riot-writing

Riot. this is a writing blog. please don't expect any writing.

[riot-writing]

Hi, everyone! (All 5 of you!)

So it turns out a couple of hospitalizations aren't a great atmosphere for getting any kind of writing done....

I'm gonna try to get back on track in the next week or so, so please feel free to drop prompts or whatever you want into my ask box!

💗

[shaelit]

HarperCollins Strike Update

For the full breakdown of what’s been going on since November, read here.

January 20, 2023

It’s been over FIFTY days. The strike is still ongoing. Harper has yet to even speak to the union.

Union members are still scraping on their second and third hustles (which most entry-level publishing people have) and donations to the strike fund. The union has set up a hardship fund (here’s the post about it on their official Instagram, for verification) so no more fiddling with checks or Venmo.

If you can donate, please do.

And whether you can or can’t, please do still share.

[fixyourwritinghabits]

Reminder that big publishers have seen record profits in the last few years. None of these have trickled down the the editors, marketing, design, legal, and more that are essential to getting a book published.

The strikers are asking for three main things - better pay, a bigger commitment to diversity, and more security for the union. That they’ve been striking for this long and can’t even get that shows widespread problems in the traditional publishing industry.

Please support and boost where you can. Everyone involved in getting you your favorite books deserves a fair wage and better job security.

[riot-writing]

Full Circle, Pt 5

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

At the end of three months, they’re all considered fully fledged members of the military. There’s a ceremony, and Jean is awarded the rank of Sergeant - which he finds a little ambitious - but the pay is better than a Private’s, so it’s not like he’s going to argue. 

He isn’t expecting anyone to be there for him. His mother can’t leave the store, and he’d never expect Mrs Rockbell to drag three kids all the way to the West just to see some pompous military back-patting over inducting another class of idiots - himself included - into the prestigious position of becoming one more cog in the machine. 

The ceremony has been over for half an hour, and Jean has been standing around with Breda and his sister attempting to politely decline their invitation to join them for lunch. In all reality, all he wants is to go back to their bunk, pack his stuff, and take a nap before he has to report in for his assignment this evening. They’ve got two weeks before they have to report to their stations, and he plans on making the early train back to the East. 

Eventually he begs off of lunch, and heads back to the bunk house. It’s mostly empty, a couple of guys lingering around, changing into civilian clothes to head out to lunch with their own friends and families. Jean isn’t envious of being out in a town he doesn’t know full of people he knows even less, but he does appreciate the invitation from Breda and his sister. It was a nice gesture. 

He’s just sat down to untie his boots, when one of the last guys left shouts, “Captain on the floor!”

It’s an automatic reaction at this point to stand and face the door, even if he hasn’t gotten into the habit of saluting. (Jean figures he probably won’t ever, honestly. He likes to be contrary like that.) 

The captain that’s stepped into the room isn’t someone Jean’s seen before. His hair’s slicked back, and he’s wearing a pair of metal-framed glasses; his uniform is pressed, but he doesn’t hold himself like it’s a uniform at all, just another set of casual clothes for a regular day off.

“At ease,” he says, far too comfortably. “No need for that.”

No one has been that casual with any of them since basic began and it puts Jean on alert.

“I’m looking for Sergeant Havoc,” he says, but his eyes have already locked on Jean so there really wasn't a point in asking. 

Jean steps forward. “Sir.”

“Let’s take a walk, Sergeant.”

Jean holds back a sigh, privately disparring over his lost nap, and follows the captain out of the room.

He’s led away from the crowd of visiting families and towards the obstacle course they’d been made to run until they puked. The captain - who still hasn’t given his name - seems to know where he’s going since he doesn’t slow until he’s brought Jean over to an awning set up to keep the instructor's dry in the event of bad weather. 

“I’m Captain Maes Hughes,” the other man finally says.

“Sir,” Jean says.

“You get your station assignment tonight, right?”

“I do.”

“What if I said I have a better offer?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

Captain Hughes looks thrown for just a moment, but he hides it quickly and well. “I’m sorry?”

“How am I supposed to know if it’s a better offer if I don’t know what the original assignment is?”

Hughes grins. “It’s East City. Their Range Master wants you as a potential instructor.”

Jean shrugs. “Sounds nice.”

“It sounds boring. I have something better.”

“Sir, no offense, but I’m not here for excitement and danger.”

“What about interesting?” the captain offers. 

Jean shrugs. 

“I’m stationed in Central,” he says plainly. “The Investigations Office. Your file got kicked up to us when you did your initial assessments. We’re interested in you if you’re interested in us.”

“And what’s that entail?” Jean asks.

“Does it matter?”

“Did you read my file?” 

“I did,” Hughes confirms.

“Then you should know I have two sons. I’m not looking to get myself into any more trouble than I have to.”

“Your wife - ” 

“Tricia and I weren’t married,” Jean interrupts, but the comment does make him realize that everyone he meets is going to assume that they were. 

