blogmoved19999
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Word List: Sweet
beautiful words with "sweet" to try to include in your poem/story
Bittersweet - pleasure accompanied by suffering or regret; being at once bitter and sweet
Meadowsweet - any of several spireas
Oversweet - excessively sweet; cloying
Presweeten - to make (a food or beverage) sweet or sweeter in advance and especially during manufacture or preparation
Sweetbells - an eastern North American deciduous shrub (Leucothoe racemosa) with pinkish flowers in long racemes
Sweetberry - sheepberry i.e., a North American shrub or small tree (Viburnum lentago) having white flowers in flat cymes
Sweetbread - the thymus or pancreas of a young animal (such as a calf) used for food
Sweetbriar - an Old World rose (especially Rosa eleganteria) with stout recurved prickles and white to deep rosy-pink single flowers; called also eglantine
Sweetening - something that sweetens
Sweetfish - ayu i.e., a small salmonlike anadromous fish (Plecoglossus altivelis) of Japan that is highly esteemed as a food fish
Sweetflag - any of a genus (Acorus) of perennial herbaceous plants that are typically found in wetlands of the northern hemisphere and have long narrow leaves and aromatic roots
Sweetgrass - a slender fragrant perennial grass (Hierochloe odorata) that typically grows in moist soils and is used especially in basketry
Sweetish - somewhat sweet; unpleasantly sweet
Sweetroot - licorice
Sweetshop - a candy store
Sweetsop - sugar apple
Sweetveld - African veld that is not markedly acid in soil reaction and is characterized by production in the presence of adequate mositure of palatable grazing of predominantly annual grasses
Sweetwood - a laurel (Laurus nobilis)
Sweetwort - an unfermented malt infusion
Unsweetened - not containing added sugar; not sweetened
If any of these words inspire your writing, do tag me or send me a link. I'd love to read your work!
More: Word Lists
How to Make Your Writing Less Stiff 8 | "to-be" and auxiliary verbs
Part 7
Part 6
Part 1
As I go through editing my latest manuscript, I'm faced with the dilemma of when to drop a to-be verb, but also when to keep it and how the differences between the two in any given situation can make just a little... a little *garnish* of a difference.
To-be verbs:
Am, is, are, was, were; a subset of auxiliary verbs
Auxiliary verbs:
To do, to be, to have (simplified)
Auxiliary verbs tend to indicate tense, but we use them more often as crutch verbs, filler verbs, because you can just conjugate the verb itself to the proper tense without the need of the auxiliary verb.
The advice generally goes to remove these, as they count as filler words when followed up by a second verb. Versus the TBV or AXV and an adjective.
He does look / He looks She is cooking / She cooks They were standing / They stood I am fishing / I fish She does cry / She cries We have slept / We slept
vs
He is afraid / He fears She was sorry / She regrets They were happy / They cheered I was confused / I hesitated
The verb+adjective combo can't so easily drop the verb without changing either the tone, the flow, or the actions of the characters, because one is an act of doing, and one is a state of being (for the most part, 'fear' is one of those exceptions in English).
You would have to rearrange the sentence, e.g. "I was confused by this" to "This confused me," to elimiate the TBV. Which, most of the time, does help the narrator feel less passive in the story, but, again, we're here for flavor text, not an MLA formatting guide.
So, sometimes the inclusion of the TBV or AXV adds subtext to the action itself.
"He does look" has slightly more urgency and weight than simply "he looks" because the AXV emphasizes that this is an action the actor might not have taken otherwise, for better or for worse.
In the silence, she stands there huffing, voice wrecked from crying as he heads for the open door. “Don’t you walk away from me.” He turns, face impassive. “There’s nothing left to be said.” vs He does turn, face impassive. “There’s nothing left to be said.”
The latter indicates that this might be hesitation or regret on his part, as opposed to a decisive, quick action, or that this is an action that she, the narrator, didn't expect him to take.
It also helps convey the tone of voice (or at least the general direction of the level of emotion in a voice). This absolutely varies on a case-by-case basis and the context of the action and should not be abused.
One of the juicier verbs for subtext here is "try"
He tries to coach her through how to do it properly. vs He does try to coach her through how to do it properly.
The former is direct and simple. He is attempting (he attempts) to help but through the act of "trying" and not "doing" there's an indication that she isn't getting it.
The latter is a little more hopeless, where he and she both know that whatever she's attempting to learn, she won't succeed, but he's doing it anyway. Maybe because he cares or he feels bad, or, that he wasn't going to help her, but something changed his mind.
