Emily Terrance x

"I just want to touch you, and I promise I won't break you. If you would be my doll just for a day, then I would put you back into your case." --Nicole Dollanganger.

[michaelbjorkwrites]

5 frustrating workshop rules that made me a better writer

Throughout the 15 workshops I joined in college and grad school, I encountered two types of writing rules.

First, there were the best-practice guidelines we’ve all heard, like “show don’t tell.” And then there were workshop rules, which the professor put in place not because they’re universal, but because they help you grow within the context of the workshop.

My college’s intro writing course had 5 such rules:

No fantasy, supernatural, or sci-fi elements.

No guns.

No characters crying.

No conflict resolution through deus ex machina.

No deaths.

When I first saw the rules, I was baffled. They felt weirdly specific, and a bit unfair. But when our professor, Vinny, explained their purpose (and assured us he only wanted us to follow the rules during this intro workshop, not the others to come), I realized what I could learn from them.

1. No fantasy, supernatural, or sci-fi elements.

Writers need to be able to craft round characters, with clear arcs. While you can hone those skills writing any type of story, it can be more difficult when juggling fantastical elements, because it’s easy to get caught up in the world, or the magic, or the technology, and to make that the focus instead of the characters. So Vinny encouraged us to exclude such elements for the time being, to keep us fully focused on developing strong, dynamic characters.

2. No guns.

Weapons have a place in many stories, but when writers include a gun, they often use it to escalate the plot outside of the realm of personal experience and into what Vinny called “Hollywood experience.” He wanted us to learn how to draw from our own observations and perceptions of life, rather than the unrealistic action, violence, and drama we’d seen in movies, so he made this rule to keep us better grounded in our own experiences.

3. No characters crying.

When trying to depict sadness, writers often default to making characters cry. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, tears are just one way to show grief, and they aren’t always the most subtle or emotionally compelling. That’s why Vinny challenged us to find other ways to convey sadness — through little gestures, strained words, fragile interactions, and more. It was difficult, but opened us up to depicting whole new gradients of grief and pain.

4. No conflict resolution through deus ex machina.

This is the only one of the rules I’d say is generally universal. Meaning “God from the machine,” deus ex machina is a plot device where a character’s seemingly insurmountable problem is abruptly resolved by an outside force, rather than their own efforts. These endings are bad for various reasons, but Vinny discouraged them because he wanted us to understand how important it was for our characters to confront their struggle and its consequences.

5. No deaths.

Death is inherently dramatic and can be used to good effect, but many writers use death as crutch to create drama and impact. Writers should be able to craft engaging, meaningful stories, even without killing off their characters, so this rule challenged us to find other methods of giving weight to our stories (such as through internal conflict).

How these rules helped me grow as a writer

First things first, I’ll say it again: apart from #4 (deus ex machina), these rules were never meant to be universally applied. Instead, their purpose was to create temporary barriers and challenges to help us develop key skills and write in new, unfamiliar ways.

For me, the experience was invaluable. I liked the way the rules challenged and stretched my abilities, driving me to write stories I’d have never otherwise attempted. They made me more flexible as a writer, and while I don’t follow the rules anymore (I LOVE me some fantasy), I’ll always be thankful for how they shaped my writing.

My recommendation to you?

Give some of these rules a shot! Follow them temporarily while writing 2-4 short stories — but remember to always keep their purpose in mind, because the rules themselves will only help if you understand what they’re trying to achieve.

Write with purpose, and you’ll always be growing.

— — —

For more tips on how to craft meaning, build character-driven plots, and grow as a writer, follow my blog.

[survivor-positivity]

ignore people who tell you to “get over it”. it’s a lot more complex than that and you deserve all the time you need

[thedancingwriter]

Fair Use in Novels

I often get questions from Anons asking me what is appropriate to use in a novel, from song quotes to character names of wildly popular characters from other books (names that are obviously more unique than just Sarah or Alice or Amelia). So I’m going to lay the groundwork of what writers can and can’t use in their novels—or for their novels.

Quotes from song lyrics. You can’t do this. Period. If you want to use quoted song lyrics, you would have to get permission from the artists themselves—and you would likely have to pay a heady sum of money to obtain that permission. A big part of the reason why you can’t do this is because song lyrics are often so short in the first place, and if you misquote even one word, you run the risk of being sued. In fact, you run the risk of being sued period if your book is somehow published with quoted song lyrics from an actual band. 

