nev's musings

born to jest, forced to joust || i enjoy writing about the italian renaissance and tragic gays 🤺 🏰 MY WIP: A Fool's Game pfp by @groundbeefdownthesink

[actualnev]

about me

after years of wanting to make one of these blogs, I’ve finally caved in the big ‘25.

i’m a postgrad currently working on a queer fantasy novel inspired by the political intrigue of the italian renaissance. My favorite themes to write are the familial cycle of abuse, religious trauma, the fluidity of morality, and the human condition.

i also enjoy writing think pieces about my favorite pieces of media.

[actualnev]

if you see this post, assume I'm not working on my wip and throw tomatoes at me to remind me to lock in. please.

[biocrafthero]

[actualnev]

Anyone know any insufferable, bitchy blonde characters whose name starts with L? I'm trying to see something.

The current list

Leo (Fire Emblem: Fates)

Lymond (Lymond Chronicles)

Laurent of Vere (Captive Prince)

Liam (Moriarty the Patriot)

Lestat de Lioncourt (IWTV)

[trwinsome]

Well, there's Laenor Velaryon if you like the dragon riding, lavender marriages, and tragedy.

[actualnev]

YES thank you for reminding me I need to watch house of the dragon

[valtsv]

basically the best thing any character can do is decide they don't want to be afraid anymore - in fact they never want to be afraid of anything ever again - and take action so drastic they fail to realise that this too is a decision motivated by fear. or to account for the Consequences of that.

[valtsv]

[with obvious perverted intent] hey. don't you want to release the safety catches on that character. don't you want to flip off all the switches holding them back and let the control rods go.

[maidthings]

"this is unbecoming of me" is genuinely a useful thing to have in your mental toolbox

[fake-lancelot]

[actualnev]

I love thinking about my book and not writing a single word on the page whatsoever, I love it I love it l love it

[greelin]

“but he did [this horrific thing]” i am neither his keeper nor happy with every single decision he makes. Also he is not real

[nasthepotprincess]

no matter how many times i read the scene where Laurent confronts Aimeric, i have to put the book down and take a fucking breather

the complexities and intelligence of that scenes necessity and placement is fucking overbearing and honestly…the dialogue is so fucking vicious, but it hits even harder because it’s vicious in exactly the way it should be

without this encounter, Laurent would not have been able to give himself to Damen, but more like he wouldn’t allow himself to be accepted by Damen. we spend so much time worrying about Damen being identified and then, when he is how that affects their barely-there-relationship, except what about Laurent? what about all the fear and terror and absolute horror Laurent feels about his truth ever being revealed to Damen? And then Damen fucking kisses him when Damen doesn’t even know, can’t fucking see it? How can he allow Damen to take part in this taint?

except here’s Jord begging for Aimeric’s sake even when he knows he’s a traitor. And then here’s honorable mother fucking Jord still begging for Aimeric’s sake when Laurent reveals the reality of Aimeric and the Regent’s relationship. Here’s Jord and Damen being outright and obviously revolted at the fact that the Regent is sick…not Aimeric.

no matter how hard Laurent tries to control the conversation, get these two, hard-headed, stupidly loyal men to see the disgust in Aimeric, for Jord to rightfully reject Aimeric…they don’t. And maybe it’s the first time Laurent actually feels like maybe he can be loved by somebody. and really, it’s exactly what he needed to feel like maybe he is enough for someone else—if Aimeric can be, then so can he.

[the-dread-wolf-who-dreams]

Doing a Captive Prince re-reading and I'm struck by how the Regent, while no longer sexually abusing Laurent as a young adult, still keeps him terrorised by the very same threat and is particularly obsessed by it.

It goes from spreading all these rumors about Laurent, sexualizing him so much in the eyes of the Court and the soldiers that even Damen at the start is shocked by how they talk about him ; to making plans of having him raped before being killed (very much not needed for his overall plan to work) ; to send Govart, who talks at length about what he wants to do to Laurent and apparently "behind the door" as his Captain ; to making him kneel before him several times, making him relive his worst trauma again and again ; and, ofc, asking Damen to bed him.

He never ceased his predatory attitude towards Laurent, and Laurent was stuck enduring that for years, even beyond the age threshold of 15. Once again, I'm in awe and so proud that he managed to retain so many qualities, sound judgement and mental health in that context. He really is a fighter.

[actualnev]

Anyone know any insufferable, bitchy blonde characters whose name starts with L? I'm trying to see something.

The current list

Leo (Fire Emblem: Fates)

Lymond (Lymond Chronicles)

Laurent of Vere (Captive Prince)

Liam (Moriarty the Patriot)

Lestat de Lioncourt (IWTV)

[actualnev]

Art Fight made me realize, I really need to make a line up of my book characters.....

[actualnev]

Was rereading parts of Game of Kings and I truly wish Dorothy Dunnett was still around to grace us with her unparalleled freak and ingenuity. Dunnett I grieve you like a friend I never got the chance to meet.

[smallestflowtree]

PSA for fanfic writers

[creation-help]

And for original writers especially

[darkspaceboytoy]

The truth of the matter is that if you’re going to seriously pursue writing, not every line can go hard. It can’t be hard 100% of the time, or the hard just becomes soft. Sometimes the line just has to get the writing from point a to point b.

[uneclipsing]

look at Diane Morgan as a knight right now. Look

[rhibbet]

top tier character trait will always be “I care about you deeply, even though I betrayed you. even though I would do it again” I don’t make the rules