She Who Knows and Understands

A 22 year old college grad working on a first draft and getting distracted by worldbuilding and literally everything else.

[ofillyria]

hey hi hello writeblrs! i am new to the scene and i would love some writers to follow and be mutuals with! 

i write science fiction and fantasy young adult but I like to read the following: 

science fiction

fantasy

anything queer

mystery 

rom coms

comedy 

so if you post about those genres or write those genres please reblog this post! i made this blog yesterday so it won’t show up in the tags! signal boosting would be very appreciated!

- kate 

[themerrywriter-deactivated20200]

A Flirting Guide For Writers (And Real World Usage)

I reblogged a post a day or so ago, and the result (which made me sad) was mostly people saying that they feel they cannot flirt (and therefore cannot write it effectively). 

So I thought I’d share my own, admittedly limited, knowledge (under the guise of writing advice) so that you can all write kick-ass romance and show your feelings like the boss-ass-bitches you are! 

The Basics; Eye-Contact, Personal Space, Body Language

The thing about flirting is that most of it is non-verbal, and the world is split between those writers who find this part the easiest, and those who find it the most incomprehensible. 

The problem is that it’s all dependent on a fine, mostly unspoken, line which makes the interaction creepy if crossed. When writing a character who is trying to flirt with someone, or when trying to flirt with someone yourself, you need to keep three main things in mind; personal space, body language, and potential restriction. This is especially important for men. The problem is that this is mostly instinctual, and so it can be hard to write if you haven’t had time to develop the right skills yourself. 

Personal space

When trying to show that your character is flirting you need to make a note of them moving into the other person’s personal space but not too much. Consider this; someone leaning into your space just a little to speak to you versus someone being practically nose to nose with you. One catches your attention, the other is uncomfortable at best and intimidating at worst. The idea is to lean in enough to show interest and create a sense of intimacy, without becoming overbearing or threatening. As a rule, I find that I begin to feel uncomfortable if a man I’m not sure of gets closer than the distance it would take to perform a ballroom Waltz. 

To get an idea of how that looks, hold up your hand at arms length as if pushing someone away or pressing against a wall. Now slowly bend your elbow until the point sits just under your breast or pectoral muscle. 

That’s the maximum personal space invasion I allow from people I don’t know well. In my experience, this is common to many women, though others prefer more space. Likewise, in my experience, men I have met seemed perfectly comfortable with me being closer than even that, but I am small, relatively unthreatening, and we have to allow for the fact that we were in the position of viewing each other as romantic interests. Men may prefer more space from other men, or from individuals that they do not see in a romantic light already. This changes from person to person, and noting your characters preference is a good way to show what kind of person they are.

Eye-Contact 

Another fundamental which relies on instinct subtlety; conventional wisdom says that you should make eye-contact in order to show interest. Actual wisdom will also tell you that too much becomes intense and a little creepy. If your character holds someone’s eye for too long its becomes fixative rather than flirtatious; it becomes staring. Depending on your character and their interest this can either read as obsessive, creepy, or aggressive. 

Flirtatious eye contact can take a few forms; 

1 - the “getting caught” method where a person looks at someone and quickly looks away again. When caught have your character (or yourself) look away quickly and then back, hold eye contact for a few moments and then acknowledge the other person. A smile, wink, or nod will suffice for this. 

2 - the “lash” method where someone, usually a woman, catches their crushes eye, looks down, and then back up from under the lashes. Also very effective when done by men with big eyelashes. 

3 - the “full cheese” method by which someone winks, grins, or wiggles their eyebrows. This is effective when used sparingly. 

If your character also touches the person they are flirting with lightly, this will build tension. The touch should be gentle, but obviously deliberate. Avoid possessive gestures like gripping or pulling, however. 

Body Language

When flirting, the body language of both people is important; your character should watch their crush for signs of interest and/or discomfort. 

Positive signs; leaning in, touching, playing with hair, smiling, licking or biting lips, tilting their head slightly, mirroring. 

Negative signs; leaning away, crossing arms, pursing lips, refusing to make eye-contact, raising their shoulders, crossing their legs away from the other person, frowning, clenching jaw, balling fists. 

This body language can apply to both characters in the scene. 

Advanced Techniques; Verbal Cues, Suggestions, And Other Senses

This is the shit I thrive on, as a writer you will probably feel the same way; I notice the sounds, smells, and textures of another person as well as what they say (in fact, when you read my work you’ll notice that the smell of any romantic lead is noted upon more than once). 

Verbal Cues

This is the thing that most people focus upon when it comes to discussions or attempts at flirtation. The verbal sparring that comes with flirting is what really gets our stomachs churning and our hearts pulsing… but why are some people so naturally good at it, while others are… less so? 

And why does some of the most vapid and run-of-the-mill stuff seem to work between the right people? 

Well, the sad news for your unlovely characters is that physical attraction makes us more likely to respond to even the most poorly constructed of verbal flirtation. Then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder so even the least pretty of characters could find themselves flirting up a storm with the right person. 

Verbal cues include; 

- Gentle teasing 

- Compliments

- Inside jokes

- Using someone’s name (yes, really)

- Asking questions and responding in a thoughtful way

- Sexual innuendo (when used tastefully and sparingly)

Suggestion

This is the easiest to miss or overshoot because it’s a combination of everything else we’ve already covered. For example, your character saying to a friend, 

“I’m just going to hop into the shower, talk soon.” 

Is not a suggestive statement. Now imagine your character flirting with someone on the phone before sighing and saying, 

“I’m going to take a shower… I’ll speak to you soon, ok?”

The difference is subtle but important; the second suggests that they don’t want to stop talking to the other person, that they definitely want to speak to them again as soon as possible, and subtly encourages the other person to consider them in the shower. You see? 

Easy to miss, easy to fudge. Suggestion is hard to pull off, and hard to write, but think of it this way - suggestion;

1) Encourages the other person to think of you/your character in an intimate way

2) Implies enjoyment in and desire for their presence

3) Is open-ended and encourages reciprocation

The Other Senses

This is not so much flirting, but the act of making your character/yourself as appealing as possible to another. Personal hygiene, a good fashion sense, and good manners are a part of this.

