#2: Writing
08.08.2026

Foreword

Hello, I'm back with another short guide, which is basically a follow-up to the brainwashing tutorial. It's designed to help you get better at making your concept come across in a way that can hook a person in. Keep reading to grow as an author!

Habits

Write regularly, no excuses

Everyone has at least five minutes to write every day. The real question is whether you actually want to write. If you don't want to write, simply don't. If you do want to write and are just avoiding it, stop waiting for the right moment to come. The right moment does not exist. Start now.

Set a goal

If you imagine a really vague goal like "I will write something someday," you probably won't get anywhere. Give yourself something more specific, like: 

• "I will write (number) words daily." 
• "I will do (thing) at (time)."

And then follow that goal. Stay consistent.

Read a lot

People might tell you that you need to read old boring books to get better at writing. While there is some truth to that, you don't actually have to read the things you don't like. 

Literally any reading can help, from articles to fanfiction to comics to poems. The point is basically to learn how all the successful authors (or your personal favorites) did their thing.

Also, it's important to read PURPOSEFULLY. Mindlessly reading text can entertain you, but it doesn't really teach you anything. To get better at writing, try focusing on sentence structure, reread certain parts if you need to, and think. 

Think about what you like about the thing you're reading. Get inspired!

Separate drafting from editing

Whenever you write, avoid trying to fix grammar or details while getting the raw thought on the page. Perfectionism can quickly kill your creative mind!

To make writing more efficient and stress-free, always edit after you're done drafting, never during.

Here's a quote: 

"Sometimes, when you're writing a poem - or a story - your brain gets fixated on a specific point...

If you try so hard to make it perfect, then you'll never make any progress. 

Just force yourself to get something down on the paper, and tidy it up later! 

Another way to think about it is this: 

if you keep your pen in the same spot for too long, you'll just get a big dark puddle of ink.

So just move your hand, and go with the flow!"

Monika
Doki Doki Literature Club!

Style

Find your genre

While consuming content, try to notice what you personally prefer and enjoy. You can use that information to get better at writing in your favorite genre!

Active voice > passive voice

When you write, prioritize active voice. Sentences immediately become more interesting when the subject is doing the thing you're talking about in the sentence.

And I'm absolutely not saying that it's wrong to use passive voice. In fact, it's actually better in certain cases. Just don't overdo it.

Vary sentence length

Mix in short sentences as well as long ones. Your writing can easily start to feel boring if all the sentences look the same, and our brains usually like to see different things from time to time. Does that make sense?

Keep what matters

I know you probably care about your creations a lot. However, we need to learn that sometimes it's okay to cut the fluff. You know, get rid of all the redundant repetitive words or phrases or flowery wording. So, make every sentence count.

Feedback

Talk to people

If you have any close ones who you trust, you can show your project to them. Like, family, friends, your partner, Discord mutuals, whatever. If they're your true friends, they shouldn't judge you (if they do, consider finding better friends).

You don't have to do this, but talking to people might get you some of that feedback you oh so desperately need.

Accept constructive criticism

Everyone has different tastes and preferences, so be ready for any criticism. If someone gives you an actual well-thought-out opinion, don't immediately block them and leave. 

Maybe ask them to elaborate and think about it. When you hear your friends out, you might notice that their feedback is actually pretty useful, no matter how harsh. 

Take advantage of every opportunity, because you won't get many of those!

Get better at attracting new fans

Read the brainwashing tutorial! 

Here

Learning

Study the rules

There are many articles about writing on the Internet, so why not read them? I often see people say that the term "good writing" is subjective, and it is, but that doesn't mean there aren't any baseline rules to writing!

Ignoring all the existing rules is one easy way to meet failure. 

Check your stuff

Spending way too much time editing isn't healthy for your mental health, but always reread what you wrote before you show it to anyone. We are all just people, so there's a huge chance you missed a typo or a confusing sentence. Go revise! 

Take breaks

Everyone needs breaks, even creators (especially creators). You don't have to spend every second writing to be good at it. Actually, if you overdo it, you're risking burnout! Getting out of a burnout situation can be extremely difficult, so always remember to let your brain rest. 

And I mean REAL rest. Not the kind of rest where you doomscroll for hours. Your body might be resting while scrolling on your phone, but your brain is still getting stimulated, like, a lot. That's not rest. 

But of course, everyone has different needs. Find your own preferred version! 

" TL;DR: Read, write, reread, fix, learn, rest, repeat. "

Dana
The author

Also, you could use my super cool OC-making tutorial!

Template + tips for writing OCs

Common issues

Lack of motivation

Motivation is fleeting, so don't rely on it. Try setting absurdly small goals to make writing feel less like an intimidating task and more like a fun activity.

Some things you can do: 

• Use a 5-minute timer
• Write 50 words (or even fewer)

Usually, momentum builds up and you end up doing more. But even if you don't feel like continuing, you still did something. Don't forget that slow progress is still progress!!

Turning ideas into words

Many people fail because they keep all their ideas in their heads, and I get it. It's a lot easier to imagine cool scenes without the pressure of writing, but if you want to succeed as an author, you might have to pull the thoughts out.

What you can do:

• Brain dump: 
  write down anything that comes to mind, no matter how messy it is. 
  
  
• Record yourself: 
  pretend you're explaining the idea to someone. 
  
  
• Bullet points: 
  list your thoughts out of order. 
  
  
• Write "badly" on purpose.
  
  

Describing things

Some tips:

• Use the five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste
• Focus on specific details
• Show actions and feelings instead of just facts