Tree of Words

just a side blog to help ppl w writing. Writing advice, prompts, etc are here. Maybe I'll reblog some of my own works from my side blogs. idk

[prokopetz]

Flavours of unreliable narrator:

Lying to the reader

Lying to themselves

Simply misinformed

Not paying attention

Has weird priorities

Assumed you knew

Hates you personally

Bad at communicating

Easily sidetracked

Will believe anything

Has weird prejudices

Just kind of dumb

[writeworld-blog]

Alright.

Instead of whispered, consider:

murmured

mumbled

muttered

breathed

sighed

hissed

mouthed

uttered

intoned

susurrated

purred

said in an undertone

gasped

hinted

said low

said into someone’s ear

said softly

said under one’s breath

said in hushed tones

insinuated

[wiwaxiasunglasses]

These posts make me unreasonably cranky. So cranky, in fact, that every time a new one of these goddamn things crosses my dash, I’m just going to dissect them. Both for the edification of newer writers and because fuck these lists.

As mentioned in previous posts: These are not synonyms for whispered. You can’t use them interchangeably. Let’s go through them.

“Well,” she whispered, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

The character is speaking in a voice so low it’s become words made of breath, probably because she doesn’t want to be heard.

“Well,” she murmured, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

The character is saying this very quietly, but above a whisper. She may be talking to herself.

“Well,” she mumbled, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

The character is speaking under her breath in low enough tones that her words may sound unclear or slurred. Also very possibly talking to herself.

“Well,” she muttered, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

The character is speaking lowly, but more clearly than a mumble. She sounds angry, irritated, or dully frustrated.

“Well,” she breathed, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

Breathing words may mean relief, exasperation, or exhaustion, and sound half like a sigh. Oh, look—

“Well,” she sighed, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

The character is almost certainly not happy. She’s speaking in a tired, heavy breath.

“Well,” she hissed, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

The character’s words are coming out in low, very sharp breaths. She sounds angry, irritated, or maybe just in an intense moment.

“Well,” she mouthed, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

The character is using the barest hint of her voice, if any at all. Her lips are silently forming the syllables.

“Well,” she uttered, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

Using uttered in this particular type of descriptive sense actually just sounds awkward. That said, ‘utter’ sounds like a word that implies speech in low yet strong and loud tones, well-enunciated, like someone preaching.

“Well,” she intoned, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

The tone of her voice is dull and flat, with little variance in pitch. She is saying this without much emotion (intentionally or not).

Fuck “susurrated”.

“Well,” she purred, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

The manner she’s speaking in is silky, smooth, and particularly pleased; quite possibly smug. In this particular example, this implies she probably does have a choice about [whatever it is] and is being facetious.

“Well,” she said in an undertone, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

This is bad, because an undertone is something that needs describing. That’s like saying “her dress was a color”.

“Well,” she gasped, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

The character is speaking in a sharp intake of breath, probably brought on by surprise or shock. She could also be short of breath, being strangled or something.

“Well,” she hinted, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

The character has particular (duh) hint-hint tones in her voice as she speaks to someone. One can just imagine her leaning over closer to their ear.

“Well,” she said low, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

Her voice has dropped below normal pitch, but is above a whisper. There’s a certain amount of dullness in the tone, probably.

“Well,” she said, into his ear, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

This implies nothing about the actual voice, just that she’s literally speaking right into his ear (perhaps at normal volume, which would be painful). It doesn’t, on its own, carry any connotations of tone or emotion.

“Well,” she said softly, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

I have a personal beef with the word “softly” on account of writers in a certain area of a certain MMO that use that word for fucking everything; speech, movement, touch, footsteps, because it helps to passively describe their character as delicate and pretty or something.

It’s a personal beef. There’s nothing really wrong with the word. Moving on.

Saying something softly implies not only a lowered pitch but a certain gentleness (or at least lack of weight) in tone.

