jules | a quarter of a century old | she/her | writeblr & bookblr | ceaseless writer turn your gaze upon this wretched draft |
hi ~
my name is jules and i am quite new to writeblr but here goes!! this is a little directory to tidy everything up. if books, stories, and narrative horrors are also your jam (or any other kind of spread), please befriend me! or be-mutual, as per tumblr etiquette.
books:
getting into the habit of dusting off all the voice essays in friends’ chats and into proper review forms:
ADHD friendly pre-writing tips from an author with ADHD
Have two beverages at your desk. One of them should be water and the other should be some kind of fun drink. My fun drink of choice is red bull, coffee, or tea.
Have a small snack. Fuel your brain.
Clean your desk. Make sure the space you’re working in sets your mind at ease. You don’t need to be worrying about clutter when you’re trying to get your creativity flowing. When I am surrounded by little distractions, I can’t focus on a single thing.
Mood music can make or break a writing session. I recommend classical, lo-fi, jazz, video game soundtracks, or any instrumental music that is a non-distraction. If anything, the music should pull you deeper into your writing rather than out of it.
Have all of your materials on hand. That means laptop, chargers, notebooks, pens, reference materials (digital or physical), and anything else you need to dive right in. Having everything right where you need it prevents your writing flow from being disrupted by searching for materials.
If your current workspace feels stagnant, find a different place to work. Sometimes the ADHD brain needs variety and novelty as a prerequisite to productivity. Work with your brain, not against it!
I know this is weird but I really want to know. This is a serious poll. Obviously don’t feel pressured to elaborate on any of these answers, if you choose to answer. But I’d appreciate a reblog.
OP I hope you know that this is poetry even if it’s also a serious poll
Ghost Punch Grim Reflection comes out August 1st! It’s the a horror comedy about a queer friend group coming together to save their town from supernatural forces, and a girl who can touch ghosts (and therefore punch them).
Preorder (you can get physical copies through the B&N link) and you can get some goodies! (Prints, stickers, and a bookmark)
Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. First Draft Pro, a 2023 Camp NaNoWriMo sponsor, is a great writing app—whether you’re writing solo or with a co-author. Here are a few tips for building a sustainable writing practice, brought to you by author Ariana Brown and First Draft Pro.
We’ve all heard the advice to “write every day,” as if it were that easy! Translation: suck it up, no one cares if you’re tired. But what if there was another way to get writing done, without being unkind to yourself?
Hi, I’m Ariana Brown, and I teach writers how to create a writing practice that is sustainable, flexible, and fulfilling. Most of my students are chronically ill, disabled, neurodivergent, or simply exhausted from the daily stresses of life. I know writing isn’t your only responsibility—capitalism makes sure of that! But I strongly believe that writing should be an enjoyable activity you look forward to.
Below I’ve compiled my top tips for exhausted writers who want to be kinder to themselves—and still get the work done.
Starting off with the stats to reel you in: I’ve read 25 books (against 58 acquired, for shame), of which
60% were in audio format. Literary fiction made every other genre eat it (incredibly odd for me),
and the majority (30%) did not feature a prominent romantic plot/subplot. Usually it’s a cockfight between wlw and straight, if I am honest.
Best book you’ve read so far in 2023: If We Were Villains
It’s tragic, it’s twisted, it’s messy, and it kept a tight hold on me for two days nonstop. Since then I have picked up the Secret History and Bunny, to compare and measure against the dark academia vibe, and found them all to be vastly different books!
Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2023: A Prayer for the Crown Shy
Becky Chambers needs to make a chain email with all the little adventures of this duo. Although they can be too mellow for my tastes, it is an irresistible serving of the cosy every now and again.
New release you haven’t read yet, but want to: In The Lives of Puppets
Most anticipated release for the rest of the year: Alecto! Alecto! Alecto!
Biggest disappointment: The Hacienda
It had all the markings of being a favourite – gothic horror in the backdrop of Mexico. But the gothic lacked novelty, the horror lacked in general, and the romance was so boring. Together it did very little to wash away the peeve I had over a topic introduced seemingly for nothing but ~vibes~, which is the abuse suffered by maids and servants at the hand of masters.
Biggest surprise: Drive your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
As well as Frankenstein: both are amazing, incredibly immersive and full of reclusive reflection. Frankenstein impressed me so much I ended up giving a talk to unsuspecting high schoolers just to rope them into discourse about it.
