Zerk Valatieri

Aspiring Author | Teen Writer | Passionate Reader

[lids-writes]

OC Introduction: Cassim King

The Core Chronicles: Protagonist

Cassim King

17

5′7″

Straight

Curly brown hair, brown eyes

Wind Core

likes: long drives, alone time, Leonora

dislikes: fighting with Mars, Jay Lovelace

protective / loving / relaxed cold / grumpy / overemotional 

“Fine, suit yourself. Just don’t get hurt.”

Cassim has been living at the League of Mages for two years

they are the only family he’s ever known

Dawn and Caitlin are like his sisters, Mars is like his annoying, overbearing older brother, Lev is, well, everyone loves Lev

Jay doesn’t count

Cassim remembers the last two years of his life very clearly, everything before that…let’s just say he has a few memory problems.

his weapon of choice is his magic, and if a gust of wind throwing someone into a wall isn’t enough, his fists and feet will finish the job just fine

he gets very bad migraines that seem to be triggered by random visual things

he has a distinct scar that starts just at the outer corner of his left eye, and trails down to beside the corner of his lip, he doesn’t remember how it happened

he tends to be cold and grumpy to people without meaning to, he gets defensive over things he’s passionate about

him and Mars fight a lot because of this, but they love each other like family

Excerpt: Cassim finally beat the third person, only to see a flurry of red hair whip by him, yelling various curse words. He watched the girl run around the car in circles, an attacker chasing her with rage in their eyes. “Leonora! What the hell are you doing?” He shouted. “I made a mistake!” She yelled as she passed him again. Cassim sighed, snatching her wrist as she zoomed by him a third time. The person chasing her caught up, and Cassim punched them in the face, immediately neutralizing the threat. “This is why I told you to stay in the car.” He grumbled.

Taglist: @mousetache @mountain-c @purpleshadows1989 @leicawri @xayideink @heyabella @writerzerkvalatieri @emily-ann1559 @dam-those-words

[lids-writes]

OC Introduction: Caleb Amberson

These Grim Nights: Protagonist

Caleb Amberson

19

5′9″

Pansexual

Blonde hair, blue eyes

likes: hoodies, Shakespeare (the writer and his cat), plants, coffee

dislikes: The Wall, the rules

brave / adventurous / gentle stubborn / rebellious / emotional 

“Shakespeare! You’re going to get us both killed!”

Caleb lives with his father, who he’s very close with, but they don’t see each other often, due to his dad’s busy work schedule

he’s obsessed with Shakespeare, he has plays littering his room, stacks of books on his shelf, on his dresser, on the floor next to his bed

he named his cat Shakespeare, only partially as a joke

he has a lot of tiny plants in his room, and he loves the outdoors

Caleb is incredibly loving, to his cat, his plants, his father, and his best friend Maya

they’re platonic soulmates

but she still has to bribe him with coffee every morning to get him out of bed

vanilla instant coffee is his favourite, which no one really understands

his favourite pass time is climbing the wall with Maya and seeing how long they can stay up there until the guards catch them

he always wears his hair in a ponytail, though pieces usually fall out, and he has to blow them out of his face

Excerpt: “I’m bored.” Maya says. “Nice to meet you bored, I’m exhausted.” Caleb huffs back, his face buried in his bedsheets.  She frowns. “Were you out all night exploring again?” Without raising his head, Caleb nodded. “Then you are your own demise, and I feel no pity for you. Now get up and keep me company.”  Caleb didn’t respond, lifting his face from the pillow and giving Maya the signature are you really going to do this to me look. She raised an eyebrow, as if to say, yes, yes I am. Her face has now grown red from the blood rushing to her cheeks, so she pulls herself back up onto the tree branch and out of Caleb’s sight. He buries his face back into the blankets.

Taglist: @mousetache @mountain-c @purpleshadows1989 @xayideink @leicawri @writerzerkvalatieri @burntpyre @emily-ann1559 @dam-those-words

[rivalwrites]

I think the best piece of character design advice I ever received was actually from a band leadership camp I attended in june of 2017. 

the speaker there gave lots of advice for leaders—obviously, it was a leadership camp—but his saying about personality flaws struck me as useful for writers too. 

he said to us all “your curses are your blessings and your blessings are your curses” and went on to explain how because he was such a great speaker, it made him a terrible listener. he could give speeches for hours on end and inspire thousands of people, but as soon as someone wanted to talk to him one on one or vent to him, he struggled with it. 

