celeste & audrey.

two teen writers. instagram.com/typing.noises

[typing-noises]

mythological creatures (part 2)

hi, this is part two of mythological creatures (that you could add to your wip 👀)! this post will focus on greek, chinese, and scottish mythological creatures hehe

greek

centaurs: a creature with a human’s upper body and a horse’s lower body. they followed dionysus, the god of wine, and were known for being boisterous savages.

chimera: a fire-breathing hybrid creature with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a serpent.

harpies: avian creatures with the heads of women and long talons. vicious and violent when provoked.

hydra: a giant nine-headed water serpent creature that dwelled in the lake of lerna, the entrance to the underworld. for each head that is decapitated, two heads grow in its place

manticore: a creature with a human face, a lion’s body, and a scorpions tail. it can shoot poisoned spikes from its tail and mane to paralyse prey.

nymphs: minor nature deities (typically female) who presided over local natural phenomena (e.g. springs, trees, meadows, etc.)

phoenix: an immortal bird that regenerates when it rises from their own ashes. while some myths claim that it dies and decomposes, others claim that it explodes into flames before its death.

satyrs: a creature with the body of a man, the legs of a horse, and horns. they were companions of dionysus, the wine god, and loved wine, music, and dance. they were conflated with the roman fauns, so some depictions of satyrs had goat legs instead.

sirens: a creature that is half bird, half woman, living on an island. they have alluring voices that they used to lure sailors and kill them. in some myths, they were fated to die if anyone survives their singing

chinese

long (dragon): perhaps the most importnat creatures of chinese mythology/folklore, chinese dragons are giant serpentine creatures with four legs and no wings. they are associated with water and the sky, as well as strength, power, and fortune. they could control the water andd the skies. there are many dragons in chinese myths, from yinglong (the rain dragon) to chilong (the sea dragon). the emperor of china is commonly associated with the dragon.

feng huang (phoenix): not to be confused with the greek phoenix, it is a bird born of fire with a rooster’s beak, a swallow’s face, a fowl’s forehead, a snake’s neck, but often depicted as a multicoloured pheasant with long tail feathers like a peacock. they symbolise virtue and grace. it is often associated with the empress in imperial china, paired with the dragon that represents the emperor.

qi lin: one of the luckiest creatures in chinese mythology, it is chimera-like, with the body of an elk the head of a lion, the horns of a deer, the eyes of a tiger, and an ox tail. it appears in areas ruled by wise and benevolent leaders, signifiying the arrival of a good ruler.

hu li jing/jiu wei hu (nine-tailed fox): as the name suggests, they are foxes with nine tails— cunning spirits with magical powers, often disguising themselves as a beautiful woman to seduce men. they eat humans, and some myths depict them as having the power to spit fire. they can be seen as an auspicious omen as eating a hu li jing can protect humans from poison. the hu li jing is similar to the japanese kitsune.

pixiu: winged creatures with a dragon’s head and a lion’s body that represent wealth. males help their master seek wealth, while females guard the wealth at home. stone pixiu statues are common in homes.

xiang liu: a nine-headed snake that is said to bring floods and destruction. it a is a cruel creature that fed on human flesh and can spray polluted water that turn places into swamps.

huo dou: a black dog whose appearance foreshadows a great fire with many deaths. the huo dou can eat, breathe, and excrete fire.

dia jiang: a six-footed bird with four wings and no ears, eyes, or mouth. it lives in a mountain filled with rivers and precious materials like gold and jade. despite their lack of body parts, they enjoy singing and dancing.

scottish

it’s interesting to note how most scottish mythological creatures are aquatic! - audrey

cat fairies (cait sith): cats that are as large as dogs who have an identifying white patch on their chests, able to steal souls of the unburied dead. are said to be able to walk on hind legs when not being seen by humans, they’re also where the myth of cats being witches’ animal forms came from.

kelpie (each-uisge): supernatural aquatic horse that lures people to ride on its back, before drowning them in a lake. could be identified by its constantly dripping mane, but can sometimes take a human form.

loch ness monster (uilebheist loch nis): lake-dwelling monster that is said to inhabit loch ness, described as potentially having a long neck and several humps protruding from its back. not particularly aggressive, just conspiracy-theory-ish :)

selkies: seals who can take attractive human forms by shedding their seal skin, can form relationships with actual humans. can only return to the sea if they have their seal skins.

will-o’-the-wisps (teine biorach): spirits that manifest as ghost flames that appear at night, they can be mischievous and like to lure travellers into the wrong direction with their blue flames

wulver: similar to a werewolf but doesn’t have a human form, it stalks the Shetland forests. isn’t too aggressive unless provoked but will leave fish on people’s windowsills if it notices people are starving.

men of the minch (na fir ghorma): mythical, blue-skinned men who live in the stretch of water between the outer hebrides and mainland scotland. they have the power to control storms, and when coming into contact with humans, will ask ship captains to finish a poem that they begin reciting. if the vessel master doesn’t complete the poem, their ship is capsized.

[typing-noises]

symbols of death

one of the most satisfying feelings is when you reread a book and notice all the clever foreshadowing — in this case, a character’s death! whether that be through ironic dialogue or scene setting, symbolism can help you subtly hint at a character’s eventual demise. here are a few things that symbolise death.

*note that most of these are symbols for death in western (largely european) culture

plants

cypress tree: they are the biblical trees of death, representing the soul after death as they remain evergreen. additionally, they are also a symbol of hades, greek god of the underworld, as its branches masked the smell of the dead.

chrysanthemums: in europe, it is associated with death, grief, and mourning. however, in asian countries, they are associated with immortality as they survive the winter frost

hyacinth: in greek mythology, hyacinthus is accidentally killed by apollo, a hyacinth flower rising in its place. it also represents everlasting love after death.

lilies: a rejuvenation of the soul, purity, commitment, rebirth, and a return to innocence after death. its association is not entirely negative.

red poppies: used to remember the dead who fell in ww1 and ww2, and able to grow naturally in war-ravaged lands. the colour also represented the blood of fallen soldiers

animals

bats: symbols of death and rebirth due to their association with vampires

black cats: 18th century italy believed that a black cat laying on a sick person’s bed foreshadowed their death. germanic people also believed that black cats were signs of death

crows/ravens: aside from being carrion birds, they are also a prophetical symbol for death. seen in pairs, they are used as messengers of bad news (e.g. announcing the death of a hero).

