Creative Writing Endeavors

I talk about my writing and my reading here (reading makes me a better writer, so I like to post my thoughts on my reading here, too). Picrew is makowka character maker, check the pinned for a link!

[mirrors-writing]

Pinned!

Main: @mads-aka-mirror Ao3: themirrorswish Picrew for PFP: makowka character maker And of course, some information about my current projects below the cut. Do note that I'll spoiler any postings that could either spoil the fic itself or the source material it was from, and I'll be clear in the post what for.

Long-Fic - The Roads We Stumble Onto (M-Rating) The House in the Cerulean Sea (TJ Klune) / Somewhere Beyond the Sea (TJ Klune) Summary: Sal reaches out for help after things at university go horribly wrong, and Arthur and Linus come to take him home, a cross-country drive. Sal proves to be less than forthright about what's eating at him. Arthur and Linus are capable of picking up on a few worrying signs, not the least of which being a concerning alcohol dependency. Arthur and Linus know something is hurting Sal, but they struggle to help since they don't know the root cause.

Meanwhile, though Arthur and Linus made an entire itinerary to get them home as quickly and safely as possible, nothing ever goes quite as planned in the Baker-Parnassus household, even out on the road. When things start to go wrong, they find themselves in various places they'd never planned to stop. Some are dangerous, some are welcoming, and one in particular holds an unexpected history that may prove to upend Linus's whole life.

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Original Fic - "Bodega Creatures" (working title) (I'm less inclined to share stuff about this one but do know I'm working on an original fic too) Romance, urban fantasy, magical realism, vampirexshifter Summary of the vibes: Mateo Rodriguez finds himself in the throes of an abusive relationship, thousands of miles away from his home. Even if he wanted to return home, doing so would be a whole ordeal, given his recently developed vampirism and his family's propensity to Christian ideals. Lyle Miller is a shifter who, ever since his parents' untimely deaths, has always felt like the odd one out in his strained extended family. He can tell they grow tired of dealing with his sensitivities and disabilities. Both are in need of a home, and a chance encounter changes their lives for the better.

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Long-Fic - "The Middle Grounds" Good Omens I have no idea where this will land rating-wise. It's going to be a re-writing of a comic I started a long time ago, and it's really a side-project for when the others aren't sparking joy for whatever reason. Relatively spoiler free summary: After the averted apocalypse, Crowley finally feels safe enough to explain to Aziraphale who he was before his Fall. Except, it's not quite that simple. Before Crowley existed as he does, there was the Archangel Raphael. Through a process known as soul severing, Raphael was split into two beings living in the same corporation. One of those beings became Crowley, who took over after their Fall. Raphael was always there, just beneath the surface of their subconscious, content to remain quiet for fear of repercussion from the demons, who don't take kindly to former Archangels.

The story follows Aziraphale, Crowley, and now Raphael, through some millennia following the averted apocalypse. In it, we get to dip into their mindscapes as they enjoy the best parts of their lives and struggle with the most difficult changes to come.

[cryotrash]

Did you know that most plot holes can be fixed by making your characters canonically stupid

"This doesn't make any sense, why would he ever-" my man hasn't stumbled onto a thought in years

[rhysintherain]

Fun and easy ways to temporarily make your smart characters stupid:

Sleep deprivation

Drugs

Pretty girl

Pretty not girl

Hungry

Stressed out

Got bored and stopped listening

[mirrors-writing]

Man what if I wrote a oneshot where Arthur and Linus (The House in the Cerulean Sea / Somewhere Beyond the Sea) adopt Cuno de Ruyter (Disco Elysium)? And maybe Cunoesse, too? Wouldn't that be something? (no seriously comment if you're interested, consider this an interest check dfjkdfjk) Disco Elysium spoilers under the cut and also just. Substance abuse CW.

Kid's got actual addiction problems (amphetamines). Dad's an alcoholic. Kid's got serious repression issues, or at least it's implied.

"Cuno made himself into Cuno. Cuno can make himself into anything. Cuno can make himself into a pig if he wants, Cuno can make himself into a f****t. Cuno doesn't give a shit."

