I find ideas and idk where to put them

you may get original content once in a blue moon

[inky-duchess]

Writer's Guide: Hand to Hand Combat

Your character is unarmed and all they have left to fight with is their bare hands. If they hope for the enemy to catch their hands, you will have to write an effective scene. So how can we write a good hand to hand combat scene?

Most Common Moves

Now, I'm not going to list 30+ martial arts moves. Most of your characters will not be masters of kung fu or mixed martial arts. Most people who get into fights are novices.

Punch: a punch is probably to go to strike. Try not punch anybody in the face because one, they will expect it and two, it will hurt your hand. If you can aim for the soft parts of an opponent, kidneys or gut.

Kick: Kicking isn't pretty but it is effective. A good swift kick to the back of somebody's knee will fold them like a lawnchair.

Go for the groin: Man or woman getting kicked in the nether regions is no picnic. A good swift kick with your foot or your knee can incapacitate your opponent. Its not the most honourable of moves but it works.

An Elbow strike is effective: The elbow is your strongest point of attack. Drive it in to a windpipe or a gut and you can but yourself valuable time to retreat or stall your opponent from answering back.

Eyes: they are weak points. Jab somebody in the eyes with a thumb and they will stop in their tracks.

Throat: You can end any fight by going straight for the throat either grasping it in a headlock or jabbing it with a fist which can collapse the windpipe.

Bite: If you are unable to snack your opponent, use your teeth. The human bite is perhaps not as strong as a hyena's but it is strong enough to shorten your opponent by a finger or two.

How to Escape from Grips and Holds

Pinned from behind with your arms pinned: You have to stop your opponent from getting to a headlock. Move your hips to one side and strike backwards toward the groin or gut. This should weaken the hold of your opponent. Once the grip is loosened, turn toward your opponent and snack them into the nose with the heel of your hand.

Held from behind: Bend forward as far as you can making it more difficult for your opponent to lift you. Jab with your elbows back into your opponent's chest or face. Turn toward your opponent once the grip loosens and strike at the face or the groin again to subdue your opponent.

Headlock: If your opponent has you in a headlock, DON'T STRUGGLE. You could break your own neck. Turn into your opponent's side as close as possible. With your hand that is furthest away, hit your opponent into the groin or gut.

Pinned down on the ground: Most likely your opponent is using their own hands and weight to keep you down. If you can move your knees, try to jab them in the side or the groin to unbalanced them.

Things to Remember

1. The whole 6-10 minute bout only happens in films or controlled sporting events. Fights are usually over within a few minutes. (when writing effective fights, keep the pace short.)

2. Girls are vicious. I've worked in nightclubs and broke up a fair few fights. Boys will knock the shit out of each other but girls will tear shreds out of each other. I have known grown men to break up fights between guys but nobody wants to break up a catfight.

3. One wants the fight to end quickly. If you keep slugging at each other, you'll get tired pretty fast. Have your character try end the fight as soon as possible.

4. Nobody emerges from fights unscathed. Even winners may come out with black eyes, broken noses or at very least a broken lip. If you punch someone, you will likely bruise your knuckles if not split them.

5. If your character is fighting to survive, they don't have to stick to etiquette. They will have to do anything to survive even if it means doing something unpleasant like fishhooking or hairpulling.

[nanowrimo]

The Most Basic Roadmap Through Your Novel with Ninja Writers

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Ninja Writers, a 2020 NaNo sponsor, is a writing community that helps you build a bridge between your imagination and your novel. Today, Ninja Writers creator Shaunta Grimes shares a helpful story structure to keep you on track with your writing:

Imagine it’s the beginning of November and you’re starting an epic month-long road trip. You’re headed from California to New York City! You’ve got your car packed, your playlist loaded, the good snacks in the front seat. You’re ready to go.

So, you pull out of your driveway and you start driving. You even manage to get going eastward, but you end up in Florida a month from now after winding all over the place between Canada and Mexico.

Ah, right. You forgot your roadmap. 

Starting NaNoWriMo with the spark of a story idea is like an epic road trip we take every November. The good news is, we don’t have to head off without a roadmap. There are five key plot points that every story has. (Yes. Even yours!) If you figure yours out for your story, you’ll have some guideposts to keep you headed in the right direction all month long (or to get back on track if you’ve gotten lost).

Keep reading

[polarwooly]

Your alien redesigns are really cool and i really want to do something like them so like how did u come up with the designs /what tips do u have for people who want to do redesigns of very humanoid aliens

Thanks, I'll gladly share my basic process! It might be a bit heavy for people who are not particularly well versed in biology (but that's basically what light research is for ;) ).

Step 1. I identify what aspects of the original design I want to keep. This helps to keep it recognisable. If the alien species is extremely humanoid, (like betazoids for example) this step might only include something very small, like the most common eye color.

