No More Writer’s Block

ian | 29 | gay, ace | he/him

[incognitoprompts]

Hello!

Are you going to continue your werewolf story that you wrote based on write-it-motherfuckers's prompt?

Hi!

I currently don't have much past what's on that post, but it has been knocking about in my head for a while now, so I probably will eventually. All I have are a series of random scenes from it all jumbled around in a single google doc lol, so it will take a while to get it all sorted out.

I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to ask! I honestly didn't expect anyone besides the admin of that blog to actually read it 😂 would you want me to tag you if/when I do continue it?

(edit: this is the werewolf post mentioned)

[promptcalender]

Soft Caretaking Dialogue

“Are you okay? Come here…”

“No, no, stay down. I’ll handle it.”

“Where were you? I was worried sick.”

“I made you some soup and tea…”

“Ssh… It’s okay…”

“You’ll freeze to death in that. Come, I have a change of clothes for you.”

“You look pale. When’s the last time you ate?”

“The ground doesn’t look very comfortable. Come on, put your head in my lap.”

“You’re freezing. Take my jacket.”

“Stay down, you idiot. You’re done for the day.”

“I got you.”

“Come on, let’s get you in bed.”

“What happened to you? You’re dripping! Did you not dress for the rain?”

“I got you flowers to aid in your recovery.”

“You look good like this. All careless and comfy…”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

[Prompt Calender: June 7th, World Caring Day]

[promptcalender]

Merfolk x Pirate

✦  “Why is the Captain yelling at the ocean again?”        “That siren that stole his spyglas now also stole his hat.”  “He is so into this.”

✦  “Stop flailing. I got you, won't let you drown.”        “You... You saved me?”  “Of course. You're an annoyance, not my enemy.”

✦  “Can you move? You're scaring the fish with your tail splashing water.”        “You move! I've been sunbathing here for weeks, and your ship is in the way!” 

✦  “Well, hello there, gorgeous. You wouldn't mind helping me out and grabbing that amulet I dropped into the water, would you?”        “Your amulet hit me on the head. You're lucky if I don't drag you into the depths.” 

✦  “Don't you look lovely holding onto the railing of my ship?”        “And brave too, after you tried to catch me with a net last time.” “Ah, but you see, how could I resist when someone as pretty to look at such as yourself is presenting itself to me like this?”

✦  “If I kiss you, will you drag me into the depths?”        “Maybe. Isn't it worth trying nonetheless?” “I am questioning that as well...” 

✦  “Your siren song is quite lovely. It almost tempted me to jump into the water and swim to you.”        “Charming, but siren songs are myths. Not even human minds are so weak that they would succumb to it.” “We must be something special then, because your voice weakens my knees and makes the waves look like home.” 

✦  “The water is lovely today. Why don't you join me?”        “I don't think you understand just how tempted I am to do as you ask.” “Oh, I know. I wouldn't be offering if I didn't.”

✦  “You're hurt... Did they try to capture you?”        “I got away... But their blades were poisoned. Can you help?” 

[Prompt Calender: March 29th, International Mermaid Day]

[writing-prompt-s]

every night for years you've had the same dream of you and a woman and every night she attacks you. But you think nothing of it infact you think it's fun to find new ways to win. That was until one day you heard "YOU!" Behind you and turned around to see her and everything started warping.

[writing-prompt-s]

You've always enjoyed working magic and especially entertaining the children of the village with colourful spells and small illusions. When one day mages from the royal academy visited, they noticed one of your shows and insisted on taking you with them back to the capital.

[homunculus-argument]

 Hey btw, another worldbuilding thing: You can, and actually should have weird and impractical cultural things. They’re not inherently unrealistic, for as long as you address the realistic consequences as well.

 Let’s say you’ve got a city where there’s tame white doves everywhere. They’re not pests, they’re regarded as sacred, holy protectors of the city, and the whole city cares for them and feeds them like they’re pets. They’re so tame because it’s a social taboo to hurt or scare one. Nice pretty doves :)

 Then someone points out that even if they’re not seen as pests, doesn’t having a completely unchecked feral pigeon population - that not only isn’t being culled, but actively fed and cared for - mean that there would be bird shit absolutely all over the place?

