Writing Tips: Setting Up Your Writing

Organization is important in life and in writing, too. If you're writing in a document, organizing is just a few clicks away. But if you're writing in a journal... let's just say things can go crazy.

So if you already  have a bunch of writing spread between notebooks or on scraps of paper, it's good to get them together.

For loose papers, it's good to get a binder.

The ring size depends on your need. I prefer one or one and a half inch binders. So hole punch away(and add reinforcement stickers) and add in dividers. Sort it in the way that your mind works. It might be by genre, character, or world.

After that, you'll have a nicely sorted binder of writing.

For journals, if you're going to write more than one thing in it, or you know you will, write a table of contents for the first few pages. Number all the pages in the journal. You can write the name of the piece of writing, chapter, etc.

Have fun organizing! You'll feel refreshed afterward.

-The Nocturnal Writer

Life: Revision

I'm in the first phase of revision. I already made revisions on physical paper with red pen, and now I'm making adjustments on the actual document. It's actually fun!

I can tell that I have more revising to go, and possibly more drafting. Many, may more hours of work.

Good luck to all writers!

-The Nocturnal Writer

Writing Tips: Living Your Character

Ever have trouble thinking in the way that your character thinks? Well here are some weird tips that might sound crazy, but it works. In a quick sentence, here it is.

Pretend that you ARE the character, or have an imaginary best friend for the day.

I know it sounds silly but it works. Now, don't make decisions based on your character's personality unless you can do it without endangering yourself or getting into trouble. But think in the way that your character thinks, even if it's hard to imagine. After a while, your character's personality should solidify.

It's the same for your imaginary character friend. You can just imagine how conversations with one character and another would go before your sleep. Just whenever you have time.

These tips are more suitable for people with more time, but anyone can try!

Good luck and happy writing!

-The Nocturnal Writer

Inspiration: Style

For some characters, their style or overall look is what makes them stand out. So here are a few pictures to inspire your next character. Remember, you can always web surf for more inspiration.

The filter makes a big difference on the whole feel of the picture. Inspired?

Hippie fashion.

I'm not sure what to call this. Any ideas?

There are many other styles out there, such as steampunk, cyberpunk, grunge, and more. Search and you'll find many! I hope you were inspired.

Happy writing!

-The Nocturnal Writer

Writing Tips: Shorts

Shorts. Not the ones that some people wear. It's what I like to call short scenes using a character you already created with the purpose of defining their personality more.

I usually involve an common situation(common on the character's standards) and a small problem. The short shows how the character solves the issue, and how he or she gets along or works together with one or more characters, if there are any.

For example, let's say you had a character in a realistic fiction story called Joe.

An common situation for him might be this.

This is spilling coffee on a shirt.

You might write about his initial reaction, what he thinks, and what he feels. Then, you would write about how he deals with the situation.

It doesn't have to be a wrapped up and perfect story. The purpose for you is to understand your character, and once that is accomplished, the short served its purpose.

Writing shorts helps greatly. Even thinking about them does. But writing or typing forces you to solidify your thoughts!

Good luck writing shorts!

-The Nocturnal Writer

Prompts: Finish This Story

Read the sentence below, then use your imagination to add to it and tie it off into a story.

We've been searching for days, weeks, and months. Finally, trekking through the land, we found what we've been looking for. It was...

Here are some things to consider.

• What is the main character searching for?
• Who is/are accompanying the main character?
• What is the landscape like?

Tip: You can use a character you already created in a prompt as a way to get to know your character even better.

I didn't include a picture in the post because I didn't want to limit your imagination.

Happy writing!

-The Nocturnal Writer

News: Time

Recently, I have a lot of things to do and not enough time to do it. I've been writing posts on weekends and weekdays when I had time, and constantly scheduling posts so I wouldn't have to worry about it for a while.

I apologize if there's a week gap between posts, occasionally! I'll schedule posts for you readers and writers throughout the rest of the year, not that I have THAT many posts scheduled...

I wish all of you reading the blog the best luck in life and writing, and thank you for visiting!

-The Nocturnal Writer

Writing Tips: How to Stay Awake(Without Coffee!)

Tired? Need sleep, but need to finish some work? Here are some ways to stay awake for those last few hours. These are just some tips that work for me, and I hope that they work for you!

1. Sweet food- If I'm very tired, sweet food wakes me up. For example, a tiny piece of chocolate(dark chocolate is healthier) helps a lot. Sometimes, it prevents me from sleeping. Don't make this a habit, though.

2. Stretches- What's important is to get your heart pumping a bit harder. The extra oxygen to your brain will ward off some of the sleepiness. Also, walking or standing up while working may help.

3. Deep Breathing- It's the same concept as above. More oxygen, less sleepiness.

4. Desk Light- Having a desk light helps. I can never sleep in a bright room, so the extra light prevents me from dozing off. Make sure it's not shining in your eyes!

5. Water- I'm not sure if it's the task of getting up to get water or drinking it that wakes me up, or a combination of both. Water is good, and it won't prevent you from sleeping afterwards.

Make sure that you get 8 hours of sleep on most days, and sleep an extra hour on the weekend to refresh yourself. Keeping your mind healthy and rested is important in everyday life! 

Good luck!

-The Nocturnal Writer

Inspiration: Wings

When you hear the word, wing, what do you first see? An eagle soaring through the sky? An angel sitting on a cloud? An aircraft?

If you think about wings, yes, there is science behind how birds fly, but if you just look at a bird swooping down to a perch, it's amazing. It's almost magical.

Wings or flight can symbolize freedom. Maybe you can incorporate it into one of your writings?

There's endless possibilities. Just think about it, and maybe you'll be inspired!

So find something that you take as normal, and think about it. Look around at nature. There's sure to be some odd plant or animal out there! Ideas are sure to come.

What's your inspiration? Feel free to share in the comments!

-The Nocturnal Writer

Writing Tips: Balancing Writing and Life

Most people don't have the luxury of having all the time in the day. We have a busy life! Sometimes, it's hard to find time to spill your thoughts onto a document or paper. But that doesn't mean you can't.

One strategy is to find at least five minutes in the morning to write, and another five at night. That will amount to ten minutes a day. After a week, it will be over an hour of writing! Basically, write a little bit each day. I prefer to write at night, when I'm more relaxed. It's all personal preference.

Another strategy is to assign writing days. Schedule them on days where you are less busy(like weekends!) at least three times a week. The session length is your choice! I usually take at least half an hour. Don't be afraid to switch around the schedule depending on what's going on in life.

The most important thing is to build a writing habit. Then, it will come naturally, and soon, you'll be making steady progress! Just as I find time to write this blog, you can find your time to write!

By the way, it takes about a month to build a habit. Persistence and determination is the key.

-The Nocturnal Writer

Prompts: Cliff Face

Get your pencil(or pen) and paper ready for this writing prompt!


You are standing on a small ledge on a cliff face, fifty feet from the ground. From this high point, you can see the surrounding landscape very well. You feel insignificant compared to the wide sky and never ending landscape. The wind is strong and threatens to push you off. 

Add in as much detail as possible.
-Describe the cliff face(color, texture, etc.)
-Describe the landscape(forest, desert, snowy, etc.) along with details
-Describe what you feel(or your character's)
-Describe the wind(temperature, strength, etc.)

Challenge
-Add in at least one metaphor or simile
-Explain between details about why you are up there
-Wrap it up- but not into a novel


How did it turn out? Share your experience in the comments!

-The Nocturnal Writer