Step 2. What is their planet like? What does that tell me about the kind of environment they evolved in? Predator or prey? I usually do a little non-sapient cousin sketch here.

Step 3. They're going to need some means of manipulating their environments, like hands, tentacles or powerful psychic abilities if that's a thing. They will also need some form of speech, but it doesn't have to be like humans' at all!

Step 4. Final touches. How do their cultures affect them in their normal lives? Are there some things that all their cultures more or less have in common? I like to design at least a couple of phenotypes (visually different variants) and usually referring back to the original designs for hints helps.

Step 5. Drop some clothes on those bad boys and you're pretty much done! (Optional tip; if the species had a large piece of cloth dropped on them from above, where would they need to put holes or tie it down for it to not get in the way? Boom, you got a basic toga.)

Also important is to remember that everything doesn't allways have to make perfect sense! Things change over time, and mapping out every stage of development would be a very long process.

[mjmnorwood]

Details for Historical/Fantasy Writing: Insights from a Reenactor

Writing is the main thing I do for fun, but I’m a multi-faceted lass with many hobbies, and I also do Roman reenactment. I find that by actually doing something, you learn things that aren’t possible through theoretical research alone, so here is a collection of small things I’ve noticed while reenacting that you could add to your writing for a bit of extra realism.

Loose long hair is ANNOYING. There’s a reason most depictions you’ll see of women in history show them with their hair up and/or covered, and that is pure practicality. Having hair in the way is a massive pain (this would be particularly true for working women with stuff to get done).

Repetitive tasks aren’t boring if you have someone to chat to. When we do events, I’m in the textiles tent, and as the most junior member of the team I’m the one who does the spinning. Most events are 10-4/5, and you’d think 6/7 hours of spinning (with a break for lunch) would be boring, but actually, once you’re practiced you can do it on autopilot while you natter! I’m sure this is how people managed samey tasks back in ye olde days.

Speaking of spinning, working with textiles leaves its mark. If you’ve been spinning, sewing, or weaving for a long time, you’ll feel it. It knots up your shoulders and, perhaps less obviously, the friction of fibre against your fingers can wear away just enough skin to make them tender. Thimbles help with sewing, but not spinning or weaving.

Wool is WONDERFUL. I love it. It has a reputation as being scratchy and itchy, but when it’s finely woven/spun it is fantastic to wear. It keeps you cool when it’s hot, and warm when it’s cold. It also has the fantastic property of keeping you insulated even when soaking wet, which is why wool cloaks are so brilliant.

Linen is also wonderful. Lovely against the skin and cool in the summer (but for the average person in history, it’s more expensive than wool).

Woodsmoke gets everywhere. It stings your eyes and makes your clothes and hair smell smokey. However, after a little while the smell becomes just a background thing (and you get pretty practiced at anticipating when the smoke is going to change direction so you can move out of the way). It also keeps insects away!

Cooking over a fire takes longer than you’d think. If we start an event at 10 am, that means we’ll usually be having lunch at 1-2pm. However, we do have pretty elaborate meals, and have to start the fire from scratch every day (a lot of the wait time is getting the fire to cooking embers). If your characters are cooking simple fare over a fire that you’ve started from being banked, it’ll be quicker.

You want different footwear for different purposes. Hobnails give you great footing on soft/muddy ground, but on pavement they offer no purchase at all and will KILL YOU (okay, this is slight hyperbole, but there is an account of a centurion running from grass to pavement, slipping over and getting killed by his enemies). City wear would likely be leather and clogs/pattens.

CLOAKS CLOAKS CLOAKS! They are so versatile. They keep you warm, they keep you dry, they can be a blanket or an impromptu bag. Essential equipment in my view.

[mapsontheweb]

Fabric map of Africa.

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Armoury: Swords

I love swords. Love them. Swords are to fantasy as walls to a castle. You need your swords to battle dragons, usurpers, knights and wizards. So lets go into the armory and learn about swords.

Anatomy of a typical sword

Crossguard: This is the part of the sword between the hilt and blade. This protects the hand.

Blade: The sharp end, duh

Hilt: This is the part you hold. Also called a grip.

Pommel: the end of the sword attached to the hilt. This can be decorated as you like.

Fuller: this is a hollow running up the sword.

Edge: the sharpened sides of the blade. Can be singular or double.

The point: The pointy bit at the top. Stick them into the person (jon snow logic)

Types of Swords

Claymore: This is the Scottish Gaelic version of the Great Sword. It is a heavy sword with a long reach

Longsword: Medieval and Renaissance weapon commonly used with with two hands.

Bastard sword: It is a cross between a long sword and a great sword because it is a half a foot extra. It belongs to the Longsword family of swords.

Gladius: an ancient Roman blade used by gladiators and then legionaires. There is no crossguard. It is also called a shortsword. Made for stabbing rather than slashing.

Xiphos: double-edged, single-handed sword used by ancient greeks. The blade is commonly leaf shaped made for slashing.

