Writing Tips Master Post

Part-spirit tiger LQG assumes most cultivators have spirit animal ancestry or made pacts or otherwise have inherited traits.

He can smell the severe and constant stress on SJ, but assumes SJ is bullying other disciples. LQG's solution is of course to fight SJ himself so SJ can let out his aggression in a more appropriate way.

Everything is the same until the mission where SJ saves LQG's life. His instincts and SJ's bearing tell him that SJ tried to kill him, but he smells stress giving way to relief so he just asks if something has attacked his back.

Since SJ saw LQG's initial expression, he was ready for a fight and is somewhat flat footed. He couldn't says that obviously something was attacking LQG's back, what else was sj going to do, give him a hair cut?

Sadly this piques LQG's interest and he starts following SJ around even more and finally catches SJ being bullied. Worse, he realizes SJ's 'den' is the woodshed.

LQG interferes with the bullies and SJ just about loses it because this is going to make everything worse and LQG off handedly says that they can't afford to offend the Liu family even if they think Shen Jiu's relatives won't care

SJ's reaction to that (along with other things over the years) makes LQG realize SJ isn't in fact some prissy young master.

So LQG makes it his mission to get SJ to throw away the facade and show his true self. SJ would rather kill him, thanks.

LQG does start correcting SJ's social faux pas though is dicey bc sometimes SJ does know and messes up on purpose for strategy and LQG gains real appreciation for his insight. LQG also gives SJ a bunch of cultivation boosting and stabilizing pills bc it's no big deal for him to get them and maybe SJ didn't know to ask?

That starts a gift giving war where sj gives things he thinks will be insulting and LQG thinks they've started courting.

(it's ace4ace but LQG wants to sleep together cuddled up and purring. SJ still isn't sure LQG knows what sex is)

In an alternate universe they're university professors and married I saw it in the wild rune

If you saw this at 6 am, no you didn't. Tumblr wouldn't do that to me, we're too close for that 🤣🤣🤣

Over 1200 words of panic! in the bamboo house, including the snippet I posted last Wednesday. It's a beefy boy because I'm far enough ahead that I feel like I have enough buffer to edit with a clear head, so splitting it up in the middle of a scene just feels petty. This part follows directly from chapter 1 of the AO3 version.

Also please tell me if I'm using any words wrong, I am very new here haha

AO3 🔗 just the updates 🔗 writeblogging this au 🔗 first 🔗 prev

How the fuck did Qi-ge figure out something was wrong this quickly?

And just why was he here? They'd been on-Peak for a shichen tops, and Shen Jiu didn't know exactly what Shen Yuan did when he had to deal with the sect leader (he very purposely buried himself into his metaphysical blankets whenever Yue Qingyuan came around), but even if he filed his reports promptly, it still took time for characters to be written and ink to dry.

Fucking -- if Yue Qi had ever had a weakness, it was children. Especially bratty little boys named Shen Jiu who chased other children with legitimate intent to kill, wearing ill fitting robes that had been dragged through the mud. (Just a bit! As little as possible, because Shen Qingqiu's disciples did not deserve to have their belongings ruined! But, even shrunk, the robes were sized for teenaged disciples, not toddlers.) The scene felt designed to ensnare Yue Qi's sympathy, and even more distressingly, his meddling.

"Two Xiao Jius...?" Yue Qingyuan was saying with quiet awe. Which! Was exactly what Shen Jiu was talking about!

"No!" Shen Jiu shouted from his hiding place behind Shen Yuan, impulse control of a four year old combined with the speech-compelling aspects of the curse, difference clear now that he had felt one without the other. "Two Shen Qingqius, only one Xiao Jiu!"

"Don't get it twisted!" Shen Yuan sounded just as angry in front of him, crossing his arms and stamping his foot. "There's a nice categorization system already in place; don't confuse everybody needlessly."

"Yeah!" Shen Jiu shouted. "Don't get it twisted!"

Very helpful addition, that.

