Weird Scrivenings @jonathandouglasturner - Tumblr Blog

You have to surrender to your mediocrity, and just write. Because it’s hard, really hard, to write even a crappy book. But it’s better to write a book that kind of sucks rather than no book at all, as you wait around to magically become Faulkner. No one is going to write your book for you and you can’t write anybody’s book but your own.

Cheryl Strayed (via maxkirin)

bookgeekconfessions

Writing Tips #24: How to Write a Scene

"Caer Galen was dangerous", they whispered.

Yet how could the castle-in-the-mounts be dangerous if it never existed? The verbose scribblings of historians obsessed with its magic never penetrated the glistening foolishness of Chameloth and its people. To fear the unseen. To shy away from the possibility that all things are true. Words of tale-weavers spoke with gallance about the castle that had housed three thousand or more armored warriors and of Hernewood lying deeper in the valley around it. Words of tale-weavers told the power of Hestus God of Earth and Hunt, who declared, "Rise!" and built the stronghold stone by stone.

Yet the Wandering Shepherd wasn't here for tales. By the chance of a yellowed map and the charm of a dying witch, he moved through the hidden roads of the Chantwood, eating from its ancient trees and drinking the weird water gurgling gently through its streams.

"Going past the Chantwood takes great faith," the witch whispered, "no one believes in our power anymore. But you..?"

"I do," said the Wandering Shepherd.

Sink into the stream,

Clutch the charm unto thy heart,

And thus when the stream your head does break,

Caer Galen shall reveal its gallant peak

anomalously-written

Don’t limit your imagination

I knew right from the beginning I wanted the story to be large and complex. Before A Song of Ice and Fire I had been working in television for ten years. Whenever I turned in a script it was a common scene where they would say “George, this is great but it’s too big and expensive; you need to cut it down. You currently have 126 characters — we have a budget for six.”

When I went back to prose, there were suddenly no limits: I could write something huge with all the characters I wanted, with battles, dragons and immense settings. Of course, I thought this will be unfilmable and that I’d never have to worry about Hollywood again. But that’s [Game of Thrones TV producers] David Benioff’s and Dan Weiss’ problem now.

Choose your point-of-view characters to broaden the narrative’s scope

My story is essentially about a world at war. It begins very small with everybody apart from Daenerys in the castle of Winterfell. It’s a very tight focus, and then as the characters split apart, each character encounters more people and additional POVs come into focus.

It’s like if you were trying to do World War 2 as a novel: do you just take one average GI? Well that would only cover the European theatre, not the Pacific. Do you make Hitler a point-of-view character to show the other side? What about the Japanese or Italy? Roosevelt, Mussolini, Eisenhower — all these characters have a unique viewpoint that presents something huge in Word War 2.

So you either need an omnificent viewpoint structure where you’re telling it from the point of view of God, which is a pretty outdated literary technique, or you have a mosaic of people who are seeing one small part of the story and through that you get the entire picture. That’s the path I chose to take.

It’s okay to “borrow” from history

Although my story is fantasy, it is strongly grounded in actual Medieval history. The War of the Roses was one of the major influences, which had the Yorks and the Lancasters instead of the Starks and the Lannisters. But I like to mix and match and move things around. As the famous saying goes; stealing from one source is plagiarism but stealing from lots of sources is research!

On believable POVs

Ultimately all of us are alone in the universe — the only person we ever really know deeply is ourselves. Obviously, I’ve never been a dwarf or a princess, so when I’m writing these characters I have to try and get inside their skin and see what the world would be like from their position. It’s not always easy.

Some of it can be resolved by talking to real people. I had a correspondence with a fan when I was writing the first and second book who was a paraplegic. He gave me a lot of valuable insight on how to write Bran and what it would be like to be in that situation.

But ultimately, I think the humanity all my characters share is more important than whether they’re men or women, or princesses or peasants, tall or small. While these things certainly make a difference, all human beings in all cultures throughout history have wanted success and love and a certain prosperity and to eat and not be killed. These are pretty basic things that motivate all people and I try to keep that in mind when writing any character.

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#LittleWriterThings

when The Big Scene finally arrives

when you turn off your inner-editor and keep writing no matter how shitty it all is

finally finishing the last sentence of a work that has claimed 10 years of your miserable life

#writers #writing

nimblesnotebook-blog

BASICS:

Genres:

Alternate World: A setting that is not our world, but may be similar. This includes “portal fantasies” in which characters find an alternative world through their own. An example would be The Chronicles of Narnia.

Arabian: Fantasy that is based on the Middle East and North Africa.

Arthurian: Set in Camelot and deals with Arthurian mythology and legends.