Sabre or Rapier: This is a slender blade used by fencers. This blade might not be able to hack a head but its light weight makes the blade an asset in speed.

Katana: The Japanese samurai sword. This is single-edged and the blade is hammered thin. Made for speed and deadly sharp.

Scimitar: a curved blade with a singled edge.

Sword Moves

Advance - to attack, going forward.

Deflect - engaging sword with your own and pushing it away

Empty Fade - jumping backwards as if to retreat then attacking.

Front Guard - the sword is held in front of your face.

Full Iron Gate Guard - the sword is halfway between your legs, angled right.

Half Iron Gate Guard - the sword is held before your left leg.

Lunge - leaping forwards while feet are in the same stance.

Pass Back - moving your front foot into the rear position.

Pass Forward - moving your rear foot into the front position.

Pivot - Rotating 180 degrees, keeping dominant foot stationary.

Retreat - a movement backwards.

Shed - to allow a sword to slide away off your sword.

Short Guard - the hilt is at your hip and the point is forward.

Step Across - Rotating 180 degrees, crossing feet and spinning.

Tail Guard - the hilt is at your hip and the sword is behind you.

Two Horn Guard - pommel is at your chest with the sword pointing out.

Window Guard - a guard where the hilt is at your ear and the sword points forwards

Things to remember about swords

1. When drawing your sword, the scabbard is on your opposite hip. You draw it over your body

2. If a sword is two-handed, use two hands. Don’t try be cool. You will cut yourself.

3. Swords are sharpened using a whetstone and polished with oil clothes. Water rusts them. Look after your swords.

4. Scabbards are always made of wood

5. Practise with a blunted sword first. Blunt swords are used in tourneys.

6. Shields are your friend in defence but can hamper your ability to attack.

7. Sword to size. Smaller and weaker swordsmen(women) can’t any wield heavier swords. Bulkier and stronger swordsmen(women) can wield heavier swords. Match sword type to body type.

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Feasts, Food and Drink

Picture yourself at a banquet held at the local Lord's castle. The music is playing, the people are chatting and rustling about in their best clothes. You sit at a table and what sits before you? Not chicken nuggets, my friend.

Food is always one of the staples of any world you build. You can get a feel of class, society and morality just by looking at the spread before you on the table.

Food for lower classes (Peasants)

Most peasants lived off the land, rearing flocks, tilling fields and tending orchards. If they lived near the sea, lakes, rivers or streams, they would fish. But since they lived on land owned by churches or lords, they would only be allowed a portion of what they grew. In cities, the peasants would buy food from one another at the market.

Peasants would make bread out of rye grain, that would make the bread very dark. In some communities they would make sourdough, which involves using a piece of dough you made the day before to make that day's bread.

Eggs were a source of food that was easy to come by as farmers kept chickens on hand.

Cheese and butter would be sold and used in the farm.

Jam would also be made as it was easy to preserve and sell.

Peasants would not eat much meat. Chickens made money by laying eggs, pigs could be fattened and sold for profit and cows and goats would be used for milk. By killing any of these animals for food they would loose a portion of money. Poaching (hunting on private land owned by the lord) would come with severe penalties.

Pottage and stew were a favourite of peasants as they could throw any vegetables or bit of meat or fish in a pot to cook for a few hours. It wasn't a difficult dish to make and often inexpensive.

Pies, pasties and pastries would be a favourite at inns and taverns in towns and cities most containing gravy, meat and vegetables.

With most villages and farms set close to forests, many peasants could find berries at the edge of fields. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries would have all grown wild.

Food for Nobility & Royalty

Nobility and Royalty could always afford better food than the poor. However it might be a patch more unhealthy than the poor's fare. Nobility and Royalty weren't fans of vegetables.

The rich would eat a lot of meat, much of which they would hunt down themselves on their own land. Deer, wild boar, rabbits, turkey and other wild creatures would all be on the table.

Nobility and Royalty would be fond of fish as well. Lamprey eels was a delicacy only preserved for special occasions.

They could afford salt which was important for preserving meat and fish. This would allow the castle/manor/palace to be stocked in times of winter or famine.

They could also afford pepper and other spices, all of which could cost a fortune, to flavour their food.

During a feast, they would eat off of platters made of precious metals but only if you were seated at the high table. Other less important guests would eat off a trencher, a piece of hollowed out stale bread.

Sugar would be the height of dessert. The sugar would be shaped into fantastical formations to impress the noble guests. Tudor chefs would create edible sugar plates for Henry VIII to eat off of.

Swans and peacocks would be served in their plumage. Swans would be more royal diners as in England the monarch owns all the swans. In Ireland, it is illegal to kill a swan mainly because they could be children trapped in swan-bodies. Long story.

Feasts

At certain events, the noble/monarch might throw a party. Most parties would begin with a dinner.