Shen Jiu did his best not to hold it against himself -- running his mouth had been his most fatal flaw throughout most of his childhood, such as it was, no matter how many times he should have learned to hold his tongue -- but he couldn't help but be frustrated. They still hadn't come up with much of a plan for how to handle the other Peak Lords, and now he was hiding from Qi-ge while yelling at him, as if that made any sense.

Qi-ge went to one knee, staring directly into Shen Jiu's eyes as he said, "Xiao Jiu." His gaze refocused slightly to Shen Jiu's right, "And...? I'm sorry."

"Yue-da-ge doesn't--" Shen Yuan started, before making a retching sound. Shen Jiu quickly glanced to make sure it was an affectation. "A-Yuan never had a chance to say. The curse is effecting our word choices, by the way."

A large, warm hand cradled his left cheek; he could see the other hand move to mirror the move on Shen Yuan. "Xiao Jiu and A-Yuan have been suffering. Not to worry; you'll have access to any resources the sect can rally to resolve this." He turned to Ning Yingying, visible in the doorway behind him now that he was kneeling. "I assume Mu-shidi has already been called?"

Shen Jiu turn his head, making a face, only to find himself looking into the eyes of Shen Yuan, also making a face.

"A-Yuan had hoped to have more information to share before troubling Yue-da-ge and Mu-ge," Shen Yuan blatantly lied.

Huh. The System had called it a speech-compelling curse, not a truth-compelling curse. Useful, that.

"And clothes that fit," Shen Jiu added, nodding to Ning Yingying.

"And something more substantial to eat than whatever snacks we all had in our pockets," adds Luo Binghe's voice from farther outside. "Of which there should be enough to go around, if Zhangmen-shibo is inclined to stay while Shizun and Shizun make themselves presentable."

Shen Yuan cupped his hands around his mouth to call out, "Stick with the same names, Bing-ge! This situation is already confusing enough without all that!"

There was a pointed silence where everyone wondered whether the cheeky little brat would actually take that liberty, and Luo Binghe blushed furiously. "Ah, Yuan-shizun and Jiu-shizun...?"

Shen Jiu waved his arms to negate the notion, backing from Shen Yuan a step to accomodate the movement. "Xiao Jiu isn't anybody's shizun," he said quickly. "Yuan-ge has the golden core and the people skills; he's got all that covered."

Yue Qingyuan gave him a sharp look at that, but he had also made enough room for the disciples to enter, and Shen Jiu needed to be able to take more than a step without stepping on his borrowed robes in order to have this conversation.

"Yingying-jiejie, hand that here, please," he chirped quickly. "Yuan-ge and Xiao Jiu can help each other make sure everything lays right, don't worry about us!"

"Everything smells delicious, Bing-ge," Shen Yuan said warmly. To be fair, it really, really did. "Don't let Yue-da-ge bully you out of your own room, okay? This is Bing-ge's home too."

The no-so-little-anymore beast blushed luminescently at that, and, well. Shen Yuan had certainly done a good job changing their prewritten fate! Given the choice, Shen Jiu would rather be a calamitous beauty than the victim of poetic justice. Just. Just leave all those parts to Shen Yuan to be awake for.

Getting dressed in appropriate robes did not actually leave much room for private conversation, especially with the sect leader on high alert so close to the door, so Shen Jiu did not have much extra time to confer with Shen Yuan. "Do we have a plan, or...?

"Keep it as vague as possible?" Shen Yuan hissed as he tugged at the side of Shen Jiu's robes, laying them straighter. "None of the things we know are actually relevant, if you think about it."

"Speech-compelling curse," Shen Jiu ticked off, tugging his hair out from where it had gotten caught. Did they have time to tie it up? Shen Yuan had the now-oversized guan when they'd been split, but Shen Jiu's hair was loose and likely greasy as all hell, in a way it hadn't been since the Qiu estate. "Speech controlling curse, at least enough to misdirect." One of the more complicated ones then.

"And almost entirely separately, the transformation," said Shen Yuan, dragging him over to his (Shen Jiu's? Shen Yuan's? Shen Qingqiu's.) bronze mirror and digging into the boxes on the table until he found the simpler ribbons he used when he braided his hair for bed. Yeah, good enough. "It couldn't have been two spells though, it was so fast -- way faster than the demon had been up until then."