 A part of you wants to say no, because these are your nice, pretty doves. To explain that there’s a reason why they’re not shitting all over the place, maybe they’re super-intelligent and specifically bred and trained to not shit all over the place. The logistics of how, exactly, could anyone breed and train a flock of feral birds go unaddressed.

 An even worse solution would be to not have those birds, editing them out of the world. No, they spark joy, you can’t just toss them out!

 Now, consider: Yes, yes they would, but the city also has an extensive public sanitation service that’s occupied 90% of the time by cleaning bird shit off of everything. One of the most common last names in the area actually translates to “one who scrapes off dove shit”, and it’s a highly respected occupation. And thanks to the sheer necessity of constantly regularly cleaning everything, the city enjoys a much higher standard of cleanliness, and less public health issues caused by poor public sanitation.

 The doves do protect the city. By shitting fucking everywhere.

[moonybyte]

While I absolutely love your idea, I just want to say that you can easily reduce public bird shitting from Pigeons by offering them comfortable lodgings where they can sleep and feed. Sure, you need to clean THOSE, but the pigeons shit a lot less all over town.

The Augsburg concept has one big pigeon house every 500m in which wild pigeons are fed, protected from weather and have nesting opportunities. Cities doing that have WAY less uncontrolled populations (since they can take out eggs if they feel they need reduce the population), way less shit AND a healthy population since it’s easier for veterinarians to notice and get to sick animals.

So I’d say one can of course still keep your general idea……but there’s also those MASSIVE palace-like pidgeon houses and only the most worthy are allowed to enter and directly interact with the pigeons (feed them, heal them, clean their lodgings). One big entrance for the human servants (priests??) and millions of small holes for the pigeons.

In fact, one could potentially turn your idea around IN THE PIDGEONS FAVOR. So your world is like ours and most major cities have a big feral pigeon population. And most of those cities HATE the pigeons and try to fight them and stuff. And they think that pigeon worshipper town is frigging cuckoo. BUT when comparing, then pigeon worshipper town is ridiculously clean and beautiful. No bird shit everywhere, no ruined house facades and statues from erosion through bird poop. Pigeon haters go “how tf are you so clean, you have birds EVERYWHERE???” and the worshippers shrug and show their little bird temples spread around town that keep their precious birdies AND their town pretty.

[plucky-passerine]

I think this is a really good example of how research can greatly improve your worldbuilding! You don’t have to be perfectly accurate - it is fantasy after all - but the real world is so much more clever and beautiful than any of us know

[curlicuecal]

advice that’s stuck with me: you don’t have to work inwards to justify a premise (e.g., ‘how would it ever be plausible to use snakes as currency’) as long as you work outwards in interesting ways from that premise (e.g., ‘how would a society that used snakes as currency look different? what would they use for wallets?’)

[gholateg]

I love this idea that OP thought there wasn’t a town that had already handled it’s “We fucking love birds you guys, like for fucking reals” problem already through sheer human chutzpah.

Humans are THE pack binding specie. A way will be found.

[shaudo-of-a-doubt]

For anyone else interested in or looking for more information about pigeon houses, the traditional word for them is dovecote.

[luna-azzurra]

Ways to worldbuild ( Magical Creatures) <3

[gallusrostromegalus]

At the gate for my flight home from visiting friends and there's a woman here with a service Shiba Inu. No pics because he has a Do Not Disturb vest and taking pics of strangers is illegal but I need to stress how ON DUTY this animal is. Ears up. Eyes doing Lazer scans of everything. Examining everyone who passes within 10ft like a security guard. Ass planted on her feet. I have never seen a dog with such intense chivalric guardian energy before. He has tiny eyebrows and they are FURROWED with concentration.