vultures: representing impending death, vultures often circle abovehead while waiting for something to die. they are also seen as the messengers between life and death in some cultures

owl: an omen of death in some native american mmythologies as it carries tales of warning. the evening hooting of an owl warns of doom and death. in aztec and mayan cultures, it was a companion/messenger of the gods of death

black butterflies: the usually colourful creatures blackened are associated with an unlucky death. in irish/celtic myths, they are also associated with the souls of the dead

objects

candles: this represents the light of the next world in the bible, but a snuffed flame from a candle/a candle going out can be an ominous reminder of death

hourglass/clock/sundial: anything representing your time running out, a reminder of mortality

cross: while representing eternal life and salvation in christianity, it is also a symbol of torture, execution, and death, particularly in roman times, where crucifixion was a common method of execution

the scythe/sickle: the grim reaper is often shown holding a scythe to cut down the living, the image deriving from the pagan harvest

human skeletons/skulls: i feel like this is pretty self explanatory

other

banshee: a type of fae that forewarns people of their death, a cloaked figure wailing to announce a death

the number 4: in both mandarin and cantonese, the word for “four” sounds like the word for “death”

the colour black: the light being snuffed out, also the colour of mourning, the underworld, and evil

the colour white: the colour of mourning in chinese culture

the colour red: bloodshed and mourning

[typing-noises]

a very long list of weaponry (part 1)

hi guys, this was actually a post in our drafts for a very long time (pre-revival actually). one thing to keep in mind, this is a trigger warning for some of the content in this post, there’s some description of the effects of certain weapons.

now, it’s time for us to get to the point of this post… (get it?)

beginning tips:

in the case that you don’t want to get complicated, just going with knife, pistol, revolver, dagger, rifle etc. is okay! it still serves the same purpose, unless you wanna get fancy with it…in that case, read on :)

key:

long range = LR

melee = M

blade = B

firearm = F

artillery = A

blunt = BLU

chemical = C

radiological (emission of radiation) = R

shield = S

prehistoric and medieval weapons

bow and arrow (LR): consists of the launching structure (the bow) and the narrow projectile (the arrows), one of the oldest prehistoric weapons typically used for hunting

cannon (LR, A): large structure launching a projectile that uses gunpowder or smokeless powder, earliest version of the cannon appeared in 12th century china, many different types

dao (M, B): originated in ancient china, a single-bladed sword, used for slashing and chopping, the moderate curve allows for an effective thrust

knobkerrie (M, BLU): a type of wooden club mainly used in Southern and Eastern Africa, the large knob at the end is used for clubbing another the heads of attackers

nguni shield (M, S): pointed and oval shaped shield made out of ox/cowhide by ethnic groups of the Nguni in southern africa, can be used to knock opponents off balance or hook an opponent’s shield away

sai (LR, M, B): okinawan weapon for faster stabbing and typically used in pairs, there are also different types of sai for varied styles of prongs for trapping or blocking other weapons

sjambok (M): a leather whip typically made of animal hide, has a tapering cylindrical form which is flexible and durable, African origins

trebuchet (LR, A): a catapult that uses a long arm like a lever to throw projectiles across a long distance, is typically a very large construction, first originated in China in 4th century B.C.

early modern weapons

as we move onto the modern periods, it’s interesting to note that combat in warfare shifted to mostly long-range weapons - celeste

cutlass (M,B): a short saber single edged sword with a slightly curved blade with a cupped/basket shaped guard, used mainly by sailors, pirates, and privateers in the 17th to 19th century

bayonet (LR, B): any weapon (e.g. knife, sword, spike) that fits on the end of a firearm that allows it to be used like a spear. while it used to be used for infantry attacks, it is now considered a weapon of last resort

hand mortar (LR, F, A): a predecessor to grenade launchers used to throw grenades. it looks like a gun. there are many safety issues associated with a hand mortar, as it often misfired and the lit grenade stayed in the barrel

musket (LR, F): a long gun that is capable of penetrating plate armour. it is loaded by placing the projectile and the propellant charge into the open end of the gun’s barrel

revolver (LR, F): a repeating handgun with a revolving cylinder with many chambers holding a cartridge. most revolvers hold six cartridges, hence the name six shooters.

single shot pistol (LR, F): a single-barrel handgun with the chamber integral to the gun barrel. it requires a reload every shot.

modern weapons

after researching these, I feel like modern weapons are crueller than ones further back in history - audrey

dirty bomb (LR, R): combination of radioactive material with explosives, purpose is to contaminate areas around 100meters away from release. used for area denial: preventing civilians from traversing a specific area

nerve agents/gases (LR, C): organ disrupting organic chemicals, can lead to pupil constriction, salivation, convulsions, involuntary urination/defecation with symptoms appearing after a few seconds. asphyxiation/cardiac arrest due to the lack of control over the respiratory system and muscles.

salted bomb (LR, R): nuclear weapon that could produce radioactive fallout (radiation from nuclear blast), could be used to render land unhabitable for generations and more widespread than a dirty bomb. we used ‘could’ because this weapon was never made, only proposed as a point where nuclear weapons could reach a dangerous level

tear gas (LR, C): stimulates the lacrimal gland in the eyes, causing them to tear up. can cause eye pain, skin irritation, bleeding, blindness and respiratory problems

[typing-noises]

mythological creatures (part 1)

hi guys, this is audrey and I am back :D it’s also me taking over for this week!! hereeee are some cool mythological creatures you could add to your wip…part 1’s focus will be some scandinavian, irish and japanese mythological creatures 🐍🧚🧟

scandinavian

elves: can take the form of dimunitive faerie spirits or tall, ethereal humanoids. associated with early morning mist or twilight specifically in swedish folklore. it’s said they dance in the low-lying mist during dusk or dawn and you can hear birdsong. little mushrooms sprout where their feet have danced.

fossegrimmen (norwegian)/strömkarlen (swedish): a water creature taking the form of a young man who sits naked while playing music on a fiddle underneath waterfalls. can teach humans how to play his music if they steal a piece of meat for him.

huldra (norwegian)/skogsrå (swedish): a forest creature who takes the form of a beautiful woman with an animal tail (often a cow or a fox tail) and a back resembling a hollowed out tree. known for being kind to charcoal burners by watching their kilns while they slept. some tales say that she seduces men by hiding her tail in a knot under her skirt.