Names of fictional characters. One Anon asked me if he or she could use a fictional character’s name as a nickname for one of his/her characters. As far as I know, this is not copyright infringement, especially if the character whose nicknamed Harry Potter does not in anyway resemble the actual Harry Potter. It is also not copyright infringement to use a fictional character’s name in passing. For example, in Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick, Leonard frequently mentions Holden Caulfield as a comparison to himself. Holden Caulfield, however, is not an actual character in the book. There’s also the question of cameos, and whether or not a writer can use an actual character as a cameo in the book. This is on shaky ground, because using a published fictional character as a cameo technically is not copyright infringement, until that character actually starts talking. However, from the article I linked to you, you still run the risk of being sued. Fan fiction is an entirely different matter, as most writers don’t profit from this work, and authors want to please enthusiastic readers. (I would both cry and feel EXTREMELY flattered if someone were to ever write a fanfiction of my book, When Stars Die.)

Public domain. Any book before 1923 is fair use. Granted this does not mean you can re-write the entire book. Basically this means you can quote these works, while attributing their authors to them, in your novels. Frenchie,from Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez, frequently talks about Emily Dickinson and quotes her as well. Libba Bray puts a part of Tennyson’s poem, The Lady of Shallot, in A Great and Terrible Beauty. And when I do revisions for my novels, I’d like for my protagonist to quote parts of Edgar Allen Poe. 

Titles. You don’t need permission to use song titles, movie titles, book titles, television titles, and so on and so forth. You can also include the names of things, place, and events and people in your work without permission. I mention Paula Dean in brief passing in the current work I’m writing, because she owns a restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, the place my character lives. 

Pictures. I’m primarily talking about if you’re self-publishing or are allowed to work with your publisher (usually small press) on designing the cover. ANY stock photos listed on any stock photo website is fair game and can be photoshopped as much as you want to. However, you often have to buy these photos, but once you pay for them, they are yours to do with what you want. Unfortunately, you run the risk of having a similar book cover as another book, especially if you don’t do too much to that image beyond slapping your name and title of the book on it. The cover for When Stars Die received a heavy makeover, so it is not likely that I will find another book using my exact cover. I may find a book using the girl on the cover, but the plum blossoms, the colors, how the girl was edited, and my title and name are probably going to be next to impossible to find on another book. 

Quoting famous people. If the quote from, let’s say, a famous speech in the past, is over 100 years old, that work is likely in the public domain, so it’s fair to use quotes from  Georgie Washington or another popular figure. 

Referencing facts. If you’re referencing facts, like how the universe was made, this is not copyright infringement—they are unadorned facts. For the current novel I’m working on, I did use a website to help Gene’s teacher explain black holes, because Gene uses black holes as a motif to describe how people can have an effect on one another. However, because this is knowledge that you can pick up from any text book or even an astronomy class you took, I don’t need to quote the source I took it from because I did not repeat word-for-word what that website said. The website simply listed facts that you can find anywhere from a legitimate source. 

Using quotes from TV, films, or advertising. These are copyrighted, so don’t use them, unless you want to get sued. 

For now, these are the only points I can think of on what writers are allowed to use and not use in their novels. If someone can think of anything more, feel free to re-blog and add to this list!

Ask Box is always open, and I think this is the last day for my book/Amazon gift card giveaway, so you better enter while you can!

[moonlit-maiden]

Regarding naming (because I had to research this for one of my characters): names CANNOT be copyrighted. At all. HOWEVER. The exception is if the name is recognizable on a brand level, such as Harry Potter or Mickey Mouse. So if there is a character names Joe McShmo and you name a character Jo McShmo, you CAN do that if the first Joe is not 1. the flagship character or the brand and 2. the name/brand is a household name (as in the average person will think of only Jo McShmo #1 when they hear that name). It’s a very interesting caveat.