But - 

When writing about this you should not discuss it directly unless your character is making a conscious choice. Instead, focus on the character that yours is focussed upon. 

- How do they smell?

- What are the textures of their clothes?

- What manners do they affect?

- Does their voice have a texture?

- Do they touch your character a lot? 

- Do they note upon your characters smell or noticeably try to take in their smell? 

- Do they react noticeably to your character’s voice or mannerisms?

This is just a basic guide, of course, but if you get this down you’re in a good position to build romantic tension in every walk of life!

If you found this post useful and you want to help keep me writing, you can support me through Kofi!

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Ladies in Waiting

Ladies in Waiting are the companions of a noble lady, princess or Queen. These ladies can either be a queen’s best friend or an enemy in hiding.

1. Social Hunger Games

Being a lady in waiting is an honour. To be standing at the side of the queen gives you a starring role in the centre of court. You will fight for the place. You have the a place near one of the most powerful figures at court. You are important and you have the trust of the queen. You are a player at court.

2. Pick ‘n’ Mix

Ladies are usually picked from the aristocratic families of the kingdom or the close family of the mistress. Before becoming queen, Anne Boleyn, the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, ambassador from England to French Court, was lady to Queen Katherine of Aragon. When she became queen, she chose her ladies from her cousins, sister, aunts and a few families that allied with her cause.

3. Eyes Spy

Ladies in Waiting are constantly in the presence of the queen. Foreign courts may bribe a lady with a good marriage or money if she rats on her queen. They can easily be spies, vying to advance their families by using dirt on the queen. The Howard family of Norfolk had dozens of women in each household of Henry VIII’s six queens, two even becoming queen after usurping their mistress’s place.

4. Frenemies

Ladies in Waiting can be their queen’s worst enemy. They see what she does 24/7 and some are not loyal. They may be spying on her or worse trying to take her place as many Tudor era women tried to do. Whatever their motives they must appear to love you and you them.

5. BFF

On lighter notes, some ladies love their queen. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots is famed for her four loyal ladies who were all called Mary. Elizabeth Tudor had Kat Ashley, more a nurse but a lady in waiting also. Katherine of Aragon had the faithful Maria de Salinas who fought guardsmen off to be at her queen’s deathbed despite the king’s order. One of Isabella of Castile’s ladies swore to kill one of her mistress’s suitors lest the man take Isabella forcefully as a bride.

See also Court Positions for Women prt 1

[jackalediting-deactivated201904]

I read a lot of writing in my line of work and while that’s amazing, I see the same flaws again and again. Below is a list of 7 common writing mistakes in fiction and how you can fix them. This list is by no means complete. In fact there’s a great list over at The Editor’s Blog that covers even more mistakes.

1. Bad dialogue

Sometimes writers can forget that they’re writing a conversation and thus not write a conversation. The dialogue can be boring, stilted and unnatural, and I’d rather listen to the territorial call of an Australian Raven than read one more word of it.

There are many things that contribute to bad dialogue, but here are the three that really get on my nerves:

Not using contractions–I’ve seen work that is modern and still doesn’t use contractions. Consider this: “You are going to be late.” Unless the speaker is trying to sound like an irritated mother and is leaving an emphatic silence between each word to sound threatening, use contractions. It sounds really drawn out and like the speaker is pointing their nose in the air. We generally don’t speak like this in real life, so neither should your characters.

Using complete sentences–Not only is it natural for your characters to chop their sentences, this can also contribute to their voice. Does your character say “I don’t know.” or “Dunno.” Would he/she say “I missed the train and had to find a lift home.” or “Missed the train. Had to find a ride.” In casual speech, we often only use the words necessary to convey our message, even if it doesn’t form a complete sentence. You shouldn’t apply this to every line of dialogue, but consider it if your dialogue sounds stale.

Using characters as a conduit for research and plot information–Sometimes writers like to show off their research (looking at you Jurassic Park), backstory, world building and plot by having their characters talk way too much. If your character says “Once this valley was home to an ancient race of elves, who looked after the land and treated it with respect. One day, the secret magic spring dried up and then the goblins came. Without their magic spring, the elves couldn’t fight back, and they were killed by the goblins. The goblins didn’t respect the land and now it’s uninhabitable.” he should probably shut up. It sounds less like a person talking than it does an audio tour. The information he’s shared could be given in a much more interesting way.

How you can fix it:

Listen to and watch the way real people talk to each other. Do they speak in full sentences with full words? Do they speak with grammatical correctness? Do they speak differently in different situations? How do hand gestures, body language and facial expressions help them communicate?

Read your dialogue out loud as if you’re practising lines for a movie. Does it sound natural? Does it flow?

Test every piece of information your characters give out. Does it all need to be said? Would your character say all of it at once? Do they need to say it all in so many words?

2. Passages of uninterrupted speech or thought

Sometimes you might want to avoid telling the reader about something and have a character tell another character instead. Sometimes you might want to avoid telling the reader how a character feels about something by having them think about it excessively instead. If this goes on for longer than a couple of paragraphs (or less), you risk allowing your reader to drift out of the scene.

The only thing anchoring your reader in the scene is your characters and what they’re doing. If the characters are talking or thinking for a long time without interacting with anyone or anything else, they might as well be floating in space, which can make the reader feel like they’re floating in space. That’s not to say that they’ve forgotten where the scene is taking place or who else is involved, just that it can feel that way if this is how the character acts.

How you can fix it:

If your characters have a lot to say, try to include the other characters as well. Have them ask questions or make comments so it feels like a scene and not a soliloquy.

If your character is around others when he/she is deep in thought, try to include the other characters in some way. If the POV character is thinking about something that the other characters can see, why not give voice to one of the other characters in between thought paragraphs?

If the character is alone when he/she is deep in thought, is there a way they can interact with their environment? Unless they’re standing in front of a wall, they should be able to see, smell, feel or hear something.

