Theneras is Writing Again

A side blog for my writing. Here you will find writing updates, and ramblings about up and coming WiP.

[dadrunkwriting]

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Keep reading

[theneras-writes]

I’m in tonight. Send prompts please.

[theneras-writes]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

It’s been a while since I’ve updated this fic. I seem to have found my errant plot bunnies. They had wandered off to a friends home. She was kind enough to round them up and ship them back.

Chapter 10 : Read on Ao3 here.

Another storm breaks out over the ranch. Cara is more determined to see that Fenris is sent back to Thedas.

Fic Summary:

Cara lives a quiet life on a ranch in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. A place that has been passed down for 4 generations. Before a tragic accident took her young adult daughter, they shared a love of video games. Their favorite series is Dragon Age. Cara feels deeply drawn to the lore and characters, and begins to dream of different events in Thedas' history. These dreams place her in events and times not depicted in the current timeline of the games, but she's always had an active imagination and a love of history and fantasy. A strange storm brings someone from this fictional world and turns her life upside down.

He was on his way to Haven to rescue his friend Varric. Seeker Penaghast had forced him from Kirkwall, hoping to draw out Hawke. Along the way he overhead a group of Tevinter Mercenaries. They called themselves Venatori, and discussed plans to meet the Elder One at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Unsure how, he finds himself in an unfamiliar world.

This Cara and Fenris AU was inspired by Stargirl428's Modern AU The Knight of Hampstead.

Read from the Beginning here. 

[papercraneswriting]

Worldbuilding Part 9: Culture, Sports, and Arts

Writers have the gift (and the curse) of knowing far more about the world they are creating than the readers. This depth of knowledge adds dimension and realism to the world, pulling the reader in and immersing them in the fantastic. While we have previously discussed the importance of setting, ways to approach the creation of your population, religion, language, science, and magic, and the roles that politics, the government, and the military play in the creation of a world, we still haven’t approached the humanities section of society. So that is where we dig in today, in this penultimate worldbuilding post.

Culture

Dictionary.com provides a number of definitions of culture. Anthropologically speaking, culture is the collective ways of living built up by a group of people and passed on through generations. Another definition that applies here is that culture is the characteristic behaviors and beliefs of a group of people, be it an ethnic group, an age group, or any other group. Both of these definitions are worth considering as you create your own culture. You are making a group (or many groups) of people with their own values, behaviors, and sets of beliefs that are passed down through the generations. Bam.

This idea is something we have already discussed in politics, people, religion, and science.

However, another side of culture is how it applies to arts, manners, those categories tossed into the overarching concept of the humanities. So this is where we approach some of the more human elements of culture. Think about the psychology. The philosophy. Those scholarly and thought-involved pursuits of the mind, of emotion, of simply being.

I know this is kind of deep, and it would require a lot of research on your part. So before anyone gets overwhelmed, let’s hit the pause button here. To keep your research focused (and prevent getting overwhelmed), focus in on what is necessary to make your story feel whole. If you need philosophy, then create some kind of philosophical system for your characters to use or to which they are introduced. If you don’t need that, set it aside and trust the values you already put in place for your society. But at the very least, think about what makes your culture unique. What characteristics set it apart from other cultures or other places? In some cases (and it’s up to you and your beta readers/editors to decide this), that is enough.

Sports

I don’t normally consider sports to be a piece of culture, but sports are a big part of the fabric of some societies. Think about how America views football and how many other countries view soccer (I’m American, I’ll stick with these terms for now). Huge parties, industries, and emotional input is given to these games and tournaments. There is even research supporting an increase in emergency department visits and adverse health events at the same time as major sporting events (stroke and heart attacks…crazy). So it can affect medicine as well.

Now think about some fictional sports. Quidditch for the wizards. Pro bending for the Legend of Korra fans in the room (woot!). In both of these examples, the creator has taken something unique to the culture (either magic or bending) and created new and unique sports around those abilities. And that only makes sense, right? We, as people, create tests of our endurance, our strength, our finesse…the abilities we have to think and reason and pursue physical goals…and turn them into games. So why would a fictional people be any different?

If sports aren’t going to play much of a role in your story, that’s okay. Just remember that at any point, you can reference things that exist (as long as it adds to the story) or include little tidbits like this to make your world more complete. Alternatively, maybe there are no sports in your world. But consider how the values of the society have determined that outcome.

