Tearia & More

A place to find writing tips and tricks for both myself and others. I'll also be talking and my books and the upcoming writing projects that I'm working on.

[thewritersjournals]

See how you can use the tips and tricks that helped Stephen King sell over 350 million books.

[thelovejournals]

The Difference Between Falling In Love And Loving Someone

[read-thebuzz]

We often loosely use the word “love” and we mix being in love with actually loving someone.

Being in love with someone can stem from infatuation, possessiveness and obsession. You both talk, hold hands, hug kisses and develop surface feelings. You feel alone when your partner is not around you. You crave and yearn for them to be with you all the time.

Keep reading

80 Provocative & Crucial Questions Lovers Should Ask Each Other

It’s good to ask questions in a relationship. Whether they are goofy, what if’s circumstances or extremely serious questions about what they perceive as infidelity, gender roles in a home and romantic gestures.

Keep Reading

50 Love Quotes That Express Exactly What ‘I Love You’ Really Means

Here are 50 of the best love quotes you will find online, perfect for sharing with that special someone.

Keep Reading

75 Heart Touching Broken Heart Quotes

Here are these uplifting broken heart quotes

Keep Reading

How Do Kissing, Eating, Snoring And Other Things Sound In Different Languages?

British designer and physicist James Chapmen is known for creating incredibly clever and accurate illustrations, which depict the psychology behind linguistics and how different cultures allocate different sounds to a variety of actions. Believe it or not, kissing, eating, snoring, even the way glass breaks, sounds distinctive all around the world.

Keep reading

50 Quotes About Kissing

Keep reading

INTERESTING AND FUN ZODIAC FACTS FOR EACH SIGN BELOW:

Aries  | Taurus | Gemini | Cancer | Leo | Virgo | Libra  

Scorpio | Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | Pisces

[wordsnstuff]

Writing Prompt

You are 10 years old , out with your family at a picnic in a huge state park. It is 1976. You leave to pick berries on a trail. When you come back minutes later, you see a memorial dedicated to the tenth anniversary of your missing.

Tag your responses with #wordsnstuff

[wondersofthewritingworld-blog]

Where can you get writing advice?

I’m no genius, I didn’t learn to write on my own. As a reader, I could figure out some rules alone, but last September I started watching and reading writing advice.

It’s amazing to see how much my writing improved.

So here are my 

TOP WRITING ADVICE CHANNELS AND BLOGS

On Youtube:

- Just Write: advice about storytelling (for films or books). Good editing, and I discovered techniques I never imagined.

- Jenna Moreci: detailed videos about specific topics, very fun and helpful

- Bookishpixie: Short, Dynamic, easy to watch J

- Terrible Writing Advice: Fun, amazing animation, with good advice on how to twist clichés.

Blog : Justawritingaid: detailed, easy to search and really helpful

[the960writers]

The Brandon Sanderson Lectures on Youtube: [2016], [2014]. Highly recommended!

[violetstar-writes]

How To Write a Group Of Villains - A Brief Summary

I always see lists on how to write villains alone, but never about groups. So I’d like to give a few pointers on how to write these characters from what I do know about them.

One thing I’ve noticed from all the stories I’ve read, video games I played, and movies I watched is that you can automatically pinpoint each individual within a group. They all have their own quirks and fall into common tropes. Tropes are not a bad thing as long as they are done well.

Here’s a list of all the tropes I’ve seen done in any type of media, both properly and poorly:

-The Leader:

Is usually the level-headed one in charge of all the other villains. May have a weird personality trait of their own, or depicted as completely serious. Either way, the leader does not mess around and is single-minded towards his/her/their goal.

*If you want to write this character as serious, you should be careful to not make them too bland. Explain their motives and show their drive to succeed in a subtle or obvious way, depending on how the story itself is written.

-The Crazy One:

*Cue maniacal laughter*

Almost every story I’ve seen tends to have a villain who’s sanity is questionable, or they simply aren’t sane at all. Whether it’s from their past or they chose to be that way, they tend to be the most entertaining to watch. For me, anyways. They are often reckless and quick to act, with little to no regard for the well-being of others (or even themselves). They can be used either for comedy relief or to make an already grave situation worse. It’s both of these most of the time. The Leader can have trouble keeping this character under control, since their actions can be unexpected.

-The Funny One:

Can also be a hybrid of The Crazy One, or they can be a separate chracter entirely. Not much I can say about this one. They like to make jokes and use quips in anything they say. May get on The Leader’s nerves.

