Nova

Best avoid the fairy rings, unless you're looking for an adventure 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊

[demilypyro]

vampires are so full of shit. "oh the human race is beneath us, you're just livestock to us" I don't think you know what livestock is. do you feed us? care for us? protect us from predators? no. you just slink around dark alleys and ambush people. that's not what a higher being does. that's a bottom feeder. a parasite. karate punches your head off

[melusinemuse]

[janusfnc14]

She Would Say That. She would DO that.

[throathole]

You should be able to have zero dollars to your name and still have everything you need to survive, dependable housing, food, water, clothing, personal care necessities like soap and deodorant and toilet paper and period products, medicine and the prescriptions/healthcare you need to live comfortably… not everyone’s life should be focused on the accumulation of wealth, and yet society is structured around earning money being the only way to survive or do anything at all. Some humans are really good at earning money because it gives them purpose but that shouldn’t be how everyone has to live

[seasonofhorror]

THE LOVE WITCH

2016, dir. Anna Biller

[infinity-on-hiii]

Nonconsensual Sexless BDSM (Beating The Shit Out Of You In An Alleyway)

[kaijuno]

Kamloops, BC

[johncomplainsyetagain]

This is how religions are born. Imagine seeing this when you’re lost? I’d be carving deer heads and suns on everything after.

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Carriola Tussock Moths: these moths have translucent patches (i.e. hyaline windows) on their wings, and their green-tinted veins are clearly visible within

Above: Carriola witti

Moths of the genus Carriola have a very unusual appearance, as their wings are covered in translucent patches that reveal a delicate network of greenish-yellow veins. The green coloration is caused by the haemolymph (i.e. "blood") that passes through these veins.

Above: the male form of Carriola thyridophora, with a close-up of the hyaline windows and bright green veins on its wings

The males of this genus typically have brown or beige borders around their wings, while the females have pink or white borders instead. The hyaline windows also tend to be much clearer and more extensive in the females.

Above: the female form of Carriola seminsula

This article describes the adaptive benefits of wing transparency in moths:

The coevolutionary arms race between prey and predator has generated some of the most striking adaptations in the living world, including lures, mimicry and camouflage in prey. Transparency, by definition, constitutes the perfect background matching against virtually all types of backgrounds. Transparency is common in pelagic environments where there is no place to hide.

Above: genus Carriola

Carriola tussock moths can be found in many different countries throughout Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Malaysia. They also inhabit certain parts of China, India and Sri Lanka.

Above: Carriola seminsula

This is one of my favorite moths, tbh. I love it when moths have hyaline windows on their wings, and this genus is especially beautiful and bizarre.

Sources & More Info:

Nota Lepidopterologica: Review of the Genus Carriola with Descriptions of Four New Species

Singapore Biodiversity: Carriola ecnomoda

iNaturalist: Genus Carriola

BioRxiv: How Transparent Wing Windows Reduce Detectability in Moths

Journal of Evolutionary Biology: Transparency Improves Concealment in Cryptically Colored Moths (PDF)

Moths of Borneo: Carriola Tussock Moths

Moths of Borneo: Carriola ecnomoda

[ithelpstodream]

[cookie-sheet-toboggan]

so is Victory

[ashermajestywishes]

LOVE TRIANGLE

[bsparrow]

Don’t forget Truth (Coming Out of Her Well to Shame Mankind)

[justrollinon]

This must be why the Trump administration hates them all 

[acciowine]

The Four Horsewomen of the Trumpocalypse.

[krustybunny-deactivated20221129]

I’ve never reblogged anything so quick

[spectrometon]

The Ultimate Squad, comin’ to wreck your shit and save the world

[quentineliot]

Rb for that art doe

[identicaltwinhalfbrother]

Dignity here to join the girl posse.

[brainwad]

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

[becomeunsolved]

reblogging for the second time

[athelind]

ALWAYS REBLOG

[cydonianlady]

Reblogging because I don’t think Dignity was on it last time I saw it.

[thenightling]

Dignity is rare on this site. 

[escuerzoresucitado]

[artofmaquenda]

Feral Hearts

Two odd beings find tenderness, or a quiet kind of love that doesn’t need naming. What they find together may be love, or safety, or simply the relief of being seen. The world around them mirrors this truth: bones feed roots, insects thrive, and so-called unwanted beings persist. Nature does not reject them, and neither do they reject each other. There is no mistake here, only belonging. Everything exists exactly as it should. Prints: https://artofmaquenda.etsy.com/listing/4427468901/feral-hearts-print-wolves-nature

[epinephrine-at-the-barricade]

Okay I absolutely love the inclusion of aerial slug mating in this, it is one of the more beautiful mating methods in nature and you never see art of it!

My favourite detail is that entwined everted penises are drawn to resemble a flower????? Which is just incredible, I cannot describe how much I love this. Anyways, have a few pictures of aerial slug mating

[artofmaquenda]

Means so much to me when people appreciate the things I intentionally put in my work :>

[spicymochi]

your month, your bird!

