If I Had a Heart

place for me to track all of my writing & roleplay stuff. Writings, musings, poems, and the like are found here. Some old stuff, some new.

[writeydoos]

Writing Rules: Keep It Tense

Readers can be very fickle, and they have every right to be. They’re looking for a good time. They want an adventure of some sort that they can invest themselves in and enjoy. At their core, readers are seeking entertainment. And it’s our job as writers to entertain them. If we bore them for even a second, no one can blame them if they lose interest. There’s an endless supply of other books out there, along with a million other things they could be doing.

Having all that competition might seem pretty daunting, but no worries, friends. Keeping your reader’s mind from wandering is actually pretty simple. All you have to do is create enough tension.

Tension is the driving force that keeps readers glued to your pages. It’s what keeps them up too late because they can’t put your book down. Without solid tension, your audience will get bored. They will lose interest. And there’s a good chance they won’t ever finish reading your story.

Your story should be soaked in tension. On every single page. That’s right. All of them.

Before I go on, let’s just go ahead and establish what I really mean when I say tension. Because I don’t want anyone mistakenly thinking I mean action. Action does not automatically create tension. Violence does not automatically create tension. Explosions, gun fights, monster attacks, and gory deaths do not automatically create tension. You can throw all these things at me, plus jetpacks, and still lose my interest.

Tension is a mixture of several different elements that come together to hold the reader’s attention. Tension is made up of good characterization, high stakes, dilemmas, questions, and changes. Of course, there are many other things that can be used to create tension–these are just your MVPs.

Now, let’s break this ingredient list down a little.

Good Characterization This one is obvious, but also so damn important. You should always strive to develop dynamic, engaging characters. Give your readers an interesting character they can bond with and care about. I won’t go too deeply into this one, since I’ve already done several other posts specifically about characterization, which can be found here. Of course, if you have any lingering questions, feel free to ask.

High Stakes Ask yourself what your character has to lose. What do they care about? What are they passionate about? Now, threaten to take that from them. Do it again and again until your character will certainly be a broken person if they happen to fail. Every new thing that your character could potentially lose will raise the stakes and keep the tension high.

Dilemmas These are the tough choices your character has to make. There’s no easy-out to save them. This choice has to be made, and there should be a very real chance that whatever they choose will have profoundly negative consequences.

Questions Your reader should always have questions they want answered–about the characters, the world, the conflict, or what have you. And you should always give them those answers. Just not right away. Make them wait. Feed them the less important answers early on and save the tastiest revelations until much later.

Changes Never let your character get too comfortable. Knock them off balance with some big changes. Whether it’s new people, new places, experiences, or whatever, make them face changes that will force your character to struggle and evolve.

All in all, make an engaging character and make them struggle and fight. Let them lose things and make bad choices and be transformed by their journey. Give your reader all this, and they’ll lose sleep for your book.

And here’s a little bonus tip before I go. When creating tension, keep Murphy’s Law in mind. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Don’t give your characters a break. There’s no time for relaxing when there are readers to entertain.

Happy writing, lovelies

[the-writers-society-deactivated]

The Complete List of Archetypes

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Check out my posts: Archetypes 101 and The 12 Common Archetypes!

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Willing Hero – King Arthur; Leelu from The Fifth Element; Hercules

Unwilling Hero – Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit, Phillipe Gaston from Ladyhawke

Cynical Anti-hero – Han Solo from Star Wars

Tragic Anti-hero –Lestat from Ann Rices’ Vampire Chronicles; Darth Vader from Star Wars

Group-oriented Hero – CuChulainn from Irish myth.

Loner Hero –Indiana Jones, Xena from Xena: Warrior Princess

Catalyst Hero – Any mentor (s/he’s the hero of their own stories)

Dark Mentor – anti-heroic character, the inversion of heroic values

Fallen Mentor – characters who are having difficulty with their own heroic journey

Continuing Mentor – recurring characters in a series of stories

Multiple Mentors – a hero may have more than one Mentor, learning a new skill from each one

Comic Mentor – often a type of advising sidekick to the Hero

Shaman – helper who aids the Hero in seeking a guiding vision to help him/her on the journey

The Herald – Herald characters issue challenges and announce the coming of significant change

The Threshold Guardian – Threshold Guardians protect the Special World and its secrets from the Hero, and provide essential tests to prove a Hero’s commitment and worth

Shape shifter – The Shapeshifter’s mask misleads the Hero by hiding a character’s intentions and loyalties

Trickster – Tricksters relish the disruption of the status quo, turning the Ordinary World into chaos with their quick turns of phrase and physical antics

Fool – In Europe, the court jester was not necessarily a simpleton, and in fact, often served to remind the monarch of his own folly and humanity

Shadow – the Shadow represents the energy of the dark side, the unexpressed, unrealized, or rejected aspects of something

The Anima/Animus – form generally reflects either the condition or the needs of our soul presently

The Divine Couple – The opposites of the outer and the inner life are now joined in marriage

The Child – The Child Archetype is a pattern related to the hope and promise for new beginnings

The Self – The Spirit descends as a Dove upon Jesus in the wilderness (example), true self

The Magician – He once was ignorant but through the experience of taking the Fool’s “step of faith” over the edge and into the unknown he has made a decision to master the Four Elements and therefore seek to balance his personal Karma

The Virgin/Maiden/High Priestess – She is the guardian of the Mystery Temple of Solomon; Protectress of the Secret Wisdom that lifts human consciousness from the depths of materialism to the heights of illumination

The Empress – She is the image of Fertility; the creative Life Force that perpetuates the continuity of life forms on the planet; She is Mother Nature; guardian of the natural process and rhythms of growth and procreation