"Activating a preset array of some kind?" Shen Jiu asked. "Why there?"

"The only one who could tell us is now very, very dead," Shen Yuan noted with sad finality. What an innocent soul, to mourn a demon who had inflicted such a hardship on them.

"Remember to teach your disciples that they can't question the dead," Shen Jiu told Shen Yuan's reflection in the mirror. "They're teenagers, so it's a forgivable oversight, but it's always easier to interrogate even a liar than a corpse."

"Our disciples," Shen Yuan said with conviction.

"That is not the deal the System and I made," Shen Jiu told him with the same strength of conviction. "It's not fair, but you can't actually make me go back."

"Oh." Shen Yuan draped himself across Shen Jiu's shoulders. "You said that. I keep expecting to have to fight for my right to be here, but you really want me here?"

"Gege," Shen Jiu chided. "I really hated teaching. And being Peak Lord comes with way more responsibilities than privileges. Sorry, but you'll have to be stuck with the shit end of the stick." And Shen Jiu flounced out of there.

Some tips for using a few words to describe voices:

1. Tone Words: Use tone words to convey the emotional quality of a voice. For example, you can describe a voice as "melodic," "soothing," "sharp," "gentle," or "commanding" to give readers a sense of the tone.

2. Pitch and Range: Mention the pitch and range of the voice. Is it "deep," "high-pitched," "raspy," or "full-bodied"? This can provide insight into the character's age, gender, or emotional state.

3. Accent and Diction: Describe the character's accent or diction briefly to give a sense of their background or cultural influences. For instance, "British-accented," "Southern drawl," or "formal."

4. Volume: Mention the volume of the voice, whether it's "whispering," "booming," "murmuring," or "hushed."

5. Quality: Use terms like "velvet," "silken," "gravelly," "honeyed," or "crisp" to convey the texture or quality of the voice.

6. Rate of Speech: Describe how fast or slow the character speaks, using words like "rapid," "slurred," "measured," or "rambling."

7. Mood or Emotion: Indicate the mood or emotion carried by the voice. For example, a "quivering" voice may convey fear or anxiety, while a "warm" voice may express comfort and reassurance.

8. Resonance: Describe the resonance of the voice, such as "echoing," "nasal," "booming," or "tinny."

9. Timbre: Mention the timbre of the voice, using words like "rich," "thin," "clear," or "smoky."

10. Cadence: Highlight the rhythm or cadence of speech with descriptors like "staccato," "lilting," "rhythmic," or "halting."

11. Intonation: Convey the character's intonation by saying their voice is "sarcastic," "apologetic," "confident," or "questioning."

12. Vocal Characteristics: If applicable, mention unique vocal characteristics, like a "lisp," "stutter," "drawl," or "accented 'r'."

This came to me in a dream so bare with me people

Bruce gets a boyfriend/girlfriend or whatever just to keep the media at bay or something along those lines. But then… he actually kinda likes them??

And Bruce is confused as everyone else is about it but he isn’t gonna look a gift horse in the mouth (or whatever that saying is) and he starts genuinely going out with him

His kids and everyone who knows his secret identity are rightfully cautious about it. I mean, Bruce doesn’t have the best track record with relationships, but as long as the man is happy. They just hope there won’t be too much push back when Bruce inevitably blows it up 

They love Bruce but literally no one has any faith in him to keep the relationship for long. They’re are very obviously doubting him and it makes Bruce feel discouraged but he tries not to show it

And then one day, Bruce is having a jolly good time at a gala (at least pretending to) and he gets called by his partner. He’s talking to the cameras and suddenly his partner calls him. His face lights up and the press kinda pressure him to put the call on speaker.

Everyone’s seen his partner, in fact, they seem to soak up the media presence like a sponge. Bruce logically doesn’t think they’ll mind, but just in case he wants to tell them immediately

He accepts the call and before he can get a word out, his partner is saying the most vile and ridiculous things to him.

