Heyo, so I’ve had this blog for a while but I didn’t decide to convert it into a proper writeblr until today, and I think I’m due for an introduction!
You can call me Star or Eve, whichever you prefer. I’m a sixteen year old girl from Hong Kong in love with all things creative, especially words and music. I’m fluent in English and Chinese, and I can speak enough Spanish to survive if you dumped me in the middle of Mallorca. My hobbies include fantasizing about OCs, doodling OCs, taking personality quizzes as my OCs, or creating OCs on Artbreeder during class… it’s OK I’m not delusional. Just passionate. And pumped to get to know you all!
I’ve roamed around the writeblr community for a while now, and can I just say yall are the most supportive, creative, inspiring bunch I’ve seen?? Never in my life have I seen so many like-minded individuals in one place; it’s awesome to discover that there are people out there as hyped about their WIPs as I am!
In my blog, I’ll be posting original content from my WIPs and OCs, as well as writing prompts, resources, and advice. I’ll also do a heck ton of reblogging and participate in tag games!
I’d love to get to know you guys, so feel free to add me to your taglists or pop up in my ask box/messages.
Some concepts I’m weak in the knees for:
elaborate heists/escapes, especially when the gang has to use their unique talents and work together !!
disguises (bonus if this is combined with the above)
found family.. 😳when they’re chaotic and dysfunctional but have each other’s back no matter what it’s just *chef’s kiss*
ENEMIES TO LOVERS. period.
those romantic subplots that are so subtle you need to hunt for signs.. but the hints are everything!! aah
regency era; there’s something so utterly captivating about the aesthetic of that time.. also, the social hierarchy was insanely strict--> makes for some good storytelling
time/space travel!! space colonization? plundering the garbage heaps of outer space for raw materials to sell...
relatable cultural&racial&LGBT representation.. not some fake woke token character without a story.
traditionally feminine women that are strong and heroic!!! (the world needs more of this plz)
I’m new to this so I’d love to get to know people! If you write any of the above (or if you write anything, really) comment or reblog so I can follow you and we can hopefully support each other! Thank you guys :)
aries: the mom that is on the sidelines during her child’s every sports event, screeching her child’s name and waving banners. a mom that constantly finds new topics that fascinate her (e.g. quinoa in salads, or astrology), then loses interest after a day or so. the type of mom to say im vegan “from now on”, and a day later, is found scarfing down a plate of steak.
taurus: the type of mom that lets her kids skip class when they want to sleep in, and sleeps in with them. an introverted mom that’s happy to spend the weekend gaming on the couch, and books extra-curricular activities for her children just so she can watch That 70s Show in peace.
gemini: a mom into neighborhood gossip (and IS most of the gossip), who has a personality like a mask. one moment she’s chatting someone up and the next, she’s trash talking them. she’s the best hostess for her children’s friends - when she approves of them. this is the mom you do not mess with.
cancer: the most caring and intuitive mother on the spectrum - the type of mom that will cry with her children when they’re upset. a mother that is extremely family-oriented, one that organizes barbeques and family outings, and slips loving notes into her children’s packed lunches. probably will have a hard time seeing her kids leave the nest.
leo: the type of mom that aggressively promotes her child during conversations - “yes, just last year janice got an attendance record award! yes! MY daughter!”. keeps a lot of fancy furniture in her home, and is the type of mom that invites guests over just to show off her antique lamps. a mom that carries a sense of regality, and never lets her children forget it.
virgo: the type of mom that keeps a colour-coded calendar of all her tasks and her children's’ events, never misses a single birthday party or soccer game, and sends her children to tutoring because she knows it will benefit their futures. a mom that functions like clockwork wrapped in flesh and affection.
libra: a mom so outgoing and well-liked she gets invited to every social event, but still manages to spend time with her children. a woman that can commonly be found befriending strangers while in line for groceries, sparking conversations so fluid and vivid nobody would guess she spends hours in the bathroom each morning getting ready to go out.
scorpio: a mom that can be found curling up on the couch with a glass of wine on friday nights. a conservative, amorous woman that sometimes feels sentimental when she picks her kids up from school and is reminded of her childhood.
sagittarius: the type of mom that shows up to pick her kids up from school with spontaneous movie tickets in hand, and takes them on spur-of-the-moment excursions on the weekend. a mom that has souvenirs from all over the world cluttered on the house shelves.
capricorn: a high class woman with big bucks and more than one shiny car, that dresses in organic colours and expensive shoes. the type of mom that sends her children to cotillion because their dining manners are too rambunctious for the household.
aquarius: a mom that constantly misplaces her car keys, glasses and whatnot. an offbeat, unconventional woman that enjoys debates and dirty jokes, often introducing her children to concepts and content they shouldn’t know at their age. the type of mom that uses a creepy alien theory as a bedtime story.
pisces: a mom youthful and pure, commonly found learning the new slang and so-called “new hip dance moves” from her children. a mom that probably grows flowers in a tiny patch of soil in the backyard, and would rip her children’s limbs apart if they so much as touched one of the petals.
