DahliaFrog

I'm a writer and worldbuilder! This is my writeblr blog!

[dahlialeef]

Writeblr Introduction

Hi, I'm Dahlia! Up until recently I mostly lurked on the internet, but I decided to start posting because I wanted to share with a community who had similar interests to me. I do a lot of in-depth worldbuilding and most of my stories are from my main world Oxiora.

You Can Also Find Me...

On Instagram, where I post about my writing, worldbuilding, books I've read, my crochet, my art, and occasionally, daily life.

On Pinterest, where I keep boards dedicated to my worldbuilding and story characters. (Some boards may be private due to spoilers)

And on Twitch, where I usually just stream video games with a casual vibe.

My Current WIPs Include...

Vantage: When a loyal soldier falls in love and dies on the battlefield she makes a deal with death in exchange for her life as well as her lover’s

An unnamed story about twin thieves, brotherhood and the heist of a century

An unnamed story featuring a ghost, a mad king and a continent at war

Tomorrow the Stars a story about a crew of sky-sailing pirates

More About My Writing

Although I do enjoy a happy ending, I also take delight in writing unhappy endings. There's just something about those gut wrenching feelings man

Who doesn't love governmental corruption? After all, no matter whether something is good in the beginning, it always becomes corrupt, take the US government for example

I love the found family trope, it is in almost everything I consume or write

That's where I'll end my intro for now, have a good rest of your day everyone! :)

[dahlialeef]

Happy WBW! What are the sacred professions in your world? I don't necessarily mean religious-- but of course they can be. Just what are the high ranking, prestigious, and/or powerful jobs?

Thanks so much for the ask!!

Right now the biggest one that comes to mind is the leader of the avians. Avians have a highly religious society and their leader is the highest ranking official in their church. They select their leaders based on how blessed they think someone is. For instance, one leader of the avians was chosen because during that time period he was the goddess of death's favorite. He received multiple quests in exchange for blessings and such from her, and was renowned as one of the best leaders the avians ever had.

Thanks for reading, have a great day everyone! :D

[dahlialeef]

Update on Vantage!

Hello! I've been gone for a while, but I'm back with big updates on Vantage! I'm currently working on a new draft and I'm also looking into getting official art for the main trio!! I'm really excited because the changes I've been making recently help both the characters and story flow better!

That's all for now, thanks for reading and have a nice day!

[dahlialeef]

Happy STS. Okay, hear me out. Your story becomes a musical. *grandly presents you with the opportunity to turn this into literally whatever you want* (Who knows all the choreography? Who is pissed? Who somehow escapes singing?) (What scene has the best song? What your story's musical sound like? Does it being a musical make any sense at all?)

Oh my gosh I love this question! Thanks so much for the ask :)

In this AU Vantage is a book and the most of the characters (aside from gods) have different names in the book. It's definitely a bit odd to turn into a musical, but everything comes together in the end. I think the best song in the musical would definitely come from the scene where Cleo makes the deal with Krilsu.

The stage definitely has a rotating part in the middle, and the scenery is mostly nature scenes throughout the show.

Cleo is good with the choreography, but not so much the singing. It takes her until the day before the show to get all her notes right.

Lorraine is the opposite of Cleo. She's a talented singer and her voice is absolutely lovely, but she keeps stumbling over the choreography. Luckily it doesn't take her quite as long to learn the choreography as Cleo took to learn her notes.

Renth is definitely the one who is PISSED at this being a musical. He's secretly a huge fan of the book and he's also a musical hater. He thinks turning Vantage into a musical is disrespectful to the book, but he auditioned anyway because he loves the book.

Albertt, who plays Cleo's mentor, is surprisingly enough both a good dancer and alright singer. He actually helps Cleo learn her notes in his spare time, despite how frustrating it is.

Christine plays the goddess Krilsu. She gets off pretty easy because she's only on set for one scene, and most of the scene she's sitting down.

Somehow Norida ends up being the only actor who avoids having to sing. Most scenes she's in she doesn't have to say anything, and the occasional times she does it's actual dialogue.