[squeakowl]

Art by Laivi Põder (source)

[sceptixfakemon]

i ended up coloring it lol

prints

[lavenderpanic]

all of my writing is actually just thinly-veiled fantasy about being seen at your worst and still being loved

[pagewoman]

Kelpie 

  Kelpies are supernatural water horses that haunt Scotland’s lochs and rivers. They appear as a lost pony, often grey or white, and entice people to ride on their backs before taking them down to a watery grave.

via culloden battlefield

[goth-queen]

[passionpeachy]

Remembered in Opal

(inspired by this image)

[brainstreams]

WHY YOUR FIGHT SCENES ARE BORING

Fight scenes are a dime a dozen. Most fiction has it. But good fights are as rare as gold—and just as beautiful too. A good fight scene outshines a million terrible ones.

But what separates the good ones from the bad? Is it… the weapons? The physical descriptions? How the characters react?

The answer's not as clear-cut as you'd hope.

Today I'll be breaking down why your fight scenes suck (and how you can fix them). If this post ends up helping you, give me a reblog so I can help more writers! Share the love.

1). YOU'RE DESCRIBING TOO MUCH

Writers love to over-describe their fights—writing every punch, huff, expression, and micro-movement. You think you're doing a good job, but the truth is: you're slowing your scene down when fights should be fast. When you overdescribe, pacing suffers, and the fight gets boringly technical. Your readers will pick up on that and skip. 

Think of it as writing in slow-motion.

A good fight? It's quick. It's dirty. It's written in choppy sentences and minimal verbs because everything's moving so fast. Explain just enough so your readers know where everyone is, who's punching who, whose weapons' hitting what. But if you find yourself describing the individual flecks of sweat on someone's fist as it's charging forward, well… then you've gone too far.

Tips for you:

Do not describe everything blow-by-blow.

Highlight important moments as they come.

Characters can always discuss details after the fact.

Describe just enough for readers to know what's going on.

Most fights end in seconds.

When in doubt: trust your reader to fill in the blanks. (They're good at that.)

2.) YOUR FIGHTS LACK MEANING

Readers read books for a feeling. Fights are no exception.

Give your character something good to fight for. Don't make it about survival, because readers know your main character won't die. So give your fight stakes. What happens if your protagonist loses? Will they be exiled? Will someone else die? Why can't your protagonist walk away?

Make sure we feel the consequences before and during the fight. Foreshadowing is your best friend.

A bad fight scene? It fills white space for its own sake. It meanders—it exists because "fights are cool, y'know". If a fight is meaningless, readers won't waste their time with it.

Ask yourself these questions:

Why should we root for your hero?

What's at stake?

Who has the upperhand?

What are the consequences? ← (!!!)

A fight that's actually meaningful will change the rest of the story.

3). YOUR FIGHTS AREN'T FUN (And you're not having fun with them)

I know what you're thinking right now.

"But my fight has stakes, my fight has just enough detail, aaaand it has meaning!"

But those are all technical things. You're scratching off a list of requirements and calling it a day. 

Where's the banter? The plot twists? The power moves? How do the character's backstories and fight history come into play? Where are the injuries? And goddamn it—where are my car keys?!

A well-written fight is passable. A well-written but fun fight sticks in your mind. Those are the fights you reread over and over—the kind of fight that says, "Look at me. Look at what my characters are capable of."

Have fun with your fights. Add weird weapons, add a crazy-ass plot-twist that changes the upperhand. Write your fight as a game of chess where each move levels the playing field. Or write your fight as a non-stop rollercoaster ride of twists, turns, curves, and loop-de-loops. A fight so intense and weird but undeniably you, that by the end of it, your reader is left breathlessly asking, "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?"

Not every fight should be a cinematic masterpiece. Not every fight needs a plot twist. But I am saying that a fun fight should be your priority. 

And if a "fun fight" doesn't fit your gritty and realistic medieval fantasy story? Fair enough, but don't let that stop you from adding something unique.

Different ideas you can steal:

Use your fight as a worldbuilding opportunity (you can get so creative with this!)

Add banter

The protag and antag are unexpectedly related (mentor/student, father/son, mother/daughter)

A secret or important plot device is revealed

Characters use the environment to fight (tossing sand in eyes, releasing a caged animal, etc.)

Reveal that your protagonist is more brutal than you'd have the reader believe

Add realistic injuries that suddenly change the fight (example: an injured arm can't block as well—perhaps your protag uses an unexpected item as a shield)

A special move unique to one character

A stronger third character joins the fight (forcing the two fighters to work together)

Changing locations mid-fight

Both fighters are progressively injured until they're both barely standing

The swordfight ends in a bloody fistfight

4). BONUS TIPS

These tips are just as important as the rest.

A combat injury can easily become a permanent one.

Read your favorite scenes and break down what they did.

Any character can experience PTSD, even if they're an experienced fighter (think: combat vets)

Don't get too flowery or wordy. 

A good fight scene is mostly atmosphere and feel.

Make it visceral. Make it uncomfortable.

Keep it real—swords are heavy, armor is heavy. A simple cut may seem like no biggie, until the blood dribbles down and affects their grip.

In sum:

Don't overdo descriptions, give your fight meaning, and make your fights FUN. Oh—and never skimp out on reading! Studying other fiction is just as important as writing it. Did this post help you? I'm glad. If you're struggling with your fight scenes right now, I offer feedback like this directly to your work.

This post was proudly written without generative AI.