274 posts
Latest Posts by the-writer-muse - Page 5
“Public libraries are such important, lovely places!” Yes but do you GO there. Do you STUDY there. Do you meet friends and get coffee there. Do you borrow the FREE, ZERO SUBSCRIPTION, ZERO TRACKING books, audiobooks, ebooks, and films. Have you checked out their events and schemes. Do you sign up for the low cost courses in ASL or knitting or programming or writing your CV that they probably run. Do you know they probably have myriad of schemes to help low income families. Do you hire their low cost rooms if you need them. Have you joined their social groups. Do you use the FREE COMPUTERS. Do you even know what your library is trying to offer you. Listen, the library shouldn’t just exist for you as a nice idea. That’s why more libraries shut every year
You see, the problem with writing is that it is always easier to just lie facedown on the floor and make incoherent noises.
nobody might not relate to this but im posting it just incase XD
Writing is such an amazing art form. You’re essentially sculpting a living, breathing universe full of sounds, sights, and feelings with only the tools of your imagination, 26 letters and a lot of patience to help you, and honestly, the fact that you’re able to do that is not only unbelievable, but also metal as fuck.
dark academia book list
The Secret History by Donna Tart
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman
A deadly Education by Naomi Novik
The Decay of Living by Oscar Wilde
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Dead Poets Society by Nancy H Kleinbaum
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
The Little Friend by Donan Tartt
Vicious by V. E. Schwab
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marissa Pessl
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Gentlemen and Players by Joan Harris
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde
Maurice by E. M. Forster
A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde
Vita Nostra by Marina and Serhiy Dyachenko
Poems by Oscar Wilde
The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
Ace of Spades by Fradiah Àbíke-Íyímídé
If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde
The Lessons by Naomi Alderman
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Wilder Girls by Rory Powers
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
The Bellweather Revivals by Benjamin Wood
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Truants by Kate Weinberg
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
In the Woods by Tana French
The Atlas Six by Olivia Blake
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Love and Friendship by Jane Austen
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
Bunny by Mona Awad
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao
The Ivies by Alexa Donne
For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing
The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky
Emma by Jane Austen
The Watsons by Jane Austen
The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino
The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter
The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring
Confessions by Kanae Minato
Truth Exercise by Susan Choi
We Wish You Luck by Caroline Zancan
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
The Basic Eight by Daniel Handle
Confessions by Kanae Minato
Lady Susan by Jane Austen
hope ur ok - a poem
dedicated to all the online friends who have left online spaces or who are inactive more often than not.
hey.
it’s been a while. i hope you’re well. i hope you’re safe and happy. i miss seeing you online, but i hope you’re doing better offline.
i miss seeing the active symbol next to your name. i miss talking to you. i miss the three different keysmashes you used depending on what felt right to you at the time. i miss spamming your question stickers. i miss congratulating you for every single milestone you reached. i miss competing for first on our friends’ posts and always being first on each other’s. i miss taking your friendship for granted.
days, weeks, and months later, i still remember the first time you dmed me. and the funny thing is, i remember saying hello but i don’t remember saying goodbye. i didn’t think i had to.
memory is strange. i can remember when we started talking, but i don’t remember when we stopped. maybe it didn’t happen all at once. maybe it was an hourglass, time running out, grain by grain, and I didn’t notice until there was nothing left. do you still remember me? i haven’t forgotten you.
hey.
maybe you won’t come online again. some selfish part of me wants you to return. but all i ever wanted was for you to be happy, and if this is what you want, then i will accept it. even if someday i look on our friendship as only a faint memory, i will remember it fondly. i can only hope you will do the same, wherever you are.
i just wanted to say: i miss you, and i hope you’re okay.
On Writer’s Block
I’ve been listening to another book on writing - Save The Cat! Writes A Novel - and while I greatly enjoyed almost all of it, and found it very helpful, at the very end there was a phrase that made me want to punch the wall.
“There’s no such thing as writer’s block or plotter’s block. There’s only perfectionist’s block.”
The author, Jessica Brody, gave credit for this nonsense to another author, Emily Hainsworth, and I freely admit that I wished both of them great ill at this point in the book.
I’ve made posts on this subject before… I think?… but never mind, I’m going to do it again.
People who say ‘there’s no such thing as writer’s block’ or ‘just push through it’ are like people who say ‘there’s no such thing as PMS’ or ‘depressed people could cheer up if they wanted to’. Only someone who’s never experienced it would say something that stupid. And those of us who have tend to react something along the lines of ‘I HATE YOU, YOU SMUG BASTARD, I HOPE YOU DIE DIE DIE’. (One of my PMS symptoms is intensely homicidal thoughts! Fun!)
But I think part of the problem is that ‘Writer’s Block’ is actually a blanket term, like ‘mental illness’ or ‘chronic pain’. There are multiple types, multiple causes, and multiple ways of handling them. No one approach will work for all of them, and what works great for one will actively worsen another
Here are the four kinds I know about. There may be more, but these are the ones I’ve experienced personally.
Keep reading
3 Tips that Strengthen Middles
While writing the middle of a story usually isn’t as tricky as the beginning, for many authors, the middle can start to sag if they aren’t careful. Previously we went over three problems that come up with middles. Today we are back to add three tips to keep your middle interesting.
1. Vary Your Story
Sometimes a novel feels dull in the middle because your conflicts are not varied enough. In other words, as the reader is going along, he feels like the novel on page 400 reads just like it did on page 100. Yeah, maybe your character faces death at every turn, but that’s all that he faces. We’ve all read stories like that–tales so filled with action that nothing of import seems to be going on.