If your character is absolutely, completely lost in thought, is there a way you can bring some sort of image into it? For example, on page 216 of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Katniss is thinking about how to treat a burn she receives. Almost the entire page is a paragraph describing a memory; however, there is still action in this memory and, therefore, there is something for the reader to imagine.

3. Not knowing when to/not to use said

Some people will tell you to use descriptive speech tags and others will tell you there’s nothing wrong with said. Both are true, but when do you follow the former and when do you follow the latter? And when do you use no speech tags at all?

Using anything but said and using nothing but said both get exhausting and boring very fast.

How you can fix it:

Below is a rough guide to what kind of speech tag to use. Please bear in mind that it is only a guide and will not and should not apply to every situation.

Said is unobtrusive–a way of letting the reader know who’s talking without making a song and dance about it. Specific verbs (e.g. whispered, shouted, mumbled) give the reader information about how the words are being said. Adverbial tags can also give extra information about how something is being said, but more often than not they can be replaced with a stronger verb (e.g. she said loudly can be replaced with she shouted). Writers can also fall into the trap of telling where it’s better to show when using adverbial tags, which can make the writing bland. Sometimes telling is better, but with speech tags, it’s usually better to absorb the reader in the conversation. If you’ve used an adverbial tag, go back and have a look at it. Is there a better way you could get the message across?

What you need to pay attention to when determining what speech tags to use is the context of the speech. If the reader is already aware of the manner in which a character is talking, it won’t be necessary to remind them every time the character speaks. If there are only two characters in the conversation, it won’t be necessary to finish each quote with he said/she said. Going back to #2, you can also do away with speech tags entirely and use action to demonstrate how a character is feeling, while also grounding the reader in the scene.

The key to avoiding repetition and blandness is to find a balance between using the unobtrusive said, using something more specific, and mixing it up with a bit of action, which means you might not even need a tag at all.

4. Too much description/overwriting

Sometimes it’s better to tell and not show. Some details just aren’t important enough to warrant a lengthy description. If you want your reader to know that it’s raining, you can write something better than “It was raining”, but there’s no need to go overboard and write a poem about how the puddles on the asphalt looked like a great abyss.

Think of description like camera focus. The more you describe something, the more focus you put on it. If you put enough focus on something, you eliminate everything else. What’s this? A close-up. What does a close-up in a movie tell you? That object of the close-up is significant.

Be wary: when you write thirty words describing the way the moonlight is reflecting off the inky black lake, you might not be just setting the scene. You might also be giving the lake undue emphasis, and it’s probably going to irritate your reader when they realise there’s nothing significant about the lake at all, you were just showing off your imagery skills.

How you can fix it:

Keep it real. What would the character notice, what would they think about it and is it worth the attention? And try not to focus on sight. Your characters have more than one way to perceive their environment, and incorporating their other senses can help build a 3D setting for your reader rather than just painting them a picture. Give the reader enough to imagine the scene, and no more.

5. Not knowing when to/not to use adverbs

There’s a lot of writing advice out there that will tell you to cut all adverbs. The result is that many writers now think adverbs exist only to eat their children and wouldn’t dare to ever use one.

There is truth to the advice, but to say “The road to hell is paved with adverbs”? Really, Stephen King? And his dandelion analogy assumes there’s no editing process.

Adverbs aren’t evil, but there is such a thing as using them ineffectively. Which of the below are more descriptive?

She ran quickly or She sprinted

“It’s a long way down,” he said nervously or “It’s a long way down,” he said

He was shamefully prone to anxiety or He was prone to anxiety

She sprinted not only gets to the point faster, it also creates a more powerful image for the reader. “It’s a long way down,” he said gives no indication of how the speaker is speaking or feeling; however, “It’s a long way down,” he said nervously is telling, not showing. Rather than using an adverb here, the writer could describe the speaker’s body language. He was shamefully prone to anxiety tells you how the character feels about being prone to anxiety and there is no stronger word to replace “shamefully prone”.

How you can fix it:

Ask yourself:

How would the meaning of the sentence change if the adverb was removed?

Can the adverb and verb be replaced by a single verb?

Does the action really need clarification?

Does the adverb add something to the sentence that can’t be described in another way?

6. No conflict in the beginning

The first few chapters of a lot of stories I’ve read involve the main character plodding along in their daily life. This is a good thing as the reader needs to get a feel for your character before the big plot things happen, but that doesn’t mean the first few chapters should be without conflict. I don’t want to read about a character waking up, looking at themselves in the mirror, getting dressed, getting coffee, going to work, getting home, going on a date etc. for three chapters. It’s boring and I don’t care about any of it.

The confusion might be caused by common story structure theories that say the main conflict enters the story at the first plot point, or 25% into the story. But this doesn’t mean there should be zero conflict at the beginning! At the beginning of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Harry was told ‘no funny business’ or he’d be grounded. Not long after that, there was some vanishing glass and an escaped boa constrictor. After this happened there was a mysterious letter addressed to Harry, and he spent an entire chapter trying to get hold of it as the weirdness escalated. There’s conflict and a goal right off the bat, and the story hasn’t even really started yet. In The Hunger Games Katniss faces the Reaping. In The Hobbit Bilbo finds himself hosting a dinner party for dwarfs and being asked to go and fight a dragon.

How you can fix it:

Take a look at all the books you’ve read. Most of them (if not all) start with some sort of problem or goal. Study up on this to help you realise what makes a good beginning.

Don’t fill your first few chapters with characterisation and nothing else. Build your character in the context of a problem or goal.

Keep in mind that you find your characters more interesting than your reader does. What you like about your character might not be enough to keep the reader’s interest.

What’s going on in your character’s life? How is this going to influence what happens when the conflict or story goal takes the stage?

What would happen if you cut your beginning out of the story? Would the plot still make sense? Maybe it’s better to start the story at a later point.

7. Lack of story structure

When you write a first draft, whether you’ve planned it or not, there are going to be structural flaws. Maybe halfway through you thought of a way to solidify a character’s motivation. Maybe at the climax you thought of a way to strengthen your conflict. Maybe somewhere in the middle you had no idea where you were going with this and slugged your way through some boring scenes. It’s all good; this is how stories come together.

