The Writers Nest

A collection of writers, tips and writing, please feel free to ask for advice or tips

[cannawitchcreations]

Magickal Folk Names for Herbs

Having knowledge of herbs and plants (either magically or medicinally) during the Middle Ages, often was reason enough to accuse a woman of being a “witch,” so there is no doubt some of the country folk at the time took these herbal folk names literal.  Chances are, these names were used merely as descriptors to help remember them easier.  Most plants were given names descriptive of their uses and others were given names for something they generally resembled. Spells written by witches in ancient times were often written with such descriptors, which personally i believe to be a form of secret coding.

Here is a small list of “witchy” herb names (most of these are already floating around the community) that you can use in your craft when you create your spells.  This list could be a great addition to any Grimoire and i hope you find them as useful as i do.

Enjoy ~~~  Cannawitch

Plants

Aaron’s Rod - Goldenrod or mullein stalk Absinthe - Wormwood Adder’s Fork - Adder’s Tongue Fern or Bistort Adder’s Tongue - Dog’s Tooth Violet (or Adder’s Tongue Fern Ague root - Unicorn root Alison - Sweet Alyssum Angel Food, Archangel - Angelica Angel’s Trumpet - Datura Ass’s Ear - colt’s foot or comfrey Ass’s Foot, Bull’s Foot - colt’s foot Auld Man’s Bells, Old man’s bells - wood hyacinth, Hyacinthoides hispanica

Bad Man’s/Devil’s Oatmeal/Porridge - hemlock Bad Man’s/Devil’s Plaything - Yarrow Bastard - false Dittany Bat flower - tacca Bat’s Wing - Holly leaf Bat’s Wool - moss (which moss?) Bear’s Foot - Lady’s Mantle Bear’s Grape Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Bear Paw - ramsons Allium ursinum or the root of male fern Dryopteris Felix-mas Bear weed - Yerba Santa Eriodictyon californicum Beard of a Monk - Chicory Beggar’s Lice - Hound’s tongue Beggar’s Buttons - Burdock Bird’s Eye - Speedwell Veronica officinalis Bird’s Foot - Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum (Also bird’s foot violet and bird’s foot trefoil) Bird’s Nest - carrot, Indian pipe Bishop’s Wort, Bishop’s Elder - Wood betony Stachys betonica Bitter Grass - Ague Root Aletris Farinosa Black Sampson - Echinacea Blazing Star - liatris Blind Eyes - Poppy Blood from a head - Lupine * Blood from a shoulder - Bear’s breech * Blood of a Goose - Sap from a mulberry * Morus nigra Blood of an Eye - Tamarisk gall * (probably the tannin extracted from) Blood of Ares - purslane * Blood of Hephaestus - wormwood * Blood of Hestia - Chamomile * Blood - sap of the elder or bloodwort Bloody butcher - Valerian Bloody Fingers - Foxglove Blue Bottle - Bachelor’s buttons Boy’s Love, Lad’s Love: Southernwood Brain Thief - Mandrake Bone of an Ibis - buckthorn * I am not sure if this is Rhamnus cathartica or sea buckthorn Hippophae spp If I can find a recipe containing this, I will know for sure by comparing its purpose to their very different qualities Bread and Cheese - Hawthorn Bride of the Meadow - meadowsweet Bull’s Blood - beet or horehound Burning bush - false dittany, also a modern name for species of Euonymus Cow’s Horn - Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum Bride of the Sun - calendula Brown Dragon - wake robin Buttons - tansy

Calf’s snout - Snapdragon Candlemas Maiden - snowdrop Candlewick - mullein, the flower stalk Capon’s Tail - valerian Carpenter’s Herb - bugleweed Lycopus europaeus Carpenter’s Square - knotted figwort Carpenter’s weed - Yarrow Cat - catnip Cat’s foot - white balsam, black cohosh, ground ivy Cat’s herb - valerian Chameleon star - bromeliad Cheeses - marsh mallow Chocolate flower - wild geranium (I don’t buy it) Christ’s eye - wild clary Salvia verbenaca Christ’s ladder - centaury Christ’s spear - adder’s tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum Church steeple - Agrimony Clear eye - clary sage Cleavers - bedstraw Click - goosegrass Clot - great mullien Cocklebur - Agrimony Cock’s comb - amaranth Colt’s Tail - fleabane Crane’s bill - wild geranium Crow’s foot - wild geranium, or wood anemone bulbous buttercup (verified) Crowdy kit - figwort Cuckoo’s bread - common plantago Cucumber tree - magnolia Cuddy’s lungs - great mullein Crown for a king - wormwood

Dagger flower - blue flag Daphne - bay laurel Dead man’s bells foxglove Death angel - fly agaric Amanita Muscaria Death cap - fly agaric Amanita Muscaria Death flower - Yarrow Death’s Herb - Belladonna Delight of the Eye - rowan Devil Plant - basil Devil’s Apple - Mayapple or Mandrake Devil’s beard - houseleek Devil’s bit - false unicorn root Devil’s cherries Belladonna berries Devil’s plaything - yarrow Devil’s dung - asafoetida Devil’s ear - wakerobin Devil’s eye - henbane or periwinkle Devil’s flower - bachelor’s buttons Devil’s fuge - mistletoe Devil’s guts - dodder Devil’s herb - belladonna Devil’s milk - celandine Devil’s nettle - yarrow Devil’s Shoestring: Various varieties of vibernum, esp Black Haw, cramp bark, hobblebush Dew of the Sea - Rosemary Dog Berry - wild rose hips Dog’s mouth - snap dragon Dog’s tongue - hound’s tongue Dove’s foot - wild geranium Dragon - tarragon Dragon Flower - blue flag (really, wild iris? not an arum or a Antirrhinum?) Dragon wort - bistort Dragon’s blood - calamus

Eagle - ramsons Allium ursinum Earth apple - potato Earth smoke- fumitory Elf’s wort - Elecampane Enchanter’s plant - vervain Englishman’s fruit/ White man’s foot - common plantain Everlasting friendship - goosegrass Eye root - goldenseal

Fairy smoke - Indian pipe Fairy fingers - foxglove Fat from a Head - spurge * Felon herb - Mugwort Five fingers - cinquefoil Fox’s Clote - burdock Frog’s foot - bulbous buttercup From the belly - Earth-apple. * potato?? Did the writers know about potatoes? When was pgm written? From the foot - houseleek * From the loins - chamomile *

Goat’s foot - morning glory Goat’s Horn - Fenugreek Trigonella foenum-graecum God’s hair - hart’s tongue fern Golden’s star - avens Gosling’s wing - goosegrass Graveyard dust - mullein (and sometimes it’s just graveyard dust)

Hag’s taper - mullien stalk Hagthorn - hawthorn Hair of Venus - Maidenhair fern Hairs of a Hamadryas Baboon: Dill Seed * Hare’s beard - mullein Hawk’s Heart, Old Woman - Wormwood Artemisia absinthium crown or seed head * Hind’s tongue - hart’s tongue fern Holy herb - yerba santa Holy rope - hemp agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum Horse tongue - hart’s tongue fern Hundred eyes - periwinkle

Innocence - bluets

Jacob’s Staff - Great Mullein Joy of the Mountain - Marjoram Jupiter’s Staff - Great Mullein

King’s Crown: Black Haw vibernum Knight’s Milfoil - Yarrow Kronos’ Blood - sap of Cedar *

Lady’s glove - foxglove Lamb’s ears - betony but more likely lamb’s ear Stachys byzantina Lion’s Hair - The extra little roots that stick out of the turnip bulb or the base leaves Brassica rapa * Lion’s tooth - dandelion Little dragon - tarragon Love in idleness - pansy Love Lies Bleeding - amaranth (Not so ancient, a modern ornamental variant) Love Leaves - burdock Love man - goosegrass Love Parsley - lovage Love root - orris root

