“When I Describe Dazai To The Staff, There Is A Phrase That I Always Use, “an Unworldly being With

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Sincerely, me who just got told that my writing feels like watching a blockbuster movie. I don't care if they were sincere or not, I'll be thinking about that comment for the rest of my life and every time I feel bad about my art, I'll remember that someone once liked it.

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How To Stay Positive

Write Stories That Are Problematic 

On Being Distracted By Your Phone 

How To Write a Synopsis 

Quick and Easy Writing Tip for Social Media

8 Tips to Get You Through NaNoWriMo

Top Ten First Page Turn Offs

How to Limit Hand Stress (EDS oriented)

How to Write Dragons

How to Write ESL

How to Choose a Story Idea

“Help! How do I connect a plot hole?”

How to Stick to a Writing Schedule (and Keep It)

The Importance of Exposition 

8 Ways to Get Past Writer’s Block 

^^^ Video Version

Writing a Sword Fight Scene

Why You Should Write Horribly 

Finding Your Audience 

5 Ways to Write Solid Description

How to Make Your Readers Cry

Scrivener PSA - a Great Writing Software

Creating a Language 

CHARACTER TIPS:

How To Write Characters Outside of Your Identity

5 Ways to Develop a Convincing Character

How to Write Strong Dialogue

POV Writing Exercise

How Do Characters Bond?

How to Choose Your MC’s Personality

Writing a Mute Character

How to Write a Bisexual Character

How to Avoid Insta-Love

Writing Gray Characters

How to Write Believable Romance

EDITING TIPS:

Stuck? Do this

How to Use -, –, and — 

How to Read Like a Writer

For Writers Who Edit When They Should Be Writing

Getting an Editor - Yes or No?

How to Up Your Editing Game

NETWORKING:

How to Find Beta Readers

On Paying Beta Readers

How To Find a Critique Partner

What To Expect From A Critique Partner

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Marketing Tips

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How to Find Inspiration to Write

If You Write Fanfic, Are You a Writer?

If You Need Someone to Tell You to Write

How to Stop Being a Beginning Writer

Stop Feeling Bad

Read Your Old Work Like This

To the Writers Who Don’t Write

On Cliches 

The Steps of Writing 

Why You Should Keep Writing Anyways

Do YOU Deserve Support?

Feeling Anxious About Writing?

Reminder About Writer’s Block

Need a Pep Talk?

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America’s Next Top Writer

The Five Types of Writers

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On writing fight scenes

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On story ideas

On writer’s block

Writers: What They Say vs What They Mean

How to Kick Start a Writing Session

Writing and Friendship and Sacrifice 

Fun Fact

15 Things That Make Writer’s Anxious 

First Drafts Suck

Funny with a twist (also my most popular post ever)

Search “writing humor” on my blog for a ridiculous amount more

FIRST SENTENCE FRIDAY (FSF):

On My Opinion 

Submitting BEFORE/AFTER Friday?

How to Write a Good Sentence

CLOVER RAINE AND THE BLACK DRAGON:

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Chapter One

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World Building

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List of describing exercises to help you improve your descriptions.

As I try to improve my technical writing skills, I've noticed my describing skills are pretty lacking. So, here is a list of description exercises.

Setting Description

Pick a setting and describe it in a way that evokes a positive emotion, then describe the same setting negatively.

Pick a setting and try to describe it by using all of your senses.

Find a setting you've written before and write 500 words of pure description on it.

Describe a tree from the point of view of a character that's feeling a strong emotion, whether they're depressed, frustrated, or excited.

Character Description

Pick one of your characters and write a 500 word description of them.

Write a 500 word description on how your character feels about different people.

Pick 3 different characters and write 200 word descriptions for each of their voices.

Write a 500 word description about how your character looks at different people.

Hi everyone! :D After rereading the BSD novels I noticed a rather interesting pattern and came up with a fun idea!

How about a new impossible drinking game? Take a shot every time you notice Asagiri describing Dazai in the edgiest way possible when you're reading the light novels.

Sounds not so bad at first, however... Well, take a look yourself and have fun:

"I look at the young man. He is just staring at the ceiling. No emotions, no intents. Just a flat expression, like one who is just telling his age. I cannot believe my own eyes. I don’t even feel like there is a human there. If it was late night instead of a refreshing early morning, I would think that he was a ghost or a hallucination".

"His eyes remind me of a burnt black cat, his build reminds me of a burnt black cat, his presence reminds me of a burnt black cat. He has a tone that sinks into the abyss of the spirit, and deep, dark eyes that seem to hold the conviction that the sun will never rise again. He is a man of few words. And his voice has the sound of severance that rejects mutual understanding from the very beginning. No one could understand him. No one ever will. And he himself knows that very well. That kind of voice".

