Meteor Writes

Weave curiosity. A writeblr by an aerospace engineer/ dice enthusiast. Feel free to send me an ask or tag me in things! 

[meteorwrites]

Thumbprint Challenge

rules: look back on your work, both past and present, finished and unfinished. what are five to ten narrative elements or tropes that continuously pop up in your work? tag as many people as the number of tropes you listed.

1. Found family. I love exploring the relationships characters have with one another, especially deep platonic bonds that form from found family relationships. There are just so many fun ways to work with that, from cute scenes to a betrayal made all the deeper. 

2. Magic. I like magic. It’s in most of my stories, and if it isn’t, there’s technology that might be considered magic if you squint. I love the mystery of it all, and I often draw from real-life theories to explain my magic systems. 

3. Moments of wonder. There’s always that moment where something impossible or indescribable happens, and I love playing off of the emotions in that moment. 

4. Surprise, it was ME the WHOLE TIME! I enjoy hiding villains and important characters in plain sight. Bonus points if the main characters have established a relationship with the character without knowing their true identities or allegiances. The payoff from the revelation of identity can be one of the best moments of a story. 

5. Female POV. Most of the time, I tend to write from a female character’s perspective. That isn’t true all of the time, but I’d say 75% of my writing has a woman or girl as the central character. 

Tagging: @creatorofuniverses @neonthebright @goodacorns And of course, if you see this and wish to join in on the fun, consider yourself tagged! 

[meteorwrites]

The search for perfection is a lie. In tugging at each little out-of-place string, you risk unraveling the very fabric of what you are trying to create. 

Instead of chasing an unobtainable ideal, let your work exist simply, genuinely. Instead of carving it into shape, let it bloom into the shape it wishes to be and trim the rough edges. 

[meteorwrites]

You asked me how the stars were born. I could have told you many things, of the dance between gravity and pressure. How elements collide and photons scramble for eons in the convective turbulence beneath the sun’s skin before erupting, flowing, freely flying through the emptiness of the void, before declining to kiss your shoulder. I could have told you how gravity finally wins out.  But instead, I told you that stars were born from the ashes of their mothers. And with each birth, like phoenixes of the cosmos, light began anew.

L. B. Larson (via meteorwrites)

[wordsnstuff]

Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.

Louis L’Amour (via wordsnstuff)

[luthienne]

It had been a mild, serene spring day—one of those days which, towards the end of March or beginning of April, rise shining over the earth as heralds of summer.

Charlotte Brontë, from Jane Eyre (via luthienne)

[oliviapaigewrites-deactivated20]

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ONE! Don’t ignore this in your writing!

[thescribesloft]

Tips for developing wildlife in your stories

Whether it’s a sci-fi story about an alien planet or a fantasy world with hybrid creatures, the flora and fauna of a world is another component that adds to the color and diversity.

Not all alien and fantasy creatures are dangerous. Yes, it’s interesting to be hunted, but there are plenty of fascinating vegetarian creatures.

There is macro fauna and micro fauna. Not all alien and fantastic creatures are ridable like dragons and that weird fifteen-legged horse-like monster from planet x.

Creatures follow their own set of rules. People like to write about alien and fantastic creatures as if they are unpredictable and confusing, but every animals has habits and reasons for doing what they do. They eat, sleep, breed, defend their territory, and repeat. The only reason they become violent is because their daily routine is interrupted and they feel threatened.

It is true some animals can be domesticated and/or hunted into extinction, but many creatures don’t have to be. They can work together with humans to achieve a common goal. Wolves have been known to assist humans in hunts and dolphins have been known to help herd fish into nets and afterward everyone splits the profits.

All animals, including humans, have natural habitats they are designed for and they don’t necessarily involve water or sand like some people think.

Creatures can adapt. If they are removed from their home biomes, they can still survive, but they may not be happy or be able to use all of the talents and powers they were meant to.

Survival is a key component. When presented with danger, there are creatures that will run and creatures that will fight. And there are creatures that may do one or the other depending on the situation.

Many creatures are territorial. Assuming the alien species or fantastic creatures have genders, the males tend to be more aggressive in order to protect their mates, offspring territory, and sources of food.

Mating rituals are both fun and interesting to write. It’s probably the most colorful (and noisiest) display of these animals’ lives.

Not all alien and fantasy creatures are ugly, scaly, and slimy. Many creatures can camouflage and sometimes if the sun hits them just right, they may shine with rainbows. They don’t have to have feathers.