[gallusrostromegalus]

Man behind me having unhinged phone conversation. There is an internationally famous dairy in the area I was visiting and he was commissioned by the lady on the other end of the phone to collect specific cheeses from there. The lady is very high strung about the type and condition of the cheese.

The man does not know from cheese. The man "ain't never seen no cheese but orange before" and "I showed ya list to the cheese lady so if it's wrong it's her fault ok?"

I am 80% sure she sent him there for a really specific bleu cheese, 40% sure he does not have the very specific bleu cheese, and 100% sure he's done with her shit.

Our flight is delayed.

He does not have the cheeses in a cooler, just a regular backpack.

[gallusrostromegalus]

I need to emphasize that there is no cooler bag in the backpack. He has Jansport backpack that is jam-packed with cheeses. There is apparently $405 dollars worth of cheeses in that backpack, which I know because he has been trying to get the lady to venmo him the expense, which she has failed to do. It is unclear whether his relation to the lady is romantic, familial or what, but I'm leaning towards "what".

Two more people have joined us. One is a very elegant man with a perfect manicure in a tailored business suit, the other is a neon-haired person of indeterminate gender wearing a fox kirigumi. The Shiba Inu has been staring at the latter for three minutes now.

[gallusrostromegalus]

Uh oh.

Cheese man has been demanding payment because apparently he went like six hours out of his way and paid with his own money and between the cheese and price of gas, he is pretty sure he does not have enough money in his account for an Uber home.

The lady is FLABBERGASTED that he is demanding payment at all, as she was under the impression he was doing this for her out of the goodness of his heart.

He's not having it. He's insisting she told him she would pay him back- he would have gotten her maybe one cheese somewhere closer to his business in the area out of love, but he went out of his way because she agreed to pay him costs+ extra to cover it.

[gallusrostromegalus]

HE RECORDED THE CONVERSATION IN WHICH SHE PROMISED TO PAY FOR THE CHEESE, SHE'S THAT MUCH OF A FLAKE.

I am about to offer this man cash for some of these cheeses because our flight is now more delayed.

[gallusrostromegalus]

"YOU ALWAYS DO THIS! YOU ALWAYS DO THIS AND I FALL FOR IT EVERY TIME! NO! NO! FUCK YOU! IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA PAY ME, YOU DON'T GET FANCY CHEESE."

"OR ELSE WHAT?"

"I'm gonna-? THE BABY SHOWER? MONICA CAN'T EVEN HAVE THIS CHEESE SHE'S PREGNANT!"

"The cheese lady asked if it was for someone because the mushrooms or whatever in the cheese are dangerous for the baby or something?? You wanna poison Monica?"

"WHY WOULD I LIE ABOUT THAT?"

"YEAH OF COURSE I GOT THE CHEESE, THATS WHY I DON'T GOT MONEY FOR UBER!"

"YEAH, GO TELL! GO TELL MOMMA I STOPPED YOUR STUPID ASS FROM KILLING MONICA OR THE BABY! FUCK!"

*hangs up phone*

*head in hands, borderline hyperventilating*

The man in the three piece suit is in the chair next to him. He waits a moment, then reaches into his carryon and pulls out an entire bottle of wine with the TSA pre check sticker on it, and taps cheese guy on the shoulder.

"If your friend doesn't want it, would you be amenable to having it right now?"

[gallusrostromegalus]

Naturally, I have volunteered my box of wheat thins and offered to buy one of the harder cheeses which should be fine if it makes it home.

[gallusrostromegalus]

Meanwhile, Kirigumi has noticed that the Shiba Inu is staring at her and is correctly intimidated.

[gallusrostromegalus]

1. This is some fucking great Camembert. I have compensated cheese guy accordingly. So have like six other people. He's recouped like half his losses.

2. Cheese guy is crying a little about the cash and opening up about his problems. The cheese lady is his younger sister. Suit guy is being very generous with his Pinot Blanc. We are having a picnic/improv family therapy session.