The Authority/Emperor (King, Chief, Leader) – He is the representative image of Father Time; in charge of the seed and the withdrawal of the Life Force when the period of Life is done

The Medicine Woman/Hierophant – This Archetypal Figure represents the external Form and function of the internal Mysteries; The Hierophant stands as a barrier to those who are yet unable to comprehend the True creative Life principles and therefore the External Teaching is all that they receive. However, if they can pass beyond the Form via choice to join the Spirit of Illumination radiating from within their Souls then the High Priestess is waiting to reveal the heretofore hidden Mysteries inscribed in the Scroll she is holding in reserve for those who are truly ready

The Hermit – His search has led him to the Summit of his own perfection. Now, from this great height he can see 360 degrees without obscuration. His Lantern is held high as an inspiration to all who aspire to attain the Wisdom which he has come to realize during the process of his own Soul journey. The isolation and abstinence image sometimes given to the Hermit is one of the past; a glimpse of his travels through the physical and emotional wasteland where the misrepresentations of life as seen through the perception of the Physical Plane have been experienced and eventually transcended. This Archetype passed through a period of solitude and alienation during this walk through the proverbial “Valley of the Shadow of Death” that could have driven him Mad had it not been for the Light in his Lantern penetrating the Darkness and illuminating his Soul thus granting him hope of deliverance. The Hermit has indeed been carried through this initiatory Journey via his unwavering Faith in the Universal Source who Teaches and Guides all of us internally. The Lantern which he carries symbolizes his inner Vision provided via his “Third Eye” (Candle) which grants this Archetypal traveler a keen sense of Spiritual insight

The Wanderer (aka chariot) – An invisible barrier stands between the mind of Man and the Mind of God, and this blinds the Charioteer, thus preventing his conscious realization of union with the Source, Victory in the material sense, on all levels. Mastery of the Elements, but not the Spirit which Guides them, therefore the Chariot rides in service to a higher authority even though the driver might presume that he is in complete control

The Hunter/ Strongman (strength) – The senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch are directed by the sixth sense, intuition, thus resulting in perfect Harmony

The Judge (law, justice) – The Dispensation of punishments and rewards according to the precepts of Karmic Law, which is represented on the Physical Plane by external legal systems: lawyers, courts, prisons, etc. However, it is the Spiritual workings of an involuntary nature of which this Archetype speaks

The Weaver – Temperance, i.e. the balanced management of Life taking all things in moderation, is the means of maintaining steady progress during humanity’s long Search through Limitations of material existence for eventual Transformation into Divine Beings of Light

Death (personification) – Transformation via Dramatic Change, as symbolized by the image of physical Life being terminated and the Afterlife commencing. Therefore, a sudden pole reversal occurs, i.e. orientation or circumstances change is indicated. That which was the order of things has been totally shattered

The Sacred Messenger/ The Giver

The Hanged Man (meditation, suspension) – Its symbolism points to divinity, linking it to the death of Christ in Christianity and the stories of Osiris (Egyptian mythology) and Mithras (Roman mythology). In all of these stories, the destruction of self brings life to humanity.

The Devil – The Devil is both the Ur-Adversary, and a tremendous source of strength. He represents nearly an inexhaustible source of energy. Battling him gives us strength. Submitting completely to him is ego-death.

The Unity of the Universe – continually changing universe. Here is the supreme unity of attainment and joy ruled by that incalculable factor - the element of luck; This ultimately manifests as the spiral progression of the unfolding Universe. The counterbalance of Night and Day, and to a greater extent passage of the Seasons, is indicated. However, more importantly, the Cycle of birth, death, and rebirth is depicted here. This is symbolic of the proverbial “Phoenix Principle.”

The Sacrificial Dance

The Tower (Babel, falsity)

The Star(s) – People have always looked to the stars as a source of inspiration and hope. There is something about their twinkling light that draws us out of ourselves and up into a higher plane. When we turn our eyes heavenward, we no longer feel the distress of earth. The Star reminds one of the clear, high voice of a soprano. There is something otherworldly about it. All the harshness and density of everyday life has been refined away leaving only the purest essence. After being exposed to the Star, we feel uplifted and blessed.

The Moon – The Moon is the light of this realm - the world of shadow and night. Although this place is awesome, it does not have to be frightening. In the right circumstances, the Moon inspires and enchants. It holds out the promise that all one can imagine can be obtained. The Moon guides one to the unknown so one can allow the unusual into one’s life.

The Sun – Throughout history, people have honored the Sun as the source of light and warmth. In the myths of many cultures, the Sun is a prominent god - full of vigor and courage. He is the vital energy center that makes life on earth possible.

The Spirit World

The World – The World represents an ending to a cycle of life, a pause in life before the next big cycle beginning with the fool. The figure is at once male and female, above and below, suspended between the heavens and the earth. It is completeness.

Übermensch – An Übermensch, (sometimes “Overman”, or “superman”) is a term coined by philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, in Thus Spoke Zarathustra (in German, Also sprach Zarathustra). He argues that a man can become an Übermensch (homo superior; the common equivalent English translation would be ‘super-human’; see below) through the following steps: 1. By his will to power, manifested destructively in the rejection of, and rebellion against, societal ideals and moral codes; 2. By his will to power, manifested creatively in overcoming nihilism and re-evaluating old ideals or creating new ones. 3. By a continual process of self-overcoming.

Wise Old Man – In works of fiction, this kind of character is typically represented by a kind and wise, older father-type figure who uses personal knowledge of people and the world, to help tell stories and offer guidance, that in a mystical way illuminate to his audience a sense of who they are and who they might become.