Maiden’s Ruin - Southernwood Man’s Bile - Turnip Juice * Man’s Health - Ginseng Master of the Woods - Woodruff May Lily - Lily of the Valley May Rose - Black Haw viburnum May - Black Haw viburnum Maypops - Passion Flower Mistress of the Night - Tuberose Mutton Chops - Goosegrass

Nose Bleed - Yarrow

Old Man’s Flannel - Great Mullein Old Man’s Pepper - Yarrow Old-Maid’s-Nightcap - Wild Geranium

Password - primrose Peter’s Staff - Great Mullein Poor Man’s Treacle - Garlic Priest’s Crown - Dandelion leaves

Queen of the Meadow Root - Gravelroot Queen of the Meadow - Meadowsweet Queen of the Night - Vanilla Cactus

Rats and Mice - Hound’s tongue Ram’s horn - valerian Ring a Bells - bluebell Robin run in the grass - goosegrass

Scaldhead - blackberry Seed of Horus - horehound See bright - Clary sage Semen of Ammon - Houseleek * Semen of Ares - Clover * Semen of Helios - White Hellebore * Semen of Hephaistos - Fleabane * Semen of Herakles - arugula * Semen of Hermes - Dill * Seven Year’s Love Yarrow Shameface - Wild Geranium Shepherd’s Heart - Shepherd’s Purse Silver Bells - Black Haw viburnum Snake Root - black cohosh Soapwort - Comfrey or Daisy or maybe Soapwort Sorcerer’s Violet - Periwinkle Sparrow’s Tongue - Knotweed St. John’s Herb - Hemp Agrimony St. John’s Plant - Mugwort Star Flower - Borage Star of the Earth - Avens Starweed - Chickweed Sweethearts - Goosegrass Swine’s Snout - Dandelion leaves

Tail of a Pig - Leopard’s bane * Tanner’s bark - toadflax Tartar root - ginseng Tears of a Hamadryas Baboon - Dill Juice * Thousand weed - yarrow Thunder plant - houseleek Titan’s Blood - Wild Lettuce Lactuca virosa * Torches - mullein flower stalk

Unicorn’s horn - unicorn root or false unicorn root Urine - dandelion or maybe urine

Wax dolls - fumitory Weasel - rue Weasel snout - yellow archangel Winter wood - wild cinnamon Canella alba White - ox eye daisy Witch’s Asprin - white willow bark (this is ancient?) Witch’s brier - wild brier rose hips Wolf claw - club moss Wolf’s foot - bugleweed Wolf’s milk - euphorbia Woodpecker - herbLpeony Worm fern- male fern Dryopteris Felix-mas

Yerba Santa Maria - epazote

Plant Parts/Body Parts

Blood - Sap or juice Eye - The disc of a composite flower, or a seed Foot - Leaf Guts - Roots, stalks, tangly bits Hair - Very stringy roots (sometimes silk or tangly stems) Head - Flower head or seed head Tail - Stem Tongue - Petal, sometimes stigma Toes - leaf or bud Paw - sometimes bud, usually leaf Privates - Seed pod Worm - stringy roots Wool - Moss

Minerals

A Snake’s Ball of Thread - soapstone * Blood of a Snake - hematite * Crocodile Dung - Soil from Ethiopia * A Physician’s bone - sandstone *

Animal Parts

A Snake’s Head - A leech * Blood of a Hyrax - A rock badger, * small weasel-like/rodent-like (but actually neither) creature native to Africa and the Middle East Blood of a Hamadryas Baboon - Blood of a spotted gecko * Bull’s semen - the egg of a blister beetle * Lion Semen - Human semen * Kronos’ Spice - Pig Milk *

* From Ecloga ex Papyris Magicis: Liber I, V, xxvi

More Sources for verification -

Galen - De succedaneis, Claudii Galeni Opera Omnia, v 19

Paulus Aegineta, Corpus Medicorum Graecorum IX/2 vII

Dioscorides De Materia Medica

Witchipedia

Lady Raven

Tryskelion

[the-writers-nest]

The advice to "Just start writing somewhere" doesn't fit my issue. I need my catalyst/ inciting incident to draw the rest of my story. I know the ending but why the MC has to get there. What do you advise.

I would recomend looking into other works and how they move on / create that peak moment that shifts the work to the ending. Perhaps looking into the hero circle will help. Generally each action and interaction between characters should aim to move the story forwards towards that ending. Motivations could be things such as a character death, a loss, that characters morals ect

[relatablegenzwriter]

god i love cg drews tweets

[eye-raq]

So if your writing smut or a love story, I figured these would be good to use.

“You know how I feel about you, it’s already apparent.”

“My nights used to be lonely; that is until you showed up.”

“I could stay like this forever.”

“Tell me you love me.”

“Is it too late to tell you how much I love you?”

“I could write a whole fucking book about my feelings in a heart beat, but when I’m around you all I get out is two words.”

“How is it possible to make someone feel like this.”

“I was a lost boy.”

“Kiss me here…” *sighs longingly*

“Is it morning already? Are you sure you have to go?”

“Where were you? I needed you last night and your phone kept ringing.”

“I don’t like being hung up on, that’s some grimy shit.”

“So what are we doing exactly?”

“We could have sex if you want. Or we could just lay intertwined half naked while we watch a movie.”

“I don’t know what turns me on the most, the sound of you moaning in my ear, or the faces you make while I’m deep in you.”

“Your lips are as soft as clouds girl.”

“Do you think about me still?”

“I want more than this, I’m tired of playing games.”

“Don’t play with my heart, cuz once you do there’s no going back.”

*grips ass tight* “now it’s my turn to blow you away.”

*whispers* “Lets get out of here.”

*she was his muse; every guys wet dream*

*the skin of her ample chest was iridescent*

*his touch sent intense shocks up her spine*

*the more he stared, the more he fell in love*

*all he needed was a confirmation; just a simple yes and he would make her his*

*just a stroke of their finger tips*

*the way he snakes his arms around her waist could cause asphyxiation*

*a new phobia of hers: loosing him.*

*they were both lonely; what better way then to help each other out*

“If we do this, there’s no going back.”

“This love shit is scary as hell, but I’m willing to accept it.”

“I don’t fall easily, so you gotta cut me some slack ma.”

“How many ways do I have to show you how much I care? What else I gotta say to you?”

“Ask me”

“Say it again”

“Honest?”

“I could never judge you I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of.”

“Make me scream.”

“You got my guard down.”

“Spend the night?”

“I’m possessively needing you because I never had this.”

“That’s not fair.”

“I’m so into you.”

*she walked; leaving a trail of fire in every step. She was royalty and she brought him to his knees*

*his cold heart seemed to melt when she touched him*

“I’ve never been touched by an experienced man”

“There is a difference between making love and fucking. If you want me to make love to you, give you gentle strokes and soft touches I can do that, but if you want me to fuck you…like really fuck you, I could flip your world and have you questioning your morals.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? When I want something, I mean that shit.”

“C’mere”

“Oh I ain’t requesting nothing, ask me what I want the most.”

“I’ve waited to fucking long, I want it.”

“Your angry with me now, but you’ll be screaming my name later.”

“Let’s just stay like this, I don’t wanna move.”

“Erik, I’m scared.”

“Hey Erik, can we talk? I really gotta get some shit off my chest and it’s eating away at me.”

*his name was Erik, and he was more of a man than I thought*

*the curious side of me wants to know what he posses, those hard eyes looked like they had a story to tell.*

*eriks touch was like liquid fire; my skin burned and it was a good pain…*

*he was soft and gentle, but rigid.*

*i could stare at his back muscles all day*

*when he slept, that storm cloud that brewed over his messy dreads was a perfect white; with a crisp blue sky*

*he read danger and do not enter, but when did that ever stop me?*

“So you want me huh? Are you sure about that? I don’t need you flaking out on me.”

