Has Anyone Noticed That They Changed Nightbound's Book Cover?

Replayed TH:M to get the highest score possible… Princess of Monaco Marguerite? Its plain to see, darling…

Reminders and tips for everyone including myself. Hehe.

some mini collections of tips for writers

(based on things that yours truly notices as a freelance editor. This list is in no way complete, and will probably be added to as I continue to find repeated mistakes) 

Dialogue

Use beats in your dialogue to break it up. Even “said” can make a very effective beat between lines. 

(No beats: “It’s not lethal. Just highly dangerous with a good chance of being mutilated.” // Beats: “It’s not lethal,” he said. “Just highly dangerous with a good chance of being mutilated.”)

Note how the break allows a bit of a pause for ~dramatic effect 

thinking of dialogue, use punctuation and distinct speech patterns! “Life, uh, finds a way.” is an iconic line anyway, but Jeff Goldblum’s signature verbal tic gives it character. 

It’s okay if characters stutter. Don’t let the condemnation of stuttering characters as “cringey” in fanfic put you off. (and on that note, fuck cringe culture. Seriously. It saps all the fun out of creativity and fun is important.)

Start! A! New! Line! Whenever! Someone! New! Speaks!!

DO NOT FEAR THE WORD “SAID” 

Setting & Blocking

 Use the landscape and settings around your character, and always, always remember a scene’s blocking. Where is everything in relation to your characters? Have you left someone holding a coffee cup for the last three scenes? Did you lose a character somewhere along the way? 

using the contents of a scene is also great for fight sequences. 

Similarly, large character casts are hard to keep track of so don’t be afraid to break them up. Sending someone off somewhere else can create some nifty little subplots. 

Keep a personal note of how time passes. Trust me, it’s incredibly helpful to you as a writer and also for future readers. 

Characters

Character growth does not have to be positive. Sometimes characters fail or suffer or get their motivations twisted up, and they finish the book as a villain rather than a hero. 

All that matters is that a character changes throughout the plot in a way that readers can see; the sort of change they go through is entirely up to you. 

scrap the idea that someone has to deserve a redemption arc. They probably don’t deserve it, which is the whole point. So don’t be afraid to make your villains seem completely irredeemable. 

and you don’t need to redeem your antagonists in order to make them complex, sympathetic villains, anyway. Sometimes people get so stuck in their beliefs that they can’t see another way and it goes too far. Not everyone comes back from that. 

Also, motivations and goals can absolutely change. That’s okay. You just need to have something that drives your character so that your readers are rooting for them. 

Protagonists don’t need to be heroic. How you define the protagonists and antagonists in your story is based entirely on the morality in your story-world, NOT the moral ideas in the real world. What counts as a complex protagonist in a world torn apart by biological warfare will be very different than one living in our world. 

Prose & Grammar

simple prose is just fine and you don’t need to fluff it up for pretty quotes.

Remember to vary your sentence structures and length. Start smaller and build it up, drawing your reader’s attention. 

“And” and “But” are very valid sentence starters that are great for communicating the tone of internal narrative. You’re allowed to tweak grammar if that’s helpful for telling the story, it just needs to be accessible. Test out what you’ve written on other people. 

Check that your tenses are consistent!! 

Since it's going to be a few months until we get to see our favorite vampire queen, I'm reblogging my master list of Kamilah x MC stories. Hehe. ✌

Master list: Updated as of 8/12/19

Hello, everyone. I decided to organize my stories by creating a masterlist with links for easier and more convenient access.

BloodBound:

Kamilah Sayeed x MC

The Brightest Light

Fears, Doubts, and Apprehensions

Mistakes (Part 1)

Mistakes (Part 2)

A Moment Alone

The Promise

Reunited

Glad that I Have You (NSFW) 

Making Every Moment Count [Latest addition to the list]

Note: I will update this masterlist whenever I post new stories. :)

On BloodBound III:

I think that it might be released sometime in November. Or perhaps during the last few days of October. Maybe or maybe not.

Anyway, I'm excited to see our favorite vampires again! Especially Kamilah and the MC. Hehe.

I've missed her dominant side!

Who's willing to bet that this is Kano Yoshimasa of Japan?

My Queen is finally back!

MC: “Let’s never be apart again.”

Kamilah: “It’s a promise.”

Kamilah is sweet and caring during the reunion this time ♥️, and she isn’t afraid to show a bit PDA.

Reblogging my updated Masterlist. Hehe.

Masterlist: Updated as of 8/3/19

Hello, everyone. I decided to organize my stories by creating a masterlist with links for easier and more convenient access.

BloodBound:

Kamilah Sayeed x MC

The Brightest Light

Fears, Doubts, and Apprehensions

Mistakes (Part 1)

Mistakes (Part 2)

A Moment Alone

The Promise

Reunited

Glad that I Have You (NSFW) [Latest addition to the list]

Note: I will update this masterlist whenever I post new stories. :)

On Kamilah and the MC’s Beach Conversation

I know that some fans and Kamilah stans felt disappointed or perhaps even angry when the vampire queen talked to the MC about Gaius in the diamond scene. And I understand. But personally, I think that this particular scene is important because it portrays a significant turning point in Kamilah and the MC's relationship. It also showcases development and growth on Kamilah's part as a character.

But before I delve into the analysis proper, I would just like to say that I think that it’s important for Kamilah and the MC to properly address the former's past relationship with Gaius. This is because I believe that if she and the MC are ever going to have a serious relationship, they both must be open and honest with each other. In addition, I think that they also need to accept hard-to-swallow facts about one another for them to have a stable, healthy, and trusting relationship.

