Nathan Miller

— Clementine Von Radics, from In A Dream You Saw A Way To Survive; "The Fear" (via lunamonchtuna)

---

Bellamy and his tan shirt in s3 and s4

---

hi hi! this one's mine >u<

What is the first sentence in your WIP?

I’ll go first

---

They match each other's freak so well that if they separate, the public is in critical danger

---

Can we discuss how likely it was Stack was still inside the juke joint and it was the reason why the place had been locked up? So yeah Smoke killed the kkk for revenge but also it was his final act of protecting his brother who would have died had sun light been let in???

Also the fact that Stack could have watched everything and been the one to give Smoke a proper burial in the end? I just hate how they were separated in life and death. So unfair!

---

unless they specifically asked, you don’t get to tell a fanfic writer you think they mischaracterized the character by the way. because the second someone writes a fanfic about a character, that character becomes the writer’s own version of the character. canon is only a suggestion, but whether or not an author will follow it / how much of canon an author will take is entirely up to them. you don’t get to stick your nose in their world and tell them “hey this is not to my liking therefore I think you’re doing it wrong” when you can simply leave quietly and move on to something else you may enjoy

---

Words To Use Instead of Said (Advanced Version)

Part One: Dialogue Tags

Reminder to use these sparingly and not every line of dialogue needs a dialogue tag.

To Say Something Quietly:

whispered

murmured

breathed

sighed

simpered

hummed

mumbled

muttered

To Say Something Loudly:

exclaimed

cried

squealed

shrieked

shouted

bellowed

roared

declared

declared

proclaimed

hollered

To Say Something Angrily:

snapped

snarled

growled

barked

grumbled

complained

huffed

nagged

blustered

thundered

seethed

fumed

ranted

demanded

taunted

scoffed

cursed

grunted

insulted

hissed

badgered

sneered

To Say Something In An Amused Manner:

laughed

chuckled

giggled

joked

quipped

teased

cheered

crowed

To Say Something Unsurely // Nervously:

faltered

stammered

stuttered

hesitated

guessed

blurted

trembled

speculated

quivered

equivocated

denied

countered

babbled

slurred

squeaked

yelped

cautioned

gulped

squales

quavered

hesitated

trailed off

Part Two: Action Tags

The use of action tags will make your writing more interesting and creates variety in conversation-filled scenes. Make sure to add both in your writing and do your best not to over do it.

Reminder: When using action tags that aren’t one word, always use periods instead of commas. Example:

“Idiot,” Camille rolled her eyes out of annoyance, continuing to file her nails. Wrong.

“Idiot.” Camille rolled her eyes out of annoyance, continuing to file her nails. Correct.

Positive:

smiled

grinned

smirked

beamed

his eyes twinkled

flashed a chesire smile

looked pleased

her ears reddened

his cheeks flushed

the corner of her lips tugged up

Neutral:

crossed her arms

folded their arms

blew their hair out his their face

twirled her hair around her finger

massaged his temples

bit her lip

chewed the insides of her cheek

batted his eyes

angled her head

tousled his hair

nodded in agreement

feigned confusion

Negative:

clenched his fist

dug her nails into her palm

picked at his nails

glared

narrowed her gaze

withheld his anger

his head pounded with anger

You can mix and match, using a dialogue and an action tag as well. Example: Dialogue, Action.

“I don’t think I can,” she stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

---

Signs a Character Is Falling in Love

ෆ They Start Noticing the Small Things: The way the other person laughs. How they stir their coffee. The exact shape of their handwriting.

ෆ Hyper-Awareness of Touch. A brush of fingers becomes a full-body event. They replay it later. On loop.

ෆ They Look for Them First in a Room. Just a glance. A check. Not because they care. Obviously.

ෆ Jealousy They Can’t Explain. A spike of irritation when someone else makes them laugh. What’s that about? They don’t want to know.

ෆ Their Defenses Go Weird. More sarcasm. More teasing. Or less of everything. Silence, suddenly.

ෆ Uncharacteristic Generosity. Lending a book. Making a playlist. Bringing coffee “just because.” They’re not in love. They’re just nice.

ෆ They Get Irritated by Their Own Reactions. Why do they care so much? Why are they thinking about this? Why won’t it stop?

ෆ They Start Mirroring. Their speech patterns shift. Their posture echoes the other person. It’s subconscious. It’s terrifying.

ෆ They Avoid Eye Contact More Than Usual. Because they’re afraid if they look too long, the truth will pour out.

ෆ They Rehearse Conversations in Their Head. Over and over, what they could say, what they wish they said. They’re not in love. Nope. Definitely not.

---

flirty bellamy makes me feel things…

---

Things Real People Do in Dialogue (For Your Next Story)

Okay, let’s be real—dialogue can make or break a scene. You want your characters to sound natural, like actual humans talking, not robots reading a script. So, how do you write dialogue that feels real without it turning into a mess of awkward pauses and “ums”? Here’s a little cheat sheet of what real people actually do when they talk (and you can totally steal these for your next story):

1. People Interrupt Each Other All the Time In real conversations, nobody waits for the perfect moment to speak. We interrupt, cut each other off, and finish each other's sentences. Throw in some overlaps or interruptions in your dialogue to make it feel more dynamic and less like a rehearsed play.

2. They Don’t Always Say What They Mean Real people are masters of dodging. They’ll say one thing but mean something totally different (hello, passive-aggressive banter). Or they’ll just avoid the question entirely. Let your characters be vague, sarcastic, or just plain evasive sometimes—it makes their conversations feel more layered.

3. People Trail Off... We don’t always finish our sentences. Sometimes we just... stop talking because we assume the other person gets what we’re trying to say. Use that in your dialogue! Let a sentence trail off into nothing. It adds realism and shows the comfort (or awkwardness) between characters.

4. Repeating Words Is Normal In real life, people repeat words when they’re excited, nervous, or trying to make a point. It’s not a sign of bad writing—it’s how we talk. Let your characters get a little repetitive now and then. It adds a rhythm to their speech that feels more genuine.

5. Fillers Are Your Friends People say "um," "uh," "like," "you know," all the time. Not every character needs to sound polished or poetic. Sprinkle in some filler words where it makes sense, especially if the character is nervous or thinking on their feet.

6. Not Everyone Speaks in Complete Sentences Sometimes, people just throw out fragments instead of complete sentences, especially when emotions are high. Short, choppy dialogue can convey tension or excitement. Instead of saying “I really think we need to talk about this,” try “We need to talk. Now.”

7. Body Language Is Part of the Conversation Real people don’t just communicate with words; they use facial expressions, gestures, and body language. When your characters are talking, think about what they’re doing—are they fidgeting? Smiling? Crossing their arms? Those little actions can add a lot of subtext to the dialogue without needing extra words.

8. Awkward Silences Are Golden People don’t talk non-stop. Sometimes, they stop mid-conversation to think, or because things just got weird. Don’t be afraid to add a beat of awkward silence, a long pause, or a meaningful look between characters. It can say more than words.

9. People Talk Over Themselves When They're Nervous When we’re anxious, we tend to talk too fast, go back to rephrase what we just said, or add unnecessary details. If your character’s nervous, let them ramble a bit or correct themselves. It’s a great way to show their internal state through dialogue.

10. Inside Jokes and Shared History Real people have history. Sometimes they reference something that happened off-page, or they share an inside joke only they get. This makes your dialogue feel lived-in and shows that your characters have a life beyond the scene. Throw in a callback to something earlier, or a joke only two characters understand.

11. No One Explains Everything People leave stuff out. We assume the person we’re talking to knows what we’re talking about, so we skip over background details. Instead of having your character explain everything for the reader’s benefit, let some things go unsaid. It’ll feel more natural—and trust your reader to keep up!

12. Characters Have Different Voices Real people don’t all talk the same way. Your characters shouldn’t either! Pay attention to their unique quirks—does one character use slang? Does another speak more formally? Maybe someone’s always cutting people off while another is super polite. Give them different voices and patterns of speech so their dialogue feels authentic to them.

13. People Change the Subject In real life, conversations don’t always stay on track. People get sidetracked, jump to random topics, or avoid certain subjects altogether. If your characters are uncomfortable or trying to dodge a question, let them awkwardly change the subject or ramble to fill the space.

14. Reactions Aren’t Always Immediate People don’t always respond right away. They pause, they think, they hesitate. Sometimes they don’t know what to say, and that delay can speak volumes. Give your characters a moment to process before they respond—it’ll make the conversation feel more natural.

Important note: Please don’t use all of these tips in one dialogue at once.

---