Writing, World-building and Other Insanity @daftydrafty - Tumblr Blog

been thinking about fantasy/scifi rule systems and free will

I ran an Aliens rpg years back. But the players didn't KNOW it was an Aliens game until halfway through the first session.

They thought it was a sci-fi game but they also thought the monsters were going to be zombies.

Over a period of 2 hours they then proceeded to make EVERY Aliens movie cliche "mistake" known to man. Because at the time they all made sense.

The characters in a story don't know they're in a story or what kind of story it is.

They might think their in a romcom instead of a slasher movie. And if you're not in a slasher movie, why the fuck would you search through every closet in your house just because a cup mysteriously fell off a table in the dining room?

valtsv

as well as being incredibly misogynistic and demeaning, "catfight" just isn't an accurate term for what's being described most of the time. if you refer to two women fighting as a "catfight" i'd better see them growling at each other with blood under their nails and deep jagged scratches carved into their skin where they tried to disembowel each other with their bare hands. they'd better be tearing out chunks of each other's flesh with their bloodstained teeth and trying to gouge each other's eyes out. if you're going to be a sexist loser you can at least do us real sicknasty perverts the favour of not half-assing it.

personnotthestatue

Signs You Should Write The Story

1. You can't stop thinking about it

2. It would be exciting and fun to write

3. It's meaningful to you

WRITE THE STORY

albertcamuesli

dissertation writing advice

phd-in-prog

this is amazing and I'm glad I saw it

emptinesstomelodyao3-deactivate

It's always

"When will fanfic writers update their stories?"

And never

"Does this fanfic writer have adequate enrichment to engage in writing behaviours?"

Fanfiction writers (Scriptor fictus) are intelligent animals who need plenty of enrichment as well as encouragement! If they're stuck in poor conditions (e.g. have studies, work, have to actually write to have something written) then they require the proper enrichment to engage in more healthy behaviours, like writing. Remember, due to poor breeding and socialisation, over half of all fanfic writers suffer from low self confidence and executive dysfunction so take care of them!

Give your fanfic writers proper care. Fanfiction writers are a life long commitment.

kedreeva

S. fictus enrichment can include (but is not limited to):

Playing the same song on repeat for 3 days (for the Scene Vibe)

Creating (and possibly even listening to) playlists of songs (for the Story Vibe)

Cleaning things that don't really need to be cleaned this instant

Snuggling household animals, particularly ones covering their keyboards

Writing memes

Writing games such as "WIP Wednesday" or "Post your last sentence" or "Writing races/sprints" (these are best done with groups of writers, and sometimes you'll need a non-writer to oversee timing or organization).

Comments on their archived stories

Snacks, particularly bite sized ones that can be picked up by their writing appendages without soiling them

Water in suitable containers for drinking (lidded w/ straws or sippy cups or water bottles are often preferred)

Watching source material repeatedly

An interesting side note, S. fictus has several subspecies. If you notice your writer is repeatedly watching source material and writing small chunks of fiction to post on social media instead of to archives, or is excitedly/repeatedly exchanging small chunks of fiction with other S. fictus, your writer may actually be of the S. fictus meta subspecies. This subspecies is much more socially inclined and can be VASTLY enriched through exposure to other meta writers. This is a double-edged sword; while they can be extremely enriched via socialization, if source material ultimately does not match S. fictus meta's expectations, they can become volatile or depressed.

One more note about the care of S. fictus, something that I see overlooked OFTEN. Many people think that giving S. fictus a blank document is enriching and will encourage writing behaviors. This is flat out wrong and can, in fact, be extremely stressful for your writer! If you see them suffering from blank document symdrome (BDS), please get into contact with their beta reader immediately. They'll be able to prescribe a few sentences to get your writer back on their feet in no time. I actually have a free sample you can have for emergency use:

ad-wills

goatmilksoda

A question I get asked a lot while working at a public library is "how do you deal with homeless people?"

And the answer is, we don't.

The unhoused people who come here seeking refuge 99% of the time understand that they will be kicked out if they misbehave.

The people you have to watch out for are Jessica, who only came because the kid she didn't want had to visit for a homework assignment and she just *needs* to yell at her child for asking to borrow two books or stay an extra five minutes, or Michael, who came in to look at porn on our computers for whatever fucking reason, or Karen who just wanted to come by to throw a fit that the particular book she wanted was checked out and harrass our staff about our collection being too limited.

99% of the time, the people we need to ban are middle to upper-middle class white people while the homeless and mentally ill/disabled people mind their own damn business and are honestly some of the best patrons we have.

goatmilksoda

I bring this up because today we had a man come in. He stopped at the desk, pulled up a chair and said "I'm newly homeless and was living in my car. I'm disabled. It was impounded. It's raining. I don't have a phone and I don't know where to go tonight."

And we did what we could to help. He was incredibly kind and patient despite his obvious anxiety and stress, more than most able bodied, housed patrons are to us under much less dire conditions. I liked knowing that we were the first place he came.

