Types of Magical Healing!! (a guide for your magic system)
‷ herbal remedy đ mundane-adjacent, slow but low-risk. requires actual preparation, gathering the right plants, brewing it correctly, timing it right. This is the "grandmother's kitchen" magic, unglamorous but reliable, and a character using this well signals patience and real knowledge, NOT raw power.
‷ blood healing đ fast and powerful, but it ties the healer's own vitality directly to the patient's recovery. The faster and more dramatic the healing, the more it costs the healer personally, sometimes literally draining years off their own life. Great for a desperate, last-resort scene where a healer has to decide how much of themselves they're willing to give away.
‷ restorative rite đ ceremonial, structured, and usually requires several practitioners working in sync. This one's less about individual skill and more about coordination, timing, and trust between the people performing it, which makes it perfect for group scenes where something can go wrong if even one person breaks focus.
‷ song healing đ uses voice or music to mend, and it's genuinely effective, but it demands sustained focus the entire time. The moment the song breaks, the healing stops, so this creates great tension in any scene where something might interrupt the healer mid-note.
‷ touch healing đ a direct transfer of energy through physical contact, and it visibly drains the healer while it's happening. This one's intimate by nature, bc it requires actual proximity and contact, so it's great for building tension between two characters who otherwise wouldn't be touching.
‷ ancestral healing đ calls on family spirits or bloodline magic, and it only works within that specific lineage. This is a great limiter for plot purposes, bc it means a character can't just heal anyone, only their own blood, which raises the stakes the second an outsider needs help.
‷ elemental healing đ channels natural forces like water or earth, and it's location-dependent, meaning a healer's power shifts depending on where they are. A water healer stranded in a desert is suddenly almost powerless, which is a great source of tension in any journey-based plot.
‷ curse-breaking đ technically not healing, it's the removal of a magical affliction at its root instead of treating the symptoms. This one's interesting bc it often requires understanding exactly how and why the curse was cast in the first place, which can turn a healing scene into a whole mini-mystery.
10 Ways to Show Grief Without Making Your Character Cry
Grief doesn't always look like crying. Here are some ideas for how to realistically portray it outside of the âscreaming, crying, throwing upâ phase.
1. Burying Themselves in Work or School: Suddenly the most productive they've ever been, taking on extra shifts, extra assignments, anything that keeps their hands and mind too busy to land on the actual loss.
2. Avoiding Anywhere That Reminds Them of the Person: A restaurant, a route they used to walk together, an entire side of town. They'll go out of their way and never explain why, and probably won't even clock it as avoidance themselves.
3. Refusing to Change Anything of Theirs: The room stays exactly as it was. The voicemail doesn't get deleted. Moving even one object can feel like erasing them, so nothing moves at all.
4. Overcompensating With Normalcy: Laughing a little too readily, insisting they're fine a little too often. This one's great for a character who thinks showing grief means burdening the people around them.
5. Picking Fights With People Trying to Help: Grief makes people prickly in strange directions. Someone offering comfort can genuinely feel unbearable, and lashing out is sometimes easier than admitting they need it.
6. Taking Care of Everyone Else's Grief Instead of Their Own: Comforting siblings, managing funeral logistics, checking in on everyone but themselves. Tip: this one's especially good for an oldest-sibling or caretaker-type character, since it lets them delay their own grief almost indefinitely.
7. Sudden Reckless Behavior: Driving too fast, drinking too much, taking risks they never would have before. It's less about wanting to get hurt and more about needing to feel something other than the numbness.
8. An Obsessive Need for Control: Rigid routines, excessive cleaning, rearranging things that don't need rearranging. When one massive thing feels completely out of their control, controlling everything else becomes the coping mechanism.
9. Talking About Them in Present Tense: "She loves this song," not "loved." A small grammatical slip that says more about where their head still is than an entire monologue would.
10. Taking Up Something the Person Loved: Picking up their guitar, rewatching their favorite show, cooking their recipes. It's a way of keeping them present without having to say out loud that they're gone.
Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?
Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!
For the writers stuck describing every single scene transition as someone "walking" somewhere. Some words are repeated across categories since they fit more than one, but those are counted once, so it adds up to 50 new words.
Hello there lovelies! I've finally written up and FAQ to make my blog more accessible! Feel free to send me asks related to these posts, but do take a look at my prior responses!
Dwarfism 101
Dwarfism 101: Some Misconceptions
Dwarfism 101: Common Misconceptions Pt 2!
Cass Huff's "The M Word is a Slur" (with video description and transcription)
Accessibility
Car adaptations and pedal extenders
Making public spaces accessible for LP
Advice for healthcare professionals
Medical
Dwarfism and it's causes: medical resources
A brief on my leg surgeries
Representation
Rating Little characters in animation
Rating Little characters in film
My stance on fantasy "dwarves"
My stance on Snow White and adaptations
Writing/Drawing Characters with Dwarfism
What to avoid when writing characters with Achondroplasia
Common stereotypes for LP
Including dwarfism in fantasy
Drawing little people
Ways I'd love to see LP portrayed in media
Dwarfism hand reference
Resources
Little People of Ontario
Little People of America
Mini Documentary: The Stigmatization of Dwarfism in Art by Perspective!
Documentary: Being a Little Person in America: We're Still Treated as Less Than Human by Cara Reedy
In storytelling, falling action - the period after the dramatic confrontation of the climax.
This portion of the narrative helps deflate the plotâs tension and gives the character time to unwind after the emotional scene.
The falling action is critical in Freytagâs pyramid, a diagram of plot elements named after nineteenth-century German writer Gustav Freytag.
The plot diagram starts with exposition, followed by an ascending line of rising action that begins with an inciting incident, a turning point at the narrativeâs climax, and a downward slope of falling action. Finally, the diagram features the denouement or resolution.
Tips for Writing Falling Action
If you are constructing falling action for a story, keep the following tips in mind:
Pace your story. After the story's climax, you shouldnât be too far from writing the resolution, but you still want enough room for the ending not to feel rushed or sudden. The falling action helps bring the climax to a resolution.
Be conscientious. Many readers will notice if loose ends are not adequately resolved at the end of the story. Itâs good to keep track of all your characters and plot threads, not just the main conflict, and ensure that you bring them to satisfactory conclusions.
Keep it interesting. Even after a narrativeâs climax, there is often more to reveal. The main character may have additional responsibilities to meet, or unanswered questions of the plot might need addressing. This will help carry the reader through the falling action of your story.
The falling action in literature can have different uses in a storyâs plot structure. Reasons for including this stage of the narrative in your writing are:
Emotional release: The falling action of a story can be thought of as a deep breath after the intensity of the plotâs climax. If this part of the story were to resolve too quickly, it might feel abrupt, even jarring, after the build-up to the climax.
Realism: Falling action can also help maintain the narrativeâs sense of authenticity. Life has long, relatively uneventful periods with some moments of climactic intensity. The reader will recognize the process of things gradually returning to normal after the climax of a story.
Tying up loose ends: Often in stories, there are various subplots and secondary characters. Not everyone can be involved in the pivotal moments, but the function of falling action is to help tie up loose ends and satisfy the readerâs curiosity about the fictional world as a whole.
Examples of Falling Action
Falling action takes different forms, depending on the narrative, the genre, the storytelling form, and the authorâs style. There can be falling action in novels, films, plays, short stories, and epic poetry. Some examples of how falling action serves a narrative include:
William Shakespeareâs Othello (1603): In William Shakespeareâs Othello, the climax occurs when Othello, having been manipulated by Iago into believing that his wife Desdemona has been unfaithful, murders her. This occurs in the playâs final act, but considerable action follows it. Shortly after Desdemonaâs murder, Othello, confronted by Emilia, Iagoâs wife, begins to realize Iagoâs treachery and the fact that his wife had remained faithful. Iagoâs rage leads him to murder his wife, Emilia, although Othello knows the truth by now. Consumed with regret and the impossibility of redemption, Othello kills himself in the tragic resolution.
