athenswrites

[athenswrites]

Welcome Back to the Collection of the Odd Cryptid's Writings

Hi! I'm Athens/Andy (they/them). I am a somewhat old yet somewhat new face on writeblr. I'm currently a second year student at a university in the deep south, studying history and anthropology in order to become a museum curator. Most of my free time is spent writing, which is the driving force behind this blog. Writing has become the love of my life over the past ten years.

AthensWrites has had two prior iterations. All I posted here in the previous iteration was privated, including Not Your Typical Fairytale. Don't fear, NYTF will make a glorious return ;)

With all that said, welcome back to the odd writings of Athens, and I hope you enjoy your stay. Below the cut, I've detailed some of my current projects, which range from Sci-Fi (my favorite) to thrillers to fantasy to realistic fiction. I've highlighted key content warnings and tags for each, just to keep you aware. If you'd like to hop on a tag list for any of these stories, please let me know! Some of them I post more frequently than others. I am also very tag list and tag game friendly so PLEASE tag me in stuff. If you need other people to tag in a writeblr tag game, look no further than this post!

The collection is constantly updating and evolving, so stay tuned!

Not Your Typical Fairytale (#nytf)

Although originally planned as a standalone novel, NYTF has now expanded into three separate books: Knight of Dawn, Queen of Noon, and King of Dusk. There's an additional collection of short stories/untold stories planned as well, tentatively titled Pawn of Midnight.

Content warning: gore, death, violence, graphic scientific experimentation, derealization, paranoia, drug use and abuse, alcohol use, child abuse (physical, verbal), relationship abuse (verbal, manipulation), sex (consensual) Related tags: nytf, Piers Hall, Grady Yensey, Rene Dubois, ATLZoS

Knight of Dawn

Piers Hall is the newly crowned monarch of the post-apocalyptic State of Georgia, after their mother, Queen Adele, was declared unfit to rule. Despite meaning well, they find themself unprepared for the role, especially as political rivals, like North Carolina’s President René Dubois and Councilmember Shanna Miles, close in on their tail, seemingly threatening to topple their rule. When various palace staff start to show where their real loyalties, it seems like Grady Yensey, Commander of the Royal Guard and their closest friend, is the only one they can trust. Piers and Grady must scramble to uncover the truth behind Queen Adele’s questionable associates, Piers’ missing past, and President Dubois’ shady activities

International Alliance of Superhumans (#iash)

Superhumans have existed as long as we have, normal people who suddenly develop seemingly magical powers overnight. That’s why the International Alliance of Superhumans was founded in 1945, to help control these superhumans to better humanity. Now, the Alliance's ideals and control is falling apart, as the Underground and the Union threaten its weakening rule over the superhuman community. Fireball is the golden hero of the Alliance , the face of the organization, the beloved apprentice of the Chief Administrator after the death of the one and only GoldenSon. He’s brave, courageous, kind, and always up to take a photo with the kiddos, accompanied by his partner, NightSong. He’s taken down villains from Quantum Rift (the killer of GoldenSon) to Árbol Terror, and now has his eyes set on taking down Hueso Blanco and Morpheus Nox before they can tear a hole in reality. Brigid Roberts is the face behind the mask of Fireball. They’re the only child of the now-deceased Nikki Roberts and find have found themself seeking revenge for Nikki’s death…while also trying to manage this superhero business and their senior year of high school. It doesn’t help that the administration of Wesmoreland keeps threatening to expel them for their aggressive behavior. Hueso Blanco is the epitome of an ex-Alliance villain, a well beloved hero fallen from grace, after Árbol Terror and Quantum Rift convinced him to join the Underground. Now with both of his former allies dead, he leads the Underground, and with the help of Morpheus Nox (an up and coming villain with a terrifying similarity to Quantum Rift) he plans to tear a hole in our reality, ripping out world apart. Martin Garcia-Flores is the sole caretaker of his younger brother, Elias, and would do anything to protect him. After the Alliance's violent threats, he left, in order to protect what was left. He lost friends and family and his love to the Alliance's corrupted side, and now works tirelessly to bring it to his knees…while also trying to work three separate jobs to keep himself and Elias afloat. When fate brings Brigid and Martin face to face, maskless and vulnerable, the two come to understand they may not be as different as they’d both previously thought. Content Warning: violence, gore, death, family abuse (physical, verbal), alcohol (use) Related Tags: IASH, superhumans, Brigid Roberts, Martin GF, Hueso Blanco, Fireball

Space Clue/The Murder of Fredrik Lexand (#tmfl)