3. This is apparently the latest in a long string of his sister asking for something and then flaking when he asks to be paid back. Started with paying him back only some of what he was owed, then claiming something she paid for him was of equal value when it was not, then recently telling him his memory is wrong and he said it was a gift or that he'd do it for free.

"Yeah, the specific thing of trying to convince you your memory is unreliable is called gaslighting and it's really fucked up." I say

"yeeeeah. The other stuff I forgave because she's never really had a good job so she can't pay me back all the time but at least she was making an effort y'know? But that was. That was over the line."

"If you haven't already, check on the rest of your family's finances. My brother started trying to gaslight everyone when he started stealing from our parents." Says Pinot Blanc.

4. Shiba Inu Lady has purchased a cheddar. Apparently, the dog's name is Donut, and he's her service dog because she's severely visually impaired.

"Oh, he's a guide dog?" Asks cheese guy.

"oh, no." She laughs. "He's too short, and the way my eyes are, it's easier for me to navigate with a cane. No, the problem I have is that some morally impaired people see the cane and think they can get away with stealing my bag or assaulting me because I wouldn't be able to give a description- which is wrong, but rather than deal with that I got Donut, and he helps me by howling at anyone who gets in my personal space and biting anyone who grabs me!"

"Uh." Says Kirigumi. "He's been staring at me do I need to back up or..?"

"Ohdear! No, no- He wasn't looking at you! He loves cheese but he knows he's not supposed to beg so he decided the way to deal with something he wants but can't have is to stare in the other direction."

"OKAY!" Says Kirigumi. "I'm wearing fox pajamas and thought like. He thought I was another dog or something."

"No, no- he doesn't care about dogs, and you get a warning before he goes for the calves. Very helpful, when I was living in Italy!"

"Oh what part? I have family in Tuscany." Says Pinot.

"Does he want a cheese? There is still so much cheese." Says cheese guy.

[gallusrostromegalus]

Plane may be arriving. I am paying for in flight WiFi to keep y'all updated.

[gallusrostromegalus]

1. Cheese guy has sold all but two or three cheeses that he an Pinot are going to eat on the flight.

2. I know they're planning to continue because Pinot talked to the gate agent so he and cheese guy can sit together and talk about family drama and cheese.

3. Pinot has been teaching him about different types of cheese and how to enjoy them.

4. Cheese guy apparently repairs computers and other technology devices for a living and is currently doing the software version of scraping barnacles and other crap off Pinot'macbook.

5. Pinot is now convinced that cheese guy is the smartest and most interesting man in the world.

[gallusrostromegalus]

Ok so the Wifi wasn't working on the plane (also like, nonstop turbulence) and also they got seated in a different row from me, but:

Now that I've heard the word aloud, and they are an astrophysicist. Who correctly believes in being comfy as fuck on planes. They are also familar with the concept of a meet-cute and is rooting for them too.

Got to walk the nice lady and her Tactical Assault Shiba to her next gate because it was on the way out and talk for a bit. Donut is called that not because he is the color of a Donut (which he is) but because he likes to sleep curled up in a perfect circle. He has a sister who does the same thing named Bagel.

Lost track of Pinot and Cheeseguy for a bit but when I saw them again at Baggage claim, Cheeseguy was holding both their jackets, and Pinot was on the phone to his hotel about "Well do you have any rooms with TWO beds?". The rest of the call indicated that yes, there were rooms with two beds, but Readers, I Had A Moment.

:)

Anyway, it's 2AM, I need to sleep, if you feel like supporting this kind of hard-hitting reporting, I have a Tip Jar!

[worldheritagepostorganization]

World Heritage Post

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Cinderella rewrite where Cinderella’s father is an unusually successful fisherman due to his secret friendships with the shy and mysterious mermaids, successful enough to attract a moderately wealthy and ambitious bride with two daughters. Once he dies, her stepmother, determined to make sure her daughters inherit the fishing business as dowries by marrying before Cinderella, forbids her from going out on the fishing boats or into town and makes sure she spends as much of her time as possible doing drudgework, hauling offal and cleaning fish. When the Prince’s ball comes around, an important occasion for young women to make good connections, the stepmother forbids her from going, telling her that she needs to get the latest salmon catch gutted and ready for sale instead.

