Love is in the air, and this Valentine's week, WelcomeToWriteblr invites you to celebrate with our prompt event! We have prepared five prompts based around five of the ancient Greek words for love. From FEBRUARY 14TH TO FEBRUARY 18TH, create something in response to that day’s prompt and post it. You’re welcome to do absolutely anything for the prompt of the day, whether it be a drawing, an excerpt, a playlist, or a moodboard. This event is aimed to get everyone involved and we will accept all submissions!
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Tag your posts as #WTWEVENT and #WTWCOMMUNITY
Format your posts like this: WTW VALENTINE'S WEEK - CHOSEN PROMPT
Wait for your post to be added to the queue.
NSFW content will not be posted to the blog.
OPTIONAL: Join our discord server if you would like to ensure your post makes it onto the blog! Tumblr’s tagging system can be unreliable and we want to make sure everyone’s creations are shared! Please note, you must be 15 OR OLDER to enter our server!
PROMPT LIST
Day 1 - Philia "Love Between Friends"
Day 2 - Storge "Love Between Family"
Day 3 - Eros "Passionate Love"
Day 4 - Philauta "Love of Self"
Day 5 - Agape "Selfless Love"
“The online academic resource has made over 6,000 ebooks and over 150 journals accessible without the need for an online login.”
“Online academic resource JSTOR has announced it is making its database accessible to the public, amid the widespread closure of universities across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The database, frequently used by university students for research and essay work, announced on Twitter today that it has made over 6,000 ebooks and over 150 journals accessible without the need for an online login.
Previously, students needed a university login to access these resources.
This is the first time that the database has been openly accessible to non-subscribers.
The database is also working to expand on the amount of free content available online to students accessing the database through their subscribed universities.
In a statement on its website, JSTOR said that it has “an expanded set of content that is available to institutions where students have been displaced due to COVID-19 through June 30, 2020”.
“We are working with publishers to make more than 20,000 books available at no charge for JSTOR participating academic institutions and secondary schools that do not participate in our books program”, the statement said. “The number of books available through this effort is growing daily as more publishers opt in.”
Universities that previously only had access to some areas of JSTOR will also have unlimited access to the complete archives, at no extra cost.”
____________________________________
“The online academic resource has long had ebooks and journals available without the need for a login.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly implied that JSTOR had made its database accessible to the public for the first time. In fact, only certain materials from its database are available to the public, and this has been the case for some time. The headline, subheading and body of this article have been updated to reflect this information.
Online academic resource JSTOR has clarified that much of its database is accessible to the public, amid the widespread closure of universities across the world due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The database, frequently used by university students for research and essay work, flagged on Twitter today that it has over 6,000 accessible ebooks and over 150 journals.”
So I've been peer pressured by a friend into joining Writeblr, and so I don't know much about this all. I am just here to have a good time.
I don't like using my actual name online, so you can call me Maura. My pronouns are she/they. Despite being on this runaway train we call Tumblr for six years, I don't really think I have ever shared any of my writing on here.
I mostly write high and urban fantasy, but I dabble in crime dramas, romance, and science fiction every once in a while. I have ADHD, so I am always jumping between a couple projects at a time.
Barknola Island
When Evie Bryn wants to escape the rush of urban life, what better way to do it than work as a lighthouse keeper on a small, rural island? But when she arrives to find the lighthouse abandoned and in disrepair, the last thing she expected was to uncover a mystery as old as the island itself.
A more lighthearted fantasy that features Celtic folklore creatures. Basically, if My Neighbor Totoro met Song of the Sea.
Blood by Proxy
Desdemona Walsh has amassed plenty of dirty cops within her city's police department and has dealt with plenty of undercover operations as the leader of the city's crime syndicate. Usually she can thwart all attempts through bribes and just enough reasonable doubt, however, the cops throw a wrench in her plan when they send her an attractive rookie detective by the name Allana Bunker. But as time goes on, Desdemona can't let her infatuation put her behind bars.
