A Cruel Mistress

I am an aspiring author of the fantasy fiction/lgbt romance variety. This tumblr is a companion to my blog A Cruel Mistress and follows my journey.

[cruelm-blog]

Belated Update

It's been more than a while since I posted on here. And while I haven't been active on the blog, I've been active elsewhere. 2014 was the first year I submitted for publication. I submitted a short story earlier in the year, and a full manuscript today. While the short story was rejected, I have six weeks until I hear back on the full manuscript. While the rejection was hard, I understand that it's part of the process. I expect many more will follow (even my idols have received dozens), but I don't intend to lose hope. I'll just keep working until I make it! Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me! I'll try to update more regularly in 2015!

[slitheringink]

A Guide for the Seasoned and the Not-So-Plot Savvy

This is a subject that a lot of writers tend to struggle with. They have ideas, great ideas, but are uncertain how to string them together into a solid plot. There are many methods that have been devised to do so, and most...

[kadrey-deactivated20181203]

Let Idris be your conscience.

[mikerugnetta]

Yes, sir. 

Sorry, sir.

[fictionwritingtips]

When you’ve been writing for a long time, even seasoned writers run the risk of having their characters feel the same. If you’ve been relying on one type of character in all your novels, now is the time to switch it up. It helps to try different approaches when building...

[thegraphicdivine-deactivated201]

[aetherial]

A very good reference for Writers, too.  The color of a room, or someone’s clothing can convey emotion or a state of being, or even set the tone for a setting or a situation. Colors often come with ingrained connotations - they certainly have strong meanings in Asian cultures, and in European cultures they have intrinsically understood meanings.

Red - passion, blood, anger, fire (for example)

This is going in my writer’s journal.

[reyairia]

70% of editing is just looking at ur work for a few hours with this face

[lettherebedoodles]

(( This speaks to me on a spiritual level. ))

[clementive-deactivated20150318]

Ok. I’m tired of the typical vampire, werewolf and fairy.I’m also tired of the occidental-centrism in mythology. Hence, this list.

I tried to included as many cultural variants as I could find and think of. (Unfortunately, I was restricted by language. Some...

[fuckyeahforensics]

Gunshot wounds infographic

[vandaystrick]

I promise I’m a writer

[mordinwrites]

Ten questions to ask a friend who just read your novel

Found this article. Found it incredibly helpful. Be sure to go read the full story, but these are the ten questions the author (Lydia Netzer) covers in it:

1. At what point did you feel like “Ah, now the story has really begun!”  2. What were the points where you found yourself skimming?  3. Which setting in the book was clearest to you as you were reading it? Which do you remember the best?  4. Which character would you most like to meet and get to know?  5. What was the most suspenseful moment in the book?  6. If you had to pick one character to get rid of, who would you axe?  7. Was there a situation in the novel that reminded you of something in your own life?  8. Where did you stop reading, the first time you cracked open the manuscript? (Can show you where your first dull part is, and help you fix your pacing.)  9. What was the last book you read, before this? And what did you think of it? (This can put their comments in context in surprising ways, when you find out what their general interests are. It might surprise you.)  10. Finish this sentence: “I kept reading because…”

Some of this could be easily adapted into roleplay critiques, though it’s primary use is, of course, novel writing.

[timepolice-art]

Wow yes this is what I need. Now just to finish actually writing the story :’D ;;

[salviag]

I don’t think I would have thought of half of these.

[perplexingly]

There’s always space for yet another armor tutorial, right? (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Note that the armor I drew would be worn around 15th century, the more into the future the less and less components knight’s armor had (i. e. in early 14th century instead of greaves a knight would wear long boots only; in 12th century knights didn’t wear plate breastplates and instead a chain mail only). Also the design of armor pattern changed by year and was different in every country (i.e. in eastern Europe armors, while still looking European, were heavily influenced by Turkey). so just make sure you always do research whenever drawing an armor. And one more thing to keep in mind is that armors were expensive, knights wearing a full plate armor weren’t an often sight.

