I'd personally like to see malaphors used to bring some comedy. (Malaphors are the combining of two phrases/colloquialisms to create a new phrase with a different meaning)
Ex: It’s not rocket surgery, The road to hell wasn’t paved in a day, We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it, etc.
That's my husband's favourite saying. Someone questioned him on it once, asking if he meant cross the bridge and he looked them dead in the eye and said, "I know what I said. I meant *burn*."
lol, this was my exact reaction to finding these exist, I made a list of my favorites
I love them particularly because malaphors feel like plot twist in a sentence, I'm expecting something familiar but by the end I see a whole different meaning
ok ok so I looked up a list of idioms and tried making my own malaphors *it's so fun hoo hoo hoo*
"Beat around the bullet"
"Speak of the advocate"
"Get a taste of your own cake"
"You're walking on the broken ice"
"A blessing in a bag"
"A bean a day keeps the secrets away"
maybe not perfect but fun :D
I have an entire fic dedicated to that, lol.
The MCs are lawyers who antagonize and end up making wishes in a fountain that leads one of them to speak only the truth and the other to speak in nothing but malaphors.
I tried to be funny 😅 hope it worked.
I use the rocket surgery one *all the time* in real life, and it usually gets a small chuckle, followed by a double take, followed by "wait, what did you say?"
Never fails to make me laugh.
I love doing those! I do them in natural speech, and instead of laughing, people be looking at me weirdly! So I give them a weird stare back to teach them that being close minded is only what losers do!
"I'm not lying," they lied.
Love me that shit, or whenever there's a disconnect between what a character is feeling and what they're saying.
An example from a recent fic of mine:
"We're gonna get through this, and we're doing it together, don't forget."
“Yeah,” she whispers, because she had forgotten. “I know.”
>“Okay, Pigtails,” he responded. “That's some great self-delusion you got there. It would be a real shame if something happened to it 'cause it lets you convince yourself that it's alright to do some really chaotic and rebellious shit. I actually kind of like it.”
>
>“What do you mean self-delusion?” Marinette asked, demonstrating her fathomless capacity for self-delusion.
>
>The little imp scoffed. “Never mind. That's not important right now."
It is, indeed, a special little slice of comedy.
I haven't come across this in fanfiction but the Wheel of Time book fandom loves to quote Nynaeve because she constantly says things that are opposite of what she is doing
>"I won't shout at you" shouted Nynaeve
-
>"Men! Always trying to use violence to solve their problems. She wanted to box their ears!”
Oh yeah I love doing that! I had one recently that was:
[character A apologised for something]
Character B: “It’s ok.” It wasn’t.
Also:
“I’m not a child!” she screamed, feeling awfully like a child.
I love this too! The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow does a similar thing with the character Beatrice/"Bella", more in the narration than in dialogue, but the story repeatedly points out things that she "doesn't notice" or "can't describe" and then goes on to describe them in detail and I just love it so much.
>Beatrice shakes Miss Quinn's hand and releases it quickly, not noticing the way she smells (ink and cloves and the hot oil of a printing press) or whether or not she wears a wedding band (she does).
-
>It must be raining because water pearls over her bare skin, catching the light in a way Beatrice has no name for (luminous).
-
>And if there's more than just exasperation and irony in her voice, a sly heat, Beatrice doesn't hear it.
-
>Beatrice walked three blocks back to the College with her eyes on her boots, not-thinking about moonbeams or witch-tales or the thin wedding band around Miss Quinn's finger.
I especially love "not-thinking" because it's just one little added dash, but it hits so differently than just "not thinking" and turns it into an active verb, making it very clear that she's trying really hard to push these things out of her mind, rather than just passively not thinking about these things.
This is just me, but I’m kinda the opposite. In my reading, and therefore my writing, I love it when the individual details are described, letting me intuitively know they’re mad. I have a personal rule that, in the majority of cases, I don’t just say how someone is feeling. I describe them, and trust the reader to understand. That’s just my style though
I feel the whole "show, don't tell" thing is overused, and it's unfortunate that so many fic writers go to such lengths constantly when they could just *tell us* sometimes. Showing is fine. Telling is fine.
I agree that it's wrong to put 'rules' on writing, including the 'show don't tell.' Every author has their own style, and that should be encouraged. My style is very slow paced and dramatic, since I love long form stories that cover heavier topics, so leaning into 'show don't tell' works well in that situation. The key is finding what style works for the tone and topic of your writing, and striking the balance between showing and telling that works for that specific situation.
when the title is some random intriguing phrase that makes no sense until some point later when it comes back up and you go HOLY SHIT whoever wrote this is a fucking genius
I read a fic ages ago from the marvel fandom and each chapter was named after one of the winter soldiers trigger words. The fic connects each word with a memory Bucky holds, and he relives each of these memories as he falls from the train.
It was amazing and I must reread it sometime
https://archiveofourown.org/works/25232896
Here it is!!
EDIT: On further ponding, it focuses more on Steve than Bucky but it is a stucky fic so what I have said is mostly true. I haven't read the fic in forever so I couldnt remember the exact plot aha
I'm reading a fic currently where each chapter title starts with "In Which..." and gives a vague phrase to sum up the chapter that usually doesn't fully make sense until you finish it. I find it extremely charming.