Robert Louis Stevensonâs Treasure Island (1883): In Robert Louis Stevensonâs Treasure Island, the climactic action occurs when the buried treasure goes missing, prompting a final deadly showdown between the mutineers and the remaining members of the schoonerâs crew. Shortly afterward, the actual location of the treasure is revealed, and the falling action of the plot covers the recovery of the treasure, its transport back to the ship, and the return to civilization.
Franz Kafkaâs The Metamorphosis (1915): In The Metamorphosis, the scene featuring Gregorâs appearance while his sister plays violin leads to a climactic emotional breakdown and the angry lodgersâ denunciations. This is then followed by the falling action of Gregorâs death, the lodgers being kicked out, the charwoman disposing of Gregorâs corpse, and the family taking a day trip, wherein their mood lifts as they contemplate the future.
F. Scott Fitzgeraldâs The Great Gatsby (1925): Many critics consider the violent scene of Myrtleâs accidental death the plotâs climax. The distraught George, mistakenly assuming that Gatsby was Myrtleâs lover and responsible for her death, murders Gatsby. This is followed by Gatsbyâs funeral and Nickâs ruminations on human character and fate, which close the novel.
Phantom limb - the sensation that a portion of the body that has been amputated, either by injury or through surgery, is still present and attempting to function.
It also can occur in people who were born without a limb.
Phantom limb sensations are most commonly experienced by people who are missing part of an arm or a leg;
however, people who have had other body parts removed, such as an eye, a breast, a tooth, the tongue, the penis, a testicle, or even an internal organ such as an appendix, also may experience phantom sensations.
Symptoms
Many people who have had an amputation will experience a phantom limb sensation. The sensation may occur: with or without pain.
Some say that it feels like the missing body part is moving,
numb,
tingling or
asleep ("pins and needles"),
warmer or colder than the rest of the body,
in a strange or uncomfortable position, or
shrinking.
Sometimes the sensations are painful, ranging from a dull ache or burn to an acute stabbing pain.
It may feel as if someone is squeezing the limb or
as if it is being forced to move.
Symptoms generally begin to occur shortly after the removal of the body part.
They are more likely to occur in adults than in children, though it is not unusual for children to experience phantom limbs.
The sensations may be intermittent or continuous and often seem to affect the part of the body farthest from the amputation;
for instance, a person may describe a feeling of tingling in the fingers of an arm that was amputated.
The pain or discomfort of a phantom limb should be differentiated from pain in the remaining portion of the limb;
it is possible for a person to experience both simultaneously.
Studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging have demonstrated that a person experiencing phantom limbs and phantom pain has activity in the portions of the brain that are connected by nerves to the part of the body that is no longer there. These studies have led researchers to theorize that the spinal cord and brain are the source of the phantom sensations.
Some researchers have noted instances in which certain areas of the brain are connected to parts of the body that may not be in close proximity to each other. For example, the areas of the brain responsible for reacting to nerve signals from the cheek and the hand are near each other. These researchers suggest that phantom sensations may result from the brainâs attempts to process nerve signals that are getting crossed as the body adjusts to the amputation. In this scenario, a touch to the cheek could be inadvertently cross-wired while en route to the brain and be interpreted as a touch to the hand that has been amputated.
Other theories to explain phantom pain include damage to the nerve endings during the removal of the body part, pressure from scar tissue formed as a result of the amputation, and memory of pre-amputation pain in the affected portion of the body.
Some people appear more likely to experience phantom limbs and phantom pain. These include people who had pain in the limb before the removal, people who also have pain in the remaining part of the limb, and people whose artificial limbs do not fit properly. Other factors that can affect how often or how severely people feel phantom sensations from a missing body part include fatigue, excessive pressure on the remaining body part, stress, infection, and weather changes.
