One time my friend asked why i stopped wearing contacts and went back to glasses. I said I liked being able to take them off and not see shit, like the world didn't exist. Apparently that wasn't what I was supposed to say?
This xmas my sister was talking about marriage and dad (jokingly) complained about how traditionally the father of the wife pays for most of the wedding, and I (a lesbian) went "Well you only have to pay half for me :)". And dad's eyes went wide as he realized and said "Oh shit yeah, thank you!".
So yeah dad thanked me for being gay and I keep thinking about that.
I ran across this excellent video on world building, that explores some differences that are definitely there, but that I hadn’t heard described or explained in any way.
Much like we have hard and soft science fiction, where hard does not equal more difficult but has a focused intent on scientific accuracy, hard world building is a well-established, clearly laid out plan before you start writing. Tolkien is the prime example in fantasy (and the video). Soft world building is something that continues to grow over time, and evokes more of the feeling of other worldliness. Studio Ghibli’s films are held up as an example in the video.
As a character-driven writer, my mode is soft world building, but I have often found myself pushed into hard world building to appease colleagues and members of my writers group. I now feel a bit more justified ignoring that and proceeding as I need to. Though it is important to make sure you take notes on what you have built so you can stay consistent.
for all of you guys that are writing fantasy and getting into fantasy cartography, i highly, highly recommend that you sit through artifexian’s youtube series on building realistic fantasy maps
he basically breaks down stuff like how to realistically place climate zones on a map, what they look like, how ocean currents work, how they affect things (like where your world’s fishing hubs and climates are going to be placed), where mountain ranges should go and how they affect climate, where your world’s metals (i.e. resource wealth) are going to be found, and on and on and on. it’s SUPER incredibly fucking helpful and really fleshes your world out in a whole new way
when will writers learn that doing things for shock value will NEVER be a satisfying ending? we’d rather have a logical ending than some half-assed, nonsensical conclusion that makes us go “what the fuck just happened?” i’d rather think “oh I saw this coming but it makes SO much sense” than “why did I waste my valuable time on this clusterfuck of a mess”
1, 5, 7, 11, 12, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23 for the meta ask please and thank youuuuuu <333
Oh, oh boi. Aight ok let’s go-
1: Tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?
Well my only current project is the tree wip (aka the moonlight dance). It’s about a girl named Selma that fcks up big time as a teen and angers a forest spirit. She ends up having to run away and hide in an industrial city, basically trying to just ignore the issue. I’m just going to link the wip page here…
Right now the biggest progress I’ve made is actually naming it, which only took me about 3 years…heh. I’m still on my first draft because I’ve started over a lot…and I’ve also realized that I need to take a big look at my outline and actually fill it in. So far I’ve been throwing all of my ideas at the wall waiting for something to stick, and I think I’m ready to structure it now. Finally. (Also one of my assignments in my current course is to write an outline of a story so uh…that’s perfect).
What do I love most about it? Uuuuuh I take a lot of inspiration from old Nordic folklore, which imo is super fun.
5: What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?
The mc for sure. We don’t have the same personality at all but I’ve used a lot of my own experience with mental health to depict her struggles. Not all of it is taken from my own life, but a lot is, especially the general feelings. It’s not exactly a fun thing to identify with but I’m glad I get to use that experience for something.
Another thing that is kinda inspired by myself is how her worldview gets flipped on the head. Growing up I, like many others, adopted the views of people around me and didn’t question them much until I got into my later teen years (which you were there for lol), which is a change Selma also has to go through.
1, 5, 7, 11, 12, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23 for the meta ask please and thank youuuuuu <333
Oh, oh boi. Aight ok let’s go-
1: Tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?
Well my only current project is the tree wip (aka the moonlight dance). It’s about a girl named Selma that fcks up big time as a teen and angers a forest spirit. She ends up having to run away and hide in an industrial city, basically trying to just ignore the issue. I’m just going to link the wip page here...
