The Heart of Autumn

Halloween lover. All things dark. Here I post my own work and images I like.

[writingwithfolklore]

Writing Resources to use instead of AI

For coming up with character names:

Behind the name (my absolute fav)

Allows you to choose the origin of where you want the name to be from, whether you want a more feminine vs masculine vs androgenous name (as voted by users), random surname generator, and clicking on the name gives you important info like if there are any famous people with the same name, where it’s from, how common it is, and how people tend to see it, etc.

You can also search their name database by letter or meaning or origin, so if you know you want a character who has a name/surname that starts with an A from Ireland, there’s a whole list for you to choose from.

Census sites

Especially useful if you’re looking for a name from a specific place and/or time period. Just search “(country) census (year)” and you’ll find a database of real people who lived in that place at that time. No one can ever call your names unrealistic again.

For coming up with place names:

Fantasy name generator

This site can basically come up with any name for any person, place, or thing you might ever need. There are also specific generators for different fandoms if you’re looking to make an OC in an established world.

For finding that one word on the tip of your tongue:

One Look Thesaurus

This is my go-to. Not only can you find synonyms like a regular thesaurus, but you can also describe words like “unhappy smile” or “quiet laugh” to find the more specific word you’re looking for.

For coming up with ideas:

Word cloud

When I need to inspire a new idea, I write down all the things I’m interested in (hauntings, academia, lesbians, etc.) and put them into a word cloud to shuffle them next to each other. Sometimes seeing a concept in a new context can spark new ideas!

WWF Discord

This is my discord channel (shameless plug) for when you need to brainstorm off other people but don’t have anyone irl to talk to. We’re also happy to read and give feedback on writing, answer writing questions, or just chat!

For visualizing places and characters:

Pinterest

Pinterest can at times be a bit too sterile for my tastes, but if you use the right words, you can find more realistic photos of places. For example, adding “aesthetic” after basically any word will bring up a more broad collection of photos to help you flesh out places.

This is also a great way to find photos of people and fashion to help visualize characters. I’m bad at describing clothes, so I usually collect photos of outfits to help me know what my characters are wearing. Searching up “character inspiration” will collect more interesting photos and drawings of people who might not exactly be of our world.

(However, to make Pinterest not show you AI results, you have to go into your settings and check the “reduce AI” box. Luckily, it does mostly work.)

Death to Stock

Like pinterest but completely AI free (hooray!) Only drawback is that you have to pay a monthly subscription (about $20 CAD).

Cosmos

Very similar to pinterest but slightly more "artsy". I'm not super familiar with this one but I believe all the photos are human and you can save them and create collections with a free account.

Dupe Photos

Royalty-free stock image site with very Pinterest-core photos!

Minecraft

If you haven’t built your entire fictional city in Minecraft instead of writing, why not? It’s fun.

The Sims

This one is dual purpose because you can not only create your characters in Create a Sim, but you can design their houses. If you really want to go for it, you can bulldoze all the lots in your town and build your world from scratch.

For checking grammar:

Grammar Girl

Easy to follow definitions and examples, and if you learn better by listening, every article comes with a podcast to follow along with instead.

Grammar Monster

This one is my favourite for checking grammar rules because there’s tons of examples in graphics that helps for any situation.

Reedsy

Among other things, reedsy can connect you to professional editors within your budget.

For writing advice:

One Stop for Writers

This one was recommended from my discord channel and has all sorts of tutorials and resources for the writing craft.

My Blog Directory

Another shameless plug, but if you need writing advice on something specific, you can search through my directory to see if it’s there. If it isn’t, you can always send me an ask about it!

For an alternative to Google Docs:

Ellipsus

Think google docs but without AI. Yay!

(will update this list with any more suggestions or resources I discover 😊)

[just-a-readthrough]

A great resource

[intheheartofautumn]

William Mortensen “The Incubus Suite” 1928

[loish]

Happy Halloween 🎃 Everyone knows that black cats are the ultimate halloween mascot, so I had to draw them for this year’s spooky season. Contrary to popular belief, they’re not bad luck - unless you refuse to give them a treat or cuddle them, in which case they will seek revenge!

I drew these for last month’s drawing challenge on drawing expressive cat studies! If you like monthly drawing challenges, sign up to the flame tier on my Patreon and join us ~ we are about to get started on the November challenge! 💖

[intheheartofautumn]

William Mortensen “The Incubus Suite” 1928

[theklaud]

it’s that time of the year again!!

