A Writing Blog for a Non Writer

[prokopetz]

How to plan a long-term creative project for serial publication:

1. Make a firm decision about how big a single update is going to be, and estimate your sustainable update frequency based on that. This estimate should be based solely on your own demonstrated performance; you may anticipate that future productivity will exceed past productivity, but never make long-range plans on the assumption that future productivity will exceed past productivity. That is called the Planning Fallacy, and it will eat you alive.

2. Estimate how often you’re likely to miss updates. As a rough guideline, if you’re physically and mentally healthy and have no major commitments that would interfere with your ability to work on the project, figure that you’ll miss about 10% of your updates for various reasons. If you have health issues or frequent Real Life commitments, make it 20%. If 20% sounds low to you, you weren’t being honest with yourself about your sustainable update frequency; return to step 1 and re-assess.

3. Figure that you’ve got about two years before you lose interest in the project, gain some new commitment that will preclude continuing to work on it, or your art style evolves enough to make creative continuity impractical. If there’s some upcoming major life change that you’re able to anticipate – like, say, graduating from school – use either two years or that event as your soft deadline, whichever is less.

4. Use the figures from steps 1-3 to estimate how many updates you’re likely to be able to squeeze into this project, and write your outline/script based on that. You don’t need to wrap up every tiny little loose thread by that point, but ideally it needs to reach a point where you could stop and be satisfied with whatever conclusion has been reached. If you get there and you’re still enthusiastic about continuing, fantastic – return to step 1 and re-assess.

So, as a simple example: if you’re planning a webcomic, you figure you can reasonably manage about 1 page a week, and you’ve got a lot going on that’s likely to get in your way, that’s (2 years * 52 weeks/year * 1 update/week * 80% success rate on updates) = around 83 pages to work with, or about the length of a four-issue miniseries. What kind of story can you tell in 80-odd pages?

(Hint: it’s not a story that involves fifty-page combat scenes!)

[kagcomix]

This is great advice.

When I was making Lunar Maladies (my 464 page webcomic–I will never make a comic that long ever again, it truly could have been a tight 250 if I’d know anything about editing at the time… but what can I say I started it when I was 19) I knew I could reliably take 3 pages from thumbnails to final art every week. So I only updated the comic with 1 page a week. I had over a year of buffer at one point. Because I had built in that security for myself. I know I’m a fallible human & I try to set up my workflow in such a way that I don’t feel bad/guilty/beat myself up about being a normal person with normal obligations that sometimes eclipse drawing comics.

Anyways, working within your limitations is great & allows you to create for longer without having a disastrous level of burnout.

[joytri]

[drundertalescum]

SEEKING PROMPTS

Alright, some of you may have noticed this, but it is November. I know, very unexpected, but it happens.

I had the thought all year that I was going to attempt NaNoWriMo this year, but 5 days in and not much more than 50 words written towards it... I'm not getting a novel out of this. 50k works this month is probably impossible. BUT I don't want to half-ass this entirely, you know?

My problem is a lack of ideas and inspiration. I just don't know What to write, and I'm having trouble prioritizing what vague ideas I do have. It's been a bad year for executive function for me.

So, I feel bad even asking when I'm historically pretty bad with this kinda thing, but anyone got Prompts for me? I can't promise I'll fulfill any of them, but maybe at least one will get something going?

UT or DR are fine, so are UT AUs (I like Underfell especially), but I don't know any DR AUs. I'm generally a gen fic writer and not really interested in writing ship fics normally, but if you have an idea you think might be in my wheelhouse, I'd consider it. It could be fun/funny to do more weird reader fics too. I'm probably going to stick to oneshots or something.

Also, if you have any fic recs feel free to send them too. I do better writing when I'm also doing a lot of reading, so I'm hoping to start reading more and rereading some old favorites.

(Also i wont post them to this blog but I'm totally up for Disco Elysium recs and prompts too)

[wisteria-lodge]

So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.)  Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.

If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results: 

What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)

What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory) 

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.) 

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)

Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)

What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.) 

What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.) 

[painted-bees]

Character solidifying!