The Puer Aeternus – (Latin for “eternal boy”), e.g. Peter Pan

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Enneagrams: (minor archetypes)

Reformer, Critic, Perfectionist [Anger]. This type focuses on integrity. Ones can be wise, discerning and inspiring in their quest for the truth. They also tend to dissociate themselves from their flaws and can become hypocritical and hyper-critical of others, seeking the illusion of virtue to hide their own vices. The One’s greatest fear is to be flawed and their ultimate goal is perfection.

Helper, Giver, Caretaker [Pride]. Twos, at their best, are compassionate, thoughtful and astonishingly generous; they can also be prone to passive-aggressive behavior, clinginess and manipulation. Twos want, above all, to be loved and needed and fear being unworthy of love.

Achiever, Performer, Succeeder [Deceit]. Highly adaptable and changeable. Some walk the world with confidence and unstinting authenticity; others wear a series of public masks, acting the way they think will bring them approval and losing track of their true self. Threes fear being worthless and strive to be worthwhile.

Romantic, Individualist, Artist [Envy]. Driven by a fear that they have no identity or personal significance, Fours embrace individualism and are often profoundly creative. However, they have a habit of withdrawing to internalize, searching desperately inside themselves for something they never find and creating a spiral of depression. The angsty musician or tortured artist is often a stereotypical Four.

Observer, Thinker, Investigator [Avarice]. Believing they are only worth what they contribute, Fives have learned to withdraw, to watch with keen eyes and speak only when they can shake the world with their observations. Sometimes they do just that. Often, instead, they withdraw from the world, becoming reclusive hermits and fending off social contact with abrasive cynicism. Fives fear incompetency or uselessness and want to be capable above all else.

Loyalist, Devil’s Advocate, Defender [Fear]. Sixes long for stability above all else. They exhibit unwavering loyalty and responsibility, but are prone to extreme anxiety and passive-aggressive behavior. Their greatest fear is to lack support and guidance. There are two types of sixes, phobic and counter phobic. Phobic sixes will have a tendency to run from or hide from what they fear, while a counter phobic six is more likely to attack or confront said fear.

Enthusiast, Adventurer, Materialist [Gluttony]. Eternal Peter Pans, Sevens flit from one activity to another. Above all they fear being unable to provide for themselves. At their best they embrace life for its varied joys and wonders and truly live in the moment; but at their worst they dash frantically from one new experience to another, being too scared of disappointment to enjoy what they have.

Leader, Protector, Challenger [Lust]. Eights worry about self-protection and control. Natural leaders, capable and passionate but also manipulative, ruthless and willing to destroy anything and everything in their way. Eights seek control over their own life and their own destiny and fear being harmed or controlled by others.

Mediator, Peacemaker, Preservationist [Sloth]. Nines are ruled by their empathy. At their best they are perceptive, receptive, gentle, calming and at peace with the world. On the other hand they prefer to dissociate from conflicts and indifferently go along with others’ wishes or simply withdraw, acting via inaction. They fear the conflict caused by their ability to simultaneously understand opposing points of view and seek peace of mind above all else.

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RPG Archetypes:

(taken from Foxfire and Afira’s Guide to Roleplaying)

The Scholar: The scholar is perhaps the most underestimated type of individual that exists in character building. He can be extremely calculating, highly intelligent, rational, an excellent strategist, and extraordinarily… vain. After all, he has all this excess intelligence, why not spend a little on himself? Scholars are guided by the pursuit of knowledge and the usage and implimentation thereof. This can range from the trivial, to the extensive knowledge and inner workings of political culture, computer design, or magic lore. Of course, like the rest of the archetypes, he comes in many forms. Usually the stereotypical scholar spends 10 years in hermitville studying on his choosen craft, he wears the scholarly glasses, the slightly balding head with a bit of wildly unmanagable tufts of hair sticking out, the plain and unassuming clothes of someone living on the edge of financial existance, however, as roleplaying of this character becomes divergent from the typical Hollywood influences, many new types are becomming apparent. Jesters and technology or weapons gurus also fit into this catergory. Jesters for their high levels of intelligence and strong usage of, and technology or weapons gurus for the same reasons.

The Soldier: Strong, willful, and looking for a fight, whether it be for profit, or to avenge the death of a loved one. One type of soldier encompasses those who seek to do justice in an evil and dark world: The rugged heroes who are strong in arm and wit, but have some fatal character flaw (dealing with the death of a loved one, pride or vanity, a weakness for damsels in distress…) that will be the end of them if they don’t figure out how to solve it. Another type refers to those who always use sheer force to solve any problem. Big, hairy, and usually extraordinarily stupid, these individuals are almost always hopeless at accomplishing complex tasks. Still others might seek to cause destruction or chaos to appease a higher entity or leader. Persons of action, and extreme calculation, these people tend to make fantastic villains. Overall, the soldier class of characters seek to force their will on the world, directly, or indirectly.

The Politician: The politician archetype usually encompasses the most diverse groupings of individuals: Poets, Rogues, and of course, Politicians. The Poet is the hopeless romantic that is usually more skilled with his instrument of choice, rather than sheer brute force. The instrument can range from musical lyres, lutes, and the like, to the musical sound an axe or gun makes when going through flesh. They are socially capable of holding conversations, but most people tend to view them as lost or dreamy souls. They tend to be stereotyped with the thin, wiry, tall, and dreamy; however, the jovial, heavy-set drunkard leaning on a wall with his mug of ale is just as susceptible to being a Poet. A Rogue is the strongly misunderstood man of the moment. Usually an attention getter striving to better himself at his trade or skill, the rogue is a drifter, never really settling down with someone or something. This could be caused by profession, reputation, or self-inflicted torture. Impulsive activity mixes with the common traits of exceptionally specialized skills in one or more areas, high levels of reflex, agility, and intelligence. They could potentially be very dangerous given the right circumstances, or alignment, for example, the Great Rogue himself-Robin Hood. Politicians are exactly as their name implies-great talkers who love to listen to the sound of their own voice. Rather than facing conflict, they seek to beguile, distract, and utilize words to walk around it. Usually they are highly intelligent with strong social skills, specifically dominate, persuade, or manipulate.