It’s not a horrible thought. Despite being ten years older, Tricia was a beautiful woman, and beyond that she was kind. Up until she took ill, she’d managed a garden that supplied half the town with things they needed, but didn’t necessarily have time to crop themselves. She was also well known for adding a little extra for anyone in any kind of need. So, no, it wasn’t a terrible thought, but it did feel disingenuous. 

“She passed.”

“I’m sorry,” the captain says, and Jean thinks he’s actually sincere about it. 

Hughes crosses his arms and seems to be considering something.

“What if I could promise you desk duty? For a couple years, just until your boys are older.”

“Can you?”

“Probably,” the shorter man shrugs.

“Why?”

He grins. “Do you know how the assessments are graded?”

“Should I?”

“No,” he says cheerfully. “Initial assessments look for intelligence markers and personality traits. The numbers say you’re pretty smart; your instructors say you aren’t prone to anger or ego. The way you reacted to Nicholas Hassell’s…breakdown showed you have a knack for deescalation.”

Jean shrugs. “His dad passed while he was stuck here. Anyone would’ve been upset.”

“He tried to shoot you.”

“But he didn’t.”

“The disregard for personal health and safety could be cause for concern,” Hughes says dryly.

“You ever been shot at?” Jean asks.

“Unfortunately.”

“Then you know it’s about the doing, not the trying. Besides, he wouldn’t have actually shot me.”

“And how do you know?”

“Because he wasn’t a good shot. Hassell couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn if you’d painted it red and pointed him in the right direction. The only way he’d have hit me is if he’d prayed for a miracle and someone listened.”

“Everyone gets lucky once,” Hughes says. 

“Well it wasn’t Hassell’s turn.”

Jean can’t say he isn’t getting a little irritated by this whole interaction. He understands Hughes’s point - he could be dead, but he’s not - but there’s no point counting stars that won’t fall. He’s not dead and that’s all there is to it.

“So?” Hughes asks finally. “Are you interested?”

[writing-prompt-s]

A woman makes a deal with the devil… but before signing, she actually reads the contract. She is the first to do so.

[caffeinewitchcraft]

She’s got a good head on her shoulders. That’s what Grandma said and Uncle said and Daddy said and Peter said. She’s got a good head on her shoulders.

So even though the brimstone in the air is making her eyes water, even though the ground is so hot it’s making the rubber of her soles soft, even though he’s looking at her with fire in his eyes, she’s not going to go throwing that away now. This deal is too important to lose her head now.

“It’s the standard contract,” the devil says. The pinstripes on his suit aren’t black like she’d first thought. They’re red and they shine in the red light of his eyes. “I get rid his cancer and then you give me your soul on your dying day. That’s a good deal isn’t it? You’ll have the rest of your lives together.”

She hunches over the paper and her shoulders shake. He thinks she’s crying right now, he thinks she’s trying to muster the courage to sign, but she’s not. She’s reading the fine print because it’s the only part of the paper that’s not red like the pinstripes of his suit. It’s black, blacker than anything she’s seen and she knows it’d be bad to let her eyes skip over it.

She bites her lip until blood wells. When it drops, it falls on one word. Just one. Her blood eats through the ink of this word, steaming and hissing. She breathes in the smoke and feels the word settle deep into her lungs.

Then, when she’s done, she stands tall and she looks the devil in the eye. His smile flickers when he sees that she’s got the same fire in her eyes as him, when he sees that there aren’t any tear tracks on her face. 

“Sure,” she says, heart a rampaging thing in her chest. “That’s a good deal.”

His smile returns full force when she signs it. He takes the paper lovingly into his jacket, presses his own bloodied finger to it to sign it, sweeps a bow, and promises she won’t see him until she’s on her death bed.

She knows she’ll be seeing him a lot sooner than that.

Keep reading

[deepwaterfiction]

Deep Water Prompt #2840

The town has been bugged. The listening devices are of unknown origin, and multiplying, in every home and every streetlight, getting fat on electricity. Whatever sent them doesn’t seem to want to hurt us. They just want to listen. 

[deepwaterfiction]

Deep Water Prompt #2836

When my grandfather passes, I clear out his attic, and find a galaxy trapped in an hourglass. It’s so ancient I can’t date it on sight alone, but its been illegal to keep them in containers that small for almost a century.

[deepwaterfiction]

Text: The forest is dark, impenetrable, littered with the bones of long dead gods. We risk everything to find them, and piece by piece, bring them back to the village where they belong.

[windwardstar]

I literally only have one rule in my writing and it is this:

No matter what I put my characters through, they make it. They get to make it to the end of the story and have everything work out and be ok.

Because that’s the story I need. So it’s the kind I write.

[windwardstar]

If you want a piece of writing advice: write a story that is what you needed to hear at whatever age your target demographic is. I can guarantee you there’ll be someone out there who needs to hear it as much as you did. And maybe you’ll help them the same way someone else’s story did for you.

[boothewriter-deactivated2018122]

For some reason, this hit home and I never realized it that I did this for my stories too

[caffeinewitchcraft]

This is for sure one of my rules. Also:

The main character gets powers even if they choose not to use them

[deepwaterfiction]

Deep Water Prompt #2876

You're alone when you come across the starving angel. Knowing how dangerous they are, you stay back and try to keep out of sight, but it spots you anyway.