Some links that may be useful:

Armour Archive (I strongly suggest to browse its forum, there is no country or period of which armor wouldn’t be discussed)

Therion Arms (armorer’s page; each accessory is photographed in big resolution and several time so it’s a nice page to use as reference for drawing)

Revival Clothing (another store, but both with medieval clothing and armors; I suggest to read the articles, they’re often supported with pictures)

Basic Armouring:A Practical Introduction to Armour Making (pdf)

Educational Charts (pdf, shows how armors and weapons changed over the years)

Medieval & Renaissance Material Culture (actual medieval resources, mostly paintings. And my favourite subpage - women in armor)

Dressing in Steel (youtube; a demonstration how to dress in armor)

How shall a man be armed? (youtube; another demonstration but with 4 different knights from different periods)

[veronikelly-mars-deactivated201]

I’d love to see more books where the characters get together earlier in the story. While the yearning portions of books are lovely and make us flip their pages, I’d love to see more stories where healthy romantic relationships are depicted. Where the curtain isn’t dropped with the suggestion of coupling up = happily ever after. Novels that take us past that point and depict a young couple working out some of their early insecurities and issues; that show us the romance and heartache of settling into a relationship. Like the moment when you’ve hung up on your boyfriend/girlfriend for the first time and you’re cradling your phone, praying they’ll know you want them to call back. Or you’ve slammed a door and you hope they’re waiting on the other side figuring out the perfect words to transform the emotions inside you from anger and hurt to comfort and passion. Relationships are not a destination. They’re not an end-point. They’re always a journey. They should always be challenging and growing and evolving.

Tiffany Schmidt, on what makes for a good contemporary romance in YA fiction. She also offers up an excellent reading list of current and forthcoming contemporary novels with well-done romances for YA fiction fans. (via yahighway)

#v important #also works w one of my favourite quotes which i’m totally going to mess up right now but the basic gist of it was that love is difficult #in that people are always changing and you have to work at loving both yourself and continue to love your partner when they change too #and yeah i’m so here for depictions of relationships as hard fucking work bc they are but not in the bad way??? #in the rewarding way #and i’m totally rambling now but yeah a+ opinion YA novels deserve more credit etc etc

(via schrodingersowen)

[alliaofrph]

I save a helpful links so I think “ow,i should made a masterlist”. I only found the link from my bookmarks.

**maybe i renew/add a new link that i found

[alliaofrph]

WRITING HELP/CHARACTER

writing a bitchy character (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10)

writing a cocky character (1,2,3,4)

writing a emotion character (1,2)

How to play a hippie

Playing the quiet character.

Portraying the shopaholic.

Portraying a mute character.

Portraying a kleptomaniac.

How to play the stalker.

Writing distant, indifferent characters.

How to write a character who stutters.

Writing a character who is sassy.

A guide to playing a southern character.

Portraying characters with crushes.

How to portray a teen mom.

How to play a character who is mean.

How to portray a character high on cocaine.

Writing a character who is high on amphetamines.

Playing an efficient male character.

Portraying the asshole.

Playing a character who suffers from shyness.

How to play a mentally ill/insane character.

Writing a character who self-harms.

Writing a happy character.

Writing a character who suffers from night terrors.

Writing a character with paranoid personality disorder.

How to play a victim of rape.

How to RP a blind character.

Writing a leader.

Writing a character with Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Writing a character with depression.

Writing a character who is homosexual.

Writing a character with schizophrenia.

Playing a fe/male character.

Writing a character with Nymphomania.

How to write a worry wart.

How to write a character with HPD.

How to write a bad ass character.

Playing a pansexual.

Tips on writing a drug addict.

Tips on writing the pregnant female.

Writing insane characters.

Playing a character under the influence of marijuana.

Portraying a character with diabetes.

How to play a prankster.

Playing a character who has been adopted.

Portraying a vampire.

Playing a character with an eating disorder.

Portraying a character who is anti-social.

Portraying a character who is depressed.

How to portray someone with dyslexia.

How to portray a character with bipolar disorder.

