For when I uh, I, yeah

Writing & World Building tutorials, now I have no excuse

[svensklangblr]

hottest language learning tip

write a diary

literally

just write a diary, it has helped me sooo much and i dare say it has been the most developing thing i’ve done while learning french, nothing else compares

1. you’re exposed to the language daily

2. you quickly see which words are missing from your vocabulary

3. you learn to write about the things you think about a lot

4. learning to actually think in your target language

5. having to look up words and when reading the entry back a couple of days later you can’t even remember which words you didn’t know

6. going back to the earlier entries and seeing all the mistakes and knowing how much better you’ve become

7. when you’ve been writing for a few months and your target language becomes a natural way for expressing yourself

8. when you’ve been writing for a few months and you start seeing the diary writing as a way of self-expression and stressrelief, and the language learning aspect becomes natural and secondary

9. filling out a whole book using only your target language and physically seeing how much you’ve accomplished

[nightthinkersworld]

SITES FOR WRITERS

Fantasy name generator

Fighter’s block - try to defeat a monster by writing

Child’s Traits Calculator ; predict a child’s appearance 

Child’s Traits Calculator ; predict other traits

Fifty Plot Twist Ideas For Your Work-In-Progress!

Name generator (Character, Baby, Last name, etc.)

Plot generator ; Inspiration for your next novel, film or short story

Character generator ; Generate Rich Characters in Seconds

Writing Exercises ;  This site provides (completely free) writing prompts and exercises to help you get started with creative writing and break through writing blocks. 

Notebook ; create your characters, worlds, objects, places, etc. and save them

Festisite ; Create a fake license, marriage certificate, credit card, ticket and you can find other stuff as well.

The most common last names in the US

Lists of most common surnames

List of most popular given names

List of the least common surnames [last names] in America, rank 16,001-20,000

Fantasy name generator (again)

Random Name Generator (Choose origins, gender, etc.)

Said is dead (Remember that you can use said, don’t use it to less.)

How Much Blood Can The Human Body Lose? 

How Long Can Someone Go Without Breathing?

The 6 Types of Collars Every Man Should Know by Name 

18 Different Types of Sleeves Design Patterns

What are the most widely practiced religions of the world?

Differences Between a Short Story, Novelette, Novella, & a Novel

Hemingway editor ;  It grades your writing by its readability. 

Zen writer ; writing without distractions (Might not be free after a while)

33 Ways to Write Stronger Characters

75+ bad habits for your character

30 SCENE IDEAS FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

10 Things Writers Don’t Know About The Woods

British and American terms

Free writing worksheets

Feel free to add more!

[hobbitsdoitbetter]

Dammit, my tricks explained!

[writingwife-83]

Wow, this is cool. It’s something I do but I’ve never seen it broken down in this logic before. Nice way to make sense of this great writing flow. 

[thewritershandbook]

[avelera]

Useful if this is how you think, though often I don’t see the outline until after the draft is written, because after awhile one just internalize this kind of stuff from all the media one ingests. Point is, use if helpful, ignore if not.

[sharpestrose]

Another suggestion for anyone interested: because one of my weaknesses as a writer is sustaining narrative momentum, I’ve recently started using this mystery novel breakdown as a template, even though mystery/detective isn’t the genre I write in. It’s really useful as a way to keep track of what the story needs at a given moment in terms of balance and character.

[oliviapaigewrites-deactivated20]

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ONE! Don’t ignore this in your writing!

[wordsnstuff]

Resources For Describing Emotion

Emotions

Without Making Your Character Feel Too Self Aware

Showing Emotion Without Telling About It

Emotions Associated With Body Language

Telling Readers What The Character Doesn’t Want To Show

Hiding Emotions

Expressing Cardinal Emotions: Masculine vs. Feminine

Writing Extreme Emotion Without Melodrama

Specific Emotions

Conveying Shock

Conveying Embarrassment

Conveying Disappointment

Conveying Love/Attraction

Conveying Annoyance

Conveying Relief

Conveying Uncertainty

Conveying Impatience

Conveying Shame

Conveying Resentment

Conveying Panic

Conveying Guilt

Conveying Desperation

Conveying Sarcasm & Verbal Disrespect

Conveying Confusion

Conveying Stubbornness

Conveying Frustration

Conveying Indifference

Conveying Indignation

Conveying Confidence & Pride

Conveying Smugness

Conveying Enthusiasm

Conveying Curiosity

Conveying Hopefulness

Conveying Unease

Conveying Reluctance

Conveying Worry

Conveying Humility & Meekness

Conveying Happiness & Joy

Conveying Amusement

Conveying Disgust

Conveying Resignation

Conveying Jealousy

Conveying Anticipation

Conveying Contentment

Conveying Defeat

Conveying Excitement

Conveying Fear

Conveying Hatred

Conveying Hurt

Conveying Being Overwhelmed

Conveying Sadness & Grief

Conveying Satisfaction

Conveying Somberness

Conveying Sympathy & Empathy

Conveying Wariness

Conveying Defensiveness

Conveying Desire

Conveying Doubt

Conveying Energy

Conveying Exhaustion

Conveying Hunger

Conveying Loneliness

Conveying Physical Pain

Emotional Wounds

A Role Model Who Disappoints

A Sibling’s Betrayal

A Speech Impediment

Becoming a Caregiver at an Early Age

Being Bullied

Being Fired or Laid Off

Being Held Captive

Being Mugged

Being Publicly Humiliated

Being Raised by Neglectful Parents

Being Raised by Overprotective Parents

Being So Beautiful It’s All People See

Being the Victim of a Vicious Rumor

Being Stalked

Being Trapped in a Collapsed Building

Being Unfairly Blamed For The Death of Another

Childhood Sexual Abuse (by a family member or known person)

Discovering One’s Parent is a Monster

Discovering One’s Sibling was Abused

Experiencing a Miscarriage or Stillbirth

Failing At School

Failing To Do The Right Thing

Financial Ruin Due To A Spouse’s Irresponsibility

Finding Out One’s Child Was Abused

Finding Out One Was Adopted

Getting Lost In a Natural Environment

Growing Up In A Cult

Growing Up in a Dangerous Neighborhood

Growing Up In Foster Care

Growing Up In The Public Eye

Growing Up In The Shadow of a Successful Sibling

Growing Up with a Sibling Who Has a Chronic Disability or Illness

Having Parents Who Favored One Child Over Another

Having To Kill Another Person To Survive

Infertility

Infidelity (emotional or physical)

Losing a Limb

Losing a Loved One To A Random Act of Violence

Making a Very Public Mistake

Overly Critical or Strict Parents

Physical Disfigurement

Rejection By One’s Peers

Telling The Truth But Not Being Believed

The Death of a Child On One’s Watch

Victimization via Identity Theft

Watching A Loved One Die

Wrongful Imprisonment

Spending Time In Jail

Suffering From a Learning Disability

Motivation

Achieving Spiritual Enlightenment

Avoiding Certain Death

Avoiding Financial Ruin

Beating a Diagnosis or Condition

Being Acknowledged and Appreciated by Family

Being a Leader of Others

Being the Best At Something

Caring for an Aging Parent

Carrying on a Legacy

Catching The Bad Guy or Girl

Coming To Grips With Mental Illness

Discovering One’s True Self

Escaping a Dangerous Life one Doesn’t Want

Escaping a Killer

Escaping a Widespread Disaster

Escaping Confinement

Escaping Homelessness

Escaping Invaders

Finding Friendship or Companionship

Finding a Lifelong Partner

Having a Child

Helping a Loved One See They Are Hurting Themselves and Others

Obtaining Shelter From The Elements

Overcoming Abuse and Learning To Trust

Overcoming Addiction

Protecting One’s Home or Property

Pursuing Justice For Oneself or Others

Realizing a Dream

Reconciling with an Estranged Family Member

Rescuing a Loved One From a Captor

Restoring A Name or Reputation

Righting a Deep Wrong

Seeking Out One’s Biological Roots

Stopping an Event From Happening

Trying Again When One Has Previously Failed

Support Wordsnstuff!