“I’ll tell you what, why don’t you let me show you what I’m worth just this once, then I’ll leave you to your thoughts.”

“You don’t have to be experienced girl, I’m a good teacher I’m willing to show you.”

“Grip me tight, and don’t let go”

“Good morning, you ready for round two?”

“I’ve waited too long for this moment.”

*she kissed along his raised scars, earning a deep groan from him*

*his smile was contagious*

*Erik Stevens was everything I needed*

“Are you ready?”

“How often do you bring yourself to climax? You seem so rigid babygirl.”

“I believe it’s a nessessity to fulfill all sexual desires.”

“Sure, I’m into kinks…what do you have in mind?”

“There is nothing to be embarrassed about girl, it’s just me and you.”

“Why don’t you make me cum this time?”

“Where do you want my mouth right now?”

“Your prettier when your home with a bonnet on your head.”

“I don’t care about what that scale reads.”

“I just wanna feed you, love you, and fuck you.”

*He wasn’t tripping, this girl was really the death of him*

“I can’t sleep alone anymore”

“I just need to hear your voice, it’s been too long for me.”

“Please.”

“Yes”

“Always”

“Touch me”

“My heart”

“Love is overrated.”

“Convince me otherwise.”

“Are you worthy enough to change my mind?”

“Where do you want me?”

*He was the epitome of a beautiful black man*

“Princesses deserve the world”

@ange-sensuel @panthergoddessbast @vanitykocaine @eriknutinthispoosy @vikkidc @hearteyes-for-killmonger @allhailnjadaka @blackpantherismyish @littlesunflwrr

[toboldlywrite]

Just in case this needs to be said:

It’s the first draft. Use the word “suddenly.” Put as many dialogue tags and adverbs as you want. Say “he saw” “she remembered” “she felt” “they wondered” as many times as you need to. Put the em dash there, put in too many commas, use semi-colons with reckless abandon. Type in [whatever] instead of thinking up a title for something. Just write it. If you worry too much about the particulars, about all the advice posts you’ve seen saying whatever you’re doing is wrong or not good enough, you won’t get anything done. It will slow you down as you go back and try to reword what you just wrote to make it better, proper. The first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be done. And when you get to the end, you’ll find that all those “mistakes” are just clues for your future self to put together to make it all better.

Putting in adverbs and certain dialogue tags are a note for you as to who is saying something and how they’re saying it. When you’re editing, you can make sure it shows through the story instead. The word “suddenly” is a reminder to make things more abrupt. The first draft is just you mapping out where you want to go and how you want to get there. Don’t waste time trying to get it 100% right now, because then it will never get done. Don’t think too much– just write. Save the thinking for editing later.

[kaypier-deactivated20200518]

More often than not I’ll crack into a sprawling fantasy series and, while I appreciate the luscious descriptions of furniture, landscapes, and clothing, all I’m focused on is that I don’t actually know how this world works. I only know what it looks like.  

Including some functionality to your universe can add to immersion and give your reader a strong foundation on which to build their mental model of your universe. 

You certainly don’t need to use all of these questions! In fact, I recommend against that, as all of these certainly won’t make it into your final draft. I personally find that starting my worldbuilding off with 5 to 10 functional questions helps pave the way for glittery and elaborate aesthetic development later on.

How is the healthcare funded in your world?

How does healthcare functionally differ between the wealthy and the poor? (i.e. can only the wealthy go to hospitals? do poor families often have to rely on back-alley procedures?)

Where are health centers (i.e. hospitals, small clinics, etc.) organized in your cities?

Does it differ in smaller towns?

How does this affect people’s ability to get healthcare?

Is healthcare magical, and if it is, how does that affect the healthcare system? 

If healing is instantaneous, how does that affect people’s views on injury, illness, and chronic ailments?

If you have both magical and physical healthcare, which one is deemed superior and how does that affect society? 

What illnesses are common in your world? 

How does this affect daily life? 

What do the people in your world think illnesses are? 

Is it a miasma theory? 

Humor theory? 

Demons? 

Do they know about biological viruses and bacteria? 

How does this affect healthcare?

How do people get water? 

Is the water sanitary and if not, how do they sanitize it?

How does agriculture work? 

Is it large corporations or individual farms?

What sort of agricultural technology exists in your world and how does it affect food production?

Are farmers wealthy or poor?

What sort of natural resources does your world/country(ies) have and how are they obtained?

How does this affect the average wealth of the country?

How does this wealth affect the culture? 

What livestock or beasts of burden are most valued? Least valued? Why?

What is considered a luxury good vs. a regular good?

What forms of transportation does your world have?

What classes use what forms of transportation?

How far has the average citizen traveled, given your transportation limitations?

Which cities are the most accessible and which are the least? Why?

How do popular transportation methods change how cities/towns are laid out?

Does your world have public transportation? What is it?

Is there a coming-of-age aspect to travel?

Describe your world’s postal system or whatever equivalent there is. 

Who pays for it? 

How reliable is it? 

Are there emergency methods for transporting information?

How does your world keep time (i.e. watches, sundials, water clock, etc.)?

Does your world have a currency system, barter system, or something else? 

If you have multiple countries, do different currencies have different values across said countries?

How does this affect travel?

Do you have banks in your world and if so, how are they run?

Who owns the banks? Government? Wealthy? How does this affect the economy and/or class system?

How does credit operate in your universe?

Does your world operate more on big corporations or small business? Something in between?

How are workers/labourers treated in your world? 

Are there workers unions and if so, what are common views on unions? 

Describe your tax system. If you don’t have a tax system, explain why and how your world is affected by that. 

Can certain social classes not own property, certain livestock, certain businesses, etc.? Why?

How are business records kept? Are business records kept?

If your world has technology, does your world prioritize developing entertainment tech, communications tech, transportation tech or something else entirely?

What does this say about your world?

How does this affect your economy?

To the closest approximation, what type of government does your world have? 

How are rulers/presidents/nobles put in place? 

How much power does an individual ruler have? 

Is there a veto process? 

If you have multiple countries, do they have different types of rulers?

Describe any large-scale alliances (i.e. countries, factions, etc.) that are present in your world. 

How did they come about and how are they maintained? 

Are they strained or peaceful? 

How does it affect the greater politics of your world?

Describe how wars are fought both internationally and nationally. 

Do methods of war differ between countries/races? 

What about philosophies about war?

If there is a military, what is its hierarchy structure?

How does the military recruit?

Is the military looked upon favourably in your society?

What weapons are used by each country/type of people during warfare, and how does that affect war strategies?

Describe the sentencing system of your world. 

Is your accused innocent until proven guilty, or guilty until proven innocent?

How are lawbreakers punished? 

If you have prisons, describe how they are organized and run, and who owns them. 

Does differing ownership change how the prisons operate?

What are the major ways in which laws between countries vary? 

Do laws between cities vary? If so, how and why?

How does citizenship work in your world? What rights and privileges do citizens have that others do not? 

Can certain classes or races not become citizens?

Are there certain taboo subjects or opinions that artist/authors/musicians are not allowed to depict (i.e. portraying the official religion in a negative light, explicit sexual material, etc.)? What does this say about your society?

How do people get around these censorship laws?

What is the official hierarchy of duty in your world? (i.e. is family the most important, or patriotism? What about clan?)

How many languages are there in your world, and how many languages share a common origin? 

How many people are multilingual? 

Which language is the most common?

How is multilingualism viewed?

How are different languages viewed? (i.e. is one language ugly/barbaric while another is romantic and sensual?)

Feel free to add your own questions in reblogs or in comments!