[intheheartofautumn]

It is time my children…

Over the Garden Wall

[nicostiel]

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."

[11thsense]

The countryside (2020)

A piece I’ve recently abandoned after months of working on it. 

[wishbow]

chopped, 2021 - pam wishbow

[cursed-and-haunted]

Short stories that live in my head rent free and make me go a little crazy:

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (horror)

Lamb to The Slaughter by Roald Dahl (horror)

We Ate The Children Last by Yann Martel (satire/horror)

The Empty Prison by Matt Dymerski (horror)

The October Game by Ray Bradbury (horror)

I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison (horror/sci-fi)

A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery O'Connor (horror)

The Last Question by Isaac Asimov (sci-fi)

[mossyshadows]

good evening. today's short story reads, courtesy of strange horizons <3

warm beds (translation) by mónica bustos (camas calientes original), tr. analía villagra

bonesoup by eugenia triantafyllou

thinking abt the ending of the last one like oh shit i couldn't tell you exactly what's going on but oh shit okay i am picking up on vibes. and the prose of the first one is sooo gorgeous in translation i want to read the original so badly

[zumpers]

'Queen in the Fields at Dusk With Wolf' 2022 - Digital

Yorgos Cotronis (ravenkult)

[gryffindor-blood]

She has risen

[tlbodine]

A Horror Beat Sheet

There are no hard-and-fast rules in writing fiction. There are, however, some established patterns and expectations, and once you know them, you’ll be able to work within those patterns and deviate from the path as you see fit.

What is a Beat Sheet?

Popularized by Blake Snyder’s book Save The Cat, beat sheets are an outlining method often used for screenwriting that some authors have started to use for books as well. Basically, a beat sheet lays out the story ‘beats’ or necessary plot points that make up the essential story structure. The Hero’s Journey is, essentially, a beat sheet. You can see more beat sheet information here: https://timstout.wordpress.com/story-structure/blake-snyders-beat-sheet/

Horror has a slightly different structure than other stories, and for that reason I don’t think a classic beat sheet works quite right for it. So with that in mind, here is my somewhat adapted version, drawn from my studies of horror media. Various beats can be reorganized somewhat, and will vary a bit depending on sub-genre and other considerations. But if you need help in establishing a horror plot…this beat sheet should help guide the way.

Horror Story Beat Sheet

Act One (The Setup):

1 - The World is Not What it Seems

(The reader catches an early glimpse of the monster, or a hint that the monster exists. This is optional, and may occur right away – often as a prologue – or after the main characters have been introduced.)

2 - Putting the Players in Action

(You introduce the important characters and the primary internal conflict)

3 - Setting them on the Path

(The characters make a choice that inadvertently isolates them or places them on a collision course with the monster)

4 - The Warning

(The characters are given an opportunity to turn back, but choose not to; could occur before or after The First Contact With The Monster.)

5 - The First Contact with the Monster

(The characters have their initial contact with the monster, but are unaware of the true threat it poses.)

Act Two (The Turn): 6 - Shit Gets Real (May be the first death or when seriously spooky activity begins; regardless, this is when the danger becomes evident and unavoidable)

7 - The Chase (The monster pursues the characters, who lack the skills to fight it; one or more people may die here)

8 - Failed Confrontation (The main character attempts to destroy the monster, but does not yet possess the ability to do so)

9 - The Darkest Hour (Hope appears lost. Perhaps someone very important has died, or the hero has tried everything they can think of.  The link between the internal conflict and monster may become clear to the character here)

Act Three (The Prestige): 10 - A Different Solution (The hero gains new information on how to defeat the monster.  This may be delivered by someone they seek out for help, or may come through soul searching and observation.)

11 - Seeking Out the Beast (For the first time, the hero approaches the monster, rather than fleeing it.  They intend to enact their solution)

12 - The True Cost is Revealed (In the process of confronting the monster, the hero realizes that to overcome it, the internal conflict must be encountered and defeated.  That is the hidden cost; the hero will be irrevocably changed)

13 - Sacrifices Are Made (or not) (Faced with the ultimate choice, the hero either succeeds in defeating their internal conflict and  winning against the monster, or fails and ultimately succumbs to their weakness)

14 - The Inevitable Fall Out (Show the consequences of whichever choice is made)

15 - Evil Cannot Be Conquered, Only Delayed (If the hero failed #13, show the monster relishing its victory in a changed world.  If the hero succeeded, show a hint that the monster may yet return. )

—- I think you will find that if you compare many, many, many horror stories against this beat sheet, you will see versions of this structure/pattern.  I encourage you to try it.  I’ll post some plot studies of my own to show you later.