[clevergirlhelps]

Villainous Traits and their Virtues

Abusive – good at manipulating people

Afraid – knows how to create traps

Ambitious – willing to do anything for their success

Arrogant – confident

Ashamed – attempts to change, destroy, or get over what they are ashamed of

Avoidant – an expert in indirect communication (i.e. internet); keeps secrets

Keep reading

[fuckosexual]

scottish twitter is gonna save the world

[emilyterrance]

😂😂👏🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Good job, fellow Scot

[requiem-4-a-drink-deactivated20]

hope your pets stay healthy in 2017

[rotg-fan-page]

I almost didn’t blog this and felt guilty

[ckascade-deactivated20170413]

Not risking it

[unorthodox-views]

hope ya pets even healthier in 2018

[zackisontumblr]

hope your pets discover immortality in 2019

[selkise]

i left so many hints that i was gay in the past and the fact that so little people picked up on them is truly a testament to straight people’s stupidity, everyone should have known i was a lesbian by the time the bruno story happened but i was surrounded by heterosexual buffoons who couldn’t detect a lesbian if she hit them in the head with a stack of home depot coupons so nobody did

[selkise]

for some context when i was 10 a new boy came into our school and joined our class and he was a professional surfer and skier and looked like a model with his stupid colgate white smile and all the girls fell in love with him (you might think im exaggerating but evidence to back up my claim will come) except for me who thought he was the dumbest boy i had ever met and i had been dropped off a 20 feet cliff for fun by the troublemaker of the class before okay. i somehow thought he was worse. i seriously didn’t like him because i thought he was a bully and couldn’t calculate 2+2 to save his life and always trash talked him, but the girls mostly let it slide even when i got mad at them for liking ‘such a moron’ and ‘I thought you were supposed to be smart’ because i was known to be weird anyway

that is until my teacher decided to ‘promote friendships between boys and girls’ by pairing us at a desk for class and every girl had to vote for 2 boys they would be comfortable sitting next to and put it in a jar until the next day where my teacher looked embarrassed when time came to reveal our new assigned seats and went ‘well… all the girls voted for Bruno except for one person…. so in the spirit of fairness, tessa will sit next to bruno since she’s the only one who didn’t vote for him’

it was genuinely one of my top 3 anime betrayals and i thought ‘that’s it the devil has a arrest warrant out for me and is playing me for a fool’ but i was a teacher’s pet and i didn’t want to disappoint the teacher (plus she said the seats were final and we couldn’t switch) so i sat next to this moRON for my teacher’s sake, and now not only did every girl in the class hate me because ‘but you don’t even liKE him why do YOU get to sit next to him’ but i also had to deal with his clown ass pestering me about everything from borrowing my pencil because he was too stupid to bring his shit to class or letting him copy my homework because he was too lazy to do it himself and ‘I always got the best grades anyway.’

my nerdy ass bore the cross for as long as I could bear, trying to ignore this cretin who never shut up and dealing with the girls’ remarks until the day my nerdy, shy ass who never caused a problem in class had had enough of his dumb ass pestering me about homework and punched him in the middle of math class and told him it wasn’t my fault he was too stupid to figure out the fucking math problem and to leave me alone and the entire class went silent in shock because my shy asmathic ass had just punched the school’s golden boy in the middle of class so hard rulers and pencils went flying all the way to the blackboard where our teacher was writing something. i even broke ruler punching him with it.

i got sent out but escaped a trip to the principal’s office because being a teacher’s pet had its perks and people were more worried about why on earth i would do something so out of character for me. but this is the story of how i kicked the golden boy’s ass in the middle of math class when i was 10 and everyone should have known i was a lesbian right here and there

[selkise]

you know i think i scarred him for life because he still remembers me now that we’re 22 even though we only spent a year in the same school. i think the fact that i handed his ass on our ski trip even though he was the ‘ski champion’ because i was fuelled by spite and i grew up in the mountains half my life i was born with skis on my feet boy, didn’t help

[callofthenerd]

[peashooter85]

Modern technology is making us anti-social!

[pumpkinspicepunani]

It’s almost like people would rather not talk to every random stranger they see in public.

[thedarkestlovee]

^^^^say that!!

[lizziedunbar99]

You Got This

Okay, so I started writing down my thoughts about words and writing and how hard it is last night, and it kind of turned into a self-help guide for struggling writers! This happened entirely without my permission (which is fitting I suppose) and is based solely on my own experiences so may not be appropriate for everyone, but in any case I hope it’s an enjoyable read!

