dandequill

[dandequill]

Hi.

Good Evening, Y’all!

First let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Camille Morgan. I’m 28. I live in North Alabama, but I grew up in Northern California. I have two pitbulls named Luna and Nova, and fantasy books are my jam. I love to read them. Write them. Obsess over them. If I have too many drinks, I start to ramble about them to strangers who absolutely do not care about fantasy like I do. 

I won’t lie, I dabble with sci-fi too. But it just doesn’t hold my heart like a well written fantasy epic can. 

Unfortunately for me, writing doesn’t pay the bills, so I currently work as a 911 operator so I don’t starve. It’s not glamorous work. In fact, if I never have to take another call where someone cut their fingers off, I would be ecstatic. To transition into a career where I can live off my passion, that’s the dream.

Hopefully y’all can help me. My DM’s are always open for advice. But for now I would just be happy if I could share my work with you.

Right now, I have three major WIPs.  The one I’m currently writing is tentatively titled First Born, and it’s a Rumpelstiltskin retelling. The tale revolves around a woman named Mara who lives with her four adopted daughters in a shack by the woods. In order to save her children, Mara makes a deal with a dangerous fae, but she has no idea what it’s like to be in his debt until it is far, far too late. 

The second is one is called The Hunter and the Witch, and guess what? It’s about a hunter and a witch. But Sierra isn’t just a normal hunter. She’s the last of her kind, and she has teamed up with a witch named Adelaide to find a book that can end all vampires. But, their story isn’t totally as it seems, and a vampire lord named Alaric is dead-set on unraveling their mysteries before they can destroy his world. FULL DISCLOSURE: I have been working on this book the longest, and every time I work on it, it’s like my fingers can’t match what’s in my brain. Will this tale ever see the light of day? Perhaps. But my skill level just isn’t there yet. 

The third is a loose premise, but one that I treasure all the same. It’s the story about a girl named Leona, an executioner in one of the world’s last mega-cities. It’s a fallout-esque, post apocalyptic saga, and Leona is the baddest bitch in the land. Only catch? Leona is barely 18, and when she begins to realize she’s been groomed her entire life to be a tool of a corrupt government, things around her begin to implode.Eventually she goes through the typical existential crisis one would expect from a stone cold killer, but is the rebellion all that it seems? WHO KNOWS!

Well that’s it for right now. I have other ideas bouncing around in my head, but what I feel like I need is a community. I truly have no idea what I’m doing, and while my coworkers tell me I have talent, that doesn’t mean shit unless I have direction. I’m hoping this community will take me under its proverbial wing, and I can finally finish a novel.

Like I said, my messages are always open. If you want to read something, you want to offer me advice, or if you just want to shoot the shit, let me know. 

Thanks for listening,  Cami  <3

[dandequill]

CURSE OF THE GODS: BOOK ONE

GENRE: FANTASY

POV: THIRD PERSON, DUAL POVS

THEMES: war, found family, grief, mythology, power and corruption. 

CONTENT WARNING: death, (mentions of) abuse, minor/adult arranged marriage

Up until now, Erena Adira had lived her life with her tongue between her teeth, with rage bubbling at her lips. She was never someone who could sit quietly, but it was that or it was death. Her and her uncle had made a home on the cold streets of Tennebrous, until that too was ripped right from her hands when she was just a child. Her uncle was shot, right infront of her eyes by the ruthless soldiers, but Erena was left. She was always left. 

That is, until she’s sent off to Salvaticus, the land of beasts and savages… and it’s her only shot at survival.  She was always good at that. Surviving. She had never been given another option.

Alena Duvessa was born in sorrow and flames, and she’s going to make the gods regret ever cursing her the way they did. She was shipped off to marry the King, and somehow, the palace walls seem more like a prison than a home. Alena is not a stupid girl, and she never has been. She knows what she must do to survive, and she’s determined to bring the world down around her

ask to be added to the tag list! I’m excited to share this!

[dandequill]

OUR JUNE ISSUE HAS ARRIVED — READ HERE (x)

The first issue of Red Bean Press, a zine focused on highlighting the talent of the writing community on Tumblr, is out! For our inaugural issue, we’re exploring Pride!

We hope you enjoy the work of the creators featured, and please look out for our next issue coming in July! You can also download our issue in Google Drive (x).

credit: cover by Katherine Fu, @tupperwarebats on Instagram

apologies for the reupload, all the links have been updated and errors corrected. thank you for your patience. 

[dandequill]

THE RED BEAN PRESS IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

hello writeblr! welcome to the red bean press, a writeblr-first literary magazine! 

submissions are open for our july issue, which comes out on july 31st. the theme is identity, and the submission due date is july 24th. you can send all of your submissions to redbeanzine@gmail.com with your name (you can choose to be anonymous), your preferred social medias, the title of the work, and any necessary content warnings!

we’re excited to see what you have to share, and we’re excited to give you a platform for your works!

if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at the same email as above, redbeanzine@gmail.com, or drop a message into our askbox. 

don’t forget to hit the follow button and subscribe to our newsletter for weekly features, updates, and more!