[hard2bard-deactivated20210217]

AU MASTER LIST

So here is a bunch of AU’s that I’ve collected over…. a long time. Enjoy

Awkward Meetings

I broke your nose in a mosh pit, sorry

I hit you with my car and was the only one to visit you in the hospital, this is sort of awkward, are you okay?

You’re getting chased by the police and you just jumped in my car and yelled drive, wtf man

You just punched me in the face while gesturing wildly to a friend, your friend can’t stop laughing and im too shocked to respond to your apologies

You laughed in a restaurant, but your laugh is really weird and I thought you were choking so I’m awkwardly humping you while attempting to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre and why isn’t this working, you’re just choking harder now this is aweful

We met on a Sunday morning, both doing our walk of shame

I get really sick on roller-coasters and you are sitting in front of me, im so sorry

You’re the bastard who keeps parking in front of my house and you just caught me drawing a dick on your window with a permanent marker… ugh, oops.

I work at a department store and if you take out and unfold another fucking shirt and just leave it, I’m going to fucking shove it down your throat

You broke into my apartment drunk thinking it was your friends place and I should call the cops by my cat likes you so????

You’re my new dealer and you just friended me on Facebook and idk how to react to that

You saw me reading the same book you are and now we are arguing about the motives of the antagonist

This is a five-hour-long plane ride, we’re sitting together and  you’re deathly afraid of flying. 

I got into a cab to find someone already inside

You thought I was your friend/sister

Holy shit, im in the wrong car.

I was walking by a roller coaster and your shoe flew off and hit me in the head and now I’m on the floor trying not to fall unconscious.

It’s 2am and I’m drunk and I need some salt for my fries and I know your awake so OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR

You fell asleep on me in the subway and I should probably wake you up and its my stop next stop but it’s okay, I can always just catch the subway back…

I know nothing about camping and all my friends left me at the site. Please, help me, I think I just heard a bear

This has been a shitty week and you just grabbed the last box of my favourite comfort food from the shelf, do you really want to fight me rn?

We met in a movie theatre and now you’re clinging to me because your terrified and I’m okay with that because it means I get your popcorn.

You had a party and I got really drunk and stole your microwave, so now I’m at your place and your super hungover so here, I made breakfast?

Neighbour/Roomate

The guy living below me has a really loud alarm clock that always wakes me up at the crack of dawn

I went to investigate a scream and found my neighbour standing on a chair to avoid a rat/mouse/cricket (etc.)

My neighbour has a really squeaky bed and my bedroom is below theirs

You keep stealing my doormat and HAH, I’ve got you this time thief!

The apartment above me has left their tap on or something and water is leaking through my ceiling

My neighbour’s sibling got the wrong house number and barged into my apartment on accident.

My roommate keeps stealing my coffee so now I make extra 

You’re my new neighbour and wow man, you have some really weird habits.

You’re my neighbour and you are stealing my wifi to watch porn and can you not?

You locked yourself outside of your apartment and there’s a storm rolling in and I pity you so please come into my apartment I’ll make you hot chocolate?

I heard you singing at 3 am and joined in and now you’re at my door and wtf mate I think your drunk but your voice is really nice so?

I just set the fire alarm in our building off again… sorry. I know its like the fourth time this week…

You keep mowing your lawn when I’m trying to sleep and seriously FUCK YOU

My new neighbour is really hot and wow I didn’t even like women until now? And now she is in the garden planting flowers in her bikini wow… im in too deep

It’s 3 am and you’re blasting off classic rock at full volume and your music taste might be awesome but soME PEOPLE are trying to sLEEP

We’ve never met but we shower at the same time and our showers are on opposite sides of the same apartment wall so sometimes we start duets?

Pets

I’m out walking and my dog started chasing your dog. 

My cat/dog ran away and you just found it but refuse to accept the reward. 

We are neighbours and your cat got my cat pregnant… so, wanna raise this little kitty family?

My pet tarantula/snake (etc) escaped and I forgot to warn the guy below me who is terrified of snakes/spiders

I need you to pet sit my pet for a while and I forgot to mention it’s a snake, the mice are in the freezer. Thanks, bye

My cat really hates you cat and that’s the third time this week I’ve had to pry them apart.

My cat keeps breaking into your apartment and it ate all your plants… dinner to make up for it?

My cat sneaked out on the balcony and into your open window and he has this habit of destroying furniture and pissing everywhere so I followed him inside and you cam home earlier than I expected and found me in the middle of your living room and honestly I’m not a burglar

Your dog likes me a thousand times better than she likes your partner and sorry not sorry I love this dog

You were walking your dog when you found me passed out on a park bench and thank you for waking me up and buying coffee instead of stealing my wallet

Music

I’m on a bus and wow, you’re singing really loudly and everyone is giving you weird looks, hey bud, tone it down, also great choice in music

You play Double Bass/Cello and I play 1st chair Violin and we keep making eye contact and damn your super cute.

You play in an orchestra and I love these songs so much, plus you’re really cute. Shit man, you’ll never notice me in the huge crowd…

Music is kinda illegal and my friend just died and apparently he wrote music and wow I want to know what it sounds like and to play it at his funeral but I don’t know how to. You’re a well-known music dealer, do you happen to understand these notes? Can you help me?

I tried to act cool at this concert and I thought I was leaning on a wall but apparently it was a speaker and now it’s on the ground in pieces and everyone’s glaring at me… sorry?

Supernatural

I’m a wizard and I just accidently apparated into your house. Oops.

I died over 2000 years ago and you’ve been dead for like 2 hours, man, damn it now I have to explain this shit to you. Great.

I’m immortal and you’re mortal and I don’t know how to explain this to you and soon enough you’re going to realise that I’m not aging… shiiittt

You’re a greek god and I’m the roman counterpart. 

I’m a ghost and your alive and I think I’m in love with you…. Fuck. 

You’re a faun and I’m a Satry

I’m half demon and people often judge me based on my looks, but your blind and wow you actually like me? 

I’m a time traveller and I went back in time and wow I think I’m in love with you, fuck this isn’t good, I just faked being George Washington… wait what? George Washington doesn’t exist here? Shit… I actually am George Washington.

I’m a writer and your my character and wtf how the heck did you just literally climb out of my first draft? 

I’m a werewolf but I don’t want to tell you because my wolf form might be that really small chihuahua you keep mentioning you see when I go out…

I’m an android and you’re a human and wow what is that warmth I feel when I see you?

I’m a homesick telepath and you’re the poor soul who is receiving all these emotions, sorry

Somehow I’m in your body and you’re in mine and shit man being this close to the ground is fucked up.

I’m a genie an d you rubbed my lamp so congrats you get three wishes but you can’t seem to think of shit and why the fuck do I have to be stuck with you? Hurry up and think of some wishes okay?

I was an awful angel and as punishment I have to be your guardian angel and wow your super cute and nice but I still hate you

You keep having strange dreams that turn out to be us in a past life and you’re determined to fine me again but in this life I’m already dead.

We live in the year 3090, you’re a scientist and I’m your assistant. Unfortunately and experiment goes wrong and I die. Now you’re trying to put my brain into a robot but its not the same

I’m a vampire and I have a moment of weakness, you’re nearby and lets just say it doesn’t end well

I’m a dragon and you’re a really hot prince, that’s right, they locked up the wrong royalty.

You’re a pirate and I’m a siren and woah… are you asexual? That’s so cool, hey wait, don’t go I just want to talk

Your mirror is a doorway into my dimension and I can see everything…. 

Listen I am genetically modified and you WILL let me hide in your house

Ok, so I panicked and kissed this human so he wouldn’t drown. And I know you don’t want me to keep him, and we can’t let him leave if he knows about us mere people so what do you want to do?