“Well,” she said under her breath, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

This is very like muttered, murmured, etc — it sounds (dur) breathier, and is more likely to imply a person talking to themselves.

“Well,” she said in hushed tones, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

Now you’re getting closer to an equal term for “whispered”; hushed tones could mean that, or half-whispered. It does imply a certain amount of whisperiness or breathiness. It also implies a deliberate attempt to be quiet.

“Well,” she insinuated, “I suppose I haven’t got a choice.”

Like with ‘uttered’, this feels grammatically weird in that it’s usually a thing a person describes another person as doing (“Greg didn’t say it, but he insinuated it!”), but whatever. It’s similar to hinting; it means you’re trying to imply or subtly convey something, but has nothing to do with actual whispers.

tl;dr Those words are all different, these lists are terrible writing advice and people need to stop pulling tangentially-related words from the thesaurus and saying they all mean the same thing.

[tehjai]

[mresundance]

as i tell my students:

“use the precise word, not the word that kinda sorta fits or ‘sounds more impressive’ ”

use exactly the word you MEAN

[ceruleancynic]

THIS THIS THIS OH MY GOD THIS.

I fucking hate those lists, they drive me batshit. Put down the thesaurus and back away slowly.

[saberwitch-deactivated20211209]

fuck “sussurated”

[kotorswtor]

“Sussuration” is the continuous, ambient, non-verbal sound that comes from wind or water interacting with solid matter. A person can’t have an intelligible conversation that answers to that description. Precision is important.

[thebibliosphere]

I got to “ sussurated” and started angry scrolling getting ready to make this exact point.

[anotherdayforchaosfay]

I had a creative writing instructor who gave us an assignment to write a short story, then write the same story using words in the thesaurus to replace what we had originally used. At least 40 words had to be replaced. Y'all wanna know how absurd and weird those rewritten versions sounded?

[writing-prompt-s]

You are the first immortal. While it is true that you cannot die, your flesh and body can. After so many millennia you are reduced to a sentient skeleton sitting at the bottom of a peaceful pond to avoid contact with other people. Some bastards are trying to drain it.

[the-right-writing]

Reactions to tragedy

In real life, pretty much everybody reacts to tragedy differently. So why is it that every author has their pet reaction to tragedy that all their characters use? Not only is it unrealistic, but it takes away the chance for the characters’ different reactions to reveal things about themselves.

Possible reactions to tragedy (not an exhaustive list):

Distracting oneself with mindless activities

Distracting oneself with others’ humor

Distracting oneself by making jokes

Distracting oneself by reading/watching/playing stories

Distracting oneself with hard mental work

Distracting oneself with hard physical work

Distracting oneself with creative endeavors

Distracting oneself by chatting with friends about normal things

Talking to friends about the tragedy

Talking to authority figures about the tragedy

Talking anonymously with strangers about the tragedy (if possible)

Getting wrapped up in others’ problems

Staying unusually silent

Screaming

Crying loudly

Crying silently

Doing everything possible not to cry

Pacing

Taking unhealthy risks

Going for revenge against whoever one can blame

Punching random objects

Throwing random objects

Lashing out against friends and family members

Trying to prevent a similar tragedy from happening

Eating more than usual

Not eating

Taking mind-altering substances

Getting in unhealthy relationships

Isolating oneself

Obsessing over routine

Numbness combined with apathy

Numbness combined with going through one’s normal motions

Trying to get things back the way they were

Denial

No reaction at first but a reaction hits later in greater force

No reaction at all. Emotions relating to the tragedy just fail to load. Note that this can happen to anybody and does not mark a character as a sociopath.

Characters can have more than one reaction at the same time, one reaction after another, or different reactions to different tragedies.

[rychillacases]

Reblogging for future reference.

