I Think I Wrote The First Norwegian Fanwork On SquidgeWorld? The Language Wasn't Listed...

Not directly art itself, but related… Like my linework? Want to recreate it?

You can get the brushes I use on my ko-fi! (They’re PWYW, so you can get them for free!)

Ko-fi

Pixel Fun Brush (Procreate) - strawbyfields's Ko-fi Shop

“Pixel Fun” Procreate brush! This is the brush you will commonly see me using. It’s a square-based pixel brush that is super sensitive to p

Ko-fi

WIGGLEPEN + WIGGLEPEN Flat Brushes (Procreate) - strawbyfields's Ko-fi Shop

Brushes I’ve cooked up recently that I’ve found myself obsessed with… These brushes will give a “wiggly” look to your linework, with some na

apparently ppl don’t know about waifu2x??? despite its… concerning name it’s literally the most convenient website i’ve ever come across as an artist

it allows you to resize artwork without it becoming pixellated. this is a MASSIVE help if you, for example, make lineart too small or something. it works best with things that 1. have no textures 2. have smooth lines 3. have cel shading, but it still works really damn well for things that don’t fit that profile

here’s an example:

normal size

2x in paint

2x in waifu2x

so like, there’s that. go wild

i've been asked what brushes i use so here they are (ibispaintx only)

bonus details:

Chapter: 1/1

Words: 3207

Language: English

Fandom: 万圣街 | All Saints Street (Cartoon)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Applies

Characters: Lynn Angel, Lily Angel, Damao (All Saints Street), Ira Blood, Nick Hoult (All Saints Street), Neil Bowman

I kind of suck at tagging, so I made this infographic to help make it easier.

Writing Emotion: Fear

Everyone will feel fear every once in a while, and it’s an important part of many character’s development. Let’s take a look at some body language and speaking habits of a person who is afraid!

Body Language (External Threat)

Humans are very complex, as I’m sure you know. There are usually two ways people may react to an external threat: Fight or Flight. Make sure you know which one your character is before choosing some traits!

Keeping a bigger space between them and the “threat” (Backing away)

Heart beating faster, rapid breathing

Crossing legs/arms (protecting body)

May become aggressive or violent

“Fight Mindset” - fists clenched, locked on stare, ready to fight. 

“Flee Mindset” - eyes darting around, nervous. 

Slouching or “shrinking”

Stiff eyelids - wide open

Tense muscles - stiff, slouching posture

Unpredictable/quick movements

Events unfold in “slow-motion”

Senses are hyperactive (Better hearing, smell, etc. from adrenaline)

Sense are nonfunctioning (Worse eyesight, unable to recall events after the fact, etc. This can happen to people who are prone to panic attacks, and/or are “stuck in their heads”)

Body Language (Internal Threat)

A common part of a character’s development is their “break”, so to speak. This is when they are too overwhelmed by something they must do or come to terms with, and a common emotion felt during that time is fear. Most people will fear what they don’t know or understand. These traits can be spotted in a character battling these things long before they “break”, or even right before/during. For ease of use, I’ll start with habits you spot earlier on. 

Unhappiness - not as happy doing the things they like, not doing the things they usually do, etc.

Stress - easily angered, snappy, rubbing temples, etc.

Physical venting - exercising, (punching bag, running, etc)

Not sticking to typical schedules (Not going to a cafe they usually do, etc)

Seeming preoccupied or “in their heads”

Becomes emotional at everything

Doing irrational things (feeling like they need to prove themselves, show they are not afraid, they don’t need help, etc)

Unable to listen to the advice of others (believing they know what they need to do, or how it must be done) 

Pushing people away (thinking this is their responsibility alone, that no one can help them, etc)

Unable to stick to or form rational plans (emotion leads them instead of logic)

Twisting reality - unable to clearly see what’s happening before them because they are so overwhelmed, or not remember events of the past for the same reasons. (They may blame people who are not responsible for things that have happened to them, because they think that’s how it happened. Research about trauma to better understand how humans manipulate reality and memories to cope)

Unhinged anger - lashing out in extreme ways (like when characters with super powers suddenly get very strong when very emotional, or more realistically, when a mother’s child is in danger and adrenaline gives her a sort of super strength)

Signs of insanity - when people deal with extremely difficult things, their mental state may begin to break down. They may talk to themselves, appear perfectly fine in a situation that warrants panic, etc. (Be sure to do research before hand, and always depict mental illness as it actually is.) 