School/College

I just got partnered with you in dance class and I can’t dance for shit

You’re my science lab partner and how the fuck did you just explode that beaker?

I’m an art student and you just found my sketchbook and you’re going through it. Shit man can you give that back, I don’t care how good you think they are just don’t turn that page…

You’re the school dork and I’m the school jock and fuck you can see where this is going

We are the only two kids who ride this school bus, maybe we should carpool?

I thought you were my roomies new boyfriend so I invited you in but your actually the RA of the dorm and now you think I want to have sex with you

I accidently flooded the laundry room and you really need to do laundry

You’re sitting in my seat in this lecture and who even are you? I’ve never seen you before… wait what, stop checking me out!

We argued so much during a class discussion that we both got kicked out and we’re still arguing outside the class

You left your USB in the library computer and I had to go through your files to figure out who you are and in the end I read the entirety of this book you’re working on and wow you’re really good?

I’m a traditional painter who has to take a basic Photoshop class, you’re a graphic design major sitting next to me and getting sucked into helping me out because Im so shitty at this

My pottery bowl exploded in the kiln and I feel like a failure, you found me crying about it in the hallway and are now trying to comfort me and your sweater is really soft wow sorry

You and your friends have been playing the penis game in the library for the last five minutes and none of you have gotten above a quiet yell and fuck it I’m trying to study over her so fuck you I’m going to put an end to this game by winning 

We are both teachers and at the end of the year we compare how many gifts we’ve received from student and you’ve won for the past three years

Romeo and Juliet of the math and English departments 

I want to get along with you roomie… but I like star wars… and you like star trek… this isn’t going to work.

I usually talk to my friends through morse code in class but… apparently you know morse too… and now you know I think your butt is cute

I got cursed and turned into an animal and taken to the shelter and now I’m being adopted by someone who is really hot OH FUCKING NO

Near Death Experiences

Wow I was just in a fatal accident and who the hell are you? What is this I’m I dying? Wait no, I don’t want this, how do I get out of it? A deal you say, I’ll take it.

You’re an executioner and I’m about to be executed but you can’t seem to run the guillotine, wait what, why are we running away, man you’re my favourite executioner

Our plane/boat crashed and now it’s just us on this island. 

I just took a super dangerous job and your trying to talk me out of it, but we really need the money

It’s the middle of a war and I’m on a ship that you’re ship just torpedoed. Now I’m a prisoner and wow why can’t I feel my legs. I’m not cooperating until I can feel them again. What the fuck do you mean I’m paralysed?

I’m addicted to ____ (drugs/alcohol etc) and you found me in an alleyway due to after effects of my addiction (beat up, overdose etc) and decide to take me in.

I sold my soul to bring you back to life and I don’t have long left please make this time count

Mistaken and Secret Identities

I’m  a thief/hacker/murder and you’ve found out my identity and have been bugging me for days to take you on as your partner

I’m a superhero and you want to be like me but in doing so become a supervillain, what do you mean you don’t understand why I’m punching you?

I’m a superhero, you’re a supervillain, but we don’t know each other’s identities and we are actually best friends

I’m runaway royalty and you’re a commoner, fuck I’m so screwed I need your help, I’ll explain later

You think I’m a celebrity and you’re talking too much for me to explain I am defintely not… that dude. What was his name again?

You’re a superhero and I’m your best friend and what the fuck man? Why the hell didn’t you tell me? If you had maybe I would be fucking caught with this stupid ass monologue-ing villain

I have a very cute neighbour and very thin walls and one day I call you and err… your moans are very synchronised with my neighbour's…

I’m a superhero and you’re a supervillain and I saw you visiting kids at the children’s hospital and letting them act like they defeated you and now it’s really hard to punch you in the face

Profession Based

Your my mailman and I can’t help but notice that you linger at my door slightly longer than you need to ever since you saw me that one time. Do you want to come inside?

I’m a private detective and your my client and fuck man you’re in some deep shit

You’re a protester and I’m a police officer. Seriously can you please calm down a little bit, this is my job not my  beliefs.

I’m a make-up artist/hair stylist and I you’re an actor/model and are you flirting or???

You’re a celebrity and sorry mate, I have to take pictures to pay rent, I know its invasive seriously, sorry

You’re a store clerk and fuck, is that my ex? Can I please hide behind this counter?

You’re a lifeguard at my kid’s swimming competition and I fell in the pool with all my clothes on and you awkwardly tried to save me even though I didn’t need it.

You work at a pet store and I came in to look at tarantulas but somehow we lost the biggest one and its loose somewhere in the store and it really doesn’t help that you’re terrified of spiders

I’m a firefighter and you started a fire in your kitchen but you’re still flirting with me even though you’re not wearing pants and I’m carrying you down a ladder. Stop complimenting my muscles for fucks sake

We work at the same company and I kind of had a crush on you until I noticed that you’re the asshole stealing my lunch from the office fridge.

I’m a firefighter and you live near the station I work at and we talk/flirt with each other a lot. One day me and my team get called to put out a fire and it’s your home ablaze. You don’t make it.

I work at a fruit store and you come in almost every day and rearrange stuff on the shelves and then leave. Today you made the apples spell ‘call me’

It’s 2am and I was just trying to get home but I left my sunroof open all day and now there’s a squirrel in my car and it scared me and I drove into a pole - stop laughing! You’re a cop, aren’t you supposed to be helping?

You’re drunk and want my name tattooed on your ass.

You always bring your dates to the restaurant I wait at and now you’re here alone… you okay mate?

Winter Times

It’s snowing and I usually walk to work but that’s not happening, hey roomie, can you please drive me? Yes I know its 4am

I accidently gave all my winter clothes to charity over the summer and not its not so much summer, but I’m broke and hey… could you give me your old winter clothes… maybe?

I love the cold, but I promised to visit you for a good 4 months and wow, why did I do this? There isn’t snow here?

I don’t know you, but you just threw a snowball at my face, mate, its on.

I don’t know who the hell you are, but my roommate has someone over and It’s really cold outside…. Can I come in? Or like, have a blanket, or even a towel?

Old Friends

I knew you in high school and I ran into you at a renaissance fair wearing full knight regalia

I met you once when I was 12, we started a pen-pal relationship across the world and haven’t stopped even though we are a lot older now. 

You were my best friend when we were younger but your family moved to the other side of the world, and we haven’t talked in years. But now your back and wow how did you recognise me when I can’t even remember your name?

Fake Dating

I hired you to be my date for a wedding but your super cute, maybe we cannot fake-date? 

I’m fake dating you to have someone to vent to on family gatherings while also pissing off my conservative uncle that I never liked and wow… have your eyes always been this nice?

We’re both cosplayers and we somehow always manage to meet each other at cons dressed as a popular ship and people always want photos of us in compromising positions and so we always end up fake-dating the entire day but you’re actually really hot and I’m head over heels for you

My friend dragged me to this party and I just saw my ex, quick make out with me, I’ll pay you.

Miscellaneous

I’m blind and wow your voice is absolutely beautiful can you just keep talking? Forever? Please?

My younger sibling is besties with your sibling and even though we hate each other I guess we’ve got to start hanging out a little

We are both at a grocery store at am and you offered to arm wrestle me for the last box of cereal, its on!

You’re sleeping on my best friend’s couch while your house is being renovated and you have really weird habits like attempting to sing opera in the shower and you keep eating all my Nutigrain 

We bump into each other every Friday at the supermarket to buy the same ice-cream and maybe we should eat it together?

Our parents are dating and thank god I’m not the only one pissed off about this

I went to museum to get some inspiration and then I saw you staring at one of the paintings in awe and wow you just noticed me drawing you and this is awkward

I decide to take a shortcut home that involves crawling through a really tight hole in a fence and I end up getting stuck and you just happened to pass by and now you’re laughing at me

I took a bunch of free condoms from health services just because I could and they all fell out of my bag at once and now you’re staring at me weirdly

We are trapped in a bank during a robbery

Your country is trying to take over mine and I might be a little attracted to you and stop this it’s really hard to retaliate okay?

