Writing: Your writing toolbox

[Sefiru]

Recently I started posting my writing online again, and that has me paying more attention to how to write. Not just in terms of good grammar and punctuation, but also ways to express what one is trying to say in a satisfying/entertaining/elegant manner (whichever mood you're going for). I'm betting every writer has their own favorite tropes and narrative devices.

One trick I've been getting a lot of mileage out of, is having a POV character's dialogue differ from their narration Eg, they call another character "Mr Smith" aloud, but "Joe" in narration. I like how this develops a character  without being in-your-face about it.

Do you have any go-to writing "tools"?

[Altair]

Do you have any go-to writing "tools"?

Ditching adverbs. I know they're out of fashion in literary circles, though I don't subscribe to their total abandonment like some people do. But when I (largely) excise them from my writing, I find it forces me to be more creative in my descriptions--and more accurate, less lazy.

(And don't think that "largely" is in parentheses without irony!)

[Kylara]

Do you have any go-to writing "tools"?

Not sure this is quite what you're asking about, but I am a discovery writer (I don't typically have outlines or figure my plot out ahead of time in detail, I just sit down and write), so for me, most of my tools revolve around getting around writer's block.

For blogging I have found it really helpful to have a list of potential blog topics, thought of ahead of time, so if I'm not inspired when I sit to write a blog, I can look over my list and pick one that I've previously thought would be a good idea to write about.

I also use dice and cards to help get me through blocks!  I have a bunch of story dice (dice with pictures) as well as other symbol dice (tarot, astrology, fantasy adventure), which I can pick one (or more) and roll.  Or I may draw from a tarot or oracle deck.   I use my draws/rolls as pure inspiration...whatever on the card or die that catches my eye, in whatever way I interpret that, is what I go with.  I rolled an octopus and that became long braids on a character, or I might have drawn a card that has a bird in the background and so a character might have a dream about flying. 

But the act of drawing the card or rolling the die with the intention of finding a way to use it in the story, makes me think outside of the box I was trapped in, and helps me break up the block.

[Aisling]

I also use dice and cards to help get me through blocks!  I have a bunch of story dice (dice with pictures) as well as other symbol dice (tarot, astrology, fantasy adventure), which I can pick one (or more) and roll.  Or I may draw from a tarot or oracle deck.   I use my draws/rolls as pure inspiration...whatever on the card or die that catches my eye, in whatever way I interpret that, is what I go with.  I rolled an octopus and that became long braids on a character, or I might have drawn a card that has a bird in the background and so a character might have a dream about flying. 

I really like this idea!  I'll have to try this instead of staring at the page hoping for inspiration. 

[Sefiru]

I also use dice and cards to help get me through blocks! 

I have a small book full of writing prompts like this, that is actually titled "The Writer's Block". It is also cube shaped. I admit I bought it mostly for the pun and haven't really used it.

[Sefiru]

Ditching adverbs. I know they're out of fashion in literary circles, though I don't subscribe to their total abandonment like some people do. But when I (largely) excise them from my writing, I find it forces me to be more creative in my descriptions--and more accurate, less lazy.

(And don't think that "largely" is in parentheses without irony!)

I find that I don't mind concrete adverbs (quickly, quietly), but I have learned to ditch all the abstract adverbs (kind of, basically, essentially, more-or-less, really, definitely, certainly ...) which add nothing but syllables to a work.

[Kylara]

I have a small book full of writing prompts like this, that is actually titled "The Writer's Block". It is also cube shaped. I admit I bought it mostly for the pun and haven't really used it.

I have a writer's block book too, it's full of all sorts of suggestions or prompts to help you break free....likewise, I haven't worked with it...yet.