Actual line from the game. And like, yeah. I think Arthur could fix Cuno, and I think Linus and Zoe could fix Cunoesse. (Though I do kinda like the game's canon of Cuno breaking it off with Cunoesse).

Meanwhile they get to meet Harry and Kim and that's a whole fun thing. Yeah. I mean it's an outlandish crossover idea that I don't even think there's enough crossover for me to even... bother? But man. Imagine. If you will.

[luna-azzurra]

Character Flaws/Quirks in Fantasy Worldbuilding That I'm BEGGING Writers to Explore

Please, please, PLEASE.....

✧ Magic systems with actual consequences that aren't just "ooh I'm tired now." Like your wizard gets hiccups that turn into burps of flame for three days. Your necromancer's hair falls out in clumps. Your healer has to absorb a percentage of the pain they cure and spends evenings crying in the bath.

✧ Fantasy creatures that are just... kinda mid at their designated thing. Dragons who are afraid of heights. Vampires with a garlic intolerance that's more "lactose intolerant at a pizza party" than "instant death." Werewolves who transform but just become a really anxious medium-sized dog.

✧ Prophecies that are vague because the ancient oracle genuinely had terrible handwriting. Nobody can agree if it says "the chosen one" or "the chicken coop" and honestly both are equally possible at this point.

✧ Magic schools where students are failing because the curriculum is actually hard, not because they're the chosen one having drama. Let someone flunk Potions because they can't math the ratios. Academic probation exists in fantasy too.

✧ Dark Lords with the most mundane administrative problems. Yes, he's conquering the realm, but also the castle's plumbing is a nightmare and his generals keep submitting their expense reports late.

✧ Worldbuilding that remembers disabled people exist in fantasy settings too. No, not just "magically healed." I mean fantasy wheelchairs, accessibility spells, sign language variations, service dragons, the whole deal.

✧ Taverns that aren't just quest-dispensing machines. Sometimes the innkeeper is closed for a family emergency. Sometimes there's karaoke night and it's bad. Sometimes they're out of the stew because Greg ordered all of it.

✧ Kingdoms with actual boring stuff that affects the plot. Tax reforms. Infrastructure bills. That bridge everyone uses? Someone had to budget for that. The hero's quest gets delayed because the Transport Committee is arguing about funding.

[pantserspen]

10 Ways to INTENSIFY your stories Plot

Add a second problem that won’t stay in its lane. While the main conflict grows, introduce another issue that keeps interfering and making choices harder.

Give every victory a cost. Let each solution create a new complication instead of clean relief.

Turn side characters into sources of pressure. Their needs, secrets, or mistakes should actively affect the main plot, not sit politely in the background.

Reveal information at the worst possible time. Timing alone can make a simple twist feel devastating.

Force the protagonist to choose between two things they want. The plot thickens when there’s no option that feels “right.”

Let past actions come back ugly. Consequences that arrive late hit harder and deepen the story’s layers.

Complicate the antagonist. Give them leverage, allies, or a point that almost makes sense.

Change the stakes midway. What the story is about shifts, even though the conflict stays connected.

Introduce a secret that reframes earlier scenes. Not a random twist—one that makes the reader rethink what they already know.

Let the character’s inner conflict sabotage the plot. Their flaws should actively make things worse.

KEEP READING!

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[pantserspen]

How to Fix Overwriting

1. Know why you’re overwriting.

Overwriting usually comes from fear—fear the reader won’t feel enough, understand enough, or care enough. When you know why you’re adding too much, you can fix the cause instead of just cutting words.

2. Remove repetition, not emotion.

If multiple sentences express the same idea, keep the strongest one. You’re not deleting feeling—you’re sharpening it.

3. Trust the reader to understand subtext.

Readers don’t need every emotion spelled out. Actions, reactions, and choices already communicate more than explanation ever could.

4. Use one concrete detail instead of many vague ones.

Specific sensory or physical details create stronger emotion than listing abstract feelings. One image lets the reader do the emotional work.