Everything for a reason.

Arts

Arts can cover a wide variety of expression and are often more pervasive than we consciously notice. Art exists in the architecture and decoration of the buildings we pass and enter and exit every day. It is in the design surrounding our smart phones and computers. It is the pictures on our walls, the things we read online and in books and periodicals, it is in the things we create and do. While it is true that not everything is art, there is some kind of art nearly everywhere you look.

With that in mind, consider what kinds of expression your people are disposed to use. Dancing? Aerial performance? Painting? Carving? Oral storytelling? Buildings? Music? Do they have unique instruments or tools for their art? Figure out what makes up art in your world, and keep it in mind as you write and take your characters to new places (or old). They may just be insignificant details, but knowing this may also be the biggest part of your worldbuilding. Art is something that is unique to a culture and that can paint us a portrait of our history. It is alive, it is ever-changing, and it is an outward expression of our inner lives.

Concluding thoughts

Unless you are copying off of a world previously created by another, your world is something only you can know. Not all of the details in these posts may apply to your story. There’s a lot to think about in a world, and it’s up to you how much you want to explore before, during, or after writing your draft. Maybe you just want the basics until you need more details. Maybe you want to feel as if you are in the world. Either way, it is important to at least remember the things that make your world run, the things that make it unique. Culture and the arts are two of those things that can really differentiate your world from another or one society from another within your world.

Now go forth and create beautiful worlds. Or ugly. Really, it’s up to you.

Previously: Introduction - Setting - People - Language - Religion - Technology - Magic Systems - Politics, Government, and Military

[theneras-writes]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

In Dreams Lay Answers (read from the beginning)

Words: 132975

Chapters: 39/?

Freedom has a Price

Summary:   Fenris confronts Cara over the plan she and Dorian made to save Fenris from Slavery. She expected him to be upset, but the depth of his anger stuns her.

Excerpt: Fenris leaned against a tree, staring into the darkness beyond their campfire. Cara sat with Solas as he cleared the residual energy from his staff. Cara's own staff already cleaned and polished beside him.

Solas nudged her knee with his. He nodded his head in Fenris' direction. "Go, speak with him."Solas spoke in elvhen and she answered in kind. "And just what shall I say? I want you and Solas doesn't mind sharing?"

Solas chuckled. "Not in so many words."

"I still can't wrap my head around why you aren't opposed to this? I'm not sure how I feel about such a relationship."

"I have what completes me, but you are," he waved a hand around them before continuing, "a heart of two worlds. You are the past and the present. I do not doubt your feelings, but you are incomplete."

Cara blew out a breath and willed the butterflies in her stomach to quiet. "He would never accept me, not with all that I am."

"Didn't he? You told him the truth in the Fade, he did not reject you."

"He was still in shock from the night terror. He was vulnerable and felt indebted, grateful for my help, nothing more."

"You will never know unless you speak to him." He turned back to his task. His long fingers deftly moved over the staff, removing the unbalanced energy, repairing the ties and testing the runes. A slight smirk on his lips. "I suppose it is for the best. Our friends would be scandalized."

Cara snorted. "For someone trying to hide, you sure are willing to draw a lot of attention."

Solas shrugged his shoulders. "It would not be my romantic choices which draw attention."

Read more of Chapter 39 on Ao3

[theneras-writes]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

In Dreams Lay Answers (read from the beginning)

Words: 126851

Chapters: 37/? 

Pieces of the Past

Summary:  Taken captive, Fenris finds himself trapped in the past. His captors use his traumas to torment and punish him.

Excerpt: The cold iron collar dug into his flesh. The sound of leather brushing the floor sent a wash of cold fear over him. He fought it, as hot fury coursed through his veins. He fought the urge to turn and take the chain, to pull it from Danarius' grasp. The snap of the whip and the crack against flesh rang in his ears before the biting sting broke across his back.

He bit back the hiss threatening to escape his lips. Any sound would only spur his tormentor to strike again. He would not flinch, he would not fail. He would stand firm. He would rise victorious. He would see his family free, even if he would never be. He repeated this mantra in his head with each snap and sting of the whip, ignoring the warm blood seeping from the lashes on his back.

"I'm impressed, Leto. Very little impresses me." Danarius stepped into his view, a sardonic smile on his face.