he had us write down our greatest weakness and relate it to our biggest strength (mine being that I am far too emotional, but I’m gentle with others because I can understand their emotions), and the whole time people are sharing theirs, my mind was running wild with all my characters and their flaws.

previously, I had added flaws as an after thought, as in “this character seems too perfect. how can I make them not-like-that?” but that’s not how people or personalities work. for every human alive, their flaws and their strengths are directly related to each other. you can’t have one without the other.

is your character strong-willed? that can easily turn into stubbornness. is your character compassionate? maybe they give too many chances. are they loyal? then they’ll destroy the world for the people they love.

it works the other way around too: maybe your villain only hates the protagonist’s people because they love their own and just have a twisted sense of how to protect them. maybe your antagonist is arrogant, but they’ll be confident in everything they do.

tl;dr “your curses are your blessings, and your blessings are your curses” there is no such thing as a character flaw, just a strength that has been stretched too far.

[mareebrittenford]

This is such a fabulous flip side of what I’ve always known about villians. That their biggest weakness is that they always assume their own motivations are the motives of others.

[bookishdiplodocus]

Such a good tip for writing realistic characters.

[caitlin-elias]

One day I’m gonna read a bestseller with your name on it

[writerzerkvalatieri-blog]

WIP Introduction

Project Run

Category: New Adult

Genre: Thriller/ Suspense (Mystery Thriller?)

Status: On Hold

POV + tense: Third Person - Past Tense 

Themes: friendship | rivalry | betrayal | love | lgbtqia+ | secrets | challenging authority | corruption | rebellion

Trigger Warning: TBA

Summary

The story takes place in a mafia torn London following Anthony Tomas who is an off-grid bodyguard for hire. One of the major mafias hires him to protect the boss’ son during the time he is moving out to his own apartment. During this time, the two become close and start to develop a strong bond and undeniable feelings. Until one day, the apartment is attacked and they’re forced to go on the run, slowly realising that their safe locations have been compromised and they must fight their way back to safety - taking refuge with a tight-knit group of friends with a top-secret mission. Now, Anthony realises just how deep the situation is and finds them being thrown in more danger than ever before; having to decide whether he should save himself, or protect his newfound friends.

Tag List: @smudged-glasses-writing

If you would like to be added the Project Run tag list to be tagged in updates then feel free to message me ^-^

[writerzerkvalatieri-blog]

New Writeblr Introduction

After a while of putting this off, I have finally decided to write this introduction!

So, to begin with, my name is Zerk; it’s a pen name that I chose - simply to have a more unique name out there as my own is very common and also to have some small separation from my personal life and my past.

I am 16 years old and very passionate about writing. I aspire to publish my own books and be a full-time author/ entrepreneur.

I enjoy reading fantasy, LGBTQIA+, mystery, thriller, psychological thrillers, supernatural and I’m open to trying others. However, I’m not really into contemporary with only a few exceptions.

If anyone has a WIP in any of these genres, feel free to comment or reblog so I can follow you! I’d love to hear about everyone’s WIP’s!

I’m currently working on a few WIP’s of my own. Here’s a brief overview of them:

Project Run - it’s still in the first draft stage that I started at the beginning of the July. I’m currently just calling it Project Run so it has a name. I’ll make a WIP intro post with all the details so look out for that. But basically, it’s a new adult mystery thriller following a bodyguard who is hired by an infamous mafia to protect the boss’ son but they have to go on the run and fight to survive when someone leaked their location.

Status: Outlining

TDO - this WIP is also unnamed so I’ve named it TDO which just stands for “The Debut One” as I think this will be the one that I debut with. I’ll make an intro post to this too. But briefly it is a Sci-Fi novel about a man who finds an alien that escaped from a lab, and, without knowing what it is, he takes it home. After that, he discovers what it actually is and he ends up getting abducted by the company it escaped from to be apart of a really messed up experiment.

Status: Outlining

Starting From Zero - This is a sport-fiction novel about a trans boy who is offered a place at a brand new university-styled education system to be trained in a sport in order to eventually enter competitions and take part in a new sporting event being held, claimed to be almost as big as the Olympics. This story follows his struggles with adapting, making friends and finding something that he’s genuinely passionate about.

Status: Outlining

Please be aware that I may put a few WIP’s on hold and/or get rid of a few and maybe start something new. These WIP ideas are still pretty new so I have still yet to decide if these are the ones I want to work out.

Look out for more information on these WIP’s on my tumblr either under their name in the tags or by asking to be added to the tag list!