What should happen next is that you revise your draft with story structure in mind. There’ll be a lot of “I should add a scene here about this” and “what was I thinking when I wrote that?” and after a few goes, you’ll have a story.

Writers don’t always do this though (which, by the way, makes my job take longer and cost more). They’ll go through and fix all of the obvious problems, but what remains is a manuscript that still lacks a solid structure. It’s messy to read, it’s confusing, it’s clearly not thought out, and it feels like the writer is giving me the finger. I’ll regret paying for the book, stop reading it and leave a negative review on Goodreads. Is that worth not giving your book a good edit?

How you can fix it:

Read a lot. Make sure you have a decent grasp on different story structures. Make sure you understand the way stories progress, the way they’re paced and what keeps the reader engaged.

Re-outline. Or if you pantsed your way through the first draft, make an outline. Write a checklist for what each scene should accomplish and what each chapter should accomplish. Make a timeline of how the events progress and how the tension increases. Don’t base this on what you’ve written, base it on what you’ve figured out about your plot.

Edit ruthlessly. If a scene doesn’t measure up to your new plan, cut it. If it’s in the wrong place, move it.

[epicpoetry]

writeblr introduction!

about me

li/lou whatever nickname is fine

i’m also @studylikeathena (i follow from there)

about my writing

i’ve previously written a novel. i will not be posting about it here

what i will be posting is my current wip novel, wintersong

i like first person and unreliable narrators and summer nostalgia

i used to write it’s always sunny in philadelphia fanfiction and if you’ve read it i’m sorry

what i’ll post

excerpts from wintersong

inspiration pictures/text for the novel

please rb if you’re a writeblr! i really want to get involved in the community :)

[pens-swords-stuff]

Hey Li, welcome to the community! I’m really glad that you’re here, and I hope that you have an awesome time.

I’m Undine, it’s really nice to meet you! I’m a writeblr that writes a lot of urban fantasy, magical realism, mystery and fanfiction. I also do a lot of advice-giving and community-building.

What’s Wintersong about? It’s a lovely title! And I love how you mentioned summer nostalgia — I never considered that as a concept before, but now that you said it I absolutely adore it and it’s one of my favorite things .

Follow coming from my main @undinisms~ 

[imani-writes]

Chapter 2 - Necessity

The world slowed down around them and a filter settled over her eyes. They weren't twelve anymore. If her mother was to be trusted and Necessity looked like a woman now, he looked like a man. He was, of course, taller and broader than when she last saw him. She had to look up to see his eyes and the gentle curve of his smile.

He was the sharpness in the air just before a storm. His eyes were a deep blue, the same color as that point on the horizon where the sky meets the sea just after the sun has set. She'd missed him. She missed him like one misses the simple comforts of home; a favorite blanket, a favorite childhood book, or a secret hiding place. She felt ridiculous.

                                                             -

Tag List ( Please let me know if you would like to be added or taken off!)

@gottaenjoythelittlethingzz​, @starlitesymphony, @aeroliteofletters, @eveningold, @lillayalightfoot , @justastressedroyalty , @thebloodstainedquill , @ourtorturedsouls , @melindawrites , @amyadoreswords , @katerinarevel , @shewhowalksbehindthewheels , @writebruh , @mdotldotwang , @clingingtowords , @writingtofindmyself , @meteorwrites , @lone-mezzo-of-the-mezzorealm , @al-james-the-author , @punny-alien , @kaseylynnwriting , @all-the-books-ive-loved-before

[imani-writes]

Chapter 2 - Necessity

Her mother was lying. One didn’t live with women like Unity Dawncrusher and not pick up the minute tells. She smiled and hugged and redirected. Her redirections did not usually focus on Necessity’s personal failures but they worked best in distracting her. Necessity had fallen for her trick again.

Her mother enjoyed long walks on the beach and reminding Necessity of her various romantic failures. They’d been few and far between but that in no way functioned as a deterrent to her mother. Michael was only her fourth suitor but it was beginning to dawn on her that out of her previous failures; Alim, Kaden, and Symon - Michael was probably the worst. Her mother had been right. Necessity hated it when her mother was right.

                                                              -

https://www.wattpad.com/853255388-a-slumber-of-souls-necessity

Tag list!

@gottaenjoythelittlethingzz​, @starlitesymphony, @aeroliteofletters, @eveningold, @lillayalightfoot , @justastressedroyalty , @thebloodstainedquill , @ourtorturedsouls , @melindawrites , @amyadoreswords , @katerinarevel , @shewhowalksbehindthewheels , @writebruh , @mdotldotwang , @clingingtowords , @writingtofindmyself , @meteorwrites , @lone-mezzo-of-the-mezzorealm , @al-james-the-author , @punny-alien , @kaseylynnwriting , @all-the-books-ive-loved-before

[americanbeasts]

writeblr intro.

hello, everyone! my name’s stephania and i’m making this post because i want to find some new blogs to follow and, hopefully, some friends. i used to be @americanbeasts-moved​ but i decided to move (duh) blogs a few weeks ago.

if you want, you can call me steph. i am twenty-three and i am from mexico. i have been writing for 9 years now but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago when i first tried to write longer stories. here i am gonna be sharing a little about my ocs and those stories i am working on, have started, or i’m planning; i would also like to explain that the language i am most comfortable with is spanish, which is why it will be a little difficult for me to translate whole chapters, but i will be posting excerpts from time to time.

ps. you can also find me at @shacklebolts​ :) and sorry if there are any grammar/spelling mistakes above. my english is bad and i love lowercase.