[writing-questions-answered]

Guide: Naming a Town or City

There are many things to keep in mind when naming the town or city in your novel:

1) Genre/Theme/Tone

It’s very important to consider the genre and theme of your story when choosing a town name. Take these names for example, each of which indicates the genre or theme of the story: King’s Landing (sounds fantastical) Cloud City (sounds futuristic) Silent Hill (sounds scary) Sweet Valley (sounds happy and upbeat) Bikini Bottom (sounds funny) Radiator Springs (sounds car-related) Halloween Town (sounds Halloween-related) Storybrooke (sounds fairytale-related) 2) Time/Place It’s also important to consider the time and place where your story takes place. For example, you wouldn’t use “Vista Gulch” as a name for a town in Victorian England. You probably wouldn’t use it for a town in modern day North Carolina, either. Vista is a Spanish word and would normally be found in places where Spanish names are common, like Spain, Central and South America, the southwest United States (including southern California), Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Florida. 3) Size/Settlement Type An isolated town of 300 people probably won’t be Valley City, but a sprawling metropolis of 30 million could be called Windyville, because it could have started out as a small town and grew into a large city. 4) Geography Words like gulch, butte,and bayou tend to be regional terms. You probably wouldn’t find Berle’s Bayou in Idaho, or Windy Butte in Rhode Island. Words like mount, cape, and valley are dependent upon terrain. Most of the time, you won’t have a town named “mount” something unless there are hills or mountains nearby. You wouldn’t use “cape” unless the town was on a cape, which requires a large body of water. 5) History Is there a historical person or event that your town might be named after? The Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield is ironically named after its founder, Jebediah Springfield. Chattanooga, Tennessee is named after the Cherokee town that was there first. Nargothrond, in The Lord of the Rings, is an Elvish town with an Elvish name. 6) Combination of Words

person name + geographical term = Smithfield, Smith Creek

group name + geographical term = Pioneer Valley, Settlers’ Ridge

descriptive word + geographical term = Mystic Falls, Smoky Hill

person name + settlement type = Smithton, Claraville

landmark + settlement type = Bridgton, Beaconville

Word Lists: Types of Settlements

Geographical Features

Place Words

Common Suffixes

Other Descriptors

Try a combination of two words from any of these lists. :)

[amazonpoodle]

also seriously if a character isn’t white, i promise your only descriptive options aren’t food words and varying degrees of tan. it’s okay to say brown. pale brown! light brown! golden brown! medium brown! dark brown! deep brown! so many kinds of brown!

BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN BROWN

[laffbending]

#brown is not a bad word #you do not need euphemisms #B R O W N

[lgbtqiafeminism]

This post by writingwithcolor might help in picking good words to use plus reading about why not to use food words! In general if you’re writing a character of color I highly recommend @writingwithcolor

[cukibola-deactivated20200917]

Thank you!

[commodorknorrington]

@emcads ur welcome

[nekogirltail]

@toreadorbrat

[changelingfangs]

[SCREAMS IN HISTORICAL COSTUMING AFICIONADO]

[marzipanandminutiae]

(just because I see body image misconceptions a lot in the notes on posts like this- NOBODY THOUGHT BUM ROLLS OR PANNIERS WERE ACTUALLY A WOMAN’S HIPS/BUM. THE “CHILDBEARING HIPS” THING IS A JOKE. I AM SAYING THIS NOT AT OP, OF COURSE, BUT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE READERS BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE ANYTHING)

[samswritingtips-deactivated2016]

A breakdown of medieval armor, since a lot of pieces are required to create a full suit.

[kuropii]

Ref

[writingtipsandtricks]

For all of use writing medieval historical fiction/fantasy/fight scenes with armor/etc

[roomba-with-knives-taped-to-it]

Watch me steppin our in nothing but poldrons, gauntlets, a tassit, and some greaves

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Wardrobe: Popular Headresses (Women) Part 1

(Disclaimer: These are mostly European and from Mediaeval/Renaissance times. Other posts are coming about other periods and places so keep that in mind)

Fashion for ladies have changed throughout the centuries, no garment more so than the headdresses they wear. Statement headdresses can be an interesting component to add to your worldbuilding. The use of different styles give each culture a defined feel and could act as a symbol of all kinds of lands in your WIP.