Request A Writing Help Post/Themed Playlist/Writing Tips!

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Receive Updates & Participate In Polls On Our Twitter!

Like us and share on Facebook!

Read More On Our Masterlist & See our Frequently Asked Questions!

Tag What You Want Me To See With #wordsnstuff!

Participate in monthly writing challenges!

[patientno7]

the suffering never ends

[sinksanksockie2]

This is the real process

[thewritingbeast-blog]

Resources for you!

Character Ideas:

Character creation masterpost

Character Alignment Chart

More character alignment descriptions

Muslim Character questions

Characters with magical powers

Building a new character advice

How to create a character for an online or tabletop RPG (also a good guide on creating characters in general)

Royalty/nobility TV Tropes page

Basic character profile

OC masterpost

Random character generators - (1), (2), (3), (4)

D&D Character Building Tool

Character Design Ideas:

How clothing affects a character’s personality

Character Design Inspiration blog

Concept art, fan art, cool art to be inspired by

Character design references and inspiration

Sources for POC character design ideas and models

Create your own character model using HeroForge

For horned characters

Body and hair types guide

Random outfit generator

Naming Help:

Amazing site with an endless amount of naming resources

General advice on avoiding naming appropriation

Hispanic Surnames

Gothic Victorian names

Huge master list for character things in general

Masterlist of names of all types - including but not limited to ancient/old world names, Celtic, African, Northern European, Southern and Central American Native names, Japanese, Chinese, Mongolian, Polynesian, and more

Another name masterlist

How to pick a character name guide

Yet another names masterlist

Creating Background/backstory:

Character Sheet/Development Sheet

Another character development list

In-depth character personality, motivations and traits sheet

320 talents and passions for characters

On writing likes and dislikes that aren’t frivolous

Why you should write non-human characters non-conforming to the gender binary

Stereotypes, tropes, and archetypes

Random backstory generator

Assassin and thief character tropes to avoid

Character Interactions and putting your character into your world/story:

Comparing character height/height references

Characters who are scientists and writing about them doing science

Describing what different voices sound like

Describing skin tones

Writing friendship interactions that are platonic

Why having one character knock their friend unconscious to prevent them from doing something is a bad idea

Advice on shipping OCs with canon characters and what to avoid doing

Sweet Polly Oliver and Sweet on Polly Oliver situations (think of Disney’s Mulan for an example)

How to write multiple viewpoints/juggling a main cast of more than 4 to 6 characters

How to make readers care about your morally gray hero/anti-hero

On platonic OC and canon character relationships

How to avoid Godmodding in RPs

When it’s cheap to kill off a character

Writing dialogue

Things you shouldn’t do to canon characters

Avoiding purple prose in writing and RPs

Slang resources

Dialogue tips

Websites to chart your story/plot/character relationships

Bonus art masterlist!

[brucewayneright]

BLESS EVERYONE IN THIS POST.

[jessgoulder-deactivated20240724]

List of Greek Gods & Goddesses

THE OLYMPIANS - THE GODS & GODDESSES WHO RESIDE ON OLYMPUS

Zeus - King of the gods and mortals, king of the heavens who ruled over the clouds, winds, rain, thunder and lightning. God of law, order, justice, and divine witness to oaths. The eagle is his sacred animal.

Hera - Queen of the gods and mortals, protector of women, marriage, maternity, family, the sky and the stars of heaven. The peacock and cow are her sacred animals.

Poseidon - God of the calm and stormy seas, water, earthquakes, and horses.

Demeter - Goddess of growing and blooming plant life. Rules over agriculture, the harvest,the seasons, motherly relationships & the eleusinian mysteries. Pigs and snakes are her sacred animals.

Hades - God of the dead, ruler of the underworld and riches. His sacred animal is Cerberus, the three headed hound of the underworld.

Hestia - Goddess of the hearth fire, the home and domesticity. It is said she was the first to build a house.

Athena - Goddess of wisdom, war, generalship, battle strategy, invention, crafts, craftsmen, science, inspiration, reason and patron of Athens. Her sacred animal is the owl.

Hephaestus- God of fire, the forge, craftsmen, engineers, blacksmiths, metal, volcanoes, he fashioned the thunderbolts for Zeus.

Aphrodite - Goddess of love, sex, beauty, lust, desire, fertility, pleasure and sexuality. Her sacred animals are doves and swans.

Hermes - God of commerce, trade, profit, merchants, roads, travelers, athletes, dexterity, thieves, guardian of flocks, messenger of the gods. His sacred animals are the tortoise and hawk.

Ares - God of war, violence and bloodshed. His sacred animals are the boar and woodpecker,

Apollo - God of light, truth, music, poetry, healing, plague, prophecy, oracles, order and the protector of herds. His sacred animals are wolves, dolphins, ravens, crows and snakes. Twin brother of Artemis.

Artemis - Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, childbirth, protector of young, blooming nature, animals and maidens. Her sacred animals are deer, bears and hounds. Twin sister of Apollo.

Dionysus - God of wine, wine making, the grape harvest, viniculture, vegetation, ecstasy, ritual madness and theater. His sacred animals are leopards, panthers and tigers.

THE TITANS - THE FIRST GENERATION OF GODS

Aether - God of the upper air or sky.

Anchiale - Goddess who perhaps represented the warmth of fire.

Anytus - One of the younger Titans or Curetes. Anytus was an attendant of the goddess Demeter who fostered her Arcadian daughter Despoine.

Asteria -Goddess who presided over the night, stars and nocturnal prophecy. She was the mother of the goddess Hecate.After the fall of the Titans Asteria was pursued by Zeus and but leapt into the sea to escape him where she was transformed into the island of Delos. 

Astraeus - God of the stars, the winds, and the art of astrology. He was the father of the four directional winds and the five wandering stars (the Planets).

Atlas - God of astronomy and the revolution of the heavenly constellations. He was arrested by Zeus and condemned to bear the heavens upon his shoulders. Homer suggests he was later released from this torment and appointed guardian of the pillars of heaven.

Aura - Goddess of the breezes.

Clymene - Goddess of fame and renown. She was the wife of Iapetos and mother of Prometheus.

Coeus - God who presided over the axis of heaven in the north around which the constellations revolve. At the end of the Titan-War, he was confined by Zeus in the Tartarean pit. Coeus was sometimes described as leader of the Gigantes, who rebelled against Zeus. 

Crius - God of the heavenly constellations and the measure of the year. Associated with the constellation Aries. He was later cast into the Tartarean pit by Zeus. Crius was sometimes named as a leader of the Gigantes who rebelled against the rule of Zeus.  

Cronus - The King of the Titans, originally an agricultural god and a god of time. He led his brothers in the ambush and castration of their father Uranus, but was himself deposed and cast to tartarus from his own son Zeus. In one story he fled to Latium ( Rome ) and was worshiped as the god Saturn.

Curetes - A group of shield clashing Titan gods who came to the aid of Rhea to act as guardians of her son Zeus.

Dione - Prophetic goddess who presided over the Oracle at Dodona alongside Zeus.

Eos - The Goddess of the dawn. She was the mother of the wandering stars (that is, the planets) and the four directional winds by the Titan Astraeus.

Epimetheus - The Titan god of afterthought. He was appointed with the task of creating the beasts of the earth.