I can't think of much else right now but I think this is pretty good!

Thank you if you read this far and I hope you have a nice day!

[dahlialeef]

Happy STS! Your characters are going on TV! Are they invited to a talk show, entering a talent competition, testing their survival skills, or is their trial live on the news? That's up to you. 🙃

Thank you for the ask! I had big things going on this weekend so I unfortunately couldn't answer until now.

For all of these characters I'm actually going to put them in a sort of modern AU, because TV and most modern technologies don't exist in their worlds.

Let's talk about Cleo and Lorraine first! They'd definitely be on TV together in a talent competition for dancing. They're honestly such a sweet couple and I think if given the opportunities of the modern day they would have been stunning dancers and even more so as partners.

Then there's Renth, he would definitely be on a talk show as either an actor or a beauty influencer. I can just imagine him talking all about his morning routine while still managing to crack better jokes than the host.

Lastly, Theo and Leo would definitely have a trial live on the news. It would either be something insane or ridiculous, or a mixture of both. Something like breaking into the president's house to steal the silverware. Or breaking into a celebrity's house to steal their Grammy or Oscar. Of course, all for the fun of it.

That's all for today! Have a lovely day and thanks for reading! :)

[dahlialeef]

Hello!

It's been a while since I posted, but I'm back now! I've got this really cool art piece I've been working on that's made almost entirely out of crochet, and I wanted to show it to you guys! It's actually based on a story from my world. This is the most recent picture I have, but I've done a lot of work on it since I last took one. (The white clear-ish things are pins to keep it on the canvas)

Essentially, this was the sword of a great warrior from long ago. The warrior held no loyalties and fought for his own version of justice. Eventually, he died on the battlefield and faded into legend. One legend tells that he once defeated a tyrant, and took the crown for himself to serve as a warning to the wicked, while another tells that while he lived he befriended a dragon. Although there are many more stories and legends, and many are fake, these two are true, although over exaggerated. To honor the departed warrior, the dragon took the warrior's sword and placed it in the ground as a monument and hung the crown on the sword. In most cases, the sword would either be gone or in a state of great disrepair by now, but the dragon guards and cares for it to this day.

Inspiration

Actually, the warrior mentioned in the story was inspired by Technoblade! He's a lot different from the inspiration, and I'll post about the warrior more some other time, but I just wanted to acknowledge my inspiration here. I've always really admired Technoblade, and watching his content actually helped me through a hard time a few years ago. His content helped me remember my dreams in a way, and without that I wouldn't be writing or worldbuilding. Technoblade, the YouTuber not the character, is one of my biggest heroes, and I think will always be one of my biggest inspirations.

:)

Thanks for reading and have a great day!

[dahlialeef]

Happy WBW! What's the humor like in your world? Are most people dark in their humor or like the light and fluffy of it all? Does sarcasm rule or are set-up punchline formulas the way to go? How do your characters' individual humors factor in?

Humor isn't something I've thought about much, but I suppose it depends on the time period. The time period in which Vantage is had very light humor. As they're currently in the middle of a war, dark humor is considered distasteful and is frowned upon. The only place where it's considered acceptable is in the slums, because the poorest of the poor could care less about the war as their conditions are already awful. Sarcasm is a more widely used than set-up punchlines. Set-up punchlines are commonly used by nobles and aristocrats, while soldiers, knights and common people are more likely to use sarcasm. Cleo sucks at telling jokes, and they always end up feeling awkward. Lorraine's humor is childish and lighthearted. Renth's humor is sarcastic but tactful.

That's all! Have a great WBW everyone! :D

[dahlialeef]

Happy WBW! ♥️ What's the section of worldbuilding that's your favorite? Feel free to gush about it or share something you've created!

Thank you so much for the ask!

My favorite section of worldbuilding is my dragons. They're literally so cool, and I've spent a while giving them a lot of lore and making sure that they aren't super overpowered. Info dump beneath the cut!