Deciding when to use these helps convey the inner thoughts of non-narrating characters without head-hopping, and also shows the biases of the narrator.
Hope this helps!
12 Red Herrings to Keep Your Readers Distracted
I’ve seen mystery/thriller authors use the same handful of red herrings too many times to count. So here are some (hopefully not as common) red herrings for your writing.
1. The Unreliable Narrator's Bias
Your narrator can play favourites and scheme and twist the way your readers interpret the story. Use this to your advantage! A character portrayed as untrustworthy can really be someone innocent the narrator framed, vice versa.
2. The Loyal Traitor
A character with a history of betrayal or questionable loyalty is an obvious suspect. They did it once, they could do it again, right? Wrong! They’ve actually changed and the real traitor is someone you trusted.
3. The Conflicted Expert
An expert—like a detective, scientist, or historian—analyses a piece of evidence. They’re ultimately wrong, either due to bias, missing data, or pressure to provide quick answers.
4. The Overly Competent Ally
You know that one sidekick or ally who’s somehow always ahead of the curve? They’re just really knowledgeable, your characters know this, but it makes it hard to trust them. Perfection is suspicious! But in this case, they’re actually just perfect.
5. The Misleading Emotional Clue
Maybe one of your characters is seen crying, angry, or suspiciously happy after xyz event. Characters suspect them, but turns out they’re just having a personal issue. (People have lives outside of yours MC smh). Or it could be a cover-up.
6. A Misleading Alibi
At first this character’s alibi seems perfect but once the protag digs into it, it has a major hole/lie. Maybe they were in a different location or the person they claimed to be with was out of town.
7. The Odd Pattern
Have a seemingly significant pattern—symbols left at crime scenes, items stolen in a specific order, crimes on specific dates. Then make it deliberately planted to mislead.
8. The Misinterpreted Relationship
A character was secretly close to a victim/suspect, making them a suspect. Turns out they were hiding a completely unrelated secret; an affair, hidden family connection, etc.
9. A Forgotten Grudge
Create a grudge or past feud and use it to cast suspicion on an innocent character. Introducing an aspect of their past also helps flesh out their character and dynamics as a group + plant distrust.
10. The Faked Death
Luke Castellan, need I say more (I will)? A supposedly innocent character dies, but turns out they faked it and were never a victim in the first place. They just needed to be out of the picture.
11. The Mistaken Eavesdropper
A character overhears a threat, argument, etc. They suspect B based on this convo, but turns out they just came to a false conclusion. (Or did they?)
12. The Forgetful Alibi
Someone confesses to hearing/seeing a clue, but turns out they were mistaken. Maybe they thought they heard a certain ringtone, or saw xyz which C always wears, but their memory was faulty or influenced by stress.
Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?
Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!
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Archaic Words: Love
for your next poem/story
Adamate - to love dearly
Affect - to love
After-love - love after the first love
Amorette - a love affair
Amowre - love
Apples-of-love - the fruit of some foreign herb, said to be a stimulus for the tender passion; Skinner says they are fructus solani cujusdam peregrini (i.e., the fruit of some foreign species of nightshade)
Cherte - love
Cush-love - a term of endearment used to a cow
Dileccion - love
Dreury - love; friendship
Drewe - love; friendship
Ereos - love
Favours - love-locks
Love-ache - the herb lovage
Love-bind - the herb traveller's joy
Love-day - a day appointed for the settlement of difference by arbitration; later writers seem to use the term for any quiet peaceable day
Love-drewry - courtship
Love-likinge - graciousness; peace
Love-locks - pendant locks of hair, falling near or over the ears, and cut in a variety of fashions
Love-longing - a desire of love
Love-pot - a drunkard
Lovien - the Old English verb, to love
Lovier - a lover
Luef - love
Par-amour - love; gallantry
Paramour - a lover of either sex
Philandering - making love
Pigeon-pair - Twins, when a boy and girl; it is believed by some that pigeons and doves always sit on two eggs, which produce a male and female chick, which live and love together their lives through.
Poop-noddy - the game of love
Tick - a slight touch; loving; fond
Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Word Lists ⚜ Physiology of Love Love ⚜ Kinds of Love ⚜ Terms of Endearment ⚜ Archaic & Obsolete
Writing Resources PDFs
Writing Tools for Planning Your Story
I've tried tons of writing apps and sites, so you don't have to. Here's a list of free sites to plot out your novel, with my review and some images of how I use it.