In 2183, humans abandoned earth as her ecosystems collapsed and became uninhabitable. Now, the remnants of humanity live in the Lexand Starfleet, a group of 16 name-brand ships, sailing towards deep space. In control of it all is Fredrik Lexand, the 17th great grandson of the original founder of Lexand StarFleet. From his living pod at the head of StarSeeker Alpha, he controls everything and anything that happens to humanity, from their food to their spouses to where the remnants of humanity will travel to. The weight of the world on one man’s shoulders (who are we kidding, of course he has lackeys who do all the menial work), worshipped as a god. Until the morning he is found brutally dismembered, mangled parts of his body strewn all over his office. Humanity freezes, watching intently, as the Lexand Pod is locked down by Detective Scoud Tambry, swearing to uncover the killer, and avenge the Corporate god-king. Content Warning: Violence, gore Related Tags: tmfl, space clue, Triple A Siblings, Scoud Tambry

Something Queer is Afoot (#SQIA)

Something Queer is Afoot is a massive collection of stories, all centering around queer life and romance. The Queer Crew is the group which most of them are centered around. This collection is MASSIVE and has about 10 different novella-length stories within. The content warnings listed below covers ALL of SQIA. Content Warnings: su*cide, death, homophobia, transphobia, abuse (physical, verbal, and sexual), drug use and abuse, religious trauma, sex (consensual and noncon/r*pe) Related Tags: SQIA, tqc, nlth, frf, sunandgun, boc

Still to be added: All of SQIA's individual projects, Cryto Conspiracy, The Great Fantasy American Road Trip, World of Ateine, Neon Squad

MORE TO BE ADDED SOON, SO STAY TUNED!

Athens' Current Objectives....

Blog Tag Directory:

#athenswrites: Personal writing

#athens answers: ask games

#other writeblrs: exactly what it sounds like, other writers I've reblogged

#writers I love: reblogs of close friends or writing that just hits me different

#rblg: general reblog tag

I'm pretty good at tagging extensively, so if you need to find something or are looking for a specific wip in my blog, there's a high probability I've tagged it like crazy

[athenswrites]

Just a reminder if u follow(ed) this account that I’m now located at @oddcryptidwrites

[athenswrites]

Welcome to AthensWrites!

Who is Athens?

My name is Athens or Oleander, and you can call me any nickname derived from those two! I use they/them pronouns and I’m a rising college freshman (as of spring 2022). I come from Oklahoma but now reside in a different state in the Deep South. I love to write, obviously, and restarted this blog from the remains of @atbwritesarchives to share my writing! Outside of working on my WIPs, I knit, play the saxophone, and occasionally read tarot (if you ask me politely).

My Writing

I started writing in third grade, from what I can remember, and my love for storytelling only expanded from there. I write primarily sci-fi that hits too close to home and realistic fiction, with a healthy dose of modern fantasy and time travel as well. I oscillate violently between my projects and can never guarantee which one I’ll be hyper fixated on at the moment. But feel free to ask about any of them! Check them out below the cut! I’ll continue to update them with links and more summaries as I go.

Main Projects

Not Your Typical Fairytale (#nytf)

Nothing is how it seems in the world of politics.

Piers Hall is the newly crowned monarch of the post-apocalyptic State of Georgia, after their mother, Queen Adele, was declared unfit to rule. Despite meaning well, they find themself unprepared for the role, especially as political rivals, like North Carolina’s President Dubois and SAVZoS Councilmember Shanna Miles, close in on their tail, seemingly threatening to topple their rule. When various palace staff start to betray them, it seems like Grady Yensey, Commander of the Royal Guard and their closest friend, is the only one they can trust. Piers and Grady must scramble to uncover the truth behind Queen Adele’s demise, Piers’ missing memories, and President Dubois’ shady activities

Content warning: gore, death, violence, scientific experimentation, derealization

International Academy of Superhumans (#iash)

Superhumans have existed as long as we have, normal people who suddenly develop seemingly magical powers overnight. That’s why the Academy was founded, to help train these superhumans to better humanity. Now, the Academy’s ideals and control is falling apart, as the Underground and the Union threaten its weakening rule over the superhuman community.

Fireball is the golden hero of the Academy, the face of the organization, the beloved apprentice of Schoolteacher after the death of the one and only GoldenSon. He’s brave, courageous, kind, and always up to take a photo with the kiddos, accompanied by his partner, NightSong. He’s taken down villains from Quantum Rift (the killer of GoldenSon) to Árbol Terror, and now has his eyes set on taking down Hueso Blanco and Morpheus Nox before they can tear a hole in reality.