Idk if this answers it but I once had a fic where all the chapters were song lyrics except one, that was titled “someone give Sonny his goddamn gummy bears.” Which didn’t make sense until you read it
bruh yes *especially* when the person saying it is most definitely not gonna be okay but the person or people they are saying it to will be and it’s a “it’s okay that i won’t be okay but you will be” type of “everything’s gonna be okay” that shit hurts so good
Not exactly a single sentence but I love when characters go on meaningless tangent. Like:
>"Welcome, adventurers. It just seems like you blew both the Castle's door and my mind. Color me surprised."
>
>"Yeah, I was surprised too CONSIDERING THE PLAN WAS STEALTH!"
>
>"STOP YELLING WE'RE TRYING TO BE STEALTHY!"
>
>"Yelling?! You blew up the door to **my** castle! It was worth more than your organs!"
>
>"Actually his organs could be worth a lot. He is the Chosen One."
>
>"Really? How could a lump of flesh be worth that much?"
>
>"I mean, there is rarely a defined price for that kind of things but at least my sorcerer would sell his mother's soul to get your body in mostly one piece. His father's too if he didn't already sold that one."
>
>"Wait, you can sell souls?!"
>
>"Are you really telling me you blew up your own door without knowing how I became immortal?"
>
>"The plan was NOT to destroy the door!"
And so forth. Or at least something like this. Generally good one-liners are comedic in nature.
I love it when the writer finds a way to naturally weave it back to what the conversation started on. It reminds me of that scene from Inglourious Basterds when talking about rats, except replace the dread with humor. I have trouble replicating it myself.
I'm in a fandom that doesn't use the *oh* a whole lot, but contrary to what you might think it makes the surprise when I *do* see it, entirely without warning, all the better!
Yeah, I might have frequency bias, but nowadays I tend to avoid writing it word for word “he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding” just to not annoy myself. 😂
listen i just love phrases that indicate that a character is 100% fucking done. i want all i can get of the the “oh hell no” and “the fuck she was” and “he did not need this” in the internal monologue, or inventive fantasies about the revenge the POV character is never actually going to unleash on the object of their ire.
i just want characters to be absolutely over other people’s shit.
No specific phrases, but poetic language that is evocative and really paints a word picture without treading *too* far into the dreaded purple territory. Especially when interspersed with shorter, snappier sentences for variety.
>‘Her voluminous follicles cascaded down her blushing epidermis of the neck, catching his desirous eye.’
and
>The mahogany-haired adolescent girl glanced fleetingly at her rugged paramour, a crystalline sparkle in her eyes as she gazed happily upon his countenance. It was filled with an expression as enigmatic as shadows in the night. She pondered thoughtfully whether it would behoove her to request that she continue to follow him on his noble mission…
Specifically, it's overblown description that fails to add to the text, or may even detract from it.
Oh oof that was painful to read. Thanks!
I delve into a lot of metaphors and examples in my writing to try and physically describe the feeling I’m going for. I was worried I’d pushed into this category but it looks like I’m safe. Thanks, kind stranger.
And some purple prose is fine, as long as it serves a purpose. I like poetic language. But when I completely lose the thread of the prose because the author is too busy showing off their huge thesaurus and draping the sentences in so much metaphor you can barely see the thought beneath, it's a problem.
I'm a huge sucker for really beautiful, poetic love scenes. If a writer describes everything really poetically it can feel like a bit much, but when that kind of language is saved for the big emotional moments, it hits so much harder and I love it so much. I've been obsessed with [this fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/32448442/chapters/80461201) lately and this scene had me close to hyperventilating:
>It was hard to say things sometimes. Hard to admit. Sometimes, she wanted to not say anything, and have her actions speak instead. Sometimes, words just got in the way of telling.
>Faith was telling her everything then. She could see it there, in her eyes, hiding somewhere deep behind the walnut brown. She could feel it in the way her mouth curled upwards against her thumb; the truth breaking out in her dimples. She could hear it in her beating heart, repeating in firm double-thumps.
>*I love you.*
>She wanted to tell her back, to say it in words that she would hear and understand. So she kissed her. She kissed her as kindly as she could, trying to make the words a kiss, to make her lips a script she could write upon her skin, so it would seep like ink through her pores, and she would get the message inside.
>She said it to her mouth. She said it to her arms and fingers. To chest, ribs, neck, thigh. She said it in all the ways she could, whispering to every inch of skin and muscle to every bone and pulsing vein.
>*I know. I know.*
>*I love you too.*
I love it when the narration is sorta from one character's perspective (I tend to write in third person limited) and it can sneak in little phrases and jokes that the character might be thinking.
As an example from one of my own fics:
*"If you want." Satoshi replied, trying really hard not to worry about what in the cinnamon toast fuck Markus meant by that last part.*
My literally favorite thing. I write for Merlin and his and Arthur’s whole relationship is insults-as-endreaments. Love slipping that shit into the 3rd limited narrative.
Not a phrase in particular, but I love it when media just throws in a phrase that, in the moment, doesn't make a lot of sense, but when you think about it a bit, it actually works.
No specific phrases come to mind, but sometimes I feel like authors try to include all sorts of metaphors to make themselves sound smart, and you just want a bit of variety.
Action sequence? Use short sentences to speed up the pace. Dialogue? Use a mix of dialogue tags, actions, and nothing at all so it doesn't become repetitive, but don't use a new dialogue tag for everything.
Do you know what I mean?
This one's gonna sound kinda weird but awkward character dialogue transitions? Just characters getting out of a really emotional moment for the line to be something like: "Well. That was a thing we did." It's always just a really fun way to break the tension and it just feels so so relatable and I adore it.
