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a writer who keeps ghosting this site lol - 19 + they/them

[bramblesand]

People, especially games, get eldritch madness wrong a lot and it’s really such a shame.

An ant doesn’t start babbling when they see a circuit board. They find it strange, to them it is a landscape of strange angles and humming monoliths. They may be scared, but that is not madness.

Madness comes when the ant, for a moment, can see as a human does.

It understands those markings are words, symbols with meaning, like a pheromone but infinitely more complex. It can travel unimaginable distances, to lands unlike anything it has seen before. It knows of mirth, embarrassment, love, concepts unimaginable before this moment, and then…

It’s an ant again.

Echoes of things it cannot comprehend swirl around its mind. It cannot make use of this knowledge, but it still remembers. How is it supposed to return to its life? The more the ant saw the harder it is for it to forget. It needs to see it again, understand again. It will do anything to show others, to show itself, nothing else in this tiny world matters.

This is madness.

[bogleech]

Thank you for this good PSA because I’m still seeing sincere, published, professional writers doing “ahhhhh oh no this monster was SO UGLY i’m mentally ill now!”

[brunhiddensmusings]

forms of eldritch horror include but are not limited to - nobody will ever believe you, you must live alone with this knowledge - you will never feel safe again, and you realize you were never safe before - everything that was familiar is now strange and abhorrent to the point anything that now seems normal should be held in utmost suspicion - having this new knowledge has opened doors that will continually reveal new equally cursed knowledge without end - death and madness are no longer escapes

[writingbox]

Here’s an invaluable writing resource for you.

[i-penna]

Was looking for this information just yesterday. Thanks so much.

[phantom-of-the-keurig]

Y’all I could have used this so many times before oh my good god

[moonstoast]

—about god

[synnyi]

harrow posting

[moroccanmanga]

The way all people in warm and/or dry climates come up with compluvium/impluvium architecture

Senegalese

Imperial Roman

Gotta protect your roof, catch rainwater and keep the house cool I guess.

[misswaffleswrtingcorner]

*Kicks down the door* YOU KNOW WHUMPY TROPES I LOVE SO MUCH BUT BARELY EVER SEE?

MAGIC FATIGUE/EXHAUSTION/OVERUSE.

Give me those sweet side effects of overusing magic:

Getting lightheaded and weak, struggling to stand let alone keep fighting

"Are you ok?" "Yeah I'm fine. *immediately faceplants because their legs can't support their weight anymore*"

F a i n t i n g

Physical injuries like burns, broken bones, etc

The risk of permanent damage either physically or mentally

Can I get uuuuhhhhh "loses a sense either temporarily or permanently depending on the severity of the overuse"?

Stopping their heart (cue the team scrambling to drag their dumbass friend back from death)

THERE'S SO MUCH YOU CAN DO AND I SO RARELY SEE IT.

[fictionadventurer]

So, I’m still obsessed with The Golden Four classification of characters, and lately I’ve been having some thoughts that have streamlined my definitions for the categories.

This system (as I’ve started to approach it) classifies characters based on how they deal with problems. Characters can fit under multiple categories (and a lot of the most beloved fit all four), but they tend to have a primary approach that dominates.

Savior: Solves problems. They know the way they want the world to be, and they’ll take direct action to make it that way. If they have a problem, they’ll attack it head-on. If you have a problem, they’ll do everything they can to solve it for you. These make for great heroes who’ll do anything to help others, but they can also make fantastic villains, because they can be so confident in their way of doing things that they’ll solve problems without worrying about how it affects the people around them.

Trickster: Dodges problems. If a problem shows up, they’ll manipulate the system or the circumstances so the problem goes away or so the consequences don’t affect them. These people can be self-centered manipulators, who’ll lie and cheat and abuse loopholes to achieve their goals, but they can also use their talents for benevolent purposes, subverting the strictures of society to come up with creative solutions that benefit everyone.

Genius: Retreats from problems. Geniuses have a particular area of expertise, and they rely on this to solve their problems. They may also use their knowledge as a way to retreat from problems, preferring to focus on their special interest rather than address any of the bigger problems in their lives. They can be either heroes or villains depending on how they use their talents, but they tend to be self-reliant, focusing on their own skills as the way to deal with problems, though they can often contribute their skills to a team effort.

Martyr: Endures problems. If a problem shows up, they will use their internal fortitude to deal with whatever unpleasantness life forces them to deal with. These people can be passive because they don’t take action to solve their problems, but sometimes the problems can’t be solved by direct action, and these people are heroic for how patiently they endure hardship. They can be among the most selfless people, willing to take on hardships for the sake of sparing other characters suffering, but they can also be selfish, wallowing in their problems and blaming the world for difficulties rather than taking action.