kraken: giant, squid-esque monster from nordic folktales that can drown entire ships by wrapping its tentacles around them

lindwyrm/lindworm (danish): a limbless serpent that emits poison. grows fatter over time from the humans it consumes. legends say it likes coiling up around churches to prevent people from going to sermons.

trolls: forest dwellers with grotesque appearances; short limbs, slime-covered skin and fat bellies. known to live in family units inside caves or mountains. intrinsically connected to nature and not particularly aggressive towards humans but can be cunning tricksters.

valkyries: beautiful, female warriors who descend on battlefields to bring fallen warriors to valhalla (heaven promised to vikings)

irish

changelings: faerie babies that are swapped with human babies by faerie parents

banshee: a female figure who wails or shrieks to warn of an incoming death. can take various forms such as an old woman, a woman in white or a shroud, though it’s her wail and red eyes from weeping that can be used to identify her.

dobhar-chú: a half dog-half otter creature that lives in bodies of water and eats human flesh.

dullahan: a faerie that takes the form of a headless rider on a black horse. some folktales say that he uses a human spine as a whip and can foretell deaths – when he calls out your name, your death is imminent.

faeries: one of the most well-known creatures in irish folklore. they are split into two categories: unseelie faeries are known to be more troublesome while seelie faeries are more helpful towards humans.

fear gorta: legend emerged during the great irish famine in the 1940s. symbolises the spirit of starvation and takes the form of an emaciated, old man begging for food. generous passers-by are rewarded with good fortune

leprechaun: a small, humanoid being who loves being mischievous and playing tricks

pooka: a shapeshifter with bright, golden eyes who can transform into any form. it’s able to speak, confuse and terrify.

redcap: a malevolent goblin who can be found in castle ruins. described as taking the form of a short, old man. known for soaking his cap in the blood of unwary travellers who try to seek refuge in his lair.

japanese

tanuki: shapeshifting racoon-dogs known to be tricksters who enjoy playing pranks on and stealing money from passing travellers for fun

tsukumogami: household objects turned into spirits after acquiring a kami (spirit) of their own when living for 100 years. generally considered harmless but can be vengeful to the humans that abandoned them.

kappa: has amphibian and reptilian features – slimy, scaly skin in various shades of green, webbed toes and fingers. all kappa have turtle shells on their backs, beak-like mouths and are said to carry bowls on their heads with liquid inside that is said to be their life force. not necessarily friendly and known to lure humans into their rivers to drown them.

jorogumo: evil spider demons who disguise themselves as women to hunt for human flesh

kitsune: intelligent, mythical foxes with the ability to shapeshift. can be symbols of both good and evil in Japanese folklore. the most powerful kitsune were the nine-tailed foxes who had infinite knowledge. kitsune would grow a new tail for every 100 years they were on earth.

onryō: restless ghosts with long, unkempt hair and blue-tinted skin. driven by the desire to get revenge on people who did them wrong in their human life. reflect perceived wrongs, jealousies and crimes of passion.

that’s all for today! there’s still more that I haven’t covered yet…but part 2 👀 see you next time :)) - audrey

[typing-noises]

forest inspired names

here are some forest-inspired names for your wip! with the release of the stolen heir by holly black, i thought cottagecore-y faeries was especially relevant 👀

feminine

aase (old norse): the mountain is covered in trees

aranya (thai): magnanimous trees

asiza (arabic): forest soul

caila (gaelic): a forest’s heart

daere (welsh): an oak tree

ilana (hebrew): beautiful tree

keita (celtic): bountiful forest

kazia (hebrew): the cassia tree

mori (japanese): the woods around a shinto shrine

moriko (japanese): forest child

oihane (spanish): heart of the forest

seda (armenian): voice of the forest

sylva (latin american): core of the forest

vanisa (hindu): goddess of the woodland

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masculine

alder (old english): a type of tree

arden (jamaican): great forest

briar (english): a small shrub/tree

chan (cambodian, not to be confused with the chinese surname): a tree with a sweet smell

elm (english): a type of tree

firth (old english): arm of the forest

forrest (english): guess what it means

kai (native american): willow tree

nahele (native american): forest grove/tree groves

riodhr (norse): someone who resides in the forest clearing

sen (japanese): forest elf

silas (latin): the god of forests and trees

silvain (french): someone who dwells in the forest

tane (portugese): god of the forests

vipin (sanskrit): forest

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gender neutral

ash (english): an ash tree

aspen (hebrew): a type of tree

elswyth (anglo-saxon): the elf in the willow tree

lynn/lin (old english): beautiful forest

locke (old english): of the forest

tallis (french): forest

sage (old english): a herb that grows in the forest

sil (french): belonging to the forest

winswode (old english): dweller of the wine forest

xylon (greek): woodland dweller

[typing-noises]

useful online writing resources

we're back!!!

we wanted to start a new series just for useful writing resources. you can pop in any other online resources you think we’ve missed in the comments, we hope this list helps :)))

this is a slightly older post we have from the drafts, so some of these are audrey's recommendations

(we're not affiliated with any of these websites, they're just ones that we like using)

fantasy name generators

(https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com)

every writer’s holy grail!! they have so much on here when it comes to generating things, names, people, descriptions, locations and more. they even have some fandom specific content, maybe if you’re looking for something like atla or star wars inspired names for your OCs - audrey

(this isn't everything it'll help you generate - check out the navigation at the top for more)

nanowrimo

(https://nanowrimo.org)

the official nanowrimo website! organisation’s official website has a really helpful word counter, can help you keep track of your writing goals and log all of your writing projects into their database. we’ve already briefly gone into what else the nanowrimo website can do for you, so check out our camp nanowrimo post from a few weeks back for some more detail :) - audrey

(a little hint into an old project of mine when i bothered tracking the word count daily!)

reedsy

(https://reedsy.com/)

we’ve probably all heard of reedsy, but just in case you haven’t— it’s a website with many different features. it has writing advice, many different (free) courses, a short story contest, a formatting tool for your novel, and you can connect with different professionals (editors, cover designers etc.) to help you publish! - celeste

(these are all of the services offered!)

watabou

(https://watabou.itch.io/)

this website is basically a collection of maps you can generate (eg. a medieval village, townhouse structure, dungeon etc.) it might be helpful for world building or getting ideas for what you want your world to look like. I used the village map generator for my most recent wip - audrey

(again, these are just some of the options available!)