The Priest: Priests, Clerics, Necromancers, Fortune-tellers, Mediums, and anything else dealing with the spiritual and supernatural world fall into this genre. These types of characters usually come in the most unlimited range of styles, body types, and personalities, as the effects of dealing with the spiritual or supernatural may have odd effects on someone’s psyche and physical appearence. Your average neighborhood Catholic Priest heavy in the midsection, could mingle with your thin teenage punk kid who has more than a few run-ins with walking zombies-and won. These individuals are either guided, aided, cursed, or replused by an driving force in their lives, and a sense that something bigger than them exists. Hunters that seek out supernatural creatures to kill for their own means portray aspects of the priest as well, as they seek to impose a vision of the world without those creatures. The priest is above all a visionary-he can see something that no one else can, and through his faith-in himself, or something higher-everything he sees will be accomplished.

Combinations: To some extent, gypsies fit all of these profiles and work as a good combination. Very intelligent jesters at heart(Scholar), without a sense of the limits of their own physical property, mixed with a bit of old world swindling, story-telling, and pan-handling(Politician), perhaps guided by an overwhelming guiding force that lets them see the words, “I’m naive, steal from me.” in bold letters on someone’s forehead(Priest), and take advantage of the situation for their own ends(Soldier).

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Chinese Zodiac Animal-types:

Rat: Essentially charming. Compassionate. Renowned for thrift and love of family, at times rather superficial.

Ox: Calm, patient, studied character. Takes things slow, steady pace. At times rather dictatorial. Always industrious.

Tiger: Very warm, loving. Independent minded. Pays scant regard for other’s feelings while pursuing fun and freedom.

Rabbit: Also know as the Cat or Hare. Very sensitive soul. Loves spending time at home. Although quiet and discreet, still ambitious. Self-indulgent.

Dragon: Charismatic and colorful. Wants to be center of attention. Very arrogant.

Snake: High moral principles, mostly when applied to other. Sophisticated and charming. More than meets the eye.

Horse: Confident and proud. Prone to erratic behavior. Heart is in right place. Scatty.

Goat: Sensitive, creative and multitalented. Eccentric. Much Fortitude. Loves to be loved, hates to be pushed.

Monkey: Wily and cunning. Ignores regimented rules. Free spirit.

Rooster: Brave and enthusiastic. Notoriously picky. Highly intelligent. Rarely has wool pulled over its eyes.

Dog: Honest, loyal, sincere. Believes in justice for all. Fights for principles. Sometimes bad tempered, self-righteous.

Boar: Will do anything for anybody. Model of sincerity and honor. Occasionally fits of rage. Self-sacrificing and altruistic.

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Carolyn Myss’s Archetypes:

Included are many repeats, but kept for the sake of keeping her list whole

Addict (Conspicuous Consumer, Glutton, Workaholic–see also Gambler)

Advocate (Attorney, Defender, Legislator, Lobbyist, Environmentalist)

Alchemist (Wizard, Magician, Scientist, Inventor–see also Visionary)

Angel (Fairy Godmother/Godfather)

Artist (Artisan, Craftsperson, Sculptor, Weaver)

Athlete (Olympian)

Avenger (Avenging Angel, Savior, Messiah)

Beggar (Homeless person/ Indigent)

Bully (Coward)

Child (Orphan, Wounded, Magical/Innocent, Nature, Divine, Puer/Puella Eternis, or Eternal Boy/Girl)

Clown (Court Jester, Fool, Dummling)

Companion (Friend, Sidekick, Right Arm, Consort)

Damsel (Princess)

Destroyer (Attila, Mad Scientist, Serial Killer, Spoiler)

Detective (Spy, Double Agent, Sleuth, Snoop, Sherlock Holmes, Private Investigator, Profiler–see also Warrior/Crime Fighter)

Dilettante (Amateur)

Don Juan (Casanova, Gigolo, Seducer, Sex Addict)

Engineer (Architect, Builder, Schemer)

Exorcist (Shaman)

Father (Patriarch, Progenitor)

Femme Fatale (Black Widow, Flirt, Siren, Circe, Seductress, Enchantress)

Gambler

God (Adonis, see also Hero)

Gossip (see also Networker)

Guide (Guru, Sage, Crone, Wise Woman, Spiritual Master, Evangelist, Preacher)

Healer (Wounded Healer, Intuitive Healer, Caregiver, Nurse, Therapist, Analyst, Counselor)

Hedonist (Bon Vivant, Chef, Gourmet, Gourmand, Sybarite–see also Mystic)

Hero/Heroine (see also Knight, Warrior)

Judge (Critic, Examiner, Mediator, Arbitrator)

King (Emperor, Ruler, Leader, Chief)

Knight (see also Warrior, Rescuer)

Liberator

Lover

Martyr

Mediator (Ambassador, Diplomat, Go-Between)

Mentor (Master, Counselor, Tutor)

Messiah (Redeemer, Savior)

Midas/Miser

Monk/Nun (Celibate)

Mother (Matriarch, Mother Nature)

Mystic (Renunciate, Anchorite, Hermit)

