Yall One Of My Characters Has The Saddest Lore, I Hate It Sm I Just Wanna Hug Him😭😭😭 (me Acting

In my main wip, I don’t think there’s even a moment where Everyone is happy. Like if I’m in a good mood I might actually add a happy ending, or at least a nice little epilogue.

My characters are so happy right now :) Should I... ruin... everything?

I hate to break it to you, but they were right. You really do just have to finish that first draft. It can be a hot mess, but you can’t clean up a room that doesn’t exist

Ok the update with the circle profile pics is distracting to look at

I'm popping up this random Tuesday to share a few reminders with my fellow fanfic writers

Even your favorite authors had to work hard to get good. We are all awful writers until we decide to improve and take steps.

Every day is an opportunity to be a better writer than you were yesterday if you put in a little work

The love for your works must start with you. Be your own biggest fan

You're allowed to write at your pace.

its okay to embrace some "imperfections" in your writing. Imperfection is part of art because it makes you unique.

It's okay to let go of the writer you were yesterday. Change is normal and it's okay. You're still awesome and your new work will still have an audience. It's okay to look fondly upon a past you perceive as your "glory days" but don't let that make you insecure. Your heart of a writer and your creative talent remain true. Embrace the writer you've become and confidently run with it

Any story you come up with, and your writing style are both special and precious because it's your art

its okay to crave validation and compliments for your fanfic-writing. You poured your blood, sweat and tears into it like any other artist.

No matter how you feel about your writing, it is special because no one can do it like you.

It's okay to be satisfied with just being a fanfic writer. Having amazing writing talent doesn't mean you must force yourself to write original works or to be published.

Fuck AI

Readers aren’t stupid. If a character is crying, you don’t need to add “because she was sad.” They’ll get it.

Your job isn’t to impress. Your job is to make the reader forget they’re reading.

Writing Angsty Scenes Without Making Them Cringe

Alright, so we all love a good angsty moment, right? That scene where everything feels like it's falling apart, emotions are running high, and your character's world is just burning around them. But… writing those scenes without slipping into "oh no, not this again" territory? Yeah, it can be tricky.

Angst is powerful, no doubt, but it can get cringey fast if you’re not careful. So, how do you make your readers feel the hurt without rolling their eyes at the drama? Here are some thoughts (because we’ve all been there)

1. Keep It Real No one—and I mean no one—has perfectly poetic, life-altering thoughts while they’re in the middle of an emotional meltdown. If your character’s going through it, make sure their reactions feel raw, maybe even messy. Show us their confusion, anger, and fear in a way that makes sense for them. Don’t just throw in a monologue about the meaning of life or have them collapse in a rainstorm. (Unless it’s really necessary. Then, okay, fine, but be careful!)

2. The Little Details Hit Harder Sometimes, it’s the small, unexpected details that pack the biggest punch. Instead of a dramatic sobbing fit, maybe your character’s hands shake as they try to make a cup of tea or they notice a tiny crack in the wall that they never noticed before because they’re spiraling. It’s those little, relatable moments that make the angst feel real, not overdone.

3. Embrace the Quiet Moments It doesn’t always have to be yelling or crying to show that your character is struggling. Silence can be loud. Sometimes it’s the things unsaid that carry the most weight. Maybe your character withdraws, or they’re stuck staring at the ceiling for hours. A pause in the conversation, a long sigh, or a blank stare can be just as gut-wrenching as full-on breakdowns.

4. Avoid the Obvious Clichés (If You Can) Okay, this one’s a bit tricky. It’s not that you can’t ever have rain scenes or broken mirrors (I see you, “symbolism”), but if you’re gonna go there, give it a twist. Maybe instead of staring out a window during a storm, they’re in a brightly lit, overly cheerful room that just doesn’t match how they’re feeling. Play with contrasts. Make the environment work against their mood rather than mirroring it perfectly.

5. Let the Angst Breathe Don’t feel like you need to dump all the angst in one scene. Let it stretch out a bit. Give your characters space to process (or fail to process) over time. A lot of times, readers will feel more for a character who’s quietly unraveling over several chapters than one who explodes all at once. It makes the eventual breakdown hit harder when it does happen.

6. People Are Weird When They’re Hurting They joke at the wrong times. They say things they don’t mean. They shut people out, or they get way too clingy. Don’t be afraid to make your characters react in unexpected or contradictory ways—people do that when they’re feeling too much. Let your characters be complicated, because real people are.

7. Subtle Can Be Stronger Not every angsty scene needs a screaming match or someone running away dramatically. Sometimes, a single line of dialogue or a character’s slight change in expression can hit like a freight train. Try letting things simmer. Hold back when it feels like you should go big, and you might surprise yourself (and your readers) with how much more intense it feels.

Writing Tips: Character Interactions (First)

Not all characters are going to get along and some are going to get along really well. What’s important is working out their interactions.

Things to think about

1. Where do they first initially meet?

Depending on how they meet it can really alter the characters perception of the other. Between a bar, school, workplace, battlefield, or traveling someplace together. It will impact how they interact. If it’s a casual party then there is a more friendly vibe. If it’s a battlefield, friendliness isn’t exactly the thing to think about.

2. What do the characters first notice about another person?

Do they look at clothes first? Hair? Eyes? And do they acknowledge what they like or dislike in there head? Do they compliment the person on what they find attractive or unique?

3. How do they perceive the other person initially?

Depending on how they interact it can lead someone to have a bad impression or good impression. This is where it can be fun. If character A is pretending to be amiable and kind, does character B fall for it or are they able to see through it. Further more, if character a says something off putting does character b think they’re weird or just awkward.

4. Use internal thoughts or description to show the perceptions they have

Use the description or thoughts to make the first interaction more memorable. If character a is more of a scrutinizing or judgmental type then have them often being far too harsh or vivid in how they describe someone. Juxtapose that different description types too. Imagine if character b then describes the same person in much kinder light. It creates an array of perceptions about a singular person.

5. Attraction

Think about how your character acts when they are attracted to another person. Are they very upfront and honest? Flirtatious? Or are they shy and freeze up when in the face of someone their attracted to? Do they pick on them?

6. What have they heard about the other character before they interact?

Think about what have they heard about them before. If character a is known to be a chauvinist and character b meets them how would that skew their interactions. Would they be more on guard with them or more annoyed with them when they possibly solidify the rumors. Or if character a goes against that thought would character b feel guilty for thinking of them that way.

7. Biases

Everyone has biases whether we want to admit it or not and your characters should have biases as well. This can push your characters to deepen their relationships and also have them grow as characters as well.

8. Have they met prior?

If they’ve met prior how did that go. What all history do they share. This is more for the first on screen interaction. If they are meeting again has the other person changed? Personality wise and physically wise. What was their relationship like before this meeting. If so try to show the distance in time and then trying to re familiarize themselves with each other.

9. What is the purpose of their meeting?

Are they being introduced through a mutual friend or is this a fight? Are they in a bar and they just were dancing with each other. Whatever the context is let that shape how the characters act with each other. The environment and purpose of the meeting is going to greatly alter how they act.

10. Have fun

Just have fun with it. The characters should be written in how they would interact with the person. I’m how they would present themselves and in how they would go about it. They should do it uniquely to. Have their nervous ticks shown.

There are plenty more tips to give but these are things I think about when writing first meetings in stories.

Literally me right now

Me after a long day of writing: *closing the lid of my laptop nodding to myself* that was a good sentence