Some creatures encourage the environment. There are pollinators, nature’s trashcans known as scavengers, and fertilizers. But there are also creatures that can harm environments and endanger the lives and habits of other creatures. Invasive species cause problems all around the world and people have even made laws and regulations to prevent the transport and cultivation of these creatures. Sometimes these harmful creatures can be humans.

[kriss-the-writing-nerd]

This is really on point, great work! o(^◇^)o

If I may add: 

- Monogamy (forming a life-long relationship with a single partner alternatively having a single partner at a time (serial-monogamy)) is a really interesting thing in nature, especially from an evolutionary perspective. Birds are very often monogamous and even some fish form monogamous pairs, and mammalian species are rarely monogamous (some noteworthy ones are wolves, beavers, prairie voles and Kirk’s dik-dik). It‘s often a social monogamy, meaning that the offspring may come from several genetic sources, but are raised by a monogamous pair that stick together. It is also slightly more common for social monogamy to evolve in species where it takes a long time for the young to be raised and/or where there is a threat of another potential mate killing the young.

- Is reproduction coupled to something else? Is there a need for special conditions (storms, heat, eating a certain something)? To take a real-life example, many corals only spawn in warm water under a full moon!

- Aging and maturation of the creatures. Are they long lived? Do they mature early? Late? These are all factors that could influence your creatures in regard to social structure and life-choices.

This was a side-note, but if your world-building is very detailed, or you write about the social structure of a pack animal (werewolves anyone??), I encourage you to consider it. The behavior regarding the young and the caretaker exhibited by your alien or fantasy creature could be very important and interesting!

[meteorwrites]

Writer asks: carnegie and o'connor? o^^o

Hey! Thanks so much for the ask!

carnegie: what authors and/or books/stories have inspired you to write or influenced your work?

When I was younger, I was really inspired by Christopher Paolini’s Inheritence Cycle, because I loved his writing, his books had dragons in them (which I was, and still am, obsessed with), and he was only sixteen (fifteen?) at the time he first got published. I thought to myself, “If he can get published as a teenager, then I can too!” That didn’t end up happening, but he was still a driving force of inspiration for many years. Nowadays I’m inspired by stories like The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak, who breaks the mold and takes risks in his writing style which really pay off. (You should absolutely check out his books if you haven’t already, The Book Thief is narrated by Death himself and he is a snarky bastard.) 

o’connor: what tropes/genres do you dislike writing?

That’s a really hard question! I guess I could say I dislike anything I’m forced to write. Like essays in school. Those were always murder. As for tropes, I try to avoid love triangles. Though I do enjoy writing romance, as I’ve discovered recently. Love triangles are just… they tend to feel the same. “I can’t choose between the genuine sweetheart, and the edgy sexbomb with abusive tendencies.” 

[meteorwrites]

10 and 13 for the trope writing prompt thing

Thank you so much! I had tons of fun writing these, I love fragments. 

10: Power-Upgrading Deformation 

“Everything demanded sacrifice. That, he knew. But as he slipped the quivering soul of his former lover into the glass, he paused. Just for a moment. Wondering if all of this was worth it. 

But then he remembered how the power shiver-stepped in his veins. How the world bent and buckled to his will. 

So, like a good little warlock, he proceeded. His lover’s whispers faded, words deforming, cries cracking into splinters. 

It was worth it. Wasn’t it?” 

13: Breaking Bad News Gently 

“Here’s the thing about bad news. You can’t always break it gently. Gentle words invite softness, the slumping of shoulders, the crumpling inwards, brokenness, utter and supreme loss coinciding with the syllables. Shattering you slowly. Falling, without a sound, until your voice cracks beneath you. 

There is nothing gentle about bad news. Treat it as a poisonous serpent, demanding of respect, yet handled gingerly. Let there be no cushion, no fumbling, no dancing around the truth. 

Let it simply be. Without doubt. Without indecision. For with truth must come facing of fears, must come wide eyes and open ears. 

Truth is a catalyst. Do not dull it into inhibition, or twist it behind your head as a blindfold, tightening the knot at the back of your skull, for if the truth cannot be seen it is still the truth.” 

[mckitterick]

Astronomers Capture First Image of a Black Hole

An international network of radio telescopes called the Event Horizon Telescope have captured an image of a black hole and its shadow for the first time, a historic feat.