I was on my balcony and you started loudly quoting romeo and juliet at me

[beverlyannemichel]

Inspiration and Writer’s Block

One thing all writers have to deal with at some time or another is lack of inspiration or writer’s block. I’ve come up with some ways that usually get me out of that little sticky situation and I thought I would share them with you all!

1). Do something relaxing, whether that means taking a walk, running a bath, watching a movie, listening to music, or reading a book. Anything that relaxes you and gets your mind on whatever scene you happen to be stuck on.

2). Find something to inspire you. If you haven’t before, I suggest making a playlist specific to your story or specific to a certain character. What is the theme song or what is a song that makes you think of this character when they’re feeling sad or happy? Pinterest is another place to find inspiration. I know a lot of people think of it as a place for moms and recipes, but it can be a place to gather pictures and quotes that inspire you to think about your characters and scenes. It can also be a great way to see what your fellow writers are up to! (I just put together a Pinterest for writer specific purposes last night if you want to check it out).

3). Prompts are your friend! You can ask a friend for a prompt or google one yourself but either way a prompt can really get the juices flowing. Write something completely different than what you’re working on, something silly, something fun, or write something about your current characters in a very different scenario from the one you’re stuck on. It gets your mind off of what you’re doing and what you’re frustrated with but it also keeps you writing.

Those are my ways of getting unstuck, what about you?

[cogesque-deactivated20210410]

remember not to overdo your first chapter. i’ve read so many stiff first chapters that are the result of overworking bc the author is concerned with getting it exactly perfect. give it no more edits or attention than anything else.

don’t try too hard. it’ll be ok. you’ll be ok.

[cogesque-deactivated20210410]

y'know that writer feeling of needing every sentence to be perfect? don’t give in. if every sentence is individually perfectly fine-tuned, people will notice.

it’s our job as writers to make people forget that they’re reading and get lost in the world we’ve created–to make people not notice.

[brynprocrastinates]

I work around for this: Don’t fine tune the sentences yourself; instead have a dozen or so readers go through the chapter and just mark any sentence that takes them out of the story, and edit those particular ones to be less obtrusive!

[i-hate-hyphens-and-irony]

Don’t edit the first chapter until after you’ve finished the first draft! I know so many writers who will write the first chapter or two and just edit those over and over again for weeks. Here’s the thing, what if at its structural level, the chapter is flawed and needs to be changed or scrapped altogether? You’re only going to know that AFTER you finish the first draft and read the work as a whole. If you’ve already put hours of work of editing into Chapter 1, you’re going to be reluctant to make changes, especially if that change means completely rewriting the beginning. Save yourself some time and write the whole book first, edit later. 

[thepokyone-deactivated20250302]

Soulmate AU List

Good news! I have finally finished my newest drabble list, which I will no doubt be using more than once. I have compiled 51 soulmate AUs from various sources (though a couple are my own) and put them together for you to choose from. Please give me one number ONLY per character. If you’d like use this list, go ahead! If you want, you can tag me so I can see what you’ve come up with :)

List of AUs:

1. You get a craving for whatever your soulmate is eating at the time. 2. One of your eyes is the same color as your soulmate’s. 3. You have the first words your soulmate says to you somewhere on your body (and vise versa). 4. You have your soulmate’s name somewhere on your body. 5. Everyone is able to see each other’s aura. You and your soulmate have the same-colored aura, and you will stop seeing auras altogether after you meet them. 6. You can communicate telepathically with your soulmate. 7. Your internal voice is the voice of your soulmate’s, rather than your own. 8. You can feel what your soulmate is feeling (and vise versa). 9. Anything you draw/write on your own skin appears on your soulmate’s. 10. You have a clock that counts down until you meet your soulmate. 11. You and your soulmate share matching tattoos. 12. You have half of a tattoo, and your soulmate has the other. 13. You and your soulmate have matching tattoos that become clear once you meet. 14. You see in black and white until you meet your soulmate - then you can see colors. 15. Your soulmate’s scars appear on your body (and vise versa). 16. You have tattoo(s) of the things your soulmate loves. 17. You have a compass on your body that leads you to where your soulmate is. 18. If you dye your hair, your soulmate’s hair color changes as well. 19. You have the date that you’ll meet your soulmate tattooed somewhere on your body. 20. You have a tattoo that changes color depending on what your soulmate is feeling. 21. The only thing you remember from your past life is the face of your soulmate. 22. You share a dream with your soulmate when you’re both asleep. 23. You can see the red string of fate when you close your eyes, which will lead you to your soulmate. 24. You have a meter of how in-danger your soulmate is. 25. Everyone has a journal that allows them to write back and forth with their soulmate. 26. The outline of your shadow is your soulmate. 27. You have a tattoo of how old your soulmate will be when you meet. 28. You have a tattoo of your soulmate’s initials. 29. You can see every color except the color of your soulmate’s eyes until you meet them. 30. Every so often you will get flashes of what your soulmate is seeing at the time, however your soulmate does not know when it happens. 31. You will receive the same injuries as your soulmate (unless deadly). 32. You will feel the same sensations that your soulmate is feeling (pain, touch, etc). 33. You have a moving tattoo that always faces the direction your soulmate is. Your soulmate has a matching one, and the tattoos touch when you do. 34. You can taste what your soulmate is eating at the time. 35. You get flowered tattoos wherever your soulmate receives a scar. 36. Once a year, starting on your 16th birthday, soulmates swap bodies for a day if they have not met yet. 37. Your chest will glow when you get close to your soulmate. 38. You can only see in the eye color of your soulmate until you meet them (though the color can be altered through things like colored contacts). 39. You and your soulmate share the same talents. What one learns, the other can also do. 40. If your soulmate is listening to music, you can hear it too, and it gets louder the closer you are to them. 41. The closer you are to your soulmate, the more color you can see. The farther away, the less colors. 42. Your heart beats your soulmate’s name in morse code. 43. The name of your soulmate appears on your skin after you meet them. 44. You are deaf until you meet your soulmate, whose voice is the first thing you hear. 45. You can only see color when you and your soulmate are touching. 46. You feel intense pain in your soul when your soulmate is in life-threatening danger. 47. You have your soulmate’s name on one wrist and your enemy’s on the other, and have no idea which one is which. 48. You are born with a small black heart that beats/grows with your soulmate’s. It turns red once you’ve met them. 49. You cannot feel pain until you meet/touch your soulmate. 50. You are born with the fingerprints of your soulmate somewhere on your body. 51. Your soulmate’s current thoughts about you will show up on your skin for a short while.

[patientno7]

the suffering never ends

[sinksanksockie2]

This is the real process

[thewritingbeast-blog]

Resources for you!