Eurybia- Goddess of the power of the sea.

Eurynome - Goddess of earth’s flowery meadows. She was the mother of the three lovely Graces by Zeus.

Hecate / Hekate - Goddess of the new moon, crossroads ( figuratively & literally ), protector of the home, childbirth, magic, spirits and potions. She supported Zeus in the Titan war and so retained all of her privileges. She was given dominion over all three realms: The Heavens, The Earth and Seas. Her sacred animals are dogs serpents, frogs, horses and black cats.

Helios - God of the sun. He rides across the sky in a chariot drawn by four fiery, winged steeds. He was an ally of Zeus in the Titan-War. The brother of Selene.

Hemera - Goddess of daylight.

Hyperion - Old god of light, and of the cycles of time measured by the lights of heaven – the sun, the moon and the dawn. Hyperion was one of the four brother Titans who held Uranus fast while Cronus castrated him with the sickle. At the end of the Titan War he was cast into the pit of Tartarus by Zeus.

Iapetos - God of mortality and the allotment of the mortal life-span. he was cast into the Tartarean pit by Zeus at the end of the Titan War.

Lelantos - The Titan god of the breezes of the air.

Leto - Goddess of motherhood, light, and womanly demure. She was the mother of the twin gods Apollo and Artemis by Zeus.

Melisseus- God of honey. He was one of the protectors of the infant Zeus. His daughters were the god’s nurses.

Menoitios - The God of violent anger and rash action as his name would suggest. Zeus blasted him into Erebus with a thunderbolt, where he became a bondsman of King Hades.

Metis - Goddess of good counsel.

Mnemosyne- Goddess of memory, words and language. She was the mother of the nine Muses by Zeus.

Nyx - Goddess of night.

Okeanos - God of the oceans.

Pallas - The Titan god of warcraft and the military campaign season. Some say Athena defeated him in battle and crafted her aegis-cape from his goatish skin.

Perses - God of destruction.

Phoebe - Goddess of intellect and prophetic goddess of the great Oracle of Delphi. She was the grandmother of the god Apollo and may have given him his prophetic gifts.

Phorcys - The old man of the sea.

Prometheus - God of forethought and the creator and benefactor of man.

Rhea - The Queen of the Titans and goddess of female fertility and the mountain wilds. She saved her son Zeus from his father Cronus by substituting the child for a stone wrapped in swaddling cloth. Her sacred animal is the lion.

Selene - Goddess of the moon. She rides across the sky in a silver chariot drawn by two white horses. Sister of Helios.

Styx - Goddess of oaths of allegiance and of the deadly, netherworld River Styx.

Tethys - Goddess of the sources of fresh-water. She was known as the great nurse of life and spawned the Rivers, Clouds and Springs.

Theia - Goddess of sight and the shining light of heaven (“aither”). She was the mother of Sun, Moon and Dawn.

Themis - Goddess of the natural order, divine law and tradition. By Zeus she was the mother of the Fates and of the Seasons, and had a seat by his side on Olympus as advisor.

MINOR GODS AND GODDESSES

Achelous - Oldest of the river gods.Son  of Oceanus and Tethys.

Acheron - A river god. Son of Oceanus and Tethys.

Adrestia - Goddess of the revolt and equilibrium between good and evil.

Aeolus - God of the four winds.

Afer - the south-west wind.

Agathodaemon - A spirit of vineyards and fields, providing luck, happiness and health.

Aidos - Goddess of modesty, shame, reverence and respect. A companion of Nemesis.

Alethia - Goddess of truth.

Alpheius - River god of Elis. He pursued the numpty Arethusa until she was changed into a spring by Artemis.

Amphitrite - Goddess of the sea. Wife of Poseidon.

Anteros  - god of passion, mutual love and tenderness. Son of Aphrodite and Ares.

Arte - Goddess of virtue.

Aristaeus - Protector of beekeepers.

Asclepius - God of healing and medicine. Son of Apollo. He was struck down and killed by Zeus for bringing the dead back to life. He became the constellation Ophiuchus.

Asopus - A river god.

Asterion - A river god. Judged the contest between Hera and Poseidon for the patronage of Argos.

Astraea - Goddess of justice.

Ate - Goddess of evil, mischief and moral blindness.

Boreas - God of the north wind.

Caerus - God of opportunities and favorable moments.

Calliope - Muse of epic poetry, telling of heroes and their deeds; was often portrayed with Homer.

Cephisus- A river god.Father of Narcissus.

Cer - Goddess of violent death.

Charis - Goddess of delight.

Chloris - Goddess of flowers.

Clio - Muse of History.

Corus - God of the north-western wind.

Crimisus - A river god. Son of Oceanus and Tethys.

Cybele - Anatonian mother goddess who was closely associated with Rhea and Gaia.

Deimos- God of terror. Son of Ares and Aphrodite.

Dike - Goddess of justice and the spirit of moral order and fair judgement

Doris - A sea goddess. Daughter of Oceanus and Tethys.

Dysnomia - The spirit of lawlessness.

Dysis - Goddess of the sunset

Eirene - Goddess of peace.

Elpis- Personification of hope.

Enyo- Goddess of war.

Eosphorus - God of the morning star.

Erato - Muse of love lyrics and bridal songs.

Eris - Goddess of discord and strife.

Eros -  Winged god of love. Son of Ares and Aphrodite. His gold tipped arrows caused god and mortal alike to fall in love.

Eunomia - Goddess of lawfulness and good order.

Euphrosyne - Goddess of joy and festivities.

Eurus - God of the south-east wind.

Euterpe - Muse of lyric poetry.

Gaea - Personified goddess of the Earth. Mother of the titans and wife of Uranus.

Granicus- A river god. Granicus was a river of Ida near Troy.

Harmonia -  Goddess of harmony and concord. Daughter of Ares and Aphrodite.

Hebe - Goddess of youth.

Hermaphroditus - Deity of hermaphrodites, unions, androgyny, marriage, sexuality and fertility.

Hesperia - Goddess of dusk.

Hesperus - God of the evening star.

Himerus- God of desire. An attendant of Eros.

Horae - Goddesses who personified the passages of time.

Horcus - The personification of the curse that would befall upon any person that broke an oath they had taken.

Hygieia- Goddess of health.

Hymen - A god of marriage and the wedding feast.

Hypnos - God of sleep. Father of Morpheus and the dreams.

Iaso- Goddess of healing.

Limos- Goddess of starvation and famine.

Iris - Goddess of rainbows and messenger of Hera.

Kakia - Goddess of vice.

Ktesios- Spirit who guarded storerooms.

Melicertes- God of ports and harbours.

Melpomene- Muse of tragedy.

Morpheus - god of dreams.

Nemesis- Goddess of revenge and retribution.

Nike - Goddess of victory. A constant companion of Athena.

Nile - was the River-God of Aigyptos (Egypt) in North Africa.

Notus - God of the south wind.

Pan - God of nature, the wild, shepherds, flocks, beekeepers, goats, of mountain wilds, and is often associated with sexuality.

Peitho- Goddess of persuasion

Persephone - Queen of the underworld. Wife of Hades and daughter of Demeter.She was seen as the personification of spring.

Phantasos- God of surreal dreams.

Pheme- Goddess of rumour and report.

Phobetor - God of nightmares.

Phobos - God of fear and terror.

Phosphorus - God of the morning star.

Phyllis - God of escape.

Plutus - God of riches and wealth. Son of Demeter. Blinded by Zeus so he might favour both righteous and irreverent people indiscriminately.

Ponos - God of hard labor and toil.

Praxidice- Goddess of enterprises, evil deeds and their punishment.