Topaz Roberts is the face behind the mask of Fireball. They’re the only child of the now-deceased Nikki Roberts and find have found themself seeking revenge for Nikki’s death…while also trying to manage this superhero business and their senior year of high school. It doesn’t help that the administration of Wesmoreland keeps threatening to expel them for their aggressive behavior.

Hueso Blanco is the epitome of an ex-Academy villain, a well beloved hero fallen from grace, after Árbol Terror and Quantum Rift convinced him to join the Underground. Now with both of his former allies dead, he leads the Underground, and with the help of Morpheus Nox (an up and coming villain with a terrifying similarity to Quantum Rift) he plans to tear a hole in our reality, ripping out world apart.

Martin Garcia-Flores is the sole caretaker of his younger brother, Elias, and would do anything to protect him. After the Academy’s violent threats, he left, in order to protect what was left. He lost friends and family and his love to the Academy’s corrupted side, and now works tirelessly to bring it to his knees…while also trying to work three separate jobs to keep himself and Elias afloat.

When fate brings Topaz and Martin face to face, maskless and vulnerable, the two come to understand they may not be as different as they’d both previously thought.

Content Warning: violence, gore, death, manipulation, derealization

Fantasy American Road Trip (#fartfantasy)

10 years ago, the Unseelie King rose up, taking over the modern magical world. He scared the Magical High Council (MHC for short) into hiding, and began to break down the Veil, which separated the magical and mundane. The MHC has tried to retain what little control they had left, but it’s slipping quickly…until they kidnap the King’s only son, a young man named Conan, who had no clue the magical world existed at all.

Now, the Unseelie King wants to finish off the MHC once and for all. He summons the three children of the MHC’s most powerful members, and sends them on a deadly quest, to draw the MHC out of hiding. However, it doesn’t go quite according to his plans, when Oleander, Lapis, and Izumi turn out to be more proficient in the magical arts than expected. The trio travels across the country, from Appalachian Georgia to San Francisco, putting together the missing pieces in the King’s story, picking up a few stragglers along the way. Meanwhile, Conan is forced to reckon with the reality he’d been told was hallucinations his entire life, and take matters into his own hands.

Content Warning: fantasy violence, mental illness/depression

Neon Squad (#NeSq)

Summary coming soon!

Something Queer is Afoot (#sqia)

Something Queer is Afoot is a collection of “short” stories, all centering around queer life and romance. The Queer Crew is the story which most of them are centered around; its characters are the ones in the others.

The Queer Crew (#TQC)

High school is rough enough, but being queer takes “being rough” to a whole new level. The Queer Crew follows a group of queer teens through their high school years, as they fall in and out of teenage love, build friendships and rivalries, and grow into their own identities.

The Crew is informally led by the three founders: Jesse Robinson, Regan Gibson, and Rainey Ji.

Jesse Robinson was the original member of the Crew, and the one who holds it all together. They’re tall, quiet, and artsy, however he can pack a mean punch. Regan Gibson came next, the popular cheerleader who’s been hiding the fact she’s transfemale, for fear of retaliation. Then came Rainey Ji, the mastermind behind it all. He’s the brains of the whole operation, and eventually, takes it over by sheer force.

Content warning: general transphobia/homophobia experienced by the characters, abusive friendships and relationships, and bullying.

No Less Than Holy (#nlth)

Summary coming soon!

Sun is Going Down in This Town

Summary coming soon!

Box of Crayons (#BoCs)

Summary coming soon!

Queer Women and Lesbians

Summary coming soon!

February Foundation

Summary coming soon!

The Duncan Family

Summary coming soon!

Fast and Furia

Summary coming soon!

The Warehouse

Cryto Conspiracy (#CryCon)

Summary coming soon!

Pirates and Timeloops (#PaT)

Summary coming soon!

Space Clue/The Murder of Fredrik Lexand (#TMFL)

In 2104, humans abandoned earth as her ecosystems collapsed and became uninhabitable. Now, the remnants of humanity live in the Lexand Starfleet, a group of 16 name-brand ships, sailing towards deep space. In control of it all is Fredrik Lexand, the 17th great grandson of the original founder of Lexand StarFleet. From his living pod at the head of StarSeeker Alpha, he controls everything and anything that happens to humanity, from their food to their spouses to where the remnants of humanity will travel to. The weight of the world on one man’s shoulders (who are we kidding, of course he has lackeys who do all the menial work), worshipped as a god.