[fictionadventurer]

Been thinking about this a bit more, trying to finesse the definitions in my head, and considered another way to explain it.

Savior: My will solves problems. The force of my desire and direct action will eliminate this problem and make the world the way I want it to be. (Which could be better or worse depending on how selfish those desires are).

Genius: My expertise solves problems. My store of knowledge or area of skill is the best way to solve this problem. (And/or my area of interest is more important/more comforting than dealing with those problems).

Trickster: My cleverness solves problems. Understanding the components of a system and/or the people involved allows me to find creative ways to solve the problems and/or avoid consequences.

Martyr: My endurance solves problems. My ability to stay strong through whatever suffering life throws at me ensures that I (and/or the people I care for) will survive until the problem is solved or goes away.

Or, to split hairs even further, we could frame it as their approach to suffering rather than problem-solving.

Savior: Relieves suffering. Focuses on relieving the negative effects of a problem or getting people/society to a place where they can’t be hurt.

Genius: Soothes suffering. Their expertise can find a way either to eliminate the source of the suffering, or provide a way to escape from thinking about/feeling the suffering.

Trickster: Avoids suffering. Focuses on dodging the problem so they/others have to suffer as little as possible.

Martyr: Accepts suffering. Is willing to suffer, trusting in their strength to endure more than in their ability to solve/relieve the suffering. (And/or will relieve it in others by taking the burden upon themself).

[fictionadventurer]

As long as I’m splitting hairs, I may as well as one more adjustment.

I think the Genius approach to suffering isn’t about how they approach it in others, but in how their expertise soothes their own suffering. They take comfort from how their area of expertise allows them to solve a problem or gives them a way to ignore it, regardless of how they choose to use their genius to approach external problems.

[useless-catalanfacts]

You know how fantasy worlds are almost always based on (mostly Central and Northern) European Medieval aesthetic and folklore?

For a while I’ve been thinking that if we had a fantasy world made here, it would be interesting to have it be inspired by Modernisme (the Catalan artistic movement from the late 19th century - early 20th century). I mean, look at this and tell me it doesn’t have potential:

Interior of the Sagrada Família basilica, Barcelona. The stained glass in different sides of the temple are different colours, so the light changes colour depending on the hour of the day. (Photo sources x x)

Illa de la Discòrdia, Barcelona. x

Benches in Parc Güell (Barcelona), made with the “trencadís”, the typical mosaic used in many of Antoni Gaudí’s works (he’s one of the most famous Modernist architects, and one of the most famous Catalan architects of all times too). x

A hall in Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona. x

Ceiling of Palau de la Música Catalana, a concert hall in Barcelona.

Lots of these things. This one is in Argentona (Catalonia, too). x

And fashion would be like this:

Stained glass in Cerdanyola, Catalonia. x

Illustrations by Gaspar Camps.

More stained glass, now in Museu del Modernisme, Barcelona. x

Modernist jewels by Lluís Masriera (I’ve talked about Modernist jewels in this previous post). x

Even the furniture:

x

Interior of Casa Amatller in Barcelona. x.

Even in wood looked pretty.

x

And lots of cool windows inspired by nature!

And from outside

Olot, Catalonia. x.

And of course all kinds of windows. Light is important!

Torre Bellesguard. x.

Barcelona. x.

This ceiling in Palau Güell with holes to let light in. x.

And this lamp?? Also in Palau Güell. x.

Everything would have to be very curvy.

Casa Milà, Barcelona. x.

And shops

This bakery in Palma, Mallorca. x.

And I won’t begin with the tiles to not make the post longer…

What do you think?

And for people from other countries, what element in your culture do you think a fantasy world could be based on, aesthetically?

[autumnswing]

@deadcatwithaflamethrower catalan history! Mostly wanted to show you the pretty historical things

[deadcatwithaflamethrower]

Yep, I am distracted by shiny art history and drooling.

[albatris]

I love my writeblr babes who have twenty million WIPs and are constantly coming up with new ones and I love the brand of writeblr post that's like "all my unfinished WIPs are judging me because I keep starting new ones while they're still sitting in my drafts folder" 'cause that is all absolutely off the rails wild to me I'm just over here in the corner like

oh, this is my WIP, it's perpetually in progress, it's been through three distinct iterations and changed a lot but I've been working on some version of it at all times since I was 16. I live here! once in a blue moon if all the stars are aligned and I am in the universe's good graces I will be blessed with A New WIP but I have to let the premise and whatever vague character concepts I have stew and simmer and vibe for 2 - 3 business years before I even THINK about writing it

[kabaks]

latching onto characters that have “i’m already dead at the start of this story” written on their foreheads like that sign can’t stop me because i can’t read

[jezifster2]

Aah oh no oh shitt *gives my characters powers that corrupt*

[skaldish]

I think it’s time for a refresher about what a “trickster” is and what makes a character or deity one.