[drink-it-write-it-deactivated20]

grotesque things to add to your story:

slipping on a floor covered in blood.

not knowing blood is on your hands – hyperventilating when you see the mess after wiping your hands on your face.

hearing a baby cry in the pitch black.

a radio randomly turning on.

hallucinating shadowy figures.

hearing choppy pieces of a distorted, animalistic voice.

a brush of cold air against the shell of your ear.

grainy pictures with scratches on them. bonus if they're three claw-like scratches. or if the scratches are on a wall, a piece of clothing, etc.

not knowing the difference between reality and nightmare.

stranded and alone in the middle of an old and abandoned factory.

harsh, rugged breathing that sounds like it's right next to your ear, but when you turn, nothing's there.

seeing a dark figure in the corner of your room in the pitch black.

alone in the woods then hearing a howl off in the distance.

the grating sound of an ax being dragged across pavement.

stepping on broken pieces of glass with your bare feet.

seeing a eerie masked face staring at you from behind your bedroom window.

(feel free to add more)

[imani-writes]

Chapter 1 - Unity

“Noon had wreaked havoc on the Imperial skyline. The sun was a bloody ball in the sky. It bled over the city's industrial horizon and turned it into a battlefield. It was a fresh battlefield, Unity mused, bloody enough that it was impossible to tell friend from foe. Unity gazed at the spectacular skyline and observed pedestrians passing floors below her. They were orderly. But anyone with sense could see the contained chaos masquerading as order. People talked too loud. They walked too fast. Tension hung in the air, sharp and bitter. 

Sirius had beautiful sunsets. Unity, however, would not let herself fall for the superficial charm of the city. Again. The last time that happened had not been conducive to her health. The lesson she'd learned had left a mark and taught her to be aware of her surroundings at all times.”

                                                              Tag list (please let me know if you want to be added or taken off!)- 

@gottaenjoythelittlethingzz​, @starlitesymphony, @aeroliteofletters, @eveningold, @lillayalightfoot , @justastressedroyalty , @thebloodstainedquill , @ourtorturedsouls , @melindawrites , @amyadoreswords , @katerinarevel , @shewhowalksbehindthewheels , @writebruh , @mdotldotwang , @clingingtowords , @writingtofindmyself , @meteorwrites , @lone-mezzo-of-the-mezzorealm , @al-james-the-author , @punny-alien , @kaseylynnwriting , @all-the-books-ive-loved-before​

[toastbutteregg]

[itsreesewrites]

twitter // pinterest

Hi! Please bear with me, this is my first writeblr and it’s still a work in progress.

about me

My name is Reese and I’m a 25 year old black speculative fiction writer. I currently write SF/F short stories and my goal is to shape up my WIP to submit to market magazines.

My writeblr will contain writing advice, quotes from my favorite authors, moodboards for my WIP, and original posts. I play games, read comics, and dabble in photoshop and crochet. 

my writing

I write short stories and wrote a novel last year just to see if I could––I did and it was badass. I’m learning to experiment with style and have the patience to see what vibes with me. So far, my protagonists are New Adults awkwardly making their way through the world.

My writing has a lot of influences but my top 5 are: N.K Jemisin, Alyssa Wong, Octavia E. Butler, Claire Vaye Watkins, and Maggie Stiefvater (bonus+ novelist is Ursula K. Le Guin)

my wip

oh baby, it’s code – speculative/science fiction. a companion android fights a sentient virus for control over his body. how do you fight for something that was never yours? (currently rewriting) 

live from mars – science fiction. olivia will sacrifice anything to start a new life on another planet. every face has a price, she’s told. (second draft)

the waters have teeth – speculative fiction. mermaids and the creatures of the deep have inherited earth long after the last of humanity has abandoned it. (currently drafting)

eye for an eye - speculative fiction. a corporate employee has one chance of wiping out her family debt. (currently brainstorming)

[imani-writes]

The Dawncrusher's had been doing more of the same since they'd stepped foot on the Homeworld. Stopping hearts, shutting down electrical grids, the works. Unity had no explanation for her ability to turn the lights on or off at will or make men with weak hearts tremble in their boots. 'Because the snakes' was a much easier answer than the complicated discussion of blood and science she was not at all equipped for. 

[gottaenjoythelittlethingzz]

Writeblr Re-Introduction*

*Some day all these pages will be full

Greetings folks! Some of you may remember me, some of you only started following me after I went on hiatus. Since this blog is over two years old and approaching 3k followers, I thought it would be a good idea for me to make a re-introductory post before jumping back into the fray and tagging people out of nowhere.

My name is Nevada. I’m F in my twenties, I’m on the acearo spectrums, and I’m a self-proclaimed writer. In fact, I started referring to myself as such so often I had to become an English major (and I minor in film). When college courses are not draining the life out of me, I like to write, dissect the overabundance of media I consume, and cuddle with my rabbit.

I want to reengage with the Writeblr community. I hope to meet new people, dig into others’ WIPs/OCs, and rekindle my creativity. I also need a productive way to procrastinate working on my personal writing projects.

My WIPs:

https://gottaenjoythelittlethingzz.tumblr.com/post/182485797542/the-reapers-only-daughter-chapter-1

The Reaper’s Only Daughter - Chapter 1

For those who have been wondering what my WIP “TROD” is all about. This is a Sons of Anarchy FF (AU/retelling) with an original female lead.

FanFiction WIP: An AU retelling of the Sons of Anarchy series meant to be a multi chapter fic with a powerful female lead and overlapping plot lines. Most of the content I produce on this blog centers around this WIP and the lead OC character.

https://gottaenjoythelittlethingzz.tumblr.com/post/186421906907/new-wip-introduction

New WIP Introduction

*Additional characters include TWs underneath the cut Title: By the Gods’ Grace Plot: Two Viking families who have been feuding for generati

(My first) Original fiction WIP: BGG is a period piece centered around Vikings, tribes, conflicting moral values, and social issues/stance that people of the modern times can surprisingly relate to. If only I’d sit down and write it!!

I’ve yet to write a single word for this story. The idea formulated at the end of last year before I entered my break. I’m currently working on an outline for it whenever I get bored of TROD and want to change genres/settings for a while.

I’d love to chat about either project and hear about yours in return!! Come into my ask box and we can do facts swaps, trade questions, tag each other in games, and share our processes! If you’re interested in either of these WIPs, look for the tags Nevada writes, my WIPs, my OCs, tag games, and moodboards. I take questions and story prompts as well as participate in tag and community games!!