Very often I find this in survival stories. You see a tale about a teenager who goes down in a plane in the Alaskan wilderness. As he struggles to walk 400 miles south, he must first battle off a wolf. Then he gets to battle a wolverine. Then he battles a bear. Next he fights off a moose. You get the idea. The whole thing becomes rather episodic pretty quickly.
Romances can be tiring in the same way. Having a heroine who agonizes about a man and nothing else for six hundred pages would just be too much. That’s why romances tend to be short.
Essentially, no matter what your genre, too much of a good thing is just too much.
So as a writer, you have to wonder, maybe your reader would like something more in this tale. Perhaps it needs a mystery to be solved, a romance, some internal angst on the part of one of your characters–maybe even a character that we haven’t seen much of yet. Or maybe instead of just having the protagonist battling the antagonists, now it’s time to add a new problem–a conflict between the protagonist and his best friend. In other words, sometimes you need to try some things that you’ve never tried before in your storytelling.
When you look at conflicts, there are several major categories that you will hear writers talk about. These categories include: Person vs Person, in which a protagonist has a conflict with another person; Person vs Society, in which a character is forced to combat a stifling political regime–or perhaps just an odd family or clique; Person vs Nature, in which your protagonist fights against the natural elements; Person vs Self, in which a character must battle his own inner passions or vices; and Person vs God, a story where a man takes on his creator.
As you look for ways to vary your story, one way to do that is to ask yourself, “What kinds of conflicts don’t I have? Should I consider using one from another category?” It doesn’t have to be a huge diversion to add this. Maybe you decide, “I’ll add a Person vs Nature” conflict, and so as your hero is galloping through the dark to meet the woman of his dreams, his horse trips on a root and throws him in a ditch, leaving him bloodied and battered, and he has to limp four miles to his rendezvous, only to find that his sweetheart has already departed.
In short, varying your conflicts can help, but there are other ways to add variation to your story. You might consider the emotional beats that you’re hitting. Do you want to add something different? Maybe a little humor, a little drama, wonder, or some other emotion?
Sometimes just describing something that you’ve never described before can bring a scene some life.
2. Avoid Closure
Another problem that I’ve noticed is that a middle may sag because you as a writer have closed a conflict too early.
It is a natural human tendency for us to want to solve problems and get along. As writers, we sometimes resolve them too quickly. For example, you want your hero and heroine to love each other, and so halfway through the book, you have them kiss and get together. Now, maybe that’s all right. Maybe the book will still work, but it’s probably literary suicide.
If you’ve got some conflicts that have resolved halfway through the book, the fact is that you probably need to go and rip out those resolutions. Leave all wounds festering, all hopes unfulfilled, all demons alive and still roaming the city.
But don’t avoid closure for too long. If your reader suspects that your characters aren’t resolving problems because you as a writer just arbitrarily decided that they wouldn’t, you’ve taken too much time.
3. Avoid Agreement
One other trick that can help perk up a sagging middle is to avoid agreement. It’s not simply that two people are refusing to negotiate a problem; it might be that they see two different problems entirely: Imagine that your character has a longstanding habit of taking his wife out to dinner on Friday night. But his business has taken a severe downturn. Now maybe he imagines that his wife will understand if he doesn’t take her to dinner. After all, she’s a sensible woman. That’s why he married her.
But the wife sees it differently. She might see this as a sign that his love is waning. He’s been growing cold and distant for months, preoccupied with business. He’s spending more time away from home. This little Friday night extravaganza is all that reminds her of her days as a new bride. She might even wonder if he is having an affair.
So as they begin to talk about dinner, the husband might say, “Let’s not go out tonight.” To which his wife replies, “Are you sleeping with your secretary?” Bam! They can legitimately have an argument where neither sees the point that the other is trying to make.
Now, I have to warn you that this is another technique to use sparingly, but as you look at your sagging middle, look at interesting ways to keep your characters out of agreement.
i love motifs i love recurring themes i love symbolism i love foreshadowing i love impactful narratives
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Intro
I thought this would be an appropriate post to make, because lately I've been having feelings of inadequacy in both myself and my writing. At first I thought it was just my inner critic, but after a while I realized that the problem wasn’t just feeling inadequate; I felt that I wasn’t the writer I thought I was. I would think back to some of the praise I received from other people and wonder if I was actually worthy of it. Did I actually deserve that positive feedback? Or were they just being nice?
I’ve tried to stop overthinking in that vein, but it can be hard to train yourself out of that habit. I’m making this post to help myself unlearn that pattern of thinking, and I hope it helps you too!
It’s completely normal
One of the most important things to keep in mind if you’re suffering from imposter syndrome is that you are not alone. Every single writer suffers from imposter syndrome at some point during their career--yes, every single writer. Even if you’re super confident in yourself and your writing, there will be times when you don’t feel that way. And that’s okay! Imposter syndrome does not make you any less of a writer. You are valid and you deserve to be appreciated!
Talk to someone
It’s great to have a support group that you can turn to whenever you need assistance or just some kind words. Talking about these feelings is vital to overcoming them. Together, you can brainstorm ways to boost your confidence and self-worth as a writer.
Many writers will internalize their struggle with imposter syndrome because they may be afraid that if they talk about it, someone will confirm that they are a fraud. But getting things off your chest, especially to someone who likely knows exactly what you’re talking about, is a great step towards regaining your confidence!
