to live without hope is to cease to live.

writeblr sideblog. feel free to tag me in anything! follows back from @dreamy--dolly [she/her]

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

to those who haven’t seen it

my new writeblr is @sweetdollywrites ! go follow me there if you haven’t already!!!!

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

just a heads up

i might be moving accounts! if i do i will reblog with my new account - i kind of want to focus solely on writing, and i think that a sideblog isnt the best place to do it ;v;

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

update: my new writeblr is @sweetdollywrites ! go follow me there!

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

just a heads up

i might be moving accounts! if i do i will reblog with my new account - i kind of want to focus solely on writing, and i think that a sideblog isnt the best place to do it ;v;

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

the experience of reading the last few pages of “of mice and men”

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

Of Mice and Men please :)

of mice and men: do any of your ocs have any pets?

several!

celine has a jackalope by the name of roseanne - the rabbit part of roseanne is based off a white netherland dwarf (they’re so cute)!

morgan has a three-headed serpent named lucindra. though three-headed snakes are usually aggressive, morgan’s managed to tame lucindra via training (and also lots of milk, since serpents are fond of milk) so that she’s surprisingly sweet

feste doesn’t have any pets but they do love crows and corvids in general

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

Animal farm & the secret garden ✨

animal farm: which oc is very manipulative?

probably any of the three demons, but i’m going with eris.

the secret garden: which of your ocs is the kindest?

celine! she’s definitely sheltered and a biiiit spoiled from being brought up as a princess, but that doesn’t stop her from being a good person and believing that everyone deserves to be treated well.

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

Once and Future King, Pride and Prejudice, and Frankenstein?

the once and future king: which oc changes the most drastically in their character arc?

malcer... and not in the most positive way, oh dear.

pride and prejudice: which ocs have the most interesting but still rather sweet love life?

probably either torren and lourdes or nyx and deima! but i’m going with the latter: nyx has her secrets but she’s open about them with deima, who’s glad she’s at least not hiding them from her.

frankenstein: pray tell, which oc is most monstrous - be it literal or figurative?

tinneo, in the figurative sense.

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

classic book oc ask meme

the grapes of wrath: which of your ocs has the saddest backstory? what is it?

the picture of dorian grey: which oc is considered the most beautiful, and are they vain or aware of it?

a separate peace: which oc is the most envious?

of mice and men: do any of your ocs have any pets?

the once and future king: which oc changes the most drastically in their character arc?

little women: which oc has the closest, happiest relationship with their family - what are they like together?

animal farm: which oc is very manipulative?

the secret garden: which of your ocs is the kindest?

east of eden: do any of your ocs have a deep-rooted rivalry?

the great gatsby: do any of your ocs struggle with unrequited love?

laughter in the dark: do any of your ocs have to deal with unwanted admirers?

pride and prejudice: which ocs have the most interesting but still rather sweet love life?

frankenstein: pray tell, which oc is most monstrous - be it literal or figurative?

[surroundedbypearls]

On Worldbuilding: Questions for Creating a Magic System

Below are some questions to consider when trying to construct a magic system! There are more questions, endless questions really, but hopefully these will be helpful to someone starting out their magic system.

Where does magic come from?

What is the origin of magic? Was it created by someone, or discovered? Did it come from nature, from heaven, from under the ground?

Has magic always existed? If not, when did it appear? What’s the history behind it?

Is magic passed down through bloodlines or is it random? Or both? If so, are there implications surrounding the different origins?

Has magic changed or evolved since it first appeared? How? Why/why not?

What type of magic is it?

Is it elemental magic? A form of kinesis? What’s the focus of the magic? Light/darkness? Life/death?

What does the magic look like? Can you even see it? Can you hear it? Smell it? Taste it?

Is it more based in alchemy, sorcery, witchcraft?

How do people use magic?

Are physical movements needed to use magic?

Do they need to use their mind? Is it more of a mental power, or a combination of physical and mental?

Do emotions affect magic use/effectiveness? Age? The time of day?

Is using magic a painful process? It is a pleasant or unpleasant feeling?

Are special tools required for using magic, or other specific conditions?

What does using magic cost?

Does using magic cost pain? Energy? Money?? For example, creating a Horcrux costs a human life.

Does using magic too often have consequences? What are they?