-The Strategist:

Can also be The Leader, but does not have to be. They come up with all of the plans for the group (with approval from The Leader) and help to determine what the best course of action would be. Could also be considered ‘The Smart One’, since The Strategist is commonly depicted as a scientist or some other form of higher intelligence. This trait tends to make this character full of themselves and think they are above their cohorts (aside from The Leader, whom they may be afraid of). They usually despise the idea of failure.

-The Backstabber:

Can be any of these characters aside from The Leader. They often surface if they are not on board with The Leader’s plans. They will turn against The Leader, sometimes bringing other members of the group to join them. This will either cause the group to fall apart or will have The Leader remove this character from the group entirely (through death, exile, enslavement, etc).

-The Tank:

Is the most powerful of the group, or at least appears that way. Can sometimes be The Leader. Can either be depicted as the silent, serious type who doesn’t speak much (if at all), or the dense type who has to be told things multiple times. Even then, they may misinterpret the information and ruin The Leader’s plans.

-The Cruel One:

Can be any of these characters, or simply one separate individual. They are known for taunting and harassing the protagonist in several ways, ranging from mild to downright twisted and insane. They can push the protagonist to their breaking point. Sometimes they can even corrupt the protagonist by making them do something that goes completely against everything they believe in. This leads to the protagonist questioning their path and motives for their own primary goal.

-The Sympathetic One:

The member of the group who doesn’t seem to hate the protagonist as much as the other villains do. Still follows The Leader’s plan wholeheartedly, yet also seems to understand the protagonist’s plight. May or may not have some sort of important connection to the protagonist. Could be any of the characters in this list, even The Leader. Can be a separate individual as well.

-The Fallen Hero/Friend:

A member of the group who used to be close to the protagonist(s), but has now joined the villains. Whether it was willingly or because they had no other choice, they may either:

*Hate the protagonist(s)

*Want to join them again, but can’t for a specific reason

*Wish to leave their old life behind, cutting all ties with what made them who they were before.

*Once again, can be any of the characters on this list or another individual.

-Whenever you write any of these characters, keep these three things in mind:

Give them all motives. I cannot stress this enough. It doesn’t have to be an essay’s worth of explanations for each and every villain, but they should all have some sort of reason as to why they’re even there. Otherwise, why did you put them into the story?

Show, Don’t Tell. This is much easier when it comes to video games, tv shows and movies since you can literally show what’s happening without saying a word. When writing, give a clear and concise explanation of things involving the villains and their situations, but don’t start rambling about, let’s say, a villain’s favortie pair of socks for five pages. The story will become too much for a reader to digest, as well as lose the appeal. Make it short, sweet, and to the point. Your audience will thank you for that. But don’t be afraid to sneak in a one or two extra details for foreshadowing, if you want to make things more interesting.

The villains can be likeable. Just because they aren’t who the audience should be rooting for, it doesn’t mean that you can’t give them a few redeeming qualities. Have one of them enjoy nature. Have them make the readers laugh with their antics, like hitting each other or robbing from some rich dude down the street. Make them have some human qualities so that the audience can relate to them. If one or two of them are unlikeable, that’s fine. But if the entire group is unlikeable to the point of being unbearable for the audience to watch/read, you are doing something wrong.

Thanks for listening. Feel free to add some opinions of your own!

[mionewrites]

Ways to Get Inspired to Write That Character

1. Create a Mood Board

A mood board is a collage of images, text, colors, or materials. that are used to “to evoke or project a particular style or concept”. Basically, it helps set the “mood” for whatever you are working on. Mood boards are often used by interior decorators and artists but can also be used for writing. I love creating mood boards for each of my characters. It helps me get a a feel for the character I am writing. For example, one of my characters is an elven swordswoman. For her mood board I used images of trees, flowers, decorative swords, and artwork of elves. It really helps when I’m trying to write from her perspective. 

To create a mood board, simply find images or text that remind you of your OC. I use google images or even pinterest to find images. Its easy and fun. 

2. Take Quizzes for Your Characters

Okay, this may seem a little silly but it totally works. Take a quiz from your characters point of view. Select the answers you think your character would select. I personally like doing this with personality quizzes such as the Myers Briggs tests because I can use the results as a foundation for my characters personality. It’s fun, effective, and actually productive.