Networker (Messenger, Herald, Courier, Journalist, Communicator)

Pioneer (Explorer, Settler, Pilgrim, Innovator)

Poet

Priest (Priestess, Minister, Rabbi, Evangelist)

Prince

Prostitute

Queen (Empress)

Rebel (Anarchist, Revolutionary, Political Protester, Nonconformist, Pirate)

Rescuer

Saboteur

Samaritan

Scribe (Copyist, Secretary, Accountant–see also Journalist)

Seeker (Wanderer, Vagabond, Nomad)

Servant (Indentured Servant)

Shape-shifter (Spell-caster–see also Trickster)

Slave

Storyteller (Minstrel, Narrator)

Student (Disciple, Devotee, Follower, Apprentice)

Teacher (Instructor, see also Mentor)

Thief (Swindler, Con Artist, Pickpocket, Burglar, Robin Hood)

Trickster (Puck, Provocateur)

Vampire

Victim

Virgin (see also Celibate)

Visionary (Dreamer, Prophet, Seer–see also Guide, Alchemist)

Warrior (Soldier, Crime Fighter, Amazon, Mercenary, Soldier of Fortune, Gunslinger, Samurai)

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Hope this helped! If you have any questions, concerns, or just want to talk, feel free to drop by my ask box!

[virawrites]

See me bare my teeth for you

Who are you, really?

[virawrites]

hawke family things

Just some quick things on newly imagined Hawke family: Dorian, Seneca, and Theodora. 

In his original incarnation, Dorian was very single. He was alone and he did not care one little bit. But what bothered me about that was that he had nothing to fight for, nothing to live for except himself. And he didn't really need anything. Later Dorian is still selfish and machiavellian, but he actually has motivation to care for something other than himself: i.e. Theodora Hawke, who needs someone to care about her because she really is incredibly naive and reckless.

Seneca is almost the opposite of Dorian. He is portrayed as selfish, the father who is trying to redeem himself and probably failing miserably. Seneca is supposed to be the perfect mother, the Mary, but she is incredibly cold and selfish. She pretended she was dead to save her own neck from her vengeful husband, and she kind of just left her daughter to the care of some greater organization that turned her into a weapon and didn't really think about her as a person. She thinks herself moral; she declares a strict set of morals, and yet she does not do much to adhere to them. She sought refuge with the church. 

Theodora is someone who is hurtling towards a fiery crash at 100 mph without any breaks at all whatsoever. She's powerful, flashy, confident, but incredibly vulnerable. She is naive, she is easily hurt, she is empathetic, and she has a bleeding heart/hero complex that makes her less than ruthless. She's supposed to be a weapon. She has incredible power. But she doesn't use it for total destruction until the very end, and that's kind of good, until her inevitable fall. I associate her heavily with fire. So much fire. She also goes by the alias of 'Fuse'.

Faceclaims are weird. Dorian is Connor Kenway. He also uses something equivalent to Revan's mask. So there's that. Seneca is Naomi Kimishima. Thora is either Veloce Visrin, Korra, or Esmerelda. 

Dorian has a bunch of kids that he's kind of "adopted" and has taken under his wing to become his minions. Thora would be jealous if she cared, which she doesn't. Most of the kids are street urchins. 

Dorian is a vicious and ambitious soab. Seneca takes him down a notch by revealing her ability to completely destroy him. She goes so far as to actually try it, and she gets about 3/4 of the way through.

[virawrites]

hector rambling

Hector of Troy was one of those spur of the moment characters that I never regretted creating. He is one of the rare examples of a concept that has taken on an amorphous life of his own within the confines of my imagination (he has even earned a spot within the world of Invictus, probably going in as 'Hector the Immortal' or something along those lines). It's weird because he is based off of a legendary (historical??) character whom I am now incredibly protective of. Luckily my Ancient Greece professor is an expert in Homeric poetry because now I know. Lots of things. About Hector. I have an unhealthy obsession with the Iliad. 

Some notes:

Hector as a character was first conceived by me as Fate AU. He started off as a Rider, but I like him as a Lancer better because he doesn't have the powerful trump Phantasms of a normal Rider (though I did like his drama with Achilles's chariot). His Phantasms are always kind of WIP for me because I have about eight drafts of possible Phantasms and I'm never happy. I think I might just leave him with his staple two from now on.

I found it really hard to write Hector character at first. In the Iliad, he's weird because he is supposed to be the enemy, but anyone you talk to usually describes him as one of their favorite characters. They sympathize with his plight. Which is cool and all, but I don't like making golden boys who can do no wrong. I like Hector making mistakes and dying due to his own flaws without achieving what he really needed to achieve. This death may or may not have some sort of epiphany associated with it. He's always half tragic hero in my head.

If I'm listing adjectives for personality: + Brave, Bold, Devoted, Noble, Charismatic, Fierce / - Stubborn, Boisterous, Vengeful, Proud, Mortal, Holier than Thou

He's a paradox of brave and death fearing. Dying does not appeal to him, as it would be for most people. This is weird and I don't know how to properly convey it really. 

He's totally bros with his cousin Aeneas. Bros forever. Aeneas tries to get him not to do the dumb thing, and this usually fails. Hector does the dumb thing anyway.

Hector loves Andromache so much it hurts. His son is also incredibly important to him. He is very, very family oriented, and he feels as though he failed as both a parent and a husband because he failed to protect that which he loved most. Thus, he will give parenting advice. So much parenting advice. He wants to whip parents into shape so they don't make his mistakes. 

His relationship with Paris is both confusing and completely sensical at the same time. But Paris is still a total dumb ass. 