**********************************

Where to begin? I imagine that thought haunts every writer that has ever written. How can I even start to do this idea justice? How do I make people See? You can see it so clearly, so beautifully, in so much detail. It needs to be shared, to be seen. And all you have to show it is 26 letters and a few dots and lines. How can you possibly be expected to make this happen?!

And yet…

These 26 letters and dots and lines have power. They have the power to reduce someone to tears or create uncontrollable laughter. They can make a person that feels so real that they break hearts and destroy worlds, yet they never leave the page. Because these 26 letters have so many different combinations and permutations, some of which we haven’t even found yet! Single words can alter someone’s entire state of mind. One comma can change the meaning of a whole sentence. Perhaps these simple shapes and dots and lines are, in fact, the perfect tools to make people See.

And yet…

Now you’ve realised this, your task is even more daunting. Suddenly you’re wielding a weapon so powerful wars have been waged over it. And you’re allowed to just… use it? You, a person with an idea, has been granted access to power beyond comprehension. The power to rewrite history, to break the laws of physics, to travel beyond the known universe. It’s scary stuff.

And yet…

There is one thing they don’t tell you when they talk about the power of words: they don’t have to be powerful. That’s right. You heard me. Every word doesn’t have to be world altering or gravity defying, just like every action isn’t always to further your career or to change the world. Sometimes, you just want to eat a doughnut, or put four “suddenly”s in a paragraph! Do it! There are no rules here! Have fun! End every sentence with an exclamation mark even though you were expressly forbidden from doing so (seriously, do that at some point, it’s so much fun)! You won’t always be eating a doughnut, and you may have to pay for it in the gym later, but sometimes it’s important to eat a doughnut. You may pay for the “suddenly”s later on, but right now you just want to make people See. You need to get The Idea out and worrying about the power of words and the rules of words is stopping that from happening.

And yet…

How to make people See? Everyone sees differently. You already know how it looks. You just want to share it as accurately as you can. You want to share every single tiny little detail, so people know the full extent, the full importance, the full beauty of The Idea. But everyone sees differently. The second that The Idea leaves your head it is going to change. No one is going to see it like you do. No one is going to experience it in the same way. And if every little detail is shared, you’ll lose every little detail. So don’t worry about sharing it all! Keep some for yourself.

And yet…

We still have this beginning issue. But what is a beginning really? When does a story truly begin? Can we ever truly begin a story from the beginning without going back to the beginning of time itself? The beginning is a good place to start, but if every story started there, life would be boring. Start in the middle, start at the end, start with something that seems entirely unrelated to everything else but will make sense later, but let’s have a little less focus on the Beginning. The place in which you start may not even make it into the final product, let alone be the beginning.

And yet…

What? That page is still blank, that cursor is still blinking, that pen is still hovering. It’s scary, I know. Words are powerful. But also, they aren’t. This Idea is so Big. But also, it’s not. You have to make people See. But also, you don’t. You must follow the rules. But also, you mustn’t. You have to Begin. But also, you don’t.

You just have to start. Start writing.

Write one word.

Then another.

Now another.

Good! You’re writing! 

Keep going!

You got this. 

[downwithwritersblock]

Welcome to part five of our Monthly Guide to Monsters! My dear sweet  @quills-and-golden-ink and I have put together some quick and easy guides to some of the world’s most infamous creatures!

The guide will include: basic background, historical information, abilities, how to defeat them, and portrayals in media. My sets will also always come with Prompts!

For the Month of October, we will be posting two a week! I’m so sorry that I am so late for this one. Life has been a bit hectic. But no matter the date it is posted on, we promise it will be 2 a week for the rest of October, and two a month for the rest of the year. 

*Warning for graphic or gruesome depictions and retelling of violence*

Without further ado, we present to you all, the Monthly Guide To Monsters #5:

Witches

Definition: One who practices the art of witchcraft. Can be good, evil or neutral.

Definition of Witchcraft: There are many meanings or definitions given to witchcraft throughout the world and through many different cultures. In some beliefs, it’s a practice usually used for healing, in others, it’s a magical ability to do mystical things far beyond normal human capacity. In cultural anthropology, Witchcraft is usually defined as the innate ability to cause harm.

