Do not send me (in my inbox, or via message, or anywhere else) suggestions for things you’d like me to write. No matter how vague and nonspecific you think they are. By doing so, you are guaranteeing that they will never happen.
Such suggestions, even in the inbox, leave an electronic “paper trail” that the platform is required to preserve. People bent on making legal trouble for a writer can subpoena a platform for such data as proof that you got your idea from somebody else (like them) even if you genuinely previously came up with it by yourself.
“Oh, come on, who’d do a thing like that, what are the odds…?” people will say. But it’s not generally known that I’ve already been involved in a high-stakes lawsuit in which someone tried to sue Mattel over material I wrote when developing the initial form of the “Barbie: Fairytopia” universe (and the first Fairytopia film) for them. I’d never so much as met or communicated with the person suing them, had never read even a word of their work… but they still went to great trouble and expense attempting to prove that I’d had access to their material and used it without permission.
Mattel won the suit—as I’d frankly been expecting: the attorney handling their defense was one of the most expert IP lawyers in the US. But it gave me the chills… and made it clear how very wrong things could go, and the kind of damage that could be done to my career and my personal life, if I even accidentally used ideas from unauthorized sources.
Seriously, folks. I know you mean well! But please don’t make me tap the sign.
I already have a list of things that can never happen. It’s already too damn long. Don’t make it longer.
DO NOT SEND ME STORY IDEAS (or “prompts” or anything of the kind) no matter how general or conjectural or unformed they may seem to you. To do so is to guarantee that they will never, ever happen.
And in my own universes, your innocently-meant suggestion could mean that neither you or anyone else will ever see that particular Young Wizards or Middle Kingdoms plot, no matter how much you’d like to… because I take this stuff seriously.
A few things I've been learning from my creative writing course:
A reactive character is driven primarily by outside forces: events happen to them, and their story arc is shaped by how they respond to pressures, conflicts, or surprises they didn’t initiate. Think like:
-Frodo Baggins from The Lord of the Rings, who is thrust into danger and must react to threats.
-Bella Swan- She’s pulled into the supernatural world by others’ choices. Much of her arc is shaped by reacting to Edward, the Cullens, and the dangers surrounding them.
-Devon Izara from Shadowlord, who begins with a proactive potential, but the story ultimately reduces her to a reactive, passive role. She reacts to escalating danger, to Maul’s manipulation and external circumstances, and finally once she is forced to a emotional breaking point she relent to Maul in the end.
-She does resist and tries to escape, but her resistance never meaningfully changes outcomes.
-Maul always resets control, so her actions don’t matter long-term, and if not, then external circumstances force her into situations with Maul to work with him.
-Her biggest potential turning points (almost killing Maul and her rejecting Maul repeatedly, calling him a murderer and escaping him) gets undone because of external circumstances or Maul himself, not self-driven character.
-Her final decision (joining him and "choosing" to be his apprentice after Daki's death) comes from Maul’s success in his manipulation that culminated into Devon’s emotional collapse, not Devon’s clear, self-driven agency.
The only way I can describe her character is: Maul wants an apprentice, so he got one in the end. (And then moves on to other apprentices like clockwork, according to the canon timeline.)
A proactive character, by contrast, pushes the plot forward through their own goals, decisions, and desires, they make things happen rather than waiting for things to happen to them. In practice, reactive characters often feel swept up in circumstances, while proactive characters create circumstances. Think:
-Tony Stark, whose inventions, decisions, and ego-driven actions constantly create new plot turns.
-Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, who repeatedly chooses to volunteer for Prim, her bold actions escalate the conflict.
-Zuko from Last Airbender who is reactive early on (chasing the Avatar because of external pressure), but becomes deeply proactive once he chooses his own path. His decisions reshape the entire narrative.
Anakin Skywalker who initiates most conflicts in the main series. He repeatedly takes bold, emotionally charged actions that reshape the world around him. Even when fear and the subtle manipulation of Sidious influences him, he doesn’t simply endure events, he acts, often dramatically, and those actions drive the rise of Darth Vader and the fall of the Republic.
-Darth Maul who is pure forward motion. His missions, obsessions, and relentless pursuit of targets drive the plot; he forces conflict rather than waiting for it.
Can you write an au where Pomni checks on Jax in the bathroom?
YES I SURE CAN
There might be a spelling mistake here and there. Made this on my phone so I do apologize hehe
___
The world caves and bends around Jax, the blur and haze of his panic taking over his senses. Water rushes from the facet, but it isn't enough to distract him anymore. He feels it harder than ever, worse than anything he's experienced in the real world.
Its your fault. Your fault. YOUR FAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULTYOURFAULT-
The words scream over and over, threatening and in a way, demanding. They assault his mind, making his knees weaker by the second. He won't even notice once his knees hit the cold tile floor.
It takes long, took long, for Jax to return to the stadium for awards. Pomni checks back once, twice, more times than she even realizes herself. It catches Ragatha's attention, making her hand reaching out the only thing stopping her paranoid loop.