[trickormemes]

rockinrpmemes:

1. How does your character think of their father? What do they hate and love about him? What influence - literal or imagined - did the father have? 2. Their mother? How do they think of her? What do they hate? Love? What influence - literal or imagined - did the mother have? 3. Brothers, sisters? Who do they like? Why? What do they despise about their siblings? 4. What type of discipline was your character subjected to at home? Strict? Lenient? 5. Were they overprotected as a child? Sheltered? 6. Did they feel rejection or affection as a child? 7. What was the economic status of their family? 8. How does your character feel about religion? 9. What about political beliefs? 10. Is your character street-smart, book-smart, intelligent, intellectual, slow-witted? 11. How do they see themselves: as smart, as intelligent, uneducated? 12. How does their education and intelligence – or lack thereof - reflect in their speech pattern, vocabulary, and pronunciations? 13. Did they like school? Teachers? Schoolmates? 14. Were they involved at school? Sports? Clubs? Debate? Were they unconnected? 15. Did they graduate? High-School? College? Do they have a PHD? A GED? 16. What does your character do for a living? How do they see their profession? What do they like about it? Dislike? 17. Did they travel? Where? Why? When? 18. What did they find abroad, and what did they remember? 19. What were your character’s deepest disillusions? In life? What are they now? 20. What were the most deeply impressive political or social, national or international, events that they experienced? 21. What are your character’s manners like? What is their type of hero? Whom do they hate? 22. Who are their friends? Lovers? ‘Type’ or ‘ideal’ partner? 23. What do they want from a partner? What do they think and feel of sex? 24. What social groups and activities does your character attend? What role do they like to play? What role do they actually play, usually? 25. What are their hobbies and interests? 26. What does your character’s home look like? Personal taste? Clothing? Hair? Appearance? 27. How do they relate to their appearance? How do they wear their clothing? Style? Quality? 28. Who is your character’s mate? How do they relate to him or her? How did they make their choice? 29. What is your character’s weaknesses? Hubris? Pride? Controlling? 30. Are they holding on to something in the past? Can he or she forgive? 31. Does your character have children? How do they feel about their parental role? About the children? How do the children relate? 32. How does your character react to stress situations? Defensively? Aggressively? Evasively? 33. Do they drink? Take drugs? What about their health?  34. Does your character feel self-righteous? Revengeful? Contemptuous? 35. Do they always rationalize errors? How do they accept disasters and failures? 36. Do they like to suffer? Like to see other people suffering? 37. How is your character’s imagination? Daydreaming a lot? Worried most of the time? Living in memories? 38. Are they basically negative when facing new things? Suspicious? Hostile? Scared? Enthusiastic? 39. What do they like to ridicule? What do they find stupid? 40. How is their sense of humor? Do they have one? 41. Is your character aware of who they are? Strengths? Weaknesses? Idiosyncrasies? Capable of self-irony? 42. What does your character want most? What do they need really badly, compulsively? What are they willing to do, to sacrifice, to obtain? 43. Does your character have any secrets? If so, are they holding them back? 44. How badly do they want to obtain their life objectives? How do they pursue them? 45. Is your character pragmatic? Think first? Responsible? All action? A visionary? Passionate? Quixotic? 46. Is your character tall? Short? What about size? Weight? Posture? How do they feel about their physical body? 47. Do they want to project an image of a younger, older, more important person? Does they want to be visible or invisible? 48. How are your character’s gestures? Vigorous? Weak? Controlled? Compulsive? Energetic? Sluggish? 49. What about voice? Pitch? Strength? Tempo and rhythm of speech? Pronunciation? Accent? 50. What are the prevailing facial expressions? Sour? Cheerful? Dominating?

[deaderwrites]

Please ask me these about Lance, Maul, Venn, Xo, or Vernjuls

[oc-things]

Some random character questions:

1. What’s their full name, how’s it pronounced, and what does it mean?

2. What’s their date of birth? Do they follow the stereotypes of their zodiac?

3. What type of drunk are they?

4. Give three of their strengths and three of their weaknesses.

5. What’s their favourite food?

6. If they were to be represented by a seven deadly sin, which would it be?

7. Do they have any living relatives? If they do, which one do they like the least and why?

8. Describe (or draw) their body type.

9. What’s their biggest fear?

10. Are they a dog or a cat person?

11. Describe them in 5 words.

12. If your character was handed a puppy, how would they react?

13. How would they react to suddenly being hugged?

14. What’s their biggest secret?

15. What are their pet peeves?

16. What’s their opinion on pineapple on pizza?

17. On average, how much sleep do they get at a time?

18. If they were a superhero, what powers would they have? (if they have powers, what are they and under what conditions do they work?)

