Twenties• Him?Her? They? alien? all of the above, none of the below?• Someone called me soft once and now it’s my personality - I already love ya *heart eyes*
rules: find a line in your wip (dialogue or not) that fits the parameters given by the person who tagged you. then change one of the parameters and tag people.
tagging: @mashuheartwrites @maple-writes @that-chibi-writer @somealienquill - plus anyone who sees this!
your lines: mentions weather; said as a joke; about prophecy; mentions friends/family; shows mood
All my excerpts are under the cut.
About Moonlight/Sunlight (Unto Summer Kings)
Moonlight panned over their skin, as a river stone, its color a pale teal, with dots freckled across the otherwise unbroken surface. Glowing honey eyes, like the many fireflies that surrounded them, watched them with an unabashed curiosity, and dark hair floated in the water behind them.
“Little ones,” they murmured. “How curious it is that you, of all, stumble across my pool.”
Their voice was jarring to her ears - many echoed over each other, both young and old, low and high, deep and soft. It made her want to grind her teeth, even as she avoided making eye contact, staring at one of their pointed ears. Arthur had no such compunctions, as it seemed, staring wide-eyed at the creature that had arose from the water.
2. Is Said In Anger (The Vespertine)
Heat stung at their eyes, at their heart. How could he have lied to them? He was- supposed… He was supposed to be their friend.
Aselhi looked up at Jos through their bleary vision, their heart pounding in their ears. Their tongue felt heavy as a rock in their mouth, their words leaden with poison as they spoke, “You lied.”
He flinched, coiling smaller into himself. A twinge of shame as he said, “I know- I’m sorry! I just-”
“Just what?” They asked, anger surging up over them in a tide. “Wanted to dance with some peasant just so you could go back home and laugh about it where I can’t see?” Heat transformed into a truly painful sting as burn manifested fully on their skin, wrapping over their flesh as lightning. They cursed and turned, slamming open the door to their little hut and stomping outside.
“Aselhi, wait!”
3. Mentions Texture (The Vespertine)
Cold stone sharpened their awareness as they knelt, clasping their hands and bowing their head. Their voice joined a dozen others’ as the congregation greeted the rising sun as a sister, and said farewell to the setting moon like a brother. A dozen voices raised in song, simultaneously praising the Oversoul’s wisdom, shed upon the dark chaos of the world through the sun’s light, and lamenting those lost to the darkness of night, guided only by the moon’s reflection.
They rose after the prayers, folding their hands under their arms as they prepared to head out into the bitter winter winds.
4. Shows Tension (Unto Summer Kings)
It was the smoke that awoke him, tainting his dreams of treesong with the acrid, choking scent. He shook Morgana awake beside him, and beside her, the twins. Lancelot jumped to his feet, kicking Percival, who jolted to sit up and brought Drystan with him. “Where is Guinevere?”
Owain asked, having smacked his head against the wall in his haste to stand. He helped Morvydd stand up, tucking her against his side.
“She’s still with her uncle,” Lancelot said, and then swore. “We need to get out of here. I’ll go find her. Arthur, with me. Drystan, take Morgana and find us weapons. Percival, go with the twins, go see if you can’t get us some horses.”
5. Mentions Hearts/Heartbeat (Lodestar)
There was a dainty little ping, startling them. As they calmed their racing heart, a glimmer appeared in the corner of their eye, their HUD making itself known. An icon unfurled itself from the taskbar, shimmering blue-teal, in the shape of a compass rose.
“Greetings, citizen Lieve Fuchs!” chimed a cheery, feminine voice. “I am LODESTAR AI unit 097. As of 1300 hours on solar day September 15, 2105 CE, your company, AsteroiDew Incorporated, has entered a contract-“
“I know.” Lieve said, with more bite in their tone than intended. The AI fell silent. “I’ve known for a solar month now that you’ve been coming.”
“My apologies,” said the AI, something like regret emerging in its voice. “I did not mean to offend. Shall I simply skip ahead to my functions, Citizen Fuchs?”