Dude talks about how he’s disappointed that Bruce hasn’t had sex with him yet and how he never expected the Brucie Wayne to be such a prude and stop his advances. He’s says that the only reason why he put up with Bruce was to get into his pants and since they’ve been dating for five months with no action, it wasn’t worth it anymore. Dudes already been getting action from someone else and he hangs up without letting Bruce say a thing

Bruce’s entire face falls and he’s genuinely devastated. The gala goes quiet and Bruce excuses himself, embarrassed and heartbroken.

He’s trying to stop himself from crying but he just experienced his first real heartbreak in a long time that absolutely wasn’t his fault

His family say is not his fault but Bruce doesn’t believe them because he’s conditioned himself to believe that everything is his fault and he knows that didn’t believe in him in the first place

That’s it

Can you recommend contemporary setting danmei with heart-touching romance? I mean any heart-touching danmei that take place in our regular every day world and not sci-fi/fantasy/xianxia/wuxia/ABO/historical ancient/rebirth/transmigration.

Sorry for being fussy, it's just so hard to find interesting danmei since i've been stuck in reading slump.

Hello!

To me, the kind of romance that really touches my heart are usually the ones that help the characters grow out of their insecurities or move on from their trauma, so there is some level of angst in the background. If you are looking for something else, let me know and I'll be happy to recommend something different!

My list:

有名 木更木更 – In Name Only

网恋翻车指南 酱子贝 – Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating

粉黛 七世有幸 – Concealed and Blended: Fendai

FOG【电竞】 漫漫何其多 – FOG

心眼 北南 – The Eye of the Mind

我只喜欢你的人设 稚楚 – I Only Like Your Made-up Persona

楚天以南 大风不是木偶 – Under Clear Skies

燎原 不问三九 – Wildfire

(I'm copying & pasting some text I wrote in other posts on this blog)

有名 木更木更 – In Name Only

[actors/celebrities, fake relationship, mature characters] – Two award-winning actors fake a relationship to quash a scandalous rumor, and gradually get to know the real person behind the other’s accomplished career and polished public persona. The tone of the story veers is mostly sweet and funny, with a splash of angst that they conquer together. It’s really comforting and relaxing to read about the love story of “mature men” in their early 30s who know how to communicate productively, take care of the people they like, and really accept and empathize with each other’s imperfections.

网恋翻车指南 酱子贝 – Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating

[online gaming, college-setting, cat-fishing, mistaken identities] – Jing Huan poses as a girl in an online game to catfish the famous player who tricked and hurt his cousin. Meanwhile, Xiang Huaizhi notices photos from the "girl" who keeps flirting with him in an online game can only be sent by one underclassmen at his school. There is plenty of comedy in Jing Huan’s effort to pose as a girl online, and also plenty of hurt when the truth and deception are laid to bare, but overall this is a sweet college romance with just dash (or maybe a spoonful?) of angst and plenty of humour. (PSA: No knowledge of gaming is needed (I don’t have any) to follow the story.)

粉黛 七世有幸 – Concealed and Blended: Fendai

[entertainment industry, actor x makeup artist] – I really like this novel because it presents acting and art as skills that the characters must practice and develop; the main characters are not geniuses who can take their careers for granted. The gong is a makeup artist, who considers himself straight but cross-dresses as a branding gimmick to advance his career. The shou is a retired E-sports player-turned-idol actor, who is secretly gay and has no real passion for performance. The novel starts off with funny interactions between “straight pretending to be queer” vs “gay pretending to be straight.” Eventually, they develop a deep bond after collaborating on a series of projects, and help each other discover their true career aspirations.

FOG【电竞】 漫漫何其多 – FOG

[E-sports, (sort-of?) reconciliation] – (it’s a fictional game so no prior gaming knowledge needed). Yu Sui brought Shi Luo into the industry, but within the year, he broke up the team, went to an elite club in Europe, and sold Shi Luo to a different club in China. What will Shi Luo do when Yu Sui comes back? As an E-Sports novel, FOG does a great job of portraying the camaraderie between teammates and the youthful passion of the players, while also touching on the cynical and exploitative side of the industry. There is an extremely sad and infuriating backstory that explains why the main couple had to be separated for two years (it’s not their fault), but their relationship is otherwise very sweet.