wavemaker

(https://wavemaker.co.uk/)

wavemaker is a website/app that you can use to plot and draft your novel! (i use this as a free alternative to scrivener - celeste). it has a novel/manuscript drafting feature, and different plotting tools, such as the “snowflake” tool, the “planning board,” the “grid planner”, the timeline, and many mindmaps. there is also a “challenge” mode that can be used for writing sprints! (i would recommend this for a first draft/zero draft :) - celeste

(this is genuinely one of my favourite resources!! it would be impossible to display everything i love about it but this is just the drafting area- the sidebar shows most of the features)

and that’s all for today! comment (or dm) any resources you think deserve a spotlight for our next edition of this series :))

[typing-noises]

publication terms 101

hellooooo! we’re back with another list of terms 😊 i’ve never published before (- celeste) but i watch a lot of videos about this so… here are a bunch of terms that you may need to know when you publish →

traditional publishing terms

traditional publishing - the process of traditionally publishing— going through an established publishing house (e.g. random house, macmillan, etc.)

big five publishers - (please note that this mainly applies to the US 🇺🇸) in traditional publishing, the five biggest publishing houses are penguin random house, hachette book group, harper collins, simon and schuster, and macmillan. these publishers usually have more money and connections than small to mid tier publishers, and a higher chance of becoming successful. however, if you’re not published by one of these, that’s not to say you won’t be successful.

indie press - a small, independent publisher

advances - the money given to an author to buy rights to their book, paid pre-publication. an author needs to “earn out” their advance (the profit from book sales exceeds the author’s advance) before they earn royalties

query - a query is the letter you submit to literary agents to pitch your book. the process of sending out these letters is called querying

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self publishing terms

self publishing - publishing your book yourself (usually through distribution sites such as kdp, ingramspark, etc.)

hybrid publishing - a mix of both! some books are published by traditional publishing houses, while others are self published. a notable example is brandon sanderson— while most of his books are published by tor (an imprint of macmillan) and delacorte press (an imprint of penguin random house), some of his books are self published (limited editions of his books, his kickstarter project, etc.)

print on demand - where a book is printed when it it ordered; i.e. there is no backlog of books in a warehouse. this tends to be more expensive per printing, but it is lower risk.

kdp - kindle direct publishing (or kdp) is amazon’s self publishing platform, one of the widest distributors in self publishing.

marketing terms

arc/e-arc - an advanced reader copy → the final copy of the novel, given to reviewers and industry professionals pre-publication

netgalley - a popular site for e-arcs

blog tour - a virtual “tour” where a book makes it’s rounds on various book blogs → this includes reviews, author interviews, excerpts, etc.

cover reveal - revealing the book cover for the first time

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other

backlist - an author’s works published before the current publishing season (usually a cycle of 6 months)

blurb - the back summary of a book (in paperbacks its usually on the back, in hardcovers are usually in the inside flap)

isbn - it stands for the international standard book number → an identification for each printing of a book. for self publishers, you may have to pay one depending on what country you live in.

asin - identifies books on amazon. it functions like an isbn with the amazon system, and is free.

metadata - data that outlines your book → this includes the title, price, isbn, etc.

—

that’s all we have for now ! if you have any terms you’re unsure of, feel free to leave a comment or dm us :)

[typing-noises]

writing angst

hello hello! it’s your favourite angst connoisseur (audrey btw) here to deliver a brief guide to writing angst. this post will cover what signifies as writing ‘angst’, how to do it and how to do it well. buckle in, folks :D

introduction

what is angst? the definition of the word angst from the merriam-webster dictionary is ‘a feeling of anxiety, apprehension or insecurity’. the definition of angst in the world of writing is a bit different. angst in writing revolves around character journeys and scenes with angst intend to invoke strong emotion from the reader.

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writing angsty sensitively

we already went into this sort of thing in our ‘writing queer characters’ post, but I do think it’s worth going over. a lot of times, we write characters that go through experiences that might not be something we’ve gone through ourselves. in these times, it’s super important to do your research and maybe even talk to someone who understands this specific challenge. when writing these un-lived experiences, writing them in a way that devalues or romanticises certain issues does a disservice to anyone who has gone through them. finding sensitivity and/or beta readers is always great for getting the input of multiple readers :)

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word of warning

the problem with angst is that you need to be really careful about not using gratuitous amounts of angst instead of plot and using pain for the sake of getting readers to feel sympathy for your characters. things like tragic backstories and un-foreseen events need to happen for a reason.

heaping a ton of angst onto one character for the sake of garnering reader interest is something that we would definitely caution against. every facet of a tragic backstory has to go towards influencing the eventual goals, motivations and conflicts of characters. for any negative event, showing the impact that it has on a character makes it so much more meaningful in shaping what kind of journey they go on.

for example, maybe there’s a character who experienced a fire breaking out in their family home. then maybe because of this negative event, they have long term health problems due to smoke inhalation and/or apprehension towards fire. this character might encounter more issues later down the line because of how this event has created such a severe impact.

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balancing it out

when it comes to writing angst, balance is key. it’s really easy to get caught up in giving your characters the worst time of their lives ever…you want your characters to go through a journey, to even put your readers through the wringer sometimes (it’s tempting, I know). to write effective angst, what you need is balance.

angst is one of the ways that readers can connect with a character but it’s not the only way. balancing heavier moments with lighter moments allows for not only less overwhelm for your readers, but also for scenes with higher intensity to hit even harder. it’s difficult to appreciate the dark without the light, think of them as complementary forces.

or example, reading about a soft, loving scene between a family before seeing the separation of said family would definitely make the latter part more impactful. moments of humour, relief and comfort can do so much for not overwhelming your readers with scene after scene of heightened emotional tension.

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a light at the end of the tunnel

characters retaining their hope and humanity will be all the more beneficial for both them and your readers knowing that everything is going to (maybe) turn out okay. when treating the adding in of lighter moments as a reprieve for your readers, think of it as a reprieve for your characters too.

like any other person in real life, your characters can seek out ways to make their situations more bearable for themselves. these can be things like small successes. it’s not allowing them to win every single battle but more like having little wins alongside the losses. these happier moments can even serve as a glimpse into what the future could be like for your characters, like a light at the end of the tunnel.

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conclusion

thank you for reading to the end of this post! I had a lot of fun doing this one and see you guys next time :) - audrey

[typing-noises]

name meanings: royalty

you guys loved our water names posts— so now it’s time for names with royalty-related meanings! these are names that either signify royalty/nobility, belong to prominent royal figures, or mean qualities that royal figures should embody.

maybe there's a royal figure in your WIP that just needs the perfect name...or you're looking to play around with something like foreshadowing :) read on for some names with royalty-related meanings!