Hello, writeblr! I finally caved and got tumblr, mostly because I love rambling about my wips and hearing other people ramble about theirs and all of that lovely stuff, so this seemed like a great platform to do that. With that being said, I plan on posting about my wips and ocs, as well as art related to those things, so if that interests you at all, I’d love to see you stick around. Also feel free to call me either Pumpkin or Maria, it’s entirely up to you!
About my writing
I’ve found that I really enjoy writing in a variety of genres, so hopefully at least one of my wips will tickle your fancy. Though I’d say a common thing for me is that I really like to world build, so my wips tend to be sci-fi, fantasy, or magical realism of some variety. Anything where I can put my own spin on the setting is something I’m bound to enjoy writing about.
I write in third person, usually with multiple povs, and I really enjoy character driven stories.
I often like to have a wide variety of ages in the cast, and if I had to pick a favorite trope it would be found family, so that’s usually present to some degree in my stuff.
Tonally, I always include light-hearted moments here and there, even if the wip is very bleak. It provides some levity, and I think it makes the painful stuff hit a lot harder. This is probably partially why I put some thought into each character’s sense of humor.
Most of my wips are geared towards older teens and adults, but I’ll get more into content warnings when I talk about each individually, because it really varies.
I’m one of those writers that kills off a lot of characters, so this is your warning not to get attached /j
I’m demisexual, so at least one character being on the ace spectrum is like a requirement for me at this point.
I’m a plantser, and pretty bad at staying motivated to actually finish first drafts.
About my wips
Falling Up
Falling Up is a sci-if story set in the future where Earth is a utopia where inhabitants experience little to no hardships throughout their lives. The deceased are replaced with AI created to replicate them, and everything is automated to the point where people no longer need to work to make a living. This lack of struggle results in dull, perfect lives and skewed morals. The people crave entertainment, even if it means making others suffer for it. Quasdom, a miniature man made planet initially intended to be used to separate deviants from the rest of the perfect society, is used as a catalyst for entertainment. The people of Quasdom believe that those on Earth are superior to them, and that Earth is a place where any wish can come true. This leads to the tourney, a death game between groups of ten on Quasdom, being viewed similarly to winning the lottery. The winning team gets to go to Earth, after all. Being chosen for the tourney is the luckiest thing that can happen to you. There’s no hard feelings between participants, death is completely painless, and the afterlife will welcome any participants to a better life than they previously had. There’s nothing to fear, so smile and put on a show.
A large cast and lots of character deaths
An exploration of why we get so attached to fictional characters, and how fiction can have an impact on reality
Probably going to be a trilogy
Content warnings include language, some unsettling themes, depictions of mental health issues, and generally things that are more psychological. Despite it being a death game, there’s no gore, like at all. The people on Earth may be desensitized, but they aren’t accustomed to seeing blood, so the tourney is designed with that in mind
Facade
Facade is set in a world where the living world and the spirit world coexist. Due to some actions by the main antagonist, about 20 years prior to the current story, spirits started getting aggressive and sort of going haywire. They possess any person they can, turning the individual into an uncontrollable killing machine. The best defense to this was the invention of a certain kind of mask that prevents possession, and masks quickly became widespread. Since there’s no known way to reverse spiritual possession, the only solution is to kill those that are unfortunate enough to meet that fate. A group led by an anonymous vigilante known as K9 seek to find a way to reverse possession. Many enemies are made along the way, and there are countless obstacles to face.
Its setting is based on Singapore and set in the 90s, though there are many creative liberties taken
The wip is currently pretty no plot just vibes
Themes about individuality vs equality
Content warnings include language and some sexual content
Facade: After Dark
While Facade is currently no plot just vibes, developing the characters led to me thinking of the plot for a prequel. Is it a self-indulgent novella about two of the characters I love? Yes, absolutely. In summary, it’s a romance novella about the the relationship of Leijing and Iris, and their struggles in navigating the wild world of Facade. They have vastly different upbringings and experiences, but their differences bring them together in more ways than one.