Priapus - God of fertility, vegetables, nature, livestock, fruit, beekeeping, sex, genitals, masculinity and gardens.

Proteus - The old man of the sea. An ancient sea god, he had the power to change his shape and the gift of prophecy.

Psyche - Goddess of the soul.

Satyrs- Half-human woodland spirits, with the legs and feet of goats. Followers of Pan and Dionysus. They had hairy bodies with short horns on their foreheads. Older Satyrs were called Sileni.

Telesphorus- God of convalescence.

Terpsichore - Muse of the dance.

Thalia - Muse of comedy.

Thanatos- Personification of death.

Triptolemus - One of the original priests of Demeter, one of the first men to learn the secret rites and mysteries of Eleusinian Mysteries. When he died he was defied as the god who presided over the sowing of grain-seed and the milling of wheat.

Triton - The messenger of the sea. Son of Poseidon and Amphitrite.

Tyche - Goddess of fortune and luck.

Urania - Muse of astronomy.

Uranus - The first sky god. Husband of Gaea and father of the titans.

Zephyrus- God of the west wind.

The Seasons / Hours / Nymphs / Charities / Morai :

THE FOUR SEASONS:

Eiar (Spring)

Theros (Summer)

Phthinoporon (Autumn)

Cheimon (Winter)

THE TWELVE HOURS:

Auge, first light (initially not part of the set),

Anatolê or Anatolia, sunrise,

Mousikê or Musica, the morning hour of music and study,

Gymnastikê, Gymnastica or Gymnasia, the morning hour of education, training, gymnastics/exercise,

Nymphê or Nympha, the morning hour of ablutions (bathing, washing),

Mesembria, noon,

Sponde, libations poured after lunch,

Elete, prayer, the first of the afternoon work hours,

Aktê, Acte or Cypris, eating and pleasure, the second of the afternoon work hours,

Hesperis, end of the afternoon work hours, start of evening,

Dysis, sunset,

Arktos or Arctus, night sky, constellation (initially not part of the set).

THE NYMPHS:

- Minor female deities who represented different elements of nature:

Oceanids (nymphs of the ocean),

Nereids (sea- nymphs),

Dryads and Hamad Dryads ( nymphs of ash trees)

Oreads (Mountain Nymphs),

Epipotamides (river nymphs),

Naiads (nymphs of brooks, lakes and springs),

Crenids (nymphs of springs),

Limnades (nymphs of lakes, marshes and swamps),

Nyseides ( bacchant nymphs),

Potameides ( nymphs of fountains, lakes rivers, and springs),

Limoniades ( nymphs of meadows of flowers) ,

Napaeae ( nymphs of glens).

THE CHARITIES:

- The three goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity, and fertility.

Aglaea- Splendor

Euphrosyne- Mirth

Thalia - Good Cheer

THE MORAI / THREE FATES -

-The three goddess who controlled the thread of life of every mortal from birth to death.

Clotho spun the “thread” of human fate.

Lachesis dispensed it.

Atropos cut the thread (thus determining the individual’s moment of death).

 - - - > For a list of the Roman Gods Click Here

SOURCES: theoi.com / wikipedia.com / “Who’s Who of Greek and Roman Mythology” by David Kravitz

[historyandmythology]

I nicely placed list of ancient Greek gods ,goddesses etc

[saladmander]

ok but like when did self-sacrifice become synonymous with death? writers seem to have forgotten that people can make personal sacrifices for the greater good without giving their lives. plots about self-sacrifice and selflessness don’t always have to end in death. suffering doesn’t have to be mourning. you can create drama and emotional depth on your show without killing everyone. learn to explore the meaning of living rather than dying

[ladyeternal178]

Death. Is. NOT. The. Only. Way. To. Advance. The. Narrative.

[geralehane]

Fun things to sacrifice for your loved ones in your free time that don’t include death and actually set up for a whole new season of high level drama:

- humanity (mostly applicable to sci-fi/supernatural genre) - memories (mostly applicable to sci-fi/supernatural genre) - love for that special someone (mostly applicable to sci-fi/supernatural genre) - emotions (mostly applicable to sci-fi/supernatural genre) - rank/position/ - yourself/your brain/your skills (give yourself over to bad guys and become their brainwashed agent so your loved ones live) - years of bloody ruthless traditions to make way for peace (hi lexa and fuck jroth tbh) - freedom (includes that of speech/mind/will) - your grandpa’s fortune - hell even material possessions have that girl sacrifice her goddamn house so they can pay off her gf’s student loans or whatever juST STOP KILLING CHARACTERS TO FURTHER YOUR PLOT

[marypsue]

Other things to sacrifice:

- your most sought-after goal

- a strongly-held belief or conviction

- your own chance at happiness

[ruffboi-mags]

other fun things to sacrifice:

-a finger -an eye -10-20 years of your life -some of your vitality or dexterity -your ability to magically see in the dark -your proficiency in battle axes -your good looks -your memory of the man who killed your wife -everything but your head

[letswritesomenovels]

Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. –C.S. Lewis

I found this great piece of writing advice from C.S. Lewis on twitter today.(courtesy of @thatboycanteach)

I know the phrase “show don’t tell” confuses a lot of people who are new to critiquing/workshops, because all writing is telling… isn’t it? 

But this is exactly what writers are talking about when they use that phrase. 

This is also why, when critiquing your work, writers might tell you to remove adjectives and adverbs, or why you might hear that those two types of words are “bad writing.” It’s not that you’re never allowed to use an adjective or an adverb, but that–like Lewis says–it’s much more preferable to be terrified, than to be told something is terrifying. 

Whenever you tell your reader what the characters in a story are experiencing, instead of letting your reader have an experience alongside your characters, you miss an opportunity to invite your reader into the story. If you miss too many, eventually your reader will stop waiting for their invitation and simply leave. 

[prompts-and-circumstance-deacti]

Wonderful advice from a wonderful author

[heywriters]

I’m writing a novel about a road trip, mostly focused on character development, but I’m having trouble with the second act. I don’t want it to just be the same thing ‘they drove and talked’ for 12 chapters. Do you have any advice about how to mix things up?

“Drove and talked” is of course a viable option, but you don’t want that so nevermind. Hopefully, you know already how you intend for this book to end. Act two can be some event(s) or verbal/emotional catharsis that leads into the third act. If you’re not sure how it’s going to end or haven’t got an ending nailed down, maybe one of these ideas will help get you there.

List of things that could happen on a roadtrip*:

Involving the Vehicle

out of gas/flat tire/engine trouble/etc.

vehicle stolen/stripped/burned 

traffic accident 

strike animal with vehicle

“fits a description,” is damaged, brightly colored, or attractive in some other way to police** 

Involving the Road

road work (long wait, detour, or dead stop?)

road washed out due to weather (risk it or detour)

tree or other debris has fallen into road due to weather or from a truck

witness a crime (hit and run, vehicular theft, road rage, drunk driver, etc.)

witness a terrible accident (stop and help or are the authorities present?)