Hey all! Long time no see—I wanted to let you know that I just made an Instagram account for my writing @sunsoffline. That's where I'll mainly be posting writing-related content from now on, so I really hope to see you there.
Let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist!
Night One— Meilan Liu
The winds are merciful tonight, so building a fire is a much easier task than usual, especially for a wilderness novice such as myself. I suppose my newfound companion's ability to shoot flames out of her palms helps too.
Chess raises her arms and a plume of flame wells up from the kindling. Amara and I gasp in the blast of heat. Amara's still holding the bottle of alcohol she pilfered from the Cornucopia. I'm assuming she intended to use it for fire-building. Maybe she can throw a cocktail party instead.
Chess turns back to us and grins, her lime-green hair dappled by the orange firelight. "All in a day's work."
Amara tosses her the groosling while I fish out the foldable tripod I found in Dep's tent today. Chess suggested we build the fire at the base of a large oak to escape detection. Seeing the smoke disappear into the foliage, I'm quietly impressed.
We settle around the fire as the groosling sizzles on the spit. The flames make my eyes water but I stare into them anyways. I don't dare look up.
Unfortunately, both Chess and Amara seem morbidly accepting of the colossal holograms of the dead that flit across the night sky. Chess, I'm sure, is familiar with the sight.
"I knew Zazu," says Chess, and her voice is impassive, the voice of a veteran fighter. "Nice kid. Always hungry, but I guess we all are, back in Twelve."
I hunch a little more, my cane digging into my side. I've never slept on an empty belly for a day in my life.
"Everyone's hungry," mutters Amara. "If not for food, then maybe for wealth, or power."
"Or revenge," Chess mutters. At this, I slide her a glance, but her violet eyes are still roving the sky, as if searching for a divine message. I've never seen her look so subdued. Back in training, Chess was the type of girl to dole out punches like playing cards, then blow you a kiss as your nose meets the mat. Here, under a sky that flicks through the faces of the dead like some grand, somnambulant blooper reel, her usually coy expression has melted into sorrow. I wonder who, or what, she's thinking about.
"I guess it's called the Hunger Games for a reason," I say finally. The others murmur their agreement.
The fire crackles. The groosling has turned a mouth-watering shade of golden brown. We don't even bother with cutlery; we just dig in, the meat piping hot between our fingers. After a few bites, my hunger dissipates, and I realize just how bone-tired I am. I could stretch out on the earth right now and sleep for days. But I know we're not staying here tonight. After dinner, we'll kick soil over the fire and steal away somewhere, perhaps to a copse of trees with branches thick enough to sleep on. By dawn, I'll be setting off alone. I'm not planning to make lasting friends here.
"I wonder what tomorrow will bring," I mutter, more to myself than to the others. By nightfall tomorrow, how many more faces will join the Capitol's vile exhibit? How much of their blood will linger on my knife? Will I see Amara's face up there, still smiling and resolute, even in death? Chess, with locks of green hair still staging an anti-gravity mutiny? And Safia, my old friend Safia, who once mistook a lotus-shaped hairpin for a bug and ended up gashing her hand trying to kill it, how is she faring? She's probably built another ridiculous contraption, the genius that she is.
Then my thoughts turn to someone else. "Have any of you heard news about Kito Faraji?" I say on impulse. A knowing smile quirks on Amara's lips and I immediately want to high-five the fire with my face.
"He elbowed me in the nose in the Cornucopia," says Chess with a shrug. "He grabbed this massive bag of fishing gear and just took off, leaving me with a jar of bait. Now neither of us can fish."
Amara snorts. "I had a tentative alliance going with him earlier today. But we split up to search for resources and afterwards, he just disappeared. Probably got mauled by a bear or something. Bleeding out in a ditch somewhere, too weak to cry for help."
I only observe them silently, but the other two burst out laughing. "Aww, Meilan, I'm just kidding!"
Suddenly I'm really thankful for the red firelight over my face.
"Would you save him if you could?" Chess asks.
I clench my cane a little tighter. "Why would you ask such a thing?" I can sooner sprout wings and fly than change how the game works. Only one of us, at most, will make it out alive.
Chess only retrieves her waterskin and takes a long swig. "Here, I've purified it." She presses it into my hands, and I'm about to tell her I'm not thirsty when I notice the tiny black script she's etched into the lining. Writing this here so the cameras don't see— maybe we don't have to play by their rules.