Until the morning he is found brutally dismembered, mangled parts of his body strewn all over his office. Humanity freezes, watching intently, as the Lexand Pod is locked down by Detective Scoud Tambry, swearing to uncover the killer, and avenge the Corporate god-king.

Content Warning: Violence, gore

Atene

Summary coming soon!

Beginning of the End

Summary coming soon!

The Immortal Matchmaker

Summary coming soon!

What Happens on The Band Bus

Summary coming soon!

AthensShorts

This is just the collection of everything which doesn’t fit above! I’ll update with links as I go!

[athenswrites]

HEY YOU!

Yes you!!!!

It’s been a while since I’ve been on writeblr and I need new active writeblrs. If you are a writer and fall into any of these categories you should totally follow me then reblog this, so I can follow you

You write often

You rarely write

You post oc prompts

You post writing advice

You’re lgbtq or write lgbtq content

You’re ADHD or autistic

You like or write scifi

You like or write dystopias

You like or write morally grey characters

You reblog content from other writers

[athenswrites]

Welcome to AthensWrites!

Who is Athens?

My name is Athens or Oleander, and you can call me any nickname derived from those two!I use they/them pronouns and I’m a rising college freshman (as of spring 2022). I come from Oklahoma but now reside in a different state in the Deep South. I love to write, obviously, and restarted this blog from the remains of @atbwritesarchives to share my writing! Outside of working on my WIPs, I knit, play the saxophone, and occasionally read tarot (if you ask me politely).

My Writing

I started writing in third grade, from what I can remember, and my love for storytelling only expanded from there. I write primarily sci-fi that hits too close to home and realistic fiction, with a healthy dose of modern fantasy and time travel as well. I oscillate violently between my projects and can never guarantee which one I’ll be hyper fixated on at the moment. But feel free to ask about any of them! Check them out below the cut! I’ll continue to update them with links and more summaries as I go.

Main Projects

Not Your Typical Fairytale (#nytf)

Nothing is how it seems in the world of politics.

Piers Hall is the newly crowned monarch of the post-apocalyptic State of Georgia, after their mother, Queen Adele, was declared unfit to rule. Despite meaning well, they find themself unprepared for the role, especially as political rivals, like North Carolina’s President Dubois and SAVZoS Councilmember Shanna Miles, close in on their tail, seemingly threatening to topple their rule. When various palace staff start to betray them, it seems like Grady Yensey, Commander of the Royal Guard and their closest friend, is the only one they can trust. Piers and Grady must scramble to uncover the truth behind Queen Adele’s demise, Piers’ missing memories, and President Dubois’ shady activities

Content warning: gore, death, violence, scientific experimentation

International Academy of Superhumans (#iash)

Superhumans have existed as long as we have, normal people who suddenly develop seemingly magical powers overnight. That’s why the Academy was founded, to help train these superhumans to better humanity. Now, the Academy’s ideals and control is falling apart, as the Underground and the Union threaten its weakening rule over the superhuman community.

Fireball is the golden hero of the Academy, the face of the organization, the beloved apprentice of Schoolteacher after the death of the one and only GoldenSon. He’s brave, courageous, kind, and always up to take a photo with the kiddos, accompanied by his partner, NightSong. He’s taken down villains from Quantum Rift (the killer of GoldenSon) to Árbol Terror, and now has his eyes set on taking down Hueso Blanco and Morpheus Nox before they can tear a hole in reality.

Topaz Roberts is the face behind the mask of Fireball. They’re the only child of the now-deceased Nicky Roberts and findhave found themself seeking revenge for his death…while also trying to manage this superhero business and their senior year of high school. It doesn’t help that the administration of Wesmoreland keeps threatening to expel them for their aggressive behavior.

Hueso Blanco is the epitome of an ex-Academy villain, a well beloved hero fallen from grace, after Árbol Terror and Quantum Rift convinced him to join the Underground. Now with both of his former allies dead, he leads the Underground, and with the help of Morpheus Nox (an up and coming villain with a terrifying similarity to Quantum Rift) he plans to tear a hole in our reality, ripping out world apart.

Martin Garcia-Flores is the sole caretaker of his younger brother, Elias, and would do anything to protect him. After the Academy’s violent threats, he left, in order to protect what was left. He lost friends and family and his love to the Academy’s corrupted side, and now works tirelessly to bring it to his knees…while also trying to work three separate jobs to keep himself and Elias afloat.

When fate brings Topaz and Martin face to face, maskless and vulnerable, the two come to understand they may not be as different as they’d both previously thought.