The high table would seat the family throwing the party and the honoured guests. All the food would come to them first to be distributed to their favourites. They would drink the best wine and have the finest bread.

The rest of the hall would be seated together at trestle tables, eating off trenchers. They would be sent food by the thrower of the feast on account of their personal importance or social standing. The closer you were to the salt cellar, placed at the head of the table the more important you were. The further away you were, the lower your status.

Servants called cupbearers would serve wine and drink and move about the hall to carry jugs of wine to water the guests.

Dogs would often be found in the hall, to be fed scraps by the diners.

Drink

No world or party is complete without the booze. Since much of the water in Mediaeval times was putrid or dirty, the classes would avoid it.

Beer: was both a favourite of peasants and the nobility. It would be brewed in castles or in taverns and inns, each site having a different recipe and taste. It would be stored in barrels. Beer was widely available across the world and could be brewed at home. So therefore it was inexpensive.

The two main types of beer would be:

Ale: Ale in the middle ages referred to beer brewed without hops (a kind of flowering plant that gives beer its bitter taste). It is sweeter and would typically have a fruity aftertaste.

Stout: is a darker beer sometimes brewed from roasted malt, coming in a sweet version and dry version, the most famous stout being Guinness.

Wine: Wine would be made on site of vineyards and stored in cellars of large houses or castles. They would be expensive as they would have to be imported from regions capable of growing vines.

Port: Port wine or fortified wine would be made with distilled grape spirits. It is a sweet red wine, and also would be expensive to import from the counties able to grow the correct vines.

Whiskey: is a spirit made from distilled fermented grain mash in a device called a still (which would always be made of copper). The age of whiskey is determined by the length of time it has been sitting in a cask from the time it is made to the time its put in bottles. Whiskey was a favourite drink in colder climates and could be made any where in the world.

Rum: Rum is made by fermenting and distilling sugarcane molasses/juice. It is aged in oak barrels and would have to be imported as it could only be made in lands able to grow sugarcane.

Poitín: (pronounced as pot-cheen) is made from cereals, grain, whey, sugar beet, molasses and potatoes. It is a Dangerous Drink (honestly i still don't know how I ended up in that field with a traffic cone and a Shetland pony) and technically illegal. Country folk in Ireland used to brew it in secrets in stills hidden on their land.

[the-evanescent-inkwell]

Some Fun World Building Tips!

Disclaimer: Your plot/story comes first. Don’t add a bunch of flaunty details for the sake of ‘World Building’ if it doesn’t add to your story or takes it off course, It’s not worth it. These are just some things I’ve tried in different, separate stories that were fun exercises for me as a creator.

1.) Language!

This is the most useful if you have multiple countries in a fantasy world that interact with each other in some form or fashion. Most countries have a different national language, and then different dialects of that language. Therefore, if you have two characters from Country A and Country B that speak different languages and live a decent distance apart, they’re probably going to have different speaking structures and slang. For instance, maybe Character A always says ‘Oh my God’ and maybe Character B always says “My Gods!” Incorporating little details like that will make your story more real and believable without requiring writing out another language. 

Also, language is based on history, religion, and culture. If Country A and Country B have different religions, they’re going to swear differently. It’s more interesting if you don’t just substitute their god’s name into a generic phrase that is the same across all languages.

2.) Food!

Food is SUPER cultural and SUPER fun to play with while world building. What is considered “travel food” in the country? What do they drink out of? What’s a popular type of alcohol? What’s the traditional ‘comfort food’? Desserts? What do you offer guests when they come over to your house? This is also dependent on the terrain. If the country has a lot of swamp and bogs, they’re not going to have an endless supply of grains. If it’s mostly a prairie, they’re not going to have oranges. Do a little research on what type of foods could be grown in the environment your country is in, then figure out what foods can be made from these plants. 

This is really easy to incorporate into fantasy worlds by just mentioning for half a sentence what food the characters are eating, and it tells the reader a lot about the environment and culture of this country. 

3.) Education!

This one only works if you have younger characters who are attending school or receiving lessons. If you have the right environment for it, it’s really fun to mess around with. Ask yourself questions: what would my character study at this age in this environment? History? Math? Language? Art? Music? Philosophy? Magic? Combat? Religion? 

While your character is learning about the history of one or multiple countries, you can easily expand your reader’s depth of the world through short descriptions. You can explore the linguistics of a country’s language and develop time periods. I have one WIP where the main character is having to read multiple classical novels and plays, but she also reads modern fantasy. Having a history helps deepen the believability of a world. If you’re exploring art, music, or philosophy, make sure to mention famous artists, musicians, and philosophers that your character either despises or looks up to. Magic is fun too. What type of magic is your character learning? How do they practice it? How is it viewed by the majority? Combat depends on culture; different groups of people fight differently and use different weapons. Religion is fun to play with, and through an educational setting, it can be smoothly explained. 