Description: Just like the definition, the description of witches changes across cultures. Many legends depict them as being physically indistinguishable from humans. They are often depicted as females in folklore, but more modern media has broken that line. In some (older) media, Witches were depicted as being rather grotesque humanoids, with large noses, warts and straw like hair.

Abilities: Depending on where you are looking, the abilities of a witch can change drastically. In some cultures, Witchcraft is purely a practice that requires hard work, education, potions or special ingredients, mystical objects and sacred words/spells/incantations. In other cultures, Witches have innate magical abilities where they need only to think of something in order for it to be done. Other cultures, and most forms of media, like to mix these two ideas. So usually Witches have or use the following:

Spells are a kind of incantation with strong magical power(Older spells are often in a foreign or ancient language rather then English, so it’s not uncommon to see a witch portrayed as speaking multiple languages)

Potions made from magical or mystical ingredients and can be used for a large number of things.

Witches are often shown possessing a large amount of knowledge about other magical creatures.

Levitation and flying

Witches are sometimes said to be able to disguise themselves through transformation magic, though the extent of the transformation depends on the lore. Some are just to look ‘more human’, others can fully transform into animals. 

Opening of portals to teleport

Some witches are said to control or communicate with certain aspects of nature, like animals, elements or the weather. 

Necromancy is usually more of a specialized practice, but it is said that some witches can raise the dead.

Demonology is a darker idea behind witches, it’s the idea that witches can and often summon demons from hell or trade their souls with demons in exchange for magic.

Healing. This is a magical art usually given to ‘white witches’, in which a witch is able to use their own or the life force of the wounded to heal some injuries or illnesses.

They are usually immune to human illnesses, diseases, and deaths. They have a stronger immune system and usually a prolonged life.

Witches usually have a familiar, a magical helper usually in the form of an animal.Familiars help witches with spells, potions, collecting ingredients, and even help protect their witch. Familiars are usually voluntary, but sometimes they are humans that have been cursed to live as an animal and serve the witch. Familiars are usually seen as cats, owls/birds, spiders, and rats.

Testing, curing and killing witches: As many know, Witches have a very long and dark history when it comes to their treatment. So many people who were more than likely to be innocent were tortured and killed in extremely gruesome ways.

Testing:

The ‘swim’ test. The victim was often tied with a heavy rope and weight tied around their waist and then tossed into a river or lake. It’s said that an innocent person would sink, but a with would float and bob a long around the surface. Almost every person subjected to this trial drowned to death.

The Prayer test. It’s said that witches were incapable of reciting the holy scripture. A witch on trial might have been expected to recite a line or two, but were expected to do it perfectly without any hesitation or mess ups. If someone failed at this test, it’s most likely because they were either illiterate, or too nervous to talk. It’s said that some people even managed to do it without problem, only to have their success be waved off a ‘a trick of the devil’ and for them to be executed anyway.

All witches were said to have a unique mark somewhere on their body that could be in any shape, form or color. Examiners rarely didn’t find a ‘witches mark’ because birthmarks, moles, scars, tattoos and sores could all be seen as being the mark of a witch.

The scratch and poke test. So, witches marks were said to be incapable of pain and bleeding. If an examiner could not find a witches mark, they would produce this test, using specialized or dull needles to poke around the accused bodies until they found a spot that produced the painless, bloodless results they desired.

Pressed. The accused would be lied down, and a wooden board would be put over them, then  heavy stones would be placed over it repeatedly until either they confessed to being a witch or they were crushed to death. Either way, they died.

The perfect Weight test. This one wasn’t as common as some, but it still existed. Some accused would be weighed against a stack of bibles. If they weighed more than the bible’s, they were a witch. If they weighed less than the bible’s, they were killed. They had to weigh the exact same amount of the bibles. It was an impossible test to pass.

There was also many tests involving the accused victims, which were always faked as their victims would lie just to have the accused prosecuted.Witch trials were designed to always work in the favor of the ‘victims’, and the ‘Witch’ was almost always killed.