Remind yourself of your hard work
This especially applies to those who have had success with their writing, but are now doubting the validity of their achievements and questioning whether they really deserve them. Sound familiar?
If you start to feel like your writing success is due to luck, chance or accident...let me stop you right there. Take a moment to remind yourself of all the hard work that went into getting you where you are today. Remember the countless hours you’ve poured into your WIP(s)? Remember the passion, dedication and effort you’ve put into your darlings?
Determination and hard work got you to where you are, not a clever ruse or a lucky break. You’ve earned every bit of success you’ve achieved. So instead of second-guessing your achievements, reward and congratulate yourself on them. You deserve it!
Remember positive feedback
If you find your mind being overtaken by negative thoughts, take some time to remember the positive feedback you’ve been given on your work. This could be feedback on a submission or competition entry, comments from reviewers or beta readers, or even just a positive word or two from someone you know.
Writers suffering from imposter syndrome inherently believe that they’re not actually good at writing at all, even when there’s evidence that says otherwise. To overcome this, you need to accept what others are saying about you; you need to believe the positive comments as much as they do.
First, try to get out of the habit of automatically dismissing positive feedback. Many writers will find themselves reacting negatively to praise–denying or brushing off compliments instead of listening to and thanking people for them. This needs to change if you’re going to overcome impostor syndrome. This doesn’t mean that you can’t still be modest about praise, but it does mean that you can’t be self-deprecating. Establish what your strengths and talents are and accept them. Let yourself believe that you are a real writer, and a good one at that!
Keep writing
It can be hard--sometimes it feels impossible. But as a writer, the best way to defy feelings of fraudulence and self-doubt is to keep writing, no matter what. Rediscovering the passion and dedication that drew you towards writing in the first place is vital to your self-esteem! The most important thing you can do is keep going.
People suffering from impostor syndrome believe that they aren’t "real” writers. The only definition for a "real" writer is "someone who writes things". So, if you stop writing, you’re only giving more weight to your own fears. Keep writing, whatever it takes. Consistently writing will also ensure you’re consistently improving, which in turn will boost your confidence. And sometimes just that confidence boost, or that renewed sense of passion and purpose in your writing, will be all it takes to help you overcome impostor syndrome!
How to Write a Love Letter
Intro
Today I'm going to be talking about love letters, also known as one of the best (and oldest) motifs in literature. From Pride and Prejudice to The Cruel Prince, people have loved reading about love letters from the beginning, which means there's a lot of pressure to get it right!
I believe there are two main standards/challenges to consider when writing a proper love letter: 1.) it must sound genuinely impassioned and 2.) it shouldn’t sound like it’s been written before. This post is going to hopefully help with those two standards. Without further ado, let's dive in!
The unspoken is spoken
Many times, people write love letters because it’s easier to put their feelings and thoughts on paper than to speak them aloud. Maybe they’re afraid to express those feelings and thoughts, or maybe they don’t have the time or ability to do so. Whatever the case, these emotions likely build up in them over time, so that when they write a love letter, their words are passionate and intimate. There are many different core emotions that could be at the heart of a love letter (sorry for the pun), including fear, hope, longing, curiosity, grief, and uncertainty. Love letters can be addressed to anyone--people who are alive, missing, lost, or dead--and often many different emotions are involved with it.
How to open a love letter
“Dear [name]” is a classic, if somewhat overused, way to begin a love letter. Ways to switch it up would be including an inside joke, pet name, or a memory from the past. Or, you can forgo the “Dear” altogether and just write the name, which implies that the letter-writer is desperate to get to the point.
There are many different ways to begin the content of the letter. Typically the first item on the agenda is for the letter-writer to explain why they are writing the love letter. You can talk about recent events, past events, or launch into a description of the letter-writer’s predicament. Or you could begin by writing about something seemingly unrelated to love, that eventually connects to the recipient of the love letter in some way.
Figurative language
However much figurative language you use, it has to make sense for the character who’s writing the letter. If they’re typically a blunt person, then their letter will likely be blunt. If they’re a poetic person, then their letter will probably be poetic. Basically, the voice of the letter should sound authentic to the person writing it! Sometimes, the letters that use flowery language aren’t the best letters. Sometimes it’s the letters with simple images and language. Another thing to keep in mind is that specificity conveys even more emotion than five similes in a single sentence ever does. Have the letter writer remember a single moment, or a few events that were significant to them, and include as many details as you can.
The heart of the letter
(Did I really just make the same pun twice in a post? Yes, yes I did.) In fiction, the letter-writer always has a purpose with their letters. Sometimes they’re trying to communicate with the recipient of the letter about a misunderstanding. Maybe they even want to apologize for that misunderstanding. Or maybr they've been separated from their partner, by choice or circumstance, and desperately want to reconnect with them. Whatever the case, the letter should have a point--what is the writer hoping to take away from this? What are their hopes and goals? Keep this in mind the entire time you're writing the love letter.
Overcoming Perfectionism
Writing sprints
One of my biggest problems as a perfectionist and a writer is editing while I write. It slows me down way too much. Objectively, I know that grammar and spelling don’t matter in the first draft, but my inconsiderate brain is trained to argue that it does matter. If you spend more time fixing your typos than writing, then the best solution is to just do a writing sprint.