Dragons are originally from the sea, and are cursed to never be able to go back. They were created by Oliandis, the god of all water, for the purpose of protecting his treasure. As I have previously mentioned in another WBW post, Oliandis is the harshest god, and basically expects his subjects to live for him and only him. The dragons were expected to stand guard over his treasure and never leave. They had to wait to be fed and hope that the underwater people would continue to bring them offerings of food. Eventually, many of them grew tired of this, and tried to escape. Unfortunately, Oliandis is the god of all water, and could chase them wherever they went. As they fled, they prayed and asked any god willing to listen for help. When they were at their wits end and Oliandis was closing in, the goddess Grey responded to their prayers by blessing them with the ability to fly and live on land. The moment they stepped out of the water, their bodies quick morphed and changed into the needed forms. However, Oliandis, who was seething in rage, cursed then to never be able to return to their home. If any of them touched sea water, the part that touched would begin to run to stone. This included all of their descendants as well.

I don't want to info dump too much, so I'll probably save the entire explanation of dragons for a post on the worldbuilding account I'm working on, but they've got a ton more cool things I didn't talk about here.

[dahlialeef]

Happy WBW! What's the harshest part of your world? Be it a place, a law, something character-created or otherwise, what is just HARSH?

I love this question! It really made me think. And thanks for the ask!

I think the harshest part of my world is probably Oliandis' realm. Oliandis is the god of the sea, and an all around jerk. As the god of the sea, he is one of the few gods that can properly inhabit their realm, and he rules over it with an iron fist. The Orlands, people of the sea, are known to wear jewelry, despite it impeding maneuverability. The jewelry is actually required by Oliandis, and is used as a way to track and restrain his subjects. Oliandis is erratic, someone could say something to him one day and be fine, and someone could say the exact same thing the next day and be sentenced to death. Oliandis believes his subjects only exist to serve and entertain him. Thus making his realm the harshest in the world.

Have a great day everyone! :)

[rowancampbell-author]

writeblr introduction + edits

My name is Rowan (she/her/they) and I am brand new to writeblr, but not new to tumblr as a whole. I'm 29 (while writing this), cis-female and queer. I have been writing since around 2016 but this year will be the first time I will be publishing something original (aka not fanfiction ><). Though, I have been writing my own original work since 2017, I have yet to publish.

I wanted to join the writing community for the fun of being a part of one again. Honestly, I miss being a part of one since I stopped writing fanfiction. If you love chatting about writing and art, talk at me about it anytime.

Genres I write: Fantasy, Horror and Science Fiction Genres I read: literally all the other ones

Things I enjoy in books and also what I tend to write:

tragedy/tragic backstory

morally grey characters

found family (my favorite)

real stakes/consequences

horror themes

lgbtqia2+ characters in a queer normal world

adult and ya fiction

platonic friendships

family drama

mystery elements

mythological & shapeshifters

What I'm looking for:

More writers to follow!

Beta readers/Critique

Vibes and frens :)

I will follow back other writeblrs! I am looking forward to meeting you all ^_^

[dahlialeef]

Happy STS! ♥️ You can go back in time and give yourself one piece of writing advice. What is it?

I totally missed this last STS, so I'll post it today. Thanks for he ask! :)

If I could go back in time and give myself any piece of advice, I would tell myself that not everything needs a description. I had a real big problem with trying to describe everything exactly how I saw it in my head, even when the details weren't necessary.

Have a great day everyone! :D

[dahlialeef]

Get To Know the Author

Thanks to @jasminewalkerauthor for the tag! You can find their post here.

Currently Reading: Depends on what you count as currently reading. The book I've most recently been reading through is The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni, but there's like a dozen others I'm halfway through and have yet to finish.

Favorite Color: Green! I love green, its such a nice color.

Last Song: The Garden by The Crane Wives

Last Movie: Spiderman Across the Spiderverse

Sweet, Spicy, or Savory: Spicy! Especially spicy sushi and fish :)

Currently Working On: Vantage. I'm on what I would consider the second draft, and I've actually moved to paper instead of Google docs because I'm bored of my plot points and have decided to basically pants it with my already vague idea of the plot.

