The Writing Kingdom

a kingdom of words and writers • follow us on insta @thewritingkingdom • profile pic by @_anoneren_

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Write to Write 📝

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Lately, I’ve found myself in a bit of a sticky situation— plagued with writer’s block more than ever. I find myself sitting at a desk, all ready to start on a new chapter, when the inevitable happens… my words run dry, ideas slip past my tired, occupied mind. I feel as if something is preventing me from naturally writing, pulling me towards a world of writing unnaturally. However, despite the massive amount of writer’s block I’ve been feeling, I remember a piece of advice (three simple words to be exact).

Write to write.

Don’t write just because you feel external pressure. Don’t write just because you feel like it’s the only way to success, to validate yourself. Don’t write just only because it’s a way to pay the bills. Don’t write just because you have a feeling it will be the next best seller.

Write to write.

Write because you love writing. Write because it’s a craft you truely cherish, one you will pass on to the next generation of young writers. Write because you have a story to tell— one others will want to hear. Don’t be too critical on yourself, relax. Allow ideas to freely come and go. Consider writing past the conventional lines, be unique with your craft, develop your own style and tone.

I’m not saying that writing to pay the bills, to validate yourself as an author, and to envision the future success of your story is a bad thing. However, put your love of writing first. Let it lead and guide you in your creative journey.

This piece of advice has helped me a lot over the past few days. It’s allowed my mind to consider even the most imaginative, crazy ideas, expanding my love for creative writing. And I hope it helps you in your writing journey too!

[thewritingkingdom]

Types of Blades for Writers

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Below, I’ve compiled a list of knife blades to assist those who are writing combat scenes! It’s important to do additional research about the origins of the weapon you are writing about, as well as to gain experience on the “handling” of the weapon and its modern day uses. Let’s go!

Needle Point Very thin and sharp point that pierces soft targets. Contains a weak point that can break on hard targets, as well as a limited cutting edge for striking.

Spear Point Includes a strong and sharp point (if double edged), and is easy to maneuver and control. However, it has a small cutting edge for slicing.

Talon Often compared to the Karambit Knife, it is a sharply curved blade that acts like the claw of a predatory bird or wild cat. Sometimes contains holes on the bottom half of the blade for aesthetic purposes.

Clip Point Has a very sharp and controllable point, good for piercing, and plenty of cutting edge for slicing. Yet, the point is narrow and weak.

Dagger Has a short, double edged blade that is good for stabbing. Although it’s popularity has gone down, it was used in trench warfare to surprise unexacting enemies.

Kukri Point As the Nepalese version of a machete, the Kukri Point has a “boomerang-style” blade that curves inwards. In the modern age, it is primarily used as a utility tool for clearing brush, chopping wood, and skinning animals.

Tanto Point Has an extremely strong point that is great for piercing hard materials. However, there is little cutting edge and is hard to control. Hawkbill A versatile tool for cutting rope and branches. The blade curves inward, making it easy to grab something with the tip of the blade and pull back to cut.

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A List of Character Quirks

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Blasts their music in public, can never use headphones.

Makes their own (terrible) abstract art and hangs it on their walls.

Finds immense joy only in black and white films.

Horrible sense of direction, always getting lost.

Unusually high tolerance for pain.

Agoraphobia, an irrational fear of leaving your house.

Bedroom is picturesque, styled just like it would be on Pinterest.

Hates uneven things (numbers that are jagged, decimals, crooked objects).

Constantly (almost creepily) writing their general observations in a notebook.

Carries a compass in their back pocket.

Performs sleight of hand magic throughout the day.

Post inspiration from Reedsy.com.

[thewritingkingdom]

A Writer’s Guide to Poison

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Ricin

Ricin is an extremely toxic poison that derives from the castor oil plant (ricinus communis). It was used to kill Georgi Markov, whom was assassinated by an unknown man through ricin on the tip of an umbrella. Ricin can be inhaled, injected, or ingested, and kills a person through blood poisoning and rapid cell death.