Favourite new author:Madeline Miller
Newest favourite character: Edmund “Bunny” Corcoran
Bunny from The Secret History is SUCH a pissbaby, my face lit up every time he came up in a scene. Whatever mix of nasal infection and posh accent Donna Tartt gave him in the audiobook, is now a voice filter that lives in my head rent free. Comes in very handy when I have to read sour emails.
Book that made you cry: ???
I am clearly saving them for something big, cause nothing comes to mind.
Book that made you happy: ???
I am equally stingy with my glee, it seems, cause nothing comes to mind either.
The most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year:Our Hideous Progeny
I do not have it in physical copy but damn what an eye candy to have on bookshelves (or storygraph).
Favourite book to movie adaptation you’ve seen this year: Nimona
Bestie and I read the graphic novel years ago, so we reprised by watching it together and crocheting.
“Lie close,” Laura said, Pricking up her golden head: “We must not look at goblin men, We must not buy their fruits: Who knows upon what soil they fed Their hungry thirsty roots?”
A wolf goes for a walk in the woods and meets a dog for the first time
Here’s our masterlist of 97 character motivations that you can use in your novel to spark an idea for a character arc!
Saving a family member from capture
Saving a sibling from disease
Saving a pet from danger
Saving the world from ruin
Saving a friend from heartbreak
Saving the town from financial ruin
Saving friends from dangerous deadly situations
Saving a love interest from dying
Saving themselves in a dangerous world
Saving a community from falling apart
Saving a child from a potentially dangerous circumstance
Saving a place or location from evil forces
Saving a ghost from limbo
Overcoming a phobia
Overcoming an addiction
Overcoming marital struggles
Moving on from loss
Finding a significant other
Finding a new family (not blood-related)
Finding true biological family
Finding out an old secret
Finding a way home
Reconnecting with long-lost friends
Getting out of a dark state of mind
Finding peace in life
Beating a disease
Beating an arch nemesis
Forming a peaceful community
Transforming a location
Bringing someone back to life
Winning a competition
Going on an adventure
Getting a dream job
Keeping a secret
Escaping a location of capture
Proving a moral point
Proving a political point
Winning a political campaign
Betray someone
Ruin someone’s life
Find a suspect or killer
Find the answer to a mystery
Discover ancient sites & secret histories
Perform a successful ritual
Summon the dead
Save a country from dictatorship
Become the most powerful in a community
Outshine a family member in business success
Prove someone wrong
Win prize money to help someone in need
Get revenge on someone who wronged them
Find the person who wronged them
Develop significant scientific progress
Gain respect from family
Get over an ex-lover
Move on from a painful death
Keep their community alive
Lead their community
Heal people in need
Preserve a species (animal, alien, plant…)
Discover new world
Get recognition for hard work
Become famous
Get rich to prove themselves to people who doubted them
Break a long tradition
Challenge the status quo of a community
Defeat a magical nemesis
Take over a location to rule
Find out truth behind old legends
Help someone get over their struggles
Prove their moral values
Prove their worth to an external party
Become a supernatural creature
Keep something from falling into the wrong hands
Protect the only person they care about
Start a revolution
Invent new technology
Invent a new weapon
Win a war
Fit in with a community
Atone for past sins
Give top-secret information to an enemy as revenge
Kill an ex-lovers current partner
Reinvent themselves
Raise a strong child
Make it to a location in a strict time period
Find faith
Find enlightenment
Find out more about the afterlife
Confess love to a friend
Solve a moral dilemma
Have a child of their own
Avoid being alone
Run away from past struggles
Reinvent themselves as a new person
Impress a colleague or boss
Avoid a fight or war breaking out
If you need a hand getting started on your novel, we have 3 coaches at The Plottery who can work with you intensively for 4 month to skill up your writing and help you finish your first draft.
Are you looking for a blood-drenched beach read? Check out my summer camp slasher novella, EARTH CAMP!
It’s Friday the 13th… in the 27th century. Rabbit was looking forward to her last summer as a counselor at Camp Washington, despite the recent scandal that almost shut the camp down. She and her friends were supposed to spend the summer enjoying Earth’s wilderness before they return to the Moon for college. But when counselors start dropping dead, Rabbit realizes she’ll be lucky if she leaves Earth alive.