Hennins

These are those headdresses. The ultimate headdress for a Princess. These headdresses made of stiffened material and draped with veils. They came in the popular cone shape (image 1), or the truncated shape/ flower pot (image 2) or the divided version (image 3). These were popular in the 15th Century, coming from the French courts and the Burgundian court.

Stickelchen Cap

This headdress was made up of a padded piece pinned to the hair, draped with a veil and topped with a heavy almost square-shaped cap usually heavily beaded and embroidered.

Wimples

Wimples were drapes of material that covered a woman's hair, neck and sometimes her face. With its similarities to hijab, historians suspect that wimples might have been among the fashions that crusaders (dick-heads) brought back. Wimples were often worn to show modesty, with many nuns and religious women taking it as their signature look.

Balzo

These headdresses are circular rolls of materials fitted to be worn at the back of the wearer's head. They could be stitched with veils and precious stones.

Crespines/Cauls

These were popular for a long period of time, close to two centuries. These provided ladies with long hair to tidy it out of way. Women wore their hair on either side of their heads, held by thd crespines which could be made of mesh metal or cloth netting. The whole thing would be secured with a fillet, a length of material or metal fitted over the top of the head.

French Hood

The French hood is a crescent shaped headdress that sits atop the head, allowing the front half of the hair to be shown. The back was always stitched with a veil. The front half of the hood wasn't a fucking hairband (calling out Wolf Hall) but rather a significant height usually bejewelled and embroidered.

English/Gable Hood

This sort of looks like a roof but a rather regal roof. The ancestor to the French hood, it was the favourite headdress of Katherine of Aragon and Jane Seymour. It has always been one of the more regal looking headdresses to me.

Kokoshnik

My favorite headdress of all time. It is Russian headdress of all different shapes, the most popular and common being the crescent shaped one. Most kokoshniks were accompanied by bands of beads or pearls laid across the forehead or a large bow at the back. I fucking love the kokoshnik.

[wordsnstuff]

Words and Phrases To Include In Your Sex Scenes

[blondiesandbrunes-blog]

wordsnstuff:

Appetite - 

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

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

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

Source x

Keep reading

[lauraharrisbooks]

Beyond this, consider how these professions might vary depending on who the customers are - nobles, or lower class. Are they good at their job or just scraping by? Do they work with lots of other people or on their own? City or village?

For younger characters:

Apprentice to any of the above

Messenger/runner

Page/squire

Pickpocket

Shop assistant

Student

Looks after younger siblings

(Images all from Wikimedia Commons)

[evelynatthecircus-blog]

Also consider:

Candlemaker Ferryman Factor (looks after business for an employer in another city) Tiler Cutler Beekeeper Apothecary Interpreter Furrier Moneylender/Banker Winemaker Tinker (small trader who repairs stuff) Nightsoil collector Customs officer Also a bonus for animal related professions: Fowler (supplies game birds for eating) Warrener (catches rabbits on your land for you to eat) Ostler (looks after your horses) Falconer (looks after your falcons) Cocker (looks after your fighting cocks)

[wotenoise]

I need more fantasy rpg in my life that isn’t d&d-style. I think it’s time for some Sword & Backpack.

[pomrania]

100 Jobs for Fantasy Characters (that aren’t knight or peasant)

((long list, so it’s below the cut))

Keep reading

[probablygoodrpgideas]

Yes, this is good and important

[sherlck-deactivated20140622]

wear a different perfume when you commit murder fuckin amateurs 

[feathery-soul-deactivated201408]

also wear shoes that aren’t your actual size and use gloves if you have to touch anything

[agnosticwitch]

what the hell is this here? A how-to-commit-the-perfect-crime??