Cinderella’s mermaid godmother calls upon her people to clean the fish and gifts her a dress and shoes of shimmering fish scales that wreathe her in rainbows under the moonlight. She makes an impression on the Prince at the ball so strong that he immediately falls in love with her, and when she’s forced to flee before her stepmother notices her (no masquerade mask or dancing rainbows will disguise her from her own family at close range), the Prince is left with only a delicate fish leather slipper left on the front steps to try to find her again.

He goes around the houses, seeking the owner of the slipper, but Cinderella is once again working in the fish sheds. He stepmother, desperate and determined and having found Cinderella’s other shoe that very morning, realises what has happened and takes a knife to the feet of her prettiest daughter, telling the prince that she suffered an injury that very morning but those are definitely her shoes, see, here’s the other one, and they still fit.

The daughter is pretty and witty and charming, and while the Prince doesn’t feel the same spark and instant sense of connection that he did at the party, he reasons that she’s overwhelmed and in pain and once she’s healed, all will be well. There are no birds to whisper of blood in the shoe – the Prince has seen the bandaged feet already – and the daughter slips on the shoes (the only shoes she has that will fit her, now,) and accompanies him to the palace.

But the stepmother is no doctor, and by the time the Prince gets her to the palace doctors, it’s too late – his beloved has contracted an infection in her feet from the shoe leather, made unclean in its travels. She will survive – it is an infection of a common filth of fish and birds, one that the doctors have potions for for the occasions where dangerously cooked food causes outbreaks – but in her raving, she confesses the whole scheme to the Prince who, furious, returns to the village to find the girl he truly fell in love with, the girl hidden from him.

“Oh, yeah, the fish cleaner,” the villagers shrug. “We don’t see her around very much, she’s probably in the sheds. Her family calls her Salmonella.”

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

#now I’m just sad abt the daughter with her fucked up feet 

Contains: suicidal ideation, attempted suicide

The infection brought on a high fever, and the damage was permanent. Her mother’s knife took her ability to walk without pain. The fever took her voice.

It hadn’t been her plan. She hadn’t wanted to do it. But her mother, with her sharp eyes and her sharp knife, had explained to her once again that behind her stepsister’s kindly smile was a ruthless heiress who wanted to take everything the family had and leave the rest of them destitute. “You have a duty to protect this family,” her mother explained. “Your father gave his life to protect us from invaders. I gave my heart and my future to protect us from poverty. Will you not do the same?”

Keep reading

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

#Goddamnit Derin#stop writing absolute bangers 

You overestimate how much control I have over the writing process. Go here for more “absolute bangers” I guess.

[thisusernameisunique]

You cant keep changing my life like this

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Literally my job I’m afraid.

[thisusernameisunique]

Does it come out onto the page all at once like a bolt of inspiration or do you have to drag the puns and wtf moments out of your brain kicking and screaming

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Well in this case I went “haha salmonella sounds kind of like cinderella” and worked backwards from there

[luna-azzurra]

Ways to Worldbuild (Knights & Warriors) <3

[writing-prompt-s]

"We've never attempted to contact a civilization like this one. Their planet is protected by an incredibly sophisticated, fully autonomous orbital defense system, but their society is peaceful and agrarian with almost no technology."