Batrachotoxin

Deriving from the skins of tiny frogs, Batrachotoxin is extremely dangerous. Most notably, the South American Indians used this toxin, as well as various others, to kill their prey through venom-tipped blowpipes. This poison kills a subject through interfering with sodium ion channels in the cells of muscles and nerves, ultimately ending in heart failure.

Maitotoxin

As a marine poison, maitotoxin originates from dinoflagellate, a kind of marine plankton. Alike other poisons, maitotoxin causes heart failure through the increased flow of calcium ions through the cardiac muscle membrane.

Polonium

The murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko was one of the most high-profile assassinations of the decade. It particularly captured the public imagination because Litvinenko was killed using polonium-210, a rare but deadly substance that was thought to have been slipped into Litvinenko’s tea. Considered as one of the world’s most deadliest poisons, polonium targets healthy cells in the body, and consists of harmful, deadly radiation.

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Dialogue to Spark Arguments Between Characters

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“You’ve ruined that song for me.”

“I should of known better.”

“I have to leave you.”

“You make my life unlivable.”

“I’m done.”

“Because of you, I have nothing left.”

“You think I had a choice?! I never had.”

“Pack up and go. I won’t forget this.”

“You’re nothing. Did you hear me?? Nothing.”

“You are meaningless.”

“I regret nothing.”

[thewritingkingdom]

Creative Words to Describe Your Character’s Hair Style

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Balding - refers to excessive hair loss from your scalp Curly - wavy, coiled, or spiral-shaped Bushy - thick, spreading, rough Bleached - hair that has undergone a bleaching process, which strips the color of your hair strands and can damage your hair further Dyed - unnatural color one adds to their hair for cosmetic reasons Fine - delicate, thin, and fragile hair Course - a hair type with the widest diameter of hair strands Gleaming - hair that has a shine, lustrous Flowing - wavy, rolling, "s” shaped Flat - hair that tends to lie closer to your head Dirty - grimy, dirt-filled, in need of a wash Combed - neat, stylish, arranged and groomed Thick - voluminous hair, an increased number of hair follicles  Stiff - stuck in place, won’t move or freely flow Straggly - unorganized and ungroomed, splinters off into many directions Windswept - hair taken by the wind, often awry and in need of combing Frizzled - a fuzzy or irregular texture, hair that stands up independently

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Red Flags for Writing Contests 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

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Writing contests are a great way for writers to establish a connection with the public, gain publishing credentials, and craft a positive reputation within the community. However, many writing contests prove to be scams, mandating hefty entry fees, corrupt judging, and a lack of clear-cut guidelines. It’s important to know your worth, and to shield yourself against contests that will exploit you and your time.

🚩 | Crazy High Cost

Most writing contests will mandate an entry fee in order to submit work. Keep in mind that this cost should be modest, ranging from $10.00-$35.00 per entry. If the entry cost is crazy high, it’s possible that the contest has a main purpose to generate money instead of focusing on the entries themselves. It’s essential to know your worth, and to fully research the contest specs before taking part in it.

🚩 | Corrupt Judging

On top of analyzing the initial entry cost of the contest, it's beneficial to educate yourself on the judges. Are all the pieces being judged by one central person, or by a group of people? How educated are these individuals? Do they have specific writing degrees or experience that sets them apart? Or are they just couch potatoes with absolutely no experience, looking to judge pieces based solely on personal opinion?

🚩 | Weird Contracts/Rights

You should NEVER give the rights of your work to the company/organization that is managing the contest. Your work is your work. Don’t sign any contracts or agreements that you disagree with, or do not fully understand. If you give permission for organizations to repost/republish your work, make sure credit is given where due.

🚩 | Shady Lack of Info

If the contest organizers fail to give you DETAILED information about judging, contest prizes, entry fees, etc. then consider leaving the contest for good. Any good contest organizer should be proficient in knowing the important, main aspects of their contest.