There is no single “right” way to write a story, and I certainly don’t think you must follow this structure in order to be successful.  But I can guarantee you that following this structure will give you the framework necessary for a complete and emotionally satisfying horror story.

Caveat: this beat sheet is meant for long-form stories such as novels and films.  Short stories follow a very different structure.  We can talk about that in a later chapter.

If you like this type of content and would like to see more, please consider leaving a tip in my Tip Jar!

[comominimo]

Vincent Price angrily holding cats.

[intheheartofautumn]

Hu Sheguang

[tlbodine]

A Horror Beat Sheet

There are no hard-and-fast rules in writing fiction. There are, however, some established patterns and expectations, and once you know them, you’ll be able to work within those patterns and deviate from the path as you see fit.

What is a Beat Sheet?

Popularized by Blake Snyder’s book Save The Cat, beat sheets are an outlining method often used for screenwriting that some authors have started to use for books as well. Basically, a beat sheet lays out the story ‘beats’ or necessary plot points that make up the essential story structure. The Hero’s Journey is, essentially, a beat sheet. You can see more beat sheet information here: https://timstout.wordpress.com/story-structure/blake-snyders-beat-sheet/

Horror has a slightly different structure than other stories, and for that reason I don’t think a classic beat sheet works quite right for it. So with that in mind, here is my somewhat adapted version, drawn from my studies of horror media. Various beats can be reorganized somewhat, and will vary a bit depending on sub-genre and other considerations. But if you need help in establishing a horror plot…this beat sheet should help guide the way.

Horror Story Beat Sheet

Act One (The Setup):

1 - The World is Not What it Seems

(The reader catches an early glimpse of the monster, or a hint that the monster exists. This is optional, and may occur right away – often as a prologue – or after the main characters have been introduced.)

2 - Putting the Players in Action

(You introduce the important characters and the primary internal conflict)

3 - Setting them on the Path

(The characters make a choice that inadvertently isolates them or places them on a collision course with the monster)

4 - The Warning

(The characters are given an opportunity to turn back, but choose not to; could occur before or after The First Contact With The Monster.)

5 - The First Contact with the Monster

(The characters have their initial contact with the monster, but are unaware of the true threat it poses.)

Act Two (The Turn): 6 - Shit Gets Real (May be the first death or when seriously spooky activity begins; regardless, this is when the danger becomes evident and unavoidable)

7 - The Chase (The monster pursues the characters, who lack the skills to fight it; one or more people may die here)

8 - Failed Confrontation (The main character attempts to destroy the monster, but does not yet possess the ability to do so)

9 - The Darkest Hour (Hope appears lost. Perhaps someone very important has died, or the hero has tried everything they can think of.  The link between the internal conflict and monster may become clear to the character here)

Act Three (The Prestige): 10 - A Different Solution (The hero gains new information on how to defeat the monster.  This may be delivered by someone they seek out for help, or may come through soul searching and observation.)

11 - Seeking Out the Beast (For the first time, the hero approaches the monster, rather than fleeing it.  They intend to enact their solution)

12 - The True Cost is Revealed (In the process of confronting the monster, the hero realizes that to overcome it, the internal conflict must be encountered and defeated.  That is the hidden cost; the hero will be irrevocably changed)

13 - Sacrifices Are Made (or not) (Faced with the ultimate choice, the hero either succeeds in defeating their internal conflict and  winning against the monster, or fails and ultimately succumbs to their weakness)

14 - The Inevitable Fall Out (Show the consequences of whichever choice is made)

15 - Evil Cannot Be Conquered, Only Delayed (If the hero failed #13, show the monster relishing its victory in a changed world.  If the hero succeeded, show a hint that the monster may yet return. )

—- I think you will find that if you compare many, many, many horror stories against this beat sheet, you will see versions of this structure/pattern.  I encourage you to try it.  I’ll post some plot studies of my own to show you later.

There is no single “right” way to write a story, and I certainly don’t think you must follow this structure in order to be successful.  But I can guarantee you that following this structure will give you the framework necessary for a complete and emotionally satisfying horror story.

Caveat: this beat sheet is meant for long-form stories such as novels and films.  Short stories follow a very different structure.  We can talk about that in a later chapter.

If you like this type of content and would like to see more, please consider leaving a tip in my Tip Jar!