We have so many people like this who come in everyday. Many are quiet and keep to themselves, but sometimes they talk to us.

They tell us about how they're taking a few courses on a scholarship they applied for from our library's computer at the local community college to get their diploma. Or ask about a manga or dvd or book we might have to help them pass the time.

One woman, who comes in daily with her tattered walker always says hello to me and likes to work on the new jigsaw puzzle with me when we set one out.

So like, treat unhoused people like people. Treat disabled people like people. I don't want my library to feel like the only safe space in the world, but I'm glad it can be one of them.

I'm so sick of hearing about how "the homeless are ruining everything" when they are some of the kindest, most respectful people here. Sometimes they mutter, might not have had a place to shower, and might need a little extra space for their backpacks but that's FINE. It Doesn't Matter Actually. None of that is a problem or any of my business to care about (unless they request help/services), and I also don't think it's any of yours.

atlinmerrick

Adding Dancinggrimm's tags as an exclamation mark to all of the above. And anyone who's been in a shop or a restaurant or just about anywhere knows that entitled people bitching and moaning is so much more common than unhoused people being in any way difficult.

tired-fandom-ndn

Extremely nitpicky but I hate white wedding gowns in fantasy, especially when they make absolutely no sense in the setting. No, that culture in the far north that prioritizes function over form and mostly wears heavy furs would not have the means, ability, or desire to make a sleeveless ivory silk gown with a semi-sweetheart neckline. Please be sensible about this and use your creativity instead of just slapping a Kleinfeld wedding gown into a medieval fantasy setting.

tired-fandom-ndn

Here's some tricks to making interesting fantasy wedding dresses:

Focus on the things that indicate wealth and prosperity in your fantasy culture.

What materials would your bride have access to and what would make the most sense for her to wear?

What colors are not only beautiful and culturally significant, but also require expensive or rare dyes?

What imagery could be used in patterns that are relevant to the culture (animals, plants, family crests, etc)?

What skills could be displayed in the making of the gown (beadwork, embroidery, fabric painting, etc)?

What interesting and unique materials can you add that are relevant to the culture (fur, leather, bones, plants, shells, etc)?

Would your culture be more focused on the amount of material, things like trains and heavy lairs, or on the quality and detail?

What will happen to the gown after the wedding (worn for other events, turned into household materials, turned into other clothing, etc) and are there details to it that make any other functions easier?

What other things make the bride stand out (veils, headdresses, jewelry, makeup, body paint, hairstyles, outerwear, etc)?

Is it more important in your culture for the gown to be made by other people (showing off wealth) or by the bride and/or her family (showing off the bride's talents)?

tired-fandom-ndn

For a quick example:

If your wedding ceremony requires the bride to walk through a cold and snowy forest for cultural or religious rites, she would freeze her poor tits off in a sleeveless silk gown. Instead, consider a heavy wool gown in rich colors with elaborate embroidery and a thick cloak, maybe hooded, made of fine furs to show off her family's wealth. Jewelry, headpieces, and detailing on the gown could be made with things carved from stones, wood, antlers, and/or bones, especially if it's a culture that prizes hunting skills. Maybe a heavy veil that isn't just beautiful but also helps protect her face from biting winds during the journey.

purpleopossum

Also!!! Sick of seeing white wedding gowns in (European) historical fiction before the 1800s White became popular because Victoria wore it at her wedding... that's it. It then slowly gained traction over the course of the 1800s. Blue was a popular choice, but I have also seen red and silver. White was of course present, but by no means the most common.

maxkirin

I've said this ten thousand times in the past but, when it comes to planning/writing a novel, DON'T TRUST YOUR MEMORY.

Got a cool idea? ✍️ Write it down!

Thought of a cool line of dialogue? ✍️ Write it down!!

Came up with a twist for book 3? ✍️ WRITE. IT. DOWN.

maxkirin

Here's your evening reminder to carry a notebook with you at all times~ 📓✨

ad-wills

writing-in-the-grave

Hey y'all why are writers always cold?

run-remi-run

...why?

writing-in-the-grave

They're always surrounded by drafts!

How many mystery writers does it take to change a lightbulb?

run-remi-run

Oh god.

How many?

writing-in-the-grave

Two! One to change the bulb, and the other to give it an unexpected twist at the end!

What do writers have for breakfast?

run-remi-run

Coffee?

writing-in-the-grave

Synonym buns!

Where do all the struggling writers live?

run-remi-run

How are you coming up with all these?

Where?

writing-in-the-grave

Writer's Block!

What do writers suffer from each spring?

(I've heard a lot of them over the years.)

run-remi-run

Allergies. Next question.

writing-in-the-grave

you were close; A case of allegories

Why are writers always in great shape?

run-remi-run

Circular prose

writing-in-the-grave

Nope! It's because we're always running out of ideas!

Did you hear about the famous writer who turned out to be a fraud?

run-remi-run

I did not

writing-in-the-grave

His life had it's prose and cons...