Portraying a character with severe depression.

How to play a serial killer.

Writing a tomboy.

Playing a pyromaniac.

How to write a mute character.

How to write a character with an OCD.

How to play a stoner.

How to write an asexual character.

How to play a bitchy/vicious character.

How to play a character with HPD.

Playing a pregnant woman.

Playing the burn-out.

Writing a “nice” character.

How to play a gentleman.

How to play a shy/introvert character.

How to play a naive character.

Playing characters with memory loss.

How to write a character who smokes.

How to write pirates.

How to write characters with PTSD.

How to play a character who isn’t ready for sex.

How to play the geek.

Playing the manipulative character.

Portraying a character with borderline personality disorder.

Playing a character with Orthorexia Nervosa.

Writing a character who lost someone important.

Playing the bullies.

Portraying the drug dealer.

Playing a rebellious character.

How to portray a sociopath.

How to play a swimmer.

Portraying a ballerina.

Playing a promiscuous male.

Playing a character with cancer.

How to portray a bubbly character.

How to portray a power driven character.

How to portray the shy character.

Playing a character under the influence of drugs.

Playing a character who struggles with Bulimia.

Portraying a hippie.

Portraying sexually/emotionally abused characters.

Playing a character with asthma.

Portraying characters who have secrets.

Portraying a recovering alcoholic.

Portraying a sex addict.

How to play someone creepy.

Portraying a foreigner.

Portraying an emotionally detatched character.

How to play a character with social anxiety.

Portraying a character who is high.

How to play a strong, female character.

Writing a character with a hangover.

Playing angry characters.

Playing a character who is smarter than you.

Playing and writing autistic characters.

Portraying a trans character.

How to portray a dominant character.

Playing a character who is faking a disorder.

Playing a prisoner.

Playing the opposite sex.

Portraying a character who has PTSD.

Playing a character who stutters.

Portraying characters with Aspergers Syndrome.

How to play a depressed character who selfharms.

Portraying the “dumb” character.

How to portray a lesbian.

How to play a blind character.

How to play a sexual assault victim.

Writing a compulsive gambler.

Writing a closeted character.

Playing a werewolf.

Writing a character with an addiction to sex.

Writing a character who is drunk.

Portraying a character who is British.

Playing a Brit.

Portraying a character with amnesia.

Playing heroes.

Portraying a witty character.

How to play an INTJ.

How to play a vampire.

How to play a character who is manipulative.

Portraying the natural born leader.

Portraying the character who is flirtatious.

Writing a nice character.

How to portray a character who has asthma.

Playing a character with ADHD.

Writing characters with anxiety.

Amnesia

Children

A Death Scene

Loosing Someone (2)

Old Persons

Physical Injuries (2, 3)

Sexual Abuse (2)

Fight Scenes (2, 3, 4)

Horror

Torture

How to Describe the Body Shape of Female Characters

Character Apperance Help

Words to Describe Voice

Body Language Cheat Sheet

Character Development Exercises

101 Character Development Questions

Art of Character Development

Introducing Characters

Characters You Need to Reinvent

Making Characters Likeable

Heros and Villains

Describing Clothing

Understanding Body Language

100 Positive Traits

Mental Illness in Writing

Conflicts and Characters

JOBS/HOBBIES

Actors

Ballet Dancer (2)

Christianity

Foreigners

Gamblers

Hinduism

Hitmen

Satanism

Smokers

Stoners

Taoism

Journalists

Vegetarians

LOCATIONS

Australia

Boston

California (2, 3)

England/Britain (2, 3, 4, 5)

New York

Prison

London

The South (2)

GENDERS

Females (2)

Males (2)

Transgender People

NAMES

Female Names (2, 3, 4, 5)

Male Names (2, 3, 4, 5) 

Last Names  (2, 3, 4)

QUOTES

Song Lyrics Masterlist

Songs for Biographies

Favorite Quotes: TV and Movies

Favorite Quotes: Notable Authors

Favorite Quotes: Celebrities

Favorite Quotes: Popular Books (2)