—

feminine

albertine (german) - noble/intelligent

alice (french) - of a noble kind

adara (arabic/hebrew) - noble/exalted

anastasia (russian) - ressurection. anastasia nikolaevna was a grand duchess and the daughter of the last czar of russia

beatrice (latin) - bringer of joy. princess beatrice is a member of the british royal family

catherine (french) - pure/clear. catherine has been the name of many royal figures throughout history, such as catherine of aragon, catherine howard and catherine (kate) middleton

cordelia (welsh) - jewel of the sea. after cordelia of britain

diana (latin) - heavenly, divine

elizabeth (greek) - oath to god. probably self explanatory enough? queen elizabeth i and ii of the uk

gwyneth - white, fair and blessed. the name of an ancient welsh kingdom

helen (greek) - light. helen of troy is a famous princess in greek mythology, renowned for her beauty

isolde (welsh) - ice ruler

kate (latin) - pure

lucia (light) - graceful/light

makeda (hebrew) - the beautiful. queen makeda ruled the kingdom of sheba

noor (arabic) - light

rosalind (spanish) - beautiful rose

sophia - wisdom. sophia of hanover was a member of the house of stuart

thyra (scandinavian) - thor’s struggle. two danish princesses had the name thyra

victoria - victory/conquer

xenia (greek) - hospitality

zara (arabic) - beautiful

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masculine

archie (german) - genuine/bold/brave. archie harrison mountbatton-windsor is the son of meghan markle and prince harry, the duke and duchess of sussex (britain)

arthur (roman) - noble, courageous

alaric (german) - all powerful ruler

alexander (greek) - defender of men. the name of alexander the great, king of macedon and ruler of a vast empire

augustus (latin) - majestic/venerable/noble. title given by the roman senate to octavian, adopted son of julius caesar

christopher (greek) - bearer of christ

charles (english) - free men. name of the current heir to the english throne, prince charles of wales

david (hebrew) - beloved

edel (german) - noble

jalo (finnish) - noble/gracious

kareem (arabic) - noble/generous

lon (spanish) - noble

oberon (english) - noble and bearlike

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neutral

avery (english & french) - ruler of elves

anton (latin) - of inestimable worth

kalani (hawaiian) - royal/majesty

kinsey (english) - this name is made up of the words 'cyne', meaning royal, and 'sige', meaning victory

reign (latin) - royal power

thron (native american) - seat of royalty

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we hope this new names list was helpful and feel free to dm us or comment down below if there's anything incorrect :)

[typing-noises]

bird symbolism

hihi! our flower symbolism post was very fun, and we do love a good bit of symbolism in literature so— bird symbolism! in general, birds represent freedom, but individual birds have different meanings. it’s important to remember that different cultures will have different interpretations, so there will be multiple, sometimes conflicting, meanings.

owl - wisdom, darkness, death, luck

in english folklore, barn owls represent darkness and death, and was also known as the “bird of doom.” however, in the north of england, it is seen as good luck.

owls tend to represent wisdom. in greco-roman mythology, the owl is seen as the symbol of athena/minerva, the goddess of wisdom.

crow - death, intelligence, mischief, fearlessness,

crows can be viewed both as good and bad omens in western culture. they can represent transformation, destiny, intelligence, fearlessness, mystery, adaptability, death, mischief, and manipulation. they are often seen as omens of death because they are scavengers— feeding on carrion along with other birds, such as vultures.

in japanese culture, crows are related to mythical beings called tengu— who are usually depicted as tricksters. in greek mythology, crows are prophetic and a message from the gods.

dove - peace, freedom, love, messengers

because doves mate for life, they represent enduring love and fertility in many native american cultures. in egyptian myths, doves are associated innocence. on a related note, pigeons are seen as symbols of longevity in chinese culture.

in christianity, the dove is seen as a symbol of peace, as well as a messenger from god. in the old testament, noah sends a dove out, who comes back with an olive branch— seen as a sign from god. in greek mythology, the dove is a symbol of aphrodite, the goddess of love.

crane - longevity, loyalty, peace

in ancient china, cranes were seen as symbols of longevity and peace, and were the second-favourite bird, after the mythological phoenix. in christianity, it is seen as a symbol of vigilance, loyalty, and a good life. in celtic myths, they were seen as divine messengers (but so were other birds).

longevity is a common theme across many cultures, perhaps due to the long lifespan of the crane— the current oldest crane is 91 years old as of 2022!

vulture - death, uncleanliness, bad luck, reincarnation, judgement, shame

vultures are scavengers that feed on carrion— the basis for many of the things it symbolises.

in many native american cultures, the vulture has a negative connotation — they can symbolise death, uncleanliness, bad luck, danger, etc.

in tibet, the vulture is actually sacred because it feeds on dying/dead bodies, seen as cleansing the country of the dead, and is linked to the concept of reincarnation.

swan - beauty, grace, love, music, purity

in christianity, vultures are seen as unclean, and associated with death. it also symbolises judgement and shame, and are linked to the devil

the swan in tchaikovsky’s ballet swan lake is shown as a beautiful, graceful creature, and that depiction is stayed in recent times.

in roman myths, the swan is linked to aphrodite, the goddess of love, and apollo, the god of the sun, music, prophecy, etc. as it is one of their sacred creatures.

in many native american cultures, they represent grace, purity, beauty, strength, and wisdom, due to the whiteness of their feathers.

magpies - inteliigence, wit, deceit, good luck

magpies generally symbolise intelligence and wit, due to the nature of these birds. however, they can also symbolise deceit, opportunism, and illusion.

canary - selflessness

canaries tend to symbolise selflessness. miners would carry canaries down into caves with them, as they are more sensitive to toxic gas. they would die before the miners— and therefore sacrificing themselves as a warning.

peacock - confidence, power, ressurection, wealth

generally, peacocks are seen as confident and powerful creatures.

in christianity, peacocks symbolise resurrection and eternal life, because they shed their feathers every year. in hinduism, peacocks are associated with lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.

that's all we have for now! if there are any other "symbolism" posts that you would like, feel free to comment or dm us :))

[typing-noises]

camp nanowrimo

hi hi besties, it’s the beginning of july and you know what that means (unless you don’t, in which case, this post will be very helpful :D)! camp nanowrimo time!! this is going to be a short and sweet introduction to what camp nano is and what it can do for you as a writer. let’s go!