Bangsian: Set in the afterlife or deals heavily with the afterlife. It most often deals with famous and historical people as characters. An example could be The Lovely Bones.

Celtic: Fantasy that is based on the Celtic people, most often the Irish.

Christian: This genre has Christian themes and elements.

Classical: Based on Roman and Greek myths.

Contemporary: This genre takes place in modern society in which paranormal and magical creatures live among us. An example would be the Harry Potter series.

Dark: This genre combines fantasy and horror elements. The tone or feel of dark fantasy is often gloomy, bleak, and gothic.

Epic: This genre is long and, as the name says, epic. Epic is similar to high fantasy, but has more importance, meaning, or depth. Epic fantasy is most often in a medieval setting.

Gaslamp: Also known as gaslight, this genre has a Victorian or Edwardian setting.

Gunpowder: Gunpowder crosses epic or high fantasy with “rifles and railroads”, but the technology remains realistic unlike the similar genre of steampunk.

Heroic: Centers on one or more heroes who start out as humble, unlikely heroes thrown into a plot that challenges them.

High: This is considered the “classic” fantasy genre. High fantasy contains the general fantasy elements and is set in a fictional world.

Historical: The setting in this genre is any time period within our world that has fantasy elements added.

Medieval: Set between ancient times and the industrial era. Often set in Europe and involves knights. (medieval references)

Mythic: Fantasy involving or based on myths, folklore, and fairy tales.

Portal: Involves a portal, doorway, or other entryway that leads the protagonist from the “normal world” to the “magical world”.

Quest: As the name suggests, the protagonist in this genre sets out on a quest. The protagonist most frequently searches for an object of importance and returns home with it.

Sword and Sorcery: Pseudomedieval settings in which the characters use swords and engage in action-packed plots. Magic is also an element, as is romance.

Urban: Has a modern or urban setting in which magic and paranormal creatures exist, often in secret.

Wuxia: A genre in which the protagonist learns a martial art and follows a code. This genre is popular in Chinese speaking areas.

Word Counts:

Word counts for fantasy are longer than other genres because of the need for world building. Even in fantasy that takes place in our world, there is a need for the introduction of the fantasy aspect.

Word counts for established authors with a fan base can run higher because publishers are willing to take a higher chance on those authors. First-time authors (who have little to no fan base) will most likely not publish a longer book through traditional publishing. Established authors may also have better luck with publishing a novel far shorter than that genre’s expected or desired word count, though first-time authors may achieve this as well.

A general rule of thumb for first-time authors is to stay under 100k and probably under 110k for fantasy.

Other exceptions to word count guidelines would be for short fiction (novellas, novelettes, short stories, etc.) and that one great author who shows up every few years with a perfect 200k manuscript.

But why are there word count guidelines? For young readers, it’s pretty obvious why books should be shorter. For other age groups, it comes down to the editor’s preference, shelf space in book stores, and the cost of publishing a book. The bigger the book, the more expensive it is to publish.

General Fantasy: 75k - 110k

Epic Fantasy: 90k - 120k

Contemporary Fantasy: 90k - 120k

Urban Fantasy: 80k - 100k

Middle Grade: 45k - 70k

YA: 75k - 120k (depending on sub-genre)

Adult: 80k - 120k (depending on sub-genre)

WORLD BUILDING:

A pseudo-European medieval setting is fine, but it’s overdone. And it’s always full of white men and white women in disguise as white men because around 85% (ignore my guess/exaggeration, I only put it there for emphasis) of fantasy writers seem to have trouble letting go of patriarchal societies.

Guys. It’s fantasy. You can do whatever you want. You can write a fantasy that takes place in a jungle. Or in a desert. Or in a prairie. The people can be extremely diverse in one region and less diverse in another. The cultures should differ. Different voices should be heard. Queer people exist. People of color exist. Not everyone has two arms or two legs or the ability to hear.

As for the fantasy elements, you also make up the rules. Don’t go searching around about how a certain magic spell is done, just make it up. Magic can be whatever color you want. It can be no color at all. You can use as much or as little magic as you want.

Keep track of what you put into your world and stick to the rules. There should be limits, laws, cultures, climates, disputes, and everything else that exists in our world. However, you don’t have to go over every subject when writing your story.