The Event Horizon Telescope - a planet-scale array of eight ground-based radio telescopes forged through international collaboration - was designed to capture images of a black hole. In coordinated press conferences across the globe, EHT researchers unveiled the first direct visual evidence of a supermassive black hole and its shadow:

Here’s an artist’s representation of what you’re seeing:

Watch the video for a full description, and (once it’s back online - I assume it’s overwhelmed right now!) check out the ESA site. In the mean time, here’s the NASA site: X

HISTORIC DAY

[mckitterick]

A little more info:

The disc of stuff you see is called an “accretion disk.” As the gravity attracts everything inward toward the singularity, stuff orbiting it spins faster and faster. Things that aren’t around the singularity’s equator just fall inside the event horizon. On the equator, the spin flings them out (sort of like centrifugal force) for a while.

Modern simulations make the light look like it surrounds the black hole even over the poles, but that’s because of gravitational lensing from our perspective.

Then there’s the black spot at the center, where even photons can’t escape - that’s the size of the event horizon, within which we can’t see. So the “shadow” is kind of the black hole itself!

[mckitterick]

…and it’s today’s Google Doodle!

[mairights]

writer asks 📃

send these to a writer you know or answer some yourself!

ink: what do you do to “set the mood” when writing?

pen and paper: do you prefer writing by hand or on a device? why?

diary: how many pieces have you written that are just for you or will never see the light of day?

journal: do you ever write just so you can enjoy something to read?

novella: do you prefer to write short stories, one-shots, or entire novels?

pulitzer: tell about/link a piece where you fielt your writing was the best.

genre: what genre do you prefer to write in?

narrator: what pov do you like writing in best?

backstory: how did you come to love writing?

time-lapse: how long have you been writing (as a hobby or for work)?

characterization: describe your favorite character(s) you’ve written.

carnegie: what authors and/or books/stories have inspired you to write or influenced your work?

faulkner: what tropes do you LOVE writing? which ones are your guilty pleasure?

o’connor: what tropes/genres do you dislike writing?

dickinson: what insecurities do you have about your own writing? what do you think you should improve on?

playlist: what kind of music/songs help you write? do you have a writing playlist?

record: have you written things based off of songs? do you like to?

nobel: have you published anything you’ve written? online or irl?

notepad: can you write anywhere or do you have to be in a specific place and mood to write?

parchment: how often do you or your personal life influence your writing?

dedication: if you were to publish a book or multiple, who would you dedicate the book(s) to?

trope: what’s a pet peeve you have about writing?

input: what’s something you hate that people say to you about writing/your writing?

critic: what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about writing?

mifflin: what do you feel is your strong suit in writing?

houghton: what’s something you love that people compliment your pieces on?

[leafsea]

singular

swallowing starlight is easy when you remember that the only thing bones know how to do is hold on;

i can go on & on & on about how memory is as good as dream,

because just like a dream, everything you remember was only real once

if all experience is merely food for the mind then all is as real as i believe it to be believe it to be

the stars are wishful: they are the seekers, the travelers

and every planet, every moon, every asteroid is the skeleton of the universe

clinging to space, waiting for something to happen

[trickormemes]

Trope Writing Prompts

Send me a number 1 thru 50 for a trope that I’ll use to write a headcanon, drabble, or starter. Send 🖋️  for a random number instead. All tropes taken from TV Tropes.

01. — creepy cemetery 02. — eyeless face 03. — pet baby wild animal 04. — occam’s razor 05. — out of the inferno 06. — consolation prize 07. — dark is not evil 08. — light is not good 09. — concert kiss 10. — power-upgrading deformation 11. — ignorant of their own ignorance 12. — the power of hate 13. — breaking bad news gently 14. — alien invasion 15. — bad samaritan 16. — uncanny valley 17. — damage-proof vehicle 18. — hidden in plain sight 19. — chandler’s law 20. — prodigal hero 21. — make it look like an accident 22. — cosmic horror story 23. — divided we fall 24. — opinion-changing dream 25. — house of broken mirrors 26. — sphere of destruction 27. — fantastic flora 28. — ominous fog 29. — protagonist journey to villain 30. — didn’t think this through 31. — bare-handed blade block 32. — wild child 33. — tragic keepsake 34. — helpful hallucination 35. — loyal animal companion 36. — a chat with satan 37. — adorkable 38. — star-crossed lovers 39. — forgiven, but not forgotten 40. — same clothes, different year 41. — reincarnation 42. — throat light 43. — goofy print underwear 44. — the dead have eyes 45. — immediate self-contradiction 46. — befriending the enemy 47. — vitriolic best buds 48. — mundane made awesome 49. — hiding behind religion 50. — a god am i

[callitgoodwriting-deactivated20]

Dialogue with Emotional Connotations

Use these as prompts, reference, or whatever else you’d like. I had fun making this list. 