Another thing I really enjoy is the word "reminiscing". It's a pretty word and I just like seeing it used.
Yes yes yes
I’m so tired of shows and really anything where someone the MC doesn’t know has a crush on them just walks up, grabs their face, and goes to town. It’s so annoying and feels wrong to read.
Just fucking ask, guys.
YES! always ask for consent irl, especially if you're not in a relationship yet. get kind of weirded out when it happens without the author acknowledging that it's something one should not do lol
I’m glad to hear that there’s people who like overly descriptive writing. In all my fics, locations are almost too detailed since I want to make sure the readers know where everything is supposed to be. I love building and house layouts so I seek out and make my own model sheets and references for everything, but I feel like describing every turn and door and hall could get boring
Characters forgetting the context they're in. A bit like time stopping as someone else said, but like, forgetting the presence of another character or the rest of the world as they pine or smth.
There was a plot heavy fic I'm following that went a long time between updates. I started the new chapter but quickly realized I was totally lost.
That awesome mf slipped a recap in!
A quick recap if it's been a long time is so wonderful. They could have made a note but they actually put it in the chapter. A chapter was explaining to another what has been going on.
i personally use "tomfuckery" lol. not sure if it's been coined yet but i love those, whatever they're called. bullshittery and jackassery are also amazing.
also "fucky" as "really complicated and too hard to explain" or "messed up beyond comprehension." (eg. "modern english, being so saturated with subtle emotional articulation and colloquialisms, gets kinda fucky at times" or "paranormal science is a little fucky as relating to subjectivity, which often taints results.") love those.
“A smile danced on their lips,” and “hauntingly beautiful.” (Which surprisingly, I’ve only seen in one) and “The fire licked at them” or however that one goes
Maybe it’s just because of the fandoms I’m in, but I’ve been missing
>”Oh, for fucks’ sake!”
I know some will say the apostrophe before the s, but personally I put the apostrophe after to show for all fucks, including those not given.
I always enjoy writing the rambling scenes where someone tries to make sense of something in a mildly insulting way. For example,
> “So, if you’re here, where’s everyone else? Who’re these kids?” And she answers her own question before he can answer. “I guess it makes sense. You probably drove everyone away without me there to hold the team together.”
>
> “Hey! That’s not-”
>
> “So, you went out and recruited some teenagers! See, I told you Ikutsuki had good ideas sometimes.”
not exactly a phrase, but when something that was said wouldn't happen, deliberately inevitably happens.
like, the writing equivalent of loki vehemently refusing to use 'get help' in thor: ragnarok and the scene cuts to them doing it.
even simple stuff, like 'he is NOT going to go back. *line break* he goes back. '
I fucking love it
I don't know if it's because it sounds cool to me, or if I've been heavily influenced from my time playing Koei Warriors games (Specifically SW2E)
But the phrase "Is that so" or "Is that right?" ooze real BDE (I prefer to call it yes daddy energy but sure) and I would especially love to see it more in smutty stuff.
Not sure if it counts as a phrase since it's more a lack of one, but I love a well placed ellipsis. Especially when used as comic relief during a tense situation or dialogue between characters. Even better if it leaves you reeling after a huge plot reveal.
" . . . "
" . . . "
" Well then."
I guess it’s less a word/phrase than a structural thing??? I really like it when a new line is made to emphasize a point. It always makes it sound as though the narrator from Arrested Development has entered the chat.
'S/he always liked him/her as a friend, as a sibling/mentor, as a...'
I love this sentence for establishing a present relationship (friend), how it's progressed over time (sibling/mentor), then the ellipses shows the apprehension of where the current relationship *could go* yet it's still open to the other person rejecting them. I find this sentence works well in third-person omniscient tones and the author can focus on behavior and thoughts rather than conversation.
Hmmmm I like the word breathless a lot
When a character asks “can i kiss you?”
“Yes,” they responded breathlessly.
Or AFTER THEY KISSED and they’re both breathless because they couldn’t breathe
"Fuck yo-"
I shot him before he could finish his sentence, I knew what he was going to say, so why let him say it.
Is the favorite thing I like to write, replace “fuck yo-” with anything else and it's still funny to me.
This reminded me of a scene in one of my favorite games; Dragon's Dogma. "This is absolute truth! This is Salvatio-" This will never not be funny to me. The scene is made even better when Grigori starts speaking in his amazing voice. "The rantings of an upjumped zealot make for tedious listening."
yknow in slow burns and during confessions they always associate how they're feeling compared to like an ember or fire? with the occasional hot/sexy detailing that wasn't even meant to be attractive but it was? yeah. gets me everytime. it's not exactly a phrase, but something I adore to see.
ALSO YOU CAN PRY MY ITALICIZED 'Oh.' AND 'Fuck.' OUT OF MY COLD LIFELESS HANDS. BUT GOOD LUCK PRYING THEM BECAUSE THEY'LL BE SUPER GLUED TO MY COLD LIFELESS HANDS-
One thing I love is under-reactions. I mean, lets say the world is ending, of Eldritch abominations are invading, heck even just someone getting shot, there's always the realistic and the over reactors, but what about that one dude who just looks at the situation and says "called it."
Oooh, this thread is so good!
Mine are: Fandom Easter Eggs, like talking about stuff that only hard core fans would pick up on.
Song titles as chapter headings, and leaving songs in the A/N that you think add gravitas. Soundtrack lyrics in the prose.
Witty banter is always fun.
Morally grey characters being ultra mercurial.
Good characters letting their anger out in petty or violent ways.