It’s pretty self-explanatory: set a timer and then write for a certain amount of time. The goal of a writing sprint is to write as many words as possible in the time you have. Your writing does not have to be perfect. Let me repeat that: Your writing does not have to be perfect. The whole point of a writing sprint is to churn out words. Whether they’re “good” words is something to worry about later. If you still find yourself returning to that perfectionist mindset, then put your writing out of view for a while and take your mind off it.
First Draft Perfectionism Syndrome
Yes, I’ve decided to give this a name: First Draft Perfectionism Syndrome, or FDPS for short. If you’re on the first draft--I feel your pain. It’s tempting to make the first draft as neat as possible so you have less work to do later on. That’s the way it works, right? Well, yes and no.
Yes, you might save yourself work later, but at what cost? You’ll be constantly obsessing over the tiny details and slowing yourself down. A first draft is supposed to be messy. It’s one big brain dump for the main structure and ideas of your story. It should not be of a published quality. That comes many drafts later. The first draft is all about just getting your ideas down.
Having fun with writing
Writing isn’t supposed to be a chore, but perfectionism can often make it seem like one. If you’re not having fun with your writing, take a step back and ask yourself why. If you’re not enjoying yourself, is it because of you, your idea, or both? Pinpoint the problem and then think of ways to solve it. Writing is supposed to be fun, not something to dread.
The perfectionist standard
Many times, perfectionists hold themselves to a standard of perfection. But what is perfect in writing? Good grammar and spelling? The complete absence of plot holes? Flowing and unstilted dialogue? Trying to have all of these qualities and more is simply unachievable. Every single published work out there has some kind of flaw. Your favorite media most likely has flaws, but does that make you completely hate it? No! So don’t burn yourself out trying to reach a standard that is literally unreachable. Your writing is not defined by its flaws. You might look at your writing and only see flaws, but another person won’t read your writing the same way.
Better done than perfect
It’s really important to remember that in the end, all that matters is that you have something. You can edit “garbage,” but you can’t edit a blank page. So don’t be afraid to show up. It’s okay to feel like your writing is bad and it’s okay to be imperfect. Every single writer ever has felt this way. If they haven’t, they’re probably lying. Honestly, I’d be extremely worried if a writer said that they think their first draft was ready for publication. It’s not. And that is more than okay.
Things I Like in Books
- Rivals to lovers. Trying to upstage the other person at every possible opportunity...being equally matched in everything no matter how hard they try...continuing the rivalry because without it they have no reason to interact...it hits every single time
- Character A is injured and Character B absolutely pulverizes the enemy because they're overwhelmed with their fear and love for A :)
- Or: Character A being wounded/ill but hiding their true condition until they finally collapse from it
- Finally, I present to you: Character A tending to Character B’s wounds and acting passive-aggressive because they’re so worried about B
- The “I’m yours” love confession. I’m just a huge sucker for this trope. Not only is it really sweet, but it doesn’t have any possessive meaning. I just find it more romantic than “You’re mine”, too. It’s like you’re promising everything, all your faults and strengths and hopes to another person, and you’re receiving the same thing in return...it’s like a totally equal partnership
- THE ITALICIZED “oh”
- Grumpy x sunshine (bonus if there’s a grumpy girl and sunshine guy)
- The boy falls first
- Slowburn romance
- Dynamics where Character B constantly says, “Character A, no” and Character A replies with, “Character A, yes”
- Characters saying they can definitely do something, and then the scene cuts to them not being able to do the thing
- Found family (bonus points if they share exactly three braincells)
- Corruption arcs, especially female corruption arcs
- Strong female villains who don’t have love as their one motive
- A normally calm character going absolutely feral
- Characters who like reading
- TITLE DROPS! I always get so excited when I come across them
- Strong female friendships
the 7 deadly sins of being a writer
self-doubt
procrastination
sleep deprivation
jealousy
wailing (despair)
notebook lust
horrifying comma use
Writing culture is people telling you "it's just a first draft, it doesn't have to be perfect!" but you still want it to be as good as it possibly can at this stage and so formulating every sentence feels like pulling teeth.
Submitted by anonymous
A Name Dump Based on Vibes
Cottagecore Names
Aspen
August
Betty
Dorothea
Ivy
Jolene
Juniper
Willow
Adventurous Names
Everett
Hunter
Jessie/Jesse
Olivia
Peter
Sadie
Sawyer
Zoe
Artsy Names
Amy
Delilah
Dylan
Iris
Michelle
Noah
Sierra
Simon
Vintage Names
Adelaide
Caroline
Eleanor
Jude
Lana
Oliver
Stacy
Vivian
Dark Academia Names
Dorian
Ezra
Henry
Juliet
Lydia
Ophelia
Penelope
Sophia
Poetic Names
Blake
Calliope
Elliott
Fiona
Grace
Laila
Maya
Sylvia
Musical Names
Aria
Cadence
Harmony
Harper
Lyric
Melody
Piper
Reed
Realistic Procrastination Tips
Intro
Ah, procrastination, also known as the bane of writers everywhere. It’s the easiest trap to fall into as a writer. You don’t feel like writing, so you just...don’t. Or maybe you completely forget about it when you’re watching TV or scrolling through social media, and by the time you remember you’re like, “Eh, it’s too late to write anyway.”
Procrastination is most likely always going to be an issue for all writers in some way. However, there are ways to counteract it. Today I’ll be sharing some realistic tips for procrastination that have actually helped me!
1. Make writing a habit
When I say to make writing a habit, I don’t mean you have to write every day. You can write every other day, every two days--whatever works for your schedule. What I mean is that you have to get used to the idea of writing.