Killing of Witches: Because yeah, those were just the ways that accused were tested for being a witch. If that test didn’t kill them, there were many other ways to do it. The most popular ways to kill a witch were:

Hanging

Burned at the staked

Real Life Witches:

Now witchcraft isn’t just an old folktale. It’s considered a very real thing in many different cultures. Witchcraft was a real thing that many people actually did study and practice, some people still do. A more modern, better known descendant of witchcraft is the practice or pagan religion of Wicca

Wicca: A more modern pagan religion that while it draws on witchcraft, and has a good deal in common with it, is entirely separate. Many who consider practice Wicca do not consider themselves a witch, and vice versa. Wicca is a belief system, and a way of life that focus on peace, harmony and balance with oneself, humanity, and nature. Wicca is nothing like the old tales of witchcraft. The most stark difference being that old witchcraft was said to be to harm others, while Wicca not only avoids harming others, but strictly forbids the harming of innocent beings. Wicca is often rather specialized, and changes little features here and there depending on the individual coven or practitioner. Studying and becoming a Wiccan is not quite as simple as many believe. To find more about the faith I highly suggest browsing around the web, in books, and through any willing Wiccan consultant. Go with multiple sources, not just one or two in order to get the best and most in depth understand of the practice. To be clear, I myself spent many years studying witchcraft and I am a Wiccan.

Witches in Media: Now over the years there have been a lot, and I mean a lot of media that focuses on witches. I’ve tried to arrange for you all a good range of some of the most popular witches in media.

The Craft(Movie, 1996)

Hocus Pocus(Movie, 1993)

The Harry Potter Series(Books and Movies)

The Blair Witch Project(Movie, 1999)

Practical Magic(Movie,1998)

Halloweentown(1998)

The Crucible(Play by Arthur Miller, Movie; 1996)

Kiki’s Delivery Service(1989)

Bewitched(Movie;2005, TV show 1964-1972)

The Witches of Eastwick(1987)

The Wizard of Oz(Movie:1939)

Wicked(Book1995, Musical 2003)

Charmed(TV show 1998-2006)

Charmed(TV show 2018 reboot airing

Buffy the Vampire Slayer(TV show, 1990s. Now I included this because although it’s not primarily about Witches, one of the main Charcters: Willow, is one of the most famous witches in modern media

American Horror Story: Coven (TV show)

The Secret Circle(2011)

Sabrina The Teenage Witch(TV show 1996-2003, and there are rumors of a new,darker retake of sabrina coming soon to netflix)

Prompts:

“What are you gonna do, huh? Curse me again? I’ve spent the last three centuries with you, there’s nothing left for you to threaten me with” 

“Okay so, I think you gave me the wrong shopping list,?I don’t think the local grocery store carries dragons scales or fairy tears? They might have the pigs tongue though…”

“You love that cat more then you love me”                                                     “This cat has been with me, helping and protecting me for the last four hundred and twenty seven years. Of course I love him more then you.”

“We arent all bad you know. Look at me. You know me. I would never, ever hurt you. My magic isnt evil. It doesn’t come from anywhere bad or dark. My magic is a gift. It comes from the earth. My magic can help you. Please just trust me about this.”

“You turn one person into a toad one time by accident over six hundred years ago and nobody ever lets you live it down!”

“I’ve been crushed, hung, stabbed, drowned in freezing rivers, crucified and burned alive. So go ahead, try me. Read all the weak, half-assed incantations you want. Call every priest in the state  Torture me all you want. You don’t scare me in the slightest. There’s nothing you can do to break me, I have endured worse for centuries.” 

Hope you enjoy, and find it useful :) 

and if you like my work and would like to support me, consider buying me a coffee?

https://ko-fi.com/I2I1L0Q2

[littlestickfish]

There are other forms of witchcraft besides Wicca!! Please don’t make the mistake of thinking this is true, or projecting Wiccan values, structures and concepts onto other forms of witchcraft, it’s super irritating and you’re missing out on a very rich and diverse range of culture.

Hedge witches are often solitary (work by themselves; don’t belong to a coven) and tend to focus on nature as well as spirit work, as the name suggests.

Kitchen witches’ magic revolves around recipes, things that can be crafted and practiced within the home. Their spells have steps and ingredients rather than being solely energy-based.

Others follow specific pagan traditions, such as Norse (“Viking”), Hellenic (Greek), Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian), or Celtic and/or Druid (Ireland and surrounding area).