Hector of the gleaming helm, man slaughtering Hector, horse-taming Hector, Hector son of Priam, etc etc

Troy was totally a part of the Hittite empire. Long live Dr. Manfred Korfmann and Greater Troy.

Achilles is a dick.

[mickeyandcompany]

Pixar’s 22 rules to phenomenal storytelling (click in the pictures to zoom)

[fiftythousandtears]

requested by anon adamas | bebas | blake | champagne | devil breeze | dubiel | flower | xtreemmedium |

[eastiseverywhere]

I recently got ticked off over a “Read the World” list that was still really centred on Western books.

Then I started thinking: what if there were a reading list of 100 books that reflected the actual demographics of the world population of 7.152 billion people right now?

Thus, behold my Listchallenge. Here are:

19 books from China; 17 from India; 4 from the US; 3 from Indonesia, Brazil and Pakistan; 2 from Nigeria, Bangladesh, Japan and Mexico, and 1 each from the Philippines, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Egypt, Germany, Iran, Turkey, DRC, Thailand, France, UK, Italy, Burma, South Africa, South Korea, Colombia, Spain, Ukraine, Tanzania, Kenya, Argentina, Algeria, Poland, Sudan, Uganda, Canada, Iraq, Morocco, Peru, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Nepal, Afghanistan, Yemen, North Korea, Ghana, Mozambique, Australia and Taiwan.

50 books are by men. 49 are by women.1 is a work of divine revelation.

Authors (roughly) reflect the ethnic makeup of their nations – e.g. the South African author is Black, not white; the Malaysian author is Malay, not Chinese; one of the PRC authors is non-Han Chinese; one of the American authors is non-white.

I’ve tried to represent a range of historical periods and the most acclaimed writers in each section. Writers presented are those widely available in English - this is why Ding Ling, Zhang Yueran and Akka Mahadevi weren’t featured: because it’s really hard to find their work. Also, a writer is only of a nationality if s/he’s got/had citizenship of the area at some point - i.e. Jhumpa Lahiri is American, not Indian.

Sure, I know this list is problematic – smaller countries, like those of the Caribbean and Oceania, are kind of wiped out. But I’m open to change this. So send in your suggestions for changes if you’ve got them! 

And remember: if you’re gonna read the world, you might as well do it RIGHT.

Full list of books:

CHINA

The Analects of Confucius

The Tao Te Ching of Lao Zi

The Art of War by Sun Zi

The Poems of Li Qingzhao

The Journey to the West by Wu Cheng En

Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Shi Naian

Selected Stories of Lu Xun

Rickshaw Boy by Lao She

The Dyer’s Daughter by Xiao Hong

Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang

Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian

The Republic of Wine by Mo Yan

The Girl Who Played Go by Shan Sa

Red Azalea by Anchee Min

The Song of Everlasting Sorrow by Wang Anyi

Daughter of the River by Hong Ying

Wild Swans by Jung Chang

The Good Women of China by Xinran

INDIA

The Ramayana of Valmiki

The Mahabharata by Vyasa

The Dhammapada of Buddha 

The Kural of Tiruvalluvar

The Story of My Experiments With Truth by Mohandas K. Gandhi

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

The Great Indian Novel by Shashi Tharoor 

Five Point Someone: What Not to Do at IIT by Chetan Bhagat

A River Sutra by Gita Mehta

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Breast Stories by Mahasweta Devi

Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai

Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni 

Spouse: The Truth About Marriage by Shobhaa De 

Moving On by Shashi Deshpande

USA

The Poems of Emily Dickinson

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 

Beloved by Toni Morrison

INDONESIA

Letters from A Javanese Princess by Raden Adjeng Kartini

This Earth of Mankind by Pramoedya Ananta Toer 

Saman by Ayu Utami

BRAZIL

Dom Casmurro by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis

Dona Flor and her Two Husbands by Jorge Amado

The Hours of the Star by Clarice Lispector

PAKISTAN

Songs of Blood and Sword by Fatima Bhutto

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif

NIGERIA

Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamande Ngozi Adichie

BANGLADESH

Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam

RUSSIA

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The Poems of Anna Akhmatova

JAPAN

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

MEXICO

The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

PHILIPPINES

Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco

VIETNAM

When Heaven and Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip

ETHIOPIA

Beneath the Lion’s Gaze by Maaza Mengiste

EGYPT

Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz

GERMANY

The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt

IRAN

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

TURKEY

My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

The Congo: From Leopold to Kabila: A People’s History by Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja

THAILAND

Letters from Thailand by Botan

FRANCE

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 

UK

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

ITALY

The Aeneid by Virgil

BURMA

Letters from Burma by Aung San Suu Kyi

SOUTH AFRICA

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

SOUTH KOREA

Please Look After Mother by Kyung Sook Shin

COLOMBIA

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

SPAIN

The Life of St Teresa of Avila by Herself 

UKRAINE

The White Guard by Mikail Bulgakhov

TANZANIA

Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah

KENYA

Devil on the Cross by Ngugi wa’Thiongo

ARGENTINA

The Topless Tower by Silvina Ocampo 

ALGERIA

Fantasia: An Algerian Calvacade by Assia Djebar

POLAND

The Poems of Wislawa Szymborska

SUDAN

Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih

UGANDA

Song of Lawino and Song of Ocol by Okot p’Bitek

CANADA

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

IRAQ

The Poems of Rabia Basri

MOROCCO

Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami

PERU

The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa

UZBEKISTAN

The Dancer from Khiva by Bibish

MALAYSIA

Kampung Boy by Lat

SAUDI ARABIA

The Quran

VENEZUELA

Doña Inés vs. Oblivion by Ana Teresa Torres

NEPAL

The End of the World by Sushma Joshi

AFGHANISTAN

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

YEMEN

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali

NORTH KOREA

Eyes of the Tailless Animals by Soon Ok Lee

GHANA

Changes by Ama Ata Adoo

MOZAMBIQUE

Neighbours: A Story of a Murder by Lília Momplé

AUSTRALIA

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

TAIWAN

Notes of a Desolate Man by Chu Ti’en-Wen

[bookporn]

This is a fantastic idea! And I think the Bookporn community can make this list grow. What do you say?