At least half of all people who have a body part removed report at least some phantom limb sensations. However, researchers believe that fear of being diagnosed with a mental condition restrains some people from reporting feeling or pain in a limb or body part that no longer exists. They believe that perhaps 80 percent or more of people who have lost a body part experience phantom limb sensations.
Treatment
While phantom limb and phantom pain sensations are fairly common, they generally do not last long. Early treatment can help lessen the duration and severity of symptoms, so it is important for patients to report the condition to a physician as soon as possible. Many cases can be treated with at-home remedies such as over-the-counter pain relievers and keeping the remaining part of the limb warm. Relaxing activities such as listening to music, reading, or crafting can help by providing a distraction from the discomfort. Moving the affected area can help as well.
For conditions that require medical intervention, a physician may prescribe a variety of medications to help, such as antidepressants, prescription pain relievers, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, and muscle relaxers. In some cases, treatments that counter the nerve sensations with electrical nerve stimulation may be used, such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy, which sends very small electrical signals through the skin and is used for the relief of a number of different types of pain. Some cases may require the use of magnetic pulses sent through the hair and scalp to the brainâtranscranial magnetic stimulationâor spinal cord stimulation, which uses an implanted electrode to send small electrical currents directly to the spine.
Hypnosis, biofeedback, acupuncture, massage, meditation, and exercise also can bring relief. Some cases require surgical interventionâa procedure known as regional sympathectomyâto cut the nerves that deliver the pain signals to the spine.
Near-death experience (NDE) - a psychological event that may occur when a person nearly dies but is then resuscitated.
While no two NDEs are identical, those who have had them reported experiencing similar sensations, such as seeing a bright light or floating above one's body.
Scientists have proposed theories to attempt to explain what causes an NDE, but none of these theories fully explain the phenomenon.
This has led many lay personsâand even some physiciansâto conclude that NDEs are a glimpse into the afterlife and possibly proof that the mind, or soul, can exist without the body.
Researchers estimate that about 5% of the US populationâabout 10 million peopleâhas had an NDE, and as cardiac-resuscitation techniques continue to improve, this percentage is expected to rise.
Common Sensations
Most people who have had a near-death experience (NDE) were on the brink of death. While NDEs vary somewhat, those who have experienced them reported having had some or all of these sensations:
hearing oneself declared dead
feeling unconditionally loved
feeling a sense of leaving the body and floating above it, sometimes observing the surroundings
traveling through a tunnel toward a bright, peaceful light
reviewing one's life
crossing a border
meeting spiritual beings or spiritual versions of deceased relatives and friends
being reluctant to return to the body
However, it is important to note that not all NDEs are pleasurable:
Some individuals reported being in complete darkness and
having the horrible feeling of hanging over a cliff.
The spiritual beings they encountered were demonic, not loving.
These "hellish" NDEs seem to occur much less often than "heavenly" NDEs.
In veridical NDEs,Â
people have out-of-body experiences in which they:
see and hear things that others later verify as being true. EXAMPLES:
In one famous case in 1991, a medical team chilled the body of Pam Reynolds, a singer and songwriter, to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
They were trying to keep an enormous aneurysm at the base of her skull from rupturing.
They stopped her heart, drained the blood from her head, and determined that her brain was inactiveâReynolds was clinically dead.
Reynolds later reported having a vivid NDE and also remembered details of her surgery as if she had watched it taking place over the surgeon's shoulder.
She recalled the conversation between the nurses and the doctor and accurately described the saw the surgeon had used on her skull.
In another account, a 57-year-old man claimed to have risen out of his body and up to a corner of the room, where he watched the staff trying to resuscitate him.
He described the way his hair looked and how the doctors cut off his clothes.
He also recounted the way the physician used the defibrillator, which caused him to be sucked back into his body.
The medical staff confirmed the accuracy of the man's recollections.
Research and Biological Theories
Written accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs) go back to the Middle Ages.
However, research into what causes them did not begin until 1975 when Raymond A. Moody, Jr., a psychologist who was once a philosopher, published the book Life After Life. Moody based his book on fifty interviews he conducted with people who had had NDEs. The book was enormously popular and sparked debate as to whether the soul leaves the body after death and travels to another world. In 1981, the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) formed to further investigate NDEs.