If this post helped you, consider saving it! You’ll never know if you’ll need to reference it in the future.

[thewritingkingdom]

Unique Eye Colors (for your characters)

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Heterochromia - eyes that are multiple colors (often an anomaly/condition/genetics)

Amber - golden yellow or coppery color without specks of gold, green, or brown.

Anisocoria - relates to an eye with unequal pupil (black part of eye) size

Silver Grey - most common in Northern and Eastern Europe

Red/Pink - caused by a condition that reduces the coloring (pigmentation) of the iris, which is the colored part of the eye, and the retina, often associated with albinism

Violet - contested as a myth, not developed at birth but rather after accidents, trama, etc.

[thewritingkingdom]

A Writer’s Toolbox

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Write everyday, whether a sentence or thousands of words.

Don’t sacrifice your mental health for word count.

Recognize that writer’s block will come, and that you will eventually overcome it.

People want to hear your story, so write it!

Have a strong winner’s mindset. Imagine signing hundreds of copies of your book for adoring fans.

Read when you can. Every writer is a reader first.

Be creative. Write something unique. Knock the socks off your reader.

Don’t shy away from innovation. Create something no one has ever created before. Blow your reader away.

Participate in the writing community by competing in giveaways, writing contests, or by chatting with fellow writers. Our lovely community has so much to offer. Consider supporting creators you find helpful.

Set aside editing when writing your first draft. Just get the words down on paper. Then, go back and make edits.

You are loved, you are important, and you are worthy! Most importantly though: you are a writer.

[thewritingkingdom]

Genres you’ve never heard of… (until now)

Solarpunk

Solarpunk is a beautiful fantasy of environmentally friendly tech. This genre imagines a future in which many parts of humanity will manage to coexist in a more harmonious way with the environment, hence the name.

Bangsian Fantasy

Named after John Kendrick Bangs, Bangsian fantasy concerns the use of the afterlife as the main setting within which its characters, who may be famous preexisting historical or fictional figures, act and interact.

Epistolary

A novel told through a series of documents, such as letters, emails, diary entries, newspaper clippings, interrogation transcripts, etc. In this genre, narrators remain intimate, providing the reader with subjective perspectives that are authentic to the authors of the documents.

Cli-Fi

Stories that take place before, during, or after the occurrence of a natural disaster caused directly by climate change, such as a hurricane, flood, or tsunami.

Oxbridge Memoir

Memoirs that are written by people who attended or taught at Oxford or Cambridge, or were influenced in some way by these universities. Often set in a positive connotation, these memoirs praise either Oxford of Cambridge for the development of their lives.

Scandinavian Noir/Nordic Noir

Written in a police point of view and set in Scandinavia or Nordic countries, this genre accompanies a dark and morally complex mood. The direct opposite of a whodunit style. There is always a hidden layer underneath the structure of the story (murder, social tension, misogyny, etc.)

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Words to Describe Your Character’s Body Build

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Inspired by @furiouslywriting

Durable - recognized by one’s stamina and endurance, used for those who are older

Lean - an athletic, active person with less-defined muscles and little body fat

Petite - "small” in French, associated often with women

Burly - strong, heavy, massive muscular build

Broad - wide body build, shoulder and hips roughly the same width

Ample - overweight, used in a positive connotation that reflects attraction

Agile - able to more swiftly and easily

Husky - strong and muscular, as well as powerful and rugged

Nimble - quick and light in movement, similar to agile

Portly - associated with men, a rounder body shape, stout and heavier

Scrawny - unattractively thin and bony, negative connotation

Aging - the effects of old age: wrinkles, creases, grey hair, etc.

Withered - wrinkled and shrunken from old age/disease/accident

Toned - refers to an athletic body with well defined muscles

It’s also important to remember that every body build is unique in its own way. No matter if you or your characters obtain a certain body type or not, you are still beautiful and loved just the same :)

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Dialogue to Heal Your Broken Characters

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“Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”

“I loved you at your darkness.”