I’ll start adding some titles here (trying to stick to novels) and you can send me yours in a message. I’ll gather them and post and updated list!

Japan: The Sea of Fertility series by Yukio Mishima, Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto.

México: Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo, Battles in the Desert by José Emilio Pacheco, Les Exilés de la Mémoire (Los Rojos de Ultramar) by Jordi Soler, The Labyrinth of Solitude by Octavio Paz, Confabulario by Juan José Arreola, Popol Vuh, The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela, The Nine Guardians (Balún Canán) by Rosario Castellanos, Tear This Heart Out by Ángeles Mastretta.

Germany: Perfume by Patrick Süskind, Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse, The Tin Drum by Günter Grass (born in Poland).

France: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (born in Morocco).

Italy: Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino (born in Cuba).

Colombia: Delirium by Laura Restrepo, Recipes for Sad Women by Héctor Abad Faciolince.

Spain: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Tell Me Who I Am by Julia Navarro, See How Much I Love You by Luis Leante, Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones.

Argentina: The Aleph and Other Stories by Jorge Luis Borges, Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar, The Tunnel by Ernesto Sabato.

Canada: Dear Life by Alice Munro, In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honoré (born in Scotland), Beautiful Losers by Leonard Cohen.

Peru: Red April by Santiago Roncagliolo.

More:

Czech Republic: Slowness by Milan Kundera, Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke.

Israel: The Nimrod Flipout by Etgar Keret.

Nigeria: Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The African Trilogy by Chinua Achebe.

Palestine: Wild Thorns by Sahar Khalifeh

Portugal: Blindness by José Saramago, The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa.

Uruguay: Memory of Fire series by Eduardo Galeano, The Decapitated Chicken and Ohter Stories by Horacio Quiroga, The Truce by Mario Benedetti.

[marthajefferson]

LEGENDS || The Sword of Damocles

According to the story, pandering to his King, Damocles —an obsequious courtier in the court— exclaimed that, as a great man of power and authority surrounded by magnificence, Dionysius was truly extremely fortunate. The King turned to Damocles and said, “If you think I’m so lucky, how would you like to try out my life?” Damocles readily agreed, and so Dionysius ordered everything to be prepared for Damocles to experience what life as Dionysius was like. Damocles was enjoying himself immensely… until he noticed a sharp sword hovering over his head, that was suspended from the ceiling by a horse hair. This, the King explained to Damocles, was what life as ruler was really like.  Damocles, alarmed, quickly revised his idea of what made up a good life, and asked to be excused, realizing that with great fortune and power come also great peril and anxiety. He then eagerly returned to his poorer, but safer life. Dionysius had successfully conveyed a sense of the constant fear in which the great man lives.  The great, late-Republican Roman orator and statesman Cicero describes the Sword of Damocles in his Tusculan Disputations 5.61. The sword of Damocles is frequently used in allusion to this tale, epitomizing the imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power. More generally, it is used to denote the sense of foreboding engendered by a precarious situation, especially one in which the onset of tragedy is restrained only by a delicate trigger or chance.

[moirakatson]

The Color Thesaurus

All from Ingrid’s Notes on Wordpress, direct link here.

[tangyowl]

thank the lord oh my

[thekumazone-deactivated20230319]

cool

[altf4pls]

007. CAREERS

This is an extensive list of careers, with over 1000 listed careers, from small time all the way up to astronaut. Ever had trouble figuring out what your character could be doing for a living, or are you sick and tired seeing the same occupations listed over and over again? This masterlist will help you both in creating a unique original character, or occupationally diverse pre-made- and skeletal bios for your RP.

Read More

[virawrites]

rambling about loyalty

I think that Tian and Zheng would have to meet specifically somehow

they would somehow have to meet face to face

bc Meng Tian would never have become the general he was with Zheng only watching him from a distance

or hearing about him from Shin

I think you asked me about Tian’s loyalty to Zheng

so I thought about what made people loyal to Zheng

and it seems to me that it’s Zheng’s attitude, his conviction to reach his goals

that captures the hearts of people

though i think tian would be harder to win over than say, the people of that city

I think something would have to happen in order for Tian to consider himself loyal to the king

And this is where i’m hesitant bc i don’t want to make something up

But i’m not sure what confirmed historical event could really prove to meng tian that zheng was worth his absolute loyalty

he’s not one to just take shin’s word on it

though shin’s friendship with zheng is something that would convince tian that zheng is human and 

worth it?

perhaps

tian goes to zheng in a time of crisis

he feels as though zheng must know something of great importance

like zheng’s about to make a mistake

or his life is in danger

or meng tian needs a favor

perhaps he sees zheng don his battle armor and go out on the front

regardless, i think i know what the end result would be

WHY he is loyal

it’s because he sees zheng’s conviction and he knows, instinctively, that zheng is going to do something great

tian spends a lot of time analyzing people

and zheng impresses him at a distance

but something happens that really makes tian loyal to zheng

he thinks along the lines of

“i know this person is going to do something great

and i know that my father was supporting ryo fui

and my family would benefit if that man took the throne

but there’s something about zheng that few people possess

he’s going to be someone great

and i want to be a part of the what he does in this life.”