[moontideempress]

[vimbia]

Wear a wig. Contact lenses . Change your accent . Change Hand when writing . Layer up to make you look big if your small n vice versa . Contour the hell outta your face.

[jazmynedrakeford]

Get your car interior thoroughly washed, then purposely dirty it up again.

[youhavearighttoyourwrongopinion]

Also use an icicle for the weapon because it melts away Buy a ticket to a show and tell as many people / post it on social media that u went to the show

[caribe-bby]

Y'all suspect af😂

[dookiediamonds-deactivated20200]

*adds 363,462 more people to list of that I will fuck never with*

[electricocelot]

Make sure you set up a solid alibi Pay for everything in cash

Or, for those of you who’ve read Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter, feed the murder weapon to the police

[prismatic-bell]

Bodies should be buried vertically, not horizontally, to avoid the appearance of a grave. If you choose to dismember the body instead of bury it whole don’t forget to take a lighter or bottle of lye to the fingertips until charred or melted away, and use bleach on every surface that may have come in contact with blood splatter.

Also, don’t fucking brag about it later Jesus wept.

[harmonysama-deactivated20190724]

all this info is good for writing

but for actual real life, no one on tumblr has enough energy to get out of bed

ain’t no body on this website is gonna murder anyone

[thewelterschallenge]

Make friends with a pig farmer. A full grown nursing sow can eat an entire human body, bones and all, in about 6 hours.

[bloodforbones]

Shit that last one is more helpful than I wanted it to be, I’ll never look at pigs the same

[sweetgirlfriend]

Reblogging for *educational* purposes :)

[fluidityandgiggles]

This post is legendary and I’m so glad I found it. I love all the advice. Except the icicle. That’s technically impossible. Use a disposable knife instead and break the handle.

[nintendhoe-switchblade-deactiva]

use a glass knife with wooden handle for ultimate wounding. its gonna leave a severe fucking wound and u can burn the wood and melt down the glass if it doesnt shatter inside the victim.

[emilyelizabethfowl]

Thomas what did i tell you about making suspiious posts?

[ferntastic-m]

I love learning.

[srazars-main-blog-deactivated20]

IT’S ON MY DASH I REPEAT IT’S ON MY DASH.

[ratherinterestingmilkshake]

ON MY DASH

[infinitebadashianqueen]

Also bury the body deeper than six feet, so it can’t be washed up or smelled by hounds. Yes, that may mean you dig a 12 foot deep grave. Guess what? Murder is work.

[the-suriel-deserved-better]

Murder is work kids.

[krystal-prisms]

Too much work

[gay-vibin-girl]

Creating new jobs in America one murder at a time

[justfor2am]

y’all fucking nuts and i hope y’all’re actually writers instead

[urlocallovelyqueer]

Mate this was helpful. Knowledge is power kids, knowledge is power.

[whumpingmydarlings]

Uhhh, guys?

[verifiefangirl]

I’m cryin 😂

[unassumingsoda-deactivated20191]

What the fuccckkkkkk

[tdfarchive2-deactivated20191204]

Horrible Histories S01E03 ↳ Slimy Stuarts: Wife swap with the Miserables, a Puritan family, and the Merrys, a Restoration family

~ History ~

Some names such as Joy, Hope, and Mercy are still used today but others such as Silence, Discipline, and ‘If Christ had not died for thee, thou hadst been damned’ were real. Here is a list of more Puritan names

[my-little-yellowbird]

Tag yourself. I’m “Has-Descendents.”

[thefingerfuckingfemalefury]

History is one thousand times more utterly ridiculous than you might think O.O

[arctic-hands]

Faint-not, perfect for the one with syncope

[yesterdaysprint]

The Canton Independent-Sentinel, Pennsylvania, September 10, 1880

The Daily Commonwealth, Topeka, Kansas, June 6, 1883

The Minneapolis Journal, Minnesota, January 2, 1905

Daily Capital Journal, Salem, Oregon, April 4, 1916

Bernardsville News, New Jersey, July 14, 1938

The Age, Melbourne, Australia, May 3, 1941

[birchsoda]

Just imagine screaming those at the playground to get your kids!