19. Does your character collect anything?

20. What would your character’s favourite band(s) be?

21. How many languages do they speak, and what are they?

22. When your character is sad, what do they do to cheer themselves up?

23. Does your character snore?

24. Describe their voice.

25. How long would they last in a zombie apocalypse?

[deaderwrites]

oh boy, 32. which one of the 7 deadly sins fit your oc more? do they see it as a flaw? for lance and venn

Oh thats a fun one!

For Venn, you might think it’s Pride. Their Sterling persona boasts constantly, and their entire motivation as a character is wanting their Sterling persona to be loved and lauded and remembered. I’d argue, though, that it’s more complicated than that. They see Sterling as something not entirely themself, and as a character whose story means something, and when it comes to their own self, I think the pride is somewhat lacking. The whole situation is probably rooted in a sort of pride, and it’s incredibly self-destructive, but... I don’t know.  It’s hard for me to say that their major flaw is “pride” when they spent 15 years pretending to be someone else for complicated reasons... but at the same time they spent at least 2 of those years “in character” because other people’s likely lasting opinions of their creation just weren’t positive enough. 

I guess Pride is their biggest struggle, is what I’m getting at. But I think their biggest vice that they haven’t grappled or come to terms with is Wrath.

 When they see or perceive injustice, it’softenonly their oath that keeps them from immediately turning first to a violent solution, and once the fighting has started they feel they’ve done the due diligence of “trying to be nice” and now it’s time to fight to the death. And if they think you deserve it, they’re going to enjoy every last second of your death. They’re not going to torture or draw it out, but that’s definitely more of a “i have an oath and a persona to uphold” thing than anything else. 

They started down a not-so-great path early on, and they didn’t really learn from it so much as get waylaid. It’s not a mindset they’ve grown away from, and if they ever succeed in casting off their Sterling persona and starting a new life, I think this is their next big lesson they're going to learn... or not. Some people just need a good stabbing, and they’re happy to provide.

-------------------

Lance... it’s everything I have to avoid saying “His deadly sin is vainglory. You’ve probably never heard of it.” which is... a very Lance thing to say to be honest. It’s also extremely tempting, because it’s difficult to say for sure which of the 7 suits him best, but vain he most certainly is.

Basically, I know it’s not Sloth - he’s a very active person in the world and he doesn’t shirk responsibility when it’s placed on him. He wants MORE responsibility, even. It isn’t lust, or at least it isn’t in the traditional sense. A lust for life, maybe, but where is the line between that and something like greed or envy? I know it isn’t wrath, because on the hierarchy of flaws he has, his anger is extremely low on the list, and most of the time he’s unnaturally amiable.

So, it’s between Gluttony, Envy, Greed and Pride.

Greed... eh. He doesn’t do things for money and while he hoards things he’s usually willing to part with them, even if it takes some mental gymastics to get there. He has no illusions of becoming rich, he doesn’t want more than anyone else, and he likes the high life but it’s... hollow. He likes it because it’s fancy and accessible to him. It’s not an insatiable desire to have things. Just a perk.

Like Greed, Gluttony is there, but not. In initial concept, this was his sin. He loves endulging in great food and nice drinks and every physical comfort he can get his grubby hands on. It’s very him in that sense. But it’s not his main motivating vice, just one he has for fun and pleasure. 

Pride’s definitely a possibility. It definitely covers the most ground for him. It just... I guess I don’t want to say it’s pride because frankly I think all my dnd characters have pride as their main thing. It’s a good way to have a character willing to go adventuring all the time. And I don’t think his struggles with pride are based around feeling more worthy than he is or any elevated sense of self. If anything his sense of self is lacking. 

So instead I’m going to give a hot take(?) and say his primary sin is Envy. 

He wants what other people have, and he wants it so, so badly. He wants the lifespans of the people who raised him, the same respect of the people in charge, the lifestyles of the wealthy, the knowledge of sages, the wisdom of his friends and the willpower of his enemies. He sees what other people have and his immediate thought is “why not me?” He sees people touched by the light of their gods, or being tasked with important quests, or living cursed but seemingly fun lives and he wants it. He wants it because someone else has it and he deserves to be important too. Why doesn’t he get the attention? The centuries? The immortality? The houses, the money, the items, the magic, everything? Why can’t he have that?

