i’m too tired to figure out how to make a poll but- for english i get a choice of independent reading books. which one should i readddd i can’t choose

pride and prejudice by jane austen

lolita by vladimir nabokov

love in the time of cholera by gabriel garcia marquez

please like comment which one or something i don’t know please help

10 Factors of Healthy Relationships

If you’re familiar with my account, you’ll know I talk a lot about toxic relationships in literature, but what, on the flipside, constitutes a healthy relationship? 

1. Trust- If A says they’re going to hang out with friends, B should not be ‘checking up on them’ or demanding texts while they’re away. Jealousy isn’t cute. 
2. Honesty - But, of course, trust needs to be earned. This is with honesty. Lying to protect someone is still lying and that is not a good foundation for a loving relationship. 
3. Independence - In a healthy relationship, both parties have the freedom to do things on their own. Co-dependent situations, even ones built on love, are not healthy.
4. Respect- “I won’t let you do that” –> “I respect you and trust your judgement.”  Even if A doesn’t like B’s decision, they should have enough respect for one another to discuss the decision until both parties understand one another. 
5. Communication- If you want to discuss decisions you’re going to need good communication. Arguments don’t need to be screamed in a “passionate rage” for things to be said with emotion and heart. Yes people get emotional, but that is not the time to discuss important things. 
6. Equality - Power imbalances can lead to toxicity. If both parties have mutual respect and understanding for one another, this can be avoided, but the 200 year old immortal x the 18 year old girl is a little weird don’t you think? What’s next, 90 year old mortals and 15 year old boy? 
7. Empathy - When arguing, both A and B should be able to empathise with the other. If that means A shelving their agenda so that you can hear B out and then deal with their side later, that’s a healthy approach. 
8. Taking Accountability - Even people in healthy relationships do unhealthy things sometimes. What matters is they take responsibility for it and give meaningful apologies, not grad gifts when they already have a billion dollar trust find. 
9. Comfort- Both A and B should feel comfortable around each other. When they’re reunited after a long day or time apart, they will feel at ease by being around one another, not on edge and fearing an argument. 
10. Fun - Healthy relationships are fun! A&B will have so many in jokes that end in laughing fits. They have things that they love to do together, things that they both love to do. Not A forcing B to watch the notebook on repeat. 

So there you have it, 10 things that make a relationship healthy.

Links to my posts on toxic relationships are below: 

• Romance with Toxic Undertones
• Stop Romanticising Toxic Relationship Red Flags #1
• Stop Romanticising Toxic Relationship Red Flags #2

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Slashing Your Word Count

A guide for over-writers. 

So there I was, sitting in front of my 120,000 word YA Fantasy manuscript having a breakdown. Why? you ask. Well, because I want to be traditionally published and no one will buy a YA debut that long. 

Why not? This answer would a post on its own. Or a 24 minute video. Luckily Alexa Donne has already done that work and you can watch it here. 

Now I’m going to summarise all the advice I was given that had lead to me doing a brutally cut down draft in two sections, the big cuts, macro level, and the small cuts, micro level. 

Micro Level Cuts

1. Reduce each description by 1 or 2 words - @coffee_loving_artist
2. Reduce dialogue. Single spoken words can carry more emotional weight than elongated lines. 
3. Cut down on dialogue and action tags. If it’s clear who is speaking, don’t use anything! - @parisandherbooks
4. Cut repeated sentences. It’s not as dramatic as you think it is. 
5. Simplify convoluted sentences - @jade_d_brown
6. Cut words like very, quite, sort of, kind of, it was, there was, that, now, then, suddenly and any crutch words you have - @just.a_simple_writer
7. Change passive language - @laurenkayzles

Macro Level Cuts

1. Chop off the beginning and the end of long scenes. 
2. Cut info dumps
3. Never get lost in internal monologue. Keep it to a small para at most. 
4. Cut fluff scenes - @teen_writing_101 & @cakeyboy 
5. It doesn’t take 1000 words to make a small point – condense it!!
6. Cut unnecessary dialogue or chit chat 
7. Merge scenes that feel repetitive 
8. Cut the prologue 
9. Cut the epilogue 
10. (Remember that those can go back in after your book has been bought) 
11. If you’re desperate, delete a POV - @thewritingfirebird
12. Ask your Beta’s which subplots/characters could go - @howwhyandsowhat 

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A Guide to Writer Lingo - Drafts

When I was new to the writing community I was confused about what to expect from each draft. When is draft 1complete? Where’s the line between draft 2, 3, 4+? How much editing goes into each one? Does each draft serve a different purpose? Now I’ve been here for a while and on my 3rd draft, I’m ready to answer those questions. 

There are no set rules on drafting.

Everyone’s drafting process is different. Some people move onto draft 2 before even writing an ending to draft 1. Some people like to do a draft 0. Some people call their outline draft 1. What I’m writing below is what I’ve seen to be the most common meanings.