I'll be (lightly) tagging @sam-glade, @toribookworm22, and @moondust-bard

Have a great day everyone! :D

[oh-no-another-idea]

Heads up 7 up

Tagged by the lovely @thedahliafrog – thank you! <3 Here’s the last thing I wrote in Stars and Ships. A little more than seven lines…

“I thought there was no sun near the Belt,” Quin broke in. “It’s always dark there, that’s one of the reasons no one can navigate.”

“A common misconception,” Sepia said, holding up a finger, fully in lecturer mode. “There is a sun, but its light is so weak it’s often mistaken for a moon. It’s called Phobos, you know, after the ancient word for—”

This Aaliyah knew. “Fear,” she finished.

“Yes!” Sepia said, pushing his bowl aside to have more room to gesture. “The legend goes that the sun is so afraid of all the asteroids surrounding it, that it barely emits light. But its gravitational force still has a hold on the entire Belt.”

No pressure tags for anyone and everyone, and also @e-klair @asher-orion-writes @outpost51 @stuffaboutwriting @sleepy-night-child <3

[dahlialeef]

So, I saw this yesterday on today on tumblr and thought, why not, because I thought this prompt looked interesting.

She took the midnight train to anywhere.

The lights flicker and buzz as the train rocks. The carriage is empty, aside from her. Not even a fly buzzes through the air. She can feel the bumping of the tracks, yet the train makes no noise. Outside the window scenes flash by.

Two girls in a small cottage kitchen. One twirls the other to the beat of nonexistent music.

Two young men arguing inside an empty warehouse.

A captain at the helm of a ship sailing through the air.

A singular constellation moving across the midnight sky.

Each scene plays out in the strange silence. Not one makes a sound. The only sound is the flickering and buzzing of the lights.

A small prince and a ghost sit on a swing.

War rages around a young woman with sword in hand.

Scenes continue to flicker by, until, finally, nothing remains but a dark expanse. She stands up from her seat and the train begins to slow. The intercom jitters to life. "Where- where would you," the voice draws out the end of the last word, pitch dropping the longer it goes on, "like to- stop. Welcoooome to anywhere!" The distorted voice finishes. A loud buzz marks the end of the message, and it speaks no more. The train stops, and the doors open. Nothing moves. She places a pen to the paper of her journal and writes. Slowly, something begins to happen outside.

Colors appear, morphing and changing into a vast, empty landscape. Plants begin to push their way out of the ground, and rocks form into bricks, flying through the air to reassemble. Finally, the girl stands before a city in ruins. Behind the city, in a cavern, a large pink snout perks out, seemingly snoring softly.

The intercom crackles back to life. "Welcooome toooo.... the ruins of Mon Dallos, home of...." the distorted voice comes to a halt, and a new one comes to life. "Hello folks! Sorry for the delay, it looks like it'll be a little longer before we reach anywhere, so hold on to your seat belts!" The voice is clear, and sounds like that of a young teenaged girl.

The train doors snap shut, a loud boom echoing through the carriage.

Lights flicker and buzz as the girl sits in her seat, waiting to return anywhere.

Alright, so I wrote this post fast so I didn't lose inspiration, feel free to give any helpful criticism or advise! Also the scenes described are canonical to my world, but the train and the girl are not. I just thought it would be fun to write.

Have a great day everyone! :D

[oh-no-another-idea]

7 snippets 7 people IV

Tagged a long time ago by the brilliant @splashinkling – thank you, friend! 🐳 Here are a few pieces of this marinating WW2 wip for you:

1.

Friedrich threw the blankets off and yanked his trousers off the drying rack. Nik sat up fully and watched, legs still tangled up. Friedrich had found another mood to be in, and Nik knew the losing side of a war well.

2.

“I have to do this.” Friedrich pulled on his boots. “Please, Nik. Say you understand.”

It won’t fix it. Nik wanted to scream. Nothing you do today will mend yesterday. Nothing will come of it except to take you from me.