心眼 北南 – The Eye of the Mind

[unsure about translation status][reconciliation, (eventual) step brothers, hurt/comfort, slice-of-life ] -- Liang Cheng enters Qiao Yuanlin’s life three times, as a stranger who saves his life at 13, as the mysterious tenant renting his grandmother’s extra room when he was 16, and as his step-mother’s adopted son six years later. However, there is another hidden thread connecting their histories together. In many ways, this is a coming-of-age story for Qiao Yuanlin, who is born with a serious congenital heart defect that has permeated every aspect of his life, but he still manages to grow up with a very realistic blend of good nature, naivete, and bratty-ness. He has to cope with his heart condition and his parents' divorce in adolescence, and later develop his own identity and values as a young adult and professional. This novel also has the most satisfying illness-comfort-recovery arc I have ever read thanks to Qiao Yuanlin’s heart (and of course Liang Cheng is his doctor).

我只喜欢你的人设 稚楚 – I Only Like Your Made-up Persona

[Official licensed and fully published in English as "Rose and Renaissance")] [entertainment industry] -- Xia Xiqing is a professional artist who also draws fan art for Zhou Ziheng, the nation's most beloved young actor. The best part of this story is the clash of "personas": Zhou Ziheng (gong) is a serious and hardworking star actor and college student; while Xiqing (shou) is a rebellious art school grad who was a bit of a playboy in his past. After an accidental encounter, Zhou Ziheng immediately dislikes Xia Xiqing, but they unexpectedly become neighbours and also star on a reality show together. Then, they get to know the real person behind each other's superficial persona, develop a deep bond, and even help Xiqing heal from his childhood trauma.

More...

There two are very popular stories I read partially, and I hope to revisit and finish them someday. They have very compelling romantic arcs, but the main story lines are more heavy and less "fairytale":

楚天以南 大风不是木偶 – Under Clear Skies :: on a site visit to a rural village, young professor Tang Heng meets his ex-boyfriend from grad school, whose life has taken a turn completely unlike his own. It's a story that digs deep into inequalities, privileges, family dynamics, and abuses of power, and love that survives despite all that.

燎原 不问三九 – Wildfire :: A tattoo artist begins a relationship with his blind younger brother's optometrist. The main draw of the relationship is that both characters older (mid-30s) so they are more mature, but that also comes with a different set of challenges.

For today's recommendations, I left out

angst-heavy romances that break your heart but somehow you (or the characters) still want it to work out

super-light stories that are sweet and fluffy or funny all the way through

stories that are completely untranslated

But if those types sound interesting to you, I'm happy to recommend some!

I hope you find something you can enjoy! 😊

With Shen Yuan's name Yuan being a homophone for 原 yuán as in "original" (example given: the word 原创 yuánchuàng aka "original (creative) work"), and Shen Jiu's name meaning the number nine... It's bringing to mind some interesting questions about the supposed number of Shens separating the two

20 Emotional Wounds in Fiction That Make Readers Root for the Character

Abandonment: Characters who have been abandoned by loved ones or caregivers can evoke sympathy from readers.

Betrayal: Being betrayed by someone close can create deep emotional wounds that make readers empathize with the character.

Loss of a Loved One: Whether through death or separation, the loss of a loved one can be a powerful emotional wound.

Rejection: Characters who experience rejection, whether in relationships or by society, can be relatable and evoke empathy.

Abuse: Physical, emotional, or psychological abuse can create complex wounds that shape a character's personality and behavior.

Neglect: Characters who have been neglected, especially in childhood, can evoke sympathy from readers.

Failure: Experiencing a significant failure or loss can create emotional wounds that make characters more relatable.

Guilt: Characters who carry guilt for past actions or decisions can be compelling and evoke empathy from readers.

Shame: Feelings of shame can create internal conflict and make characters more relatable and sympathetic.

Injustice: Characters who have experienced injustice or unfair treatment can evoke strong emotions from readers.

Trauma: Characters who have experienced traumatic events, such as war or natural disasters, can be sympathetic and relatable.