What I write:

FanFiction (mostly)

Short original fiction stories

(Found) family/friendship stories

Thrillers/dramas, some action and romances

Large cast driven stories w/ multiple POVs

Narratives with LGBTQ+ characters as leads

What you will find on this blog:

Original writing memes/tips, tag and community games, edits/moodboards, and segments of my writing projects

Reblogged writing advice/memes

Reblogged tag games, OC/WIP posts/art from writers/artists I admire

Motivational posts

Interact with this post if:

Any of the above interests you!

If you’re an active or new Writeblr (especially if you write FanFiction!)

If you interact reguarly with the community and/or tag games (especially if I can tag you in return!)

If you write stories with animals, zombies, werewolves, vampires, or metamorphic elements (as these are my favorite niche genres, horror is not relative but acceptable)

If you write prison/gangster/crime genre pieces (as it is my favorite collective genre)

If you write stories with LGBTQ+, POC, or Poly characters

If you’re 18+ (not required but as I grow older I write more adult/nsfw content)

I’ll try to be as active in the community as possible! New content is neither regular or guaranteed, but it comes whenever the inspiration strikes! This blog also runs on a queue, but if you tag me in something or send me things or interact in some way I’ll answer ASAP! I’ll check out the blogs of those who interact and follow back!!

Until the next blog update,

~Nevada

[lizard-is-writing]

Your Characters Are Lying! How to Spin Lies & Keep the Reader Guessing

As everyone knows, when anyone in pretty much anything says, “I’m fine” or some variant of that, you know it’s a lie. We’re practically programed to think that nowadays, so first, keep that in mind when you’re writing, next, let’s talk about how to get more clever than that. Let’s talk lies: 

Lies are seductive. I don’t mean that in a romantic context, though it can exist there too, but basically, the rule is that whatever is said, you’ll want to believe it. Even if it’s far-fetched. You want it to be true. 

Why is the character lying? The reason will be character development, so make it good. Explore the possibilities behind their motives, make them sneaky. 

Why is the character being lied to? What does the character want so badly that they might possibly believe this lie? This is more character development whether or not the character believes the lie. 

Plan your lies. You don’t have to plan it all out, but make sure you know who knows what about who. This is a way you can be really sneaky. Even if the reader knows everything, it’s still exciting to see how it all unfolds. 

As far as lies go, its a great way to show character as well as adding an extra layer of conflict and tension. It can get confusing but a few properly executed lies will add an extra layer of dimension to your story. Happy writing!

[imani-writes]

Writeblr (Re)Introduction

Hi all, this is a revamp of my writeblr blog for those who still might be following me and any new who’s looking. It’s been a while, but I’ve finally got the motivation and the time to actually write and post my work. After going through and doing an overhaul on almost everything I had I think I’ve finally got an angle on what I’m doing. Probably. 

My name is Imani and I would love to get more involved in the writeblr community again. I’d love to hear about everyone’s wips and get more into my writing!

If you’re an active writeblr please interact with this post so I can check out your blog or get in touch if you like! I’d love to make some new mutuals!

Current Project

My wips is really just one labor of love right now. I’m striving to at least make a first draft this year and keep my nose to the grind to finish this one.

 Working title : A Slumber of Souls

It's said that when a new Empress takes the Dhurian Throne, the world resets itself for her. If she is good, the land prospers, and if she is bad, everyone suffers. If she doesn't belong, the world does interesting things to make sure order has been restored. 

Ahura is the center of the Dhurian Empire, the prized homeworld of the Empress and symbol of power for the last two thousand years. Peace on the homeworld means peace in the Empire. Necessity, however, knows a different reality. The happy cooperation and submission of Ahura's people, from the nobles to the commoners, is a carefully constructed farce created by an Empress whose iron fist is wrapped in  bloody silk.                                                                 *** Necessity may be too young to remember but she's heard the stories of Empresses who didn't make the earth shrivel up and die in spite or make the ocean hold back its riches to teach humans a lesson in respect. If their world falling apart around their ears wasn't sending a loud enough message that something was wrong, Necessity wasn't sure what would.  The problem is, is that no one knows how to stop it. No one mortal. With the blessings of the Old Gods, Necessity has the chance to set the world back on track. With the help of an Imperial bastard and her guard, Necessity must outmanoeuvre the Imperial guards intent on bringing her in for a crime she didn't commit. With danger on all fronts, even from her own people, Necessity is the only person she can trust to get the job done.

[contes-de-rheio]

Building a government

I originally posted a post in French here, which I intended to translate, and then I changed my mind and decided to create an all new post in English instead. A lot of the information from that first post will end up here, but it will be phrased differently and will have some new features.

Well, let’s dig in.

(This is very long, consider yourself warned)

Credit: Assemblée Nationale

When we talk about governments in fantasy settings, we generally think royalty, kings, queens and all that jazz. But this is very reductive of all shapes of governments which have existed on Earth through all times. Even if we focus only on the Middle Ages period, not every nation was lead by a royalty. As a reminder, Middle Ages lasted from 5th to 15th centuries approximately. That’s a long time!! Venise elected its first doge in 697, Florence was an oligarchy (the republic officially date from 1115), many city-states of the time had similar tradition of electing their leaders… But before we plunge into the shapes of governing, let’s talk about power. 

I. Where does power come from?

(credits to Senna Lily)

Any person who leads a state needs power. It can be physical force, obviously, but there are other means:

Legitimate Power: it comes from the position or the title of the person. Basically, the person who was chosen as the chief by many people is the legitimate chief and has the power to act as such. It can also come from “divine power”, a formulation used by the Kings of France to mean they got their power directly from God, or be a birth right, or a vote. Legitimate power is in direct opposition to usurped power. -> What is considered legitimate in your setting?

Coercion: the ability to punish. It’s the justice system and control of the police. It’s violence and threats. It is the ability to give (or refuse to give) a reward. It’s a penalty. It’s the ability to reduce effectively others resources. It’s exile or execution. People obey, because of coercion, in the hope to get the reward, while avoiding the punishment. People who detain this power are those who command an army (generals, nobility, militia, mercenaries, police…). They may plan a Coup against the government in place if they disagree with it.