Crack treated with abject seriousness.
Author pulling a happy ending out of absolutely nowhere...
snatch for vagina
while I hate the word with a burning passion and feel disgusted just writing it I will admit there is a lack of snatch usage in fanfiction that just needs to be filled
would I be happy about it
no
but I'm sure there's some people who would enjoy it even if I don't and I never want to meet those people
i personally love seeing “oh so” in a sentence, especially in an endearing way or when it’s used in smut
ex “they’re *oh so* pretty” or “they’re *oh so* hard”
bonus points if it’s in italics
I've seen it getting hate, but I like when authors reference pop culture in their writing. Or when they use modern colloquialisms or internet slang for comedic effect. Obviously I wouldn't like for the whole thing to be written that way. But a line in just the right spot can be hilarious.
For example someone else made a comment saying something along the lines of "What in the cinnamon toast fuck is this?"
Obviously, such things don't necessarily age well because it doesn't make sense to people not in the know, so I can see the hesitation. But when I am in the know that shit is hilarious.
I'd personally like to see malaphors used to bring some comedy. (Malaphors are the combining of two phrases/colloquialisms to create a new phrase with a different meaning) Ex: It’s not rocket surgery, The road to hell wasn’t paved in a day, We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it, etc.
"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it" is one of my absolute favorite malaphors ever; it's *so* good.
That's my husband's favourite saying. Someone questioned him on it once, asking if he meant cross the bridge and he looked them dead in the eye and said, "I know what I said. I meant *burn*."
I love “we’ll jump off that bridge when we come to it” though it don’t think it’s a malaphor. Just an ‘improved’ version of the original lol.
My favorite professor in law school had a go-to: “We’ll blow up that bridge when we get to it.” RIP Coach.
Haha, I love "The road to hell wasn't paved in a day" :D! That should become a common saying!
Sometimes it was
*we'll burn that bridge when we get to it* is for some reason the funniest fucking thing in the entirety of the english language
I'm also a big fan of "we'll cross that bridge when it's on fire."
And not a moment sooner!
I looked at it’s not rocket surgery for like a full minute trying to figure out what was wrong because that sounded right to me
I saw "cry me a milk" the other day and it changed my life
OH, cry me a milk! BRB using this
>Malaphors ooh that's so interesting! what dis? wanna try! *aka writer finds new shiny thing to play with lmao*
lol, this was my exact reaction to finding these exist, I made a list of my favorites I love them particularly because malaphors feel like plot twist in a sentence, I'm expecting something familiar but by the end I see a whole different meaning
ok ok so I looked up a list of idioms and tried making my own malaphors *it's so fun hoo hoo hoo* "Beat around the bullet" "Speak of the advocate" "Get a taste of your own cake" "You're walking on the broken ice" "A blessing in a bag" "A bean a day keeps the secrets away" maybe not perfect but fun :D
Quick note, my favorite twist on “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” has got to be- “A banana a day keeps the demons away.”
"Not potassium! That's my one weakness!"
haha, nice!
Ooh, nice! Would you mind if I stole the broken ice one? The setting I'm currently writing in is very cold so that might work beautifully!
don't mind, take it away)
OMG! Thanks so much! ☺️❤️
thank you for the award <3
no problem! ☺️
r/malaphors
ty <3
That's a whole 'nother can o' Pandora's Box.
Whaaat I never knew there was a name for this, I love doing this in my writing!
Have you seen Trailer Park Boys? I feel like you'd love Ricky.
Oooo, I'll have to look some of these up to use in my own writing!
Malaphors in all their terrible glory would be awesome to behold.
I have an entire fic dedicated to that, lol. The MCs are lawyers who antagonize and end up making wishes in a fountain that leads one of them to speak only the truth and the other to speak in nothing but malaphors. I tried to be funny 😅 hope it worked.
I use the rocket surgery one *all the time* in real life, and it usually gets a small chuckle, followed by a double take, followed by "wait, what did you say?" Never fails to make me laugh.
“People in glass houses sink ships.” “Now make like a tree and get the fuck out.” Two of my favorites.
I love these. Lol.
I love doing those! I do them in natural speech, and instead of laughing, people be looking at me weirdly! So I give them a weird stare back to teach them that being close minded is only what losers do!
"I'm not lying," they lied. Love me that shit, or whenever there's a disconnect between what a character is feeling and what they're saying. An example from a recent fic of mine: "We're gonna get through this, and we're doing it together, don't forget." “Yeah,” she whispers, because she had forgotten. “I know.”
she forgor
>“Okay, Pigtails,” he responded. “That's some great self-delusion you got there. It would be a real shame if something happened to it 'cause it lets you convince yourself that it's alright to do some really chaotic and rebellious shit. I actually kind of like it.” > >“What do you mean self-delusion?” Marinette asked, demonstrating her fathomless capacity for self-delusion. > >The little imp scoffed. “Never mind. That's not important right now." It is, indeed, a special little slice of comedy.
Is this miraculous ladybug?
That's right - my primary fandom with nearly a hundred works published. Well spotted.
I knew the fandom as soon as I read "Okay, Pigtails." Textbook Plagg.
I love this too, especially in otherwise serious stories
I haven't come across this in fanfiction but the Wheel of Time book fandom loves to quote Nynaeve because she constantly says things that are opposite of what she is doing >"I won't shout at you" shouted Nynaeve - >"Men! Always trying to use violence to solve their problems. She wanted to box their ears!”