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first, what IS nanowrimo?

nanowrimo stands for national novel writing month, a challenge that writers undertake to write 50,000 words of a novel within the 30 days of november. this challenge is annual and nanowrimo also functions as a nonprofit organisation.

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why should you do camp nanowrimo?

taking place every april and july, camp nanowrimo is the official nanowrimo on a smaller scale. nanowrimo as a whole really allows for you to turn off your inner editor and focus on getting that first draft done and dusted. the difference between camp nano and the official thing is that with camp nano, you can set any word count goal for yourself. you don’t have to do the typical 50,000 word goal and can work with whatever writing project you want!

if you’re newer to the nanowrimo community, camp nanowrimo is a great place to start before you undertake the official nanowrimo challenge.

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announcing your camp nano project

to officially participate in camp nano, announce your project on the nanowrimo website (make an account first). tick the check box that indicates you’re associating with a nanowrimo event and select the ongoing camp nano event. after doing this and filling out all the relevant areas for your project, you can begin tracking your progress on the nanowrimo website!

update your word count every time you write so you can track your progress throughout the month :) after reaching your writing goal, the nanowrimo site will officially confirm your win, a certificate and some other gifts for challenge winners will be sent along.

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tips and tricks

setting a certain amount of words to write each day will be much easier if you’re the type of writer who struggles with writing in huge chunks. (this is me, honestly - audrey) for example, if your goal is 25,000 words, you could try writing around 830 words per day. or alternatively, maybe there’s certain days of the week where you tend to get more writing done. you can plan for those as well and adjust accordingly.

if undertaking the challenge alone feels a little daunting, the community always has your back as well :D you can start or join writing groups on the official nanowrimo site as well! groups on there range from 3 to 20 writers and these groups can be a way to share how everyone’s doing with progress, helpful resources and other writing tips.

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last reminders

don’t beat yourself up too much if you don’t fully succeed! challenges like nanowrimo and camp nanowrimo are known to be difficult challenges, especially for first timers.

camp nano is a great time for you to just experiment and have fun with whatever project you’re writing, to give you motivation to finish that first draft. good luck to everyone attempting camp nano this time around and see you guys later :)

[typing-noises]

writing queer characters

hello hello everyone, sorry for the unplanned hiatus, school is kicking our asses a bit but…we’re back!! (we hope you missed us) also, happy pride! this is the perfect post for our comeback :D

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the gist of it

write any queer character like you would a heterosexual and/or cisgender character! your queer characters are three-dimensional people who just happen to be gay as well :) diversity is a great thing which should be included in all works of fiction, but writing queer characters just to tick a check box isn’t going to cut it.

stereotypes like the ‘gay best friend’ aren’t proper representation because of how they don’t fully illustrate the queer experience. create obstacles and goals for your characters, without fully fixating on their sexuality. focusing on the development of your character’s personality and motivations is something that should take centre stage, because the aspect of them being queer is just as normal as if they were straight.

a good character (who just happens to be queer) is a character where them being lgbtq+ isn’t the most important thing about them.

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lgbtq+ focused struggles

when writing queer characters, the gut urge is to gravitate towards the traditional ‘coming out story’ or something along those lines. these are important stories as well, but we just want to say that there is so, so much more you can go into. most lgbtq+ people in the real world are just real people, living their lives, with conflicts and change going on that aren’t always related to their sexuality or gender.

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research is key!!

writing diverse stories is something any writer can do…with the right research! you can talk to someone in the community (without being invasive, of course) who might be able to give you some new insight. you could even do research by taking a look at influencers or other people online who have talked about their experiences on a public platform. taking a look at things like media, films and literature by queer writers will be able to allow for you to gain a wider lens of perspective as well.

the best way to allow for your readers to be able to see themselves in your story is by doing your research. doing this early in the development process is always preferable because of how major issues in characters can be ironed out before you delve in deeper.

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queer characters in all genres

queer people existed throughout all of history. the same should go for book genres! book genres that aren’t just contemporary have room for lgbtq+ characters too, whether it’s historical fiction to horror.

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‘what if I don’t feel qualified to write queer characters?’

people in the lgbtq+ community shouldn’t be the only people writing queer characters. the person writing the story shouldn’t matter as much as the story itself! queer characters can be written by anyone with the time, dedication and care to create characters that are compelling, real people, queerness aside. when writing any character, actually, make an effort to learn as much as you can to imagine them as human beings, and not just a loose bundle of stereotypes.

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to conclude:

thank you for reading to the end of this post! we hope this information was helpful for anyone looking to write queer characters and see you next time :) - audrey (your best bi disaster)

[typing-noises]

save the cat! writes a novel

first of all, what is the stc! method?

Save the Cat! was initially a plotting method for screenwriters, developed by Blake Snyder. Since then, it has also been commonly used by writers. In late 2018, Jessica Brody published Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, which further popularised the method.

It divides your book into 15 “beats” (plot points) over three acts. All the beats serve a purpose into your story.

You don’t have to stick exactly to this format, or follow it at all. But having an understanding of all the beats will make your wip more structured and easier to follow. With that out of the way, let’s get into it →

(note: i will be using the hunger games by suzanne collins to provide an example, so there will be spoilers ahead !!)

act one

The first act is split into six beats:

Opening image: the “before” of the world/character — it sets up what will change throughout the story. For example, in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Katniss wakes up on the day of the reaping— setting up the world and the character.

Theme stated: as the name suggests, it states the theme of your story/what the story is about. Usually, it hints at the lesson that the character(s) will learn by the end of the story. In The Hunger Games, Gale suggests to Katniss that they run away— but Katniss turns it down.

Setup: A further glimpse into what the protagonist’s life is, and why it needs to change. In The Hunger Games, Katniss goes off hunting, walks through “the Seam,” then returns home to prepare for the Reaping.

Catalyst: in other outlining methods, this can be known as the “inciting incident”. This is the event that sends the rest of the story forward. In The Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers as tribute.

Debate: the protagonist debates what they should do next. In some cases, it can be if they chooseto go on their journey. In other cases, they think about the choices they will have to make in the future. The Hunger Games, Katniss meets with her family and Madge, and reflects on her choices.

Break into two: the protagonist accepts their “call to action”, and the story really begins. The Hunger Games, Katniss is being prepared for the opening ceremony and decides on how she should act.