He sees someone with a nice outfit and he wants it. He sees someone with a cool sword and he wants it. A handsome face, a loving family, a house, a little teashop, a shiny coin. He wants it all so badly because someone else has it, and he doesn’t have anything.

But it’s just a whim, and it passes. The less time he’s spent around those people, and the less it hits home, the less the urge persists. 

It’s important to note that he doesn’t really want to take those things away from anyone else, which is the line that keeps him kind, but he does think he deserves what others have, and in darker times, he believes he deserves them more.

If Lance was ever turned eeeeevvvviiiillllll or anything, I think this would be a lot more apparent, but he is a neutral-leaning good boy for now, and so it’s only obvious in his occasional attention-seeking

-----

This was very long. Too long. I miss playing these two ;_;

tl;dr: 

Venn’s Pride and Wrath in equal bits, and they probably think the pride’s bad but the wrath’s good

Lance’s Gluttony and Envy and a little bit of Pride. He has no self-awareness so he’s never noticed before.

[maddyperiez]

oc ask game.

this is based on a personality test found on psych central. send numbers and an oc :D

is your oc easily bothered by things?

how easily does your oc make friends?

does your oc go beyond what they have to do or do they usually do just enough work to get by?

is your oc respectful of others?

is your oc imaginative or more down-to-earth?

is your oc comfortable with themselves?

does your oc plan things and stick to it or do they make it up as their go?

was their life eventful before the start of the story, or was it more dull?

do they have the habit to insult other people?

would your oc be described as “the life of the party”?

are they critical of others?

do they like art? what is their favorite type (paintings, songs, fashion, etc)?

are they more accepting or more controlling of the people in their life?

is your oc a good listener?

are they opinionated or more willing to change their minds?

are they the kind of person who’s always on the defensive?

do people like hanging around them? do they have a positive, friendly energy?

is your oc a procastinator? if they are, what’s an example of how much?

do they tend to panic in certain situations or are they more calm?

are they vengeful?

what are some skills your oc has a talent for and what are some that they worked for?

are they more socially awkward or socially confident?

what is something really dumb that irritates your oc a lot?

do they tend to see the good in people?

what does it take for your oc to trust someone?

do they have a lot of mood swings?

do they like to be the center of attention or do they prefer to be in the background?

do people think they’re pretentious?

is your oc detail oriented or do they focus more on the big picture?

which highschool movie stereotype would they fit best?

are they good giving advice?

which one of the 7 deadly sins fit your oc more? do they see it as a flaw?

is your oc more likely to keep their feelings to themselves or to share them?

[deaderwrites]

Please ask about: Maul, Lance, Effie, Venn/Sterling, Grok, Winni, “Tiini”

[deaderwrites]

w3 and z2 for all

W3. do they like to swim?

Maul: Sure! It’s refreshing! He’s not the best at it. There weren’t exactly a lot of opportunities for him to practice; he’s from a pretty dry region. He likes it well enough, though.

Lance: God, no. In concept it’s probably fine. In practice, you don’t know what’s in that water. It sounds like a great way to get some sort of horrible disease. No thanks. He will not submerge himself in any kind of liquid besides a bath. Not for any reason.

Effie: Yes! What’s more fun than finding a nice mountain lake and diving in!? He’s a great swimmer.

Venn: They love the sea, but they prefer being above the water, usually. Swimming can be fun but they aren’t one to underestimate the sea.

Grok: No.

Winni: She doesn’t but she’ll do it if you hype it up enough for her.

Tiini: It’s fine. 

Z2. do they like animals?

Maul: Hell yeah

Lance: He likes them! From a distance though they are somewhat scary and don’t seem to like him and probably they might carry the plague but they are very nice.

Effie: Yeah it’s kind of her whole thing!

Venn: Neutral. Animals are alright. Celestial alligator mounts are the best tho.

Grok: She likes snakes.

Winni: I genuinely have no idea. Just a complete null in my mind. Maybe she’s somehow never once encountered any non-human non-monster animal. Just a statistical freak of nature.