"When Dazai finally says so, his eyes look different from those of any human being. And those of any living things. Those are wounds. A pair of open wounds on his face, from which darkness is peeping out".

"Dazai’s face when he says that reminds me of the end of a culvert, or a black wall at the end of the road that leaves you no way to go".

"Dazai looks at me. Those eyes are like the bottomless see at night. Dark, cruel, quiet, endlessly sucking people in and never letting go".

"Dazai looks down at the opponent. Even people who look at the pebbles on the riverbank would show more interest than that".

"Dazai’s gaze towards Hirotsu turns dark instantly, as though representative of the gravity of his next words. If it were any ordinary person being stared at, they would be seized by nightmares for the next few days. Dazai’s eyes foretell the impending blood and violence about to come".

"I look at Dazai. There is something invisible within that can’t be seen with the naked eye, like a breeding ground for spirits that will raze everything to the ground".

"I look at Dazai intently. Although we have known each other for very long, this is the first time Dazai has spoken about himself. One can see something as sharp as a giant fishhook piercing and gnawing into Dazai’s life".

"“No.” I say. “I don’t think so. At the beginning, I thought you and Dazai were very similar, unable to see the value of your life, hoping for death, hence jumping into a world of violence and fighting. But that’s not the case. That guy is just a child who’s too smart. Just a crying child who’s been left alone in the darkness, a world of nothingness far emptier than the world we can see”".

""I know. There's a certain anxiety, anxiety about whether the previous boss's assassination was leaked". Dazai's expression was still unreadable. It was quiet as a freezing lake".

"The boy's gaze quietly penetrated Mori. Like a medical device that looked through the human body".

"The doctor and boy exchanged a silent gaze for a while. The Shinigami and the Devil seemed to glare at each other as the room filled with their spirit. In Mori's head, a word that he didn't know flickered many times and echoed like an alarm".

"The nightmarish thoughts Dazai sometimes showed through his observing eye was like an unprecedented, frozen eagle in the mafia's demonic nest".

"His expression returned to his usual Dazai thing. It was a gray expression that wasn't interested in any concept".

"I’m not a person with an excellent observation skill. But even so, just by looking at those eyes, I understand a few things right away. He probably has killed before. Not one or two digits. Hundreds of people. When you have killed that many people, you will reach the other side of the mentality that ordinary humans can possess, beyond the other shore where neither light nor gravity can reach. The spirit of those who have reached that state will be seen first in their eyes, then in their mouth. Their eyeballs become black holes, and the muscles around their mouth become organs to show the depth of their sin, not their facial expressions".

"I ask again. There is no answer. I don’t even know if he is listening. Because the light in his eyes show no reactions to my question. No matter how cold-hearted a person is, if you look at him in the eyes and throw words at him, you can still see some kind of responses. But this young man does not have any of that. Just black eyes looking at where my figure is".

"There is no heart here. Just a heart-shaped emptiness".

"He doesn’t reply. Those eyes are filled with a quiet emptiness. From that, I assume that he is listening. Because if he is deaf, there should be a reasonable amount of confusion and signs of claiming that he cannot hear".

"I say, my words echoing in the emptiness and dropping into the corner of the room, in the middle of nowhere".

"Dazai is standing in the corridor of the bunker, where it is completely dark. The distance between him and Odasaku is more than ten meters. Because of the darkness and the distance, Odasaku and the other guy cannot see Dazai. In fact, they wouldn’t even notice Dazai if he came within an arm’s reach. That is how much Dazai has melt into a dense shadow and become one with the darkness himself".

"Seeing that violence doesn’t even make his eyes move. His eyes are as still as those of a dead man, not showing the slightest flicker of emotion".

"Dazai has become one with the darkness. That is why no one is able to find Dazai".

"There is only darkness. As if no one was there from the beginning. It’s as if darkness has taken the form of Dazai, and has finally turned back to the original darkness and disappeared".

"The voice is intimidating, assertive, and filled with raw danger like a bleeding wound. It is high-pitched as that of a young boy, but it lacks the human-like characteristics a young boy should have".

"The cop can feel cold sweat squirting from his whole body. This young man is not lying. It shows in his eyes. That this young man is only seeing him as a fly in his kitchen".

"The cop’s body trembles in fear. This is the fear of pain, the fear of his imagination. But the most frightening of all is the young man in front of him, the king of the Pain land, the one who creates pains and controls pains".

"When Dazai finally opens his mouth after a long pause, that voice completely lacks emotions. No mockery, no cruelty, not even a carnivorous smile, nothing. A complete hollow".

"“You really don’t listen to others.” There is nothing left in Dazai’s voice, not even the ruthlessness. There is nothing in there. Not even a sign of someone holding a gun, nor talking to a human being".