3. Create Playlists 

I listen to music a lot because it gets my creative juices flowing. So, if I find myself stuck on a particular character, I make a playlist of songs that remind me of that character. I actually like doing this before I start working on a character so I can listen to it while working on them. It sets the mood and gives you better results. Give it a try. 

4. Study Some of Your Favorite Characters

Sit down, take out a notebook, and start taking notes on some of your favorite characters from literature, TV, or movies. What made you attracted to this character? What made you hate this character? What is your favorite thing about this character? Answering these questions will help see why you feel that way towards your favorite or least favorite fictional characters. Use your notes as a guideline on how to make readers either hate or love your OCs. 

5. People Watch

Yeah, this sounds creepy but it is very effective. Go to the park, take a walk, or simply sit at the window and observe the people you see. Take notes on the little things that they do. Do they walk a certain way? Do they stand up straight or do they slouch? What quirks do they have? Do they drum their fingers while sitting? Do they tap their foot while waiting in line? Write down what you observe and you can apply the results to your characters. It will give your original characters a more realistic touch. 

Feel free to add to this list!  

[the-writers-society-deactivated]

Are These Filter Words Weakening Your Story?

After putting my writing on hold for several weeks, I decided to jump back in. I expected to find all sorts of problems with my story–inconsistencies in the plot, lack of transitions, poor characterization–the works. But what began to stick out to me was something to which I’d given little thought in writing.

Filter words.

What are Filter Words?

Actually, I didn’t even know these insidious creatures had a name until I started combing the internet for info.

Filter words are those that unnecessarily filter the reader’s experience through a character’s point of view. Dark Angel’s Blog says:

“Filtering” is when you place a character between the detail you want to present and the reader. The term was started by Janet Burroway in her book On Writing.

In terms of example, you should watch out for:

To see

To hear

To think

To touch

To wonder

To realize

To watch

To look

To seem

To feel (or feel like)

Can

To decide

To sound (or sound like)

To know

I’m being honest when I say my manuscript is filled with these words, and the majority of them need to be edited out.

What do Filter Words Look Like?

Let’s imagine a character in your novel is walking down a street during peak hour.

You might, for example, write:

Sarah felt a sinking feeling as she realized she’d forgotten her purse back at the cafe across the street. She saw cars filing past, their bumpers end-to-end. She heard the impatient honk of horns and wondered how she could quickly cross the busy road before someone took off with her bag. But the traffic seemed impenetrable, and she decided to run to the intersection at the end of the block.

Eliminating the bolded words removes the filters that distances us, the readers, from this character’s experience:

Sarah’s stomach sank. Her purse—she’d forgotten it back at the cafe across the street. Cars filed past, their bumpers end-to-end. Horns honked impatiently. Could she make it across the road before someone took off with her bag? She ran past the impenetrable stream of traffic, toward the intersection at the end of the block.

Are Filter Words Ever Acceptable?

Of course, there are usually exceptions to every rule.

Just because filter words tend to be weak doesn’t mean they never have a place in our writing. Sometimes they are helpful and even necessary.

Susan Dennard of Let The Words Flow writes that we should use filter words when they are critical to the meaning of the sentence.

If there’s no better way to phrase something than to use a filter word, then it’s probably okay to do so.

Want to know more?

Read these other helpful articles on filter words and more great writing tips:

Filter Words and Distancing Point of View

The Reasons Editors reject Manuscripts

Filter Those words and Strengthen Your Writing

[scribbledwriting]

“Show, Don’t Tell!”: Using the Five Senses in Writing

This is an extended piece to my ‘Show, Don’t tell’ post. When writing the senses, I like to imagine the scene as if I were watching a movie. It’s the simplest way for me to picture and write when it comes to descriptions. You don’t want to overload the reader, but you do want to paint the picture instead of telling them. Staying aware of the five senses in your writing will dramatically improve your skill. It not only helps the reader be a part of the story but helps the writer set important scenes, without having to outright state what is happening. In this post, I will explain how I use the five senses in my writing. As always, my advice is subjective and only to show what I personally do. Whether you keep the senses in mind as you write, or you edit them in later, making sure you pay attention to keywords will help eliminate the stress of going back later to figure out what (maybe!) went wrong. 

SEE: On Sight

One of the easiest ways to go about elaborating sight is to eliminate words related to vision (look, saw, gazed, peek, etc). It also helps to stay aware of items, colors, sizes, etc. Do the same thing you’d do with words related to sight, eliminate them. Of course, don’t erase every word or phrase, but being proactive, keeping them in mind, and avoiding them will help you avoid overloading your reader with too much purple prose. (Granted, I would die for purple prose, but I understand that’s not everyone’s thing). 