[creativepromptsforwriting]

How to build a small town

@fantasylover4evr asked what stores and jobs there would be in a fictional small town, so here we are:

Community spaces

Places of worship

Library

Community center

Town hall

Local museum

Theater

Art gallery or craft studio

Park with places for hanging out

Stores/Places of Business

Food & Drink & Entertainment

General store or corner market

Grocery store (often family-owned)

Diner or café

Bar or pub

Bakery

Ice cream shop

Pizza place or fast-food stand

Farm stand

Arcade

Bowling alley

Old movie theater

Retail

Hardware store

Gas station

Pharmacy/drugstore

Clothing store or thrift shop

Bookstore

Tourist shop

Antique shop

Pawn shop

Services

Post office

Bank or credit union

Barber shop / hair salon

Auto repair shop

Laundromat

Real estate office

Insurance office

Funeral home

Old motel or inn

Local radio station

Jobs & Professions

Town Infrastructure

Mayor

Town council members

Town clerk

Public works employees

Sanitation workers

Building inspector

Emergency & Health

Police officers

Firefighters (often volunteer)

Paramedics

Doctor or family physician

Nurse or clinic staff

Veterinarian

Education

Teachers

School principal

School counselor

School nurse

Janitor

Librarian

Coach

Head of the school board

Trades & Skilled Work

Mechanic

Electrician

Plumber

Carpenter

Contractor

Welder

Seamstress

Rural Jobs

Farmers

Ranchers

Dairy workers

Mill workers

Fishermen

Forestry workers

Truck drivers

Feed store employees

Other Jobs

Grocery bagger

Postman

Cashier

Café server

Bartender

Cook

Dishwasher

Newspaper editor

Photographer

Gas station attendant

Babysitter

Lifeguard

Farmhand

Business owner

More: High-paying jobs in the city

[writing-prompt-s]

As a farmer you have to deal with critters trying to grab your produce. When you catch a Possum taking one of your tomatoes you jokingly say “I hope you were planning on paying for that.” Not only does the possum pay for the tomato, but now creatures of all kinds show up to buy from your farm.

[spanishinfluenza]

Doing it again bc i dont believe 10 votes is enough of a sample size

What is the ideal fic chapter length?

<5k words

5k - 7k

7k - 10k

10k - 15k

15k+

Voting ended onJan 19

reblog for sample size

[incognitoprompts]

The monster under the bed and the monster in the closet take the child and run away to raise them in an actual loving home.

[writing-prompt-s]

"I know for a fact that you possess a weapon that can kill immortals. Hence, I offer a trade; I, with my limitless wealth and power, help you reach your goals, and you use it to kill me. Doesn't that sound enticing? One teensy little murder, and you get everything you've ever desired?"

[super-ion]

Concept: cursed blade rehabilitation center. Destroying a sentient weapon is expensive and highly unethical, so adventurers bring them to the center where highly trained staff can care for them and eventually find them forever homes. It turns out most cursed weapons are products of trauma and are not strictly evil themselves. Some blades turn out to be fiercely protective companions. Others don't even want to be weapons at all, finding joy in simple work like blacksmithing or farming. Most blades just need to be loved.

[super-ion]

A pack of bandits descend upon a seemingly undefended town. But the blacksmith's hammer, the farmer's scythe, the woodsman's axe, they have not forgotten what they once were, and they *will* defend the town that they have come to love.

[super-ion]

This sweet girl has been with us for seven seasons. She was forged in the heart of a volcano and would be ideal for anyone with a preexisting fire affinity (she's a cuddler and is guaranteed to keep you warm in winter). She still loves burning, but it turns out you can only reduce the world to ash once. She would be perfectly suited for forest management that regularly requires controlled burns.

[super-ion]

This weary old soul has grown tired of bloodshed and would much rather spend his days as an ominous decoration in a tavern or common room, a perfect fit for an adventurer looking to leave their dungeon crawling days behind. He likes peoplewatching with his single glowing eye, preferably from high, prominent locations with views of entrances and exits.

[heron-knight]

Dark king Grütmore’s edge of annihilation consumed 10,000 souls in the first era, and as it turns out, statistically a lot of those souls heard stories that never got written down. It works in a library now.

The throngler, however, is just irrevocably fucked up. We put it in a stone in a forest and hoped nobody ever finds it

[dragon-in-a-fez]

Arthur: [pulling the throngler out of the stone] get throngled losers