Early researchers theorized that drugs administered to dying patients were responsible for NDEs. This theory was shelved, however, when individuals who were not given medicationsâsuch as those who had fallen from mountainsâexperienced NDEs.
After decades of research, scientists still do not know what causes NDEs.
At best, they have theories to explain the physical changes that may be responsible for some of the sensations people experience during an NDE.
For example, a loss of oxygen to the brain may be responsible for the tunnels people see.
A massive dose of the drug Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) released from the pineal gland before death may cause other sensations, such as seeing a bright light.
In 2006, Richard Kinseher proposed a new theory to explain NDEs in his book Near-Death Experiences: completely explained. According to Kinseher, approaching death is strange and frightening.
This causes a surge in electrical activity in the brain that triggers the start of the NDE.
Then the individual's brain searches through all its memories to try to find a comparable memory that may help them get out of the situation and avoid death.
The brain searching through these memories causes the life review that some people experience.
Critics of Kinseher's theory point out that it cannot be applied to all situations.
For example, it does not explain how and why people have veridical perceptions during NDEs. It also does not indicate why individuals with no brain function at the time experience NDEs.
Eben Alexander, a neurosurgeon, reported having an NDE in 2008 after being in a deep coma for seven days, when his neo-cortex, the part of the brain responsible for thought and emotion, was completely shut down.
Alexander had contracted a rare type of bacterial meningitis in which E. Colibacteria had penetrated his cerebrospinal fluid and made their way into his brain.
He recounted being transported to a beautiful world where he met a girl riding on a butterfly's wing. She took him on an amazing journey through this world and sent him the messageâwithout speaking wordsâthat he is loved unconditionally. He believes that his experience is proof that the consciousness can exist without the body.
Implications of an NDE
While the cause of NDEs may not yet be known, people who experience them appear to be forever changed:
They become more patient,
more forgiving, and
less materialistic.
They may change careers and
seek out work that helps others.
Skeptics are quick to point out, however, that people often undergo such lifestyle changes after any major crisis, so almost dying, rather than an NDE, may be the reason for the new outlook on life.
Worldbuilding & Tattoos: Things to Consider about Tattoos in a Fantasy Setting
If there is no electricity, how are tattoos done? By hand? Magic? Using another tool? More like brandings?
What are people's prejudices towards tattoos? Is it totally common or does it mark you as type of a certain group? Do different species have differing opinions? Why?
Can all species get tattoos? What would the most common style or imagery be for each species?
(If they exist,) How would a species with naturally occurring patterns on their skin feel about tattoos?
Can tattoos and magic somehow be intertwined in the forms of runes? What is the most powerful or dangerous rune someone could have? What is a rather silly one?
Would magical healing get rid of tattoos accidentally?
actually called âserial commaâ but now known as oxford comma since Oxford University Press famously uses it
used before conjunctions (and, or, nor, âŠ) in a list
separates the final two items in a list and clarifies meaning: âHe reads romance, historical fiction and nonfiction.â â does he read all three genres separately or does he read romance + both historical fiction and historical nonfiction? â âHe reads romance, historical fiction, and nonfiction.â
clears up ambiguity: âWe invited the neighbors, Agatha and Christie.â vs. âWe invited the neighbors, Agatha, and Christie.â
can also create ambiguity: âShe talked with John, his dad, and Mary.â â is John someone's dad or did she talk with John's dad?
(In both cases, ambiguity could also be avoided by changing the sentence structure: âWe invited Agatha, Christie and the neighbors.â & âShe talked with John, Mary, and his dad.â)
Should you use the Oxford Comma? There is no correct choice. Even though some have extremely strong opinions on the oxford comma, neither is typically seen as incorrect or correct. Whatever you choose to do, just do it consistently, meaning use it in every list or in no list to avoid accidentally creating new ambiguity.
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