A slow burn, enemies-to-lovers crime drama starring two women who refuse to let their emotions get in the way of their jobs.
I think I've rambled on for long enough. Shout out to @problematicallybored for making me do this.
Church of Whale Fall
→ Star Wars Atlas (2009) - Galactic Regions → Interesting notes: Location of many notable planets, the layers of galatic regions → This is a selection of maps showing the sectors of Star Wars’ galaxy, radiating outward from the center. While no longer strictly canon (as of April 25, 2014) it still gives a good idea of what planets are where. It can be especially helpful if you want to find a planet that’s nowhere near Coruscant to strand your characters on or if you want to find a more densely populated world near the center of everything! Or if you just want to know how close a specific planet is to the center of the galaxy. ✦ Deep Core:
Byss
(Note: The Deep Core did not hold as many notable worlds as the Core Worlds/Galactic Core/the Core, it had a massive black hole at the center which made hyperspace travel difficult and it was extremely densely packed with stars that had tremendous gravitational pull.) ✦ The Core:
Alderaan / Anaxes / Brentaal / Corellia / Coruscant / Duro / Kuat / Nubia / N’zoth
✦ The Colonies:
Fondor / Neimoidia
✦ Inner Rim:
Bestine / Hapes / Onderon / Taanab / Thyferra
✦ Expansion Region:
Mimban
✦ Mid Rim:
Ansion / Bothawui / Boz Pity / Ithor / Kashyyyk / Malastare / Naboo / Nar Shadda / Ord Mantell / Ruusan
✦ Hutt Space:
Nal Hutta / Nar Shadda / Toydaria
✦ Outer Rim:
Anoat / Bespin / Bonadan / Christophsis / Dagobah / Dantooine / Dathomir / Endor (Forest Moon) / Eriadu / Felucia / Gamorr / Geonosis / Honoghr / Hoth / Kamino / Kessel / Korriban / Mandalore / Mon Cala / Mustafar / Mygeeto / Nal Hutta / Ossus / Raxus Prime / Rhen Var / Rishi / Rodia / Ryloth / Saleucami / Sernpidal / Shadda-Bi-Boran / Sullust / Tatooine / Toydaria / Triton / Tund / Utapau / Yavin
✦ Wild Space:
Bakura / Kalee / Teth
✦ Unknown Regions:
Csilla / Iego / Ilum / Nagi / Lehon (Rakata Prime) / Rattatak / Zonama Sekot
I asked my mom if I could get a little fish to stay in my room if I got 10,000 notes on Tumblr, and she said yes. P l e a s e reblog this or something because I WANT A FISH
I’m begging y'all sjfjddkfkdk
Papercraft Pokemon Yellow made by PokeCities
SNEAKY FELLAS 👀
This man (thatgreygentleman) is one of my favorite creators and his hot take on Zuko’s coronation is amazing
Note: I claimed a community copy for this game, so while I did not pay money, I received it for free.
Exquisite Biome was pointed my way by one of my Discord community members as something I'd be interested in, and oh my God, they were right. As a professional ecologist and wildlife conservationist--and a fan of all things spec evo/bio--Exquisite Biome is everything I love conceptually, and it even had the audacity of being fantastically designed.
Caro Asercion on itch.io has managed to make a masterpiece of a GM-less game for one to three or four players, using only a single deck of cards. It's incredibly simple and intuitive, with much of the interaction coming from the human element. In fact, I loved the test run I gave it. Exquisite Biome (is it named after Exquisite Corpse? I'm pretty sure right?) uses drawn cards to guide player(s) through the designing of a speculative species, from the creation of the biome it lives in, to its most notable features and how it interacts with other species within the ecological web. Each designed species culminates in a scene played out, almost akin to a nature documentary, of an important part of the animal's life--giving greater insight into both its daily existence and its most important evolutionary aspects.