“Adventure is out there.”

“Truth is found in who you are, not who you try to be.”

“Life is short. Break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, and laugh.”

“Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.”

“It will all make sense one day…”

“Sometimes fear does not subside, and you must do it afraid.”

“It’s okay to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.”

“Life is too short to worry about the subtle things. Regret nothing, and don’t let people bring you down.”

“You’re gonna be alright. I love you.”

“You will begin to heal when you let go of past hurts, forgive those who have wronged you, and learn to forgive yourself for your mistakes.”

“Do not look for healing at the feet of those who broke you.”

“Not all storms come to disrupt your life. Some come to clear your path.”

“A person who values you, wouldn’t ever put themselves in a position to lose you.”

“Your scars tell a story. They are a reminder of times life tried to break you, but failed. They are the markings of where the structure of your character was welded.”

“You need to fight. Rise up from your ashes.”

[thewritingkingdom]

Writing a Killer Death Scene

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This post includes mentions of death and other related topics! It’s a tad bit of a rant, too!

Have you ever cried while reading a book? I have. It’s mystical, almost magical, how authors can shape words into tangible emotions, craft paragraphs into buildings ready to crumble, and shift sentences into tears that drip down our sad reader’s faces. Writing is a science. You need to plan and form a hypothesis before you find success. Same goes with writing a death scene. You need to be familiar and comfortable with writing them, BEFORE you start the writing process. Below are some tips to guide you in writing a death scene that will fling your readers to the edge of the globe and back.

Create compelling characters whom your readers are emotionally invested in. If your characters don’t appeal to your readers, they simply won’t care if they die. Spend some quality time crafting your character’s backstory, motivation, and personality before writing their death scene, but do all this in an intriguing way. Don’t bore your readers with long, lengthy descriptions or backstories that last hundreds of paragraphs. Consider getting your point across in a unique, engaging way. Make me sad that your character has died, not the other way around.

Create an antagonist that will make your reader cringe in despise. Your antagonist should be believable and realistic. A reader should hold a passionate, strong feeling of hatred for them. Make your antagonist unique. Don’t settle for basic cliches and overused character arcs.

Show the effect of your character’s death throughout the entire piece. Look to real life death for inspiration on this tip. If a loved one of yours died, how would you react? In most cases, you wouldn’t just move on and accept it, instead, you would enter a process of mourning and depression. Let your characters feel these emotions, too! Show the reader how nearby characters cope with the death of their loved ones. Create a “ripple effect” with this, and experiment with your writing.

Shy away from the classic, overused death scenes. Don’t make it so your character takes FOREVER to die, or have your character scream “Nooooooooooooo!!!” until they are out of breath. Find new ways to mix things up! Your readers will appreciate it.

Kill characters for a specific reason, don’t be a jerk to your reader. What I dislike most is when authors kill their characters for no apparent reason. Often times, writers will argue this by saying that a character’s death “moves the plot forward”. Instead, kill your characters for a reason, more of a reason than the one listed above. Think outside of the box with this one. I’m sure it’ll make your story much, much better.

Consider different ways to kill your character. Fast, or slow? A natural death, or a supernatural death? A death in the hands of a murderer, or in the hands of themselves? Vary things up. Make your writing unconventional!

[thewritingkingdom]

12 Underrated Tropes to Revive

Ah, tropes. You either love ‘em or hate ‘em. No matter your current opinion on tropes you’d like to see removed or added, I think we can all come to an agreement on one thing: as writers, we need to spice things up a bit! Below, I’ve included a purely-opinionated list on tropes I’d like to see more prominent in the writing community.

1. A power couple with little flaws.

2. Crazy parents, serious children.

3. Humble and gentle heroes.

4. Ordinary people save the world.

5. Protagonist asks for help.

6. Antagonist appears as a protagonist.

7. A dystopian society that does everything right.

8. The antagonist wins.

9. Everyday people interact with magic/extraterrestrials.

10. Siblings find out that they are not blood siblings.

11. Villain side-kicks/subordinates/assistants.

12. A character that physically appears as an antagonist is actually the protagonist.

What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? What would you like to see added or subtracted from this list? Comment down below!