Milanote
Milanote is like having a giant pinboard with folders. You can upload anything onto it [yes even your main doc] and then draw over it or connect things with lines and arrows
Milanote lets you add up to a hundred things for free, not including drawing. This is one of the downsides of the site as I've found myself reaching that limit recently.
For me, the best part is being able to draw over stuff, and the color swatches.
Milanote is a lot less structured than other sites I've used, and personally, I don't think their templates are worth using.
8/10 overall, Milanote is what I mainly use. Here are some pics of how I use it:
Miro
Miro is a flowchart website mainly used for corporate jobs, however, it can be a great plotting tool for that reason
Miro has a lot of great starter templates if you are looking for a more structured freeform experience. It also comes with a blank page as well.
Unfortunately, I'd argue that it's a bit of a hard tool for beginners to use without a template, I've learned copy-paste is my best friend with Miro the hard way.
It's much better than most platforms at making timelines though.
It has a limit of three boards which is a bit disappointing but overall, I think it's worth the try.
5/10 Miro is very middle of the road for me due to the limited ability to customize things and the free limit. Here are some pics:
[I wrote that part weeks ago, I am now fully using Miro and believe it's the best for making timelines and charts, I just wish it let me make more boards 8/10]
Hiveword
This might be someone's jam, I can't really say it's mine though.
First off, the unpaid version is really just a few boxes saying "Write a summary here." which makes it just not worth it in my opinion
There really isn't any way to customise things which is my favorite part of most of these softwares
I've barely used this, so maybe there's something I'm missing but
1/10, Just use Google Docs at this point, here's a couple pics
World Anvil
People like this software, it's mainly used for tabletop, which is just a different way of writing adventure, and I've seen it recommended by authors.
Unfortunately, I'm going to disagree with a lot of people and say it's hard to use and isn't even really good at plotting.
I may be biased on this one as every time I've tried to use it in the past I've struggled. However, it seems like another just write it in a document and create a folder.
I'd say it's closer to an organizing tool, but even then just use something else.
3/10, I have nothing to say about it but maybe you'll enjoy it, all here are two photos
Campfire
This is the one I think I've heard the most about, but have never actually tried.
right off the bat, I'm going to say this is 100% worth it, you'll see at the end with the photos but this is like if Miro and World Anvil had an organization baby.
It's extremely easy to understand, and it makes timelines, it's more for writing your whole book but idk about that yet.
7/10, its themes are really pretty but it limits how much you can do to 20 I believe. Here are the photos
That's all for now, honestly, I think you should use Miro if you are looking to plot things out, and Milanote if you want to collect and organize your thoughts for writing, as that's what I do. Obviously what I like won't be for everyone, but hopefully, this helped you see some options
List of 400+ Dialogue Tags
Below is a full (but not exhaustive) and updated list of dialogue tags. Dialogue tags are a widely debated topic for writers, some saying you should only use said, others arguing the opposite. You will get no opinion for me—only a list to use as you wish :D
Some words may differ in categories based on context.
Expressing Agreement or Confirmation
Acknowledged, Admitted, Affirmed, Agreed, Apologized, Confirmed, Conceded, Gibed, Professed, Reassured, Verified, Vouched
Initiating or Continuing Conversation
Added, Began, Chimed In, Commented, Continued, Conversed, Discussed, Elaborated, Greeted, Interjected, Offered, Proposed, Remarked, Went On
Making a Declaration or Announcement