Read more of Chapter 37 on Ao3

[theneras-writes]

Six Sentence Sunday

The summary of a Pre-Veil fic I’m working on. This is all about Carina, my main OC and her life before the rise and fall of the gods. 

Elvhenan has flourished since the founding of Arlathan. Elves and spirits have lived in harmony for millennia, or so they have been told. Most refuse to hear the dissonant chord. It has always been there; quiet, so quiet at first, but, over time, has grown in strength and volume.

In a secluded and peaceful location, far from the glitz and glamour of Arlathan, a young elf's life is turned on its end. The dissonant chord sounds out as a gong, a call for her to stand against the harmonious lie her people are forced to live.

[theneras-writes]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

You can read it from the beginning Here

Chapter 35 All of You

Summary:  Cara and Solas find the ruined bath near the Dalish camp the perfect spot for an intimate moment.

Excerpt:

Cara slipped from his grasp after they entered the ruined bath. She wandered down the crumbled stairs, gingerly stepping over the bricks strewn about. Her fingers trailed along the walls. "I wish I could have seen it in all its glory."

Much of it looked elvhen. Though, sometime in the last 1000 years, humans had altered it. There were few intact mosaics. The arches were filled in with different stone than the original structure. Elves were freer about nudity. They felt no shame disrobing in front of others to bathe. She wondered why the rooms were sectioned off. Were they private rooms where bathers changed into attire they deemed suitable? Cara smiled to herself. It seemed reasonable to assume. Not unlike humans from her world. She shook her head, no, this was her world now. It always had been. She was home, the other world was foreign, yet, it felt.. She wasn't sure how she felt about it now. Would this world be the same if she had never left?

"Ir abelas," Solas said.

"Hmmm?" Cara reluctantly returned to the present.

"Do you miss your world?"

Cara pinched her lips together. "At times, but it's not my world, just a place I visited for a while. Odd, when I came here I thought it absurd. I was certain this was just a dream. Now..." She stared at the rune Mia had activated earlier. "I feel as if I am two people now. I am still Renan, but I'm also Carina. While I am nostalgic for things of the past, I see the value of this world. It is far from perfect, but I see it differently than you do."

Solas reached for her. "This world is broken, it struggles for breath. It continues through sheer stubbornness of will; it can not see that it is on its deathbed."

Cara pulled from his grasp. "No. It isn't death, Solas. It is but a wintering tree. The sleeping tree which waits to be reborn in the spring. It clings to that fragment of life, waiting until it is time to grow and fight again. All things have a season, you know. What grows now, is not the same as what came before. It might have lost something during the winter months—maybe destroyed by a sudden freeze, or an awful storm, but something yet grows. The new can be just as wondrous as the old, sometimes it's something stronger, more beautiful."

"You are more optimistic than I am." A sweet smile softened his expression.

Read More on Ao3

[daydreamdestiel]

This is a really useful tool for writing any kind of fiction, really, but it’s specifically about smut. Great tips and lots of helpful descriptors. ;)

[memeasaurus-promptus]

Sleep Deprivation Sentence Starters

Requested by Anonymous

“When was the last time you slept?” 

“What? Sorry, I’m having trouble focusing…” 

“…What was I doing?” 

“What are you doing?” 

“Did you see that? No?” 

“I haven’t slept in almost __ days.” 

“You look absolutely terrible.” 

“I’m so exhausted I don’t feel tired anymore.” 

“I don’t think I can stand up without things spinning.” 

“You need to go to bed.” 

“I can’t sleep.” 

“You aren’t making any sense.” 

“…What?” 

🏨+ Add your own!

[theneras-writes]

Theneras’ Fanfiction | Master Post

I’ve been writing for two years, with a few extended breaks. RL just seems to get in the way of my hobbies far too often. Anyway, I’m hoping that this new breath of inspiration I’ve had since April will carry me through to complete one or more of my current WiPs. Here is a list of what I have posted, all links lead to AO3.  

Dragon Age - Long Fics/Chapter Fics

In Dreams Lay Answers

Rating: Explicit. Word Count:   124,249   36/? Chapters Status: Currently Updating but not on a regular schedule Pairing:  Carina/Solas - ?Fenris? Tags: Eventual Romance, Pre-Canon, Modern Girl in Thedas, Non-Canon Relationships,  Canon Divergence,  canon typical violence, eventual smut, fluff and smut, family, blood and gore, magic, Trespasser spoilers, other pairings mentioned - freeform, multiple pairings, minor M!Trevelyan/Dorian, Minor F!Trevelyan/Cullen, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, angst and fluff and smut, other tags to be added as needed.