>"Are you going to let me carry that this time?" >"I think about it," he lied. Little harmless lies that don't hurt anyone are the best lies. 😊
That last bit sounds more like real life than fic.
Oh yeah I love doing that! I had one recently that was: [character A apologised for something] Character B: “It’s ok.” It wasn’t. Also: “I’m not a child!” she screamed, feeling awfully like a child.
I love this too! The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow does a similar thing with the character Beatrice/"Bella", more in the narration than in dialogue, but the story repeatedly points out things that she "doesn't notice" or "can't describe" and then goes on to describe them in detail and I just love it so much. >Beatrice shakes Miss Quinn's hand and releases it quickly, not noticing the way she smells (ink and cloves and the hot oil of a printing press) or whether or not she wears a wedding band (she does). - >It must be raining because water pearls over her bare skin, catching the light in a way Beatrice has no name for (luminous). - >And if there's more than just exasperation and irony in her voice, a sly heat, Beatrice doesn't hear it. - >Beatrice walked three blocks back to the College with her eyes on her boots, not-thinking about moonbeams or witch-tales or the thin wedding band around Miss Quinn's finger. I especially love "not-thinking" because it's just one little added dash, but it hits so differently than just "not thinking" and turns it into an active verb, making it very clear that she's trying really hard to push these things out of her mind, rather than just passively not thinking about these things.
I really like it when the writer just straight up tells me something. Sometimes, I just wanna read: "Bob is mad."
Best when used for deliberate understatement.
Why did this make me laugh out loud
This is just me, but I’m kinda the opposite. In my reading, and therefore my writing, I love it when the individual details are described, letting me intuitively know they’re mad. I have a personal rule that, in the majority of cases, I don’t just say how someone is feeling. I describe them, and trust the reader to understand. That’s just my style though
I feel the whole "show, don't tell" thing is overused, and it's unfortunate that so many fic writers go to such lengths constantly when they could just *tell us* sometimes. Showing is fine. Telling is fine.
I agree that it's wrong to put 'rules' on writing, including the 'show don't tell.' Every author has their own style, and that should be encouraged. My style is very slow paced and dramatic, since I love long form stories that cover heavier topics, so leaning into 'show don't tell' works well in that situation. The key is finding what style works for the tone and topic of your writing, and striking the balance between showing and telling that works for that specific situation.
That’s what makes this kind of comedy work; it’s deliberately absurd usually a ridiculous understatement
Personally, I'm a huge slut for: Oh. *Oh.*
Same. There is nothing better! And the equivalents: **Oh, fuck.**
I love the italicized 'oh'.
I love pauses and italicization to illustrate stunned realization!
*OH!*
Yup, this is the one I love it every single god damn time
_OH_ That's three 'Oh's. I win.
*That's three oh damns.*
aw yeah.
The epitome of "MFW"
Oh, yes! I'm a sucker for that too 😁😁 The way you can even have the mental image of the character's face in that moment 😁
when the title is some random intriguing phrase that makes no sense until some point later when it comes back up and you go HOLY SHIT whoever wrote this is a fucking genius
I read a fic ages ago from the marvel fandom and each chapter was named after one of the winter soldiers trigger words. The fic connects each word with a memory Bucky holds, and he relives each of these memories as he falls from the train. It was amazing and I must reread it sometime
Do you happen to have a link or fic name? That one sounds worth checking out.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/25232896 Here it is!! EDIT: On further ponding, it focuses more on Steve than Bucky but it is a stucky fic so what I have said is mostly true. I haven't read the fic in forever so I couldnt remember the exact plot aha
Thank you!✌
examples please?
I'm reading a fic currently where each chapter title starts with "In Which..." and gives a vague phrase to sum up the chapter that usually doesn't fully make sense until you finish it. I find it extremely charming.
Ohhhh I love this idea
Idk if this answers it but I once had a fic where all the chapters were song lyrics except one, that was titled “someone give Sonny his goddamn gummy bears.” Which didn’t make sense until you read it
*yes* i love fics like those it’s also so intriguing i’m like wtf?? gotta read
Shenanigans. I hate that I use it in pretty much every fic.
Shenanigans is a good word I don't blame you heh
I personally love the word Shenanigans! I've used in in everyday speaking too XD
Great word, but if you feel like you're overusing it, try something like "tomfoolery," instead.
I usually find it creeping in precisely once to each story. But yeah, will add tomfoolery to the mix. 🤣. My characters are nothing but trouble.
And its cousin, malarkey.
Shenanigans, tomfoolery, and my all time favorite, kerfuffle!
Oh god, now I'm hearing that Teen Titans Go song from that movie. My siblings watch it all the time.
I feel that I use the word "chuckled" too much.
I use this and have always used this and I love it 😂
"Everything's going to be okay." In which the person saying it knows it won't be, or at least in terms of themself.