Hi there, your OC stabbed mine in writeblr hunger games.
Rip Charlie 😔👊
😭😭 Utter condolences, Safia mistook him for a fowl!!
^ I realize that this isn't particularly comforting... so maybe it's better if you heard it from Safia herself...
Night One— Safia Sauda
TW: Violence, murder
Michelangelo is my spirit animal. Why? We both have terrible fashion taste, a talent for ticking people off, and the minds of visionaries. Michelangelo saw the angel in the marble and carved until he set him free. I saw a speargun in the pipe I nabbed from Buzzkill's tent, and tinkered around until I had myself a straight shot at dinner. We're practically the same person.
I'd never built a weapon before, not in my eighteen years as a human nor my ten years as an inventor. But, thanks to the bounty I scored at the raid today, it was pretty smooth sailing. Who knew Buzzkill had a whole toolbox to herself? All I had to do was weld the pipe into a horseshoe, shove in chips of a spanner, then loop it with a rubber tube as a release mechanism. By late afternoon, I had my spear loaded and ready to fire.
Unfortunately, a loaded speargun can't make hunger go away by itself. The forest is empty of game, and the waters haven't been generous either. I've been wading through the marshes for half an hour already, and the only thing I've managed to accumulate is the disposition of a wet rat. I wonder if Caide is watching me from home, laughing at how stupid I look. He has a knack for making light of the worst situations.
I cut a glance at the deepening sky. In ten minutes, I won't be able to see a thing. Mama would probably have a stroke if I dunked my face in slimy river water my first night in the arena. Caide would probably take pictures of my sodden face and make a profit circulating them across the whole District. I'm contemplating just calling it a night and going hungry when a rustle sounds nearby.
I have to turn up my hearing aid before I find the source of the sound: a dark, hunched blot scurrying through the reeds to my right. A fowl, finally. Salvation.
I dive into the reeds behind it. It's fast, slipping and sliding through the swampland like one of those jerky, lopsided marionettes from the old commercials, but I gain ground pretty quickly, thanking morning-me for dousing my soles in traction spray. My speargun clanks against my shoulder but I'm too preoccupied to even notice the weight.
The sky is darkening quicker now, bloated and purple, and the marsh writhes with shadow. I veto my frail heart's protests and force my feet to pump faster.
Finally, the reeds part. We've stumbled onto a clearing. I spot the fowl resting by a nearby tree, shadows lengthening across its figure. Seizing my chance, I hoist the speargun to my chest and fire.
I think I hear a faint "waitwaitwait—" but my spear has already struck its mark. And there I go, sprinting towards the tree, barely containing my pride, plucking out my spear and dragging my catch out of the shadow, into the dregs of light that linger in the ripening dusk.
My speargun hits the ground with a wumph. That's not a fowl.
"Next, we have the songbird of the season— Meilan Liu of District One. Please welcome her to the stage!"
Oh, and what a beautiful, opulent stage it is! Wide and gold-wrought, its border starkly contoured in glittering white lights; and then across, the stadium keening with people, rabid spectators in their coiffures and wine-coloured gowns, as colourful and unwieldy as the bulbs of rock candy Mama used to buy me after a particularly taxing surgery.
Caesar Flickerman is no different, decked head to toe in blazing orange. He gallantly offers me an arm. Even though I don't need his help, I let him lower me onto the cushions and lean my cane against the armrest. "Thank you, Mr. Flickerman."
"Anything to accommodate you," he replies, with a vague gesture that I instantly understand.
I shift ever so subtly and a slip of emerald fabric parts, revealing my right foot. Gasps resound throughout the stadium.
To those who haven't seen it before, my clubfoot might be the biggest novelty since spray tights. When people come upon it, some instantly recoil, some lunge to coddle me, but none of them ever look away. Humans have a morbid fascination with the things we deem beneath us.
"That's right, everybody, the Games will no doubt be especially daunting for young Meilan here." Caesar Flickerman leans forward, brows squirming sympathetically. "Tell me, Meilan, how does it feel for a physically..." He sifts through his words. "...disadvantaged person such as yourself to go up against such ruthless competition?"
The audience holds their breath. I let my shoulders sag by a hair, musing for a while before I speak. "You know, the pressure is certainly on. I don't have the gym build or motor skills of the other contestants. I definitely can't outpace them, and I probably can't outwrestle them, either." A soft murmur slides through the crowd. "But, I truly believe that times like these bring us all together. And I know that as long as I keep sharing my vulnerabilities with you all, showing you that you don't have to be ashamed of being the underdog, your support will give me all the courage I need to keep on fighting."