There are even Christian witches! These witches build on the magic already practiced in some Christian traditions—candle magic, icon magic/ancestor invocation, meditation and divination—and use additional magic elements to enrich their spiritual lives. However, they are not always accepted/considered “real” witches by the larger community. (That’s why I’ve never bothered with the label and refer to myself as a mystic instead—it’s not worth the arguments.)

Witches are not a monolith. The so-called “Threefold Law” (everything you work on others comes back to you x3) and the idea of a “left-hand path” (“dark magic”/“bad” witches) are distinctly Wiccan concepts; there is no reason your modern witch has to ascribe to these if xe is not specifically Wiccan. The greeting “blessed be” is also a specifically Wiccan thing. A lot of us don’t do that.

Sorry to tack on but the assumption that all modern witchcraft is/emulates Wicca is one of my witch fiction pet peeves. Please look beyond where ‘Charmed’ directs you to! You (and your audience) will be glad you did.

[downwithwritersblock]

There is a rather obvious reason why I was hesitant to make this specific guide. 

I myself have been studying witchcraft for years, and at one time even practiced Wicca, so I knew that this post might arise some discussion. 

First of all, I am aware of the discriminatory values that came with older depictions of witches in media. Hence why i specified that it was in older media, not in modern. I am by no means trying to preserve that disgusting tradition, and I am unsure why you’d think I was to do so? The only reason that description was included was because these posts are specifically made to talk about the way witches were and have been in media. I stated a simple fact. I am not telling people to revive that awful depiction anymore then I am telling my audience to burn someone alive if they think they are a witch. I didnt think I needed a specific disclaimer to that, for I didnt think anyone would use such a description in the modern age, but perhaps I should now. 

Secondly. No where on this post did I say that Wicca is the only modern version of witchcraft. If I were to include every real life version of witchcraft on this post, it would take days just to read that section alone. I stated clearly that Witchcraft is a very real thing that is still practiced today. I also called Wicca a, not the, a modern descent of Witchcraft(which it is, many Wiccan beliefs and traditions come from old Celtic Witchcraft). A descended. One of many. I also clearly stated that not all wiccans identify as a witch, and vice versa, not all witches are wiccan. I did not combine the two into one thing at all, anywhere?

 and I chose to mention Wicca as this posts ‘real life version’ because it is 1. Something I am personally connected to, 2. It’s one of the most common and well known descendants of witchcraft and 3. Because many of the traditions in Wicca have a stark contrast to what the media portrays of witches, I thought it would be the perfect and easiest example to show people that Witches are not quiet the monsters the media shows them to be. Again, nowhere in my post did I say that all modern witchcraft is or emulates to Wicca. I was very careful with much of my wording on this post for the very reason you were quick to falsely accuse me of these things. The treatment of Witches in media is one of my personal pet peeves. 

I don’t get my concepts of Witchcraft from TV shows or movies. I get them from actual texts, studies and personal experience. Also, I hated the show Charmed, I hated half the things on the media list, but I acknowledge their popularity. 

Before you decide to tack things on to my post, making assumptions about me, perhaps you should read the post in it’s entirety, and if there is still something you do not agree with, my inbox is always open. 

Thank you, and have a nice day :)  

[bookishdiplodocus]

How I never have to face an empty page when I write

First, I write down very roughly what needs to happen in this scene.

For example, take an early scene from my wip. The main character’s mentor has just died in the previous scene. And what’s worse, he’s killed by the magical Library she loves so much. What needs to happen in this next scene?

She brings the terrible news of the mentor’s death and the Library’s betrayal to the mentor’s widow (who gives her a key to the Library, minor detail).

She brings the news to the major, who is responsible of anything concerning the Library and who is indirectly the reason the mentor went into the Library in the first place.

At the end of this scene, the second main character is briefly introduced.

Then I start asking myself as many questions as I can.

What does the Main Girl Character (MGC) feel after her mentor’s death?

What does the MGC do with the key she gets from the widow?

How and when does the widow give her the key?

What is the first thing the MGC does when the mentor dies?

What does the widow do when she sees the MGC and the mentor?

How does the widow react? What does she feel? Did she expect it to happen someday? Does she stay icy calm or does she scream? (pieta)

What does the widow look like?

What is the widow like, as a person?