[blackfemmejeanvaljean]

“FEAR-GOD GET YOUR ASS IN THE HOUSE THE STREETLIGHTS ARE ON! AND GET YOUR BROTHER HELP AND TELL THANKS TO BRING HER ASS HOME!”

[bunjywunjy]

okay but Damned Barebones is the most metal name I’ve ever heard

[cracktheglasses]

@gentleman-caller

[asymbina]

They’re called hortatory names (same root as “exhortation”). And, yes, they really existed.

[milenab]

History is so much fun.

[asymbina]

I used to think history was dry and dusty.

Now, the more I learn about history, the more I realize it was utterly and completely bananas.

[splend-42]

A friend of mine chose his 17th Century re-enactment name as The Lord Giveth and The Lord Taketh Away Smith.

[andisupreme]

The Puritans had Tiefling Names

[animatedamerican]

Where’s that old post about giving kids Puritan-style names with millennial virtues?  … right, there it is.

[bettergroomedwings]

I think Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery Pulsifer got away lightly, really…

[nerdfighterwhatevernumbers]

#this reminds me of my favorite joke in whyborne and griffin#this creepy monster is staring down the main character and being all threatening and says in this creepy voice#‘feeeaaar god’#to which whyborne replies defiantly ‘i’m an atheist….OH WAIT you meant Great Great Grandpa Fear God’

[gnars-house]

I think we should make Puritan naming customs cool again, but like, updated to reflect Millenial values. So we can have names like Resistance Jones, Self-Care Williams, and I-Am-Not-Throwing-Away-My-Shot Anderson.

[deus-ex-aquila]

I-Will-Face-God-and-Walk-Backwards-Into-Hell Watson

Hydrate Mather

Healthcare-Is-A-Right-Not-A-Privilege Bradford

Body Positivity Watts

WTF-the-Fuck Preston

Cinnamon Roll Milton

Y'all-Need-Jesus Henderson

Snape-Was-Not-a-Hero Whitaker

Battery Life Wiggins

Reblog-If-You-Agree Bolton

@Horse_ebooks Humphrey

Renewable Moore

I-Came-Out-to-Have-a-Good-Time-and-I’m-Honestly-Feeling-So-Attacked-Right-Now Rutherford

Representation Hopkins

Organic Hurst

Money Cat Wallington

Fuck-It Wentworth

Impeachment Shepard

Don’t-Forget-To-Like-And-Subscribe Simpson

Consent Pimple

I-Bless-the-Rains-Down-in-Africa Woodford

Green Hoyle

Social Anxiety Travers

Kinkshame-Not Bailey

[animatedamerican]

Cool-Motive-Still-Murder Jenkins

Hashtag Cooper

Stay-In-Your-Lane Whitman

They’re Good Dogs Brent Plimson

Intersectionality Taylor

We-Are-Not-Things Smith

Lifehack Brewster

[captainlordauditor]

but does we are not things smith get shortened to are not or not things

[animatedamerican]

In practice it tends to get shortened to Arnie.

[batmanisagatewaydrug-deactivate]

d&d character concept: an adventurer who became a warlock by accident after she started dating a deity. they’re very aware of how mortal and fragile their gf is and it stresses them out, so they imbibed her with as much magic as they could to help her out. she’s not even good at it, strength is still her highest stat. her intelligence modifier is 0. she tries to solve all her problems with her fists and has 0 sense of self preservation. her divine partner knows no peace.