Announced, Attested, Declared, Decreed, Emphasized, Enunciated, Proclaimed, Revealed, Stated, Voiced
Formal or Deliberate Communication
Chanted, Concurred, Observed, Postulated, Preached, Put Forth, Reasoned, Surmised, Testified
Indirect Communication
Digressed, Hinted, Implied, Insinuated
Providing Information, Explanation or Speculation
Alleged, Articulated, Asserted, Clarified, Doubted, Equivocated, Explained, Guessed, Imparted, Informed, Lectured, Noted, Predicted, Quoted, Recited, Reported, Theorized
Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty
Doubted, Faltered, Guessed, Hesitated, Pondered, Questioned, Speculated, Wondered, Ventured
Seeking or Giving Advice
Advised, Coaxed, Proposed, Recommended, Remonstrated, Suggested, Supposed, Urged
Animalistic
Barked, Croaked, Growled, Hissed, Hooted, Howled, Hummed, Roared, Snarled
Expressing Discontent or Frustration
Complained, Fretted, Grumbled, Protested, Ranted
Demonstrating Authority or Command
Avowed, Commanded, Crowed, Decided, Demanded, Dictated, Directed, Insisted, Instructed, Maintained, Ordered, Pressed, Proclaimed, Reprimanded
Displaying Confidence or Assertiveness
Asserted, Assured, Boasted, Bragged, Claimed, Piped Up, Pledged, Spoke Up, Told, Vowed
Exhibiting Anger or Aggression
Accused, Bristled, Challenged, Cursed, Erupted, Exasperated, Fumed, Groaned, Huffed, Raged, Seethed, Snapped, Spat, Stormed, Swore, Threatened, Whinged
Displaying Sadness or Despair
Anguished, Bawled, Bemoaned, Blubbered, Cried, Despaired, Grieved, Lamented, Mourned, Sobbed, Wept, Whimpered, Worried
Persuasiveness
Appealed, Begged, Cajoled, Convinced, Persuaded, Petitioned, Pleaded, Prayed
Conveying Fear or Worry
Cautioned, Entreated, Gasped, Quaked, Shuddered, Stressed, Trembled, Warned
Softly or Quietly
Breathed, Called, Crooned, Murmured, Mumbled, Muttered, Sighed, Whispered
Loudly or Forcefully
Bellowed, Boomed, Cried Out, Hollered, Screamed, Screeched, Shouted, Shrieked, Thundered, Wailed, Whooped, Yelled
Demonstrating Disgust or Disdain
Cringed, Gagged, Griped, Groused, Rasped, Scowled, Sneered, Snorted
Expressing Mockery, Disrespect or Sarcasm
Dared, Imitated, Insulted, Jeered, Mimicked, Mocked, Ribbed, Ridiculed, Scoffed, Snickered, Taunted
Doing Annoyingly
Gloated, Goaded, Nagged, Pestered, Provoked, Sassed, Tattled
Emotional or Expressive Communication
Grunted, Mewled, Panted, Quavered, Sniffled, Snivelled, Squawked, Whined, Yowled
Showing Empathy or Comfort
Comforted, Consoled, Empathized, Soothed, Sympathized
Indicating Thoughtfulness or Reflection
Contemplated, Echoed, Mused, Pondered, Recalled, Reflected, Remembered, Reminded, Reminisced, Retorted, Reiterated
Expressing Humour or Amusement
Cackled, Chirped, Chuckled, Giggled, Guffawed, Jested, Joked, Laughed, Quipped
Revealing Information
Confessed, Confided, Divulged, Disclosed, Expressed, Hinted, Revealed, Shared, Spilled, Uttered
In a Flirtatious Way
Bantered, Cooed, Flirted, Joshed, Moaned, Purred, Teased
Demonstrating Surprise or Astonishment
Gasped, Marvelled, Yelped
Indicating Hesitation or Reluctance
Faltered, Hesitated, Stammered, Stuttered
Engaging in a Dispute or Argument
Argued, Bargained, Bickered, Contended, Debated, Disputed, Negotiates, Objected, Rebutted, Shot Back
Showing Enthusiasm or Excitement
Beamed, Blurted, Cheered, Exclaimed, Gushed, Raved, Rejoiced, Sang, Squealed, Trumpeted
Expressing Approval or Praise
Applauded, Complimented, Encouraged, Exhorted, Extolled, Lauded, Praised
Speaking in a Continuous or Repetitive Manner
Babbled, Chattered, Jabbered, Rambled, Rattled On, Repeated
Questions and Answers
Answered, Asked, Cross-examined, Inquired, Implored, Probed. Prodded, Prompted, Queried, Questioned, Quizzed, Requested
Expressing Criticism or Disagreement
Challenged, Chastised, Chided, Condemned, Corrected, Countered, Criticized, Deflected, Demurred, Denounced, Scolded
Negative or Deceptive Communication
Denied, Droned, Exaggerated, Interrupted, Lied
Finishing the Conversation
Concluded, Finished, Thanked
Neutral or Miscellaneous
Admired, Consented, Foretold, Invited, Mentioned, Mouthed, Pointed Out, Replied, Said, Sputtered, Volunteered
Happy Writing!