Are some forms of magic more costly than others? Why?

What is the connection between magic and society?

How is magic viewed by society, and how are magic users viewed? Are they feared? Admired?

How many people can use magic? Is it common, or rare?

Are there traditions associated with magic? Ceremonies, rituals?

How does magic affect everyday living? See a post of Avatar’s worldbuilding through a magic system here.

Is it a hard or soft magic system?

A hard magic system is one where the rules and limitations are explained in-text. We know how magic works, who can use it and how they use it. The Harry Potter and Avatar series are good examples; though certain parts might be more mysterious, the overall magic system is explained. With a hard magic system, it’s important to avoid info dumping.

A soft magic system is one where the rules and limitations are kept a mystery. A Song of Ice and Fire and The Lord of the Rings series are good examples of this. Magic is a mysterious thing; the characters generally don’t know how it works. Usually, this works best when the POV characters don’t use magic themselves, such as the hobbits in LOTR or characters like Davos in ASOIAF witnessing Melisandre’s magic. When writing a soft magic system, it’s important to avoid the “deus ex machina” effect.

A magic system can be a mixture of the two, with certain aspects explained and understood by the characters and other parts a total mystery. In a vast fantasy world with multiple peoples and regions, multiple magic systems are also possible.

If anyone has more questions, feel free to reblog with some?

Like these posts? See more Writing Wednesday tips

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

actually i think that yes, i am gonna finish my mafia book and then move on to east of eden~ i haven’t picked up steinbeck in a while and his writing’s a big influence on mine

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

side note it bugs me that tungle dot hell thinks that liking certain classic literature makes you inherently more of a prick or a snob. its all about respecting opinions till its something more advanced than what you like like oh i’m sorry i genuinely liked the grapes of wrath and it fits my criteria for writing that makes me happy like the books you like fit your

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

actually i think that yes, i am gonna finish my mafia book and then move on to east of eden~ i haven’t picked up steinbeck in a while and his writing’s a big influence on mine

[nekekur-deactivated20190311]

Funeral by ハンエ

[drowsy-quill]

dear tuesday muse | i

It’s a sort of

Tenderness

Of knowing something

So personal

As someone’s voice

Unhinged

Unrestrained

The catharsis of lyrics

The freedom of movement

Not seeing but hearing

Feeling

The joy of not singing

But listening

Of watching without watching

The intimacy of

A favorite song

I am not who she is singing for

She sings for no one but herself

But I am a glad audience

As I sit in silence

Her voice the only thing in the air

The music is gone now

Her voice is a tender breeze

Or more like the low drone of the sea

Is this what swayed Hades

To let a shade roam free

[cee-grice]

You know what I find really really cool and wish was done more often? When different, unrelated stories take place in the same universe/world. You read one, think, oh this is neat. Go to read another and find all these hints, like spins on traditions, rituals, maybe some mentions of influential figures, hear other sides of the same events, and just,,, wow, they’re completely different stories, but they’re also connected, and maybe there will be a third story in the future where they somehow interact with one another and it’s the most awesome thing ever and I need such stories 

[captainsnoop-deactivated2020041]

theres something very funny about people writing these rich and detailed backstories for dnd characters as if the characters aren’t gonna still be level 1 when they start 

“my elf has been alive for a thousand years and has won ten thousand battles!!!” you’re still level 1 aint ya i guess you those ten thousand battles you won werent all that hard to win 

[captainsnoop-deactivated2020041]

i know this sounds all grumpy but i legit mean it when i say it is hilarious when someone writes it in to their backstory that they were the Smartest Mage on the Planet that has researched magic for A Thousand Centuries and then the game starts and they’re like “yeah i know fireball whats up” 

[captainsnoop-deactivated2020041]

the more detailed your character’s backstory is and the more you boast about the character’s competence and abilities, the funnier it becomes when you roll a 1 and your character just drops their sword and shits themselves. president of the dwarves for six centuries and you just shit yourself in a bar you were trying to find work in.  

[drtanner]

Like I know that this is a Goof Post™ and that you’re generally not supposed to try to offer any explanations for stuff like this for fear of Ruining The Joke™ but I feel like people do this because they fundamentally misunderstand what their character’s backstory is actually for.