Character Ideas:

Character creation masterpost

Character Alignment Chart

More character alignment descriptions

Muslim Character questions

Characters with magical powers

Building a new character advice

How to create a character for an online or tabletop RPG (also a good guide on creating characters in general)

Royalty/nobility TV Tropes page

Basic character profile

OC masterpost

Random character generators - (1), (2), (3), (4)

D&D Character Building Tool

Character Design Ideas:

How clothing affects a character’s personality

Character Design Inspiration blog

Concept art, fan art, cool art to be inspired by

Character design references and inspiration

Sources for POC character design ideas and models

Create your own character model using HeroForge

For horned characters

Body and hair types guide

Random outfit generator

Naming Help:

Amazing site with an endless amount of naming resources

General advice on avoiding naming appropriation

Hispanic Surnames

Gothic Victorian names

Huge master list for character things in general

Masterlist of names of all types - including but not limited to ancient/old world names, Celtic, African, Northern European, Southern and Central American Native names, Japanese, Chinese, Mongolian, Polynesian, and more

Another name masterlist

How to pick a character name guide

Yet another names masterlist

Creating Background/backstory:

Character Sheet/Development Sheet

Another character development list

In-depth character personality, motivations and traits sheet

320 talents and passions for characters

On writing likes and dislikes that aren’t frivolous

Why you should write non-human characters non-conforming to the gender binary

Stereotypes, tropes, and archetypes

Random backstory generator

Assassin and thief character tropes to avoid

Character Interactions and putting your character into your world/story:

Comparing character height/height references

Characters who are scientists and writing about them doing science

Describing what different voices sound like

Describing skin tones

Writing friendship interactions that are platonic

Why having one character knock their friend unconscious to prevent them from doing something is a bad idea

Advice on shipping OCs with canon characters and what to avoid doing

Sweet Polly Oliver and Sweet on Polly Oliver situations (think of Disney’s Mulan for an example)

How to write multiple viewpoints/juggling a main cast of more than 4 to 6 characters

How to make readers care about your morally gray hero/anti-hero

On platonic OC and canon character relationships

How to avoid Godmodding in RPs

When it’s cheap to kill off a character

Writing dialogue

Things you shouldn’t do to canon characters

Avoiding purple prose in writing and RPs

Slang resources

Dialogue tips

Websites to chart your story/plot/character relationships

Bonus art masterlist!

[thecsientist]

First Meeting AUs

— coffee shop AU

— “i told my kid you looked hot and now they’re telling you and i’m embarassed but you think i’m hot too” AU

— “i’m an artist and i drew you because i thought you looked pretty. you saw it and you thought it was really nice and we started talking and i may have a small crush on you” AU

— “this guy is hitting on me and i’m uncomfortable so you came up to help me out and now we’re friends” AU

— school romance play AU

— school tutor AU

— teacher AU

— “my best friend doesn’t believe i’m a sex god so now i’m here could you write a fake number so i can convince them i’m capable of hitting on someone and wow you wrote your actual number okay” AU

— “i can’t afford this apartment on my own so my friend introduced you to me because you’re looking for a flatshare as well and now we’re flatmates” AU

— “it’s halloween and you’re wearing a costume that matches mine you’re officially my new best friend” AU

— “i work in a bookstore and you come in every week and i always recommend you a book i like (and you always get it and tell me that you loved it) and i’m starting to have a crush on you” AU

— “you got into a fight and climbed through the first open window you found to hide and now you’re bleeding out on my couch what do i do” AU

— “i sent a selfie of myself to the wrong number but you responded and you’re really hot” AU

— “we joined the same co-curricular activity in school and i love making new friends” AU

— “we’re in a new class roster and we only know each other so we grabbed seats together and now we’re stuck together for the rest of the year” AU

— “you take the same bus as me every day and eventually we started sitting together and you always tell me funny jokes and i’m starting to like you” AU

— “we’re both stuck in the airport because our flight is delayed and it’s extremely deserted at 2am do you wanna walk around” AU

— “i saw you panicked and asked you if you needed help and turns out you’re running from someone and now i have a runaway in my house” AU

— “we’re in the same elevator and it broke down so now we’re stuck in here until someone gets us out” AU

— “we work the night shift in the same museum and we never really talk but one day you came up to me and asked if i wanted to take a tour. you’re actually amazingly knowledgeable about history” AU

— “i’m a rockstar and you’re a groupie but you’re the only one i want” AU

— “we don’t know each other, but apparently we’re dressed as one of the biggest ships and everyone at comic con is trying to get us together” AU

— “i saw your number on the wall of a bathroom stall and called it as a joke but holy hell your voice is hot” AU

— “i stole your wallet and you caught me but i have a valid reason i promise” AU

— “i’m shit at parties and you’re the host who saw me uncomfortably stranded at the side so you came over to talk to me” AU

— “the cinema for this movie is full and the only one left is a couple seat so i took it and now we’re sharing a couple seat together” AU

— “we’re caught in a storm so you asked if i wanted to go inside and get some coffee in the meantime” AU

— “you and i take the same route to work and you always get across the road before the light turns red and you’re always faster so i decided to go early to beat you” AU

— “hey i’m your neighbour i know we’ve never spoken before but i just got broken into and feel unsafe could i possibly stay over with you just for tonight” AU

— “my best friend is getting married to your best friend and we’re meeting for the first time and you’re actually hotter than i imagined” AU

— “i’m lost in ikea i need your help” AU

— “i asked someone for their number and they gave me a fake number and apparently it’s your number and you decided to talk to me to make me feel better” AU

— “we’re both forced into a programme by our teacher and we don’t want to be here do you wanna run away” AU

— “you look like my favourite celebrity i’m so sorry for acting like a crazy person in front of you i’m so embarassed” AU

— “i‘m at an interview and you’re the boss of the company and you’re so hot and what the fuck i’m your personal assistant now??” AU

— “you broke your foot and i brought you to the hospital” AU

— “you just broke up with your s.o and i just broke up with mine and now we’re both lonely on a couples cruise do you want to hang out” AU

— “we’re both in detention and you decided to plan a diversion with me so we can get out” AU

— “we’re both unwillingly at summer camp so now we’ve teamed up to try to break every rule together” AU

— “we have a mutual friend who decides to play seven minutes of heaven and we’re paired up so what do you want to do for the next seven minutes” AU

— “i met you yesterday and we hung out together for a while because you’re really nice and turns out you’re a celebrity because my face is all over tabloids now and people think we’re secret lovers” AU

[the-writers-nest]

Hey! I’m currently writing a story where two characters were very good friends but over the course of the story turn into bitter enemies mainly over different goals. Do you have any tips on how to write this ? My planned end result is for one to kill the other and I’m not really sure how to bring them to that point. They’re both POV characters

My main advice would be to ensure you include or work on showing how deep the friendship is. Flashbacks are a good way to do this. This means at the point where they realise they’re enemies the the readers will be very emotional invested. ~ B

[plotsandpromptsforall]

[sheathnknife]

one cannot have enough of cute and random aus so here have some more

“You’re the cute and quiet customer that frequents the coffee shop where I’m a barista and also where my rival barista works and we’re both fighting for your attention in increasingly creative and inconspicuous ways (making foam art, writing cheesy pick-up lines on your napkin etc. etc.)” AU.

“You’re my roommate who’s super cute and it’s the middle of the night and you’re cramming for your exams in your flannel pajamas and disheveled hair and it’s becoming increasingly hard for me not to kiss you” AU.

“You’re an Art student and I’m an English major and you keep stealing the papers for my assignment to doodle and I would kill you but you’re really cute and hey that’s actually a really nice sketch” AU.

“You’re the perpetual frowner in class and one day as I’m answering the teacher I intentionally make a very cheesy pun and I can hear crickets but you’re laughing out loud and that makes me feel very much accomplished” AU.

“The manager says the only reason the restaurant where we work at is popular is because people enjoy eating while watching our relentless flirting with each other but I swear to God we’re not flirting???” AU.

“I ditch prom to attend a local poetry slam and you’re also there and I never really noticed what a cute smile you have and hey do you maybe want to bond over our mutual love for ‘Howl’???” AU.

“You’re new in town and you seem very intimidating but as it turns out you have an awful sense of direction even with a map and you’re actually adorkable so here let me help you” AU.

“It’s Valentine’s Day and I’m single and you want to cheer me up but you can’t cook nor bake to save your life so you make me hot chocolate instead and it is delicious and I think I love you???” AU.

“It’s gym class and we’re playing volleyball and you spike really well and you manage to hit the ball square in my face and I think I’m bleeding and you’re apologizing profusely and it’s okay but you’re really cute so I guess I’ll take you up on that offer for coffee” AU.