Even picking just one or two of the above list (or even adding some more!) gives just a bit more depth to your story and solidifies your world!

4.) Popular Culture

Pop culture shapes our world soooo much it’s ridiculous. Having some version of it will make your world so believable. What is your world’s version of Taylor Swift or Pan!c at the Disco? What’s your world’s version of Fortnite dances? What are their ‘memes’, so-to-speak? Who do they make fun of? My high school of 300 people has inside jokes that make fun of our principal. Even if it’s a little jab at the president/king/dictator of a country, just add a little something extra that can help give a clear image of modern social culture.

5.) Media

How do the citizens of your country receive their news? Newspapers? Is there just a giant bulletin where the king posts news? What type of news do they receive? Politics? International? Economic? Environmental? Sports? Pop culture? Editorials? Feature stories? Do they receive news magically? If so, how? Do they have some form of radios or televisions? What issues are present in society? Is anyone doing anything about this?

This is fun because it’s a very real thing you can include that once again gives your story some believability. A large country needs some sort of communication, and through the media is one way to do that. In an absolute monarchy where news is completely controlled by the government, this can be used to show contrast if the king is indeed a bad king. Also, differences in mass communication between two countries (maybe one has a bulletin controlled completely by the king and another has a law protecting freedom of the press) can show differences between the two. Also, political cartoons are fun.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST!!

Study world history. Pay attention to differences between countries and mirror/combine elements of culture and history into your own original world. You learn the most from what has actually made it—the real thing!

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Ladies in Waiting

Ladies in Waiting are the companions of a noble lady, princess or Queen. These ladies can either be a queen’s best friend or an enemy in hiding.

1. Social Hunger Games

Being a lady in waiting is an honour. To be standing at the side of the queen gives you a starring role in the centre of court. You will fight for the place. You have the a place near one of the most powerful figures at court. You are important and you have the trust of the queen. You are a player at court.

2. Pick ‘n’ Mix

Ladies are usually picked from the aristocratic families of the kingdom or the close family of the mistress. Before becoming queen, Anne Boleyn, the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, ambassador from England to French Court, was lady to Queen Katherine of Aragon. When she became queen, she chose her ladies from her cousins, sister, aunts and a few families that allied with her cause.

3. Eyes Spy

Ladies in Waiting are constantly in the presence of the queen. Foreign courts may bribe a lady with a good marriage or money if she rats on her queen. They can easily be spies, vying to advance their families by using dirt on the queen. The Howard family of Norfolk had dozens of women in each household of Henry VIII’s six queens, two even becoming queen after usurping their mistress’s place.

4. Frenemies

Ladies in Waiting can be their queen’s worst enemy. They see what she does 24/7 and some are not loyal. They may be spying on her or worse trying to take her place as many Tudor era women tried to do. Whatever their motives they must appear to love you and you them.

5. BFF

On lighter notes, some ladies love their queen. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots is famed for her four loyal ladies who were all called Mary. Elizabeth Tudor had Kat Ashley, more a nurse but a lady in waiting also. Katherine of Aragon had the faithful Maria de Salinas who fought guardsmen off to be at her queen’s deathbed despite the king’s order. One of Isabella of Castile’s ladies swore to kill one of her mistress’s suitors lest the man take Isabella forcefully as a bride.

See also Court Positions for Women prt 1

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Wardrobe: Cloaks, Mantles and Capes

Every fantasy has somebody donning a cloak. The cloak has become a staple in a fantasy wardrobe. So lets delve into the wardrobe.

Kinds of Historical cloaks

Paenula: Also called a sagum. Though worn by both men and women, this cloak was popularized by Roman Soldiers and by Roman officers. It was constructed of a rectangular piece of material that reaches the knee and fastened by a clasp called a fibula.

Lacerna: The purple cloak of Roman generals is similar to the paenula excepting that it was ALWAYS purple and fastened by a large brooch and the shoulders.

Leana: Another Roman cloak. It was thick and usually made of wool.

Palliuim: Named for the myth of Athena and her bestie Pallas, though this cloak could not protect a person like the mythical version. It was colorful and decorated cloak made for the wealthy to wear.

Mantle: The mantle loose drape of fabric worn over indoor clothes. It is really more cape than cloak.

Cardinal/Scarlet hooded cloak: This cloak was made wool that was doubly woven to make the cloth resistant to any weather. Don’t let the name fool you, they can come in every colour.

Materials

Wool: Warm, keeps in the heat, cheap and easy to come by. Worn both in warm and cold climates. (Fancy/everyday)

Satin: Light, airy (fancy)

Silk: Also light and airy, expensive. Worn in warmer climates or for events. (Super fancy)

Velvet: Thick, soft and expensive. Does not do well in rain. (Fancy)

Roughspun: A coarse sort of material that is heavy, warm and weather resistant. (Not fancy)

Gossamer: An airy fabric almost like finely woven netting. Glossy and super duper fancy. Though not worn in history, I just like how it looks.

