The Authors Treehouse

Sharing written works, short stories and prompts.

[scorchroots]

I've never loved anyone as much as I love Ursula Le Guin

[sloth-with-a-knife]

One of my favorite things about Terry Pratchett's books is their unique relationship with used bookstores. Particularly because they are difficult to find, for three reasons. The first reason is that they aren't there. Books in used bookstores were once owned by other people, people who decided to let that book go in the hopes that it will find someone new who will love it. It's very difficult to let go of a Terry Pratchett book. The second reason is that, if they make it into a store, they never stay there very long. They're usually purchased less than a few days after their arrival.

The third reason is my favorite: if they made it to the bookstore, and remained unnoticed, it's because the spine is worn. It's been read and loved so much it's almost unrecognizable from the spine. I've never found a used Terry Pratchett book without a cracked spine, and I love it. Cracked spines, stained pages, worn covers, these are the physical signs of love that we leave on our favorite books, and every Terry Pratchett book I've found in a used bookstore has been loved, dearly.

[theyuniversity]

[theyuniversity]

I know the feeling. 😂

[milkooze-deactivated20260329]

[quelmdn]

You could stick it in again .

[kashuan]

been rereading some of my favorite art instruction books lately and i really like this particular piece of advice

[kashuan]

a few people have asked for the book name; it's the "famous artists course" and unfortunately it seems impossible to get a physical copy these days unless you have several hundred dollars to spare 😭 not to be confused with this book, which has mostly different content. a few pages of it have been posted to pinterest here and there. i highly recommend tracking down a digital copy if possible, it's one of my favorite instructional books and it's a shame it's so obscure now :(

[depsidase]

[blackheartbiohazards]

➡️ Content warnings on fiction are a courtesy. 

➡️ Not every medium of fiction and storytelling has or is expected to have content warnings or extensive tagging.

➡️ Print novels do not traditionally warn for content in any way.

➡️ Until AO3 came along, fanfiction did not traditionally warn for content in any significant way.

➡️ An author is only obligated to warn for content to the degree mandated by the format they publish their fiction on.

➡️ Content warnings beyond the minimum are a courtesy, not an obligation.

➡️ 'Creator chose not to warn' is a valid tag that authors are allowed to use on AO3. It means there could be anything in there and you have accepted the risk. 'May contain peanuts!'

➡️ Writers are allowed to use 'Creator chose not to warn' for any reason, including to maintain surprise and avoid spoilers.

➡️ 'Creator chose not to warn' is not the same thing as 'no archive warnings apply'.

➡️ It is your responsibility to protect yourself and close a book, or hit the back button if you find something in fiction that you're reading that upsets you.

➡️ You are responsible for protecting yourself from fiction that causes you discomfort.

[ayeforscotland]

ICE now tackling press.

Source.

[lostinhistory]

[stele3]

Interview where he talks about what happened.

[penny-anna]

Before Steven was born Amethyst used to say ‘fuck’ all the time & so when he was a baby Greg had to sit her down and explain that she has to stop swearing around Steven because he’s young & impressionable

So Amethyst is like “but that’s my favourite word, when will be stop being young & impressionable so I can say it again??”

And Greg is like “uhh I don’t know, 15 I guess? 15 is probably old enough” 

“Got it”

flash forward to Steven’s fifteenth birthday and he is woken at dawn by Amethyst yelling “wake the FUCK up Steven it’s FUCKING TIME”

& he spends the entire day losing his mind

[penny-anna]

Steven: w-what’s happening

Garnet: *deadpan* Amethyst just got her favourite word back

Amethyst: *running around the house* FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK

[penny-anna]

Greg: what’s going on

Amethyst: you said once Steven was 15 I could say fuck again

Greg, who only hazily recalls the conversation in question: ……i DID?

Amethyst: *runs outside* FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK *distant sounds of spooked birds*

[penny-anna]

Pearl: Steven the *whispering* F-word is a bad word that Amethyst USED to say before-

Steven: I know what fuck means Pearl

Amethyst: *stopping dead in her tracks* WHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATT??

[penny-anna]

Pearl: who taught you that word mister!!

Steven: um… Lars and Sadie… *mumbling* five years ago…

Amethyst: I’ve been denying myself my favourite word for FIVE YEARS for NOTHING??

Greg: uh even if he knows what it means it’s still not really appropriate for you t-

Amethyst: *running outside* FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCK

Steven: …

Greg: …

Pearl: …

Garnet: …*quietly* fuck

Everyone else: O_O

Garnet: what. I missed it too

[penny-anna]

also Amethyst made a banner that says HAPPY FUCKING BIRTHDAY STEVEN in very large writing

[penny-anna]

Connie: what’s going on

Steven: Amethyst is allowed to say fuck now

Connie: oh! are we all allowed to say fuck now??

Greg & Pearl in unison: NO!!