"Suddenly, I feel like someone who got lost in the freezing cold weather at the top of a mountain, with only his underwear on. Having nothing to cover for myself, nor a way to escape. Far beyond the pale darkness, a mysterious monster is waiting to tear me into pieces".

"That voice had the dignity of a king and the mercy of the devil at the same time".

"When he saw that cold look heavier than a hundred eloquent words, Atsushi tensed his back".

"From the main office you could see the sunset of the city. In the middle of the room, Dazai was sitting alone at the desk with his arms crossed. He had a thin smile on his lips, and in his only visible eye the light darkness of the world".

"Because in the depths of his eyes lay a jet-black darkness deeper than any of the nights found at the disposal site".

"Dazai’s expression didn’t change whatsoever, and he spoke in a gritty voice devoid of any emotions".

"“It’s simple.” Dazai smiled faintly. His voice was low, as if it were the sound of a growl in a nightmare".

"Dazai smiled after he said that. It was like you could hear the sound of his broken soul with that smile".

"Dazai smiled and held out his hand to help me stand up. He saw through everything with the eyes of a sage, seeming to stare at a place that wasn’t anywhere on Earth". 

And etc.

*reads all this through*

*tries to proceed the information properly*

*inhales*

GODDAMIT, ASAGIRI. WE GOT IT.

Writing Tips

Punctuating Dialogue

✧

➸ “This is a sentence.”

➸ “This is a sentence with a dialogue tag at the end,” she said.

➸ “This,” he said, “is a sentence split by a dialogue tag.”

➸ “This is a sentence,” she said. “This is a new sentence. New sentences are capitalized.”

➸ “This is a sentence followed by an action.” He stood. “They are separate sentences because he did not speak by standing.”

➸ She said, “Use a comma to introduce dialogue. The quote is capitalized when the dialogue tag is at the beginning.”

➸ “Use a comma when a dialogue tag follows a quote,” he said.

“Unless there is a question mark?” she asked.

“Or an exclamation point!” he answered. “The dialogue tag still remains uncapitalized because it’s not truly the end of the sentence.”

➸ “Periods and commas should be inside closing quotations.”

➸ “Hey!” she shouted, “Sometimes exclamation points are inside quotations.”

However, if it’s not dialogue exclamation points can also be “outside”!

➸ “Does this apply to question marks too?” he asked.

If it’s not dialogue, can question marks be “outside”? (Yes, they can.)

➸ “This applies to dashes too. Inside quotations dashes typically express—“

“Interruption” — but there are situations dashes may be outside.

➸ “You’ll notice that exclamation marks, question marks, and dashes do not have a comma after them. Ellipses don’t have a comma after them either…” she said.

➸ “My teacher said, ‘Use single quotation marks when quoting within dialogue.’”

➸ “Use paragraph breaks to indicate a new speaker,” he said.

“The readers will know it’s someone else speaking.”

➸ “If it’s the same speaker but different paragraph, keep the closing quotation off.

“This shows it’s the same character continuing to speak.”

Revising and Self-Editing

I’m currently revising and self-editing my mermaid x human boy romance novel, so I thought I would share some resources that may help other writers revise and/or edit their stories.

A list of resources to help you during the revision process or when you’re self-editing your story.

Editing and Proofreading An article written for college students from The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina. While most of it applies to writing academic papers, it has helpful tips (under the section titled “Some tips that apply to both editing and proofreading”) that can apply to any writer who is revising or editing their own work.

Beginning the Awesome Journey of Revision Provides helpful tips on how to get started on revising your story’s draft. The list of additional resources includes a few broken links, but most of them work.

How to Survive the Editing Process Provides tips and suggestions for how to get started on revising or editing your story’s draft and what to look for when editing.

The Big Bad Guide to Novel Revision A lengthy, comprehensive guide to revising and editing your story’s draft. Explains in detail the elements to consider when going over the story, the characters, and grammar. Includes a few broken links, but the guide itself is helpful.

When to Say You’re Done Revising Offers realistic advice on how to know when you’re done revising and editing (or how to know when you’ve edited your manuscript as much as you possibly can).

For a more thorough guide on editing, check out my post The Different Types of Editing, which also includes links to even more resources on editing.

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I’m a writer, poet, and editor. I share writing resources that I’ve collected over the years and found helpful for my own writing. If you like my blog, follow me for more resources! ♡

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

You WILL write your WIP

Mistaken again! I thought, for just a moment, I saw my lover’s face- but mischievous, capricious, all the little gods of love.

Yosano Akiko, River of Stars: Selected Poems of Yosano Akiko

Happy 38th Birthday to Dazai Osamu's Seiyuu (Voice Actor) Mamoru Miyano 🎉🎉🎉