Right now the biggest progress I’ve made is actually naming it, which only took me about 3 years...heh. I’m still on my first draft because I’ve started over a lot...and I’ve also realized that I need to take a big look at my outline and actually fill it in. So far I’ve been throwing all of my ideas at the wall waiting for something to stick, and I think I’m ready to structure it now. Finally. (Also one of my assignments in my current course is to write an outline of a story so uh...that’s perfect).
What do I love most about it? Uuuuuh I take a lot of inspiration from old Nordic folklore, which imo is super fun.
5: What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?
The mc for sure. We don’t have the same personality at all but I’ve used a lot of my own experience with mental health to depict her struggles. Not all of it is taken from my own life, but a lot is, especially the general feelings. It’s not exactly a fun thing to identify with but I’m glad I get to use that experience for something.
Another thing that is kinda inspired by myself is how her worldview gets flipped on the head. Growing up I, like many others, adopted the views of people around me and didn’t question them much until I got into my later teen years (which you were there for lol), which is a change Selma also has to go through.
7: What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?
I think I have a very descriptive writing style, I also love using metaphors. I know you have pointed out how I like describing a lot so I guess that’s something not only I notice. Other than that I have no clue. I know I have a weird way of writing sometimes though, hopefully not in a bad way.
11: What do you envy in other writers?
Their ability to actually like...sit down and write. My biggest struggle is focusing on it for longer than 5 minutes. I know a lot of writers joke about how it’s difficult to get writing done, but to me it’s like...different? Like I actually, literally can’t write a damn word. So ye please hand over some of that writing juice. Mom says it’s my turn.
12: Do you want your writing to be famous?
I guess? I think so...eventually. I want it to be famous for the right reasons though. But for now I just want to get the damn thing done and get it published, and hopefully people will like it. I don’t really let myself hope for much.
17: Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?
This is a really difficult question. I have no idea how people will interpret or perceive this story. I have messages that I want to be read in it but it’s always possible that a reader will find something completely different. I also have no idea what would be surprising...
Tbh I don’t know. I can’t answer this question sorry bro.
19: Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)
Fields. I like describing fields. Idk why. Also roads made of sand? I know I use “sand dancing in the sunlight” or something close to it a lot. And...shadows dancing...damn I like describing things as dancing huh...Oh god I even named the story the moonlight dance oh god I’m just now realizing this.
It’s just a big ol dance partaaaaaaaaay
Also sarcasm and bad jokes. Most of my characters make em.
20: Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)
Uuuhm damn I¨m actually gonna have to think for a bit. I don’t really like explaining symbolism because to me it’s kinda important that the reader is the one that finds it. In the end once those words are in a book it’s no longer in my control. But I have used a lot of it, mostly when it comes to nature vs industrialization. That’s all I’ll say about that.
What I do wanna say is that Selma’s journey as a whole is something I care about a lot. The whole thing is about redemption and growing as a person, and also about dealing with your inner struggles and letting people in. It’s not a unique concept but it’s one I adore; the fact that people can change to be better. And the most important part of this journey is that Selma herself is the one that has to take the first step, and to be the one who wants the change. She goes from running away to confronting her wrongdoings and issues.
22: Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them?
It happens, but not often. Usually I do it when I want a good laugh and look back at how forcefully straight I made my stories to be lol. I don’t hate them, since I have great memories from writing them. (I mean I never would have met you bro unless I started that blog <3 ;P)
I also wouldn’t have grown as a writer, and I love seeing how much I’ve learned and changed. I had a lot of fun writing those stories so I can’t hate them.
Though something I can and will hate is how I refused to make my text smaller and oh god...i always made it bold. why. why me. “Lol I have a hard time reading since I have glasses” nah bitch that ain’t it just stop. Make the text normal.
Basically all the chapters were written like this x3 in size. All of it. It was HELL!!!
23: What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?
Hmmm tbh I think the moonlight dance is up there at this point. I don’t really keep ideas unless I actively work on them. Other than that I think our old thing with gods and stuff has stayed with me the longest. Idk something about that city just stuck with me.