Carina finds herself in Thedas; a world she believes only existed in fantasy. She soon realizes her dreams may be much more than she thought. She knows much more about the current state of Thedas and things to come. She also knows the humble apostate is much more than he pretends to be. She knows she must guard her secret long enough for those around her to trust her.

Montana Dreams

Rating: Explicit Word Count: 28,763 9/? Chapters Status: Currently Updating but not on a regular schedule Pairing: Carina/Fenris Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Modern Setting, Non-Canon Relationship, Romance, Angst and Fluff, Angst with a happy ending, angst and fluff and smut, country/western setting, alcohol, mild language usage, emotional hurt, self-esteem issues, prior emotion abuse, family drama, death, NSFW chapters marked, additional warning in chapter notes.

Fenris finds himself a long way from Haven. In fact he’s a long way from Thedas with no idea how to get home. The woman who found him knows much more than anyone outside of Hawkes circle of friends should know. He must put aside his distrust and believe Carina is telling him the truth. He wonders if he will ever make it back to Thedas. If he can, does he want to?

Dragon Age - One Shots/Short Stories

A Love Like Yours

Rating: Mature (probably only Teen though) Word Count: 5,168 1/1 Chapter Status: Complete Pairing: F!Lavellan/M!Mahariel Tags: courtship, elven, dalish elves, hurt/comfort, UST, kissing, Foreplay, Fade to Black, sharing a bed, Injury, canon disabled character, post-trespasser events, Black Emporium Treat

Ellana Lavellan returned to her clan after disbanding the Inquisition. Life for the Dalish clans has changed much after the thwarted Venatori plot. With elves now a part of the city's council; both Dalish and city elves have found a new safe haven. An unexpected elf returns to his clan, and Ellana finds herself smitten at first sight.

I am Yours

Rating: Teen Word Count: 3,581 1/1 Chapter Status: Complete Pairing: Bethany/Fenris Tags: Post-Kirkwall, non-canon relationship, fake marriage, sharing a room, fluff, kissing, first kiss, falling in love, fade to black, Black Emporium Piece

Instead of moving farther away from the turmoil in Thedas, Bethany intends to meet up with her sister at the Inquisition’s stronghold. Aveline and Hawke have enlisted Fenris’ help in seeing her safely away. Bethany boards Isabela’s ship headed for Jader and believes she has given the crafty elf the slip.

A Game

Rating: General Word Count: 805 1/1 Chapter Status: Complete Pairing: Cara/Solas  Tags: fluff, flirting, casual flirting, teasing, cute fluffy cheese, tumplr prompt, prompt fill, DWC Prompt fill

Despite trying not to, Cara can’t seem to stop herself from teasing Solas. She knows her casual flirting might backfire, but for now, she’s going to do her best to win at this little game the two continue to play. Set before they encounter the bears in the Hinterlands, and before Mia meets with Alexius.

The Antivian Crow

Rating: Teen and up Word Count: 876 1/1 Chapter Status: Complete Pairing: Zevran/F!Trevelyan  Tags: Anitvian Crows, Zevran being Zevran, bad flirting, fluff, pining, Antivian crow training, massage, Black Emporium Treat

Evelyn is tired of guarding her heart to the sultry assassin sent to complete her training. His constant flirting sends her heart racing, and the desire he awakens burns in her veins. But he's like that with everyone, he can't be sincere.

Fate

Rating: Teen and Up Word Count: 1050 1/1 Chapter Status: Complete Pairing: Solas/F!Trevelyan Tags:  Fluff, Tooth rotting fluff, Soul searching, Love confessions, Non-Canon Relationship, Kissing, Black Emporium Treat

Solas has tried to ignore the budding feelings he has for Inquisitor Trevelyan. She is not of his people, there is no common ground to build on. But love isn't rational.

On Griffon Wing

Rating: General Word Count: 1683 1/1 Chapter Status: Complete Pairing: Caronel/Valya Tags: Fluff, Post-Canon, Tooth rotting fluff, confessions, awkward flirting, emotional hurt/comfort, elves being cute, baby griffons, grey wardens, bonding, grey warden mage, last flight spoilers, Book - Dragon Age: Last Flight, Black Emporium Treat

Caronel and Valya return to Weisshaupt after events at Red Bride's Grave. During the trek they find a moment to reflect on the past and contemplate the future. 