Content Warning: violence, gore, death, manipulation

Fantasy American Road Trip (#fartfantasy)

Summary coming soon!

SuperSquad (#SpSq)

Summary coming soon!

Something Queer is Afoot (#sqia)

Something Queer is Afoot is a collection of “short” stories, all centering around queer life and romance. The Queer Crew is the story which most of them are centered around; its characters are the ones in the others.

The Queer Crew (#TQC)

High school is rough enough, but being queer takes “being rough” to a whole new level. The Queer Crew follows a group of queer teens through their high school years, as they fall in and out of teenage love, build friendships and rivalries, and grow into their own identities.

The Crew is informally led by the three founders: Jesse Robinson, Regan Gibson, and Rainey Ji.

Jesse Robinson was the original member of the Crew, and the one who holds it all together. They’re tall, quiet, and artsy, however he can pack a mean punch. Regan Gibson came next, the popular cheerleader who’s been hiding the fact she’s transfemale, for fear of retaliation. Then came Rainey Ji, the mastermind behind it all. He’s the brains of the whole operation, and eventually, takes it over by sheer force.

Content warning: general transphobia/homophobia experienced by the characters, abusive friendships and relationships, and bullying.

No Less Than Holy (#nlth)

Summary coming soon!

Sun is Going Down in This Town

Summary coming soon!

Box of Crayons (#BoCs)

Summary coming soon!

Queer Women and Lesbians

Summary coming soon!

February Foundation

Summary coming soon!

The Duncan Family

Summary coming soon!

Fast and Furia

Summary coming soon!

The Warehouse

Cryto Conspiracy (#CryCon)

Summary coming soon!

Pirates and Timeloops (#PaT)

Summary coming soon!

Space Clue/The Murder of Fredrik Lexand (#TMFL)

Summary coming soon!

Atene

Summary coming soon!

Beginning of the End

Summary coming soon!

The Immortal Matchmaker

Summary coming soon!

What Happens on The Band Bus

Summary coming soon!

AthensShorts

This is just the collection of everything which doesn’t fit above! I’ll update with links as I go!

[athenswrites]

Hi!

My name is Athens, and I’m the former owner of @atbwrites, now @atbwritesarchives archives! It’s been a while since I’ve been on Tumblr but I want to share my novel and story ideas again! If you are a writer, like reading, or a former follower, I’d love to see y’all around!

I’ll be doing a formal intro soon!!!

[athenswrites]

So, I really like doing Picrews but I’m also Black, SO! I decided to compile a list of picrews and dolls that had a wide range of skin tones, option for Black facial features and Black hair options THAT MAKE SENSE. If you find anymore please add on! These are my favs to go back to 😁

Djarn Charater maker

Smile Maker

Icon Maker-Star Wars

Icon Maker by Magenta Girl

Adorable Character

Vintage Western Girl

BAYDEWS AVATER MAKER

Specs Maker

Hummm Girl

Girl Maker

Poicon Maker

Aloha! Sushicore Icon

Space Princess

[athenswrites]

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.

[athenswrites]

@awhellstothejoe deserves credit for perfectly articulating the fantasy writer version of “Thanks! I hate it!”

[athenswrites]

FINNPETRA FLUFF FEBRUARY ❃ DAY 5: FINNEAS’ BIRTHDAY

i’m writing a little fluffy prompt piece set around my wip muddy roads & foxgloves every day for the month of february. see all FinnPetra Fluff February posts here!

POV: Finneas.

setting: a few months (3 months to be exact) before the road trip. not yet dating.

synopsis:  Finneas gets a little visit at work from Petra on his birthday.

words: 736

Finneas was used to the plant store being quiet, but winter was something else.

After the rush of people buying poinsettias and ivy for the winter solstice came weeks of nearly nothing. He would have thought people would be looking for some greenery to liven up the cold, grey months, but apparently he was mistaken.

Sure, he liked his alone time, but this was next level boredom. He could only make the rounds through the two aisles to water and spray the plants so many times before he ended up overwatering them. The floors had been swept unnaturally clean. The pots had been stacked and restacked. Now, the only thing he could do was sit behind the counter and stare at the large, overpriced croton by the door, waiting for something, anything, to relieve him of his ennui.

The little bell chimed above the door as it swung open.

Welcoming the break in the monotony, Finneas quickly straightened and pasted his work smile on. “Good aftern—Oh, it’s you.”