“You know your own heart,” he managed finally. I wish I was so comfortable with mine.

3.

Frau Elena laughed derisively. “He will kill her; you know he will.”

Nik didn’t argue. The truth was Friedrich could. Nik had already arrived at that conclusion, let it n to stay, and ignored it.

“You bastard,” she said, and her hands turned to claws, talons aiming for his eyes.

Only then did he stop her. “Enough.”

Frau Elena jerked away and tore upstairs. Her door slammed loudly in the silence she left behind.

4.

At the blacksmith’s, the forge all but abandoned due to the war, the blacksmith’s daughter watched avidly from the fence as Nik ripped vines off the side of the building. He handed her a plucked flower afterwards, and when she smiled, she was missing her two front teeth.

5.

Elena could’ve killed him ten times over by now. She thought about it ten times over.

Obtain rat poison, put it in the iron pan. Slip down before dawn and grab the sharpest kitchen knife. Lay in wait behind the hen coop with the axe from the shed.

Praying just seemed the smarter and more pious action.

6.

The boy soldier blinked for a third time. At the rate his brain was processing, it was no wonder they were losing the war. “You don’t like my cooking? You ate it happily enough this morning.”

“Choked it down, you mean,” Elena agreed amicably.

His face darkened. Hmph, Elena couldn’t help but think. There’s some pride in you yet.

7.

Nik took the bottle back from her and drank. The stuff wasn’t any better any more you drank it, but at least he didn’t choke. “His name is Friedrich,” he heard himself saying. “And once upon a time, he was a poet.”

“I suppose poetry and murder go hand in hand.”

Nik was angry. “And poetry and war, Frau?”

“This whole country knows war, you’re not special.”

I’ll tag anyone who sees this and also @liv-is @faeveries @starlit-hopes-and-dreams @the-broken-pen @dontjudgemeimawriter @rhikasa @aquadestinyswriting @writingmaidenwarrior @tragicbackstoryenjoyer @rydykg @thedahliafrog and @ghost-town-story 🎲

[writinglittlebeasts]

7 snippets, 7 people

tagged by @tabswrites

RULES: i have no good goddamn idea

i will tag @writingamongther0ses @illusionofwriting @indigowriting @thedahliafrog @moonluringfrost and Whoever Else; Open Tag!

from FIXED

Alma took a sharp step back from their opponent and swung a tight, arcing punch into his side. He raised his arms to block a second blow and they aimed low. He bent near in half as their fist collided with his abdomen and Alma leapt onto his back, crawling down his body to wrap their arms around his legs, bunny-kicking his shoulders and taking him to the floor. ✩ Beck was hardly out the door when Anita Koval landed at the bottom of the staircase. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect if she meant to miss him, and Danyil thought that she must have. She fingered the stones that made up her shimmering necklace; not nervous, rather a practiced motion to bring attention to the accessory. From the twisting of the diamonds in the light one's eye traveled to her rings and higher, the sizable earrings. Danyil knew that his mother enjoyed compliments, and so much that she would fish for them even in empty rooms. The world is a stage, she said. It was why, even in the hall, even alone, he was to be on his best behavior. ✩ "You left your pack?" Danyil sounded bewildered and his face was severe. Beck suppressed the urge to step back, trying to seem as confident as he'd felt a moment ago. He'd been foolish to think that Danyil wouldn't be upset. It was obvious how desperate he was for the support of a pack of his own, and to know that Beck had just walked away from his… It had to burn.

from SOME UNNAMED FANTASY WIP

The Tenth Street Melodia Boarding House is the oldest sentient building in Denanm, and so it follows that there convene the most powerful witches. Melodia is so named for the woman who had, presumably, died where the building would one day be built, and a grand portrait of this woman– long-necked and long-haired, with sable eyes that stare unerringly at whoever should enter there –holds sentry opposite the front door. She had been painted long after her death, based on historical records from which the artist had somehow extrapolated details like the riotous bulk of her eyebrows and the placement of her moles. Melodia House herself had not opposed the portrait’s placement, so it must be somewhat mildly accurate.