I have so much backstory for this pre-established couple and I couldn’t think of a good way to incorporate it into the main story without cutting a bunch of it, so boom it’s a prequel now
I’ve found that working on a wip that’s more low stakes and simple is really fun—I tend to get stressed about my more ambitious plots, so this wip is a great change of pace
Leijing is demisexual with little interest in anything sex related and Iris is an omnisexual sex worker, and the story explores how a world obsessed with all things sex can effect both more sex-negative and sex-positive people
Content warnings include language, explicit sexual content, and potentially triggering subject matters. This is my only wip where it’s strictly 18+!
Lights Out
Sunlight is the essence of life. Without it, the world would wither away. However, a dangerous new life form of unknown origin festers in the light. With long, elegant glimmering limbs, high intelligence, picturesque precision, and a craving for flesh, these organisms pose a major threat to humanity. But for some odd reason, these creatures refuse to step into any area where the sun doesn’t touch. Much of humanity takes to the shadows, building elaborate underground tunnels for civilizations and doing what humans do best—using their resources and ingenuity to adapt.
Has two protagonists that butt heads but start to develop a father daughter dynamic. A young adult girl who’s from the underground and unknowingly part of a cult, and an older man with one leg who’s so stubborn he’d rather fight and die than flee to the darkness
Lots of creepy cult imagery and themes about religious trauma
So much banter of course
Content warnings include language, disturbing imagery, and gore
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading! Asks, comments, tag games, and messages are always appreciated, and I’d love to hear about your wips as well!
THE BEAUTY OF THE MUNDANE LIFE OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS: A CLUSTERF*****
(the intro)
a snippet
The sound reverberated, flew into the winds the afternoon flowing into evening. The summer sun still held onto the sky as if it was early, just barely noon. The wisps of the cry of the blooming teenager fell into the richer neighbourhoods, through a gated community, full of expensive cars and mowed lawns and perfect little families. Spouses and children and the cars. So many expensive cars accompanied by mansions, one story for the less privileged and two stories or even higher for those who could obviously afford it.
“I love you, Jennifer!”
The next blooming and budding girl answered this love confession with a sigh and a grimace.
The boy holding out the flowers with a hopeful look, quickly retracted and horror overtook his features as he gasped, “Did you just grimace?”
(Oh, fuck, she did not mean to do that.) Oh, fuck, she did not mean to do that. Jennifer got a hold of herself again, throwing her inky black treses over her shoulder, masking her disdain with something of a, sort of, interest? A look that said ‘uhu, keep going,’ she used that one on the teachers a lot, it always worked. She so wanted to slam the door in his face but she couldn’t do that. She was better than that. (Hmm…)
“No, Jonah,” She smiled, “listen, you’re a great guy,”
He nodded in a hopeful agreement. Nice guys always wanted to hear that they were nice guys, even if they weren’t.
“But I’m in mourning right now, Oliver died just a couple of days ago,” His face turned into an animated worry, she nodded pouting, tucking a strand behind her ear. “It just doesn’t feel right to… date so soon after his death.”
“Oh no,” He whispered, the flowers seemed to wither slightly at his sadness. “Oliver was like your favourite dog.”
“He is ‒was,” She quickly added, “he really was, so… you understand right?”
She batted her eyelashes, she knew that widening her blue vibrant eyes slightly would work like a charm. He had to leave, like, right now. The neighbours jogging by were starting the stare and there was no way she would be seen with the likes of someone like Jonah. She shuddered at the thought and his poor choice of style.
“Yes,” He whispered, nodding. Jennifer's shoulders slumped in relief. This was going well. “I’ll wait for you.”
What.
(What?)
“I’m sorry what?”
“You need time right? So I’ll wait, I can wait forever!”
“Uh,” She stammered, “maybe… don’t do that?”
“I’ll be here until the end of time! Jennifer Lovesteine! For you I’ll wait forever!”
He exclaimed it loudly, so that it echoed not only into the street but also in her mind to her absolute horror.“Jonah? Jonah! Get back here ‒that’s not what I ‒” When Mrs. Bell cast a concerned look her way while watering her plants, Jennifer laughed awkwardly.
“He is…” She watched him skip into the sunset, clicking his heels. “Unwell.”