He relaxed his posture somewhat as Petra stepped into the store and stomped her boots on the welcome mat to rid them of the snow—when had it started snowing? Finneas had barely noticed—before offering him a little wave with her mittened hand. Brushing snowflakes out of her curls, she gave him a breathless, “Hey.”

Keep reading

[athenswrites]

Nytf time!

Piers and Grady don’t really have a place where anything big happened, but they do share a shared common room that they retreat to most often when either is stressed/wants to be alone and the other always notices when things are out of place/have been moved around in there. It’s stupid ik lol.

Tender Tuesday Open Ask

Is there a special place your OTP has fond memories of? Somewhere they think of/pass/go back to and always think of each other?

This is an open question for anyone who wants to answer.

@tendertuesdayasks

[athenswrites]

bbc merlin : season 3 ... sentence starters

“He looked so pitiful!“

“There is evil in your heart.“

“You might want to take a bath.”

“You followed me. How dare you!“

“Are you saying I look like a toad?“

“Destinies are troublesome things.“

“I couldn’t watch everyone’s grief…”

“I believe in the world you will build.“

“The only rule is… there are no rules.“

“You look very handsome… the perfect bait.“

“You’re learning. Slowly, but you’re learning.”

“I trust in your destiny… just trust in yourself.“

“I was wrong. Coming here was a great idea.“

“I know what you did. You tried to poison me!“

“Oh, maybe something you said gave it away.“

“You need to be more in touch with the people.“

“You know, you’ve got a lot of nerve for a wimp.“

“I am so sorry for everything you’ve been through.“

“No harm will come to you, I can promise you that.”

“But believe me, I have seen the evils in this world.“

“Some choices are easy. Some stay with you forever.”

“I hope, in time, we will both find the love we deserve.“

“You should get out of here while you have the chance.“

“I know where we’re going. I just can’t tell you, that’s all.“

“I can see deep into your heart. It is cold, cold as stone.“

“She is the darkness to your light, the hatred to your love.“

“Trust me, when I am threatening you, you’ll know about it.”

“If you really want to know what I think? I think you’re mad.“

“Let’s be honest, you couldn’t kill me even if you wanted to.“

“I know. But you’re playing with things that are beyond you.“

“Well, I may be a wimp, but at least I’m not a… dollop-head.“

“I think we’ve no chance, but I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“This is what happens when you spend all day in the tavern.“

“I swore that one day I would repay you. Now is the moment.”

“You play it so well, you’ve fooled him… but you don’t fool me.“

“Well, I wouldn’t expect you to understand. You’re not a knight.”

“He believes I’ve changed. Soon he will see exactly how much.“

“One day you’ll be strong enough to take my crown, but not yet.“

“You shouldn’t have come back for me. What were you thinking?“

“You know, you couldn’t keep a secret if your life depended on it!”

“The problem is that you wish to talk, but you don’t wish to listen.”

“I don’t know, you were the only person who knew where we were.“

“Well, if it means I don’t get clobbered ‘round the head, I’m glad of it.“

“You’d do well, (name), to stay out of things that do not concern you.“

“I’ve never killed a man before. I just wanted to feel… what it was like.“

“Because I don’t understand how anyone would want to hurt their friends.“

“You are an arrogant prat, with the brain of a donkey and a face of a toad!“

“Standing here, seeing so many happy faces… it almost seems like a dream.“

“What are you planning? And don’t even think about lying, I know you too well.”

“I promise you that, in the future, I will give you the love and respect you deserve.”

“There’s no better place to measure the mood of your people than the local tavern.“

“From everyone else’s perspective, apart from yours and mine, it’s completely insane.“

“I understand. You were just trying to protect your friends. I would have done the same.“

“It’s lonely… to be more powerful than any man you know and have to live like a shadow.”

“I have fought alongside you many times. There is no other person I would rather die for.“

“Even though I was a commoner and a nobody, you were willing to lay down your life for me.”

“It was the middle of the night. I was worried. I thought you might be in some sort of trouble.”

“No, no. That’s all that I’ve done for the past year, sit. And pray that you hadn’t given up on me.“

“This is madness. She has been missing for more than a year now. When are you going to stop?“

“To see one of your own kin die is never an easy thing, but all great struggles demand sacrifice.“

“You don’t know how much I regret everything that I’ve done! I just… I hope that you can forgive me.“

“Nobility is defined by what you do, and not by who you are, and these men… are anything but.”

“This is one of those moments where I tell you something isn’t a good idea and you ignore me, isn’t it?“

“Oh, but they do concern me, because they’re my friends too, and I’ll do whatever it takes… to protect them.“

“You don’t know what it’s like to be an outsider… to be ashamed of how you were born, to have to hide who you are.”