Quotes From Songs

Character Quotes

Masterlist of Bio Lyrics

Masterlist of Bio Quotes

Masterlist of Song Lyrics

Biography Lyrics

A Masterlist of Quotes

+130 Quotes

SMUT

Smut Guide: Casual Sex

Smut Guide: For Beginners

How to: Write a First Time Sex Scene Romantically

How to: Smut - The Bare Bones

How to: Smut (For Virgins)

How to: Write Lesbian Smut

How to: Write Smut (2, 3)

How to: Write a Blowjob/Prepping for Smut

Smut Guides of Tumblr

Tips on Writing Sex Scenes

A Guide to Language in Smut

Domination and Submission

Making Love

A Smut Guide

KISSES

How to: Write a Kiss (2)

Different Types of Kisses

Writing Out the First Kiss

GRAMMAR

Placement of Speech Tags

Grammar and Spelling

Grammar Slammer!

American vs. British Grammar

HyperGrammar

Grammar Girl

Punctuating Dialogue

How to Use the Semicolon

Introduction to the Basic Rules of Punctuation

Comma 101

All About Dialouge

11 Grammar Tips

Comma Usage

Correct Use of Apostrophe

Proofreading

Transition Words

40+ Tips to Improve your Grammar and Punctuation

Better Writing: Grammar & Spelling

Semicolons and Colons

Underlining and Italicizing

Dashes and Parentheses

Hyphens

Apostrophes

The Ellipsis

List of 1000+ Adjectives

ART

painting tutorial

colour palette (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

drawing clothe folding

avoiding drawing the same face

draw ice

anatomy help

free drawing program (1) (2)

sai brushes (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)

draw hair

drawing ref

dont know what to draw?

draw 3D room tut

drawing eyes

lip tutorial

how to draw jeans

how to draw arms

expression tutorial

drawing hair and fur

drawing cats

pose reference blog [its actually a blog full of references i-]

download photoshop

paint blood

color blender

draw hands

hands 2

photoshop help (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

remove backgrounds from images online

clouds

brush setting ref (SAI)

kissing ref 

how to draw curls

realistic woman body ref

draw knees

draw feet

shadow help

male body

lips ref

contouring and highlighting

draw wings

change images using blur (PS)

gray

hat ref

glowing stuff

pastel colors

draw grass

eyeliner ref

Painting tutorial

Female/male arms

Kneeling + Sitting ref

Dragon head view tutorial

SAI brushes 86786

Drawing expressions

Sai Brushes 1

NGE colour palette 1

100+ colour palletes

Avoiding same face

Face contours/highlighting 

free art MyPaint

Body anatomy help 1

How to shift images using blur in PS

Drawing clothe folding

How to draw ice

Colour palette 1

Colour palette 2

SAI brush settings 2

SAI/PS pixel brushes

Warm/Cool gray

Flower crown tutorial

Skin colour palette

Pink colour sheet

How to draw butts&thighs

The male torso

Drawing glowing stuff in SAI

Drawing horse/animal legs on humans

Drawing clouds

Muscular male with bow stock photos

Pastel colours

Drawing grass fields in SAI

Expressions&Legs

All about the human body

20+ colour palettes 

Colour conversion

Kissing ref

Creature design 

Colour meanings

Creating expression

Tutorial masterpost (100+)

Lineart

Canine

How to colour

Pose studies

Feline comparisons

How to draw penis

Leaf pressing

100+ anatomy references 

How to draw folds

SAI brushes 3

Sitting poses

Colour palette 4

Cloud painting

How to draw 3D rooms

Colour info

Colouring ref

Hair tutorial

Clothing ref

Bodies and poses

SAI brushes 5

Colour scheme designer

Folding ref

Heads&Angles 

Paint tool SAI masterpost

Drawing ref masterpost (10+)

Hair+Fur

How to draw faces

SAI brushes 4

Anatomy of mutant humans

What should I draw?