A lot of the time, we hesitate to write because we get into the mindset that writing is an arduous task. But in reality? When you just sit down and start writing, you’re more likely to continue than you are to stop. Starting is the hardest part of writing. Once you begin, you’ll find it’s much easier to keep going. Train yourself out of that “writing = hard” mindset and in the words of a certain shoe company, just do it. And if you’re having trouble disciplining yourself, have someone else to hold you accountable. It’ll make you more likely to finish your goals.
One thing I do to form a writing habit is to write in my spare time. Usually, that means I write during school, in the earliest hours of the day (when my classes are easier and I have less homework). Tip: little things accumulate. If you can spare even half an hour or so to write--or think about writing--every single day, it adds up!
2. The “Room Rule”
Okay, so I just made this up, but it still applies. Basically, it means that you should keep as many unneeded electronic devices as possible at least one room away from you--whether that means moving yourself away from your phone, or putting your phone somewhere that you can’t see it. Pretend you’re in a classroom where if the teacher catches you with your phone, it’ll immediately be confiscated and you’ll be kept after school (which honestly, is probably pretty realistic for some of my followers who are students). Seriously, though. Social media is one of the best ways to procrastinate, so the best solution is to just get it out of sight. Once you start scrolling, it takes a really long time to stop.
If you still have distractions on whatever device you write on, you can clear your distracting tabs. Alternatively, you can put them in another window out of sight or do all your research before you start writing. Another option is to use an app to restrict what sites you can access, like Forest.
3. You have time
I’ve mentioned many times already that writers often think that they don’t have time to write. Well, I've got good news for you: you definitely do still have time to write. Every word counts! Even if you don't have enough time today, you'll have more chances tomorrow.
A similar trap procrastinating writers fall into is convincing themselves that they can't make the time to write. For example, I'm a student, and for the longest time I would tell myself I had too much homework to write. But then when I finished my homework, I would have plenty of free time...which I spent on my phone. Yeah, I know. Eventually I figured out that if I was going to make any progress at all in my WIPs, I was going to have to make myself do it.
If you really want to write, you should carve out the time to write in your schedule. Don't give yourself an excuse! Obviously, this doesn't apply to people who genuinely don't have time to write--you shouldn't burn yourself out trying to juggle a busy schedule and your WIPs.
Honestly, the best way to deal with procrastination is to deal with yourself. Examining your feelings toward writing and finding time to write are steps toward figuring out your own best method of productivity. It's a very personal journey that I wish you luck on. Finally, to all of the procrastinating writers reading this post...go write! I believe in you!
“It’s only recently that I’ve come to understand that writers are not marginal to our society, that they, in fact, do all our thinking for us, that we are writing myths and our myths are believed, and that old myths are believed until someone writes a new one.”
— Kurt Vonnegut
In Which Diversity Isn't a Myth
Ok. I’m tired of the typical vampire, werewolf and fairy.I’m also tired of the occidental-centrism in mythology. Hence, this list.
I tried to included as many cultural variants as I could find and think of. (Unfortunately, I was restricted by language. Some Russian creatures looked very interesting but I don’t speak Russian…) Please, add creatures from your culture when reblogguing (if not already present). It took me a while to gather all those sites but I know it could be more expansive. I intend on periodically editing this list.
Of note: I did not include specific legendary creatures (Merlin, Pegasus, ect), gods/goddesses/deities and heroes.
Dragons
The Chinese Dragon
The Japanese Dragon
The Korean Dragon
The Vietnamese Dragon
The Greek Dragon
The Indian Dragon
The Polish Dragon
The Austrian Dragon
The British Dragon
The Ancient Dragon (Egypt, Babylon and Sumer)
The Spanish Basque Dragon
Of the Cockatrice (creature with the body of a dragon)
Alphabetical List of Dragons Across Myths (Great way to start)
Little creatures (without wings)
The Legend of the Leprechauns, The Leprechaun
Chanaque /Alux (the equivalent of leprechauns in Aztec/Mayan folklore)
Elves
Elves in Mythology and Fantasy
Elves in Germanic Mythology
Kabeiroi or Cabeiri (Dwarf-like minor gods in Greek mythology)
Norse Dwarves
The Myth of Loki and the Dwarves
Ten Types of Goblins
Goblins
Tengu: Japanese Goblins
Gnomes
More on Gnomes
Pooka: an Irish phantom
Creatures with wings (except dragons)
Fairies
All sorts of Cultural Fairies
Fairies in Old French Mythology
A Fairy List
Bendith Y Mamau (Welsh fairies)
Welsh Fairies
Peri (Persian fairies)
Yü Nü (Chinese fairies)