Involving Side Characters

pulled over by police (good or bad cop?) 

hitchhiker (strictly symbolic or potential new character/plot bunny?)

identify a wanted felon/missing person/long-lost relative 

hotel clerks/fellow travelers/tourists/cashiers are acting funny

cell phone call from friend/relative about an emergency or big event (i.e. “mom’s in the hospital” or “I’m pregnant and it’s yours”)

Involving Local Environment

bad weather (flash floods, hailstorm, landslides, tornadoes, etc.)

high crime area (pickpockets, car thieves, vandals, etc.)

area with a conflicting culture (racisim, homophobia, religious intolerance, extreme nationalism— bonus: characters like the wrong sports team)

local wildlife/livestock/pets (pull over to observe, swerve to avoid, accidentally hit, already pulled over and an animal approaches)

During Rest Stops

pickpocket steals money/valuables 

lost luggage (req. return to hotel or stop to buy new) 

buy something that doesn’t fit in car

took drugs/alcohol and cannot drive now

food allergy/poisoning (req. extended hotel stay or hospitalization)

witness a crime (shoplifting, kidnapping, drug peddling, etc.)

there is no local hotel/hostel/B&B

Additionally, results of Google search for “writing a roadtrip”:

Road Trip! | Plot to Punctuation

6 Things That Could Easily Go Wrong While Road Tripping

What Makes a Good YA Road Trip Novel?

How to Figure Out Your Road Trip Cost 

12 Tips for Mastering the (Family) Road Trip 

— — — — — — — — —

*I’m assuming this is an American roadtrip though I’m sure many of these scenarios would apply elsewhere. I do not know how long or across which American state(s) these characters are traveling, so region specific incidences will be up to the writer. Also did not factor in that the characters may include children, but it doesn’t sound like it from the ask.

**Don’t know about other states, but I’ve personally heard “your car fits a description” from California cops three times in three different vehicles. This means, in theory, that the car resembles one that’s been stolen or that was involved in a crime. 

[cheesewriting]

Also Kerouac's On The Road is amazing

Really on point with road trip things (no joke? No joke.) and character development

Because it's the very point of the book

[writers-all-around]

Creating Religion

If you’re anything like me, then you love little questionnaires to use as jumping off points for aspects of your stories, whether it be for characters, creatures, magic, or worldbuilding.  Of course when you search the internet, the most you’ll often find are character questionnaires and, occasionally, questionnaires for building cities and/or nations.  In the end, I’ve ended up making a few of my own in an attempt to streamline my worldbuilding process.

Today I spent a little while going through what questions you should answer when creating a religion for your universe.  While a lot of people choose not to make religion a huge part of their world and storytelling (myself included), I find that even just hinting at it in story really enriches the experience and gives the world you’ve created a feeling of cohesiveness, a sense of being whole.

While this doesn’t touch on every aspect of religion, I think it’s a good jumping off point for establishing the basics of your religion, especially if it’s not going to play a huge role in your story but you’d still like to add in aspects of it here and there.

Where does your religion originate from?

What is your religion’s creation story?

Where do people go when they die?  Similarly, are there any beliefs/stories surrounding birth?

What are some strong morals of your religion?

What rituals do followers perform (could range from human sacrifice to simply attending church on certain days)?

What are the traditions, texts, songs, and verses of your religion?  How do the followers keep track of stories?  Is it oral, textual, magical, or something else?

What place do celestial bodies (suns, moons, stars, or other objects in the sky) have in your religion?

What are some holidays and/or celebrations of your religion?

What is your religion’s place in the country?  How much power does the church have over the state?

What are the priests, shamans, or wisemen of the religion like?

Is there just one god, or many?  What are their origin stories?

What relevance does your god(s) have to the people?

Are there demigods, demons, angels, other supernatural creatures related to your religion?  What are their roles?  Are they real, or otherwise based off of a real event/creature/person?

What restrictions does your religion enforce (ex. no sex before marriage, no eating certain foods, etc) and where do they originate from?

What are prayers/curses/expletives related to your religion?

[naity-sama]

Some words to use when writing things:

winking

clenching

pulsing

fluttering

contracting

twitching

sucking

quivering

pulsating

throbbing

beating

thumping

thudding

pounding

humming

palpitate

vibrate

grinding

crushing

hammering

lashing

knocking

driving

thrusting

pushing

force

injecting

filling

dilate

stretching

lingering

expanding

bouncing

reaming

elongate

enlarge

unfolding

yielding

sternly

firmly

tightly 

harshly

thoroughly

consistently

precision

accuracy

carefully

demanding

strictly

restriction

meticulously

scrupulously

rigorously

rim

edge

lip

circle

band

encircling

enclosing

surrounding

piercing

curl

lock

twist

coil

spiral

whorl

dip

wet

soak

madly

wildly

noisily

rowdily

rambunctiously

decadent

degenerate

immoral

indulgent

accept

take

invite

nook

indentation

niche

depression

indent

depress

delay

tossing

writhing

flailing

squirming

rolling

wriggling

wiggling

thrashing

struggling

grappling

striving

straining

[littlestsecret]

Appetite -  craving, demand, gluttony, greed, hunger, inclination, insatiable, longing, lust, passion, ravenousness, relish, taste, thirst, urge, voracity, weakness, willingness, yearning, ardor, dedication, desire, devotion, enthusiasm, excitement, fervor, horny, intensity, keenness, wholeheartedness, zeal

Arouse -  agitate, awaken, electrify, enliven, excite, entice, foment, goad, incite, inflame, instigate, kindle, provoke, rally, rouse, spark, stimulate, stir, thrill, waken, warm, whet, attract, charm, coax, fire up, fuel, heat up, lure, produce, stir up, tantalize, tease, tempt, thrum, torment, wind up, work up