The audience dissolves into searing applause. Some even launch their gumdrop-shaped hats into the air in solidarity. I can't help but smile.
In the flatscreen suspended above them, I see myself, quoted within the sheaves of my gown like a bird roosting in her bough. Although, it's not me, really— it is me in my game face. Fragile, heart-rending, Songbird Me.
Then my gaze pans further and I catch the glint of two brown eyes from deep within the wings, narrowed and resentful. I can practically see the twitch of his skeptic's brows, the loosely folded arms, the ramrod-straight back. Kito Faraji can see right through me.
Pressure mounts in my chest. I tear my gaze back to the contortionist apostrophes that are Flickerman's brows.
Idiot. You play to win. You've known this ever since your name was drawn from the glass.
I close my eyes, just for a brief second. And still you sustain yourself with intimacy, the very fodder for your undoing.
In an unending, star-speckled sky, ravens keep watch. There is a tear in the barrier between realms. There is a prophecy about the children who might seal it.
When they turn sixteen, they’ll be adults. They’ll lose their jobs and the room they share at the factory in Herenzen - a city where dreams never reach higher than the looming smokestacks. Cambridge believes things will work out, but it doesn’t matter what she, Ivory or Avenir think, Lennox won’t wait that long.
He has an idea. A witch saved his life once, she could do it again. After all, she is Corvine. And Lennox believes magic like hers could change the world.
His plan to save his friends will lead them to a crossroads of destiny, with their freedom and the fate of two realms dangling at their fingertips.
Genre: YA fantasy // coming of age feat. magic // alternate history
Setting: an alternate history/version of Earth with an additional (mostly Dutch) colonial country in North America
POV: third-person limited, multiple povs
Status: draft 2 completed, (93k words/prologue + 50 chps)
Themes: the meaning of family // magic & power // hatred & anger vs love // destiny vs choice // the nature of humanity
photo transcripts, links, taglist, etc. below the cut. Thanks to @incandescent-creativity for reblogging all those cool wip presentations and giving me the idea to do this in presentation form
With the completion of draft 2, I figured it was time to remake the master post to be more up to date!
Fair warning, lots of these links lead to posts from during (or even pre) draft 1, so the information might not be entirely up to date. I will update this with new links as I make new posts!
Characters
Lennox - Introduction (old) / Character tag
Cambridge - Introduction (old) / Character tag
Avenir - Introduction (old) / Character tag
Ivory - Introduction (old) / Character tag
Helio - Introduction (old) / Character tag
A set of edits I made with a breakdown of the main five, their personalities, and their character journeys!
Places
The Shop (mood board and info, old)
The Safehouse (mood board and info, old)
The Archives (to be made)
The Factory (to be made)
The Astrifer a.k.a. the Starry Place or the Space Between Realms (to be made)
More about Magic (old)
All Worldbuilding
(that link leads to posts tagged #the realm of the raven)
Excerpts
(All excerpts are tagged #the word of the raven)
Read an early version of the prologue here
Link to some really cool icons and a header made for me by @ diabhals in August 2019
The meme I link to in the presentation: "Oh no, we're cosmically important"
All posts about The Corvine can be found at westywrites.tumblr.com/tagged/the-corvine :)
If you’d like to be tagged in (admittedly infrequent) updates about this WIP - including mood boards, excerpts, and worldbuilding - please let me know and I’ll add you to the list!
---
(image ID/presentation transcript:
Note: there are 10 slides with lots of information, so this transcript is pretty long.
Slide 1: an image of the silhouette of a raven perched on a branch, the background is pale orange. Large text says "The Corvine," smaller text in the corners says "By westywrites" and "draft 3 in progress!"
Slide 2: text on the same pale orange background. The title reads "history (tl;dr on next slide lol)". Beneath, in smaller font, is the following list of information
An alternate version of Earth where the Dutch (with the help of the other colonizing forces) tried to set up a neutral “borderless” business zone in the middle of North America. They called this land Zondereck and established a capital city called Herenzen.
This went terribly and a family declared themselves royalty, supposedly as appointed by the Almighty. The Queen is simultaneously loved and hated by most.
Long before Zondereck or petty human conflict, magic reigned. The Corvine, powerful witches who follow the Word of the Raven, claim that we once had access to another another realm. They say that the people from the other realm abused magic and so a barrier had to be built to protect this realm - the Realm of the Raven.
At the time of the story, magic is feared and hated. All Corvine are persecuted and killed under orders of the Queen (through the influence of the Queen’s Advisor)
Slide 3: The title in the centre of the pale orange background says, "To sum that up..." It is surrounded by small text blocks that read, "Alternate history of Earth!" "There’s a Queen. Her Advisor wants all magic users dead." "A fictional country in the middle of North America!" "There are witches called the Corvine - they like ravens :)" and "There are multiple realms! The people from the other one are supposedly evil, so there’s a magical barrier." There is also a small image on the slide of a map that shows a section of North America with many important rivers labelled. A dotted line surrounds parts of modern-day Canadian provinces Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, as well as American states Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota. This drawn-in border extends from the real border of North and South Dakota up to Hudson Bay. This is the border of the fictional kingdom of Zondereck, and the map is also labelled with a star marking the fictional capital city Herenzen, and a fictional canal called the Zondereck Bypass that connects Lake Superior to the Missouri river.
Slide 4: The title on the same pale orange background says "The Characters", beneath is smaller text that says, "The story follows four kids who work in a factory in the city of Herenzen as they approach the age of adulthood in the eyes of the law (meaning they are 15, almost 16). And a friend they make along the way! They are desperate for change and a chance to be in control of their own futures, though that seems impossible." To the left of the title is an image of a digital line-art drawing that shows five teens posing happily together. To the right of the text are five images made using a picrew that show the same teens in a chibi/cartoony style. The first is of a black boy with very short hair, he is smiling with determination. The second image is of a blonde girl with flowers in her long, straight hair; she is smiling sweetly. The third image is of a dark-skinned girl with long, wavy black hair, she looks somewhat annoyed. The fourth image is of a Chinese boy with black bangs, he is smiling calmly. The final image on the slide is of a dark-skinned nonbinary teen with flowers in their messy, dark hair, they look kind of surprised or nervous.
Slide 5: The slide is divided into two sections. On the left, the text says "Lennox - the impulsive leader. stubborn / brave / loyal
how can he lead when his mistakes are ruining the lives of the friends he wanted to save?" Followed by a list that says,
The main-main protag, most chps in his POV
Grew up in the city, sold to the factory at age 8
Does not think things through (this boy’s got my ADHD…)
Obsessed with magic/the Corvine, the resident storyteller
Power to move long distances in short times!
The text is accompanied by a photograph of a black teenage boy with close-shaved hair, he is laughing. On the right side of the slide is a photograph of a pale white teenage girl with straight, long blonde hair, her eyes are closed as she peacefully looks towards the top right. The text to the right of her image says, "Cambridge - the loving support. optimistic / timid / kind how can she support her friends when she fears she’s losing her mind?" Followed by a list that says,
Second main protag
Found as an infant, raised in the factory by the Holy (religious caregivers) and has never left its grounds.
Dreamy, naive, and a romantic at heart, she can be optimistic to a fault
Her power gives her strange visions and dreams, and turns her (seemingly permanently) invisible
Slide 6: The slide is set up similarly to the previous slide, divided in two. The text on the left says "Avenir - the determined cynic. bold / bitter / fierce how can she persevere when her worst nightmares are coming true?" Followed by a list that says
suffers from PTSD and anxiety from her mysterious past
came to the factory not long before Lennox
fire powers babeyyy
In the centre of the slide is a photograph of a Métis teenage girl with long, slightly wavy black hair and a determined look on her face. Immediately to the right of her image is a photograph of a Chinese teenage boy with black hair that goes across his forehead in straight bangs, he looks serious. The text on the right of the slide says "Ivory - the rational thinker. rational/ anxious/ religious how can he find logic when everything he thought he knew is built on lies?" Followed by a list that says
traded to the factory as a toddler with a basket full of Chinese ivory
not having a good time, thanks
his power forces people to do what he says
Slide 7: This slide is also divided into two. The text on the left says "Helio - the reluctant teacher. calm / guarded / wise how can they maintain their peaceful life when strangers show up in need of guidance only they can provide?" Followed by a list that says
the friend they meet in the woods :)
raised by Mevrou Geheim (actually moreso by the ravens and plants since she was never around…)
as such, not great with people
Corvine since infancy, can “talk” to plants
In the centre of the slide is a photograph of a nonbinary teenager with wavy dark hair, they are dressed in formal clothes and smiling while holding a plate of vegetables. This is the only image on this slide. Under the image is a small text box that says "no pov chps in book 1 :(" The text on the right says "Mevrou Geheim - the mysterious mentor." Followed by a list that says
saved Lennox’s life one time and he hasn’t left her alone since
can see the future, loves being cryptic
super dedicated to her duty as a Corvine to follow the Word of the Raven
often uses Afrikaans words or phrases (ex. calls Lennox “boytjie”)
also is Deaf and uses sign language sometimes
still no good face claim for her!