Examples:

Jill saw Jack running. He carried a silver pail. He tripped and fell down the hill. 

 There are a lot of sight-words in this example. As the writer, it is your decision to choose what you want to elaborate on, whether it is one thing, or all of them. How much of the story you want to paint is up to you—

Jack’s feet blurred against the green grass as his toe caught his ankle. He rolled on his side, his silver pail flying into the air and reaching Jill first.

Jill craned her neck to find Jack staggering down the hill. Water sloshed from the sides of the bucket, swinging and glistening in the sunlight. He stumbled and grabbed for the handle with his second hand as the pail threatened to leave his grasp, and then he slipped, toppling down the hill.

In both of these scenarios, the reader can “see” that Jack is running and tripped without specifically stating that Jill saw it. They also “see” he had a silver pail and dropped it. 

Being more visually descriptive is also very important for facial expressions. It takes a simple mood and elevates it. Describing the expression also gives the reader the chance to “feel” that way too, almost like a mimic, which helps them visualize and empathize with the character.

Example:

Maxine made a disgusted face.

Think of what a disgusted reaction looks like; usually, it involves frowning, pinching your nose, sticking out your tongue, etc. Sometimes, it can help to look in a mirror and write what you’re seeing, too.

Maxine flared her nostrils and stuck out her tongue.

In the latter example, the reader is able to infer that Maxine is disgusted by how the writer described her reaction.

HEAR: On Sound

Describing sound can be tricky. It’s also hard to remember when to use it. We tend to think of sound in terms of music or voices—okay, okay, sometimes we sprinkle in animals howling or the wind blowing, too!—but sound can be incredibly important in setting a scene and is often under-utilized. Sounds let the reader know their surroundings without pulling from what is going on and adds intensity!

Examples:

Manuel sat nervously at the coffee table.

Again, as the writer, you can decide where to incorporate the use of sound. Here are a couple of suggestions, based on the above example:

Manuel’s fingers drummed against the table and drowned out the low whistle escaping from between his teeth as he exhaled. All around him, there was cheerful chatter, through which the barista’s loud voice occasionally sliced.

Manuel’s thoughts whirred and hummed, a dull grinding and the clinking of glass broke through the constant thump of his knee against the underside of the table.

In both of these examples, the reader was able to gather that Manuel was nervous (tapping knee, drumming fingers, low whistle). They are also able to gather he is in a coffee shop (or a restaurant of sorts) without explicitly saying so.

TOUCH: On Sensation

The best way to handle touch is by imagining whatever it is you are describing and what it feels like. If you don’t know how something feels, google it. Don’t describe a snake as slimy just because its scales are shiny and gives it a slime-like effect. That said, touch doesn’t just deal with what your character is physically touching. It can also deal with emotions and help to express them without saying outright how your character feels. 

Example:

Opal touched the silk blanket. She felt sleepy and closed her eyes.

Here we can elaborate on what the blanket feels like when Opal touches it and how she feels to indicate she is tired: 

The supple fabric slid between Opal’s fingers like water. Her tired muscles sagged and sharp, tiny pinpricks pressed against her heavy eyelids as she lay back.

The reader knows the blanket was very soft and also that she is tired without specifically stating she was sleepy. 

TASTE: On Flavor

Taste is a fun sense to mess with. It can show the reader so much more than how delicious the bread is (or how gross dirt is). I like to play around with taste in the weather/air, the taste of fear, the taste of cat hair in your mouth because there is always cat hair in your mouth… all right, maybe that’s a personal thing.

Example: 

The sun rose over the city.

What do you use for taste here? A city can’t taste, the sun doesn’t taste, but your character does!

Yellow light spilled over the streets, soaking the grit from the rainbow puddles into the air. The bitter grease lingered and settled in his mouth, strengthening every time he scraped his teeth against his tongue. 

Experiment with taste in your writing. Describe things you wouldn’t normally think to taste, like crude oil*. The internet is a good resource when it’s something you don’t want to try yourself, like crude oil**. Chances are, someone out there has already tried it and explained what it tastes like online.

SCENT: On Smell

Ahhh, smell. Smell lets the reader know so much: they can figure out where a character is, what they’re doing, where they are, etc., just from a few scent-related descriptors thrown around. Smell is also useful in triggering memories or past events.