Signs of shock - very quiet, rapid heart rate, dry mouth, clammy and pale skin, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, confusion, disorientation, passing out, loss of memory, screaming, crying, etc. 

Trauma - after the fact, your character may experience symptoms of a person with trauma. (If you want your character to experience this, please do your research first. Always depict mental illness as it actually is, not how you want it to be.)

Verbal Habits (External)

Again, make sure you identify which of these habits might come from a “fight” person or a “flight” person before choosing! 

sharp and angry tone (to make them seem tough)

small voice, trying to seem non confrontational

Trying to make the other party happy - “You got a problem?” “No, no, I was just looking around. I didn’t mean to disturb you…”  

Stuttering or stammering (Please use in moderation!)

“Um…” and “uh…” 

Tries to say something tough,  but since they’re actually afraid, it comes out small and weak - “Just… just leave me alone!” his voice squeaked in fear. 

No words coming out (as if their brain is frozen in fear)

Rambling - “Did you come here last night or not?!” “Me? I was at the bar with… my friends! Yeah, we were just ordering some stuff to eat because we met some nice people (who were really into karaoke) to hang out with, and-” “Answer the question!)

Verbal Habits (Internal)

Not wanting to talk about it - typically, people do not want others to know they are afraid. They may become hostile or upset if the topic is brought up. 

Speech patterns change when talking about it - stuttering, incoherent speech, not “having a point” to what they are saying.

Having an edge to their voice (from being angry) - “Just tell me what’s bothering you.” “Because that always works,” she rolled her eyes. “I’m just trying to help.” 

Bizarre topics of conversation, seeming out of the ordinary or distracted. 

Hello all! I know I’ve been away for some time, but I appreciate the love you guys have been giving this account anyway! I’m so happy to see that you find my work helpful. <3 I hope that this post helps you out in writing some good characters and emotions. Have a lovely day, and happy writing <3

-RB

Would you happen to know if there were a digital mannequin program, I.e. a human shape you could pose and use as reference?

Hi there! Some websites we have are

EggaZyoutatsu - Gives you a randomized skeleton and allows you to draw over it on the website

Sketchfab - View 3D models for free 

Posemaniacs - 3D renderings of bodies. you can pose and change the angle as you wish.

our #anatomy tag

I don’t think we have anything that  you can pose at will, all of these have ready made poses and models. If anyone has a suggestion, feel free to send us a fanmail and I’ll add it to the post! :) 

Editing Checklist

Editing Software:

StyleWriter 4 is fantastic. It’s an add-on for Microsoft word and has a 14-day trial period. It goes through your text, picks out “glue words”, misspellings, long sentences, homonyms, passive tense, shows your reading grade level, and more.

Editminion *FREE* checks for adverbs, weak words, passive voice, cliches, and homonyms among other things.

Pro Writing Aid is another online editor. It is mostly free, but offers more features if you pay.

AutoCrit offers free analysis for under 500 words, otherwise you have to pay for more text and more editing features.

Paper Rater offers a free service for editing, but it is designed for essays.

Formatting Checklist: This follows the general guide of formatting a manuscript in Microsoft word. However, some literary agents and editors have their own requirements.

Under the paragraph option, change the special indentation to first line at .5”. Change to document to double spaced.

There should be no spaces between paragraphs.

When showing a scene break, center # on a blank line.

Font should be easy to read. Courier New and Times New Roman are preferred at size 12.

All margins should be 1”.

Start chapters on a new page and put the chapter title 1/3 down the page. Write the chapter like so: CHAPTER ONE - CHAPTER TITLE. Press return 4 - 6 times before starting the text of the chapter.

For the header, put YOUR NAME/BOOK TITLE/PAGE NUMBER in the upper right-hand corner. Start this header on the first page of the first chapter.

The cover page of your manuscript should have your name, word count, and contact information in the upper left-hand corner.

The title on the cover page should be in all caps. Your name should be underneath in all caps. If you use a pen name, write YOUR REAL NAME (WRITING AS PEN NAME).

At the end of the manuscript, start a new page and write END.

Self-Editing Checklist:

Spelling:

If you are using Microsoft word for your word processor, use the spell check. After that, go through the manuscript line by line to make sure everything is spelled right. You may have used “form” instead of “from” and skipped it because Microsoft word did not see it as misspelled.

Printing out your work or viewing it in another way (such as a pdf on an ereader) helps find these mistakes.

Beta readers can find what you missed as well.