Tartan: Thick, durable (and sexy thanks to Jamie Fraser). Tartan can be dyed in many colours and is warm AF.

Fastenings

Cloaks don’t stay on by the grace of gravity. Cloaks need to be fastened to the wearer.

Laces: Like shoelaces, the cloak can be closed by laces and tied to hold the cloak in place.

Clasp: A buckle to fasten one side of the cloak to the other. Can be as simple or as ornate as you like.

Buttons: Though less fashionable, a good button could hold your cloak on.

Brooch: A pin to keep the cloak from fall off, commonly pinned at the shoulder.

Cape vs Cloak: A death match

Cloaks: Covers from head to feet. Will have a hood. Cloaks would have been simple with very little ornament, though this has changed over the years.

Capes: Usually drapes to cover the back but could be draped over one shoulder. Will have no hood. Capes are usually worn at a costume party or a fancy dress, such as opera and masquerade. They are often embroidered, beaded and styled.

Designs

Cloaks can be shaped and styled in almost any way you like.

Arm slits: In Renaissance times, cloaks had slits for the arms to pass through.

Embroidery: Patterns sewn onto material to make shapes and designs.

Fancy clasps

Hoods: drapes that cover the head.

Linings: cloaks can be lined with another material. Fur and lambswool for warmth. Silk for pleasure.

Fur pelts: Fur can be sewn onto a cloak to make it warmer. Vikings often used wolf pelts. Beaver and dear are durable and warm.

Feathers: Feathers can line a cloak, leading to a lovely and fluffy style.

[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Gestures

We live in a world of words, yet most of our communication is based on a secret a silent language of hand gestures. If you wave at somebody, they know what you mean. If you bow to a person, it means respect. If you give somebody the middle finger, they will get offended. Every culture has a set of these gestures. Here are some historical ones.

Greetings

How a character greets another is always important. They can rank to informal to formal and can cover a range of ranks.

The Handshake: Old reliable, a nice gesture that everyone loves. So unproblematic, makes everyone equal. *is handed note* Nevermind, it was a gesture to check for weapons.

Hat touch/tip: Wen men wore hats, which they did throughout the middle ages I would I have you know to the fifties where the stopped wearing them along with suits much to women's disgust, they often tipped them or touched them in greeting. Louis XIV was infamous for touching his hat to every woman he met, because damn that's way better that sending a dick pic.

Embrace: Yes a hug can be a be acceptable method of greeting for fantasy/ historical fictional characters. Embracing a person shows that you see the other person as an equal, while also probably checking the other person for hidden weapons. Allies would gave hugged one another to show how close they were.

Respect

The Middle Ages was all about respecting people and places. To communicate respect from let's say a farmer to a lord, two people who probably wouldn't speak to one another, all you would need to make a gesture and the lord would know.

Tugging your forelocks: This is essentially somebody pulling on their hair, kind of like a salute. A soldier might do it for a commander, or a peasant to a lord. It is really a commoner gesture.

Averting your gaze: Most cultures have a form of this. If you respect an authority figure, one might show it by turning your eyes downwards. Every rank would do this for a figure above them.

Mercy/Honour/Chivalry

There are other gestures made by people in order to save their lives or beg a service from another person.

Offering a glove: If a lady offers a glove to a man its a gesture of mercy and an ask for help. Anne of Brittany sent James IV her glove to ask for help im case her kingdom got invaded.

Kneeling (on behalf of another): You can bend your knee for yourself either to show respect to an authority figure. But if you kneel in somebody else's name, you could be begging for mercy for them. Ladies and queens often did such acts in public in order to spare a person from a cruel justice. They would remove their headdresses and beg for the lives of the person is question.

Rude (or my will use later on mine enemies list)

These gestures are for your enemies or that one guy who cut ahead of you in line or the Karen who asks for your manager because you told her kid to stop climbing that tree outside. (It's been a long day for mom kids)

The Fig: a thumb wedged in between two fingers. This basically means fuck off in some cultures but it is still used today in Latin American countries for warding off the evil eye.

Thumb up: In Persia, it was the equivalent of the middle finger. This also might have been the gesture that starts that fight in Romeo & Juliet. Bite you thumb at ME sir?

Devil horns: The favourite for rockers can actually mean two things. 1, the devil. 2, you're spouse has been cheating on you, loser.

Slapping a glove across someone's face/ throwing a glove/gauntlet at somebody: Is an open challenge and insult to a character. If you throw a gauntlet before someone, it's a challenge and you had best be prepared to throw down.

Arm of Honour: this involves you extending your bent arm while keeping your forearm parallel to your enemy and grabbing your upper arm. It basically means shove it up your arse, an old favorite used in the Hundred Years War.