Under the category of “Things I’ve Learned About Writing by Actually Writing (Dammit)”:
1. There Might Not Be (and probably isn’t) “One Right Writing Process” for You. Each story might tell you it needs something different. Some things want structure before you can start. Some want to be imagined fully and then barfed out onto paper and set aside a while. Feel free to change what you do as you write to suit the story, and to suit you! It’s a process! Let it evolve!
2. You can be BOTH a plotter (structure-based writer) and a pantser (intuitive writer) — within the space of the same story! As with most things, there is more than one thing you can be, and you do not have to choose. I’ve used both structure and intuition, both beats and gut feel, to write stories. Sometimes the first draft is intuitive and the revisions are where the structure comes in. Sometimes I start with structure and then veer off course. Sometimes I start structure focused and then find I’m not enjoying myself and then veer back into intuition (my current situation). You don’t have to be One Thing Or The Other. Both, as always, is good.
Feel free to add your own things that you’ve learned — especially if they’re counter to the million freaking YouTube videos out there.
I cannot stress enough the importance of transformations that are not necessarily redemptive.
- Cold and misanthropic villains who learn to care for the people close to them
- Coerced villains/minions running away–not to help the heroes, but to help themselves
- Villains who have dedicated their life and existence to The Cause who develop agency, who begin making their own decisions for their own reasons, whether or not they are GoodTM decisions
- Bigoted villains who learn to stop being a dick in that specific area
- Villains otherwise driven by hate who reevaluate their motives if not their purpose
- Heroes so dedicated to The Cause that they stop caring for the people around them
- Heroes who stop caring in a healthy way, who become jealous or excessively competitive
- Characters on all sides with trust issues who learn to trust, if only one or two individuals
- Selfish characters who learn self-sacrifice, even if it's only for fellow team members instead of a hero team or a Noble CauseTM
- Characters who stand up to their abusers/refuse to be taken advantage of anymore in their interpersonal relationships outside the context of switching sides
There seems to be a growing expectation and even demand in fandom that villains be redeemed/redeemable, that heroes only become more GoodTM, and that anything else is somehow shortsighted or glorifying bad behavior. But people don't only grow in one direction, and personal progress doesn't have moral requirememts. Personal change doesn't have moral requirements.
People can learn to love, to trust, to grow, to think for themselves without experiencing a major paradigm shift, and people don't always experience major paradigm shifts for the better. The fight for GoodTM and its necessity can actually be highlighted by a hero who goes bad and must then be defeated by former allies. Agency can actually be more profound if it doesn't conform to expectations or tropes within the story, because it becomes twofold: the character in question liberates themselves not only from the restrictions imposed on them by their circumstances/leaders but from those imposed by the reader/viewer as well.
there's something soooooo satisfying about a first draft. nothing matters. absolutely nothing. it's so freeing! everything goes in! everything!! explore the ideas!! linger in the moments!! it will also be easier to pull back!! editing comes later!!!! the first draft is NOW!!!!!!!
GENRE: Neo-Noir, Urban Fantasy, Thriller.
CONTENT: Best Friends to Lovers, Ancient Conflict, Vampires vs Werewolves, Lone Wolf, Anti-Hero Protag.
SETTING: State of Auris in the world of Aetherius. Decades before IQRUS happens.
STATUS: Worldbuilding | Outlining.
MASTERPOSTS: SNIPPET | CHARACTERS | WORLDBUILDING
SYNOPSIS
Lonel has two secrets. One, he is the last of his kind since his mother was killed. Two, he is certain a vampire is to blame. These, however, are secrets he can’t tell anyone about. Vampires do not exist, and he can't be sure if his mind could be trusted anyway.
Until one day, during his daily forensic cleaner job, he witnesses a scene that changes everything.
LOCATIONS - IMPORTANT ASPECTS
AURIS CITY ― The capital of Auris, where everything happens.
HALL OF ECHOES ― The national museum of Auris. It's a place where every historical knowledge is stored, including mythical legends, and possible artefacts.
THE CRIMSON SHADOW ― A famous pub for VIP members only. Only those can enter who were invited, and to get an invitation, you need to meet certain requirements. The regulars, however, can't say anything about it. They sometimes seem to not be able to. There are also rumours about occasional orgies, and that it's a strip club than anything else in actuality.