I think I’m going to keep this short for now so I’m excited to communicate with all of you and find other people with the same or similar aspirations!

[pisceanpizza]

Yesssss

[lids-writes]

Hello! I’m Lids, a tired but passionate writer who, thanks to some encouragement from some friends, is finally joining the writeblr community.

Some basic things about me: I’m 17, Canadian, queer, and drink way too much coffee at unholy hours. I write mostly fantasy, horror, YA fiction, and a little bit of poetry on the side. 80% of the stuff I write is written after 1am.

Current WIPs I have two current WIPs, you can expect some actual WIP intros for them in the future, but for now, here’s a brief summary:

The Core Chronicles, Book 1 For 17 years, Leonora Lewis lives a fantastically normal life. Then Cassim King, a boy with messy hair, a strange scar, and a problematic attitude, comes crashing through her front door. Ripped from her comfortable life of hiding in her bedroom, Leonora finds herself in the middle of a world of magic and mystery. The awe of this hidden universe wears off quickly, as things grow violent and dark. Life becomes a game of survival for the two teens and their friends, as they try to figure out who is hunting them, and what they want. But the truth will come at a cost, one that Leonora may not be able to afford. (Current WC: 50003)

These Grim Nights No one exits the gates after sundown. This is the simple rule of survival that Caleb has grown up with. He’s lived his life trapped between the 20 foot stone walls that wrap around his town with only one way in, and only one way out. It’s for his own safety, and he knows that, no one wishes to face what’s on the other side. The Reapers, a race of superhumans breed to kill, released into the night like animals, with the mission of hunting criminals who have failed to repent. They’re merciless, monsters. Or so he’s been told. But when Caleb comes face to face with a Reaper, and the bloodied boy looks just as scared as him, his opinions start to change. Under the shadows of the moonlight, against their better judgment, the boys continue to find their way back to each other over and over again. When Caleb starts to fall in love, he knows he’s too far gone to back out now. Saving the Reaper boy could mean war, but it’s a risk that Caleb is willing to take. But fighting a war is difficult, even more so when both sides want you dead. (Current wc: 4249)

So there it is! I’ll be using this blog to post everything from excerpts, updates, moodboards, playlist, and maybe even some art. I’m ecstatic to be joining the writeblr community, so feel free to shoot me a message or an ask at any time! :D

[lids-writes]

WIP Intro: The Core Chronicles, Book 1

Genre: Fantasy, YA Fiction

POV: third person

Themes: Magic, Adventure, Power, Loss, Lies, Loyalty, Trust, Friendship, Love, Family, Mental Health, Equality, LGBTQ+

Content Warnings: Blood, Violence, Death, Betrayal

Status: First Draft

Summary:

For 17 years, Leonora Lewis lives a fantastically normal life. Then Cassim King, a boy with messy hair, a strange scar, and a problematic attitude, comes crashing through her front door. Ripped from her comfortable life of hiding in her bedroom, Leonora finds herself in the middle of a world of magic and mystery. The awe of this hidden universe wears off quickly, as things grow violent and dark. Life becomes a game of survival for the two teens and their friends, as they try to figure out who is hunting them, and what they want. But the truth will come at a cost, one that Leonora may not be able to afford.

Worldbuilding:

The world is not much different from our own, busy cities, quiet towns, and an entire race kept secret by the Government. The Mages, people with the ability to manipulate the elements, draw power from the sky, enhance their bodies, or even control others. Power flows through their veins, magic embedded in their very bones, granted to them by a crystal-like thing known as a Core that is fused to their flesh. They deal with crime so the Government doesn’t have to, and in return, they’re existence remains a secret, thus protecting them from the powerless humans known as Empties.  But even the best kept secrets don’t stay hidden forever.

Characters:

Leonora Lewis: The fearful and confused protagonist, not sure how she got here, not sure she would leave if she could.

Cassim King: A grumpy wind mage, is falling for Leonora much faster than he intended. 

Mars Adair: Thinks he can protect everyone from themselves. (He can’t, but he’ll try anyways.) Tends to be mean, he’s saving all his kindness for his boyfriend. Has a sight core and a smoke core.

Dawn Chen: The sassy emo kid who’s too young to know that many swear words. Has a night core and too many snappy comebacks.

Jay Lovelace: The flirt who cares a lot more than he likes to admit. Has a snow core and a long list of self-esteem issues.

Caitlin Brookes: The cool headed quiet one, constantly telling her best friend Dawn to shut up, definitely not crushing on her other best friend Jay. Has a water core and a speed core.