Danny walked through the forest.

You can use so many of the five senses here! But since we’re focusing on scent, let’s zero in on that:

A crisp hint of pine lingered in the air and blended with the pungent decay of the brown needles underfoot.

Without stating anything about a forest, the reader has an idea of where Danny is. You can also use smell to show emotion! 

Danny was in love.

How do you smell love, K? Well, you’ve got me there: you can’t. But as a writer, you can think of what love means to you and of things you associate with love, and work from there. Personally, I imagine it would have a sweet smell, maybe too sweet.

A rush of flowery sweetness filled his nostrils as the handsome young man walked by.

There you have it. Of course, there’s a lot more to writing the five senses, as there is with anything, but this is to give you a basic idea of what I do when I’m writing. Being proactive and keeping the senses in mind while writing can be tough and exhausting, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. And you don’t leave it all for editing! Remember: the most important thing is to keep practicing. 

Happy writing!

* Please do not taste crude oil. I can’t believe I have to type this, but some people want to eat Tide Pods, so here I am.

** Do not taste crude oil. You will die.

[plotlinehotline]

Writing x Characters When You Aren’t x, A Masterlist

x: a variable used to represent something unknown.

We’ve seen an influx of questions about how to write stories based around characters of color, disability, non-binary, etc. when the author does not fall into these categories. Rather than have these posts take over the site, we’ve decided to compile a list of resources to help our fellow writers become more educated about writing what they do not immediately know. However, this list is not the end-all-be-all of knowledge; one should always try to learn from someone with first hand experience in any topic. The world is constantly growing and changing, and because of that, there will always be more to learn. The admins at Plotline Hotline want to help writers form respectful, informed, and realistic characters that broaden the narrow range we see in literature today. 

*Be wary that some of the topics listed below contain sensitive material. Reader discretion is advised.* 

As always, the links I found to be especially apt will be in bold. Topics are listed alphabetically, excepting the “other” section.

Culture

Appropriate Cultural Appropriation

What is Cultural Appropriation? [1,2,3]

Cultural Appropriation Is, In Fact, Indefensible

Voice Appropriation & Writing About Other Cultures

Diversity, Appropriation, and Writing the Other [List]

Disability

Writing Disibilities [1,2,3,4,5]

Guides to Writing Deaf or Hard of Hearding People

National Association of the Deaf - Resources [List]

World Federation of the Deaf

Using a Prosthetic Device

Prostehtic Limbs (Character Guide)

How NOT to Write Disabled Characters

A Guide to Disibility Rights Law (United States)

Timeline of Disibility Rights in the United States

Social Security Disability: List of Impairments, Medical Conditions, and Problems [List] (United States)

How to Write Disabled Characters: An Opinion Piece

Artificial Eye Resources [List][Various]

Adapting to the Loss of an Eye

Misconceptions and Myths About Blindness

Blind Characters: A Process of Awareness

Writing Blind Characters [List]

Types of Learning Disabilities [List]

Diversity

A Guide to Spotting and Growing Past Stereotypes

How to Prepare to Write a Diverse Book

The Diversity of Writing

Why Diversity Matters for Everyone

Writing a Driverse Book [1,2,3,4,5]

Diversity, Political Correctness and The Power of Language

Diversity Book List [List][Books]

Basic Tips To Write Subcultures & Minority Religions Better 

Basic Tips to Avoid Tokenism

Gender

GLAAD Media Reference Guide - Transgender

Creating Well-Written Trans Characters

A Few Things Writers Need To Know About Sexuality & Gender Expression

Trans (Character Guide & Bio Building)

A Non-Binary Person’s Guide to Invented Pronouns

Gender Neutral Writing [List]

Keeping a Trans* Person a Person  

Suggestions for Reducing Gendered Terms in Language [Photo]

How to Review a Trans Book as a Cis Person

Writing Characters of Different Genders [List]

Understanding Gender

Gender Spectrum Resources [List]

Gender History

Illness 

Writing Chronic Illness [1,2]

The Spoon Theory - Also pertains to disibility

About HIV/AIDS

Sexually Transmitted Diseases [List]

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sex and Gender Differences in Health [Study]

All Chronic Illness Topics [List]

Coping with Chronic Illness

All Cancer Types

A Day in the Life of a Home Health Aide/Health Coach

Fiction Books With Chronically Ill Main Characters- Not Cancer [List][Books]

Neurotype (Including Mental Health)

Writing an Autistic Character When You Don’t Have Autism

Depression Resources [List]

What to Consider When Writing Mental Illness

Stanford Psychiatric Patient Care

Inpatient Psychiatric Questions and Tips

Don’t Call Me Crazy [Documentary]

(Avoid) Romanticizing Mental Illness [1,2]

A Day in the Life of a Mental Hospital Patient

State-run vs. Private Mental Hospitals

Mental Disorders

Mental Hospital Non-Fiction [List][Books]

National Institute of Mental Health - Mental Health Information [List]

Writing Autistic

What Causes PTSD?

Remember, Remember: The Basics of Writing Amnesia

ADHD Basic Information

What is a Learning Disability?

What is Neurotypical?

Race

Writing Race: A Checklist for Authors

Transracial Writing for the Sincere

Is my character “black enough”

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack

Challenge, Counter, Controvert: Subverting Expectations

Writing With Color: Blogs - Recs - Resources [List]

Writing People of Color (If you happen to be a person of another color)

7 Offensive Mistakes Well-Intentioned Writers Make

Description Guide - Words for Skin Tone

Religion

Religion in Novels: Terrific or Taboo?

How to Write a Fantasy Novel that Sells: The Religion

Writing About Faith And Religion

From Aladdin to Homeland: How Hollywood Can Reinforce Racial and Religious Stereotypes 

Sexuality

Understanding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity [List]

Writing Gay Characters [1,2,3]

American Civil Liberties Union - LGBT+ Rights

LGBT+ Rights by Country or Territory

History of Gay Rights

Gay Rights Movement

LGBT+ Culture

Gay Myths and Stereotypes

LGBT+ Studies Web Sites [List]

LGBTQ Youth Issues

LGBTData.com

Overview of Gay and Lesbian Parenting, Adoption and Foster Care (United States)

Other

How Doctors’ Offices—and Queer Culture—Are Failing Autistic LGBTQ People

Five Traps and Tips for Character Development

Developing Realistic Characters

I hope that this list will provide topics a writer may not initially think to research when writing. If there are any resources that you think would be fitting for this list, please let us know! We want to have as many helpful sources as possible to maximize learning opportunities. 

Stay educated,

xx Sarah

[twonio]

Thanks!! I’m sure this will be very useful for any future projects of mine!

[thewritershandbook]

[wordsnstuff]

Resources For Fantasy & Mythology Writers

Designing A World

City and Town Name Generator

How To Create a Believable World

Fantasy Religion Design Guide

Fantasy Map-maker

The Language Construction Kit

Fantasy Name Generator

The Pagan Name Generator

Writing Fantasy: Tools & Techniques

Fractal World Generator

Creating a Magic System

The Middle Ages

A Large List Of Articles On The Middle Ages

Middle Ages Weapons

Medieval Clothing

Medieval Clothing Pages

Medieval Name Archive

The Domesday Book

European Nobility Titles

Mythology

General Folklore

Various Folktales

Heroes

Weather Folklore

Trees in Mythology

Animals in Mythology

Birds in Mythology

Flowers in Mythology

Fruit in Mythology

Plants in Mythology

Folktales from Around the World

Egyptian Mythology

African Mythology

More African Mythology

Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

The Gods of Africa

Even More African Mythology

West African Mythology

All About African Mythology

African Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

Aztec Mythology

Haitian Mythology

Inca Mythology

Maya Mythology

Native American Mythology

More Inca Mythology

More Native American Mythology

South American Mythical Creatures

North American Mythical Creatures

Aztec Gods and Goddesses

Chinese Mythology

Hindu Mythology

Japanese Mythology

Korean Mythology

More Japanese Mythology

Chinese and Japanese Mythical Creatures

Indian Mythical Creatures

Chinese Gods and Goddesses

Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Korean Gods and Goddesses

Basque Mythology

Celtic Mythology

Etruscan Mythology

Greek Mythology

Latvian Mythology

Norse Mythology

Roman Mythology

Arthurian Legends

Bestiary

Celtic Gods and Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses of the Celtic Lands