I can't give too much detail as to how, exactly, the game parts function, or what they are, but they are precisely balanced between detailed and loose enough to allow players the structure/random element needed for fun and guiding through the process, while leaving the vast majority of the imagination up to them. A traditional Exquisite Biome session is intended to be done with creating three unique animals, seeing how they all intersect with each other, but there are also other options for various modes of gameplay given as well!
My favorite aspect of Exquisite Biome, however, may be what isn't in the game just yet. The system itself is so perfectly intuitive and genius that it lends itself instantly to conceptualization of further deep-dives into specialization (speciation?) of different biomes and concepts--expansion packs, in short. What would a variant of EB look like in a xenobiological setting? Or perhaps an entire variant dedicated to rainforest or tropical reef biomes (or the various listed ones, even--even deserts have great biodiversity!)? Caro Asercion has managed to hit upon something here that I would really hope to see find success, because I can envision it having an incredibly dedicated and loyal fanbase for years and years to come.
I'd recommend this game to anyone who loves nature documentaries, who is passionate about life sciences, and who enjoys worldbuilding natural elements for tabletop settings! For fans of Monster Hunter, In Other Waters, Pokemon, Pikmin, and Wingspan, definitely give it a look to see if you'd be intrigued!
And, bonus round--a sketch of my own Exquisite Biome's first animal, the Shepherd Spider!
=====
A highly territorial species of cobweb-spiders, shepherd spiders create various 'pastures' with their webs where small insects such as beetles, flies, butterflies, and aphids can safely use as nursery habitats. By hiding within the webbed pastures, they obscure their location from predators, allowing an easier chance to reach adulthood and pass on their genes.
Additionally, the shepherd spiders tend to avoid immature specimens as much as possible: they prefer to hunt adult prey at the end of its lifespan, or sickly or otherwise 'unfit' food. In doing so, it ensures itself a steady supply of food, keeping a 'pantry', and opportunistically feeding on the young as needed when times are dry.
Shepherds mate for life, and their courtship rituals are based on the large, iridescent eyespots of the chelicerae. During rainy seasons, male spiders will gather up dew and rain and daub them on themselves, magnifying their false eyes to greater proportions and causing bright refractions in the water's reflected curves. A female will choose her mate based on the brightest display. There seems to be a growing subpopulation of males with prominent pseudopupils as well, which may affect apparent fitness during these rituals versus specimens with smaller or nonexistent pseudopupils.
Fantasy Guide to Ships, Boats and Nautical Lingo
Of all the ways to travel in fantasy and historical novels, there are two favoured ones: horses and ships. But I covered the horses already so here we have some ship terminology and kinds of ships.
Aft/Stern - The back of a ship.
Bow - The bow is the front part of the ship, the pointy part or the place where Kate Winslet stood on in Titanic.
Port - The left side of the ship
Starboard - The right side of the ship
Windward - The wind the direction is blowing.
Hull- outside of the ship
Leeward - Or sometimes called the lee. This is the opposite direction of the wind is blowing
Boom - A horizontal pole extending from the base of the main mast. It adjusted toward the wind direction in order to harness the wind for the sails.
Rudder - The rudder is a flat piece of wood below the ship, used to steer the ship. It is connected to the wheel of the ship.
Tacking - A common sailing maneuver that involves turning the bow through the wind, to change the wind direction from one side of the ship to the other, making the boom move.
Underway- This is when the ship is moving
Astern- The ship is moving backwards
Amidships- Middle of the boat
Topside- when you move from the lower decks to the upper deck
Most ships would have compartments inside the hull and underneath the deck.
Cabins- most war ships and merchant ships would only have one or two main cabin occupied by the captain and higher crew.
Galley- The kitchen on board the ship. The galley would be fitted with tables and cabinets. Galleys were built in such a way that they were more resistant to the heaving of the ship. Most galleys were built with special stoves to stop people from colliding with them and things from spilling out of pots and pans.