Submission by: @number1villainstan

[writingwithcolor]

Words to Describe Hair

Image: Words to Describe Hair: Afro | Curly | Straight | Look | Texture | Style | Color 

Photo credits: Alex Nemo Hanse

This began as a guide to describing Afro / curly hair but of course, I got carried away. From look and texture of hair, colors and various styles, this guide serves as a thesaurus of sorts for hair, as well as pointers for use in your writing.

Please check under the read more for an accessible version of these lists

Culturally Significant Hair Coverings:

Know the meaning behind head wear and why it’s worn, when and by whom, such as a Native Nation’s headdress, before bestowing a character with it.

Head Coverings Resources:

More on various head coverings.

See here for more Islamic Veils. 

See here for more on the Nigerian gele.

See here on African American Headwraps. 

View our hijab and headscarves tags for discussion on these topics.

Afro - Curly - Straightened

There are many varieties of braids, twists & Afro hair styles; have some more!

African/Black Hair: Natural, Braids and Locks

African Hair: Braiding Styles 10 African Types

Describing Black (Afro) hair:

Appropriative Hairstyles: Keep in mind that Afro styles should be kept to those in the African Diaspora, such as dreadlocks, cornrows + certain and many braided styles. 

Also, “locs” is a more favored term over “dreadlocks” for many people.

Tread carefully describing Afro hair as “wild” “unkempt” “untamed” or any words implying it’s unclean or requires controlling.

“Nappy” and “wooly” are generally words to stay away from, the first having heavy negative connotations for many and the latter, though used in the Holy Bible, is generally not acceptable anymore and comes off as dehumanizing due to Animal connotations.

There are mixed feelings on calling Black hair “kinky.” I’m personally not opposed to the word in itself and usage depends on the person’s race (I’m more comfortable with a Black person using it vs. a Non-Black person) as well as their tone and context (if it’s used in a neutral or positive tone vs. negatively/with disdain). Get feedback on your usage, or simply forgo it.

See our tags “Black Hair” and “Natural Hair” for more discussion on describing Black hair.

Texture - Look - Styles

Hair Colors and Style

Writing Tips & Things to Keep in Mind:

Combination Words: Try combining words to illustrate look of hair. A character with springy coils that dance across her shoulders with every movement, the man with thick silvery hair slicked back into a ponytail…

Mind Perspective: Depending on POV, a character might not know exactly what cornrows or a coiffure style is, at least in name, and it might make more sense if they described the hairdo instead. More defining terms might come from a more knowing source or the wearer themselves. One book I read described a girl’s afro puff as “thick hair pulled up into a cute, curly, poufy thing on top of her head and tied with a yellow ribbon.”

POC & Hair Colors: People of Color’s hair comes in all shades and textures. There are Black people with naturally blond and loosely-textured to straight hair, East Asian people with red hair, and so on. Keep that in mind when coding characters if you tend to rely on hair color alone to denote a character is white vs. a Person of Color.

Related Tropes: There are tropes and discussion related to People of Color, colored hair, and light-colored hair and features. 

Check out these posts on the topic: The East Asian Women + Colored Hair Trope - Black Characters & “Wild” Hair Colors - POC w/ Supernatural Colorful Features. - ‘Uncommon’ Features & POC Characters

~Mod Colette

Read more for accessible versions of the lists:

Lees verder

[walk-up-songs]

this fic is gonna be so good when i [checks notes] start writing it

[deepwaterfiction]

Deep Water Prompt #2878

The signs get stranger the further south you go. Turn right for fried catfish! Angel tears in one mile! The swamp is real! The swamp is watching! 

[deepwaterfiction]

Text: There’s a town in a long forgotten corner of the south where nobody asks any questions, ever. “How are you?” becomes “you look well”, and “what time is it?” becomes wearing a watch.

~a special note~

This prompt is based on the YA cosmic horror-ish manuscript I'll need beta readers for soon! its called BORDERLINE!

you can read the back page description here

and go through my own personal tag here !

and i know i've said beta applications are opening soon for...a while now. but this time it's true. so if you're interested, keep an eye out for that link at the end of the month! i'll also tag everyone who's expressed previous interest.

sorry for the interruption, back to regularly scheduled prompts~

[ellatholmes]

if you're a writer i wish u a very plot/story/character epiphany

[kaitaiga]

(click for better quality!!)

ghost was so cool in this campaign…other than being a scary mofo, his friendship with soap was unmatched and I love how he’s a funny mf in that ‘Alone’ level where he just spit out jokes every now and then

[deepwaterfiction]

Text: There is work for ghosts in search and rescue. We find and possess the injured, dragging broken bones to safety, thrilled to feel anything at all.

[deepwaterfiction]

Deep Water Prompt #2884

The thing in the woods wants a friend. It has no mouth to speak with, and yet it calls to us, in our own sweet voices.