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act two

The second act is split into 7 beats:

B-story: this introduces a subplot, or a “b-plot”. In The Hunger Games, this is when Peeta reveals that he has a crush on Katniss during the interview with Caesar Flickerman.

Fun and games: also known as “the promise of the premise” — where you deliver on what you promise to the reader. The Hunger Games, this is the training montage, Katniss entering the arena, and the first few challenges she faces.

Midpoint: the ‘resolution’ to the “fun and games” beat — where the protagonist either has a “false victory” or a “false defeat.” This will raise the stakes and push the protagonist forward. The Hunger Games, this is when Katniss gets stung by the Tracker Jackers and Peeta helps her forwards instead of turning her into the Careers. Katniss then passes out.

Bad guys close in: a continuation of the “fun and games” beat with the stakes amped up. If the protagonist has suffered a “false defeat”, their fate will get worse (and the opposite for the “false victory”). In The Hunger Games, this is Katniss’s partnership with Rue and her eventual capture.

All is lost: the protagonists’ lowest point. In The Hunger Games, this is Rue’s death.

Dark night of the soul: this is where the hero wallows in their sorrow, right before they figure out the solution to their problem and change the course of their story. In The Hunger Games, this is Katniss decorating Rue’s hair with flowers, District 11 sending bread, and Katniss’s salute.

Break into three: a new piece of information is revealed which sets the character to their final destination. In The Hunger Games, this is the announcement of two tributes being able to win the games.

act three

The third act has two main beats (with 5 sub-beats):

Finale: the protagonist faces their antagonist and shows that they have changed. This can be split into five sub-beats. This is the finale to The Hunger Games, when all the events from Katniss being lured into the center of the Arena to the end of the games happen.

Gathering the team: the protagonist “gathers the team” — everything is set into place in order to execute the plan

Executing the plan: the plan is executed (this is quite self explanatory lmao)

The High Tower Surprise: something goes wrong, forcing the protagonist to prove that they are capable

Dig deep down: with no other option, the protagonist has to overcome their fear/misbelief

Execution of New Plan: the protagonist uses the newfound courage to execute a new plan

Final image: the “after” of the protagonist’s life. This will show how much they have changed throughout the story. In The Hunger Games, this is the final interviews and returning to District 12.

a lil trick

Because you’ve made it to the end of the post, here are two extra lil tips for you :))

If you want more examples, there are beat sheets on the Save the Cat! website (savethecat.com)

Also on the Save the Cat! website, there’s this little trick I use for laying out how many words each beat will take. On the sidebar, there is a “beat mapper.” I click the “novel” setting, and I enter my projected word count (I know it says page count, but it’s easier to know your word count than your page count). It should outline (roughly) how many words each beat should take up :)))

[typing-noises]

flower symbolism 🥀

hello hello! here’s another list and we hope it helps if any of you are looking for something like this :)

*note: different cultures have different meanings, we mainly focused on victorian era flower language

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almond blossom - hope

amaryllis - pride

anemone- fragility

aster - daintiness, charm

asphodel - my regrets follow you to the grave

blue salvia - ‘I think of you’

birdsfoot trefoil - my revenge

calla lily - attraction

camellia - ‘my destiny is in your hands’

cosmos - order, harmony

chamomile - ‘energy in adversity’

chrysanthemum - honesty

daffodil - new beginnings

daisy - innocence

dark crimson rose - mourning

delphinium - joy, encouragement, dignity

edelweiss - courage, devotion (cue the sound of music song- audrey)

freesia - purity, friendship, trust

gardenia - secret love, ‘I think you’re lovely’

gladiolus - strength, integrity, victory

goldenrod - good fortune (this reminds me of c3po - celeste)

hollyhock - ambition

heart’s ease - you occupy my thoughts

hibiscus - delicate beauty, romantic love

hyacinth - pride, power, happiness

jasmine - sweet love

iris - royalty, wisdom, respect

lavender - distrust

lotus - rebirth, enlightenment

lily-of-the-valley - humility, luck, happiness

nasturtium - conquest, victory in battle

magenta lilac - love, passion

magnolia - nobility, perseverance

marigold - jealousy, lost love, grief

myrtle - good luck, love in a marriage

pansy - thoughtfulness, remembrance

peony - anger, bashfulness

pink rose - grace, gentleness

purple lilac - first emotions of love

red rose - love

red salvia - forever mine

red tulip - a declaration of love

rhododendron - ‘beware of danger’

rosemary - remembrance

sage - wisdom

sorrel - affection

snapdragon - deception

sunflower - faith, unconditional love, false riches

tansy - hostile thoughts, a declaration of war

violet - modesty, faithfulness

white rose - new beginnings, purity

yarrow - everlasting love

yellow rose - jealousy, infidelity

zinnia - thoughts of absent friends, lasting affection

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well, that’s all for now folks! as an extra note, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 100 FOLLOWERS!!!! watch out for our q&a coming up on our story in a bit :) - audrey & celeste

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[typing-noises]

writing terms 101

new to the writing community? confused about some of the jargon? we've got you! here are a few basic terms that are commonly used in writing circles online.

acronyms

wip - work in progress

isbn - international standard book number (unique number that identifies a published work)

mc - main character

pov - point of view

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age groups

ya - young adult fiction

mg - middle grade (pre teens) fiction

na - new adult fiction

a - adult fiction

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genres

f - fantasy genre

sf - science fiction genre

uf - urban fantasy (fantasy in a real world setting)

cf - contemporary fiction (modern setting)

t - thriller

hf - historical fiction

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other assorted terms

wip hopping/shiny idea syndrome (aka me 😭 - celeste) - an inability to focus on your current wip because a (shiny) new idea strikes, so you “hop” to your next wip

manuscript - a draft of an unpublished work of writing.

synopsis - a brief summary of your story’s main plot, subplots, characters and major themes,

subplot - secondary plot that acts as a support for the main plot. often runs parallel to the main plot and can add important information to the storyline.

archetype - a type of character. they are the role(s) a character plays (e.g. the hero, the wise old mentor/sage, etc.) sometimes, they also give a vague personality for the character (e.g. the hero is usually courageous, the sage is usually wise)

beta reader - test reader for an unpublished work of writing, they give feedback from the view of an average reader.