[thewritingkingdom]

A Collection of Unordinary (but beautiful) Words

Vellichor • the strange wistfulness of used bookstores

Petrichor • A pleasant, distinctive smell frequently accompanying the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather in certain regions

Defenestrate • the action of throwing something/someone out of a window

Panacea • a healer or cure of everything, a genius solver of all problems

Languor • weakness or weariness of body or mind, listless indolence or inertia

Phosphenes • an impression of light that occurs without light entering the eye and is usually caused by stimulation of the retina

Akimbo • having the hand on the hip and the elbow turned outward, set in a bend position

Elixir • a substance held capable of prolonging life indefinitely, a concoction

Pluviophile • a lover of rain

Quadrivium • group of studies consisting of arithmetic, music, geometry

Cynosure • one that serves to direct or guide, the center of attention and focus

Eudaemonia • a strong sense of well-being and intense happiness

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Tropes to Pierce Through Your Reader’s Heart

Being a writer comes with a plethora of perks, including controlling your reader’s emotions like an evil mastermind. We can make our reader instantly happy, instantly in love, and instantly sad. At the snap of our fingers, we can inspire the reader, or make them cry in mourning for a beloved character they just lost. The fact that we can employ techniques to do this, as writers, is a pivotal part in why books are so addicting! We can fuel the reader’s imagination, their thoughts, and their feelings (hopefully in a good way, that is). Below are some sad tropes you can work into your writing, guaranteed to make your reader cry if done right.

Trigger Warning: includes mentions of death and depression! ⚠️

1. watching as a loved one starts to wither away in time

2. a helpless character struggling with something too impossible to overcome

3. a character dies… for nothing

4. leaving someone you know behind forever

5. departing from a lover for eternity

6. a final kiss before the world falls apart

7. a shaky, unstable uttering of someone’s last words that will come back to haunt

8. an unknown character buries the body of an unknown corpse… then we realize it’s the body of our main character

9. a childhood friend rises up to become your greatest enemy

10. two friends embrace each other, after knowing what they’ve just lost

11. the death of a childhood pet

12 feeling like the world is falling apart from your grasp, yelling out your worries until your voice becomes a scrawny shrivel

[thewritingkingdom]

A Daily Writer’s Reminder

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1. The past cannot be changed

2. Opinions don’t define your reality or potential

3. Everyone’s journey is different

4. Things always get better with time

5. Judgements are a confession of character

6. Overthinking will lead to sadness

7. Happiness is found within

8. Positive thoughts create positive things

9. Smiles are contagious

10. Kindness is free

11. You only fail if you quit

12. What goes around, comes around

Writing is hard. Not only that— stressful. Very stressful. It can be difficult managing projects, juggling fears, worries, and concerns, as well as dealing with the nervousness that comes with presenting your work to others. Couple all these things with the nonstop motion of life, and you get an overwhelming explosion of stress and tension.

Sometimes it feels as if we’re alone, or trapped with nowhere to run. We’re in a desert, on a lonely crumbling road with nothing but the sand to keep us company. But there’s always a light— isn’t there? One person, one thing, one event that can make your day. Kindness is free, give it to others, and get it back. You never know how much of an impact it can have on someone else.

Finally, I’d like to reflect on the above points with one simple statement: put your mental health first! You are loved, important, and worthy! I cannot stress this enough. You were put on this earth for a purpose, a purpose to write and creative, a purpose to inspire and engineer, a purpose to venture and seek answers. Use your beautiful, unique talents and abilities you were given. Reach out to others, ask how they’ve really been, make friends, cut down on drama. Love others.

I most certainly love all of you. Keep going, keep pursing your dreams, and most importantly, keep writing! 🧡