[toadkingstudios]

I like when a fantasy story goes the extra mile to flesh out a world instead of just slapping on magic and different races and calling it a day. 

Like, “there’s fantasy world wrestling” vs “there’s fantasy world wrestling and there are different leagues for each race/weight. Recently as a promotional stunt they had the lightest dwarf against the heaviest elf fighter. Was a fight for the ages!”

It’s not just that there are trolls at every bridge in the city, but that the trolls have unionized and oversee the maintenance and repair of their bridges. They take great pride in them and pass toll booths down through generations.

Unicorns were once super rare, but then breeders domesticated some and keep large herds now. Wild unicorn populations are protected and there’s heavy regulations on the unicorn trade, so you can trace exactly where each came from and what the breeding was.

Not just slapping a giant in the back of a bar scene, of explaining that there is a large door at the back made for deliveries and giant patrons. (and guests that grow to giant proportions while in the establishment) Legally only 1 giant, or 2 half giants, are allowed at a time.

Not just having the Elf district and the Orc district, but having mixed neighborhoods of races based on class and background. Yes there still are “Little Orc York” and such, but there’s also mixed couples, clans of various races, and guilds of all shapes and sizes.

[brynwrites]

What not to write in fantasy.

I’ve seen some posts going around on what not to write in fantasy, many of which amount to:

Don’t write evil kings.

Don’t write people who are evil for the sake of evil.

Don’t write bullies.

Don’t write villains at all actually.

Don’t write mentors.

Don’t let your characters learn how to do hard things on their own though.

Don’t write people on adventures.

Don’t write people fighting evil governments.

Don’t write any fantasy species ever written before.

Don’t write any fantasy trope ever written before.

Don’t write any fantasy plot ever written before. 

Just… don’t fucking write fantasy I guess??

And this is such utter bullshit, my friends.

We do need more originality and diversity in fantasy, but we don’t need to remove everything that fantasy is and has been in the process.

(Especially, especially, when diversity is being included in traditionally cishet white male protagonist fantasy stories.)

Maybe the chosen one with special magic powers and a royal bloodline going on a quest with a group of friends to defeat the evil king has been done before with a white cis man a thousand times over, but how many times has a black trans woman got to go on that adventure? 

Maybe elves and orcs have been written into the dust, but they still make great templates on which to tell stories with original twists, and there’s nothing about them that stops a good, emotional story from hitting you straight in the heart.

Maybe dragons have been done by every writer ever to write fantasy, but you know what? Dragons are fucking awesome, my dudes. Many readers are always gonna love them.

Maybe we have told the same fantasy stories over and over again, but every step you take away from the known template is a step you have to spend more and more exposition on before the reader will understand your original creation.

So don’t let anyone make you feel like that your (inclusive) fantasy story is too ‘traditional’ to be good. As long as you produce a well written story you’ve put your heart into, it’ll be a story many readers will love. 

[sonderingeternally]

World Building Tips:  Empires and Power Structures

World building is important in any setting. There are places, such as fantasy literature where it can become the difference between a believable world and an unbelievable one. Suspension of disbelief is often a critical part to stories. 

Many fantasy books take place during times of war, or revolution or even a fall of a corrupt empire.  I love reading these sorts of stories, as many people do.  Power structures can be complex.  They can be used to create tension and drama between characters - take for instance the hero versus the corrupt government troupe in fiction such as The Hunger Games, Harry Potter or even more traditional fantasies such as Tigana ( by Guy Gavriel Kay) or The Wheel of Time series (by Robert Jordan).   As a reader it can be compelling to follow these stories.  For writers though, it can seem daunting to go into the details of shaping a believable power structure.  Here are some basic tips for creating one.  

There are four crucial factors to any power structure.  These are as follows:

1. Military - this includes the size of the army, the types of technology used (guns or swords? navy or land army?), the basic structure of the army (is it highly regimented like the Romans? What are the different groups within the army? How are they divided - by technology, skills or social status?). Another important question here is why has the military developed in this way? The Roman military, for example, grew out of competition with other Italian states. The opposition is equally important here - who were/are they within your story? Apply the above questions just as much to them, because empires and other structures are influenced by the world around them. The military can be the reason an empire begins in the first place.  The military should also play a role in sustaining the power structure/empire.  It doesn’t have to be the strongest factor by any means.  It may even become the downfall of the structure in the end.

2. Economy - How is your power structure or empire funded? Does this change over time? Does your empire take part in internal or external trade? Is trade important to the running of the empire? Resources such as crops, fertile land or people are also a part of this and influences the larger actions (such as conquest) your structure takes towards other countries. Trade can be a form of control and influence as well, even outside of the structure’s territory. In terms of story, a lot of decisions that are made involve trade or economic reasons - no one wants to get on the wrong side of someone who controls valuable resources or trade with other entities. The British Empire was based mainly on trade and this insured a global influence even as it declined in actual power.