The Celtic Pixie
Angels in Judaism
Angels in Christianity
Hierarchy of Angels
Angels in Islam
Irish Sylph
Garuda (Bird-like creature in Hindu and Buddhist myths)
Bean Nighe (a Scottish fairy; the equivalent of a banshee in Celtic mythology)
Harpies
Spirited Creatures
Druids
Jinn (Genies in Arabic folklore)
Types of Djinns
Aisha Qandisha and Djinn in Moroccan Folklore
Oni (demons in Japanese folklore)
Nymphs
Spirits in Asturian Mythology
Valkyries
Lesovik
Boggarts: The British Poltergeist
Phantom black dogs (the Grim)
Demons in Babylonian and Assyrian Mythology (list)
Demons in the Americas (list)
European Demons (list)
Middle-East and Asia Demons (list)
Judeo-Christian Demons (list)
Nephilim, more on Nephilim
Mahaha (a demon in Inuit mythology)
Flying Head (a demon in Iroquois mythology)
Ghosts
Toyol (a dead baby ghost in Malay folklore)
Malay Ghosts
Yuki-onna (a ghost in Japanese folklore)
The Pontianak (a ghost in Malay mythology)
Funayurei (a ghost in Japanese folklore)
Zagaz (ghosts in Moroccan folklore)
Japanese Ghosts
Mexican Ghosts
Horse-like mythical creatures
Chinese Unicorns
Unicorns
The Kelpie (Could have also fitted in the sea creatures category)
The Centaur
The Female Centaur
Hippocamps (sea horses in Greek mythology)
Horse-like creatures (a list)
Karkadann, more on the Karkadann (a persian unicorn)
Ceffyl Dwfr (fairy-like water horse creatures in Cymric mythology)
Undead creatures
The Melanesian Vampire
The Ewe Myth : Vampires
The Germanic Alp
The Indonesian Vampire
Asanbosam and Sasabonsam (Vampires from West Africa)
The Aswang: The Filipino Vampire
Folklore Vampires Versus Literary Vampires
Callicantzaros: The Greek Vampire
Vampires in Malaysia
Loogaroo/Socouyant: The Haitian Vampire
Incubi and Sucubi Across Cultures
Varacolaci: The Romanian Vampire
Brahmaparusha: The Indian Vampire
Genesis of the Word “Vampire”
The Ghoul in Middle East Mythology
Slavic Vampires
Vampires A-Z
The Medical Truth Behind the Vampire Myths
Zombies in Haitian Culture
Shape-shifters and half-human creatures (except mermaids)
Satyrs (half-man, half-goat)
Sirens in Greek Mythology (half-woman and half-bird creatures)
The Original Werewolf in Greek Mythology
Werewolves Across Cultures
Werewolf Syndrome: A Medical Explanation to the Myth
Nagas Across Cultures
The Kumiho (half fox and half woman creatures)
The Sphinx
Criosphinx
Scorpion Men (warriors from Babylonian mythology)
Pooka: an Irish changelings
Domovoi (a shape-shifter in Russian folklore)
Aatxe (Basque mythology; red bull that can shift in a human)
Yech (Native American folklore)
Ijiraat (shapeshifters in Inuit mythology)
Sea creatures
Selkies (Norse mermaids)
Mermaids in many cultures
More about mermaids
Mermen
The Kraken (a sea monster)
Nuckelavee (a Scottish elf who mainly lives in the sea)
Lamiak (sea nymphs in Basque mythology)
Bunyip (sea monster in Aboriginal mythology)
Apkallu/abgal (Sumerian mermen)
An assemblage of myths and legends on water and water creatures
Slavic Water Creatures
The Encantado (water spirits in Ancient Amazon River mythology)
Zin (water spirit in Nigerian folklore)
Qallupilluk (sea creatures in Inuit mythology)
Monsters That Don’t Fit in Any Other Category
Aigamuxa, more details on Aigamuxa
Amphisabaena
Abere
Bonnacon
Myrmidons (ant warriors)
Troll, More on Trolls
Golems
Golems in Judaism
Giants: The Mystery and the Myth (50 min long documentary)
Inupasugjuk (giants in Inuit mythology)
Fomorians (an Irish divine race of giants)
The Minotaur
The Manticore, The Manticore and The Leucrouta
The Ogre
The Orthus (two-headed serpent-tailed dog)
The Windigo
The Windigo Psychosis
Rakshasa (humanoids in Hindu and Buddhist mythology)
Yakshas (warriors in Hindu mythology)
Taqriaqsuit (“Shadow people” in Inuit mythology)
References on Folklore and Mythology Across the Globe
Creatures of Irish Folklore
Folklore and Fairytales
An Overview of Persian Folklore
Filipino Folklore
Myths, Creatures and Folklore
Alaska Folklore
Spanish (Spain) Mythology
Mythical Archive
Mythology Dictionary
List of Medieval and Ancient Monsters
Native American Animals of Myth and Legends
Native American Myths
Bestiary of Ancient Greek Mythology
Mythology, Legend, Folklore and Ghosts
Angels and Demons
List of Sea Creatures
Yoruba Mythology
Ghosts Around the World, Ghosts From A to Z
Strange (Fantastic) Animals of Ancient Egypt
Egyptian Mythology
Creatures from West Africa
On the Legendary Creatures of Africa
Myths, Creatures and Folklore
References on writing a myth or mythical creatures
Writing a MYTHology in your novel?
How to Write a Myth
10 Steps to Creating Realistic Fantasy Creatures
Creating Fantasy Creatures or Alien Species
Legendary Creature Generator
Book Recommendations With Underrated Mythical Creatures
(I have stumbled upon web sites that believed some of these mythical creatures exist today… Especially dragons, in fact. I just had to share the love and scepticism.)
Introducing The OCs of Pawn
Intro
I love how it took me a full theme and a half to actually make a post about my OCs. I would say something in my own defense, but I don’t have one. Looks like I actually have to face the consequences of my procrastination this time. Wait, I’m still procrastinating by writing this intro...but okay, let’s actually get into it now!