“If I don’t know where we’re going, how do I know what to pack? Will it be hot, will it be cold, will it be wet, will it be dry?“

“You’re hopeless at a lot of things. Well, most thing, in fact. But, very occasionally, quite by accident, you say something useful.”

“There are times where you display a sort of, I don’t know what it is. I don’t want to say… it’s not wisdom, but, yes. That’s what it is.”

“Yesterday, amongst all your gibberish, you said something that, if I didn’t know you, I’d be completely fooled into thinking you were… wise.”

“In the wrong hands, this sword can do great evil. You must promise me that, once it’s task is done, you will place is where none can wield it.”

“You feel trapped? Like your whole life has been planned out for you, and you’ve got no control over anything, and sometimes you don’t even know if what destiny has decided is really the best thing at all?”

[athenswrites]

me tagging someone in a wip post: oh god friend forgive me for disturbing your peace with this offering

me being tagged by someone in a wip post: YES FOOD FINALLY THANK YOU FOR THIS POST

[athenswrites]

Would a jewish or muslim person pray if they were in a dire, hopeless situation and thinking they were going to die? If so, what would they say?

Jewish and Muslim characters - what would they pray in a dire situation?

Jewish answer

“Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One / Blessed is God’s Glorious Name For Ever and Ever” (Shma Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad / Baruch Shem, K’vod Malchuto, L’Olam Va’ed) – this is the shema, there are plenty of times to say it and this is just one of them. My flippant way of describing it in my head is that if we’re mobile phones this is the way we ping the tower.

–Shira

Definitely agree it would be the Shema. 

The only exception I can think of is if it’s the time of day for ritualistic prayer (either shacharit, mincha or ma'ariv), they might prioritise that over reacting to the situation as an affirmation of their faith in face of death. There is no obligation to risk your/others’ lives in order to pray at the correct time, in fact this would be against Torah, but if the situations seems hopeless anyway then I can think of some stories of people saying ‘it’s time for *insert daily prayer*’ and proceeding to go through the relevant service with no obvious signs of fear. 

Similarly, you might want to research how to make sure your character’s attitude towards the situation is in line with their unique Jewish identity.

If they’re very religious, for example, they may have an easier time accepting this fate than the average person. Jewish theology involves a belief that everything ultimately comes from G-d and is therefore good. We do have a strong emphasis on protecting life as one of our main obligations in this world, but there is also an acceptance towards death as something that G-d created and so is ultimately for the good - the first thing we say on hearing that someone has passed away is 'Baruch Dayurn Ha'Emet’, 'Blessed is the True Judge.’

 Unlike Christianity, we don’t have a concept of the Devil as a being independent of G-d who is capable of introducing fundamentally bad things into the universe. This may or may not play out in your character’s thought process and decisions in the situation you’re describing, it depends on their relationship to Judaism and Jewish theology, so that’s something I recommend including in your research.

–Shoshi

As you can see, Shoshi and I have varying levels of knowledge about how much prayer belongs when, and that’s something to keep in mind – if your character is Reform they might sound more like my answer and if they’re Orthodox go with Shoshi’s – but that difference is only relevant at specific times of the day.

–Shira

Muslim answer - open to followers

The Muslim portion of this character is open to followers.

Muslim mods are not active at this time. We’ll be recruiting for more mods soon; Muslim writers, feel free to apply anytime! 

https://forms.gle/qywJmrwcZj3E28nh8

[athenswrites]

When you check your word count, and it’s only at 20 words:

[athenswrites]

FORGOTTEN SUN  a wip (re)introduction by @mahalii

genre : diesel-punk with hints of magic class : novel series outlined for three to five books current status : first draft ( 35k / 100k ) narration : third-person limited, multiple povs themes and tropes : the chosen one, found family, platonic and romantic love, enemies to friends to lovers, mutual pining + unrequited love, adventure, dead magic systems, warfare and imperialism, recovering from trauma, political intrigue, unlocking secrets of the past, and the fight for freedom content warnings : a lot of death, gun fights, the horrors of war, and light descriptions of gore and blood

━━  SUMMARY.

Alas, a millennium has passed since the warring twin cities have collapsed to ruin. Mankind is thriving. Deep in the glistening heart of the cities, airships of steel are found drifting along the clouds instead of the sea, rotormobiles roar on streets filled with pedestrians and their bot counterparts, and biplanes soar even higher than the spires of high-rises streaming with gold. It’s an age full of wonder. And an age full of a horrific and long-waged world war. 