Assault -  attack, advancing, aggressive, assailing, charging, incursion, inundated, invasion, offensive, onset, onslaught, overwhelmed, ruinous, tempestuous, strike, violation, ambush, assail, barrage, bombard, bombardment, crackdown, wound Beautiful -  admirable, alluring, angelic, appealing, bewitching, charming, dazzling, delicate, delightful, divine, elegant, enticing, exquisite, fascinating, gorgeous, graceful, grand, magnificent, marvelous, pleasing, radiant, ravishing, resplendent, splendid, stunning, sublime, attractive, beguiling, captivating, enchanting, engaging, enthralling, eye-catching, fetching, fine, fine-looking, good-looking, handsome, inviting, lovely, mesmeric, mesmerizing, pretty, rakish, refined, striking, tantalizing, tempting Brutal -  atrocious, barbarous, bloodthirsty, callous, cruel, feral, ferocious, hard, harsh, heartless, inhuman, merciless, murderous, pitiless, remorseless, rough, rude, ruthless, savage, severe, terrible, unmerciful, vicious, bestial, brute, brutish, cold-blooded, fierce, gory, nasty, rancorous, sadistic, uncompromising, unfeeling, unforgiving, unpitying, violent, wild Burly – able-bodied, athletic, beefy, big, brawny, broad-shouldered, bulky, dense, enormous, great, hard, hardy, hearty, heavily built, heavy, hefty, huge, husky, immense, large, massive, muscular, mighty, outsized, oversized, powerful, powerfully built, prodigious, robust, solid, stalwart, stocky, stout, strapping, strong, strongly built, sturdy, thick, thickset, tough, well-built, well-developed Carnal -  animalistic, bodily, impure, lascivious, lecherous, lewd, libidinous, licentious, lustful, physical, prurient, salacious, sensuous, voluptuous, vulgar, wanton, , coarse, crude, dirty, raunchy, rough, unclean Dangerous -  alarming, critical, fatal, formidable, impending, malignant, menacing, mortal, nasty, perilous, precarious, pressing, serious, terrible, threatening, treacherous, urgent, vulnerable, wicked, acute, damaging, deadly, death-defying, deathly, destructive, detrimental, explosive, grave, harmful, hazardous, injurious, lethal, life-threatening, noxious, poisonous, risky, severe, terrifying, toxic, unsafe, unstable, venomous Dark -  atrocious, corrupt, forbidding, foul, infernal, midnight, morbid, ominous, sinful, sinister, somber, threatening, twilight, vile, wicked, abject, alarming, appalling, baleful, bizarre, bleak, bloodcurdling, boding evil, chilling, cold, condemned, creepy, damned, daunting, demented, desolate, dire, dismal, disturbing, doomed, dour, dread, dreary, dusk, eerie, fear, fearsome, frightening, ghastly, ghostly, ghoulish, gloom, gloomy, grave, grim, grisly, gruesome, hair-raising, haunted, hideous, hopeless, horrendous, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrifying, horror, ill-fated, ill-omened, ill-starred, inauspicious, inhospitable, looming, lost, macabre, malice, malignant, menacing, murky, mysterious, night, panic, pessimistic, petrifying, scary, shadows, shadowy, shade, shady, shocking, soul-destroying, sour, spine-chilling, spine-tingling, strange, terrifying, uncanny, unearthly, unlucky, unnatural, unnerving, weird, wretched Delicious - enticing, exquisite, luscious, lush, rich, savory, sweet, tasty, tempting, appetizing, delectable, flavorsome, full of flavor, juicy, lip-smacking, mouth-watering, piquant, relish, ripe, salty, spicy, scrummy, scrumptious, succulent, tangy, tart, tasty, yummy, zesty Ecstasy -  delectation, delirium, elation, euphoria, fervor, frenzy, joy, rapture, transport, bliss, excitement, happiness, heaven, high, paradise, rhapsody, thrill, blissful, delighted, elated, extremely happy, in raptures (of delight), in seventh heaven, jubilant, on cloud nine, overexcited, overjoyed, rapturous, thrilled Ecstatic -  delirious, enraptured, euphoric, fervent, frenzied, joyous, transported, wild Erotic -  amatory, amorous, aphrodisiac, carnal, earthy, erogenous, fervid, filthy, hot, impassioned, lascivious, lecherous, lewd, raw, romantic, rousing, salacious, seductive, sensual, sexual, spicy, steamy, stimulating, suggestive, titillating, voluptuous, tantalizing Gasp -  catch of breath, choke, gulp, heave, inhale, pant, puff, snort, wheeze, huff, rasp, sharp intake of air, short of breath, struggle for breath, swallow, winded  Heated - ardent, avid, excited, fervent, fervid, fierce, fiery, frenzied, furious, impassioned, intense, passionate, raging, scalding, scorched, stormy, tempestuous, vehement, violent, ablaze, aflame, all-consuming, blazing, blistering, burning, crazed, explosive, febrile, feverish, fired up, flaming, flushed, frantic, hot, hot-blooded, impatient, incensed, maddening, obsessed, possessed, randy, searing, sizzling, smoldering, sweltering, torrid, turbulent, volatile, worked up, zealous Hunger -  appetite, ache, craving, gluttony, greed, longing, lust, mania, mouth-watering, ravenous, voracious, want, yearning, thirst Hungry -  avid, carnivorous, covetous, craving, eager, greedy, hungered, rapacious, ravenous, starved, unsatisfied, voracious, avaricious, desirous, famished, grasping, insatiable, keen, longing, predatory, ravening, starving, thirsty, wanting Intense -  forceful, severe, passionate, acute, agonizing, ardent, anxious, biting, bitter, burning, close, consuming, cutting, deep, eager, earnest, excessive, exquisite, extreme, fervent, fervid, fierce, forcible, great, harsh, impassioned, keen, marked, piercing, powerful, profound, severe, sharp, strong, vehement, violent, vivid, vigorous Liquid -  damp, cream, creamy, dripping, ichorous, juicy, moist, luscious, melted, moist, pulpy, sappy, soaking, solvent, sopping, succulent, viscous, wet / aqueous, broth, elixir, extract, flux, juice, liquor, nectar, sap, sauce, secretion, solution, vitae, awash, moisture, boggy, dewy, drenched, drip, drop, droplet, drowning, flood, flooded, flowing, fountain, jewel, leaky, milky, overflowing, saturated, slick, slippery, soaked, sodden, soggy, stream, swamp, tear, teardrop, torrent, waterlogged, watery, weeping Lithe - agile, lean, pliant, slight, spare, sinewy, slender, supple, deft, fit, flexible, lanky, leggy, limber, lissom, lissome, nimble, sinuous, skinny, sleek, slender, slim, svelte, trim, thin, willowy, wiry Moan - beef, cry, gripe, grouse, grumble, lament, lamentation, plaint, sob, wail, whine, bemoan, bewail, carp, deplore, grieve, gripe, grouse, grumble, keen, lament, sigh, sob, wail, whine, mewl Moving -  (exciting,) affecting, effective  arousing, awakening, breathless, dynamic, eloquent, emotional, emotive, expressive, fecund, far-out, felt in gut, grabbed by, gripping, heartbreaking, heartrending, impelling, impressive, inspirational, meaningful, mind-bending, mind-blowing, motivating, persuasive, poignant, propelling, provoking, quickening, rallying, rousing, significant, stimulating, simulative, stirring, stunning, touching, awe-inspiring, energizing, exhilarating, fascinating, heart pounding, heart stopping, inspiring, riveting, thrilling Need -  compulsion, demand, desperate, devoir, extremity, impatient longing, must, urge, urgency / desire, appetite, avid, burn, craving, eagerness, fascination, greed, hunger, insatiable, longing, lust, taste, thirst, voracious, want, yearning, ache, addiction, aspiration, desire, fever, fixation, hankering, hope, impulse, inclination, infatuation, itch, obsession, passion, pining, wish, yen Pain -  ache, afflict, affliction, agony, agonize, anguish, bite, burn, chafe, distress, fever, grief, hurt, inflame, laceration, misery, pang, punish, sting, suffering, tenderness, throb, throe, torment, torture, smart Painful -  aching, agonizing, arduous, awful, biting, burning, caustic, dire, distressing, dreadful, excruciating, extreme, grievous, inflamed, piercing, raw, sensitive, severe, sharp, tender, terrible, throbbing, tormenting, angry, bleeding, bloody, bruised, cutting, hurting, injured, irritated, prickly, skinned, smarting, sore, stinging, unbearable, uncomfortable, upsetting, wounded Perverted -  aberrant, abnormal, corrupt, debased, debauched, defiling, depraved, deviant, monstrous, tainted, twisted, vicious, warped, wicked, abhorrent, base, decadent, degenerate, degrading, dirty, disgusting, dissipated, dissolute, distasteful, hedonistic, immodest, immoral, indecent, indulgent, licentious, nasty, profligate, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, shameful, shameless, sickening, sinful, smutty, sordid, unscrupulous, vile  Pleasurable -  charming, gratifying, luscious, satisfying, savory, agreeable, delicious, delightful, enjoyable, nice, pleasant, pleasing, soothing, succulent Pleasure -  bliss, delight, gluttony, gratification, relish, satisfaction, thrill, adventure, amusement, buzz, contentment, delight, desire, ecstasy, enjoyment, excitement, fun, happiness, harmony, heaven, joy, kick, liking, paradise, seventh heaven  Rapacious-  avaricious, ferocious, furious, greedy, predatory, ravening, ravenous, savage, voracious, aggressive, gluttonous, grasping, insatiable, marauding, plundering Rapture -  bliss, ecstasy, elation, exaltation, glory, gratification, passion, pleasure, floating, unbridled joy Rigid -  adamant, austere, definite, determined, exact, firm, hard, rigorous, solid, stern, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, concrete, fixed, harsh, immovable, inflexible, obstinate, resolute, resolved, severe, steadfast, steady, stiff, strong, strict, stubborn, taut, tense, tight, tough, unbending, unchangeable, unwavering Sudden -  abrupt, accelerated, acute, fast, flashing, fleeting, hasty, headlong, hurried, immediate, impetuous, impulsive, quick, quickening, rapid, rash, rushing, swift, brash, brisk, brusque, instant, instantaneous, out of the blue, reckless, rushed, sharp, spontaneous, urgent, without warning Thrust -  (forward) advance, drive, forge, impetus, impulsion, lunge, momentum, onslaught, poke, pressure, prod, propulsion, punch, push, shove, power, proceed, progress, propel (push hard) assail, assault, attack, bear down, buck, drive, force, heave, impale, impel, jab, lunge, plunge, press, pound, prod, ram, shove, stab, transfix, urge, bang, burrow, cram, gouge, jam, pierce, punch, slam, spear, spike, stick Thunder-struck - amazed, astonished, aghast, astounded, awestruck, confounded, dazed, dazed, dismayed, overwhelmed, shocked, staggered, startled, stunned, gob-smacked, bewildered, dumbfounded, flabbergasted, horrified, incredulous, surprised, taken aback  Torment - agony, anguish, hurt, misery, pain, punishment, suffering, afflict, angst, conflict, distress, grief, heartache, misfortune, nightmare, persecute, plague, sorrow, strife, tease, test, trial, tribulation, torture, turmoil, vex, woe Touch -  (physical) - blow, brush, caress, collide, come together, contact, converge, crash, cuddle, embrace, feel, feel up, finger, fondle, frisk, glance, glide, graze, grope, handle, hit, hug, impact, join, junction, kiss, lick, line, manipulate, march, massage, meet, nudge, palm, partake, pat, paw, peck, pet, pinch, probe, push, reach, rub, scratch, skim, slide, smooth, strike, stroke, suck, sweep, tag, tap, taste, thumb, tickle, tip, touching, toy, bite, bump, burrow, buss, bury, circle, claw, clean, clutch, cover, creep, crush, cup, curl, delve, dig, drag, draw, ease, edge, fiddle with, flick, flit, fumble, grind, grip, grub, hold, huddle, knead, lap, lave, lay a hand on, maneuver, manhandle, mash, mold, muzzle, neck, nestle, nibble, nip, nuzzle, outline, play, polish, press, pull, rasp, ravish, ream, rim, run, scoop, scrabble, scrape, scrub, shave, shift, shunt, skate, slip, slither, smack, snake, snuggle, soothe, spank, splay, spread, squeeze, stretch, swipe, tangle, tease, thump, tongue, trace, trail, tunnel twiddle, twirl, twist, tug, work, wrap  (mental) - communicate, examine, inspect, perception, scrutinize Wet - bathe, bleed, burst, cascade, course, cover, cream, damp, dampen, deluge, dip, douse, drench, dribble, drip, drizzle, drool, drop, drown, dunk, erupt, flood, flow, gush, immerse, issue, jet, leach, leak, moisten, ooze, overflow, permeate, plunge, pour, rain, rinse, run, salivate, saturate, secrete, seep, shower, shoot, slaver, slobber, slop, slosh, sluice, spill, soak, souse, spew, spit, splash, splatter, spout, spray, sprinkle, spurt, squirt, steep, stream, submerge, surge, swab, swamp, swill, swim, trickle, wash, water Wicked -  abominable, amoral, atrocious, awful, base, barbarous, dangerous, debased, depraved, distressing, dreadful, evil, fearful, fiendish, fierce, foul, heartless, hazardous, heinous, immoral, indecent, intense, mean, nasty, naughty, nefarious, offensive, profane, scandalous, severe, shameful, shameless, sinful, terrible, unholy, vicious, vile, villainous, wayward, bad, criminal, cruel, deplorable, despicable, devious, ill-intentioned, impious, impish, iniquitous, irreverent, loathsome, Machiavellian, mad, malevolent, malicious, merciless, mischievous, monstrous, perverse, ruthless, spiteful, uncaring, unkind, unscrupulous, vindictive, virulent, wretched Writhe -  agonize, bend, jerk, recoil, lurch, plunge, slither, squirm, struggle, suffer, thrash, thresh, twist, wiggle, wriggle, angle, arc, bow, buck, coil, contort, convulse, curl, curve, fidget, fight, flex, go into spasm, grind, heave, jiggle, jolt, kick, rear, reel, ripple, resist, roll, lash, lash out, screw up, shake, shift, slide, spasm, stir, strain, stretch, surge, swell, swivel, thrust, turn violently, tussle, twitch, undulate, warp, worm, wrench, wrestle, yank 