Name: Alice Lee
Age: 15
Pronouns: She/her
Ethnicity: Chinese-American
Sexuality: Demisexual
5 words to describe her: Reserved, curious, non-confrontational, logical, observant
Likes: Physics, algebra, math/logic puzzles, chess, listening to true crime podcasts, boba tea
Dislikes: Being wrong, having no control over her life, things not making sense
Fun Facts: She wants to be a quantum physicist when she grows up! Also, she has a deep capacity for empathy and understanding that most people never see or notice. Unfortunately, all too many people are willing to dismiss her as unfeeling and cold, when in reality she’s just uncertain.
Name: Evie Lee
Age: 16
Pronouns: She/her
Ethnicity: Chinese-American
Sexuality: Aromantic
5 words to describe her: Outgoing, vibrant, upbeat, sensitive, optimistic
Likes: Daydreaming, watercolors/art, lacrosse, hanging out with friends, photography
Dislikes: Cold/wet weather, standardized tests, being interrupted, being spoken over
Fun Facts: From the beginning, I knew that I wanted Evie’s faceclaim to be Jessie Mei Li because personality-wise they are so similar! Also, Evie is a maladaptive daydreamer, which plays a large role in the story!
Name: Khalil Qurashi
Age: 16
Pronouns: He/him
Ethnicity: Pakistani-American
Sexuality: Bisexual
5 words to describe him: Funny, easygoing, enthusiastic, loyal, perceptive
Likes: Forensics speaking, traveling, meeting new people, challenges, soccer
Dislikes: The school subject of history, being ignored or patronized, not being taken seriously
Fun Facts: Although Khalil himself doesn’t swear, he carries around a “swear jar” for his friends. Every time they say a swear word, they have to contribute a certain amount of money, depending on 1.) what the word was and 2.) what context they said it in. He’s made about $20 off it so far. (No, I don’t know how I came up with this either, but it just seemed right-)
Name: Mikayla Grace Wong
Age 16
Pronouns: She/her
Ethnicity: Chinese-American
Sexuality: Undecided as of right now
5 words to describe her: Determined, decisive, creative, independent, impulsive
Likes: Pottery, sculpture, loud music, her comfort pair of headphones, overcast days, skateboarding
Dislikes: The American education system, people making decisions for her
Fun Facts: Mikayla’s character design is my favorite out of all of my OCs! She has a really unique style. It also helps that it’s really easy to find pictures that look like her on Pinterest! Her Pinterest board is definitely the prettiest in terms of clothing style.
Advice on Writing Banter
1. Don’t prolong the humor
As a reader, you’ve most likely seen this happen before. It happens when an author takes it upon themselves to make absolutely sure you understand that a character said something funny. This breaks the widely accepted First Commandment of Humor: if you have to explain a joke, said joke loses some of its humor. (Unless explaining the joke would make the scene funnier, etc. in which case you should keep that in! There's always more than one exception to a rule.) When this happens, the scene often slows down--way too much--and the humor quickly fades into annoyance for the reader. Yeah, the joke was fun at first, but it’s pretty much fulfilled its maximum humor.
How can you avoid this? As a reader, remember that you never want the author to patronize you. As a writer, just trust your readers. Tell a joke and just let it stand. Trust that the reader will notice. Don’t drag it out longer than necessary: that kills all the pacing and humor of the scene.
2. Diversify the delivery
Everyone has their own way of telling jokes and reacting to jokes told by others. Some people tell jokes with a deadpan, almost serious delivery. Others can barely get through a joke without laughing to the point of tears. Whatever the case may be, no two people will be the same!
Another way to write good banter is to mix up the types of humor present. For example, if one of your characters responds to everything with a sarcastic quip, don’t make the rest of your characters aggressively caustic towards one another.
Also, try mixing up what forms of comedy each character uses. Have a character laugh exclusively at bad puns and nothing else. Maybe another character takes themself way too seriously and refuses to find any humor in ridiculous situations. Or maybe a character can’t tell a knock-knock joke to save their life. Plus, a bonus of diversifying the comedy you use in your banter is that it’s a great way to flesh out your characters!
3. Pacing
The best way to create natural dialogue is make sure it sounds natural, and one way to check that is to look at the pacing. If the banter sounds stilted and awkward, no one is going to laugh. As you read it, listen for awkward pauses or lulls in the dialogue that might slow it down. Sometimes, you should ask yourself: do the responses sound realistic? Because let’s be honest: when you’re bantering with someone, you usually don’t have much time to think of very clever and specific comebacks on the spot. (Actually, I usually find that I come up with said comebacks hours later, when it’s way too late to use them.) I choose to only apply this rule to awkward or forced-sounding dialogue, though. As a banter lover, I never limit myself in writing banter! If I don't like how it sounds later, I can always cut it. I encourage you to do the same. If writing banter makes you happy, then write as much as you want and don't let me tell you what to do!
4. Tone
True banter should always be lighthearted or mischievous, but it should never be malicious or one-sided. There’s a thin line between bantering and bickering, in my opinion. Banter is a teasing, fun, and lighthearted argument between people. Bickering is banter but with often malicious undertones, and it may be one-sided.