• Beat Sheet - This is written before the outline and follows the Save the Cat! plot structure. It breaks the story down into key plot points, spread out across three acts. 
• Outline -  This can be a written document, a spreadsheet, revision cards on a wall, or not exist at all (shout out to the pansters). This is where the main plot is laid out from start to end, including subplots, and divided into chapters. 
• 0th Draft - Also called a dirty draft, some authors use this name to take the pressure off while drafting. If you struggle to accept that your first draft won’t be as good as you want it to be, it might be worth doing a messy 0th draft that no one but you will ever read. 
• 1st Draft - By the end of the first draft, a book should have every chapter written at least once. The wording might not be perfect, subplots might need consolidating, plot twists might need foreshadowing and clarity might be required on a number of things. Most people share their 1st draft with a critique partner, a first reader or an alpha reader, but personally, I like to ensure contingency in my 2nd draft and then share that.
• 2nd, 3rd, 4th+ Draft - This is where the waters get muddy because every writer does these very differently. I create a new draft every time I do a round of edits from start to finish, chronologically through my book. I also start a new draft on each round of beta reader feedback, but really there are no real rules about drafts 2+ and you can divide them as you see fit.

Which draft do I submit to agents/publishers? 

Again, there are no hard-set rules on this. It is advised that you do not submit your first draft. You should have completed at least one round of edits and have had a few beta readers before submitting to agents as they want clean manuscripts without plot holes, contingency issues, and grammar mistakes. 

I hope this has helped and feel free to add to this below as drafts are hugely subjective!

[If reporting on Instagram please tag @isabellestonebooks]

Romance With Toxic Undertones

Toxic and emotionally abusive relationships are hugely overlooked in literature. Many red flags are so romanticised that real people believe these warning signs are actually romantic. Here are a couple of examples and what to try writing instead.

“I can’t live without you!”  

In the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, we see the crazed Norma Desmond telling the much younger Joe that she couldn’t go on without him, that she’d kill herself if he leaves her. Here it’s clearly portrayed as manipulation, but you’ll see many versions of this line in current media pretending to be a declaration of love. Dependency does not equal love and this hugely manipulative sentiment 

Instead try, “You are the best thing in my life.” This retains the sentiment of valuing a significant other, without the threat of what will happen if their love is unrequited. 

“I will not let you do that. End of discussion.” 

Ohhh we see this one a lot in fantasy. A good portrayal of this being toxic is the song ‘mother knows best’ from Tangled, but most of the time when we hear this it’s between a romantic pairing and it’s portrayed as okay when it’s not. It’s is instant shut down of communication presented as being protective. Communication is key for functioning relationships and decisions that affect both parties should be made together. Also, maybe don’t just tell your partner what to do. Just a thought. 

Instead try, “If this is what you really want, I won’t stop you, but can we talk about this first because It worries me when you put yourself in danger.” Please find a better way to word that, but the idea is to keep the ‘I’m really worried about you’ without all the ‘I know better, you don’t get a say.’

“I can’t stand it when you talk to [enter name]”

No, extreme jealousy is not a healthy part of a relationship. it can lead to the victim cutting themselves off from friends to avoid hurting their partner and this isolation makes them easier for their partner to control. Trust is important in relationships, and if the love interest refuses to trust the MC around other boys/girls then they’re being toxic.

If you want a plotline where character X is trying to steal the MC away from their partner try having them bring it up like, “I think X is trying to flirt with you” “Really? I just thought they were being nice.” “I doubt it, but it’s fine. I trust you.” 

If you found this post helpful I have a couple of older ones on red flags that are frequently romanticised. [1][2] 

Disclaimer: I am not a trained relationships counsellor or therapist, I just have experience with toxic relationships and have done researched into the early signs and toxic behaviours. If any of my suggestions are wrong I am open to being corrected, but this is something I wanted to share.  

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Now be honest with me, how many beautiful notebooks do you own? How many of them are empty right now? Yes, I know, you’re waiting for the perfect opportunity to use them. The perfect story. The time you won’t cross anything out. The time you won’t change a thing. Well that time won’t come and you’re wasting them. *Bops you on the head with a pretty notebook* 

The purpose of a writers journal is not to create artwork worthy of a museum, but to help your ideas flow. Sometimes when writing things down, you can even bounce ideas off yourself! It’s amazing! So stop holding back and give it a go. 

Here are my top tips on journaling: 

• Don’t worry about keeping it neat (as long as you can read it, it’s good)
• Use different notebooks for different things (Plotting, Research, World-building, History, Magic, Religion)
• Use headings so topics are easy to find
• 3am inspo? Write it down! No don’t get your phone out, you want to go to sleep after this. You can develop it in the morning. 
• SketchIf you’re struggling to visualise something in you WIP, sketch it even if you can’t draw. Remember, this is just for you.
• Solving plot holes? Use an idea dump. This is where you just vomit every idea you have to solve it onto the page and then work your way through each option. 
• Write ideas for made up names/words down. Stick every variation you’ve considered on the page and then you can try merging them or you can simply see which one looks best. Bonus points because you can look back on how you cam up with it. 