Slide 8: The title of the slide reads "Magic!" On either side of the title are circular images; the one on the left shows a fire, the one on the right shows the night sky with a wire fence in the foreground. The rest of the slide is text that says "All magic involves the starry place between realms - the Astrifer! The main 4 get their powers in the inciting incident - powers are gained by eating Stardust. Lennox can flicker his body in and out of our realm to shorten the physical distance traveled. Ivory’s voice reaches through the Astrifer to choose the future. Avenir draws energy from the Astrifer, which appears as flames. Helio can connect to the Astrifer on what’s essentially the same wavelength as plants . Cambridge straddles the realms, letting her see into both and making her invisible in this one. this should not be possible. no one has ever been like Cambridge." Part of the text is written in red, it says "Drawbacks", followed by black text that says "using magic means crossing the barrier between realms. This takes a lot of effort and inflicts physical damage that can become permanent in extreme cases - the more of you that crosses, the worse the effects are."
Slide 9: The title says "So What Happens?" It is followed by a list saying
Lennox wants to save his friends from the factory and their miserable futures, so he goes to Mevrou Geheim for help
she gives him Stardust and a lot of cryptic warnings
They burn down escape the factory and flee
Uh-oh. Mevrou Geheim has gone missing. There are soldiers after them. There’s a tear in the Astrifer. Cambridge is having freaky visions of evil things coming through from the Realm of the Fox. The world might just end. Prophecies about saving it are probably about them.
y’know the kind of thing all 15-year-olds have to deal with, right?
Another text box below the list says, "These poor kids just want to be happy and free and together, is that too much to ask?" Very small text is beside this says "yes, yes it is." Below the textbox is more text which adds "Oh and Lennox and Helio want to find Mevrou Geheim, if possible." On the top right of the slide is a meme that shows two cartoon cats holding a red thread, around them is text that says "oh no, we're cosmically important so now we have to suffer."
Slide 10: The final slide is titled "In Short," and the text is a list that says
Magic! Witches! Lore, stories, and legends! Talking ravens!
Alternate history! Different realms!
Complex, multi-faceted plot that all ties together! Lots of questions to be asked!
First of two books! (Hopefully!)
Fun banter! Importance of friendships + found family vibes! Diverse characters! (Many races! LGBT! Helio is nonbinary! And uses a cane! Mme Geheim is deaf! There’s more but none of this is the point of the story just something that is!)
On the left of the slide is a large image of a digitally painted book cover. It shows a raven flying upwards near the top of the image, its tail widens out into darkness that takes up the bottom half of the image and is faintly speckled with stars. In the background, smoke obscures a factory with many smokestacks. Grey text on the black part of the image says "The Corvine. West Weston." Above the title of the slide is a row of five images. These small square images have colourful backgrounds and show the same five teenagers from earlier slides drawn in the style of a different picrew.
The stage is set, and our performers get ready for their show! Gaze one last time at the full cast. Who will make it to the curtain call, and who will last be seen getting chased by a bear? Will technical difficulties derail the show before we can even get to the action? Let’s hope all goes well for us and goes spectacularly for the tributes.
im so enamored with stories that portray love as something soft and kind because i do think that love at its core is an act of kindness. its part of the reason i prefer the idea of growing into love instead of falling in love because when i think of growing into love i think of a garden, like love is something to cultivate, to tend to daily, a steady progression of growth with some setbacks, a few dying leaves here and there, having to move to a bigger pot and a spot with more sunshine, but it’s still something that at the end of the month, or a year, or a decade, or a lifetime you can look at and see the product of your dedication, see exactly what it means to pour your heart into something. i just! love reading about kind love!
[Image description: a banner image of the Boston skyline, mostly comprised of buildings and trees. In the middle is a drawing of the sun in white. The bottom half of the sun is covered by waves. Overtop of the drawing, in all-caps cream serif font, is text that reads "The Boy From 5th Avenue". /end description]
The Boy From 5th Avenue | WIP intro.
Logline: Having just dropped out of college, a wayward soul finds himself alone in a new city until a family heirloom connects him to a boy from another world.
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary with speculative elements.
Setting: Boston, Massachusetts. USA. Modern Day.
Content Warnings: thoughts formed out of depression and anxiety, smoking, alcohol abuse.
Summary: In the summer following his departure from college, Avery del Rosario moves to Boston with only a bag of clothes, enough money for three months of rent, and an old portable radio that his father gave him before passing away. Struggling with his newfound sobriety, Avery finds himself in good company when his radio mysteriously connects him to Emile, a violinist living in New York City.
Together with Mickie, an enigmatic barista who lives in the apartment right above Avery's, Emile seeks to remind Avery of the beauty of living. As Avery and Emile get closer and eventually fall in love, the question of when they can meet in person becomes less and less hypothetical. It isn’t until multiple failed attempts that the young boys discover something so absurdly heartbreaking.