For example, Banter would not be Character A pointing out all of Character B’s flaws. Banter would be A “criticizing” B clearly as a joke, and B defending themselves good-naturedly!
the sheer offensiveness of rereading something you wrote, discovering that, hey, it’s actually pretty good, and then reaching the end, wherein you realize that if you want more you actually have to write it
Parry: to block an attack
Beat: the striking of swords
Thrust: to straighten your sword arm as you can without having to move/ lunge forward
Lunging: extending your sword arm during a lunging motion/while moving forward
Cut: an attack where the sword is thrusted downward or across to hack at the opponent/their blade
Disarm/envelop: capturing the opponent's weapon near the hilt and tearing it out of their hold/locking it in place so they can't move it or fight back
Lock: when two swords come together at the hilts to make an "y"
Break: to push off, circle around, or disengage from the fight
Attack: the strike of a sword
Caress: the strikes of the opponents blade on both sides of it
Advance: to move forward
Retreat: to move backwards
En garde: the stance before combat
Sweep/swipe: to swing the sword around the opponent's head/shins
Front guard: where the sword sits in front of your face
Pivot: rotating 180 degrees with one foot planted in place
Pass back: moving the front foot into the rear position
Pass forward: moving your rear foot into the front position
Shed: to let a sword slide away from your without fighting back or changing it, so you're then free to move or attack
Slope: moving backwards from left to right
my favorite trope isn’t really “forbidden love.” it’s “strongly disapproved of love.” no one can stop the two characters from being together; it’s not illegal, but, boy howdy, nobody likes it very much.
me: i have the main characters, the aesthetic, and the setting. i'm ready to write!
my brain: but...what about a plot?
me, opening a new document: LIKE I SAID i'm ready to write!
There’s something truly exquisite about stories where the real tragedy is the price you paid to stand on top of the world
Rating First Lines of my WIPs Part 2
Intro
Hey, it’s Calliope, and she’s back with yet another low-effort post! I’m making a part 2 to my first post because I recently found some very old writings of mine from when I was just beginning to write, and I want to give them the attention they deserve! There were also a few lines that I really wanted to include in the last post but couldn't fit, so I'm adding them in here. Plus, this has now apparently become a trend, so I'm legally obligated to make a part 2 /j
One sunny day, there was a horse fair in Sunnydale.
4/10
As an opener, this line is drier than a desert
The title of this story is Unicorn Academy: Through the Magic Portal. It was a ripoff mashup of Harry Potter and Black Beauty, and was borne during my unfortunate horse girl phase. Basically, it was about two girls who buy horses that are secretly unicorns, and are magically transported to a unicorn school
Remember how I’ve always said that my first story was a Seekers fanfiction? Well, as it turns out, I was wrong, because this is the first story in my first writing notebook. I even drew a cover for it because when I was a kid, I fancied myself a writer and an artist. (Since then, I’ve discovered that I’m definitely one and not the other.)
Once, giraffes had short necks and were in the horse family.
5/10
...what
I’m intrigued, but in a I-want-to-read-this-just-to-see-how-laughable-it-is kind of way
The title of this story is called How the Giraffe Got Its LONG Neck. But the story itself still makes no sense, even with context
Yeah, I know, I wrote a lot about animals when I was young okay-
Once, there was an old fisherman whose wife died and before she died, she gave birth to two sons, Damon and Jason.
7/10
I’m definitely intrigued, but the sentence should be cut down a little more
This one is named The Magical Boat: A Fable. As a concept, it’s not too bad. In practice...you get quotes like this one: “While the fisherman was at the market, he saw a boat. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to buy it, so he bought it.” (Yes, this is a real quote.)
This line is giving major Chronicles of Narnia vibes and I like it
“Kelly was dreaming. A robed woman knelt down by an altar.”
8/10
I actually quite like this line! This story was a sequel to another story called Secret Realm, where (shocker) the characters found a secret realm. Unfortunately, I lost the Google Doc where I wrote the original story, so I have no idea where this one was supposed to pick up.
I like this image a lot, it gives me fancy fantasy prologue vibes
Subtract the “dream beginning” and I would like it more
“The only joy I ever got out of my early life was visiting the church next to the shabby orphanage I lived in.”
7.5/10
I wrote this story around 6th-7th grade and I remember being really proud of it. I even posted it online. It’s probably lying in some forgotten corner of the Internet at this point-
Religion doesn’t play any role in this story, the only reason a church is mentioned is because it was the home of a piano that the main character loved. Music was the main character’s only joy in life, etc. etc.
Giving Jane Eyre vibes, I kind of like it!
“Because my mother raised me to be the next queen, I know when and what fork to use at dinner. Because she didn’t raise a fool, I know what artery to stick it in so you’ll bleed to death.”
8/10
I’m like 80% sure I got this from a writing prompt on the Internet, but I can’t find it anywhere? So for the purposes of this post, I’m going to assume I wrote it
This sounds like belongs to a YA fantasy with a not-like-other-girls assassin-queen MC who’s leading a revolt to claim her crown, yet can’t decide which guy to pick in a love triangle
It's super dramatic and I kind of love it anyway, so I’m going to give it extra points!
“The entire town had turned out to watch the emperor’s killer die.“
8.5/10
*bangs head against wall* why didn’t I continue this wip it sounds SO COOL
This line's not a 9 because I don’t think it’s *quite* there?
I definitely want to return to this one someday! I shelved it to make room for other projects but I hope to get back to it!
i know we writers complain about writing a lot as a joke, and that's completely fine, but it's also important to remember why we love it and what we find in it!
we keep coming back to the blank page because we believe we can fill it. we build something from nothing more than our own imaginations. we transfer thoughts to words to paper to people. writing really is one of the most beautiful things we can do, and that's one of my favorite things about it.
how did this silly little post get 1,000 notes?? thank you guys so much! now i can say i’m officially tumblr viral /j
“feminine urge” this and “masculine urge” that, what about the urge to stop procrastinating writing your wips?