Use editing software to check homonyms or look up a list of homonyms and find them in your document using ctrl + f. Check these words to make sure you used the right spelling.

Grammar and Style:

First use Microsoft word’s grammar checker, but be aware that it is not always right. Check grammar girl if you are unsure.

For dialogue, you can always pick up a professionally published book and look at how the dialogue tags are used, where commas are placed, and when other punctuation is used.

If you’re in school and your English teacher isn’t too busy, have them take a look at it.

Look out for prepositions. Most of the time, you can omit these words and the sentence will still make sense. Beginner writers use a lot of these in their writing and it slows the flow.

Check for adverbs. You’d be surprised at how many you use in your writing, sometimes up to five a page. Using a few in narration is okay, but only a few. Delete adverbs you find, especially those that end in “-ly”, and rewrite the sentences in necessary.

Delete gerunds and forms of “to be” if writing in past tense. Instead of “were running”, write “ran”.

Check subject-verb agreement.

Use correct dialogue tags. People don’t bark their words. They shout.

Two digit numbers should be written as words (twenty-seven) while numbers with more than two digits should be written with numbers (123).

Avoid passive verbs.

Vary sentence length.

Show with the five senses rather than telling.

Most of the time, you can delete the word “that”.

Avoid using “unique” or “significant” words too often.

Consistency:

Make sure all your font is the same size and type.

Make sure you have no plot holes. Use the comment feature in Microsoft Word to track these plots.

Make sure your time line is consistent.

The tone should fit the scene.

There should be one POV per scene. Unless you’re a brilliant writer and can pull off third person omniscient.

Verb tense should be consistent.

Keep track of the details you release of people, places, and things. The reader will remember if in one chapter you say your protagonist has blue eyes and in another you say green.

Pacing:

The whole book should flow in and out of fast paced scenes to keep your reader interested and slow scenes to give them a break.

The middle should not “sag”.

Sentences should flow smoothly.

Plot:

Keep track of all your plots and sub-plots. Readers will remember them.

There should be a beginning, middle, and end.

Is the initial problem at the beginning of the manuscript?

There should be at least one antagonist. This does no have to be a person.

Is there enough conflict?

There should be a resolution.

All scenes should have something to do with plot.

The climax should be the most exciting part.

Character:

The protagonist should change by the end of the book.

Make sure all characters who come in contact with one another have some kind of relationship, whether good or bad.

Characters must have motivation for everything.

The protagonist must want something right from the start of the conflict.

The protagonist needs to be captivating. The readers wants to root for the protagonist. This does not mean the protagonist needs to be likable all the time.

The readers likes to relate to characters. Make sure your characters are diverse enough that readers can identify with one.

Know who your protagonist is. The main character is not always the same. For example, Nick in The Great Gatsby is the main character, but Jay Gatsby is the protagonist. This is important to know while writing your query letter.

If you can delete a minor character from a scene and nothing changes, then delete that character.

Sometimes you can make two minor characters one without losing any essential parts of the story. If you can, do this.

All characters react and act.

Each character has his or her own life.

Dialogue:

Dialogue should be believable. Read it out loud.

Don’t go overboard with phonetic spelling if a character has an accent.

Dialogue should be informal and natural. It does not have to be grammatically correct.

Prose:

Avoid purple prose. I’ve never met anyone with “emerald eyes” or “hair of fire” (except for the Flame Princess).

Don’t use too many adjectives.

Avoid cliches.

Other:

Don’t info dump. Pace information through dialogue and narration.

The first sentence should spark interest, or at least the first three. If it does, the first paragraph should be the same. And the first 250 words. The goal is to get the reader past the first page.

Let your story rest. When you’re ready to edit, start at the end. Writers tend to get lazy at the end of their story whether they are writing it for the first time or revising it after revising the rest of the story.

Make sure your manuscript is within range for your genre’s word count.

NEZ on Twitter

“My complete set of angel designs based on emoji mashups. What emotion does this invoke...?”

Somehow that post inspired me and I did some weird stuff??

Forgot to tell y'all

But I've finished that dang thing!!!!

So I have thrown myself into a huge project, which is to make a plaid for my mother

This is the finished plaid from the creator and all the squares, half squares and quarter squares I have to do.

I've done all that so far, which corresponds to the four corners, all the big borders, half of the small borders and one baby square.

I'm doing it using yarn my mother wanted, which is a mix of cotton and merinos wool. There's 10 colours total but I'm not using the same as what is shown in the pattern.