Tiini: For someone who grew up in nature you would expect it to be the case but I think she’s ambivalent. They’re just animals. They’re just there. There is nothing strange in this.

[deaderwrites]

G1: "what is their most attractive external feature?" for Maul :D

You have to respect the muscles, obviously. That’s how he is able to use his maul so good. It’s important. But his wife fell in love with his eyes, so he likes them, too. 

[deaderwrites]

A1, A2, A4, A5, F1, F4, J5, X3, Y5 - For Tiini, Grok, and Venn/Sterling

A1. what are your oc’s natural abilities, things they’ve been doing since young?

“Muukuiini” is a hide-and-seek champion! She’s kind of the stereotypical rogue thief, really. Originally this was all just the standard firbolgs of the forest thing, fading into the trees, hiding in the shadows, but obviously now that she’s left the woods it’s going towards the Big Goal of becoming The Greatest Thief Of All Time!

Grok has always had a solid left hook. She’s become a competent mage with time, but that’s far more recent. Originally, she was just a kid who liked to punch and bite.

Venn’s a natural athlete. Scrappy, small, and very good at any sport you throw at them. A fantastic gymnast too, but that’s less fun than sports of all sorts.

A2. what activities have they participated in?

“Tiini” did… firbolg things. I’m starting to see at least one major area of her life I need to flesh out. Anyway now she mostly does grave robbing.

Grok’s a plant expert and has a pretty good idea of how those plants can be used for medicinal purposes, at least for other orcs. Whether they have the same uses for other humanoids isn’t something she’s explored in any depth yet. She’s also pretty good at giving herself tattoos. 

Venn is a duelist, and a big fan of poker. They’ve also taken part in most tasks expected of any gentleman of the court, dancing being the most fun.

A4. what things are they bad at?

“Tiini’s” weak and not really much of a fighter which is frustrating for her because “fight”is her main response to stress.

Grok is… well she’s. Y-you see she’s very… well, you know. it’s. it’s hard when you’re under. pressure. to. t-to talk. And and people are looking. at you. and. she’s. just. going to run away now. And she’s gone.

Venn has been disguised as a himbo for 15 years but it really wasn’t a difficult act because they are so very stupid and they’re tired of people expecting them to be smart. Is it the accent? The posh accent? The accent is fake. Please stop asking them trivia they have literally never gone to school.

A5. what is their most impressive talent?

“Tiini’s” still searching for a great talent. Expertise in 4 different skills but not a standout yet. It’ll come about through play.

Grok’s most impressive talent is tanking for her party. She’s the wizard.

Venn’s so good at boats.

F1. what do they do for fun?

“Tiini:” Thievery! Dice! Scoping for the next big steal! Pan flute!

Grok: Tending to plants. Studies. Hanging out at the bar. Arm wrestling.

Venn: Fencing and gambling, mostly, but also sailing. They love to fish, and being on open water in general is thrilling!

F4. can they have fun while conforming to rules?

“Tiini”: No.

Grok: Always

Venn: They’ll manage.

J5. what brings them the most joy in the world?

“Tiini”: The thought of becoming the greatest thief the world has ever known! And impressing her dad in the process. 

Grok: Just being able to have a chill day with no problems. And also revenge fantasies. But mostly being chill.

Venn: Fucking up a bully’s day.

X3. do they have a favorite band/artist/singer?

This is a fantasy world with not a lot of bard npcs so no not really for any of them. Actually Grok likes her friend Merilinieth’s singing but she doesn’t do it very often. 

Y5. what’s your favorite thing about them?

“Tiini”: So, if you were wondering why her name’s been in quotes, the fact is that Tiini doesn’t actually have a name. Firbolgs do without them, but people on the outside insist. So, given a plethora of options for naming herself, she decided to pluck the name of the powerful sky being right out of the lore guide and use it for herself. She has stolen the name of a god.

Grok: I love that she’s just this shy awkward nerd but she looks like she’ll rip your arm off

Venn: I love their relationship with the divine. A paladin who’s also more or less a strict nonbeliever was a lot of fun to play. They believe in the gods, sure, but they don’t believe they have any interest in mortals, or at least in them. Even though they’re imbued with this divine power and their friend is a literal (infant) god.

[neopastel-dreams-deactivated201]

ABCs of your OCs

a list of oc questions in alphabetical categories - i made each category based on the first word I could think of in alphabetical order, so enjoy!