A trickster is a boundary-crosser; an entity who highlights the rules and conventions of society by calling them into question, usually with their actions, and usually by breaking said rules and conventions. This helps us assess why these rules are in place and if they even serve us.

Because of this, tricksters tend to be transgressive and subversive. Sometimes this can be very delightful and other times can be very uncomfortable, even repulsive.

“Trickster” is a function, not a personality type. Sure, many tricksters are cocky and possess a devil-may-care attitude, but so do other beings who aren’t tricksters, and there are many tricksters out there that don’t have these personality traits.

Tricksters don’t exclusively deal with absolutes. Everything they do changes depending on the situation they’re dealing with and the goal they’re trying to achieve. And unfortunately, this is what many people seem to misunderstand.

For example, I often see people say, “Tricksters are never trustworthy,” or, “Tricksters always have ulterior motivations,” when the truth is that tricksters are situationally trustworthy, and tricksters situationally have ulterior motivations.

Tricksters are capable of being selfish or selfless, helpful or harmful, constructive or destructive, kind or cruel, etc. all depending on what it is they’re trying to achieve. We may not always know what they’ll choose because they’re operating at a higher level of meta than we are.

This is the nature you’re dealing with when dealing with a trickster. They’re not “secretly a villain” or actually an “unconventional and misunderstood hero.” They’re a trickster, and that moral gray is what you’re going to get when dealing with them.

[mikkeneko]

Nice post, and I’ll just put in my own rule of thumb when dealing with tricksters:

When you play a game against a trickster – if that trickster is being run properly – then you cannot win against them, because you satisfy their goals just by playing. The illusion that you can win is just bait to entice you to agree to enter the game. But they aren’t bound by the rules of that game.

[willowcrowned]

stories where memory is a character. stories where the past is alive and haunting you. stories where you are your own ghost

[peigslayers]

obsessed with stories where you can never go home

[peigslayers]

you can never go home because you fell asleep for a thousand years and when you woke up and returned there, your society had changed, your house had fallen and all of your friends were dead. you can never go home because you made a choice and were shattered into pieces and your home was destroyed in your wake. you can never go home because someone took you and changed you against your will and although your home is the same, the person who belonged there is dead. you can never go home because you committed a crime and your family expelled you and even as they extend a hand of reconciliation, you will never forgive them. you can never go home because your home was a person and someone murdered her and now you drift and grieve to the point of insanity. you can never go home because you never knew your sister but she gave you every opportunity you have and now she's dead and your parents see nothing but her in your eyes.

[mtsainthelens]

The Road Home, The Road To Self: Archetypal Anarchy in The Wizard of Oz

[ashen-crest]

Five things you never get tired of writing

Thanks for tagging me, @author-a-holmes! Here’s my five:

1. Friendly bonding moments. Just characters having fun with each other or bantering. Particularly if they were previously unfriendly, and this is the first step in a more positive direction.

2. Characters pining. I love it. Let them pine. Let them suffer. Let them be lost in the sauce.

3. Hurt-comfort. A character getting hurt and another character taking care of/worrying about them. It’s the fear, it’s the caring, it’s the physical touch! It is extremely important to me!!

4. Emotional breakdowns. I try really hard to ensure the build-up to them is there, that it’s both justifiable and inevitable, so you feel it when they do.

5. Glowing stuff. Is it magic? Cool, it glows. I will literally never get tired of that visual.

Tagging, with zero pressure: @antique-symbolism, @drabbleitout, @dragon-swords-prophecies, @magic-is-something-we-create and @winterandwords! (and of course, anyone else who wants to play!)

[thebreakfastgenie]

sooo.... tee hee.... what's it like being doomed by the narrative? *twirls hair*

[hvacinth]

i love you character who’s trying to do better but cannot outrun your fate, i love you hope in spite of all proof of doom, i love you despaired attempts at making it right, i love you blind trust even as you know a knife in the back is awaiting, i love you love that doesn’t mean anything when faced with greater forces, i love you slow descend into madness at the unfairness of it all, i love you pure heart not strong enough to withstand tainting, i love you justified anger