Free art software

pastel colour ref

Mass art ref

Soft SAI brushes

ways to draw stuff

SAI brush settings

baseball cap ref

Penis ref

Drawing human wings

Cool free art software

Huge art ref

Colour blender

2 SAI brushes

Photoshop for free 

MAKEUP

eyeliner

how to apply blush

how to draw eyebrows

ombre eyeliner

lipstick trick

the kitty eye ^.^

nude lips

smokey eye make up

what you need to know about beauty

5 of the best foundations 

best powder foundations

quick foundation tip

how to apply liquid foundation

breaking it down

makeup highlights tutorial

blush for your skin tone

how to apply bronzer

how to contour your face

apply blush like a pro

blush according to your face shape

d.i.y. gel liner

get the perfect winged liner

get winged liner using tape

awesome eyeliner tricks

9 different eyeliner looks

different eyeliner styles

guide to applying eyeshadow

suit your eyeshadow to your eyes

glittery smoky eye

get the perfect smoky eye

a shade for every occasion

kool-aid lip stain

best lipsticks for blondes

hot red lips

how to get gradient lips

lipstick shades for fall

how to make any lipstick look matte

get soft kissable lips

long lasting makeup tricks

victoria’s secret model tips

saving face

beginner’s guide

when will it expire?

10 makeup tips from mac

best tips from professionals

18 beauty essentials

basics you should own

make-up brush tutorial 

brush tricks

clean your makeup brushes

make-up brush guide

make up hacks

easy make up tips

BODY CARE

the runaway to gorgeous skin

winter dryness

acne foundation routine

wash your face correctly

how to wash your face 101

HAIR

messy bun tutorial

different ways to braid

three-braid updo

waterfall braid

how to fishtail

romantic curls

braid + bun updo

how to do pastel hair

8 ways to wear a bow

4-strand braid

braided bun

braided headband

dutch braid crown

pin curls!

how to contour

everyday makeup routine

lipstick using crayons

eyeliner ref wow

filling in eyebrows

banana facial mask (moisturizes)

strawberry facial mask (acne prone skin)

avocado facial mask (dry skin)

yogurt facial mask (sensitive skin)

list of oils to add to your face masks

already made masterpost :*

OTHER

sleep calculator

survive nature

rain

tumblr music

calming rain

need a hug?

like the sound of a coffee shop?

can’t remember the name of a song?

the thoughts room

how to love yourself

upload anything from your iPhone etc. to your laptop

learn another language

make HUGE unpoppable bubbles

play some piano

draw a stick man and watch the story!

thousands of stars (you can zoom in/out and learn about them)

check if a username is taken (any site! twitter/tumblr, etc)

draws stuff as you move your curser

tell your thoughts to no one

play with cob web

make music with balloons

learn to play the guitar

learn to build a ship in a bottle

learn origami

learn some yoyo tricks

make your own stuffed animals

how to decorate iphone cases

make a candle

important things you should remember

how to kill your anxiety

how to help someone with their anxiety

look for literally any book you want (free)

waterproof your shoes

know what your emotion is

how to love yourself

ultimate writers resources masterpost

learn how to make punk edits without photoshop

dont know what to read?

learn a new habit 

how to answer the top 35 asked questions when applying for a job

want to draw?

The quiet place

MOVIES

Giant Movie masterpost

Disney movies masterpost

Superhero movies masterpost

Movies for when you’re sick

Scary movies masterpost

Tumblr dedicated to finding movie links

When to pee during a movie

[writerswritecompany]

 45 ways to avoid using the word ‘very’

[nanowrimo]

Think of a book special to you, and how much bleaker and poorer your life would be if that one writer had not existed—if that one writer had not, a hundred times or a thousand, made the choice to write. You’re going to be that one writer, one day, for somebody you may never meet. Nobody can write that book you’re going to write—that book that will light up and change up a life—but you.

— sarahreesbrennan, on ignoring the doubters. (via lettersandlight)

[thepalaceofawesomestories]

7 Tips to Land The Perfect Title for Your Novel

Having a good title meant everything in 18th-century England, where the fate of lovers often hinged upon whether or not the man could claim a stately rank like “duke” or “baron.”