[aghostnotaguardian-archive]

//MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS - HERE IS THE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM OF FINDING THAT RIGHT WORD!!!!!

[shades-of-orange]

I’ve reblogged it before, and I’ll reblog it again

[wondrousworldbuilding]

Why develop a fictional culture?

When you’re creating a race of people for your new world, you need a culture to give those people and their way of life some context. The culture helps determine how the characters act, dress, eat, solve problems, among so many other things. You can (and sometimes, should) have multiple cultures in your world, depending on how large your focus area is. Cultures affect each other, but also serve in a narrative sense to draw contrast in-world and to draw parallels to the reader’s world. 

So here are some thoughts, big and small, that are meant to help inspire you as you create amazing cultures. (And remember that you’re thinking about the following questions in the context of the general population, not your main character(s).) You can simply answer these questions in short-answer form, or you can write a short story to flesh out one or two or three questions at once. If you do that, submit them to me! I’d love to feature them on the blog. 

How old do people believe their race is? How old are they really?

How prevalent are religions to the common person?

What is/are the origin stories of the main religion(s)?

What do most people think should be the highest priority:

biological family?

chosen family?

career?

service/charity (of any kind)?

religion?

entertainment/fun?

nation?

expansion (of nation/culture/influence/understanding)?

How do culturally shared priorities shape interactions?

What is the common greeting? Does it vary by age, class, rank, or sect?

How is gender viewed by the majority? Why?

What are common myths/legends of your people and how heavily do they influence the modern day?

How trustful are people of outsiders?

How welcoming are people, in general, of strangers into their homes?

How well do people of various factions (class, race, religion, etc.) get along in society?

How far has technology advanced, and how has it been implemented into their daily lives?

If magic exists, what do they believe is its origin? Its source?

If there is division between magic/non-magic, how do the two treat each other and why? How long has it been that way?

What sort of relationship do they have with their ruler?

How content is the average person?

How do people make their living and how big a part of their life is their career (if applicable)?

Do they have “weekends” and if so, what sets them apart from “weekdays”?

How do they treat their close friends?

How do they treat their enemies?

How do they handle small conflict, between individuals or small groups?

How do they handle larger conflicts?

How are they prepared for any potential war? Do they have some sort of military or militia in place? 

How many wars have they, as a society, fought over the course of their lives/history? How much of an impact does that have on their cultural identity? (i.e. WW2′s impact on patriotism in America, and how it’s yet to go away.)

What virtues do they value in individuals? What virtues do they say they value? If those are different, why?

How do they dress? Does it vary greatly by gender, or not? Is their focus on clothing very practical, religious, sentimental, or simply driven by the latest arbitrary fashion? How do the above answers reflect on the culture on a deeper level?

How do they treat their elderly?

How do they treat their children?

At what age does a baby become a child, a child a young adult, a young adult an adult, an adult an elder?

How much regulation does the day-to-day life of the average citizen entail? Or, how involved is the government in micro affairs?

How are these people seen throughout their known world? How do other cultures view this culture?