For editing journals specifically try:

• Make lists of things you still want to ‘show’
• Make lists of things you want to add
• Write down problems you find when reading through, then you get to cross them off when you solve them. 

I hope this was helpful. Leave any additions below!!!

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I was like you once. 

I thought romance novels = cheesy, bodice-ripping, heaving breasts and burning loins. I assumed people who read them were pathetic, lonely, in need of something they couldn’t get in real life - so they had to escape to a world of fantasy, instead.

And then I had a dream two years ago that I just had to put down on paper (well, in a Word doc). And that dream about me saying goodbye to somebody I was secretly in love with (my real-life husband - you know how dreams can be) became a short story, which I fleshed out into a full-length first draft over the course of a three day write-a-thon. Still unpublished. Maybe it’ll never be published. But it doesn’t matter because I had fun, and I figured out that I wasn’t bad with a sex scene, either.

Then, I found out how hugely popular the romance genre is. I discovered how many publishing houses and independent authors look for ghostwriters to craft books for them. I dove in headfirst and have yet to come up for air. I wrote 2.3 million words in 2016 alone, according to Grammarly, and am constantly reading to keep myself up-to-date on what readers expect.

Here’s what I’ve learned: 

Romance is just as valid as any other genre.

It doesn’t have to include any throbbing or heaving of any body parts (my brother occasionally asks me if I’ve written about any throbbing lately - one day I’ll just start reading an excerpt for him to shut him up permanently). It can be intelligent and funny and sexy without a hint of cheesiness in sight.

It can be realistic, involving true-to-life characters in true-to-life situations. Second chances. Twists of fate. Broken hearts that need time to mend. Compromise. Relationships, in other words. It’s not always all about the sex.

And it can be fun, too. Sometimes you’re simply in the mood for fluff, and romance can deliver that in spades. It can also deliver scenes so hot, they make you fan yourself. And it’s all good. To each their own. 

It takes work to write a romance, just as much work as any other genre. Romance is not inherently easy to write just because it sometimes involves sex. In fact, sex scenes aren’t always easy. They rarely are for a writer who doesn’t want to fall into common romance traps, the traps people make fun of. Throbbing members and heaving breasts and quivering…you get the idea. You have to stay on your toes to keep it fresh and hot. Not easy.

Its popularity means it reaches something in people. Again, not just titillation all the time. Sometimes a reader wants to get swept up. They want to imagine themselves in the hero/heroine’s shoes. They want to swoon a little over an all-consuming love affair. They want to escape. What’s wrong with that? 

So I don’t shy away from announcing to friends what I do for a living, even if my name hasn’t shown up on the cover of a book yet. Because romance is valid, and it might even be what the world needs a little more of.

◇Dracula◇

◇Art by Mike Mignola◇

maddie-grove:

Notes: The literal Regency lasted from 1811-1820 (during which the future George IV acted as regent for George III, his incapacitated father), but here I’m using it to mean the period from 1803 (the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars) to 1832 (just before the passing of the First Reform Act). Again, this has more to do with the general feel and commonly used tropes of romances set during this time period than actual history. I have no opinion about actual history at this time. I am too tired.

1.A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh (2002)

Exact Setting: 1810s England.

Premise: After the heroic death of his perfect older brother, reckless Kit Butler is supposed to go home and assume his duties as viscount, but his mingled anger and guilt towards the folks at home make that an unpleasant prospect. Rather than marry the woman who ditched him for his late brother, as he’s expected to do, he proposes marriage to Lauren Edgeworth, a very proper lady whom everyone pities for being left at the altar. The trouble is that Lauren doesn’t want to get married at all now; she just wants her well-meaning friends and family to stop worrying about her. The two decide to enter a fake engagement so they can appease their concerned/disapproving loved ones (and maybe show the world how little they care about getting dumped). But then it becomes ALL TOO REAL.

Why I Like It: This was my favorite romance ever for a long time, and it’s still in my top five. Kit and Lauren have the same problem; they’re both incredibly hurt and angry, yet believe that they can’t express their feelings without coming across as bitter jerks (in Lauren’s case because no one was really at fault, and in Kit’s because his family is bad with emotions). They deal with the problem in opposite ways–he behaves badly, while she behaves toowell–but it all boils down to convincing others that they aren’t affected, which unfortunately leads to their loved ones not offering the support they need. United in a lie, though, they are able to be honest and influence each other to be more open with their friends and family. Kit is also the perfect amount of “bad, but not evil,” as the Shangri-Las once said. He likes a fast chariot and a bit of scandalously shirtless fighting in the park, but that just makes him fun.

Favorite Scene: Kit accidentally invents the word “sexy” while skinny-dipping with Lauren. 

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