5. Filter description through your character’s perspective.

Your character won’t notice everything, especially in intense moments. Limiting description to what they would notice keeps scenes tight and immersive.

6. Cut intensifiers immediately.

Words like very, really, and extremely weaken prose instead of strengthening it. Strong verbs and images do the job better.

7. Let dialogue stand on its own.

Dialogue already carries tone and emotion through word choice and rhythm. Adding explanations often flattens its impact.

8. Keep metaphors purposeful and rare.

Too many metaphors compete with each other and slow the scene. One strong comparison is more memorable than several decent ones.

9. Read your work out loud.

Overwriting becomes obvious when you hear it. If a sentence feels long, heavy, or tiring to say, it likely needs trimming.

10. Ask what the paragraph accomplishes.

Every paragraph should move the story forward, reveal character, or raise tension. If it doesn’t, it’s probably indulgent filler.

11. Edit separately from drafting.

Overwriting is allowed in early drafts. Clean prose comes from revision, not self-censorship while writing.

12. Cut more than you think you should.

Most overwritten paragraphs can lose 30–50% of their words without losing meaning. Tightening prose almost always makes it stronger.

[mirrors-writing]

My muse is telling me to write first-person Sal.

[mirrors-writing]

My muse is fucking on to something.

[mirrors-writing]

My muse is telling me to write first-person Sal.

[mirrors-writing]

The Journal of a Black Queer Nurse by Britney Daniels

I've just finished my first book of the year! This was quite the informative and enlightening read. Fast-paced, too, broken up in bite-sized portions so it's very easy to read.

In this memoir, Britney Daniels, a travel-nurse, recounts her experiences working for various hospitals around the USA, including during the COVID pandemic. If you pick this up, I'd encourage you to pay attention to how things like the right to comfort come up in Britney's experiences, and perhaps reflect on what you can do to garner more empathy for people in your life, especially Black, Brown, and Queer folks. As Britney says in her closing remarks: empathy saves lives, and no place is that more true than in the medical field.

[mirrors-writing]

The Paragon Hotel (Lindsay Faye) (DNF)

My first (attempted) read of the year, and ... I'm gonna just copy and paste my Storygraph explanation here, I think.

I hit the 30% mark and really had to sit down and think about if I wanted to finish this. And unfortunately, though I enjoyed the first few chapters, I had to admit I wasn't really getting anything out of it.

Something about the way the characters are described was beginning to rub me the wrong way. I get the sense that this book could have used some (more?) input from Black sensitivity readers. "Charcoal-colored skin," was the moment that broke my benefit of the doubt, because, like, c'mon now. Really? 

Moreover, I think the writing style being something I would describe as "fun" - I'm pretty sure I had the thought that it feels straight out of a black-and-white 20th century movie, back when acting was all over-the-top... Well, the "fun," writing style clashes with the serious and sensitive nature of the subject matter.

Not my cup of tea.

[mirrors-writing]

I have reached an important decision about my long form Cerulean Chronicles fanfic, and it's that I'm going to divorce it from the Somewhere Beyond the Sea canon.

[mirrors-writing]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Cerulean Chronicles Series - TJ Klune Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Linus Baker/Arthur Parnassus Characters: Linus Baker, Arthur Parnassus Additional Tags: AU - Magical Linus, DICOMY is Terrible, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, mentions of medical abuse, Written in a day, Linus's Mom is Terrible Series: Part 2 of Roads AU (Cerulean Chronicles) Summary:

A quiet afternoon of baking is disrupted when Linus remembers something particularly troubling.

Done for the Domestic December Prompt Challenge. Prompt: "Don't be Mad, but..." (Not literally, but in spirit)

[mirrors-writing]

I have been convinced to do a prompt challenge...

So here's Day 01 for Traffic Jam, featuring my personal AU vampire and adult Sal and some of his family (OCs, of course). https://archiveofourown.org/works/75263326

[mirrors-writing]

I've finished Atonement and it's just, oh, y'know.