The most interesting and compelling part of a character’s life is supposed to be the story you’re going to tell; you’re defeating the object by shoving all of the cool shit into their backstory. The actual purpose of the backstory is to inform your character’s behaviour and choices and the way they react to things so you can play/write them consistently! A solid backstory is a great way to make your character a whole person with a personality that makes sense.

tl;dr - A “cool” backstory doesn’t necessarily make for a cool character. It’s less about who they’ve been and what they’ve already done than it is about who they might become over the course of the story you’re going to tell with them.

[dndaddyissues]

hey! this! this is really really good advice for players!

[tyrantosaurus]

Though also if you’re playing a long lived species, it is entertaining as hell to explain why they haven’t done anything in their life worthwhile. It’s also funny to explain how they did all these incredible things and still can barely hold a sword.

My paladin was a folk hero. Fought off bandits and saved a town. One of the first campaign battles, she rolled a one and yeeted her sword across the room.

Cue her going very red and stammering about how she was usually more proficient than this but you know. She had hurt her arm. And slept weird last night. You know. Perfectly reasonable explanations for not knowing how to swing a sword.

So I guess my advice for new players is to make whatever backstory you want. If you were epic beforehand and want to grow as a character still? Lean into it. Explain why they’re at level one. Did they land in a coma for a year, and their muscles atrophied? Did a wizard cast a spell on them? Did they just fall off their horse and hit their head really hard?

Anything is possible. And there are ways to do it serious and gritty if you want- say they took a serious blow protecting a loved one or even just an ally, but corrupt energy in the wound prevented magical healing and it didn’t heal right. They have to relearn everything left handed because they lost their right. The whack on the head was by an enemy attacking their group and they only survived because they passed out and the enemy thought they were dead. They have constant splitting migraines that make it hard to focus. There are so many ways to explain why they’re back down to level one.

And any answer is fun. Even if that answer is just “things are easier where I’m from.”

Play with it. Make a character you want to play. No matter who that is.

(My paladin, for reference, got arrested for stealing food when she was starving and lost her skills while she was in solitary confinement for 60 years.)

[dndaddyissues]

[trveroman]

I just keep it simple, honestly.

Playing a knight? He’s a recently knighted warrior who’s off to earn gold and fame abroad, all to bring home to his humble country of origin.

Medium? He comes from a land that sits between several great powers and is ravaged by war, and was raised to speak to the dead who haunt the ancient battlefields and ease their passing into a final rest. Now he wishes to use his gift to bring peace to other corners of the world.

Wizard? I wanna play a wizard who legit believes that there a multiple secret world governments that manipulate kings and lords to do their bidding, all of which are hell-bent on destroying him (the real reason he’s on the run is because he’s wanted for tax evasion and selling offensive scrolls without a license). He wishes to gain power and knowledge so that he can unravel the secrets of the shadowy elites and destroy them- if they, y'know, actually exist.

[whetstonefires]

Tbh the way this post starts always throws me because I don’t expect a rich, detailed backstory to contain that many events, of the type that would level you up?

I expect it to involve, like, having thought about this person’s relationship with their mother.

[whatmisskriemhildwrote]

...kinda want to try reading six of crows again but honestly the way some of the fans praise the book like it’s the next gift of god and then immediately trash on books that don’t cater to their taste or fit into the very specific stereotypical ya mold is putting me off for at least creating fan content. idk maybe i’ll just finish my mafia books, dragons of autumn twilight, and east of eden first.

[writings-of-a-narwhal]

there's this girl. she was young and soft and full of love. her world was destroyed in a burning blaze of fire.

there's this girl. she trains until her hands bleed and her body fails her. her heart is so soft and fragile.

there's this girl. she wears the skull of a wolf to hide her mournful face. her katana drips with the blood of many armies.

there's this girl. she coughs up blood and cries herself to sleep. her body is waging a war against itself and losing.

there's this girl. she knows she doesn't have much time. her physical strength is waning but she continues on.

there's this girl. she stands in the moonlight on trembling legs as she makes her decision. her name is Neoma.

there's this girl. she has more strength than anyone else i know. her heart still holds the love she thought was torn from her.

there's this girl. i knew her when we were young and i know her now. i watch her from the lake by my house.

there's this girl...

...i love her.

i don't want to know what happens next