"Hon, I think maybe you should see him." Ragatha's warm caring voice cutting through Caine's, leaving Pomni to sigh.
"I know, but... that fight-"
"I know..." She cuts Pomni off with a frown, "And it's not the first time he's done this. I know I keep a heavy grudge but that shouldn't sway your own decisions. I can tell it has."
The words make Pomni frown, then sigh. Maybe she was a little right, but Pomni knew that wasn't the only reason she was hesitant. But reluctantly she nods and gets off her seat. The only other place Caine added for the awards was a bathroom. She thought there would be a good place to start.
The stadium halls are dark and windy, making Pomni the slightest bit confused on where a bathroom would even be. She walks past a door, not paying any mind until she hears the rushing sounds of a facet. Curious, she stops and back tracks. A facet usually means a bathroom, right?
She opens the door slowly, suddenly feeling nervous as if she wouldn't be allowed inside. But once her head peaks in, and she sees Jax kneeling in a puddle of water, glitching and hyperventilating, she kicks all those aside and runs in.
The water splashes under her feet once she gets close, her knees now leaning into the crisp cold water. She didnt care, not one bit.
The hyperventilation and soft sobs cut through the roar of the sink water, and each sound breaks Pomni's heart even more. Was this all because of the fight?
"Jax?" Pomni makes sure to keep her voice as calm as she can, and she's glad she has as her voice seems to cause Jax to jolt out of the panic trance he was in.
His eyes are wide and dark as they shoot toward her, almost scared to be in front of her now. He opens his mouth, trying to speak, but only sobs escape him.
The words change in Jax's ears, making his sobs crack before he ducks back down into more erratic breathing. The glitching gets worse, darkening around his ears and getting... sharper.
"Jax, breath." Pomni gets closer, her hands shaking with nerves that continued to rise. Jax looked helpless and scared, every bit of emotion no one would have ever seen from him until now. They reach his shoulders, giving a slight jolt from the rabbit in response. They squeeze him lightly, comforting, showing she wasn't going anywhere. And she repeats, "Jax, breath."
Jax doesn't notice when his breathing tries to correct itself at first, his own mind assaulting him with images and threatening words of abstraction. But the squeezes cut through every few moments, pushing him back to her even just for a moment. Just long enough to hear her, to see her there. Even just for a moment, it was enough.
The wheezing and sobs grow quieter by every minute. Its longer than Pomni expected, but she kept the pattern for as long as she needed too. It was working, and that was all she could hope for in that moment. Seeing Jax threads away from abstracting from a panic attack, it was too much to witness.
She creeps in closer, only inching when she felt she could. Not wanting to push his comfort, but also needing him closer to comfort. The hands that squeezed his shoulders gingerly shift themselves away, carefully sliding toward his back the closer she was able to get. Jax noticed, but for once he wouldn't push away. Instead, he'd collapse into it.
The moment his weight bleeds into hers it catches Pomni by surprise. Its a shock, but she doesn't waist time to tighten her hold to adjust to their new position. She can still feel him shaking and sob, almost harder this time, but it was different from before. More controlled, less destructive. It was almost relieving.
Jax stays in her arms for what felt like hours. With each minute that passed together, the calmer his breathing and sobs became. It was slow, but there was progress in it. It would take the entire time just to get his composure again. And when it does, Pomni only expects him to pull away with the awkward tension. What she wouldn't expect were his own arms matching hers, wrapping carefully around her back.
The glitching stops, the abstraction dissapears, and the two stay in their arms until the cold water finally became too much for either of them.
Pomni let's Jax pull away first, and as expected his face was red and the tension felt awkward. But watching him now compared to how she found him, she'd prefer this anytime. It makes her smile, a soft and understanding kind as she reaches for Jax's hand. And just like before, he doesn't pull away this time.
"You doing better?" She asks, her soft yet chiming voice finally breaking the silence between them. She gives a squeeze to Jax's hand, and by surprise her shifts his to lock with hers.
"Yeah." He answers while eyes lock on to their hands, seeming to be studying how they felt. He gives a squeeze and a faint smile. "Im uh-"
"Its fine." Pomni interjects, giving a much warmer smile than his own. "I know. Its okay."
And with her words, Jax finally let's out a long breath. She'd forgiven him, but in the end he felt she always would. And maybe that terrified him just a little.
His gaze finally shifts to meet hers before cutting away to the sink. He manages to reach the tap from where they both sat, and shivered once the cold finally reached his senses.
"Let's get out of here then. I think my avatar is actually getting pruney." Jax grins with his words, his old composure finally taking shape again. It makes Pomni smile once she notices.
has anyone written hanahaki disease but instead of it being a disease, it's actually a living parasite/yokai?
Like-- the parasite/yokai feeds off those longing feelings and doesn't like it when the love i requited. It's the reason why so many decide not to confess, they think it's their conscience leading them astray but really, the hanahaki doesn't want them to confess because it wants to feed off those feelings.
The flowers act as a way to harness that energy, as well as generate more.
The hanahaki can sense the feelings and twists them, planting the seeds in their lungs and heart to siphon the energy.