Writing Worksheets & Templates
will update this every few weeks/months. alternatively, here are all my tagged Writing Worksheets & Templates
Chapter Outline ⚜ Character- or Plot-Driven Story
Death & Sacrifice ⚜ Magic & Rituals ⚜ Plot-Planning
Editing: Sentence Check ⚜ Writing Your Novel: 20 Questions
Tension ⚜ Thought Distortions ⚜ What's at Stake
Character Development
50 Questions ⚜ Backstory ⚜ Character Creation
Antagonist; Villain; Fighting ⚜ Protagonist & Antagonist
Character: Change; Adding Action; Conflict
Character: Creator; Name; Quirks; Flaws; Motivation
Character Profile (by Rick Riordan) ⚜ Character Sheet Template
Character Sketch & Bible ⚜ Interview your Character
Story-Worthy Hero ⚜ "Well-Rounded" Character Worksheet
Worldbuilding
20 Questions ⚜ Decisions & Categories ⚜ Worksheet
Setting ⚜ Dystopian World ⚜ Magic System (AALC Method)
Templates: Geography; World History; City; Fictional Plant
References: Worldbuilding ⚜ Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs
all posts are queued. send questions/requests here.
Words to describe blood without saying crimson or blood?
Blood—the fluid that circulates in the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins of a vertebrate animal carrying nourishment and oxygen to and bringing away waste products from all parts of the body
Arterial - relating to or being the bright red blood present in most arteries that has been oxygenated in lungs or gills
Body fluid - a fluid or fluid secretion (such as blood, lymph, saliva, semen, or urine) of the body
Carmine - a vivid red
Cerise - a moderate red
Claret - a dark purplish red
Clot - a coagulated mass produced by clotting of blood
Cruor - obsolete: the clotted portion of coagulated blood
Ensanguine - to make bloody; crimson
Geranium - a vivid or strong red
Gore - blood, especially: clotted blood
Hematic - of, relating to, or containing blood
Hematoid - resembling blood
Hemoglobin - an iron-containing respiratory pigment of vertebrate red blood cells that consists of a globin composed of four subunits each of which is linked to a heme molecule, that functions in oxygen transport to the tissues after conversion to oxygenated form in the gills or lungs, and that assists in carbon dioxide transport back to the gills or lungs after surrender of its oxygen
Hemoid - resembling blood
Ichor - a thin watery or blood-tinged discharge
Incarnadine - bloodred
Juices - the natural fluids of an animal body
Maroon - a dark red
Plasma - the fluid part of blood, lymph, or milk as distinguished from suspended material
Puce - a dark red
Ruddle - red ocher (i.e., a red earthy hematite used as a pigment)
Russet - a reddish brown
Sanguine - bloodred; consisting of or relating to blood
Scarlet - any of various bright reds
Vermilion - any of various red pigments
Word Lists ⚜ Blood ⚜ Exsanguination ⚜ On Blood ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs
Soft-Feeling Latin Words & Phrases
Another list of Latin phrases, this time with soft/warm meanings. It is 2:39am as I make this list.
a te pro te: from thee for thee
ab imo pectore: from the bottom of the heart
volat hora per orbem: time files through the world
coelum versus: heavenward
concubia nocte: at dead of night
crepusculum: twilight or dusk
crescens luna: a cresent moon
cum corde: with the heart
labores solis: an eclipse of the sun
in horam viviere: to live for the moment
in rerum natura: in the nature of things
in tuto esse: in a safe place
ingens aequor: the vast ocean
inter vivos: among the living
januae mentis: inlets of knowledge
jenuis clausis: in secret, with closed doors
littera scripta manet: the written letter remains
lux mundi: light of the world
lux vitae: light of life
meo voto: by my wish
mox nox: soon night
multis cum lacrimis: with many tears
ningit: it is snowing
occidui temporis umbra: a shadow at sunset
opinio vana: an illusion
osculum pacis: kiss of peace
papilio: butterfly
par pari refero: tit for tat
per vian dolorosam: the way of sorrows
philtrum: a love potion
pluvia: rain
res rustica: a rural affair
ros marinus: rosemary
semel et semper: once and always
silva: wood or forest
sinus urbis: heart of the city
As always, happy writing!
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Reference: Latin for the Illiterati: a modern guide to an ancient language by Jon R. Stone, second edition 2009.
Im like if a redneck was whimsical
Custom engraved silver necklace by Silberwerk, commissioned by me- words from Belovéd by Yves Olade
i could make u cum 20 times a day
IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP IT TO YOURSELF @mothercain
floating the idea of an eviler twin
love my little lesbian doctor professor reciting dante's inferno