3. Administration: The system of government and the way it manages itself is important to know. Is it a traditional monarchy or a democracy? How is leadership decided? How is power delegated throughout the larger administration? Hierarchy? One person can’t do or know everything. In terms of empire and conquest this is equally important. Does the empire recruit the local elites from conquered areas to administer to the general public, like the Romans? If your story is set in the outskirts of your empire, this could effect the outcome of the story - local elites might enjoy the power they have gained through an alliance with the larger empire and thus be unwilling to revolt against it. What other ways does your power structure control its territory? Does it use culture, or a set language to spread out into new territory? What kind of empire is your empire? Is it land based (only conquering territories linked by land) or maritime (navy focused with overseas territory)?

4. Culture: How does your power structure interact with its subjects? Even in a small area, different ethnic groups exist, so what unites all of them together? Are they all united, or is there groups of people the power structure leaves out? Have they always been left out deliberately or have these groups formed over time?How does the the government and the people from inside the empire view outsiders and their culture? Does this influence your story or characters? Do negative stereotypes or different language create a barrier between your character and others? In newly conquered areas is the empire’s language, laws and social ideals endorsed to locals or is it forced upon them? Is religion important to how the empire works or interacts? For example, before war do the gods need to show approval for the empire’s commanders? What about clashes of religion with other areas? Where do cultures intersect? Is your empire influenced by an older power or a hard past? What is seen as integral to your structure’s culture - art, literature, music etc? Are allies connected with your structure through culture, a shared distant history?

Most power structures rely on all of these factors - but none are ever equal in importance. Your government will identify one or two of these areas as important and focus on them. This can impact how the structure comes together and eventually falls apart - the greatest strength becomes a weakness, or something is overlooked until it is too late.

This is a long post - so I’m going to leave it here for now. If you guys have any questions, feel free to use the Ask feature to contact me.

[x-write-z]

Writing Tip

Each scene needs a goal.

It needs to be clear to readers and should be crafted into how you tell the story.

You don’t want it to be heavy-handed but you also don’t want it to be invisible.

Don’t just say that your character needs money. Show them struggling to make rent so when they do something dangerous for money we know why.

Just taking 30 seconds to evaluate the goal of each scene and how you can tactfully weave it into what you’ve already written can give your story a LOT of power, momentum, and direction with relatively little work.

[tiktoks-for-dead-pope]

[tendercoretroglodyke]

[thesnarksarereal]

When women write the mental breakdown:

[inky-duchess]

Wars, Battles and Sieges: Writing Your Battle (Your Notes)

Battles are to fantasy as stress is to writing. Battles can be the most exciting scenes to write as well as the toughest.

If you're an adrenaline writer, battles can be a rush. They flow from you as perfect as anything you've ever written... then comes editing.

If you're a meticulous writer who worries over every detail, writing a fast paced set of scenes will be torture for you.

So here are my tips to help you get through the slog of writing of a battle without giving yourself a coronary or wading through stacks of research.

When writing a battle you only need 3 sets of notes. You don't need mountains of paper in order to keep track of your battle, just these helpful notes.

Break it down

The best thing I ever discovered about writing battles (and this can be applied to any of your chapters btw) is to write them action by action. Make a list, beginning from the inciting moment and travel to the end. Writing the list helps you compile all the components together and gives you a clear view on what will be going down, with the charges and dramatic moments. For example, let's use the Battle of the Bastards.

The armies line up

Ramsay, dismounts and drags out Rickon on a rope. He tells Rickon to run, which he does.

Jon rides out to save him.

Rickon dies

Jon charges at Ramsay, Davos gives the

Bolton archers loose arrows, taking on Jon's horse, he falls

The Bolton cavalry charges at him, clashing with the Wildling-Northern forces.

Ramsay calls for more arrows but Davos stays his archers

The field begins to get crowded, bodies piling up. The warriors struggle on the uneven ground. It gets messy.

Davos charges in with the rest of the Northern forces

Ramsay gives the order for encirclement. His soldiers close in, blocking the Northern forces off from escaping. They begin closing in, crushing them.

A horn blows in the distance. The Arryn forces come up from the rear, crash into the Bolton lines, destroying them.

Maps

Drawing out your field of battlefield can be a help. Having a picture in front of you can help you visualize the field. Drawing out the alignment of your army (where the cavalry will be, where your infantry are, who is standing where) as well as the geographical features of the field, help you keep track of where everything is.

Keeping track of Injuries

The trickiest part of battles for me is keeping tabs on the injuries characters sustain during the battle. This is more a catch after the battle for me but injuries can effect the actions of your characters. During a major battle in TTK I wrote recently, I found that I couldn't recall all the wounds I inflicted on my characters when writing their recovery scenes which meant I had to comb through the battle scene to find those details. Writing lists of character injuries can seem tedious but it can give you a template for your action by action list.