So, with that being said, I will now proceed to my analysis of the scene:

Gaius's return has obviously shaken Kamilah. She expressed that his return also brought back memories of her violent past – memories of her past deeds, which she eventually came to regret.

Kamilah is haunted not just by her former lover's return, but also by feelings of regret and guilt over her past actions. She described her past self as a monster that thrived on bloodlust. On this, Kamilah stated that after several centuries of being such a monster, she eventually came to realize the error of her ways. As such, she decided to reinvent herself by changing for the better. 

And as a way of doing so, Kamilah chose to deny herself any form of meaningful pleasure or joy as a form of penance and atonement. Having committed so many atrocities in her long life, Kamilah had come to think that she does not deserve true happiness.

The above-mentioned established facts show that in the present storyline, Kamilah is internally struggling with her past and her feelings of guilt and self-resentment. Gaius's return painfully reminded her of what she used to be and how she actually enjoyed committing terrible things. She also seems troubled and horrified at the fact that she genuinely loved Gaius even though she's always known of his dark and monstrous nature. Such an internal struggle is exceedingly burdensome, and to keep it to oneself is damaging - both emotionally and mentally, in the long run.

This is why it is essential to express one's problems and struggles to others who they can trust. On this, Kamilah opening up to the MC was a significant defining point in their relationship. The act of sharing and unloading her inner turmoil to the latter must have taken great courage on Kamilah's part. This is because, for a very, very long time, Kamilah has shut herself away from most people. She admitted that her coldness and flippancy serve both as forms of atonement and as shields to protect her from getting hurt. But by sharing her internal struggles, Kamilah let her guard down and allowed herself to become exposed and vulnerable to the MC. This is an indicator that she feels comfortable with and that she trusts the other woman. After all, people, in general, do not share their deepest and most difficult troubles with just anyone.

This scene illustrates Kamilah's growth as a character. She no longer feels the constant need to shut everyone out. She also no longer feels that she must bear her burdens alone. She is slowly but surely starting to reach out to others and to form meaningful relationships again. And she is currently establishing such a relationship with the MC. Additionally, she has also started to allow herself to feel joy whenever she is with the latter.

On the MC's part, in the story, she has tried and continues to try her best to understand and support Kamilah. In this particular diamond scene, she helped the vampire process her feelings and struggles so that the latter can feel more at peace with herself. She also expressed that she understands that the vampire is now an entirely different and better person compared to who she was before. On this, it's worth noting that the MC has never shown fear or resentment towards Kamilah despite having already seen some of her darker memories. This indicates that the MC honestly does acknowledge that the vampire has genuinely changed.

All in all, their relationship is a slow and steady burn. In the storyline, Kamilah is slowly starting to become more open, and she is also gradually allowing the MC to see more of her vulnerable side. She has also already started to become more expressive about her concern and feelings for the mortal woman. And on her part, the MC has been and continues to be patient. While she occasionally tries to coax Kamilah into sharing her feelings, she doesn't push the vampire into doing so if the latter does not feel comfortable. This shows that she respects Kamilah's boundaries. And whenever Kamilah is willing to share, the MC has demonstrated that she is always ready to listen and to offer words of comfort and encouragement.

The Brightest Light

Hello. I decided to try my hand at a quick Kamilah x MC drabble. Hehe. This takes place during the jet scene.

The vampire looked up from her laptop screen to silently observe the blonde near the jet's bar.

She observed Amy talking to Lily who was rapidly shaking a metal container which Kamilah knew was probably filled with a sample of every liquid that was available at the bar. She noticed how the purple-haired vampire was grinning widely. Too widely.

"Lil, you know that you can talk to me."

As soon as Amy said the words, the grin faded and was replaced by a sombre look. Kamilah watched as Amy consoled Lily.

Even when faced with a grave threat, she always manages to have the strength to be there for others. The brunette pondered with a small smile.

Amy represents everything good that is still left in the world. In the 2,063 years of her life, Kamilah had constantly witnessed destruction, chaos, and loss. Having lived through so many lifetimes full of darkness and pain, she had lost hope for the world.

That was until she met Amy. The female mortal's optimism, courage, and morale had surprised Kamilah. At barely 21 years old, the woman was quickly thrown into the world of the supernatural and faced its dangers admirably.

But what impressed Kamilah even more was her wit and compassion. Amy is not afraid to speak her mind even if the opposing party is a vampire who could easily break her. At the same time, she would also offer help to anyone in need.

She has both a sharp tongue and a kind heart. A formidable combination. The vampire internally laughed.

Yet, what surprised Kamilah the most was how she had become drawn to Amy. After many, many, many years of not being with anyone, she never thought that she could feel such emotions again.

It now seems strange that I once threatened to kill her. Her amusement grew.

The vampire's amusing nostalgia suddenly vanished when the thought of Gauis appeared in her mind. The mere idea of him succeeding chilled her to the bone. And the mere thought of him harming Amy made her simmer.

She suddenly realized that she was clutching the side of her laptop's monitor too tightly when waves of static started to dance across the screen. When she pulled her hand away, she felt tiny bits of plastic stick to her palm.

She took a quiet calming breath, not wanting to alarm the others. When she looked back up, she saw Amy speaking with Adrian.

Her blood brother is one of the very few genuine and good-hearted people that she knows. And one of the last things that she wants to see is Gauis destroying one of the few lights left in the world.

She then shifted her gaze to Amy. Upon reflection, the older vampire came to notice that the blonde and Adrian share many similarities. But looking at her bright and sincere smile, Kamilah thought that not only is the mortal one of the other few lights left in the world; she is also the brightest light in her life.

Gauis and Jameson will pay for what they did to you, Amy. They may be powerful, but that won't stop me from protecting you. That's a promise.