#wordsmithing

[pulpdragonpress]

What a Writer Wants

There are moments when a writer says that they ‘Need’ something. And then there are the things that we all simply ‘Want’. I’m going to break down the things that should be in both categories, beginning with: What a writer Wants. The basic difference between ‘Wants’ and Needs’ is simple. The ‘Needs’ are the things that a writer cannot succeed without to be a writer. Not to be an author or even to…

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[gurlu]

I am thoroughly enjoying your wiki on your magic system. I had a lot to say about it, but am scared of people, especially too scared to DM; but I saw you wanted conversations about it🤩

One of the first things I loved is the ever presence of magic. The fact that spells and sigils take the names of “idioms,” “nouns,” “verbs,” etc. was evidence enough that magic was incredibly common. Despite it being common, it still keeps the essence of ‘magic’—being a mystery despite how accessible it is.

Your name for magic being “Flux” is really nice. It being present or “flowing” everywhere—it also means continuous change, which fits with the “ever-changing universe” :D.

Souls existing inside of nearly everything, and one of the components for a soul to have consciousness, has me wondering if planets in our solar system are conscious, ancient beings in this universe.

Becoming a husk of your true self once the connection to your soul is severed is a unique take on ‘death’. What if the body was destroyed? Would that thing with a soul just be dead and gone?

Manipulation of another’s essence being neigh-impossible adds to the primordialness of Flux imo.

“Words” (simply being called that, again, gives off the idea of being really common :D) being essentially their own language to learn or study is an aspect I haven’t seen—probably not the best one to be seeing that as I haven’t seen too many shows/movies/books. And them being reshaped, more comprehensive, precise, and having improved clarity makes me wonder how exactly does this medium tap into Flux?

I’m glad you brought up, even briefly, how Idioms is not only important to sciences, but also has became culturally significant. The comparisons to everyday things really sells how normal it is to society. I also like how instead of just being able to learn multiple disciplines like it’s nothing, it takes time—and a lot of it—just for one to be mastered.

My question about how this medium taps into Flux was just answered. Being a talented wordsmith doesn’t just use one part of you, it uses every thing you got and I think that just makes sense.

“Words are the recipe, not the ingredients.” So, they’re like the instructions on what to do with the ingredients, right?

The Nouns themselves are something I could go on about. They’re simple but get across what they represent really well, like fire looking enough like a geometrical fire. Don’t know if it was intentional, but air looks like a mountaintop which I think is neat cause it’s the opposite of what earth reminds me of (some cavern or core to the Earth or something deep underground). They (Earth and Air) vaguely remind me of their alchemical symbols.

Woah that's a lot ! I am very glad that you're enjoying my magic system a lot, I put a lot of time and effort into it so it makes me genuinely happy that people are enjoying it as much. I'll try to answer the questions you asked. They should be already answered in the wiki, but I'll still provide more straightforward answers here :

What if the body was destroyed? Would that thing with a soul just be dead and gone?

If the body dies, the Balance is severed, and the other Strata will wither away. If the body ceases to exist, then the soul will quickly follow : the mind degrading then finally ending with the essence withering away. It's what a ghost is ! You could technically resurrect someone before this happen, but since the mind starts dissolving pretty fast, it's likely they wouldn't be the same. Unless the soul managed to be preserved through magical means, that is.

How exactly does this medium tap into Flux ?

You make spells by calling into the Stratas, channeling energy through your essence, willing it with your mind, conducting it through your body then releasing it into reality. That's why it uses all of your being to do so ! Words are just tools to help you with that by focusing your being into the meaning and idea. Whether it's a dance or a magic formula, these tools will help you get into the groove and align your being into the manifestation you aim for.

“Words are the recipe, not the ingredients.” So, they’re like the instructions on what to do with the ingredients, right?

Yeyp, just like I said in the question before, Words are just tools that help you focus your being. You could say absolutely anything or make any movement, so long as it's clear to you what you want to do. Like the instruction in a block of code or like the recipe to a dish ; all you need to cast an Idiom is to understand. You already have what you need inside yourself, you just need to grasp it in the correct way.

Don’t know if it was intentional, but Air looks like a mountaintop which I think is neat cause it’s the opposite of what earth reminds me of (some cavern or core to the Earth or something deep underground). They (Earth and Air) vaguely remind me of their alchemical symbols.

The sigil of Air was a bit tough to make, as it needed to correctly click with the other sigils to make the corresponding Nouns, all while making sense on its own. What I came to create is a symbol looking like a cloud. On its own, it's not completely perfect to understand what it is (like regular air), but once you merge it with other elements, you immediately recognize its presence. I thought this accidental little nod to Air's inherent invisibility was another clever way to represent it, so I kept it !

[snazzy-hats-and-adhd]

"Unseasoned" is such a good potential insult. Not only are you bad, but you are bad in ways that are bland and dull and could be fixed with minimal application of effort.

[prompted-wordsmith]

Hot take y'all, but nothing brings me out of my immersion more than seeing a metaphor that doesn't fit the time period.