[batmanisagatewaydrug-deactivate]

when I made the adventure a ‘she’ I realized exactly how misogynistic a premise like this could presumably be, but please trust me when I say this is no fragile waif being manipulated by a paternalistic entity that doesn’t trust her to take care of herself

this is like. a woman who’s just shredded as hell. absolutely jacked. cracking walnuts between her cheeks and crushing skulls between her thighs. dumb as a brick wall and twice as thick.

and she’s completely stolen the heart of some delicate flower of a god, who’s ethereal and beautiful and probably presides over butterflies or meddles or some such. they’re immortal and unspeakably powerful and their favorite thing in the world is swooning so their beautiful dumbass girlfriend can catch them.

[batmanisagatewaydrug-deactivate]

my brain says “barbarian who multiclasses into a warlock” but my heart says “full warlock with a wildly irresponsible stat distribution”

[batmanisagatewaydrug-deactivate]

#GOD I KINDA WANNA DRAW THIS

I double dog dare you 

[asmeesh]

Made a new friend at the dog park today.

instagram.com/mightypaintbrush Get it on Society6! society6.com/mightypaintbrush

[intheheatherbright]

Costume. Chitons.

[intheheatherbright]

Marjorie & C. H. B.Quennell, Everyday Things in Archaic Greece (London: B. T. Batsford, 1931).

[killerchickadee]

Wait, wait…. Is that seriously it? How their clothes go?

[treewizarded]

that genuinely is it

[itwashotwestayedinthewater]

yeah hey whats up bout to put some fucking giant sheets on my body

[sourcefieldmix-deactivated20161]

lets bring back sheetwares

[hostagesandsnacks]

also chlamys:

and exomis:

[hidingthemane-deactivated201801]

trust the ancients to make a fashion statement out of straight cloth and nothing but pins

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

Wrap Yourself In Blankets, Call It a Day

[awhiffofcavendish]

Wear blanket. Conquer world.

[goys2men]

That last one looks dope

[noknightinarmor]

the chlamys is more of a dick-almost-out look

[naughtypiggy]

@petermorwood

[petermorwood]

Socks with sandals? Yup, completely accurate; archaeologists found evidence of it being done in Northern Britannia (shreds of fabric mixed up with the leatherwork of discarded caligae (military sandals). In addition, one of the Vindolanda Tablets (”postcards” written on thin wood) mentions that a care package sent by his family to a soldier serving on the Wall included socks, sandals and underpants.

Art suggests that the Ancient Greeks were less concerned about underpants, but then they weren’t standing guard on the damp and chilly edge of Empire. The “almost-out” part of wearing a chlamys didn’t seem a great cause for concern, and though art is probably more idealised than reality, Greek culture certainly considered that If the gods gave someone a good body there was nothing wrong about showing it off. What WAS wrong was to dishonour the gift by letting it go to seed and gave extra emphasis to “religiously hitting the gym”.

Since gym(nasium) comes from gymnos - γυμνός, “naked” - and working-out was done in the buff, there was no hiding a lack of reps under baggy sweats.

To evade the stupid porn-not-art bots, I’m not posting full-frontal examples of what happened to a chlamys when the wearer moved - there are plenty if you Google, and this would be typical if complete…

…but the ones I’ve included give a good idea of how much it covered or didn’t.

Figures wearing a chlamys often also wear boots and a broad-brimmed hat called a petasos, sometimes pushed back to give a halo effect. This seems to be visual shorthand for someone on a journey; Odysseus certainly qualifies.

Behind him on the right is Hermes; a hat, chlamys, short chiton (tunic), trademark winged heels / boots and caduceus snake-staff or herald’’s wand are his typical attributes-in-art. (Side note: the double-snake staff isn’t medical, despite appearing on US badges; an Asklepios medical rod has just one snake.)

Sometimes his Roman representations are a bit more, uh, cheeky.

The chlamys looks like something developed by a culture which wore towels at the shoulder rather than round the waist, then decided “bodies are nothing to be ashamed of and we have a hot climate, so why not outdoors as well…”

Oddly enough the Aztecs had a cape or mantle called a tilmàtli which was secured at one shoulder in almost exactly the same way…

…but that’s another post…