from A WOLF'S TOOTH FOR REVENGE

She looks up from her book when he enters, her eyes flashing quickly over his face and then away again, like she’s afraid of him. She’s done it every time she’s seen him. Thinking about it after the fact, it’s more likely that she’s trying not to stare at his rather jarring facial scar, but hindsight is clear where the present is unfocused, and Raleigh’s shoulders rise in a defensive shrug. She thinks that he’s a werewolf. The unfamiliar makes her fearful, and she’s uncomfortable in his presence. ✩

Raleigh’s rolled all of his clothing into his shirt when he comes out of the bathroom. It’s a tidy place, mismatched pieces of furniture aside. The blankets on the bed look more inviting than any motel blanket has ever looked before. On the bed are the set Kirby’s chosen, a faded blue shirt and fresh underwear.  “You brought me pants, right?” Raleigh asks, stuffing what he’s holding into their bag.  “As much as I want the answer to be no; yes.” Kirby is at the small table, examining Raleigh’s jacket. “We should’ve put this in the laundry when we had the chance.” ✩ Following the simple act of shifting finds the new turns in a backyard that has, itself, transformed. Raleigh and Kirby rise with the sun alongside a handful of pod deputies, and under the instruction of more senior wolves (and young hecklers awoken by the bustle who call down from windows or out the sliding back door) construct what could generously be called an obstacle course. Baseball tees, kitchen chairs, traffic cones, and fire pits are arranged across the lawn, alongside short stretches of fence and a web or rope pulled taut between trees and furniture. In maneuvering the course, the new turns will get a  feel for their new proportions and posture.

[sender-paulson]

This Or That

Tagged By: @thedahliafrog

Tagging: @songsofsomnia @thesorcerersapprentice @dogmomwrites @faelanvance @faeveries @enne-uni

Historic or Futuristic?

Because the past is the past, and what happened happened. The future, tho, can be whatever. It can be so bright you need sunglasses. It can be so bleak you need a flashlight. It can be strange, surreal, a flat circle, a loop, a dead and fixed line, something to hope for, something to be afraid of, something to fight for.

The opening or closing chapter?

I always struggle with openings. Closings, tho? I've had the ending of my pet project Little Horns figured out since 2017.

Light & fluffy or dark & gritty?

I think we've had enough dark and gritty, especially in reboots, for a while. Besides, soft things make for the deepest horrors...

Animal companion or found family?

I have nothing against found family, mind you. I actually like it better out of the two options. I'm just slightly better at writing an animal companion.

Horror or romance?

I know the whole point is to choose, but why should I have to when it comes to horror and romance? Why not both? Sure, I'll pick romance and find it in the horror, but my official choice is both.

Hard magic system or soft magic system?

Magic? Having rules? Laws, even? Nah. Magic does what it does.

Standalone or series?

I know what you're thinking: isn't Little Horns a series? The answer is yesn't. It's only a series because it's easier to build in pieces before assembling as a monstrous whole.

One project at a time or juggling multiples?

It's hard enough working on one project. I don't know how people juggle multiples, but my hat's off to you if you do.

One award winner or one best seller?

It's tempting to have one work win an award and finally be able to hold a trophy over certain people's heads, but money > trophies. (Tho I'd happily settle for cult fame.)

Fantasy or sci-fi?

I admire sci-fi. I have respect for sci-fi. I want to write sci-fi someday. But my heart and soul belong to fantasy.

Character description or setting description?

Put it this way: I can't draw settings as easily as I can draw characters.

First or final draft?

The first draft is always fun, but I like the craft of sharpening and refining the final product and being able to look at the work afterwards.

Love triangle in everything or no romantic arcs?

Love: it always wins. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea and I try to include all forms of Love in my various works (romantic, platonic, familial, etc), but I firmly believe 99% of love triangles can be solved with polyamory. Feel free to quote me on that.

Constant sandstorm or rainstorm?

Love when it rains, hate going to the beach. No contest.