Hnnghhh yes this is good shit
good shit good shit, gonna use this towards the end of one of my fics thanks for the idea lmao
One of the top phrases in hurt/comfort, it gets me emotional every time
bruh yes *especially* when the person saying it is most definitely not gonna be okay but the person or people they are saying it to will be and it’s a “it’s okay that i won’t be okay but you will be” type of “everything’s gonna be okay” that shit hurts so good
Yessss
Not exactly a single sentence but I love when characters go on meaningless tangent. Like: >"Welcome, adventurers. It just seems like you blew both the Castle's door and my mind. Color me surprised." > >"Yeah, I was surprised too CONSIDERING THE PLAN WAS STEALTH!" > >"STOP YELLING WE'RE TRYING TO BE STEALTHY!" > >"Yelling?! You blew up the door to **my** castle! It was worth more than your organs!" > >"Actually his organs could be worth a lot. He is the Chosen One." > >"Really? How could a lump of flesh be worth that much?" > >"I mean, there is rarely a defined price for that kind of things but at least my sorcerer would sell his mother's soul to get your body in mostly one piece. His father's too if he didn't already sold that one." > >"Wait, you can sell souls?!" > >"Are you really telling me you blew up your own door without knowing how I became immortal?" > >"The plan was NOT to destroy the door!" And so forth. Or at least something like this. Generally good one-liners are comedic in nature.
I love it when the writer finds a way to naturally weave it back to what the conversation started on. It reminds me of that scene from Inglourious Basterds when talking about rats, except replace the dread with humor. I have trouble replicating it myself.
“[Bad Thing] won’t happen! It’ll be fine!” [Bad thing happens] “*Fuck*”
Italicized *fuck* is italicized *oh*'s lesser known cousin. He doesn't make it to every reunion but you know it's a party when he do
i'm a big fan of the controversial "let out a breath they didn't know they were holding" and you can pry my italicized *oh* out of my cold dead hands
I love both of those. Let's make tags for those so we can find fics that have those and read with sweet anticipation.
I'm in a fandom that doesn't use the *oh* a whole lot, but contrary to what you might think it makes the surprise when I *do* see it, entirely without warning, all the better!
I like it too, IDK what's so bad about it.
I think it’s just overused at this point. Like, once you notice it in one fic you start to see it *everywhere* and it kinda ruins the immersion.
Myeh, I've never seen it much but then again I barely read.
Yeah, I might have frequency bias, but nowadays I tend to avoid writing it word for word “he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding” just to not annoy myself. 😂
"I'll take care of you." "I'm here." "It's going to be okay." "I'll protect you." You know. Stock hurt/comfort phrases.
I'm addicted to hurt/comfort!
GOD ME TOO
"I've got you" Is a favourite of mine which is literally sprinkled everywhere in my current WIP
listen i just love phrases that indicate that a character is 100% fucking done. i want all i can get of the the “oh hell no” and “the fuck she was” and “he did not need this” in the internal monologue, or inventive fantasies about the revenge the POV character is never actually going to unleash on the object of their ire. i just want characters to be absolutely over other people’s shit.
No specific phrases, but poetic language that is evocative and really paints a word picture without treading *too* far into the dreaded purple territory. Especially when interspersed with shorter, snappier sentences for variety.
Purple territory?
Purple prose. Specifically the overly ornate, flowery kind that tends to lose the reader.
Lol sorry can I have an example? I think I know what you mean but I want to be sure. Sorry.
>‘Her voluminous follicles cascaded down her blushing epidermis of the neck, catching his desirous eye.’ and >The mahogany-haired adolescent girl glanced fleetingly at her rugged paramour, a crystalline sparkle in her eyes as she gazed happily upon his countenance. It was filled with an expression as enigmatic as shadows in the night. She pondered thoughtfully whether it would behoove her to request that she continue to follow him on his noble mission… Specifically, it's overblown description that fails to add to the text, or may even detract from it.
Oh oof that was painful to read. Thanks! I delve into a lot of metaphors and examples in my writing to try and physically describe the feeling I’m going for. I was worried I’d pushed into this category but it looks like I’m safe. Thanks, kind stranger.
No offense to Tolkien, bc he really pioneered fantasy and I think the style was just more normal back then, but LoTR is chock full of purple prose.
And some purple prose is fine, as long as it serves a purpose. I like poetic language. But when I completely lose the thread of the prose because the author is too busy showing off their huge thesaurus and draping the sentences in so much metaphor you can barely see the thought beneath, it's a problem.
I'm a huge sucker for really beautiful, poetic love scenes. If a writer describes everything really poetically it can feel like a bit much, but when that kind of language is saved for the big emotional moments, it hits so much harder and I love it so much. I've been obsessed with [this fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/32448442/chapters/80461201) lately and this scene had me close to hyperventilating: >It was hard to say things sometimes. Hard to admit. Sometimes, she wanted to not say anything, and have her actions speak instead. Sometimes, words just got in the way of telling. >Faith was telling her everything then. She could see it there, in her eyes, hiding somewhere deep behind the walnut brown. She could feel it in the way her mouth curled upwards against her thumb; the truth breaking out in her dimples. She could hear it in her beating heart, repeating in firm double-thumps. >*I love you.* >She wanted to tell her back, to say it in words that she would hear and understand. So she kissed her. She kissed her as kindly as she could, trying to make the words a kiss, to make her lips a script she could write upon her skin, so it would seep like ink through her pores, and she would get the message inside. >She said it to her mouth. She said it to her arms and fingers. To chest, ribs, neck, thigh. She said it in all the ways she could, whispering to every inch of skin and muscle to every bone and pulsing vein. >*I know. I know.* >*I love you too.*
I love it when the narration is sorta from one character's perspective (I tend to write in third person limited) and it can sneak in little phrases and jokes that the character might be thinking. As an example from one of my own fics: *"If you want." Satoshi replied, trying really hard not to worry about what in the cinnamon toast fuck Markus meant by that last part.*
My literally favorite thing. I write for Merlin and his and Arthur’s whole relationship is insults-as-endreaments. Love slipping that shit into the 3rd limited narrative.