Check out the rest of the Brainstorming Series! Magic Systems, Part One Magic Systems, Part Two New Species New Worlds  Map Making Politics and Government Belief Systems & Religion Guilds, Factions, & Groups War & Conflict Science & Technology Wildlife & Ecosystems History & Lore

[nanowrimo]

NaNo Prep: Outline Your Story Like a Subway Map

We’re deep into NaNo Prep Season, and this week, we’ve asked participants to share their thoughts on how to craft great plots and build immersive worlds. Today, author and entrepreneur Gabriela Pereira shares her method of mapping out her story:

As a New Yorker born and raised, I think of an outline as being like a subway map. What I love about this approach is that it allows you to see how the various threads of your story work together, but you can also tease those elements apart and look at them individually to see how each thread holds up on its own.

When you make a subway map outline, each line represents a different subplot or story element you want to track. The dots (or stops) represent scenes in your story. Some scenes are like local stops on a subway and apply only to one story thread, while other scenes are like express stops and represent intersections between the story threads and mark key moments in your story. For an example of this technique in action, check out the subway map of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games.

Want to learn how to put together a story map like this? Here’s a step-by-step guide.

Afficher davantage

[cherribalm-deactivated20140609]

site that you can type in the definition of a word and get the word

site for when you can only remember part of a word/its definition 

site that gives you words that rhyme with a word

site that gives you synonyms and antonyms

[bumblebeebabie]

THAT FIRST SITE IS EVERY WRITER’S DREAM DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I’VE TRIED WRITING SOMETHING AND THOUGHT GOD DAMN IS THERE A SPECIFIC WORD FOR WHAT I’M USING TWO SENTENCES TO DESCRIBE AND JUST GETTING A BUNCH OF SHIT GOOGLE RESULTS

[wondrousworldbuilding]

Populating Your New World

Building a world from the ground up has almost countless facets to consider. Even after you’ve created your protagonist’s culture, city, government, religion, etc., you might go along writing only to find that the meadows and forests and even alleyways are devoid of life. Wildlife. Your main characters’ species won’t be alone on its planet, and if you’ve created a brand new world entirely from scratch, you might find that populating the land and water with terrestrian plants and animals doesn’t feel right, not when every other aspect is original. So what’s a world builder to do?

Figure out how your main species fits into the world

Are they at the top of the food chain? What kind of predators or dangers might they face in the wild?

How much more intelligent are they than the animals around them? 

How has their technology, gardening, hunting, etc. altered nearby ecosystems?

To what creatures in the world are they most closely related?

What creatures and plants have they domesticated and bred? Why? How similar or dissimilar are the creatures, plants…or even the reasons behind their cultivation or domestication?

How much control are they able to exert over their environment? 

Are they carnivores, omnivores, herbivores, or insectivores?

Developing an ecosystem 

(If you are creating a multi-biome planet, you will need to do this separately for all different types of climates and/or regions.) 

I like to think in terms of terrestrial evolution; I make a chronological checklist starting with what came first, and then what followed. I find that method very useful. So (in brief summary): basic geography, weather, plants, microorganisms, aquatic creatures, amphibians (or similar), small land creatures, larger land creatures, flying creatures. This section might benefit from sketches and charts (even if your crap at drawing, it’s just for your eyes anyway. It will help solidify your ideas and keep them cataloged for later reference as you write).

What is the general climate? What biome classification(s) does it fall under?

What does the basic landscape look like? Draw a picture.

What early activity (tectonic, erosion, or otherwise) has helped to shape the land?

How unpredictable, violent, or mild are the weather patterns? How different are the seasons? What weather might be considered “nice” by local inhabitants? What weather do they dread?

What is plant life like in the region? How has water supply, sunlight, or soil fertility affected plant growth?

How do plants breed and spread? Have they grown to rely on other creatures (bees, mammals, etc.) to pollinate or spread seeds, or do they take care of it themselves? Why?

What role do microorganisms play in the ecosystem? Have they been discovered and studied by the intelligent species of your world, or do they remain largely a mystery?

Salt water or fresh water? How has the quality, size, and richness of the body of water affected creatures living there? Consider the types of aquatic plants as well and how this environment has affected them…and how they have affected it.

What’s the largest creature inhabiting the average body of water in this region? What’s the smallest? Draw a food chain or food web (see the difference here).

What creatures use camouflage as a primary method of survival and/or hunting? How has this affected their appearance?

What animals live both in and out of the water? How similar or dissimilar are they from the amphibians of our world? Why do they live in both land and water? How do they fit into the water and land food webs/chains?

What animals have become exclusively land-dwelling? How do they make their shelters? 

Draw a food chain/web for the land creatures in this region.

What are the largest land animals? The smallest? How does their size give them an advantage or disadvantage in their environment? 

General creature-development questions and tips

General thoughts for your original creatures

Eye color, shape, behavior

Skin/hair/fur texture

Social behaviors (among its own kind)

Behaviors around new creatures or situations

How does it reproduce? How many of its young survive?

What does its home look like? How does it find or make its home?

Strength/weakness and physical build (muscles, teeth, agility, etc)

Number of limbs and use thereof

Take existing animals or fantastic creatures and use them as a jumping off point for your imagination. 

Blend characteristics of animals from a similar climate or region.

Add unique (and logical) characteristics to familiar creatures that helps them fit your new world.

Create something entirely new from the depths of your imagination

Place yourself in your new ecosystem and create new creatures with features that make sense for that setting.

Let the magic or technology of your world play a part in how your new creatures have developed. How have the unique parts of your world molded its creatures?

Consider how an existing creature or fantasy creature might continue to evolve over millions of years in the climate you’ve created. Let that help you develop your own animals.

How balanced are your ecosystems? Do the predators outnumber the prey? Are there are enough creatures eating insects to keep the populations under control? How plentiful is the flora? Can it feed as many herbivores as it needs? 

What natural processes work to keep the circle of life moving? (i.e. forest fires)

Draw pictures of your creatures to keep on file. They don’t have to be perfect. The simple act of sketching them out will help solidify their appearance in your mind. This will help you with consistency when describing them in your narrative. 

Remember that you don’t have to have a full sketch and profile for every living being on your planet. For many of mine, I have blank spaces in my food webs where a “fill-in-the-blank” creature needs to be–is–but I haven’t sketched it out. I just know what it eats and what eats it. You can create only the handful of animals you need for your story, but still have a fully developed food chain, filled by creatures you’ve never seen and, therefore, don’t know what exactly they look like. 

When developing your creatures and ecosystem pulls your focus away from your story for too long, you might be taking it a little too far! It’s okay to do creature development a little bit at a time. You don’t have to have any part of worldbuilding completely fleshed out before you start your novel. Otherwise, none of us would ever get any actual writing done!

Integrating your hard work into your narrative

Any animals that appear in the narrative, you need to know what they eat, what eats it, etc. In an ecosystem nothing happens in a vacuum. It’s a web, not a line.

A setting serves many purposes. One of the most important ones is something for your characters to react to in order to develop and deepen them. So as you handle nature (creatures, plants, ecosystems) within your narrative, keep in mind the purpose that it is serving. Bear in mind how each individual character would see and react to their world, and let that reflect who they are to the reader. Make sure to pay attention to what your characters will pay attention to. In a rainforest, you might see beautiful, colorful creatures, like a poison dart frog. An artist will think, “That’s beautiful,” while a survivalist might think, “That’s dangerous,” or even, “That’s useful!” 

Don’t be afraid of over-including details in your first draft. Write what comes to mind, what feels important, and then you can whittle down to the most important details in later drafts. Some of what you write in your first draft might not make it to the final, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important for you to actually write it! You might learn a lot about your world from your first draft. 

Happy building!

Check out the rest of the Brainstorming Series! Magic Systems, Part One Magic Systems, Part Two New Species New Worlds New Cultures New Civilizations Politics and Government Map Making Belief Systems & Religion Guilds, Factions & Groups War & Conflict  Science & Technology History & Lore