Money and Resources: it’s direct and personal access to money and resources (food, materials, equipment, technology…). In addition to trade and finance, it is also the ability to raise taxes and to own land. In many feudal countries, the whole land was once said to belong entirely to the king, who then gave it to the nobility, temporarily or permanently.

Allies: the will of people to support you, which they manifest through a vote, familial or contractual webs (including treaties). Most of the time, these alliances indicate a common interest (syndicates ally to obtain a new favorable law for employees), or in the hope of future benefit (new lands and titles given by the future new king).

Credibility: can the people believe the discourse of their government? If the people are rational, they will base their judgment on expertise and reliability. In the end, credibility is a leader’s ability to convince people to do as they say, through any means of communication (speech, press, even omens could have their use here…). Obviously, controlling the media directly or through alliances can be of great help to establish this credibility.

Information: access and ability to use information, even to hide it or to falsify it. Spies and fake news have their place, right here. Spreading lies can also be useful to hurt your enemies reputation, as well as to disturb or maintain the peace. -> who is the most informed person in your world? Is it your king, his advisor or his enemy?

Credit: picture from Miss Sloane, edited by @carol-danvers

II. The shapes of Government

Monarchy

Literally, monarchy means the government by one person, the monarch. Though we generally picture a royalty, it could also be a presidency (where the president has all powers: executive, legislative and judicial) or a dictatorship.

But even monarchies can present themselves in different shapes: elective (the Pope), constitutional (where a Constitution specify and/or limit the monarch’s powers), parliamentary (where an assembly forms a countervailing force), or absolute.

Oligarchy

In an oligarchy, a few people govern the many. A criterion determines which few lead the nation. It can be revenue, gender, age, expertise, or a combination of all.

Oligarchies are either institutional or de facto. In the first situation, the oligarch government is formalised in the laws, and it is clear who can and who can’t participate in it. In Florence, a law was created specifically to discard the nobility from the government, allowing the merchants and members of the main corporation to govern their city. 

In a de facto oligarchy, the government is progressively controlled by an elite without any formalism needed. Think about how rich people have the power to exclude others just by making things (education, means of transportation…) more costly and thus less accessible to the many.

Democracy

The government by the people can be exercised directly or indirectly. Directly, everyone (some limits, such as age, can be implemented) votes for every decision. Indirectly, everyone elect representatives who then vote for every decision. You can also find democracies which mix both system, where certain decisions must be taken by everyone, while others are left to their representatives.

I mentioned only age as a limit, as it is an obvious one (people need to be able to understand the decision they’re making), but there are others. Nationality comes to mind. Just be careful not to limit citizenship too much or you could end up with a government who is a democracy in name only, like Athens was.

Empires (a side note)

Technically, empires are not a form of government. They are defined by the union of more than one people or country under a centralised power (some definitions also add expansion ambitions, and feelings of superiority). Though most infamous examples generally are monarchies, empires could very well be oligarchies or democracies.

Empires who lasted the longest had an ideology under which they could rally their population, mostly with a common religion (Christianism for the roman empire, Islam for the caliphates, Orthodoxy in Russia, Catholicism for the Habsburg…). But, though their shared ideology strengthened them, no empire ever lasted millenniums.

III. The Ideology

Every government subscribes to a certain set of ideologies, which shapes the laws and regulations they chose to implement over the people they govern.

Patriarchy / Matriarchy / Egalitarian society

(Please note, this part might give the impression, there are only two genders. My intention is not to erase non binary, genderfluid or genderqueer people, but to keep things simple, so in advance: I am sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings).

Patriarchy and matriarchy happen when one gender take over the control of the totality or the majority of the power sources. The government will be lead by people of the dominating gender, so will be companies and religions. Values associated with the gender in power will be admired by society and laws will reinforce their status. If a person of the dominating gender shows qualities which are perceived to belong to the dominated one, they will be put on the ban of society and seen as a deviant (and same thing the other way around, btw), making them unlikely to hold any power unless they also happen to possess some useful resources or relationships.

If you create a matriarchy, please, by all means, do not make it a mirror of a patriarchy. What I mean is, don’t have women be warriors and men take care of the children. Instead, have pregnant women keep their government position without it ever being questioned, have laws which regulate the men bodies, have contraceptive drugs for men only, have values such as quietness and moderation as the highest ones, have physical strength seen as debased, have dismissive comments about men and their testosterone, have jobs associated with women seen as the most valuable (like nursing or teaching) and with the highest earnings, consider not having a marriage per say as there can be no question of who is a child’s mother…   

As for egalitarian societies, they should not have any gender dominating the other, and so a government should have parity. Non-gendered inheritance laws should already exist. If your society is egalitarian, but its government is 70% male, I will call you a liar. Or you better come up with a good justification other than “women prefer to take care of their home”. In such a society, a profession can still be seen as lower, not because it is mostly occupied by one gender, but because it is associated with another taboo (think about jobs in relation with death in Japan). Laws will reflect equality between genders, either by having them forcibly inclusive (which could indicate society was not all always egalitarian), or by having them implicitly inclusive through the use of a genderless language*.

* I am not saying the language of a society, which was always egalitarian, is necessary genderless, but that the law will use words which erase gender: instead of man/woman, you’ll use person/citizen.

Capitalism / Socialism

Though capitalism and socialism are the two antonymous economic systems, most States have implemented mixed systems, leaning more on one side of the equation than the other depending from the set of values their leaders adhere to. All States, even the most liberal, are forced to embrace some social values as the only mean to ensure the creation and maintenance of basic infrastructures such as roads.

In capitalism, all the means of production are privately owned in the aim of profit. In consequence, investments are decided by the owners of resources and, in theory, prices and distribution are decided through competition. Other common characteristics to capitalist systems include: accumulation of capital, waged labor, price system, competitive markets, voluntary exchange (often formalized with a contract).