They aren’t just in two different cities. They’re in two different worlds.
Mostly told in third person, this book features sections in second person that tell of a life so beautiful you can tell it's just an illusion. Your early 20s can be so lonely, so full of grief and longing for something - anything - more grand than what you're actually facing. I wanted to capture those feelings and work through them with you.
The Boy From 5th Avenue stars two main characters -
Avery del Rosario: “You”, the wayward soul. A half-finished portrait; Avery, you are more than what your past paints you to be. Your life has only just begun.
Emile Richmond: “Him”, the butterfly prince. Handler of a white violin; Emile, your symphony includes more than your own breath. Have confidence.
And one side character -
Mickie Moore: “Her”, the divine companion. The torn pages of an unfinished memoir; Mickie, abandon shame and fear. It’s time to rewrite history.
If themes are more your style, this project includes a slow-burn romance between two trans characters (nonbinary x transmasc), nonlinear storytelling, a critique of American higher education, and lots of art metaphors.
Excerpt, from a dream you had once:
You have begun to write things down, because otherwise you’ll forget them later. Nothing pressing or urgent; to write those down instead of dealing with them immediately would be disastrous. Instead, you write down things – thoughts, memories – that make you happy. The neighbor’s daughter smiles like your mother, her lips slightly parted. The grapes you bought taste so sweet they make your mouth hurt. The sheets, fresh out of the dryer, are so warm that you almost doze off trying to fold them.
It’s been 55 days since your last drink. The boy reminds you. He reminds you because he knows you’re afraid to write it down, and he reminds you because he loves you.
And you love him back. You don’t write that down. You want to rediscover that, over and over and over again.
twitter // discord server // general taglist (I only have one!)
Announcement: pen name, website, & short story release!
Just what it says on the tin!
✨I’ve got a pen name now! It’s R.K. Ashwick.
✨I’ve also got a website! Right now, it has synopses, artwork, and a newsletter sign-up.
✨If you sign up for the newsletter, you’ll get Aspen, a free short story all about your favorite forest spirit!
The newsletter is honestly way less spam-y than it sounds. I won’t email more than once a month, and it’s a great way to keep up with my stuff if you leave Tumblr or if/when Tumblr goes down. Plus, you’ll get content there that won’t hit Tumblr until later! We’re talking snippets, artwork, book cover reveals, release dates, book-related recipes, a whole bunch of cool things. I’ll keep the emails short, too. Promise :)
[ID: a short story cover that’s a watercolor of an aspen branch. The text reads “Aspen” and “R.K. Ashwick.” end ID]
By the way, here’s the official cover for Aspen! You may recognize it from my watercolor a few months back. A big thank-you to @theramwrites for helping edit the story, and a big thank-you to everyone who beta-read it. Your feedback was immensely helpful. 💖
Would really appreciate it if you boosted this! Thank you to everyone who’s supported my writing this past year!!
Both TSS and RPS taglists under the cut, since the website pertains to both (ask to be +/-):
I'm your writeblr secret admirer (sorry that i'm a day late).
Anyway, I just wanted to say that I love your blog so much! You post a lot of really cool stories and thanks to you I feel a lot more connected to the community as a whole :D
I also am really grateful for how many new WIP's I've been able to find by perusing through what you've gathered. That was something that really made my day.
Anyway, I hope you have a really lovely valentine's!
Woo thank you so much <3 I really appreciate this, I hope you have a beautiful day
I've been around writeblr for a few months now and never really made a proper intro, so here it is, something of an intro/re-intro mixture.
About me:
Hi, I'm Oleg! 17, they/them, ace. The rest I'm still trying to figure out myself. My native language is Russian, but I mostly write in English. Dog person. Cat person. Obsessed with learning languages. I try to be funny a lot more than my sense of humor can allow me.
About my writing:
I frequently write and post short stories, sometimes poetry, and I'm currently working on three bigger projects. I normally write fantasy and/or sci-fi, always with a touch of comedy. I love cosmic horror and I'm trying to explore the comedy-horror genre, even though I lean heavily into comedy.
My current projects:
Just Your Typical Fantasy Story is my main WIP. It's a fantasy/comedy/adventure that focuses on the adventures of Mary Chang, or Mary Sue, as she's called, as she becomes the Chosen One and has to defeat a Dark Empire. Heavily sarcastic. A lot of subverted tropes and subversion of expectations.
WIP Intro here
The Foolish, Foolish Stars is a fantasy/comedy/sci-fi story about Irik, a court jester, that has been abducted by aliens to rule an intergalactic empire, and Magician, their friend that's finding her way to space to rescue them. Ft. dragons, space pirates, and a lot of tomfooleries.