For the fiction writer of the 21st century, a good title of a different sort is just as crucial. Unfortunately, too many aspiring writers spend years perfecting their manuscripts, only to tack on uninspired titles as afterthoughts. I encounter this casual approach to titling in my own fiction workshops, where talented students undermine first-rate stories with second-rate labels.

Fortunately, this is one of the easiest pitfalls for the emerging writer to avoid. I urge my students to think of their titles as the first opportunity to stand out in the slush pile. After all, while we are told not to judge a book by its cover, when confronted with thousands of submissions, what editor won’t be drawn to a clever or alluring title? Devoting even a small amount of creative energy to naming your work can vastly improve your odds of publication. 

My rule of thumb is that strong titles are distinctive, but not distracting. While Anton Chekhov could afford to tack dull titles (“Home,” “The Student”) onto vivid stories, modern audiences want something more memorable. At the same time, anything as complex as The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds may draw attention to itself at the expense of the story that follows (unless, of course, you’re Paul Zindel).

The trick is to find a happy balance between the all-too-forgettable and the truly over-the-top. You want to choose something that makes your readers think: What a fantastic title! Why didn’t I come up with it?

Read More

[nimblesnotebook-blog]

Another Halloween themed post.

Part I: Superstitions

GHOSTS AND SPIRITS

Iron and Ghosts

The Early Ghost

Guide to Ghosts

Ghosts

Gravestone Symbolism

10 Little Known Mysterious Ghost Types

Ghost Types

The Different Types of Ghosts

Haunted Places

Cemetery Folklore

Writing a Ghost Story

Tips for Writing Ghost Stories

Ghost Cliches

Horror Cliches

ZOMBIES

The Science of Zombies

Zombie Biology

Zombie Sociology

Zombie Myths

Stage II and Stage III Zombies (pictures)

Vampires vs Zombies

Undead Creatures

Zombies

Guide on Zombies

SHAPE SHIFTERS AND HOMINIDS

Werewolves and other were-beasts

The Shape Shifting Process

Shape Shifters

Hominids of the World

Werewolf Myths

Science of Werewolves

Werewolf Behavior

Werewolves vs Vampires vs Zombies

Werewolf Anatomy

Wolf Body Language

Lycanthropy

Werewolf Myths and Truths

History of the Werewolf Legend

SEA CREATURES

The Mermaid

Sea Creatures

Books About Mermaids and Sea Folklore

Sea Creatures: Books

YA Mermaid Novels

Best Mermaid Books

Awesome Mermaid Books

Mermaid Anatomy

A Dissection of Mermaid Anatomy

VAMPIRES

African Vampires

Writing the A-Typical Vampire

So You Want to Write a Vampire Novel

Avoiding Vampire Cliches

Vampire Cliches

Vampire Burial

Vampire Mythology

Vampire Biology

Vampire Virology

Vampire Sociology

Vampires in Folklore and Literature

AVIAN CREATURES

Underused Bird Mythologies

FAIRIES AND FAE

Types of Faeries A-Z

A Guide to Fairies

Other Names for Fairies

Books About Faery

Best YA Fairy Books

Best YA Fantasy Series About the Fae

ANGELS AND DEMONS

A Glory of Angels

Angels and Demons Resource Post

Do You Give Angels Flaws or Not?

Unusual Angels

More:

Creating Creepy Creatures

Mythology Meme

Master Post of World Mythology, Creatures, and Folklore

Figures of Norse Mythology

Those Who Haunt the Earth

Writing Horror, Paranormal, and Supernatural

Genre: YA Supernatural

List of Mythical Creatures

Mythological Creature Picture Spam

How to Make Your Supernatural Characters Unique

Supernatural Theme Story

Myths and Urban Legends Masterpost

Original Gods, Goddesses, and Myths

World Building Basics: Myths and Legends

Mythical Creatures and Beings

Symbols by Word

Mythology Meme

Writing Paranormal Characters into the Real World

[cruelm-blog]