A: Aptitude 1. what are your oc’s natural abilities, things they’ve been doing since young? 2. what activities have they participated in? 3. what abilities do they have that they’ve worked for? 4. what things are they bad at? 5. what is their most impressive talent?

B: Basics 1. what is their hair color? 2. what is their eye color? 3. how tall are they? 4. how old are they? 5. how much do they weigh?

C: Comfort 1. how do they sit in a chair? 2. in what position do they sleep? 3. what is their ideal comfort day? 4. what is their major comfort food? why? 5. who is the best at comforting them when down?

D: Decoration 1. how would they decorate a house if they had one under their name? 2. how would they decorate their child’s room? 3. how do they decorate their own room? 4. what type of clothes and accessories do they wear? 5. do they like makeup/nail/beauty trends?

E: External Personality 1. does the way they do things portray their internal personality? 2. do they do things that conform to the norm? 3. do they follow trends or do their own thing? 4. are they up-to-date on the internet fads? 5. do they portray their personality intentionally or let people figure it out on their own?

F: Fun 1. what do they do for fun? 2. what is their ideal party? 3. who would they have the most fun with? 4. can they have fun while conforming to rules? 5. do they go out a lot?

G: Gorgeous 1. what is their most attractive external feature? 2. what is the most attractive part of their personality? 3. what benefits come with being their friend? 4. what parts of them do they like and dislike? 5. what parts of others do they envy?

H: Heat 1. do they rather a hot or cold room? 2. do they prefer summer or winter? 3. do they like the snow? 4. do they have a favorite summer activity? 5. do they have a favorite winter activity?

I: In-the-closet 1. what is their sexuality? 2. have they ever questioned their sexuality? 3. have they ever questioned their gender? 4. would/was their family be okay with them being LGBT? 5. how long would/did it take for them to come out?

J: Joy 1. what makes them happy? 2. who makes them happy? 3. are there any songs that bring them joy? 4. are they happy often? 5. what brings them the most joy in the world?

K: Kill 1. have they ever thought about suicide? 2. have they ever thought about homicide? 3. if they could kill anyone without punishment, would they? who? 4. who would miss them if they died? 5. who would be happy they died, anyone?

L: Lemons 1. what is their favorite fruit? 2. what is their least favorite fruit? 3. are there any foods they hate? 4. do they have any food intolerances? 5. what is their favorite food?

M: Maternal 1. would they want a daughter or a son? 2. how many children do they want? 3. would they be a good parent? 4. what would they name a son? what would they name a daughter? 5. would they adopt?

N: Never Have I Ever 1. what would they never do? 2. what have they never done that they want to do? 3. is there anything they absolutely can’t believe people do? 4. what is the most embarrassing thing they’ve done? 5. have they done anything they thought they’d never do?

O: Optimism 1. are they optimistic or pessimistic? 2. are they openly optimistic, throwing it on others? 3. are they good at giving advice? 4. is there anyone in their life that throws optimism on them? 5. were they always optimistic?

P: Personality 1. what is their best personality trait? 2. what is their worst personality trait? 3. what of their personality do others love? 4. what of their personality do others envy? 5. do they hate anything about their personality/about other’s personalities?

Q: Questions 1. do they ask for help? 2. do they ask questions in class? 3. do they answer questions that make them a little uncomfortable? 4. do they ask weird questions? 5. are they curious?

R: Rules 1. do they follow rules? 2. would they be a strict or laid-back parent? 3. have they ever been consequenced for breaking a rule? 4. have they broken any rules they now regret breaking? 5. do they find any rules they/others follow absolutely ridiculous?

S: Streets 1. are they street-smart? 2. would they give money to someone on the streets? 3. have they ever gotten in a fight on the streets? 4. has anything happened to them on the streets? 5. are they cautious when out?

T: Truth 1. are they honest? 2. can they tell if someone is lying? 3. is it obvious when they’re lying? 4. have they lied about anything they regret lying about? 5. have they told truths that have been spread against their will?

U: Underdog 1. have they been bullied? 2. have they bullied anyone? 3. have they been physically attacked by a bully? 4. have they ever been doubted? 5. have they surprised people with being good at something?