Finnish Mythology

Celtic Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

Islamic Mythology

Judaic Mythology

Mesopotamian Mythology

Persian Mythology

Middle Eastern Mythical Creatures

Aboriginal Mythology

Polynesian Mythology

More Polynesian Mythology

Mythology of the Polynesian Islands

Melanesian Mythology

Massive Polynesian Mythology Post

Maori Mythical Creatures

Hawaiian Gods and Goddesses

Hawaiian Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses

List of Gods

Encyclopedia Mythica

Mythical Creatures & Beasts

Questions To Ask When Worldbuilding

The World

Physical and Historical Features

Magic and Magicians

Peoples and Customs

Social Organization

Commerce, Trade, and Public Life

Daily Life

Basics

Alternate Earth

Not Earth at All

Climate and Geography

Natural Resources

World History

Specific Country(s) History

Rules of Magic

Wizards

Magic and Technology

Miscellaneous Magic Questions

Customs

Eating

Greeting and Meeting

Gestures

Visits

Language

Ethics and Values

Religion and the Gods

Population

Government

Politics

Crime and the Legal System

Foreign Relations

Waging War

Weapons

Business and Industry

Transportation and Communication

Science and Technology

Medicine

Arts and Entertainment

Architecture

Urban Factors

Rural Factors

Fashion and Dress

Manners

Diet

Education

Calendar

Magic

The Hypertext List of Spells

Gemstone Properties

Gemstone Meanings

Crystal Healing

Fairy & Other Spirits

Elven Phrases

[stevviefox]

neat stuff.

[loreleywrites]

The Role of Ecosystems in Fantasy Worldbuilding

The role of a vibrant, living ecosystem can sometimes be taken granted in fantasy world building, but it is crucial to an immersive world. Let SEV8 expl...

I wrote a thing. Y’all should read it.

[flavoracle]

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate the fact that @sarpadianempiresvol-viii chose the perfect header image for his article, and he did so more than a week before we found out that Reef Worm would be getting a reprint in Masters 25?! 

I remain convinced that Andrew is either a genius, an actual wizard, or possibly both. 

[oliviapaigewrites-deactivated20]

Hey, a chart! This is inspired by an ask I got (I’m gonna be honest, I promised the person I’d tag them, but then sent the reply before I wrote down the URL. So, if I told you I was gonna tag you in this, tag yourself!!)

[miss-evening]

A quick tip for writers out there, who use Microsoft Words:

Change the background colour of the pages to a mint green shade.

It is said that green is a calming colour, however, the main reason why I like this, is because I can write for a much longer period of time now, as a white background I used before made my eyes dry and exhausted after just a few hours of working.

It is basically much more soft and careful to the eyes. I can’t precisely explain why that is. I think it’s that by making a pinch softer contrast of the text and the background, your eyes does not get exposed to as much light.

Just make sure to not make the background too dark, or else your eyes will get exhausted do to over-fixating the lack of contrast between text and background.

And maybe you find a nice pastel/light background shade that fits you; give it a try.

Different things work out and fits for different people. And I just felt like sharing this.

Here’s the shade numbers I used to get my preferred colour:

Thanks for reading.

[tejoxys]

DUDE

You just solved a very real problem for me! Thanks!

[gretchensinister]

For those who might not know where to find this: It’s in the Page Layout tab.

I had no idea this was possible before today!

[doktorgirlfriend]

Open Office Writer has a similar function under Format - Page - Background.

[hiharry66]

WHAT

[exxos-von-steamboldt]

Is this why I can write on yellow paper longer too?

[frislander-deactivated20220305]

I’m guessing it’s like using a coloured overlay?

[angst-in-space]

You can also do this in Google Docs by going to File > Page Setup… > Page Color! 

[thewritershandbook]

[thewritershandbook]

[keifujimi]

I had a really cool dream last night that I don’t want to forget. Three people share the same destiny of quelling an uprising in the underworld and preventing the dead from rising. But these three people have never met each other and only one can be in the underworld at a time. One is destined to be the Learner, who discovers the rules the dead must obey. One is the Flier, who can freely go between the lands of the living and the dead. One is the Fighter, who can subdue the dead (they can’t be killed, they’re already dead). The underworld is like a one way mirror. We, in the living world, cant see the underworld when we look down. But the dead can see us when they look up. The underworld is like the valley of the grand canyon with unscalable walls. But it’s a hellscape, lined with bones and corpses and rusted armor from fallen warriors. So basically these three people find themselves in the underworld, being harassed by the dead. They had to figure out they had a destiny and what their role would be. Despite never meeting each other, they learn about the others by their affects on the dead. They build a deep camaraderie with each other as they struggle to keep the dead where they belong.

[greybowbooks]

Because creativity comes in weird places. Kei!!💕