Peridot: what’s fuck

[whalefallwanders]

Lapis, in the background: fuck

[justaguyrebloggingthings]

This was my favourite part

[creativepromptsforwriting]

How to build a small town

@fantasylover4evr asked what stores and jobs there would be in a fictional small town, so here we are:

Community spaces

Places of worship

Library

Community center

Town hall

Local museum

Theater

Art gallery or craft studio

Park with places for hanging out

Stores/Places of Business

Food & Drink & Entertainment

General store or corner market

Grocery store (often family-owned)

Diner or café

Bar or pub

Bakery

Ice cream shop

Pizza place or fast-food stand

Farm stand

Arcade

Bowling alley

Old movie theater

Retail

Hardware store

Gas station

Pharmacy/drugstore

Clothing store or thrift shop

Bookstore

Tourist shop

Antique shop

Pawn shop

Services

Post office

Bank or credit union

Barber shop / hair salon

Auto repair shop

Laundromat

Real estate office

Insurance office

Funeral home

Old motel or inn

Local radio station

Jobs & Professions

Town Infrastructure

Mayor

Town council members

Town clerk

Public works employees

Sanitation workers

Building inspector

Emergency & Health

Police officers

Firefighters (often volunteer)

Paramedics

Doctor or family physician

Nurse or clinic staff

Veterinarian

Education

Teachers

School principal

School counselor

School nurse

Janitor

Librarian

Coach

Head of the school board

Trades & Skilled Work

Mechanic

Electrician

Plumber

Carpenter

Contractor

Welder

Seamstress

Rural Jobs

Farmers

Ranchers

Dairy workers

Mill workers

Fishermen

Forestry workers

Truck drivers

Feed store employees

Other Jobs

Grocery bagger

Postman

Cashier

Café server

Bartender

Cook

Dishwasher

Newspaper editor

Photographer

Gas station attendant

Babysitter

Lifeguard

Farmhand

Business owner

More: High-paying jobs in the city

[retroactivebakeries]

“I have performed the necessary butchery. Here is the bleeding corpse.”

— Henry James, after a request by the Times Literary Supplement to cut three lines from a 5,000 word article (via annadevries)

[siredcrab]

this piece killed my entire family I started it like two years ago and it still looks like this lol I ain't finishing that

[childweanedonpoison]

character of all time

[unholyfudgebiscuits]

Laurent is the kind of bitch I wish I were brave enough to be.

[dct239394cvvd098dffgggp]

how does being punched in the face feel like

[dct239394cvvd098dffgggp]

literally i just wanna know

[burn-brighter-than-fire]

It depends on where you get hit

Cheek: a round dull pain that clocks your entire head in a different direction. It’s painful and throbs but the main effect of a punch to the cheek is how jarring it is. You feel it in your mouth, your teeth. And no matter how you position that punch the knuckles will always hit the jaw and cheek bones adding a frame of sharp pain in which the redness will be painted.

Temple: getting hit on the temple pushes your head to the side rather than turning it. It’s disorienting because it leaves you very off balance. It essentially feels like a bad pressure headache, like when you have a sinus infection on a plane, but in one spot and on the outside. It’s sharp in the middle and radiates outward and even after the initial impact it pulses like an earthquake epicenter. It easily causes long lasting headaches and is the most likely of these examples to cause a concussion.

Eye: this is a weird one. The fist doesn’t fit within the eye socket so either the knuckles on the brow and cheeks bones protect the actual eye or they don’t. The former option gives a full spreading pain below the eye which results in the classic black eye look and a sharp pain on your brow similar to hitting your shin on the couch. The latter option, well bad things can happen when a hard fast object makes direct contact with your eye but for the sake of this it feels like a vacuum bc the concave shape is being covered and pressurized. The eye feels pushed back and pulled forward all at once. It doesn’t necessarily hurt that bad for that long unless the punch was meant to do damage. I’m fortunate to say I don’t know what it would feel like then.

Nose: remember that prank kids used to pull where they’d line up their hands with their nose, push them in one direction and crack a knuckle at the same time to pretend to break their nose? Yeah that’s what it looks like when someone punches you from the side in the nose, except it’s someone else’s hand and your nose makes the sound instead of their knuckle. It’s just like breaking any bone where you hear it and feel the action if it being done but that moment of shock blankets you for a split second until all the pain comes rushing back. It’s sharp and needlelike and can give you black eyes just to add insult to injury. If you get hit in the nose from the front it’s like the uncomfortableness of when you have to sneeze but can’t. Except that feeling took all the steroids and is now using your face as a punching bag to express its roid rage. It crackles outward like static electricity under your skin, your eyesight gets fuzzy and you can’t tell if it’s because you’re tearing up, it’s hard to open your eyes, or you’re momentarily stunned and blinded. Just know it’s all three. I find that this one knocks the wind out of you the most. Gotta remind yourself to breathe just don’t try to do it through your nose.

If you really want to know what this feels like I’d suggest joining a mixed martial arts because they’ll teach you correct form and power distribution and you can spar with pads and actually hit each other.

I’d also recommend learning what it feels like to punch someone in the face. It’s much more fun and pretty damn cathartic when they deserve it.

[dct239394cvvd098dffgggp]

i was just being stupid but these descriptions are actually so well written i could feel them lmao bless

[jenniferrpovey]

Well, thanks for “being stupid,” because this is a great ref for writers.

[caprifiles]

laurent halfway throught "prince's gambit":

[gwensy]

[conkreetmonkey]

prev's tags were too good to remain mere tags