How does the MGC know she has to go to the major? Is there some kind of police, or is he the mentor’s boss or something?

Does the MGC trust the major?

Can she trust the major?

What is the major like, as a person? Nice? Belittling?

What does the MGC tell the major? What does he want to know?

What kind of new information does the MGC get out of this conversation?

What does the office of the major look like? Where is it?

What kind of a person is the Main Boy Character (MBC)?

What is the MBC wearing?

What does the MBC say to the MGC?

What was his reaction when he heard the news? How did he feel?

How does the major react? How does he feel?

How far is it from the major to the MGC’s home? How much time does the MGC have to inform the MBC and how much time does the MBC have to react and to comfort the MGC? I just realise the MBC already knows (probably from her parents?) because otherwise he wouldn’t be waiting for her at the major’s office.

How did the MGC’s parents tell the MBC? Why would they tell him? Maybe he called her house or he came by because he knew she went to see the Library but he doesn’t know yet that it killed the mentor?

See, I’m already filling my page so that it doesn’t look that intimidatingly empty.

Next, it’s answers time. I go through all the questions and make up a satisfying answer. Sometimes I get it right straight away, sometimes I have to brainstorm for four pages before hitting the suitable solution. 

Since this is still preparation, I don’t have to worry about the quality of my writing style - I’m just thinking on paper. Often, this paradoxally means I write relaxed and I end up using whole bits of my preparation in my first draft.

After I have answered all the questions I want (often some become obsolete by answering other questions), I write out the scene again, in bullets or telegraph style, but with the detail and richness I have found in my answers. That usually takes me one page.

And only THEN I start writing my first draft. I see everything perfectly clear in my head and I even have bits of text I can use from my prep, so writing the first draft is way more chill than just writing it cold.

I do this before every scene, but you can also use this technique only when you get stuck or when you have to write a scene you’re dreading. You would think it’s inefficient and it takes too much time, but this technique keeps my thoughts focussed on my story (I’m a daydreamer) and it keeps the imposter syndrome at bay.

On average, my prep is 1,5 times the length of my written scene, but this process makes my writing so much richer. Not everything I make up in the Q&A phase ends up in my scene, especially questions like “what does the place look like”, “what is the character wearing” or “how long does it take them to walk from A to B”, but I find I can write the scene better if I know the answer, even if the reader doesn’t need to know.

Anyway, this is how I do it. Thanks for listening to my TED talk!

I’m gonna tag a few people who I admire, who I hope are interested. Feel free to ignore me if you aren’t.

@writingquestionsanswered @brynwrites @cogwrites @tlbodine @neil-gaiman @sapphicauthor @thatsmybluefondue @mareebrittenford @maggie-stiefvater @abbywritesstuff @bronwyn-writes @sunblushedgoblin @forlornraven @elliewritesstories @spaceshipkat @tiorickriordan @heywriters @authors-haven @helpfulwritingstuff @wordsnstuff @writingtipsandtricks @clevergirlhelps @itstartswithablankpage @thebibliosphere @compassrosewriting @fixyourwritinghabits @thewritershandbook @goddessofnothingatall @therska @stephrawlingwrites

[itstartswithablankpage-deactiva]

Thank you for tagging me! I love reading how other authors go about their writing process. I do this myself, with the exception of the many questions- mostly because I’m very impatient and lack focus to plan so deeply. I usually spend five-ten minutes briefly plotting out what needs to happen in the scene. Sometimes I write more, sometimes less, it depends on how inspired I am: ‘Aly is at college. Thinks about (event that just happened.) Has a feeling she’s being watched, leaves crowded area to somewhere quiet in case it’s a Fallen angel. Turns out it’s a fairy- fairy tells her something went missing and Aly has to find it. They argue. Aly goes to find Sebastian. They decide to investigate.’ I do this to get everything down as quickly as i can, because I can procrastinate a lot while writing, especially if I’m unsure of what exactly I want to write. I tend to add more details during revision.

[emilyterrance]

So low

[nicoledollanganger]

[nicoledollanganger]

https://nicoledollanganger.bandcamp.com/album/heart-shaped-bed-teaser

[nicoledollanganger]

[emilyterrance]

GIRRLLL!!!!!! 🖤🖤🖤

[nicoledollanganger]