In the Garden of Vigil’s Keep

Rating: Teen and Up Word Count: 2870 1/1 Chapter Status: Complete Pairing: Nathaniel Howe/F!Cousland Tags:  Fluff, Romantic fluff, Soul searching, Love confessions, Non-Canon Relationship, Kissing, Black Emporium Piece

Nathaniel lounged on the bench where Elissa usually sat. A wave of irritation flared within her at finding him in the spot she came to feel as hers. It receded just as quickly. Vigil's Keep was his home, after all, and had been long before King Alistair gifted it to the Grey Wardens. The Vigil, and all of the Arling, had belonged to the the Howe family for generations.

She decided to retreat to the main hall. Despite his numerous apologies, his angry words, when she found him in a cell, cut like a knife against a half-healed wound. The hatred in his expression, matched Alistair's when she spared Loghain. She'd thought Vigil's Keep would be a haven, an escape from the cold disdain she now received from the king. Instead, she lived with her biggest regret.

[theneras-writes]

Whose Mess is this Anyway?

Sneak Peak at one of my WiPs (What might have happened if there were more than just the one Warden. Duncan traveled Ferelden for at least six months before he took the last Warden recruit to Ostegar. After playing through each of the different Origin stories I wanted to save all my babies. The wardens are; F!Cousland, M!Amell, F!Surana, M!Tabris, M!Mahariel, M!Brosca, and F!Aeducan.)

I have heard the tales. Stories told of the gallant heroes. How, when the world is in danger, the Grey Wardens stand against the greatest evil known to Thedas, the Darkspawn. These tales have been told since the First Blight.

The hero's tale is the newest chapter in the history of the Blights. Anyone in Ferelden knew the tale of The Hero of Ferelden. It was spoken in palaces, noble estates, taverns, markets, alienages, and even echoed against the stones of the Deep Roads. Many agree the Hero saved Ferelden, and in doing so, the world. Only the most stubborn refuse to believe the existence of the Fifth Blight, but it is the small details in each story that changes with the telling. Just who was the Hero? How did they instill such loyalty across Ferelden? From the wealthiest nobles to the casteless dwarf in Orzammar, the Warden was heroic, inspirational; a person like no other. They traveled Ferelden in a year, helping restore order, rescues townsfolk, refugees, mages, the dwarves and even the Dalish.

One detail that changes throughout each tale is the nationality and gender of the Warden. While some of the names of their companions never change, the warden them self, if one believes all the tales told, is an ever-changing chameleon. They are a dwarf, an elf, a mage, a human noble, even a Dalish hunter. No one seems to recall their name. They were simply, The Warden.  I've heard the loving descriptions each story teller wove, the pride they felt when speaking of one of their own who stood against the tide and saved them against all odds. In the years since the Archdemon was struck down I've been to each place the Hero was spotted. Documented the retellings in detail. I've asked questions that few think to ask when hearing such a tale. Questions that few would think to ask unless they were there.

Would you believe I was there? From the moment, the Hero took the silver chalice into their hands to the final thrust of the sword deep into the skull of the Archdemon. The story of the Hero is my story, as much as it is theirs. For, you see, I was one of them. In some of the tales told of the Hero, I was that Hero. The one who saved them when all others turned away. Would you believe there were seven of us? The stories told belong to us all. They have agreed to let me tell their stories. Perhaps the telling will explain how the Blight was ended before it began. Maybe, the skeptics and the naysayers, denying the Blight, will accept the truth all of Ferelden already knows.

Sit back, tuck your knees under you, as you settle into your favorite chair, and let me take you on a journey. This is the story of a group of unlikely heroes, who set aside their differences, united a kingdom, and saved the world.

[theneras-writes]

Theneras is Writing Again

I am making a side blog for my writing. I believe this will make it easier for those browsing my archives to find my work. Last year I didn’t write nearly as much as I wanted to, and to make up for the lack of content I posted a lot of DA and Writing tips posts instead. I want to focus more on my writing this year, and well, my archive is getting too big for even me to browse through. 

What you will find here....

Drabbles and one shots.

Short Stories

Chapter updates

Ramblings about my WiP

Dragon Age Lore and Metas (Probably not written by me, others are more insightful and eloquent than I am about such things)