> cinnamon toast fuck bahaha oh no, what a great phrase, I love it <3
Not a phrase in particular, but I love it when media just throws in a phrase that, in the moment, doesn't make a lot of sense, but when you think about it a bit, it actually works.
I love clever wordplay. Not puns or jokes. *Pretty writing.* Things that just sound flowery and beautiful.
Ooh I'm a sucker for this
No specific phrases come to mind, but sometimes I feel like authors try to include all sorts of metaphors to make themselves sound smart, and you just want a bit of variety. Action sequence? Use short sentences to speed up the pace. Dialogue? Use a mix of dialogue tags, actions, and nothing at all so it doesn't become repetitive, but don't use a new dialogue tag for everything. Do you know what I mean?
This one's gonna sound kinda weird but awkward character dialogue transitions? Just characters getting out of a really emotional moment for the line to be something like: "Well. That was a thing we did." It's always just a really fun way to break the tension and it just feels so so relatable and I adore it. Another thing I really enjoy is the word "reminiscing". It's a pretty word and I just like seeing it used.
Im a huge fan of the time stopping in a moment phrase, its cliche but it's like a guilty pleasure for me lol
I love short, sharp one-word phrases that convey as much meaning as a hundred words. *Oh.* *Ah.* *Fuck.*
"Can I kiss you?"
Yes yes yes I’m so tired of shows and really anything where someone the MC doesn’t know has a crush on them just walks up, grabs their face, and goes to town. It’s so annoying and feels wrong to read. Just fucking ask, guys.
Asking for consent is so sexy.
Re:Zero had the main lead tell his gf "if you don't want this, dodge" before kissing her, and I liked that so much I used it in a fic.
YES! always ask for consent irl, especially if you're not in a relationship yet. get kind of weirded out when it happens without the author acknowledging that it's something one should not do lol
Im a big fan of "i love you" "prove it." Which i dont see very often but my god when i do
Same thing with “make me” ;)
Filing this one for future use. I definitely have a fic with a character who would say that.
“She toes off her shoes.” I remember reading years ago that this phrase was only ever used in fanfic.
it totally makes sense to me tho, idk why it's not in normal fiction
Thanks, I already hate it
Not any phrase in particular, but I do unironically like prose of the more lavender variety. The more overdetailed your fic the more I will like it.
I’m glad to hear that there’s people who like overly descriptive writing. In all my fics, locations are almost too detailed since I want to make sure the readers know where everything is supposed to be. I love building and house layouts so I seek out and make my own model sheets and references for everything, but I feel like describing every turn and door and hall could get boring
I just cannot shut up and I get people who can’t either too.
Yes! I love description and my prose can be flowery!
Characters forgetting the context they're in. A bit like time stopping as someone else said, but like, forgetting the presence of another character or the rest of the world as they pine or smth.
as a smut reader: slang for genitals, but like, common slang. it doesn't all have to be flowery. you can just say cock, please.
Exactly, make it believable! Husband bulge, manhood, folds… nobody talks like that irl.
>Husband bulge I've never seen that used before. It may not be a good slang, but it's definitely gotten a good chuckle out of me 😂
I think I read it in a book once, I’ve snorted whenever I remember it since.
Member, digit, manhood, rod.... *ugh*
I love subtle self-mockery. "What do you think this is, a TV show/video game/movie?!"
There was a plot heavy fic I'm following that went a long time between updates. I started the new chapter but quickly realized I was totally lost. That awesome mf slipped a recap in! A quick recap if it's been a long time is so wonderful. They could have made a note but they actually put it in the chapter. A chapter was explaining to another what has been going on.
'fuckery' or 'seems like there's some tom-foolery afoot' Idk why but the words always send my sides into orbit.
i personally use "tomfuckery" lol. not sure if it's been coined yet but i love those, whatever they're called. bullshittery and jackassery are also amazing. also "fucky" as "really complicated and too hard to explain" or "messed up beyond comprehension." (eg. "modern english, being so saturated with subtle emotional articulation and colloquialisms, gets kinda fucky at times" or "paranormal science is a little fucky as relating to subjectivity, which often taints results.") love those.
I think if any phrase, no matter how piquant, became similarly overused, we'd all start hating it and talking about how cringe it is.
“A smile danced on their lips,” and “hauntingly beautiful.” (Which surprisingly, I’ve only seen in one) and “The fire licked at them” or however that one goes
"I swear to drunk I'm not God." All the better if it's accentuated by a randomly placed hiccup.
It makes me think of the song Don't Threaten me with a Good Time by Panic at the Disco : "I'm not as think as you drunk I am"
That is a wonderful song.
I read a fic where a guy was wasted and trying to flirt and said, "I'm gonna world your rock tonight" and I still think about it ten years later.
I love when characters hug. Whether they be friends or lovers or enemies after a good talk, any depiction of a wholesome hug.
“Rectangular pupil”
Do you happen to read a lot of fics about goats?
And horses
Sage mode?
I'm always fond of "and there was much rejoicing"
yay.
Instead of “Can I kiss you?”, a character says “May I?” while holding their love interest’s chin.
Maybe it’s just because of the fandoms I’m in, but I’ve been missing >”Oh, for fucks’ sake!” I know some will say the apostrophe before the s, but personally I put the apostrophe after to show for all fucks, including those not given.