Loneliness: Characters who feel lonely or isolated can evoke empathy from readers who have experienced similar feelings.

Fear: Characters who face their fears or struggle with phobias can be relatable and evoke empathy from readers.

Self-doubt: Characters who struggle with self-doubt or low self-esteem can be relatable and evoke sympathy.

Identity Crisis: Characters who are grappling with questions of identity or struggling to find their place in the world can be sympathetic.

Addiction: Characters who struggle with addiction can be complex and evoke empathy from readers.

Betrayal of Trust: Characters who have had their trust betrayed can be sympathetic and relatable.

Unrequited Love: Characters who experience unrequited love can be sympathetic and evoke empathy from readers.

Isolation: Characters who feel isolated or disconnected from others can be relatable and evoke sympathy.

Fear of Failure: Characters who struggle with a fear of failure can be relatable and evoke empathy from readers.

I've never seen a minute of the show but Ever After High AU where Steve is a prince destined to be the Beast/Prince to Nancy's Belle.

Except Nancy breaks up with him after a year of dating, saying that their relationship is bullshit because if they're destined to be together then how do they know their feelings are real? How do they know that they actually care about each other and it's not just because that's what people are expecting from them?

Steve is hurt for a while, mostly because he doesn't really understand. He thought they were happy - he had been happy, at least.

In the aftermath he meets Robin, the next destined Narrator, and soon enough Steve couldn't imagine a life without her. He learns that there's more outside their destined paths, that it's good to have friends outside his fated Story.

And then he meets Eddie. At first he's sure that the boy is destined to be a villain, with his dark clothes and wild personality. It's Robin who tells him the truth; that Eddie is the next Snow White. As soon as she says it, Steve can see it - the dark curls, the pale, porcelain skin.

The three of them start spending time together, and even when Robin can't join, Steve and Eddie still meet up and hang out. It doesn't take long for Steve to fall for Eddie, to be absolutely gone for for the other boy. He finally understands what Nancy meant - because the way he felt for her absolutely pales in comparison to the love he feels for Eddie.

Steve confesses, just needing Eddie to know, his feelings so big that he can't keep them locked inside anymore. He's overjoyed when Eddie feels the same, even when Eddie tells him that he'd been nervous to fall for Steve because he'd been scared to get close to a prince, not having had the best experience with them in the past.

Everything falls apart when Eddie is cursed by his own destined prince, a bully named Jason who is infuriated that he ended up matched with Eddie instead of Chrissy, the next Cinderella. Eddie falls into an eternal sleep, and no one is sure what to do. His prince is the one who cursed him, there's no way Jason would even attempt to wake him.

Steve knows he has to try, so he kisses Eddie, pouring every ounce of his love into it, and everyone is shocked when it works. It proves that Steve is Eddie's prince, not because the universe said so, but because Steve and Eddie forged their own destiny with love.

good traits gone bad

perfectionism - never being satisfied

honesty - coming off as rude and insensitive

devotion - can turn into obsession

generosity - being taken advantage of

loyalty - can make them blind for character faults in others

being dependable - always depending on them

ambitiousness - coming off as ruthless

optimism - not being realistic

diligence - not able to bend strict rules

protectiveness - being overprotective

cautiousness - never risking anything

being determined - too focussed on one thing

persuasiveness - coming off as manipulative

tidiness - can become an obsession

being realistic - being seen as pessimistic

assertiveness - coming off as bossy

pride - not accepting help from others

innocence - being seen as naive

selflessness - not thinking about themself enough

being forgiving - not holding others accountable

curiosity - asking too many questions

persistence - being seen as annoying

being charming - can seem manipulative

modesty - not reaching for more

confidence - coming off as arrogant

wit/humor - not taking things serious

patience - being left hanging

strategic - coming off as calculated

being caring - being overbearing

tolerance - being expected to tolerate a lot

eagerness - coming off as impatient

being observant - being seen as nosy

independence - not accepting help

being considerate - forgetting about themself

fearlessness - ignoring real danger

politeness - not telling what they really think

reliability - being taken advantage of

empathy - getting overwhelmed with feeling too much for other people