Wardroom- some ships are built with a common room for the crew. The wardroom acted as a common room as well as a dining room. It would usually be conjoined with the galley.
Sick Bay- is the compartment of the ship that is given over to the injured and sick. The sick bay would hold the medicines and medical devices and would often be under lock and key.
Hold- This will be the largest compartment in the ship were the cargo or the ship's weapons.
Captain
When we think of captains we imagine them as blackhearted slave drivers (something akin to managers in the customer service industry) but on further research you will find that is not true. There are two kinds of Captains you find in history. Pirate captains and Legitimate Captains. Pirate captains were elected by their merit in battle and dedication to the crew. They were considered equal to the crew, only taking full charge during raids and battles. In the Navy or any legal-bound ship, captains were selected by rank and wealth. There was no equality between captain and crew as in pirate ships. Legal ships were Capitalists and the Pirates were Democratic.
First Mate
First Mate is the captain's deputy. They act as captain when the captain cannot. This was mainly seen in Navies and merchant ships as Pirates usually placed their quartermaster as their deputies.
Quartermaster
The Quartermaster was in charge of ensuring that the ship ran smoothly, rather like the ship's HR manager. The Quartermaster was in charge of supplies and had certain powers such as being able to punish the crew for minor infractions.
Sailing Master
These were officers in charge of piloting the ship. They would have to be educated enough to read a map and was a much desired position because it was a fair paying job. Pirates usually kidnapped sailing masters from ships they attacked to use aboard their own ships.
Gunner
Gunners were the overseers of any many qualified to load and fire guns. They were in charge of aiming cannons and making sure the crew were safely using guns. Most the guns were loaded by young boys called powder monkeys.
Boatswain
Boatswains or junior officers would act as supervisors, watching over the crew as they did their duties. If things were not going well they reported to the captain or quartermaster to punish the crew.
Surgeons
Surgeons handled any diseases and wounds. Since being at sea limited the amount of medicine available. Most ship's surgeons were forced to cut off limbs to avoid infection pike gangrene. Surgeons may not always be found on ships. Cooks or carpenters were often pressed to do amputations: meat was meat and cutting was cutting.
Cooks
All ships needed somebody to cook. Navies and merchant ships would often have trained cooks while on pirate ships it was just a crewmember who was handy in the kitchen.
(Not a complete list, may post more later.)
Brig- A brig is the ship that one most thinks of when you think of a ship. The brig is a large vessel, set with a pair of square-rigged masts. Brigs were fast ships and highly maneuverable. They were used as merchant ships and warships.
Galley- The galley is propelled via oars. The hull is long and slender and most of them featured larger sails. Galleys often were rowed by slaves and used in war.
Galleon- Galleons were large ships, built with multiple decks, carrying three or more masts with square raised stern. The Galleon was usually rigged with square sails on the fore-mast and main-masts.
Caravel- The caravel was a small ship with triangular sails, famed for its manoeuvrability and speed.
Longship- The longships were the ships of the Vikings. They were slender ships, narrow. They were able to keep afloat in shallow waters as well as the deep sea. Longships were able to reverse quickly, a very important skill. The longship was a warship, a raider's ship propelled by oars.
Carrack- the carrack was a large ship, often built with mass cargo holds making the most popular ship to go on long voyages on. The carrack had three or four masts.
Cog- This ship was a large vessel, the hull wide and large. The ship is propelled by a great single sail flown from a tall mast.
Junk- The junk or Chinese junk was a kind of coastal or river ship used as merchant ships, pleasure ships and sometimes houseboats. They are small ships and made with battened sails rather resembling wings.
Trireme- the trireme was a slender ship set with three banks of oars pulled by one man each. The trireme had a concave hull and usually had an underwater ram at the prow of the ship.
Faun - They Them - I sometime write, sometimes draw, but I mostly lurk.
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