World Building:

Fantasy World Building Questionnaire

Magical World Builder’s Guide

Creating Fantasy and Science Fiction Worlds

Creating Religions

Quick and Dirty World Building

World Building Links

Fantasy World Building Questions

The Seed of Government (2)

Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy

Fantasy Worlds and Race

Water Geography

Alternate Medieval Fantasy Story

Writing Magic

Types of Magic

When Magic Goes Wrong

Magic-Like Psychic Abilities

Science and Magic

Creative Uses of Magic

Thoughts on Creating Magic Systems

Defining the Sources, Effects, and Costs of Magic

World Building Basics

Mythology Master Post

Fantasy Religions

Setting the Fantastic in the Everyday World

Making Histories

Matching Your Money to Your World

Building a Better Beast

A Man in Beast’s Clothing

Creating and Using Fictional Languages

Creating a Language

Creating Fictional Holidays

Creating Holidays

Weather and World Building 101

Describing Fantastic Creatures

Medieval Technology

Music For Your Fantasy World

A heterogeneous World

Articles on World Building

Cliches:

Grand List of Fantasy Cliches (most of this can be debated)

Fantasy Cliches Discussion

Ten Fantasy Cliches That Should Be Put to Rest

Seven Fantasy Cliches That Need to Disappear

Avoiding Fantasy Cliches 101

Avoiding Fantasy Cliches

Fantasy Cliches

Fantasy Cliche Meter: The Bad Guys

Fantasy Novelist’s Exam

Mary Sue Race Test

Note: Species (like elves and dwarves) are not cliches. The way they are executed are cliches.

CHARACTERS

littlemermaidrph-blog

Improve Your Writing Habits Now

by Melinda Copp

Writers sometimes develop poor habits, and end up doing more thinking about writing than actual writing. I know, because although I write for a living, and I still don’t always spend enough time on the writing that I most want to do. And for those people who aren’t writers by trade, but need or want to write for professional or business reasons, then you may need a little help developing your writing habit.

The following simple steps can help you write more often and with better results.

1. Write Every Day

Developing a habit means doing something regularly. Therefore you should do your best to find time to write every day. It doesn’t have to be a long period of time, even fifteen minutes will do if that’s all you can spare. The key is to practice every day!

2. Set Manageable Writing Goals

Books are written one sentence at a time, so don’t fall into the trap of only sitting down to write when you have several hours at a time to devote to your work. Even if you only have time to put down a paragraph, that’s progress.

3. Don’t Stress About Writing

When you over-think your writing projects, they can seem bigger and more important … and much more intimidating than they really should be. Just sit down and write; don’t make a big deal out of it. The true beauty of a manuscript doesn’t appear until a few revisions, anyways. Just put your words on paper.

4. When You’re Writing, Write Without Your Inner Critic

Another part of letting loose and approaching writing with confidence is allowing yourself to write terrible sentences and paragraphs just to put something on the page and get through blocks. Don’t rework sentences until you’ve completed an entire draft-it will only slow you down and make writing more difficult.

5. Get Feedback on Your Writing

At some point, you have to start sharing what you’re working on with people who can provide encouragement and insight into how to improve. Try to aim for a balance of supporters, like best friends and parents, with professional opinions, which won’t always be as easy to swallow as a big cheer from mom.

Anyone who wants to write can do it. Discipline is the key, and catching the writing habit doesn’t hurt, either. With these tips, you can write better and faster than you ever imagined

octoswan

I made these as a way to compile all the geographical vocabulary that I thought was useful and interesting for writers. Some descriptors share categories, and some are simplified, but for the most part everything is in its proper place. Not all the words are as useable as others, and some might take tricky wording to pull off, but I hope these prove useful to all you writers out there!

(save the images to zoom in on the pics)

i dreamed of Amma last night.

It was weird, but beautiful. And the dream showed me the role of humans in the world. Something I've been struggling with for awhile.

Today I'm working on a new short story. Calling A Fig Tree Home.

And I'm finally, after so many months of putting it off, turning my attention to bringing legends and peoples of the Caribbean into Amma.

oneuniver5e

jonathandouglasturner

This is perfect for referencing a scene in my book.

#gif

victoriousvocabulary

PRUDENTIA

[noun]

1. acquaintance, knowledge.

2. sagacity, prudence, discretion.

3. foresight.

Etymology: Latin prūdentia, from prūdēns, “wise, prudent”.

[Brothers Hildebrandt]

Map of an old fantasy world I used to write in. I charted out the heroes' journey and the villains'. I miss map-making. I'm constantly rediscovering the more carefree/impressionistic aspect of my fantasy writing I had as a teenager that, in young adulthood, seems harder to come by since I've gained a lot more 'logic' (which has stifled the creativity in some respects).

So I'll be using this map as a frame of reference for rebuilding Amma and rekindling my world's sense of wonder.

No reblogs.