Different models of capitalism exist. Corporate capitalism is dominated by hierarchical and bureaucratic corporations. In State capitalism, the state-owned companies dominate the market where they seek to make profits. Advanced capitalism is our global modern system characterized by the concentration of activities in a few large firms or groups, a reliance on the State to stabilize the markets, and wages used as incentives. Financial capitalism is dominated by the people who own the funds (the banks or private loaners) and generally born from a commercial capitalism…

Socialism was first and foremost thought as the opposite of individualism. Other words have been used to qualify a socialist economy, such as co-operative, mutualist, associationist and communist. The distinction between socialism and communism only date from the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.

Obviously, because of the way it was constructed, socialism is very critic of capitalism. Its main reproaches are the creation of wasteful industries and practices, a will to create demand instead of satisfying the pre-existing one, the pursuit of irrational activities which results in economic bubbles and the concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a few people.

Socialism’s goal is to reduce poverty, social oppression, and disparities in wealth. To accomplish this, it puts community first and encourage the shared ownership of resources. Its main means are economic planning and scientific administration. It also tries to achieve, through incentives coming from the top (i.e. the government) a social environment which would be more favorable to the system.

Finally, socialism also considers creativity to be essential to human nature, and one of the finality of this ideology is to reduce the length of labor to ensure everybody has the time to engage in their creativity.

Fascism / Nationalism

Though both ideologies have a few things in common, they are not one and the same. Also, not everybody agree on what past governments should be called fascist (some suggest that Nazi Germany is not, some say it is…).

Nationalism is, for a people, to preserve or gain sovereignty over its “homeland” (the limits of said homeland may go beyond what the people of the nation inhabit and result in expansionist strategies). Nationalism implies the definition of a national identity with its culture, its language, its religion, its belief in a singular history. Generally leaders of such a movement/State will talk about a cultural renewal (or its preservation), and use rallying symbols recognizable by all (such as flags, anthems, clothes…).

Let’s note, it is possible to imagine a multinational nationalist State, where every national minority would be able to express freely its national identity (with even the possibility of having representatives for each minority). The feeling of unity, of a nation would emerge from the will of the people to continue to live together in a multicultural society. Common symbols would reflect the diversity of its people.

As for fascism, though we find the same mythic core and use of symbols, it distinguishes itself from nationalism by its inherently violent nature. Indeed, fascism consider that not all violence is negative and that political violence, war and imperialism can bring national rejuvenation.

Fascism is also characterized by the suppression of all opposition, often with the complicity of the elites in place, by a mixed economy to attain the goal of self-sufficiency through protectionism and interventionist policies, by military citizenship where everybody’s role is well defined and masculinity is promoted, by self-determined culture and victimhood to oppose a previous period of decadence (often imaginary) and give birth to a cult of unity and purity, which can only be achieved through the purge of the “degenerates”.

Religion

Religion and power instances have been intertwined throughout History, either by the interpretation of omens (such as flying birds) before an important decision, or by providing advisors to the State (Mazarin and Richelieu’s names come to mind), or by establishing a temporal State lead by a timeless authority (the Vatican).

Religion have permeated our cultures and our laws. Even secular States, such as modern France, are still under the influence of religion. Breaking away from it has required social changes followed or paralleled by legal changes.

Sometimes, these changes have merely reflected the passing of a religion’s influence in favor of another (the Roman empire was polytheist before embracing christianism).

What taboo, what family structure are seen as prominent by the dominant religion will very likely be reflected in the laws and in the government structures. Furthermore, in the presence of a well organized religion, such as the Catholic Church, one must acknowledge not only its moral power, but also its economical one. It is not without good reason the French Revolution chose to abolished all Church’s privileges (suppression of a special tax, nationalization of its properties…).

Conservatism / Progressivism

Conservatism is defined, first and foremost, by its attachment to traditions. Obviously, depending of where and when, what people call traditions may look very different. A conservative government will do its best to keep the statu quo, to slow changes and transformations, especially social and economic ones. Conservatism also embrace organic solidarity (born from the specialisation of economic actors and forcing them to collaborate because of their interdependence), stability and continuity, as well as the defence of property rights.

When conservatism tends to radicalism, its discourse will change from maintaining the traditions, to their regeneration, implying the model (often idealised past) has been lost and needs to be restored for the wellbeing of society.

On the other hand, progressivism embrace change and reforms as a way to improve society. It encourages changes at all levels (social, economic, scientific, technologic…) as the one and only way to improve human condition. This definition may give you the impression progressivism is necessarily better, but let’s not forget that, in the past, it has been associated with eugenics and alcohol prohibition. What is seen as progressive depends greatly on what is perceive as tradition in your universe.

In all honesty, I could keep talking about ideologies, because they are so diverse and cover so many subjects. In the end, you should remember only two points when it comes to ideology : how your government think society should work, and how it intends to achieve that ideal.

Resources

Links: - 16 types of governments infography - List of forms of governments on Wikipedia - Ted-Ed Athenian Democracy - On Mythcreants: Matriarchies, patriarchies and beyond, Creating matriarchies - Amazing series about politics by Senna Lily “Politics : The Game, The Board, The Players” - 1st part (credits go to her for the first part of this article)

a few articles by @wondrousworldbuilding about Politics and about Factions,

Books: (I could not find translations for the titles in French) - Nouveau manuel de science politique, Editions La Découverte (a class book for politic sciences, very heavy, maybe start with something else to read on the subject) - La cité dans le monde grec, Raoul Lonis, Editions Armand Colin (3rd part mostly) - The prince, Machiavel - Bréviaire des politiciens, Cardinal Mazarin, Editions Arléa - The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels - The Analects, Confucius - The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu - The Art of War, Sun Tzu (the book talks about war strategies, but they can  apply to other contexts, including politics) - The Republic, Plato - Politics, Aristotle

you can find a pretty nice goodreads list here, it references a lot of classics about politics.

Final Words

If you’re still here, congratulations, you’re done !!

I merely wanted to write one last thing: if you have questions, you can drop me a message anytime. It doesn’t matter if your question is directly related to this post or not, or if it is something very specific in relation to the politics of your universe. I may not be an expert on the subject but I’m more than willing to give you my two cents, if you need help :)

Keep reading