“You’re the jerk-face customer that keeps on thumbing through their phone while ordering their drink so I exact revenge by spelling your name wrong on your cup and drawing phallic pictures on your coffee” AU.

“Our mutual friend invites us to go shopping with them and it’s kind of awkward and now you’re pushing them around the mall in a shopping cart and you’re both screaming like excited children and I’m paying the cashier and pretending I don’t know either of you” AU.

“Our mutual friend invites us for Thanksgiving dinner with their other friends and now there’s a full-fledged food fight going on with potatoes and turkey flying everywhere and we’re both seeking refuge under the table whilst sharing a bag of chips that you brought (just in case)” AU.

“You and I are both baristas at a coffee shop and one day I step out of the café to take a break and walk in on you gleefully drawing phallic pictures on the chalkboard outside that no one pays attention to so what are you doing?” AU.

“You and I go out to a sushi bar and the sushi chef yells at you for being allergic to a particular kind of fish and now you’re crying and I’m trying to comfort you” AU.

“You and I are at a sushi restaurant and you’re continuously snagging sushi off the belt that I have to pay for and you don’t seem to be going to stop anytime soon but you look so cute when you’re eating with that smile on your face what the hell man” AU.

“The mailman constantly mixes up your home address and mine together and keeps on sending me your letters and packages and I’m sorry I look through them but your life seems very interesting as well as those books on black magic in one of your packages so wanna talk about it over a cup of coffee?” AU.

“We’re both strangers sitting in the same booth at an eatery because all the other booths are full and you’re drawing smiley faces on your plate with ketchup and wow your concentrated frown is cute” AU.

“It’s our mutual friend’s wedding and they keep shoving us into each other because we’re the only ones at the ceremony who are single” AU.

“You’re my roommate and it’s way past midnight and you’re talking about how Charles Dickens inspired prison reform and how the moon must feel insignificant because it borrows light from the sun and this is all very interesting but will you please shut up and go to sleep” AU.

“You’re actually a really friendly and chill vampire and at night you float around outside of my bedroom window to talk with me about the universe and stuff” AU.

“You’re going through my sketchbook and giving questioning looks and I swear to God I’m just a deranged artist and not a serial killer” AU.

“We live next door to each other and I can see you through the window while you’re dancing to your iPod in your flannel pajamas and disheveled hair and God you’re a dork” AU.

“I’ve been standing in line at the coffee shop for hours and you casually cut through for your drink but also buy me my favorite blend and now I’m not so sure what to make of you” AU.

“I’m sick so you make me chicken soup and I’m really grateful but I’ve also seen you read books on magical spells and potion-making so I’m not sure if I should drink your soup in case it turns me into a toad” AU.

“There’s a scrawny black cat in our neighborhood that hates everyone and everything but follows you around for some reason and I see you pet it and feed it fish fries are you a witch” AU

“I’m a perpetual frowner and most certainly not a morning person and I work part-time at a breakfast bar and your disheveled hair and content smile as you eat my waffles and scrambled eggs is the only thing that can get me to smile” AU.

“You’re the one in class who has tattoos all over their arms and piercings and everybody’s scared of you and one day I catch you watching cat videos and doodling in the middle of a lecture and wow you’re a dork” AU.

“I work part-time as a cashier at the local corner store and you come here regularly to shop and bond with me over the microwavable chicken bites so how about I take you out on a proper date instead?” AU.

“I’m the owner of a magic shop and you discover my magics one day when you walk in on my cat flying around inside the shop on a broom and now I have to take you in as my apprentice or turn you into a toad” AU.

“You’re the health-conscious med student and I’m the chain-smoking art student who’s also your barista and you leave me notes on smoking and lung health on your napkins and also a 20-page essay on lung cancer tucked under you saucer” AU.

“You’re a tea-lover yet you come to the coffee shop where I work at just to see my foam art and you give me hefty tips regularly so I’ve taken it upon myself to master the art of tea-making just for you” AU.

“I’m a fashion major and I’m working on my illustrations and maybe I’ve had too much coffee but I swear I just saw one of the mannequins move so here I am calling you in the middle of the night please help I’m scared” AU.

“You work at a fast food restaurant and as you hand me my food you lecture me for ruining my health what is this hypocrisy” AU.

“I’m egging a random person’s house to relieve stress and you join me and as it turns out the house belongs to your ex and now they are chasing us as well as the police and now we’re both in jail waiting to be bailed so um you wanna talk about it?” AU.

[the-writers-nest]

Hi :) I love this blog so much! I just wanted to ask for some help. I’m currently writing a novel that I really like and I’m passionate about its idea. But whenever I try to write or add on, I just get stuck and frustrated. Any tips? Thx!

Try writing something else for a little while. It might help you to focus on something else and then have new idea pop in for you. It can be hard to focus on one thing for a long time because you start nitpicking ~ B

[phoukanamedpookie]

How to write fic for Black characters: a guide for non-Black fans

Don’t characterize a Black character as sassy or thuggish, especially when the character in question is can be described in literally ten thousand other ways..

Don’t describe Black characters as chocolate, coffee, or any sort of food item.

Don’t highlight the race of Black characters (ie, “the dark man” or “the brown woman”) if you don’t highlight the race of white characters.

Think very carefully about that antebellum slavery or Jim Crow AU fic as a backdrop for your romance.

If you’re not fluent with AAVE, don’t use it to try to look cool or edgy. You look corny as hell.

Don’t use Black characters as a prop for the non-Black characters you’re actually interested in.

Keep “unpopular opinions” about racism, Black Lives Matter, and other issues pertinent to Black folks out the mouths of Black characters. We know what the fuck you’re doing with that and need to stop.

Don’t assume a Black character likes or hates a certain food, music, or piece of pop culture.

You can make a Black character’s race pertinent without doing it like this.

Be extremely careful about insinuating that one or more of a Black character’s physical features are dirty, unclean, or ugly.

Feel free to add more.

[phoukanamedpookie]

Adding more…

Be wary of making Black characters seem animalistic, uncivilized, or subhuman in comparison to white characters. Watch out for: comparing us to monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, apes, and other animals.

Words like Negroid, colored/colured, Negro, and the n-word do not belong in the mouths of contemporary characters you want to portray as sympathetic.

Not all Black people are African American.

Africa is not a country but the second-largest continent on earth with some 54 different countries with thousands of ethnic groups and 1,500 to 3,000 languages and dialects.

Resist the urge to make a Black character seem uneducated and ignorant compared to white characters.

Capitalizing Black shows that you recognize that the word unifying people of African descent, particularly the diaspora, should be described using a proper noun.

Please, say “Black people,” not “blacks.”

Give Black characters the same psychological and moral complexity as white men are given by default.

Make sure that you don’t write a Black character as happily subservient to a white character.

Understand and show that you understand that Black characters don’t exist to be the caretakers of white characters.

[phoukanamedpookie]

And more…

Do your own homework instead of expecting, asking, or demanding Black fans to do it.

Before approaching that Black person you admire so much for being so articulate about race issues (this is sarcasm) to beta read your work: 1) make sure it’s something they’ve expressed interest in doing, and 2) you offer something in return for their time and expertise.

Be prepared for fans to have issues with what you came up with and open to suggestions.

Having only one Black character in a story that takes place in a huge city, country, or galaxy looks weird. Really, really weird. Scary weird.

Don’t use a Black character’s death to motivate a white character.

Portray Black characters with complex and multifaceted identities. We are more than just Black. We are also women, LGBT, Jewish, disabled, neurodivergent, immigrants, etc.

There is a huge chasm between hypersexual and desexualized.

Remember: what’s progressive for a white character is not necessarily progressive for a Black one.