if you think about it

meng tian has been around great people all his life

meng wu, meng ao, and his sensei

they’re all larger than life people that your average commoner or foot soldier would only dream of meeting

meng tian grew up with them

in order for zheng to hold any of his loyalty, tian would have to see that zheng is even greater than those people

perhaps its a very loyal, starched shirt loyalty

but meng tian is not blindly loyal

he’s crafty

he’s smart

he would never truly be loyal to someone who was not worth it

and then perhaps

depending on how we want the zheng/tian relationship to go

like, if we want them to be friends or just business partners

i’m leaning towards friends

it makes things more raw and emotional

zheng and tian worked together even after the others retired

and i like to think that tian actually cared about zheng and his last wishes

hence supporting fusu

hence feeling betrayed when receiving that order to kill himself

but doing it anyway

idk i feel like i like hara’s depiction of meng tian not being so so so serious all the time

he’s kind of goofy

especially when standing next to ou hon lol

but when he gets serious, he gets serious

very determined when he cares enough to be

i think it would take some goofing around to make tian zheng’s actual friend

like if zheng stumbles upon shin and meng tian goofing off on the battlements

drinking some celebratory wine after they get promoted

duke hyou style

and zheng sticks around

probably bc shin is a ridiculously amusing drunk

but also perhaps having

discussions about life

meng tian is a great listener

he also offers good advice

i really don’t know how zheng would see meng tian

are they friends?

or are they just

general and king

obviously it’s not the shin/zheng relationship we know and love

[virawrites]

Fate Catalysts

Hector of Troy

Part of the sword Durandel

Some part of the ancient chariot of Achilles

A piece of the armor he had made for his son

Kyou Kai

The Kyou headband

Ryukosui's sheath

Part of the banner of the Hi Shin Unit

Her terracotta figure from Zheng's tomb

Oberyn

A vial of the poison he used to kill the Mountain

The tip of his spear

Ragnar

The first tapestry that depicted his death

Snake bones from the Pit

The sun stone he used to navigate

The King's Sword

[babyhuns-deactivated20241216]

THEME 17; still into you

let me present you my seventeenth theme. you should use around 800px high sidebar image because otherwise it will repeat itself and that’s not pretty. i also like to use a bright link color because it looks nice. hover or non-hover description and you can have a background for it if you want. and remember to add sidebar quote! you’ll find the box under all of the links on appearance panel (the quote flips over if you hover it). follow the rules and party hard

→ live preview

↳ download, problems

- 500px posts - 8 custom links and theme credit - 200x800px sidebar image - options for description box, hover description, uppercase links and chat background - nice audioplayer for audioposts - custom colors, selection and scrollbar

- sidebar image by starsfuze

like/reblog if you use or like it, please

[palette-time]

10 o’ Clock in the Morning

#fdf3ea #fce1d8 #fbd1d2 #e9d1d1 #d2b0c0

[lmthemes]

017. Face Off

» c o d e s   · LIVE PREVIEW (TEMPORARY) · STATIC PREVIEW

Super simple theme that I made for Theme-Hunter that people keep inquiring me and theme-hunter about so hope you enjoy?!

» i n f o  &  n o t e s

400px and 500px Posts only

10 custom links

Optional reblog info

Optional search bar

Sidebar image:  will resize to fit

Please like or reblog if you use/plan on using this theme ♥

Read More

[letseyx]

Alien League: Very, very thin font. Interesting for a line, not so great for only a word or a block of text. Looks a bit like a bar code. Examples: x Corabael: Great for a word here and there, definitely not for a lot text. Great y’s and f’s, but it doesn’t have punctuation marks. Examples: x  x  x

Courier New: Loos great, but not always easy to use as it gets pixellated very fast and I almost always need a double layer for it to be readable. Not very good for small text, but it can be a fun font. Examples: x  x  x  x

Elephant: Not very special but still a little different than other fonts. Not always very readable. Broadway is also a good alternative for this. Examples: x  x

Fangtasia: Very swirly with the t’s, fun to use for a couple of words. Examples: x  x

Folks (Bold): Can be used for a lot of text, but not very interesting to play with size/italics/upper-and lowercase etc in one graphic because it starts to look messy. Examples: x  x

Frail: Bit of a weird font. Not always useable, but it can look cool. Examples: x  x

Futura: Rounder than Futura LT Condensed, but very readable and good for lots of text. Examples: x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x 

Futura LT Condensed: FAVORITE. I use it so much :D Especially on gifs. The letters are thin, so you can put a lot of words in one line, it’s vey readable and playing with size, uppercase/lowercase, italics, space between your letters, etc. makes it look very different. Examples: x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x

Georgia / Times New Roman (probably on your computer already): Oldies but goodies. I personally don’t really see much difference between them, to be honest :D But you can use them for a block of text, you can use them in all-capslock, and they’re really great when you want to change up the size of your words. Playing with the space between the letters can give a different look as well. Examples: x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x  x

Katy Berry: Cute swirly font. Hearts instead of dots, so not something to put on everything. Examples: x x

PTF Nordic Rnd: A bit on the boring side, but very readable and useable. Examples: x  x

Pea Lyndal: Very cool y’s, t’s and j’s. Not always very readable and takes some fitting when you have more than a couple words, but can look very cool. Examples: x x

Pea Mee-Mee: Fun and swirly, good for a couple words but definitely not for a block of text. Examples: x

Pump Demi Bold: Fun and readable. I really like this one in italic. Examples: x  x  x

Rockwell: Similar to Courier New, but easier to use as it’s thicker.. Examples: x