The surgery that is used as a cure for hanahaki only work because they have no feelings to siphon, not because the seeds were removed.
Why kill the host you ask? Easy, that's not the only way it can consume energy. Funerals are filled with flowers, and guess who loves their flora. The flowers they implant just tend to be the quickest way, especially if they're low on energy.
Anyways this was just a thought I had and if anyone would like to add anything on or ask questions, leave them in the comments or in my ask box :p
Really simple things I do in my fantasy writing (that may help you as well, who knows)
Here are just a few things I implement as much as possible to improve the quality of my drafts. You don't need to use them 100% of the time, and they're better used after zero and first drafts, but you may find that on occasion, little tweaks like this can drastically change the text, the style, the impact, and hopefully for the better.
Try to avoid numbering anything specifically. There's never a "fifty years passed", or "she was twenty-three summers old". Allow the writing to be vague in this regard. If relevant, try to show the passing of time in architecture, technology, phrases, changes in the characters features, abilities, eyesight etc. and for the mention of ages, unless absolutely necessary, descriptions, mannerisms and worldliness of your characters will help the reader to determine estimated age ranges. Specifics add little, and there are better ways to show it. This goes with objects too, instead of "she purchased two tomes" it would be "she made her purchases, a leather bound tome embossed with a silver horned horse, and a lighter, most-ancient book, its pages torn and translucent." Give yourself opportunities to expand on information, adding atmosphere and sensation to the experience wherever you can. This isn't to say you can't have timelines etc. it's just giving more opportunity to better show.
Show don't tell. Yes, that ol' chestnut. But, specifically in regards to the character's internal monologues, thoughts and motivations. Instead of "Mávrik bit down on the end of his cigar, omitting his part in the discussion. He did not, could not, trust her. " You can cut out the parts in red that blatantly explain or tell his inner thoughts and simply use: "Mávrik bit down on the end of his cigar —"we entertain the vitjá [witch] now?" Add personality and flair with dialogue or actions. This allows the reader to fully engage in the story for themselves. From the context of the scene, the reader can guess at and determine the character's thoughts for themselves. You want to try and do this as effectively as possible. The more you opt to blatantly explain every angle, the less there is for the reader to think about and immerse themselves in.
Give all scenes purpose and move the story onward. This is likely going to be the most controversial tip in the list, but I stand by it regardless. Yes, this includes those beloved downtime scenes. Be inventive and deliberate in how you dress these scenes. Whether to show a new or developing facet of a relationship, a new location which will further expand our idea of your detailed world. Even downtime scenes should be in, some way, relevant to the plot. Is it a moment of calm before the storm/climax? An emotional breather that followed something traumatic? All scenes should have multiple, compelling components, intertwining both character and plot. Which leads into:
Have your characters doing something, always. Please, for the love of all is holy, unholy, infinite and unknown, give your characters things to do. Yes, even in downtime. I do not want to read another doorstop novel that repeatedly brings its characters to the same dinner table scene to discuss absolutely nothing of note (looking at you, SJ Maas.) As previously stated, think of every scene having a purpose. Perhaps it will reveal a character's hobby, grooming habits, their vices and addictions, or particular talent. Please, have your characters actively doing things. Because people do things, lots of things, a lot of the time.
Be creative in the ways you show the passing of time. Use day and night cycles, the habitat, nocturnal and diurnal fauna, instead of "at midnight" consider something along the lines of "the bloated moon hovered above them" or instead of "summer rolled into fall/autumn" describe the sights and sounds of the season(s), "the crisp, warm air grew heavy, clammy and thick with rot."
Remove any and all instances of "suddenly," "in-between breaths", "in a beat" and, my own personal favourite, "for a moment." I'm sorry, look I know they haunt me too, but they're useless filler and serve no real purpose. I've got nothing here to say beyond delete them, cut them out of your life, you and your draft deserve better.
Make your word-count count. I don't care if your book is a doorstopper at 700 pages or more when the novel isn't densely packed with compelling story, character development and plot. Yes, plot, my beloved. Be brutal with stripping away useless words, phrases, characters analyzing their own experiences to the reader, meta, repetition (unless deliberate) scenes that do nothing for either characters or plot - though at this point you should be aiming to hit both. Trust that your reader can follow the story without over-explaining and constantly reiterating, again and again. Trust me, we got it, we get it.
Write active characters but have their dialogue serve as mostly reactionary. Dialogue typically occurs as a reaction, to another person, an event, a question, an interesting/relevant observation. It helps the dialogue sound more natural, fluid, a back-and-forth. By having characters talk in this manner, about something, or directly to someone else, you avoid the trap of characters sounding too self-aware. Dialogue should reveal things about a character, but in an abstract way in relation to the scene/plot/interaction, a character should never just outright say exactly what they're thinking/feeling.
These, like all writing suggestions, are not hard rules, they aren't set in stone and I don't offer them with the intent of you tearing your manuscript apart, but if you choose to practice a couple of them, see how you feel. If you like them once you've tried them, attempt to implement them more frequently. Happy writing! 🌞