Phew well that’s it. Thanks bro for askin. I needed a reason to think about this story a bit.
the bravest writers are the ones who make granny characters in scifi and fantasy solely for the sake of having grannies i think there needs to be more old ladies who Fight and Kill
not only because i like the concept of badass oldladies and the destruction of the concept that all girl characters have to be sexually appealing to the audience bc thats fucking annoying as shit, there is literally Nothing funnier than the concept of a granny with a massive sword or death laser. she pinches ur cheek lovingly and then saws someone in half. amazing
Tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?
Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project
What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)
Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)
What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?
What character do you have the most fun writing?
What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?
Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?
Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other?
How would you describe your writing process?
What do you envy in other writers?
Do you want your writing to be famous?
Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself?
At what point in writing do you come up with a title?
Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?
Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?)
Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?
Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.
Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)
Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)
What other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?)
Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them?
What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?
Oh how I yearn for a simpler time, when a young man would simply give his paramour an intricately crafted wooden spoon to show his affection and ability to provide for their future family, especially if they ever ran out of spoons
It has come to my attention that not everyone knows what lovespoons are.
This is a lovespoon. They’re found in several cultures worldwide, particularly in Scandinavia, but most famously in Wales (that photo is a Welsh lovespoon) and, from at least the 17th century, they were given as gifts by a suitor to his intended lady. They’re supposed to be carved from one block of wood, and decorated with various symbols which have slightly nuanced meanings, all basically a variation on ‘you’re rad, want to get wed?’
Because marriage in poor, rural parts of Wales was often more akin to cohabitation at the time (i.e. you didn’t really have a big ol’ legal ceremony, you just sort of said ‘we’re married now’ and shacked up together) a lovespoon could act as a wedding ring of sorts; you’d put your goshdarn heart and soul into carving it and you’d give it to the dame you sought, and if she accepted the spoon, then you were essentially wed, or at least bound together in a meaningful way. It’s assumed that they were initially supposed to be at least somewhat functional, because people did in fact eat with wooden spoons back in the day, but they’re now purely decorative. And hoo boy, can they be decorative. These are some of the ones on display at St Fagans Museum:
Nowadays, they’re generally mass produced, and tend to look more like this:
Brings a whole new meaning to the sheer romance of spooning, doesn’t it?
It has also come to my attention that people keep reblogging this with the assumption that these are all Scandinavian lovespoons. They are not; these are all Welsh. Wales is not in Scandinavia. These are not Viking crafts!! I mentioned Scandinavia in the above post as an aside, but the rest of the info in the post above is specific to Wales.
In the interests of not hogging all the spoonfuls of joy, here is a Norwegian wedding spoon:
It’s super goddamn cool and I love it, but it is quite different to the Welsh lovespoon tradition, and I think it does both cultures a disservice to conflate them. For one thing, Norwegian wedding spoons were generally given by the groom to the bride on their wedding day or during the wedding ritual, and you’ll notice that the symbolism on the spoons is very different. For another thing, they generally consist of two spoons linked by a carved wooden chain, rather than one spoon with a carved handle. I don’t actually know if the groom would carve these himself or if they would be commissioned and made by a craftsman; either way, it’s too cool for school.
Like the Welsh variant, they’re either carved out of one piece of wood or the spoons are made from a separate piece and the chain is made from another, which is a feat of woodworking that I cannot even fathom, because look how intricate that chain is! Hoo boy!
I had to look these up, because I am Welsh and not Norwegian, but it seems that they may have formed part of the wedding ceremony in which the bride and groom ate their first meal as a married couple, which is so rad that I cannot cope.
What if trees were upside down yes? Like the roots where the top…they would just like…be trees with no leaves. Right? Tho the branches (roots) would be a bit more tangle strangle.
Or they would be bushes. Wait…are bushes just roots above ground.
origamiaround
theartofmadeline
annaxmalina
gummygunk
germansingergirl
yousharknotpass
andulkaphoto