Lev Meyer: Deaf, want’s everyone to be happy. Loves his boyfriend Mars more than the earth, is also the only one who can calm him down. Has an Illusion core.

Some character intros will be coming in the future! Send me a message if you’d like to be added to the taglist!

[writerzerkvalatieri-blog]

Yessssss awesome! Please add me to the tag list, can’t wait to hear more!

[lids-writes]

WIP Intro: These Grim Nights

Genre: Dystopian, YA Fiction

POV: Third Person

Themes: Love, Corruption, Injustice, LGBTQ+, Truth, Power

Content Warnings: Death, Blood, Violence

Status: First Draft

Summary:

No one exits the gates after sundown. This is the simple rule of survival that Caleb has grown up with. He’s lived his life trapped between the 20 foot stone walls that wrap around his town, with only one way in, and only one way out. It’s for his own safety, and he knows that, no one wishes to face what’s on the other side. The Reapers, a race of superhumans breed to kill, released into the night like animals, with the mission of hunting criminals who have failed to repent. They’re merciless, terrifying monsters. Or so he’s been told. But when Caleb comes face to face with a Reaper, and the bloodied boy looks just as scared as him, his opinions start to change. Under the shadows of the moonlight, against their better judgment, the boys continue to find their way back to each other over and over again. When Caleb starts to fall in love, he knows he’s too far gone to back out now. Saving the Reaper boy could mean war, but it’s a risk that Caleb is willing to take. But fighting a war is difficult, even more so when both sides want you dead.

Worldbuilding:

The town of Sanit is a town built to survive. The people live their lives surrounded by thick walls of stone, stretching up to be twenty feet tall. There is a single guarded gate, and all entries and exits must happen before sundown. The only exception: the Criminals. Dressed in bright red from head to toe, guilty of everything from petty theft to murder, they are forced into the forest every night with a simple rule, if they survive, all crimes are pardoned.

In the past 108 years, only one criminal has ever come back.

Because once the moon rises, the Reapers come out. They wear black cloaks that cover them in shadow, they brandish scythes that shimmer in the moonlight and paint their faces with the blood of their previous kills. They are faster than you. Stronger than you. Twice as agile and three times quieter. They can hear you coming from 5 miles away, and they will not let you escape.

They are all monsters.

(right?)

Characters:

Caleb: The Shakespeare loving protagonist who just wanted to see the other side of the wall.

Maya: Caleb’s best friend, always causing trouble and waking Caleb up at unholy hours. (At least she brings coffee.)

Ezra: A Reaper who’s eyes don’t match everything Caleb’s been told.

Lilith: A Reaper who is everything the town is afraid of.

Shakespeare: Caleb’s orange tabby cat.  

Taglist: @mousetache @mountain-c @purpleshadows1989 Let me know if you’d like to be added!

[writerzerkvalatieri-blog]

Please add me to the tag list @lids-writes

This sounds like everything I’ve been looking for!

[taronzegerton-archive-deactivat]

some of you haven’t spent countless hours thinking up a whole universe in your head to escape to and it shows

[hazskillerqueen]

COME TO ME. But really, come through.

[viinnttaaggee]

You’re busy doubting yourself while so many people are intimidated by your potential

[theliteraryarchitect-deactivate]

WRITERS

[writingish-deactivated20190819]

A reminder to writers:

You aren’t annoying for wanting to talk about your work.

Your characters aren’t weird or boring. You created them. They’re perfect.

Being unpublished doesn’t mean you aren’t a writer.

If you takes you 5 years to write a book, you aren’t any less of a writer than someone who took a year and finished.

You can have a life outside of writing. You aren’t cheating on your characters.

Writing can consume your life, and that’s great. If you love it, you love it. Let it define you. It’s amazing.

You don’t have to write a certain genre to be a “good” writer. Just write.

Your work isn’t “bad” because it’s full of cliches. Cliches are popular for a reason. People love them when they’re well-written.

You’re talented.

[jessicacaseyauthor-deactivated2]

Unpublished writers are valid. Struggling writers are valid. Hobbyist writers are valid. Fanfiction writers? Valid.

All writers are deserving of love and support.

[lena221bee]

how do I find a fic that’s exactly like the one I’ve just read but also different

[miss-ingno]

^^^reasons why writers shouldn’t be worried about using the same tropes/concept/plot that’s been done before

[artisticcmr-deactivated20201124]

Mind blown

[susierpt]

me: i have an idea for a new plot

partner: oh cool what is it!

me: