The “the The Monster”

the “the the monster”

One of the best writing tips I’d ever gotten was from my seventh grade history teacher–that of which he called the ‘the the monster’

the best way to explain it is that you should never start two sentences with the same word. this might seem like a simple idea/very mundane–pretty much something everyone would know. However, you can find yourself doing this a lot more often than you think.

for example writing this:

The soft, warm blanket lay atop her and keeping her warm as she slept. The boy had been waiting for her to wake up for awhile, constantly checking her.

is a lot chopper than writing this:

The soft, warm blanket lay atop her, keeping her warm as she slept. Across the room, the boy sat and anxiously waited for her to wake.

personally, I like to give a two sentence space between using the same word to start. Doing this makes the writing seem less repetitive & overall can make you think of creative ways to get certain points across. I find if the sentences sound too similar it will bore the reader fairly quickly, leaving them to skim over what could be important information. Similarly, using the same word twice in one sentence has similar effects. That shows lack of ‘creativity’ so to say.

overall, try to vary your writing! it might be tough sometimes but you got this!

Let’s have more inconveniently weird characters in 2019

I want more characters who’s quirks haven’t been romanticized a gazillion times.

Oh shyboy#42728 sits alone at lunch with his sketch book? He’s a brilliant artist but he doesn’t talk to anyone? What a weirdo.

Imnotliketheothergirls#123567889 has a passion for reading unlike every other girl in her school?

Nah man. Let’s spice things up, i want more neurodivergent characters with wack (but healthy) coping methods. let’s normalize and romantisize the fact that some people are weird and this is not a bad thing.

I’m talking about that boy who talks to people he’s made up when he’s upset. He introduces each of them to the girl he likes and she thinks it’s cute.

There’s a girl that counts her steps and once she reaches 22 she can breath again. Her girlfriend walks with her.

They know ASL and sign the first letter of people’s words to deal with nerves. Their partner now knows how to sign their name.

When he thinks he might cry he looks for something blue to hold and/or chew on. His boyfriend gives him blue chew necklaces and they learned how to make blue food together.