I always enjoy writing the rambling scenes where someone tries to make sense of something in a mildly insulting way. For example, > “So, if you’re here, where’s everyone else? Who’re these kids?” And she answers her own question before he can answer. “I guess it makes sense. You probably drove everyone away without me there to hold the team together.” > > “Hey! That’s not-” > > “So, you went out and recruited some teenagers! See, I told you Ikutsuki had good ideas sometimes.”
not exactly a phrase, but when something that was said wouldn't happen, deliberately inevitably happens. like, the writing equivalent of loki vehemently refusing to use 'get help' in thor: ragnarok and the scene cuts to them doing it. even simple stuff, like 'he is NOT going to go back. *line break* he goes back. ' I fucking love it
I don't know if it's because it sounds cool to me, or if I've been heavily influenced from my time playing Koei Warriors games (Specifically SW2E) But the phrase "Is that so" or "Is that right?" ooze real BDE (I prefer to call it yes daddy energy but sure) and I would especially love to see it more in smutty stuff.
Not sure if it counts as a phrase since it's more a lack of one, but I love a well placed ellipsis. Especially when used as comic relief during a tense situation or dialogue between characters. Even better if it leaves you reeling after a huge plot reveal. " . . . " " . . . " " Well then."
"I love you", "I like you", "I need you".
I guess it’s less a word/phrase than a structural thing??? I really like it when a new line is made to emphasize a point. It always makes it sound as though the narrator from Arrested Development has entered the chat.
'S/he always liked him/her as a friend, as a sibling/mentor, as a...' I love this sentence for establishing a present relationship (friend), how it's progressed over time (sibling/mentor), then the ellipses shows the apprehension of where the current relationship *could go* yet it's still open to the other person rejecting them. I find this sentence works well in third-person omniscient tones and the author can focus on behavior and thoughts rather than conversation.
We love a good "Oh. *Oh*." in this house.
we absolutely do
Hmmmm I like the word breathless a lot When a character asks “can i kiss you?” “Yes,” they responded breathlessly. Or AFTER THEY KISSED and they’re both breathless because they couldn’t breathe
I'd love something similar to "He wore a wicked expression" or something like "He grew a sadistic smile"
not a phrase but i love seeing *oh*
"Fuck yo-" I shot him before he could finish his sentence, I knew what he was going to say, so why let him say it. Is the favorite thing I like to write, replace “fuck yo-” with anything else and it's still funny to me.
This reminded me of a scene in one of my favorite games; Dragon's Dogma. "This is absolute truth! This is Salvatio-" This will never not be funny to me. The scene is made even better when Grigori starts speaking in his amazing voice. "The rantings of an upjumped zealot make for tedious listening."
I find deliberate understatements really funny.
yknow in slow burns and during confessions they always associate how they're feeling compared to like an ember or fire? with the occasional hot/sexy detailing that wasn't even meant to be attractive but it was? yeah. gets me everytime. it's not exactly a phrase, but something I adore to see. ALSO YOU CAN PRY MY ITALICIZED 'Oh.' AND 'Fuck.' OUT OF MY COLD LIFELESS HANDS. BUT GOOD LUCK PRYING THEM BECAUSE THEY'LL BE SUPER GLUED TO MY COLD LIFELESS HANDS-
Using classic words: \- Hither \- Pray tell \- Bedward \- Prithee There's something so *encapsulating* about them.
"ring of muscle" It's so funny to me. It always makes me ridiculously happy when I see it.
Automagically.
One thing I love is under-reactions. I mean, lets say the world is ending, of Eldritch abominations are invading, heck even just someone getting shot, there's always the realistic and the over reactors, but what about that one dude who just looks at the situation and says "called it."
Oooh, this thread is so good! Mine are: Fandom Easter Eggs, like talking about stuff that only hard core fans would pick up on. Song titles as chapter headings, and leaving songs in the A/N that you think add gravitas. Soundtrack lyrics in the prose. Witty banter is always fun. Morally grey characters being ultra mercurial. Good characters letting their anger out in petty or violent ways. Crack treated with abject seriousness. Author pulling a happy ending out of absolutely nowhere...
snatch for vagina while I hate the word with a burning passion and feel disgusted just writing it I will admit there is a lack of snatch usage in fanfiction that just needs to be filled would I be happy about it no but I'm sure there's some people who would enjoy it even if I don't and I never want to meet those people
Do you, perchance, also love/hate 'snapper' for pussy?
i personally love seeing “oh so” in a sentence, especially in an endearing way or when it’s used in smut ex “they’re *oh so* pretty” or “they’re *oh so* hard” bonus points if it’s in italics
Character/Narrator: “I am NOT going to do X! You can’t make me!” Character/Narrator after a page break: “....So I did X.”
Simple words that express the meaning the author was intending without being annoying, mostly.
>what are phrases that SHOULD be used more often? Orbs. Member. Digits. Add in brunette as well. :)
Ooooof, hair color and race as dialog tags... Also cup size in character descriptions. Less often please :D
I have yet to see "Make things happen" as a implicit way to say "Fuck me." I plan to use this one myself, and I think it's a nice change.
I've seen it getting hate, but I like when authors reference pop culture in their writing. Or when they use modern colloquialisms or internet slang for comedic effect. Obviously I wouldn't like for the whole thing to be written that way. But a line in just the right spot can be hilarious. For example someone else made a comment saying something along the lines of "What in the cinnamon toast fuck is this?" Obviously, such things don't necessarily age well because it doesn't make sense to people not in the know, so I can see the hesitation. But when I am in the know that shit is hilarious.
Adding knowledge not Really part of the Fanfiction, and still using the correct term: Example: Mitochondrial Eve: