Writing Is Hard But Coming Up With A Cunty Title And Catchy Summary Will Slay Even God's Strongest Soldier

20 Ways to Show Extreme Fear in Your Writing

As I dive into researching signs of fear for my horror WIP, I wanted to share some of the most compelling and visceral reactions I’ve come across. Whether you’re writing a chilling scene or crafting a character’s panic, these 20 signs of fear can help bring tension and realism to your story.

Physical Reactions

Hyperventilating — sucking in air but never feeling like it’s enough

Chest tightens — feels like a weight or hands pressing down

Limbs shaking violently, knees buckling

Complete loss of muscle control — collapsing or unable to stand

Cold sweat soaking through clothes

Heart hammering so hard they feel it in their throat or head

Tunnel vision — the world narrowing down to one terrifying focal point

Ringing in the ears or sudden deafness, like the world drops away

Dizziness / feeling faint / vision blurring

Dry mouth — unable to speak or even scream

Uncontrollable Behavior

Screaming / sobbing / gasping — involuntary vocal outbursts

Panic run — bolting without thinking, tripping over everything

Clawing at their own skin / chest / throat — like trying to escape their body

Begging / pleading out loud even if no one’s there

Repeating words or phrases — “No, no, no” / “This isn’t happening”

Hiding instinctively — diving under tables, closets, or corners

Desperate grabbing — reaching for someone, anything solid

Loss of bladder or bowel control (for extreme terror)

Total mental shutdown — frozen, slack-jawed, staring blankly

Memory blackout — later can’t recall what happened during the worst moment

writing a multi-chapter fic is posting a chapter that is 1,000 word long and another that is 10,000 word long. there's no in between

To anyone who sees this, I wish you warm fuzzy blankets and your preferred choice of milk or tea. Now go sleep sleep!!

10 Soul-Level Secrets Your Character Is Carrying (And Hiding Like Their Life Depends on It)

These are the kind of secrets, that keep your character up at night. The kind that twist their decisions, poison their relationships, and build a wall between who they are and who they pretend to be.

» They think they ruined someone’s life, and no one knows.

It wasn’t murder. It wasn’t obvious. But maybe they said the wrong thing. Maybe they didn’t show up when it mattered. Maybe they walked away and something irreversible happened. No one connects the dots. But they do. Every day.

They smile like everything’s fine. They help people. But underneath? They’re trying to atone for something they never confessed.

» They don’t believe they’re capable of being truly loved.

They might flirt. They might date. They might even say “I love you” like it’s nothing. But they don’t believe it when it’s said back. They think people are just being kind. Or delusional. Or lying. It doesn’t matter how good they are—it never feels like enough. So they self-sabotage. Quietly. Strategically. Like clockwork.

» They’re living a life that’s not theirs.

Maybe they took someone’s spot, figuratively or literally. Maybe they’re fulfilling someone else’s dream, wearing someone else’s name, carrying someone else’s story. They were supposed to say no. Walk away. Be honest. But now it’s too late. Too deep. Too tangled. So they pretend this version of their life is real. Even when it doesn’t feel like it.

» They’ve buried a part of their identity because it was safer.

Their queerness. Their culture. Their belief system. Their softness. Their rage. At some point, they decided—this part of me makes people leave. So they buried it. Cut it off. And now they move through life like a shadow of who they were supposed to be. They blend. They perform. But deep down, something sacred is starving.

» They still love the person they say they hate.

They’ll deny it. They’ll joke. They’ll talk sh*t with a smile. But the truth? They never really let go. And they never will. It’s in the way their voice shakes. The way they remember the smallest detail. The way they get weirdly quiet when that person’s name comes up. Love laced with bitterness is still love. That’s what makes it so hard.

» They’ve hurt someone on purpose—and never apologized.

It was calculated. Or maybe impulsive. But they knew what they were doing. And they did it anyway. Now they pretend it didn’t matter. They laugh it off. “We all make mistakes,” right? But in the quiet moments, it haunts them. They remember the look in that person’s eyes. They remember the moment they chose cruelty. And they hate themselves for it.

» They think they’re a bad person deep down.

They might be kind. Loyal. Brave. But they’re convinced it’s a performance. A mask. That underneath all the good, they’re something rotten. Unforgivable. Wrong. So they wait. For the slip-up. For the fallout. For someone to finally say it out loud: “I knew you were never really good.”

» They’re still shaped by something they pretend didn’t happen.

That thing? The trauma? The grief? The shame? They’ve never talked about it. Maybe they’ve blocked it out. Maybe they minimize it. But it’s everywhere—in the way they react to conflict, touch, silence, love. They don’t think it matters anymore. But it does. It always has.

» They dream of leaving. But never will.

Every day, they imagine packing a bag. Burning it all down. Starting over. But they stay. Because of guilt. Obligation. Fear. They smile while doing the right thing. But in the back of their mind, they’re screaming. They’ve built a prison out of choices that looked noble on paper.

» They’ve built a whole personality around keeping people from seeing who they really are.

The loud one. The chill one. The one who always makes the plans or always fixes the mess or always has a snarky comeback. It’s not fake. But it’s not all there is. They’ve decided that the real them? The soft, scared, selfish, angry, insecure them? Can’t be loved. So they keep the performance airtight. But some part of them still hopes someone will see through it anyway.

8 Tips for Redeeming Your Villain (Without Pissing Off Your Readers)

I won't lie, I love a good redemption arc for a villain. I love watching a formerly deplorable character atone for their sins and come to terms with the fact that they were wrong, and I especially love it when it doesn't come easy (as it shouldn't!). But I also know some writers might struggle with this, or worry about doing so in a way that won't aggravate readers or come out of left field. So, if you're struggling with this, here are some tips to help!

1.) Hint at redeemable traits early: All villains should be nuanced, in my opinion, but if you're going for a redemption arc, you should really dedicate some time to really showing those softer, redeemable sides of your villain from the beginning. It can be hesitation over their big evil schemes, or moments of really profound kindness in the midst of their cruelty. A villain that is too cruel from the get-go being redeemed will feel forced and likely uncalled for, so make sure you're going out of your way to show that the concept of "I can fix them" is actually possible.

2.) A strong motivation to change is a must: Nobody really makes an effort to change their ways unless they have a drive to do so, and the same should go for your villain. Don't make their mission to become "good" just a fleeting phase they happen to be going through (it's not like being emo, guys). Something needs to happen to them to drive them toward that switch. Maybe they realize the consequences of their actions and hate what they've done. Maybe the one person they want to save can only be saved if they change their ways. Maybe their beloved cat almost gets hurt during a scheme and they make the choice to change for their precious furry friend. You can really go nuts here!

3.) Remember "atonement, not apologies": Sometimes, "Sorry" isn't enough. In the case of a villain who might have done some pretty terrible shit in the past, I would wager it's most definitely not enough. While being remorseful is apart of atoning, it's not enough for them to just say "I'm sorry for trying to launch you into the sun" or "I'm sorry for committing arson on your base." Their actions also need to follow their apologies. They need to actually show that they're sorry, and are taking actions to fix the damage they've done. More than ever, their actions will speak louder than their dialogue.

4.) Remember that some actions are unforgiveable: There might come a moment in your villain's evildoings where they pass a point of no return. Some acts of villainy are just too far gone for chances of redemption. This doesn't mean that they can't have some version of redemption, but this just might come in the form of them accepting what they've done and making peace with it rather than being accepted and forgiven by those around them.

5.) Consequences don't just go away because they're nice now: No matter how kind your villain is choosing to be now, and how far they're willing to go to show that they've changed, they can't erase the past (of course, unless there is time travel at play, in which case...we'll talk). The consequences of their actions should still come back to bite them in some way, shape, or form, and they should still figure out how to work through them. Perhaps the villagers are still terrified of them, and likely will be for years to come. Perhaps the death of a loved one was indirectly caused by their wrongdoings, and they have to live with that.

6.) ...and neither does their core personality: At the end of the day, even though your villain is going through their redemption, they're still the same person they were as a villain. They still need to be the same ruthless or calculating or charismatic or dry or whatever kind of person they were to start. They just have less evil goals now. Write accordingly!

7.) The redemption needs to be EARNED: Redemption isn't something that just happens overnight. It needs to be treated like a practiced discipline. Your villain needs to try, fail, get up and try again, fail again, and keep trying. Maybe they almost give up at some point and try to relapse into evildoings. There needs to be a struggle as they come to terms with their actions, learn the correct way to atone, and find ways to make up for their terrible deeds. That way, when they've finally reached their peak of "good," it feels like it was deserved.

8.) Death does not always equal redemption: From years of reading, I've noticed that a common way to redeem a villain is just...killing them in an act of sacrifice. I feel like this only works if there's been a buildup to it. They can't just go out in a blaze of sacrificial glory and expect to be recounted as a hero when they were forcibly lobotomizing innocent children the day before. If your villains redemption arc does end in their death, the other tips still matter--there needs to be a buildup to it.

(If you like my guides, prompts, writing, or art, consider supporting the blog today! All donations help me keep this thing up and running and all are appreciated <3)

It also really bothers me when teachers see an em-dash and decide that “ah yes this student used ai—“

Like leave me and my comfort punctuation alone pls 😭

how i'm handling my students using AI to write papers:

-don't accuse them on using AI from the get-go and instead ask them to informally define all the huge words that they used in their essay which i know they don't know the meaning of

-ask to see their original file where they "wrote" the essay. go to version history to see if it was just copy and pasted and then just edited a bit. i keep an eye out for the shit like "certainly! here's an essay about...."

-if they own up to it, they can re-do the assignment for a higher grade even if there will be an automatic penalty. if they don't, i process it like plagiarism and get my supervisor involved.

Ways I Show a Character is In Love But Doesn't Know It Yet...

This one’s for the emotional masochists writing the slowest of burns, where your readers are screaming “just kiss already!” by chapter twenty... I Love and Hate you... ♥

They compare everyone else to the person… and everyone else comes up short. Even when they’re not consciously doing it. No one’s laugh is as warm. No one’s eyes crinkle that way.

They remember the weirdest little things about them. Birthdays? Whatever. But that time they snorted laughing at a dumb joke? Locked and loaded.

They feel weirdly guilty when flirting with someone else. Like they’re cheating… except they’re not even dating. Or are they? Or—ugh, feelings are the worst.

They notice every damn detail when the other person isn’t around. "They’d like this song." "This smells like their shampoo." "I wonder what they'd say about this weird squirrel."

They use weird, overly specific compliments. Not “You look good,” but “That color makes your eyes look like a storm in a novel I’d cry over.”

They get weirdly intense about that person being hurt or in danger. Like, irrationally intense. "He’s just a friend," they say while planning to murder anyone who makes them cry.

They feel safer around them than anyone else, and it freaks them out. Like: “I’m always on guard. Except with you. That’s... suspicious.”

characters going “we were lovers once”: eh, it’s okay i guess. it’s nice enough

characters going “we were friends once”: absolutely devastating. one hit knockout i’m gone

I love talking with neurotypical people about my executive dysfunction because I'm like "yeah there's this invisible wall in my head that I'm incapable of getting past no matter what I do and it stops me from doing things" and they're like what the actual fuck

Meanwhile other neurodivergents are like