Part 2 now published

Dialogue That’s Like a Love Letter

“It was always you.”

“Can you just hold my hand?”

“I love you in every possible way.”

“You are your own person. You are not mine. But I hope you will let me love you.”

“I wished every day to hold you once more.”

“You are a fountain of good fortune, my love.”

“Seeing your face is like drinking water after a lifetime in the desert.”

“There is something between us and it is the most beautiful thing I have ever felt.”

“If I could stay here with you forever, I would.”

“You had the deftness of a master thief when you stole my heart.”

“You are the first thing on my mind, the last thought before sleep, and my truest love.”

Dialogue That Tugs at Those Heart Strings

“You made me feel weak.”

“I didn’t mean to love you so much.”

“You were the only person I thought I could trust.”

“You promised you wouldn’t forget me.”

“I don’t have anyone else.”

“I thought you still loved me.”

“You never cared that you broke my heart.”

“It wasn’t supposed to end this way.”

“Please just stay with me. For one moment at least.”

“You’re leaving now?”

“You didn’t miss me at all?”

“I can’t love you anymore.”

“I wish I was sorry.”

“All these years and you decide to break my heart now?”

“Did I ever really matter to you?”

Dialogue That is Angry

“Admit that you’re wrong!”

“Do not compare yourself to me.”

“My hate for you runs deeper than your ego.”

“You left me!”

“You will never know how I feel.”

“Liar!”

“I wish you were dead.”

“You will regret this.”

“Get away from me!”

“I don’t know you anymore.”

Dialogue That is Sunshine and Smiles

“This is my favorite time of day.”

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Feel it, it’s soft.”

“He’s adorable, what’s his name?”

“Let’s take the long way home.”

“I know it’s early, but you have to see this sunrise.”

“Paint with me.”

“I love it. It’s amazing.”

“Look at those stars.”

“You’re absolutely fantastic.”

[abalonetea]

I just got home from a super busy day (and it’s not quite done yet) but I would love some asks to play around with this evening!

[abalonetea]

still taking these!

[meteorwrites]

The Glimpse Harmonic // Series Moodboard

“I still think about that, sometimes. About how all of this started with the shattering of a plate, and a single, unthinking retort in defense of a helpless girl. It kind of puts things in perspective. It makes me wish I knew what exactly my mind was doing when it orchestrated all this. But, unfortunately, all of that is instinctual. Unconscious. Fate tugs on itself, like a web- you pull at one corner, and the rest stretches to accommodate it. It knows what has to move, even when I don’t. I lost that knowledge long ago.” 

[meteorwrites]

Endings Are Hard

You’ve done it. You’ve found the idea for the perfect plot. Your characters are fleshed out, practically breathing on the page. You even have the motivation to actually sit down and write the damn thing.

The only problem is... you don’t have an ending. 

Endings are hard. You’ve got to find a way to tie up all those little plot threads you put out there, as well as make the journey have an interesting and satisfying conclusion for your characters. So how do you find the perfect ending? 

Plenty of internet advice writers will say that you should know your ending before you start writing. That it will give you something to write towards, that it can act like a lighthouse among the stormy seas of your plot and uncooperative characters. 

But I, unlike many, have a different solution to this problem. For when the ending just isn’t coming. For when having no ending is actually keeping you from writing. 

Write anyways. 

Seriously. Go write. Muddle through the swamp without a lantern. Go gently into that good night of the unknown, and see what you discover.

Some of my best plot twists, my best characters, arise from throwaway lines and spontaneous decisions that are impossible to make ahead of time. These little details can form the building blocks to a satisfying, workable ending. Sure, you’ll have to tweak some things at the end. Make a few adjustments. That’s part of this ‘wandering’ writing process. 

And most of the time, getting stuck on the ending is a sign of a bigger problem. Maybe some of your plot points don’t really fit that well together. Maybe you actually don’t know your characters all that well, so you don’t know what they’d do in ending-style situations. Both of these issues can be fixed by exploring the plot (and characters!) by writing. It’ll be a process of discovery, of course, certainly not polished. 

But in the end, this is a first draft. That’s part of the point. 

If you can’t plot it, then pants it. Good luck. 

[memoryslandscape-deactivated202]

You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile the world goes on. Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting - over and over announcing your place in the family of things.

Mary Oliver, “Wild Geese,” Dream Work (Atlantic Monthly Press, 1986)