organization
- 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)
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
- Writing a fantasy fit for most ages (also under Writing Tips)
- Vampire and human couple meeting
- Angel and ex-demon hanging out together
- Ways to break the curse to get the Prince out of the tower
- Prince/ss of one kingdom raised by another king
- why a princess would run away
- which fairytales deserve retellings
- mythical kids meeting humans
- Sword fight resources
- demons that feed on love and joy?
Thriller/Crime (aka I-swear-I’m-not-a-criminal-just-a-writer asks):
- writing assassins
- 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?
- Quick reasons why genocide doesn’t just happen
- tests to get into secret organization
Superheroes
- Sidekick wanting to be a superhero
- Super villain cause ideas
- Sidekick and villain falling in love (also under Romance)
- Superhero story originality
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)
Miscellaneous