Specifically like... if you're thinking of using the phrase "sharp as steel" or variations thereof... steel wasn't invented during the bronze age.

That's, y’know, why it's called the bronze age

[meadofpoetry]

I blinked and my poem had almost 200K views and a Daily Deviation award on DeviantArt. I'm shaking. THANK YOU!

Read it here: https://www.deviantart.com/meadofpoetry/art/No-Road-Among-the-Stars-1058278928

[marinas-drafts]

Hi! First off, I would like to applaud you for your writing. I very often do read fics, but I very rarely find myself being enamored by all the fics written by one author. Your writing style is immensely captivating, and really the gift that keeps on giving? It really is. I love how with each fic you write, the reader can't help but find themselves mentally sketching out the character's personality in their head. I don't know if I've explained it clearly, but like basically you write your characters in a way that makes them feel so real? Which I know sounds insanely cliche to say, but nonetheless, it's true. Each character is so wonderfully distinctive. Different characters, and different storylines, but somehow your writing is both so persistently enchanting and unique in all of them. It's kinda like when someone you know has a signature perfume that they wear, so they have that scent that just automatically makes it known that it's them. Or when one sees a painting in an art gallery, and can quickly distinguish which one is a Van Gogh and which one is a Claude Monet - without, or before ever looking at the signature.

I feel like this has been asked before, so feel free to correct if you've answered this question... How do you work out how to write distinctive dialogue for each character that you write? and how do you make them sound not flat or scripted, to sound realistic? Because I always find myself running into a brick wall. There is that risk of sounding too cliche, too unrealistic, too much, or too less.

Do you ever listen to music when you write?

I apologize for this very long Ask!

Kisses,

anon.

This is the kindest, most relieving and uplifting note to read. I can’t thank you enough for your kind words, and I’m really humbled that you find that talent in my writing. I feel like I’ve grown so much just in the past year, and it’s been a delight to do it with people giving their feedback instantly. It’s a special little thing we’ve got on this platform.

I was literally just discussing the dangers and delights of dialogue with my writing friend yesterday. I feel like just in the past few months I’ve gotten to a new level of comfort in writing it -because I used to find it terrifying -but still there’s so much doubt creeping in at times. That’s one thing I adore about writing, if you keep after it you can be sure to progress no matter how veteran you are at it.

How do I manage it? I’m relieved that you think I do manage it, ha. But honestly I think much of it comes from studying other people’s works. Any movie or book or fic that strikes you as effortlessly natural, copy the hell out of it. Not word for word although that’s a place to start just to get the feel, replace it with your own words but notice how they structured it.

Humans don’t perfectly abide by grammar when speaking, or if they do it sets a tone for that person. Most of us start a sentence halfway through, nixing the starting place that a novel would chose and go straight to the point, sometimes having to tack on specifics at the end but never the beginning.

“Where’d that cheese grater go?” He asked and you were confused by what was wrong with the one he now held, “The one with the rust on it,” he elaborated, “I like the tinge it gives the cheese…”

😜 anyways…so study the heck out of how real people talk, and that varies drastically from person to person in the ring details, study the movies that feel least scripted (so often it’s not the actors fault it’s the script feels false) and mumble to yourself. I’m not kidding, have conversations in character, in your head.

Often if I have someone to base a character on in my head (say Elvis or Ann-Margret) I’m going to study their vocabulary, I’ll plop a interview on before writing and just listen to cadence and word choice. What words they tend to use and which they don’t. Anything culturally distinct about their sentence structures? Does one say “alright” more than “okey?” So often I’ll just write sentences that come to me then go back and weed out words that strike me as “too Elaine” for Gigi or “too Rosey” for Elaine. It’s a vibe you’re trying to maintain with a paper person’s aura, and much of that is how little or how much they say, wether they plead it or joke it or demand it.

And when you write the dialogue correctly you find that you don’t always need the dialogue tags to tell people whether they’re demanding or begging, etc. it’s really a thing no one can show it’s just felt, and I know that’s an obnoxious bit of advice but truly my last suggestion is also my first -go practice, and keep it messy!

Also, not always do I listen to music, but often! That’s another thing I don’t worry about words I worry about atmosphere with my playlists so I’ve had folks laugh about how some songs don’t fit lyrically, and that’s true, but the vibe is right sonically, it puts me in the right headspace so it keep it in the queue.

Thank you for such a delicious ask! Xoxo 💋 Marina

[theloulouge]

Wordsmithing on Wordpress

What is your favorite hobby or pastime? Ah, when it comes to my favorite hobby or pastime, I’m all about writing for my blog on good old WordPress! It’s kind of like my secret sanctuary in the digital world. I get to sit down, let my creative juices flow, and pen down all the things that make me tick. You see, it’s not just about writing; it’s about the stories I want to tell. Sometimes, it’s…

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[aconflagrationofmyown]

…Not me when choosing themes and subjects to touch in for literal fanfiction (“it’s just fanfiction” doesn’t soothe me a bit)