V: Vomit 1. do they vomit often? 2. do they get lots of stomach aches? 3. are they good at comforting someone ill? 4. what do they like as far as comfort goes? 5. do they burp, cough, or hiccup most when nauseous? when vomiting?

W: Water 1. do they drink enough water? 2. have they learned to swim? 3. do they like to swim? 4. can they dive? 5. can they swim without holding their nose?

X: Xylophone 1. what is their favorite genre of music? 2. do they have a favorite song? 3. do they have a favorite band/artist/singer? 4. can they sing well? 5. can they rap?

Y: You 1. how old were you when you created them? 2. what inspired you to create them? 3. were they different when they were first created? 4. do you enjoy writing them more than other characters? 5. what’s your favorite thing about them?

Z: Zebra 1. what’s their favorite animal? 2. do they like animals? 3. cats or dogs? 4. what’s their dream pet? 5. do they have any pets at the moment?

[pristinepastel]

please guys??

[inner-muse]

(Just maybe avoid letter V cause that’s gross)

[deaderwrites]

Hello friends I am back with even more dnd characters I need questions about, but especially “Tiini”. She is new.

Please ask about: Maul, Lance, Effie, Venn/Sterling, Grok, Winni, “Tiini”

[unholykrowcollection-deactivate]

“GOD I WISH I WAS A LITTLE TRASH BASTARD TOO.” Papyrus sighed, looking at the raccoon rummage through his trashcan.

[viudanegraaa]

We’re Hugo nominated authors y'all. We did it.

[festiveferret]

I can’t wait to get my plaque!

[gothiccharmschool]

Wait, so anyone who has published fic on Ao3 is technically a Hugo nominee?!

[deaderwrites]

oo, didn't see this at first, 13. Sexual/Romantic Orientation? And, regardless of own orientation, thoughts on sexual orientation in general? for both

This is always the hardest thing to come up with for my characters, so these answers might be kinda weird. Kinda used this more as a “here’s where they’re at vis-à-vis romance love and sexuality”

Effie is pan and some kind of spot on the ace spectrum, I guess? I don’t think gender plays a huge role in her attraction, though I think in general attraction doesn’t play a huge role in her life. She fell in love only once, and she’s committed to that relationship even though her fiancé is missing and has been gone for years. What she saw in him was a kinship she hasn’t found with anyone else: his connections to the forest and the beyond. And from there she fell for his wit and his dryness. Those cynical jokes that only people like them could get, followed by genuine snorting laughter did more for her than any looks or traditions ever could, and until she sees that in someone else, and she thinks she won’t, she’ll wait for him.  He’ll be back, or she’ll keep waiting. The fires have definitely died down, but she still cares about him, and she hasn’t seen anything to draw her away from her wait, and she can keep the embers tended to and rekindle it when he returns.

Lance is bi. I don’t really think it’s a noteworthy thing to him. He hasn’t put a lot of thought into it, just a shrug of acknowledgement after a crush or two surprised him. He’s barely had any kind of experience, and as things are, he doesn’t plan to. 

Unfortunately, he recently discovered that on occasion, he unintentionally comes across as flirting?? This is a problem, because he has sworn off anything related to romance, (including sex) in the pursuit of his greater goals. But now his friends are always joking about him flirting and he is not trying to!!! He’s just nice! It’s polite to compliment people! It is proper to offer help to the eligible noble girl when she’s carrying heavy boxes! It is expected that if a dashingly handsome gnome has a rose in his hand and gives you a wink and is complimenting your fashion sense, you should gush about his great taste and the fabric of his collar before discussing assassination! This is normal! And non-romantic! And very very friendly! And proper etiquette! Shut up!!! He doesn’t want to talk about this. 

To offset this nightmare scenario, and to avoid talking about his decisions, he disguises his inexperience and extreme reluctance to discuss these things as prudishness, because it’s a lot easier to be the butt of a few jokes than it is to explain that it’s complicated. 

[deaderwrites]

34. Thoughts on privacy? (Are they a private person, or are they prone to ‘TMI’?) for just lance, 27. What is their biggest regret? for just effie, and then 36. What makes them feel guilty? and 33. Concept of home and family? for both of them.