Jessika Issagraine ("Jessa" for short), famed Captain of The Storm's Mercy, a pirate in service to the Kingdom of Sabelinia. She is pictured here in the Royal Library of Augustone. Pictured also: her sword, Brightfame, and the enchanted glove made for her by Furia, sorcerous leader of the Honey Island city-state. Jessika Issagraine features in the 1st book of the Tales of Amma series.

source: anndr.deviantart.com via writeworld.deviantart.com

Attack, leap, defend, attack. Four words had placed their spell on the Prince, filled his legs with their fire and made the crown of his head cool as a pool of spirited water. Here in the rocks of Vassamoor's Old City, where the River Vak became a spineless stream of mud and twigs, Prince Sethus shed his mantle and melted into Seth. Just Seth. The boy for whom sorcery had been his sole friend on a friendless earth. The child with a heart overflowing with broken miracles, and a mother's promise whispering against his ear when the wind was chilly enough to hear her.

Memory flees from him. Seven years have bloomed and withered since the night Vassamoor shuddered and Death devoured its vaulted halls. Death and flames, all swirling together. Yet Seth can't taste those ashes, and each day passing into night washes and gnaws at his tongue and his mind, till even the taste of water becomes unknown to him.

He must train. He must grow. There's nothing left in Vassamoor to give his heart to. Only power seeds and grows in those red, red chambers.

Source: mull-art.deviantart.com via writeworld.tumblr.com

“Pretty, pretty, ripe and skinny, pretty, pretty human. Pretty little head to bite, pretty little voice to scream, pretty, pretty human.”

Children knew the footsteps and shielded their ears. As though hands not yet full-grown could overcome The Black Shiverhell once She came clicking for you from the vine-latticed woods.

“A great Spirit lives in those woods,” the spinning-mothers would whisper to their tiny charges squirming beneath the handwoven quilts long after the rest of the house had dipped into sleep. “Ages before our time, children; before the first goddess-blossoms grew from Virginia's fallen blood and washed us of our sins, the Spirits were lords over the earth...”

Word by word, the spinning-mothers fashioned them without ceasing, fluid as the spinning wheels trundling under their hands. They seemed the masters of everything. Surely, they were there over a thousand years ago when the War of the Realms began and ended, and every Spirit was driven out by the strength of Man and the new Gods they served?

“Pretty, pretty, ripe and fatty, pretty, pretty human. Pretty little morsel, pretty little bag of flesh, won't you let me in for supper?” She'd call out amid the trees.

The Black Shiverhell, Her first name lost to fable's dry winds, yet and still, survived. They said She was once a friend to foes. Even to the hunters who Shepherd of the soil, filling its power with the tools Her devotees used to know Her. Then as She opened her forest to mortal Man, the bark dried and the fruits blackened and ran sour.

Watch Her, and fear clogged in your throat and poisoned your nostrils, weakening you with an unshakeable sickness. A judgment of sequoias and righteous oaks and fresh sap's odor. Muskrats' bones jammed into Her body with the beauty of precious stones. Never touch her bark, children. It's formed from the souls of the trees that man destroys for the gain of his silken purses. See her? See her clambering to the clearing? Shut your eyes and turn to the east, where she can never look, or the River Pentras where she cannot cross.

Only the most zealous of the Witches tell the tale this way, though. There are others waiting for the curious child. Right there, in the mist of Elder's Wood.

__________________________________________________________

Author's Note: With the help of cosettethewitch I've decided to start using visual fantasy-related prompts to expand my worldbuilding more. It helps me to create things in a more impressionistic way.. like i'm watering a garden rather than building a cathedral. A lot of the worldbuilding I've been preoccupied with isn't even relevant to the main story. So this blog will feature less infodumpy tidbits from the world and far more narratives relating to the world. Building as I go. Meanwhile the actual story will be done on paper.

This story concerns one of the main themes in the world of Amma: Gods vs. Spirits. It takes place in the independent kingdom of Quilangua.

Virginia Copia, also called The Great Maiden, is a goddess of fertility, purity, marriage and a protector of children worshiped widely across much of Faelen and its former colonies all over the world. Goddess-blossoms are known to be her sacred flowers. The Black Shiverhell is the Spirit of Elder's Wood

The former requiring worship and utmost devotion, the latter requiring nothing but humility of soul, respect for ones self, others and for nature. Even though there are grey areas, and the Spirits have been known to be just as demanding as Gods, Gods are not seen as wholly separated from Spirits. They are a class of lesser spirits, not nearly as primordial as the greater ones, and often have a deeper connection to the people of Amma, being that many religious stories revolve around mortal people becoming Gods. Whereas rarely any revolve around mortal people becoming Spirits.

This dichotomy in some ways resembles Religion vs. Spirituality debates and though it was an unintentional schism, I can't pretend like my philosophical/spiritual ideals haven't subconsciously affected my fantasy writing in some way.

source: artek92.deviantart.com via writeworld.tumblr.com