CHARACTERS
LONEL. A lone forensic cleaner who’s secretly helping the police while cleaning the crime scenes. He's a dangerous man with an obsession over his mother's death. Yet, for the things and people he cares, he cares deeply.
pinterest | playlist
SELYS DUMWERMER. Lonel's almost only friend, and superior as chief detective at the station. An eccentric gentleman with a mysterious, melancholic aura around him.
pinterest | playlist
ODENA SLYHER. A talented archaeologist, and member of the Hall of Echos. As much as she's interested in human history, she is still an expert on the subject of supernatural, and mythical beings. Lonel's childhood acquaintance as he would call her. She, however, rather prefers to be called a friend.
pinterest | playlist
LORD VOLERON DE NOMEUR. One of the richest men of Auris. He’s funding a lot of institutes and owns The Crimson Shadow as well. He’s not the governor, but some say he’s much more.
pinterest | playlist
AUTHOR'S NOTE | TAGS
Will edit this post as I go and share more stuff. Made this when I had the biggest urge to write some Lonel stuff eh. Everything is subject to change.
Thank you for checking it out, loves! ♡
TAG LIST: @bloodlessheirbyjacques, @the-void-writes, @circa-specturgia
Oysters and lemon mignonette - Common flavors put together that have to be broken down and deconstructed, foreshadowing what happens to the guests. This is Chef throwing down the gauntlet.
Amuse Bouche - More foreshadowing. Charred lace - crater. Milk snow - ash from the fire. Cucumber and melon - the guests.
The Island - Scallop on a rock - Chef presenting himself to the guests. Plants - “in the weeds”
Breadless bread plate - straight up snarking at picky customers. But you can also make a case for Lilian’s plate having a broken emulsion on purpose as his way of saying SHE’S as useless as a broken emulsion.
Memory - Self explanatory
The Mess - Pressurized vegetables - literal pun. Bone marrow - blood. Beef jus - sweat. Potato confit - tears. As a whole, it’s essentially a dead body with blood pouring out. It even has a hole for the bullet.
Man’s Folly - Plum vinegar exists because of Umeboshi, whey plays a vital part in making yogurt, sea kelp and lettuce are what keeps the oceans biome from wreaking havoc. But everyone either doesn’t know that or forgets, because they don’t taste good, aren’t as attractive, or can be very difficult to work with in their natural form. It’s the same with women, especially when they try to speak out against unfair treatment like what the chef describes, and get called things like “bottom feeders”, like the dungeness crab.
Final scene with Margot/Erin eating the cheeseburger - She didn’t care about giving him peace of mind. She just wanted to survive. And Chef acknowledged that.
Using his menu as a napkin - She never believed anything he said for one second. She is, in fact, a taker that knows her worth. And THAT’S why she lived.
Mumbles & Musings – For Writers, By WritersMUMBLESMUSINGS.COM
If you’re interested in any more of my writing and/or would like to join a great, inclusive, supportive writing group, check this out! I publish under the name Meagan Grace.
Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, & then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! Tag as many people as you have WIPS. (optional)
So I don't have everything on here but I tried to get a broad range!
Klein Security Keycards
"I'm back."
Nightmare- Chapter ? (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Showtime
Memories of Needles
Showtime- Chapter ? (1, 2, 3, 4)
Wise of Odin- Chapter ?
Spell on You
Bite Me
Ball Trap
Lords
Blue Dress
Interview- Chapter ? (1, 2)
Suzie Klasky
Bad End
Summaries
Locked Out
The light of the laser died
The moment the door closed
What appeared to be Liza
I'll tag, with no pressure, @magic-is-something-we-create, @mariahwritesstuff, @chauceryfairytales, @mashuheartwrites, @happyorogeny, @rhikasa, @rhiannon-writes, @scmalarky, @inkwell-attitude, @loopyhoopywrites, @raevenlywrites, @pheita, @fields-of-ink, @taz-writes, @stardustspiral, @merigreenleaf, @howdywrites, @lettersandinkstains, @sleepyowlwrites, and free for all!
雅珠 | Mashu Words @mashuheartwrites - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