34. Thoughts on privacy? (Are they a private person, or are they prone to ‘TMI’?)

(for lance)

He is strategically private. There are a lot of things he knows he shouldn't share, and a lot of things he knows could lead to questions he shouldn't answer, and on top of that he doesn't like to talk about his feelings, so it leads him to an awkward kind of dilemma where he wants to keep up the friendly open vibe, but still keep his secrets, so instead he lies or reframes things, or overshares about things that don't matter and will make him look like he's not hiding anything.

27. What is their biggest regret?

(for effie)

NO RAEGERTS

Nah, I think her biggest regret is how much she hated Waterdeep for a while. It wasn't a great place for her when she was younger, and she thought for a while she would just never return, but she decided to give the city another chance and it’s really impressed her so far! Besides that, though, no regrets. She’s very much the kind of person who keeps moving forward and as long as she’s following her passions, the journey is worth it.

36. What makes them feel guilty?

Lance feels the guiltiest right now about spilling someone else’s secrets to someone he considered a friend. He only realized after things fell out of his hands just how much responsibility he actually holds, and how much his decisions can cost innocent lives. Nothing has happened, yet, but he’s secretly horrified by what he may have started, and his only defense is that he didn’t think he cared at the time. And guilt is a bit of a new thing for him in general.

Effie usually feels guilty about holding back from her whims. If adventure is calling and she turns it down. Her goddess is all about adventure and whimsy so failing to follow that feels like failing to follow her, and that feels like letting down an old friend. But that's usually not a problem, because Effie has answering the call of adventure down to an art!!! Other than that, she usually feels guilty about taking money from people who don't have much, or about the house she burned down since the girl who lives there might have wanted it back of she could get rid of all of the bugs and demon corpses.

33. Concept of home and family?

For Lance, home is a library that smells like old books and candle wax, and family is a concept that doesn't apply to him.

For Effie, home and family are the same thing, and that's warmth and laughter and music and people and stories and shared history, in all their various configurations.

[soothsaying]

The Excessively Detailed Headcanon Tumblr Meme

[tigersniper-deactivated20150224]

Send me some numbers and a character name and I will tell you:

What does their bedroom look like?

Do they have any daily rituals?

Do they exercise, and if so, what do they do? How often?

What would they do if they needed to make dinner but the kitchen was busy?

Cleanliness habits (personal, workspace, etc.)

Eating habits and sample daily menu

Favorite way to waste time and feelings surrounding wasting time

Favorite indulgence and feelings surrounding indulging

Makeup?

Neuroses? Do they recognize them as such?

Intellectual pursuits?

Favorite book genre?

Sexual Orientation? And, regardless of own orientation, thoughts on sexual orientation in general?

Physical abnormalities? (Both visible and not, including injuries/disabilities, long-term illnesses, food-intolerances, etc.)

Biggest and smallest short term goal?

Biggest and smallest long term goal?

Preferred mode of dress and rituals surrounding dress

Favorite beverage?

What do they think about before falling asleep at night?

Childhood illnesses? Any interesting stories behind them?

Turn-ons? Turn-offs?

Given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen?

How organized are they? How does this organization/disorganization manifest in their everyday life?

Is there one subject of study that they excel at? Or do they even care about intellectual pursuits at all?

How do they see themselves 5 years from today?

Do they have any plans for the future? Any contingency plans if things don’t workout?

What is their biggest regret?

Who do they see as their best friend? Their worst enemy?

Reaction to sudden extrapersonal disaster (eg The house is on fire! What do they do?)

Reaction to sudden intrapersonal disaster (eg close family member suddenly dies)

Most prized possession?

Thoughts on material possessions in general?

Concept of home and family?

Thoughts on privacy? (Are they a private person, or are they prone to ‘TMI’?)

What activities do they enjoy, but consider to be a waste of time?

What makes them feel guilty?

Are they more analytical or more emotional in their decision-making?

Would they consider themselves a Type A or Type B personality?

What recharges them when they’re feeling drained?

Would you say that they have a superiority-complex? Inferiority-complex? Neither?

How misanthropic are they?

Hobbies?

How far did they get in formal education? What are their views on formal education vs self-education?

Religion?

Superstitions or views on the occult?

Do they express their thoughts through words or deeds?

If they were to fall in love, who (or what) is their ideal?

How do they express love?

If this person were to get into a fist fight, what is their fighting style like?

Is this person afraid of dying? Why or why not?