Masterpost here
An Inn at the Very End is a short sci-fi story about a mysterious place at the very edge of the universe and an Innkeeper who is trying to understand themself, their work, and their origin.
WIP Intro here
Sidelined projects:
A Tale of Daggers and Cupcakes is a fantasy/coming-of-age/adventure/romance/dark comedy retelling of the events in the life of Shikimalut, a female assassin from a culture where only women are allowed to kill. Set in the same world as JYTFS.
WIP Intro here
Cozy Little Horrors is my attempt at the comedy-horror genre, a rural fantasy that is slowly becoming the story of a vampire couple running a magical academy, with a side of tea parties, Eldritch Gods, and student loans.
Masterpost here
What to expect from my writeblr:
Original writing (sometimes), writing advice (mostly reblogs, but sometimes original), lots of worldbuilding/conlanging-related posts, and of course, writing memes.
Feel free to tag me for tag games and your writing, I'll try my best to respond and check out your work!
All your projects seem so cool! I love the unique angle you take on these tropes; although I personally don't write satire, I'm a sucker for it. Would love to be added to the taglist for The Foolish, Foolish Stars :D
Here is “Knot”, a short comic I drew to sell at Mocca and TCAF this year. The printed version is going to be SO PRETTY. I’m in love with the cover (which I will post later).
I just wanted to do something fairy-tale-like that talked about doubts and frustrations and how to deal with them. I’m really happy with how colorful and adorable the story turned out to be.
If you enjoyed “Knot”, please consider reblogging it and/or checking out my ongoing webcomic Namesake! HUGS TO ALL OF YOU!
[ID: a digitally drawn banner. On the left, a man with light brown skin and dark, curly hair holds a lute with glowing flowers coming out of the sound hole. On the right, the text reads “The Stray Spirit.” end ID]
WIP Re-Intro: The Stray Spirit
Struggling bard Emry Karic has only one path home: impress the Auric Guild, join the ranks of the elite musicians therein, and return to his family with his honor in hand.
Difficult to do on a good day. Impossible to do with a possessed lute.
Just before the biggest performance of his life, a talkative forest spirit named Aspen traps themself in Emry’s lute. Emry swears the spirit to silence on stage, in exchange for a favor: he will help Aspen investigate the magical earthquake that forced them into the instrument.
But Emry is a bard, not a scholar, and their research leads them straight to the person who resents him the most: Cal Breslin, his academia-entrenched ex-girlfriend. As they delve into the forgotten mythology of spirits and gods, they uncover an ancient folktale. The tale recounts an earth-shattering quake, one whose magical energy consumed all living things as it swept across the country. The story’s details echo what Emry and Aspen experienced the night before.
And as the apocalypse looms, the Auric Guild taps Emry for a callback, throwing his family’s ultimatum into conflict with their very survival.
🌱The Basics 🌱
Light-hearted NA/adult fantasy with a romantic subplot, self-publishing this year! Recommended if you’re running in the opposite direction of grimdark. Think blankets and hot cocoa, Diana Wynne Jones and Tamora Pierce. I specialize in soft and emotional.
🌱Characters 🌱
Emry Karic: mid-20′s, anxious bard just doing his best. For better and for worse, he’s a man of his word.
Cal Breslin: mid-20′s, brilliant and slightly snobbish Academy student. Not thrilled that her ex-boyfriend is coming to her with a major metaphysical discovery stuck in his lute.
Aspen: 140 going on 14. Childish, curious, energetic, naive. Just wants to protect their grove.
🌱Themes & Tropes 🌱
Prodigal son, exes to lovers, self-esteem, luck, facing fears, truth within myths, Friendship™, found family of the “I am adopting myself into this family” flavor
🌱More Info! 🌱
My pinned post will have links to character posts, the WIP intro page, side drabbles, and a list of the WIP’s main tags.
I also have a taglist! If you want to get notifs (~once a week, likely less) for upcoming character posts, snippets, artwork, and release updates, please ask/DM/reply to join.
I got really bored recently so yeah, a ship chart meme for your shipping chart needs! Feel free to use, just please don’t cut out my username. More colors under the cut. EDIT: Since some of you seemed to like these, I made some for poly ships! Both OT4 and OT3.
Trying to find a good word today and found these bookmark-worthy sites! Hope they help other writers with their descriptions.
Glossary of House Building Terms —if you're having trouble imagining a residential home for your story, this site's primary purpose is to offer house plans
Words That Describe Buildings or Rooms and Parts of Buildings — the sidebar on this page offers relevant glossaries for building materials, fences and outside walls, etc.
House Parts You Didn't Know Had a Name — this site is best for antique and historical homes, and offers professional DIYs for improving/maintaining every facet of an old home