Why is editing a better job than writing?

run-remi-run

It's more rewording?

writing-in-the-grave

Correct! I am out of jokes. :(

homunculus-argument

One thing I’ve learned about writing is ”give everything a face”. It’s no good to write passively that the nobility fled the city or that the toxic marshes were poisoning the animals beyond any ability to function. Make a protagonist see how a desperate woman in torn silks climbs onto a carriage and speeds off, or a two-headed deer wanders right into the camp and into the fire. Don’t just have an ambiguous flock of all-controlling oligarchy, name one or two representatives of it, and illustrate just how vile and greedy they are as people.

it’s bad to have characters who serve no purpose in the story, but giving something a face is a perfectly valid purpose.

tlbodine

This is the real heart of “show don’t tell”

writingdotcoffee

“I also learn a lot about everybody else’s process. People create in different ways, so that has opened me up to different processes and experimenting.”

— Mo Willems

albatris

writing advice: get weird w it

soy-sauce-and-mothra-deactivate

Hey! Are there blacksmiths in your story? I'm a hobbyist blacksmith and I'm here to help!

Blacksmithing is one of those things that a lot of people get wrong because they don't realize it stuck around past the advent of the assembly line. Here's a list of some common misconceptions I see and what to do instead!

Not all blacksmiths are gigantic terrifying muscly guys with beards and deep voices. I am 5'8, skinny as a twig, have the muscle mass of wet bread, and exist on Tumblr. Anybody who is strong enough to pick up a hammer and understands fire safety can be a blacksmith.

You can make more than just swords with blacksmithing. Though swords are undeniably practical, they're not the only things that can be made. I've made candle holders, wall hooks, kebab skewers, fire pokers, and more. Look up things other people have made, it's really amazing what can be done.

"Red-hot" is actually not that hot by blacksmith terms. when heated up, the metal goes from black, to red, to orange, to yellow, to white. (for temperature reference, I got a second degree burn from picking up a piece of metal on black heat) The ideal color to work with the metal is yellow. White is not ideal at all, because the metal starts sparking and gets all weird and lumpy when it cools. (At no point in this process does the metal get even close to melting. It gets soft enough to work with, but I have never once seen metal become a liquid.)

Blacksmithing takes fucking forever. Not even taking into account starting the forge, selecting and preparing metal, etc. etc. it takes me around an hour to make one (1) fancy skewer. The metals blacksmiths work with heat up and cool down incredibly fast. When the forge is going good, it only takes like 20 seconds to get your metal hot enough to work with, but it takes about the same time for it to cool down, sometimes even less.

As long as you are careful, it is actually stupidly easy to not get hurt while blacksmithing. When I picked up this hobby I was like "okay, cool! I'm gonna make stuff, and I'm gonna end up in the hospital at some point!" Thus far, the latter has yet to occur. I've been doing this for nearly a year. I have earned myself a new scar from the aforementioned second degree burn, and one singe mark on my jeans. I don't even wear gloves half the time. Literally just eye protection, common sense, and fast reflexes and you'll probably be fine. (Accidents still happen of course, but I have found adequate safety weirdly easy to achieve with this hobby)

A forge is not a fire. The forge is the thing blacksmiths put their metal in to heat it up. It starts as a small fire, usually with newspaper or something else that's relatively small and burns easily, which we then put in the forge itself, which is sort of a fireplace-esque thing (there's a lot of different types of forge, look into it and try to figure out what sort of forge would make the most sense for the context you're writing about) and we cover it with coal, which then catches fire and heats up. The forge gets really hot, and sometimes really bright. Sometimes when I stare at the forge for too long it's like staring into the sun. The forge is also not a waterfall of lava, Steven Universe. It doesn't work like that, Steven Universe.

Welding and blacksmithing are not the same thing. They often go hand-in-hand, but you cannot connected two pieces of metal with traditional blacksmithing alone. There is something called forge welding, where you heat your metal, sprinkle borax (or the in-universe equivalent) on it to prevent the metal from oxidizing/being non-weldable, and hammer the pieces together very quickly. Forge welding also sends sparks flying everywhere, and if you're working in a small space with other blacksmiths, you usually want to announce that you're welding before you do, so that everyone in a five-foot radius can get out of that five-foot radius. You also cannot just stuck some random pebbles into the forge and get a decent piece of metal that you can actually make something with, Steven Universe. It doesn't work like that, Steven Universe.

Anvils are really fucking heavy. Nothing else to add here.

Making jewelry is not a blacksmithing thing unless you want jewelry made of steel. And it will be very ugly if you try. Blacksmithing wasn't invented to make small things.

If there's anything here I didn't mention, just ask and I'll do my best to answer.

willowcrowned

what they don't tell you about getting better at writing is that not only will you have to work on getting better at writing (intuitive, easy to understand) but you will have to work on getting better at all the parts of writing that are not writing (confusing. terrible)

dduane

It's so annoying. And it never stops. :/

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