Yet this all remains unbeknownst to Jenya Nasangkai, whose tedious life in seclusion bids her to wish for something phenomenal. But phenomenal has its price. In an instant, her entire world is flipped upside down when the merciless Kingsmen of the Imperial Realm raid her homeland, and all that she’s ever known is gone. Now left with nothing but a vengeful heart and mind, Jenya sets off on a fiery journey of dethroning the Emperor and ending this madness once and for all. But she isn’t alone.

A pilot arrested for something he did not do. A wanderer who can’t remember her own past. A robot who isn’t quite the same as those in the cities. A princess with high ambitions for her kingdom. A captain sworn to defend the throne. A soldier with his heart set on answers. An assassin sent to retrieve a special ring.

And it’s that same ring the Emperor killed thousands for just to have it in his hands. In a desperate pursuit of solving clues and unearthing secrets of the past before it’s too late, the team must put their differences aside if it means putting an end to this war for good. And they might. If they can find a long-prophesied Savior destined to bring peace to the entire world.

━━ MAIN CAST.

JENYA NASANGKAI. the reason. raven-black hair that falls past her waist; a tanned frame dappled with light freckles; bitter, seething anger and grief pulsating through her blood and veins. or could that be something else?

BENJAMIN KIRSCHT. the question. ash brown waves that flow with the wind; prominent veins trailing slender hands; deep scars and bruises from past adventures. 

RORIE DEROUX. the sign. golden hair that never meets her shoulders; chapped lips known to curl into a grin; dirt-smeared hands familiar with shooting a rifle.

PLEX. the answer. a silver gloss now hidden with tarnished rust; pliant limbs as tall as two men; small plants growing in-between cracks and long crevices.  

ZUZANNA KAESOR. the voice. golden-brown skin with an unblemished glow; marigolds and blue cornflowers hiding within handsome brunette curls; a silver septum ring to demonstrate rule. 

JIAN ZOË. the guide. jet-black wisps framing a sharp face; a blade from the finest metals sworn to never shed another’s blood. red-tinted lips sharing wisdom greater than even the wisest of men.

DARCI RISHKA. the revelation. features that can pass off as a corpse; a crooked nose that steers out of others’ business; mounds of grief and guilt buried even deeper than the bullet wounds of his fallen comrades.

THE RED SOLDIER. the mystery. hands stained with the blood of a thousand men; an unknown face hidden beneath the comforts of a golden helmet; voices in their head telling them to trust no one, even if that includes the emperor their heart pledged to serve.

MORE INFORMATION  [ WIP PAGE | WIP TAG | INSPIRATION ]

Keep reading

[athenswrites]

Writing With Color Top Posts + Other Useful Ones

Oh hey– here’s a list ranked by Writing With Color’s most popular posts since opening in 2014 up till now, the start of 2017. Pulled together for the interest and usefulness for readers like you. Thank you.

Top 7 Popular Original Posts 

Words for Skin Tone - This two part guide offers an array of words for describing skin color. Part I focuses on the problems with food descriptors. Part II provides alternatives. (68k+ Notes)

Common Micro-aggressions: African Americans and/or Black People - An extensive list of common micro-aggressions towards Black people with some links for further reading. (46k)

Words to Describe Hair - As with the words for skin tone, an offering of words to describe hair, from curls to different colors. (34k+)

Black and White Symbolism: A Look into the Trope - Discusses concept of black as evil and white as good, from its history & problem implications. Guide offers alternatives & solutions. (10k)

Describing Accents - An example-based post for describing accents and voices. (5k)

How to Research your Racially/Ethnically Diverse Characters -     Self-explanatory. (5k) 

Describing Asian Eyes - A guide to describing Asian eyes with further useful commentary. (4k)

Honorable Mentions

Other recommended WWC Posts.

The Key to Moving Beyond Checklisting is Not Less Diversity - “The problem with pasted-on diversity is not the diversity; it’s the pasted on part.”

Stereotyped vs Nuanced Characters and Audience Perception  - Discusses one of our more common ask themes: the writing (or rather, the not writing) of stereotypes.

When We Read: Mod Wishlist - A list of what we as mods would like to see of ourselves in media. Check out the Native American WL too.

Bad Representation vs Tokenism vs Diversity just existing without justification like in the real world -Title says it all. 

Stereotyping Tropes List - A categorized tropes list reposted from the TV Tropes website with links to their topics on the subject matter.

–WWC