One of those kinds of endings. (5/5, exemplary work of literature, will read again)

[rederiswrites]

There used to be a lot of activities that took place around a populated area like a village or town, which you would encounter before you reached the town itself. Most of those crafts have either been eliminated in the developed world or now take place out of view on private land, and so modern authors don't think of them when creating fantasy worlds or writing historical fiction. I think that sprinkling those in could both enrich the worlds you're writing in and, potentially, add useful plot devices.

For example, your travelers might know that they're near civilization when they start finding trees in the woods that have been tapped, for pitch or for sap. They might find a forester's trap line and trace it back to his hut to get medical care. Maybe they retrace the passage of a peasant and his pig out hunting for truffles. If they're coming along a coast, maybe your travelers come across the pools where sea water is dried down to salt, or the furnaces where bog iron ore is smelted.

Maybe they see a column of smoke and follow it to the house-sized kilns of a potter's yard where men work making bricks or roof tiles. From miles away they could smell the unmistakeable odor of pine sap being rendered down into pitch, and follow that to a village. Or they hear the flute playing of a shepherd boy whiling away the hours in the high pasture.

They could find the clearing where the charcoal burners recently broke down an earth kiln, and follow the hoof prints and drag marks of their horse and sledge as they hauled the charcoal back to civilization. Or follow the sound of metal on stone to a quarry or gravel pit. Maybe they know they're nearly to town when they come across a clay bank with signs of recent clay gathering.

Of course around every town and city there will be farms, more densely packed the closer you are. But don't just think of fields of grains or vegetables. Think of managed woodlands, like maybe trees coppiced-- cut and then regrown--to customize the shape or size of the branches. Cows being grazed in a communal green. Waiting as a huge flock of ducks is driven across the road. Orchards in bloom.

If they're approaching by road, there will be things best done out of town. The threshing floor where grain is beaten with flails or run through crushing wheels to separate the grain from its casing, and then winnowed, using the wind to carry away the chaff. Laundresses working in the river, their linens bleaching on the grass at the drying yard. The stench of the tanners, barred from town for stinking so badly. The rushing wheel-race and great creaking wheel of the flour mill.

If it's a larger town, there might be a livestock market outside the gates, with goats milling in woven willow pens or chickens in wooden cages. Or a line of horses for the wealthier buyer or your desperate travelers. There might be a red light district, escaping the regulations of the city proper, or plain old slums. More industrial yards, like the yards where fabric is dyed (these might also smell quite bad, like rotting plant material, or urine).

There are so many things that preindustrial people did and would find familiar that we just don't know about now. So much of life was lived out in the open for anyone to see. Make your world busy and loud and colorful!

[mirrors-writing]

Okay so maybe I'm only going to get two books read this month. Listen, Atonement (which I'm not quite finished yet; I'm at about 88% through) has been a challenging one to read. But very good.

Next up will be Priory of the Orange Tree...

[mistfallengw2]

Non-wholesome Romantic Asks 🖤

1. Do they actually love love each other? Has it changed over time?

2. Is their relationship toxic or unhealthy in any way?

3. In what ways are they good and bad for each other?

4. Is there someone else who would be a better partner for either of them?

5. Is the relationship living up to their initial expectations?

6. What made them become a couple? What keeps them together?

7. Is there anything that could have kept them from ending up together?

8. What would it take for them to break up?

9. How do they feel about each other's exes and people who flirt with them? Is jealousy an issue in general?

10. Have they ever cheated on each other or considered doing so? If not, would they ever?

11. Have they ever hurt each other, be it physically or emotionally, intentionally or accidentally?

12. Do they argue often? About what?

13. Are there any regrets or unresolved issues between them?

14. What's an opinion they'll never agree on? How do they deal with that?

15. Do they have doubts about each other? Are those doubts well-founded or exaggerated?

16. How much do they actually trust each other? Was their trust ever broken? Can it be mended?

17. Is there a secret that they don't dare tell the other? Why? Will they ever say it?

18. What was the lowest point for them as a couple?

19. What's something they can't stand about each other?

20. What's something they'd change about their partner?