critique partner - another writer with whom you regularly share your work with for mutual critiquing. (the two of us who run this account are critique partners :))))

infodumping - infodumping is where an author “dumps” a lot of exposition (whether it be about the world, the magic system, etc.) all at once, in a way that is not incorporated well into the story. for example, in mistborn by brandon sanderson, kelsier explains the rules of allomancy all at once to vin, so sanderson can also get the information across to the reader

trad pub - publishing through an established publishing house, where they handle most things, including: cover design, sales, marketing, editing, etc.

indie/self publishing - where an author publishes without a publishing house by themselves. they usually assemble a team of professionals, including cover design and editing.

nanowrimo/nano - national novel writing month! takes place in november, where participants try to draft a novel (or just complete 50000 words of it).

writing sprint - a designated time where you write as many words as possible, without editing

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that's all we have for you now! pls feel free to ask if you don't understand anything :) - celeste

we hope these helped! let us know if there's any other big terms that we've missed - audrey

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[typing-noises]

soft magic systems vs. hard magic systems

intro

magic systems! they’re a defining trait of the fantasy genre- but what are the differences between hard magic systems and soft magic systems? s there a grey area? which one does your wip use?

read on to find out :)

hard

the terms “hard” magic and “soft” magic were popularised by brandon sanderson, author of the mistborn trilogy, the stormlight archive, and many more! with that out of the way, let's get into hard magic systems.

broadly speaking, hard magic systems have strict rules and limitations, often with consequences for using magic — the reader will know exactly how the magic works. examples of hard magic systems include brandon sanderson’s mistborn (each metal has it’s own abilities), avatar: the last airbender (bending has many rules, e.g. a bender can only bend one element, except for the avatar), etc.

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soft

soft magic, on the other hand, is the opposite of hard magic. they don’t have any set rules (and if they do, they aren’t explained to the reader). the magic is mysterious, and can often go wrong. it can be used to better weave in themes, convey a sense of wonder, etc. however, it can very easily kill stakes.

examples of this include the discworld series (magic is very unpredictable, can often backfire) by terry pratchett, harry potter (while most wizards need wands, we don’t know how many spells there are) by jk rowling, and star wars (the force can do anything, and you can even introduce never-seen-before things that make no sense 😭).

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grey area?

magic systems aren’t really strictly defined into those two sides: there is usually grey area. it’s more of a spectrum, with hard magic on one side and soft magic on the other. for example, avatar the last airbender sometimes breaks its own rules, and never explicitly defines it; in star wars there is (usually) a defined set of powers the characters can use.

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what do I use?

people often say that hard magic builds tension and prevents deus ex machinas. for example, if a character suddenly gained a power that we haven’t seen before for no reason at the climax of the story, and uses said power to immediately defeat the antagonist— it kills all the tension in the story and leaves the reader feeling unsatisfied.

however, soft magic systems also have their perks! their undefined nature can create more mysticism and whimsy for the reader (hence why they’re especially popular in middle-grade books)

I have a lot to say about magic systems, so we might make more posts abt it in the future hehe 😁😁 that’s all from me for now! until next time 👋 — celeste

p.s. my wip leans more towards hard magic!

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[typing-noises]

the red-blue character dynamic

intro

the red-blue character dynamic! probably one of the most common tropes utilised in creating character relationships, the red-blue character dynamic does exactly what it says on the tin. it involves two characters linked together, whether it’s through being siblings, rivals, friends, love interests or enemies. these characters often have differing world views and personalities that can either bring out the best or the worst in each other.

but first, what’s a red character and what’s a blue character?

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red characters

associated with passion, wildness and defiance, red characters can often be impetuous and impulsive. being quite rash, they are also more prone to breaking rules and conventions, compared to their blue counterparts. even if a red character is more intelligent than a blue character, they would still continue to go about their goals in a decidedly more ‘direct’ manner.

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blue characters

associated with control, calm and composure, blue characters can often be more of a puzzle for the other characters. they can be difficult to read, because of their cool outer personality, even if their coils are wound tight underneath the surface. blue characters are often more calculating and long-term thinking, in comparison to their rash, red counterparts.

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examples?

on shows and movies, a red-blue character dynamic can be based on aesthetic choices that become relative to character personalities. some famous (aesthetically identifiable) red-blue television characters that come to my mind would be keith and lance (voltron 🤢), vi and caitlyn (arcane), iron man and captain america (mcu) or zuko and azula (atla).

the red-blue character dynamic can also be subverted. for example, korra in the legend of korra has the signature colour of blue, though she is often very passionate and brash. on the other hand, asami (her love interest) is often dressed in red, but has the personality of a calm blue.

although not as easily identifiable, we can see the red-blue character dynamic play out in literature too. in literature, the red-blue character dynamic usually takes root in personality alone, being that making aesthetic choices isn’t as possible. for example, percy jackson’s red to annabeth chase’s blue in percy jackson & the olympians, or peter + lucy’s reds to edmund + susan’s blues in the chronicles of narnia.

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how can this dynamic be used?

most iterations of the red-blue character dynamic stick pretty close to the loose definition, though it’s not uncommon for red and blue characters to mix personality traits. for example, blue characters can be more extroverted and easy-going, though full of internal turmoil on the inside. or, red characters who are usually more emotional and passionate on the outside can be the more flexible foil that a blue character needs. either way, there are hundreds of ways that red-blue personality traits can vary.

the interactions between red and blue characters can be tweaked as well. maybe both can start out on equal standing, but eventually one or the other rises while the other has to snap at their heels to catch up, creating a bitter rivalry. red-blue relationships can veer off into many different directions because they are just as likely to be close friends and love interests as they are to be enemies.

other areas where the red-blue character dynamic can show itself could be more subtle things like fighting and confrontational style. with red characters being more direct, they rely more on things like raw power and strength, chasing after combat in a ‘let’s wing it’ kind of manner. as for blue characters, being more calculating, they might favour scoring their hit on an opponent from a safer distance, using their precision and finesse to their advantage.

the red-blue dynamic can be emphasised even further if elemental powers come into play: red characters could have powers with fire and heat, while blue characters could have powers with ice and water. the former being more strength-based and the latter being more methodical.

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conclusion

the red-blue character dynamic isn’t defined by gender, age or signature colours. it can be applied to any pair of characters. this dynamic can be used to create relationships between characters that can be engaging for both writer and reader.

even in a big cast, you know the red and blue characters will be magnetically drawn to each other, no matter what. being so volatile and charged, this kind of character dynamic can also make for perfect shipping fodder (wink wink wink wink)

well, that’s all for today! I had a lot of fun doing this (extra long) post so I hope you guys enjoyed reading :) - audrey

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