[dandequill]

the slave trade began in the southwest of england, where i’m from and where i’ve lived my whole life. bristol was a hub for it. this is where ships of colonial fuckers were sent out from and somehow up to this today they’ve managed to keep accountability under wraps. people in this part of the country still glorify the racist colonialists who came before us. bristol kept that statue up despite relentless petitioning to have it taken down, so today the people have done it for them, uprooted him and rolled him through the streets and thrown him to the waters where he belongs.

i wish so badly i could make it into bristol today, but my comrades and neighbours who are there: well fucking done. it’s several centuries too late. tear these fuckers to the ground. maybe the rest of the southwest will take notes because hot damn are there still a bunch of these old memorials to racist military blokes left standing all over the place. one way or another, they’ve got to come down.

but please. mark 7th june in bristol’s history. remember the day the people took down the memory of the slave-traders and hurled it to the sea, instead of continuing to glorify our colonial past.

not inviting anyone to participate in any criminal activity of course :) this is entirely for awareness-raising purposes :) petition for every last damn statue of colonisers and slave-traders to be removed immediately :) maybe our lovely benign government officials will listen :)

[dandequill]

WELCOME TO RED BEAN PRESS !

hello everyone and welcome to the red bean press, a writeblr-first literary magazine. every month, we will be releasing an issue of your works for the community! it is completely free—all you have to do is hit the follow button and subscribe to us.

our first issue will be coming out june 30th with the theme of pride. the submission due date will be june 24th, and you can send all of your submissions to redbeanzine@gmail.com with your name (you can choose to be anonymous), your preferred social medias, the title of the work, and any necessary content warnings!

we’re excited to see what you have to share, and we’re excited to give you a platform for your works!

if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at the same email as above, redbeanzine@gmail.com, or drop a message into our askbox. 

[dandequill]

“Everything that grows already knows who we are” - Andrea Gibson 

Theme: The theme of this zine is all about exploring lgbt identity through nature and mythology themes. (including greek mythology, cryptid figures like mothman, astrology and other cultural “myths.”) 

It’s about growing into your lgbt identity and learning to feel “at home” in it. You could use the mythological figures to talk about feeling marginalized, or to talk about finding acceptance / community. 

But ofc it’s totally up to you how you interpret this! :)

And the idea is loosely based on a book we’ve been reading in my queer literature class called Bestiary by Donika Kelly, a Black lesbian poet.

Who can submit pieces?: Anyone who identifies as lgbt (including aros and aces!) 

I like accepting everyone’s art, rather than doing applications and I will do my best to fit everyone’s submissions into the zine!

What kind of pieces can I submit?: Art, poetry, song lyrics, diary or journal entries 

You can check out this list of journal prompts for inspiration! :)  

What size should my art be?: This zine is very small, because I’d like to be able to mail free copies to whoever would like one! 

It’s about 4.5 in. x 3.5 in. (Or about 10.5 cm. x 7 cm.) I’m able to resize pieces to fit the zine, just keep this in mind! 

Where do I submit pieces? 

Email your submissions to queerlitzines@gmail.com!

Please put what type of piece you’re submitting in the subject line. (eg. poetry submission) And be include to put your name / nickname and / or social media handle in the email so I can credit you!

Due date for submission:  Wednesday June 10, 2020. 

Contact me here on tumblr @glittertimes​ with any questions or email your questions to queerlitzines@gmail.com. Thanks! :) 

[dandequill]

yay! i did it! kind of! it’s a little bit rushed because i’m not all that sure of my abilities and what i’m doing, and couple of the pages aren’t quite finished yet, but it exists and is at least somewhat functional.

check it out here, if you fancy!

wip pages on their way!

given that i primarily use tumblr mobile w/ my ipad on account of my laptop being the technological equivalent to a cranky old witch, it’s not often that i can do any funky stuff in terms of editing blog themes and setting up fun pages. today, however, i have been forced to get the laptop out in order to get some stuff on my memory stick, and whilst i’m here (and struggling), i’m going to attempt to create something resembling a nice, smooth, easy-to-navigate wip page for all ye desktop users to access. yay!

wish me luck lol

[dandequill]

i am learning two things here, and those are that a) i am worryingly technophobic for an 18 y.o., and b) i am so, so very painfully bad at describing my writing or coming up with info to display :’)

wip pages on their way!

given that i primarily use tumblr mobile w/ my ipad on account of my laptop being the technological equivalent to a cranky old witch, it’s not often that i can do any funky stuff in terms of editing blog themes and setting up fun pages. today, however, i have been forced to get the laptop out in order to get some stuff on my memory stick, and whilst i’m here (and struggling), i’m going to attempt to create something resembling a nice, smooth, easy-to-navigate wip page for all ye desktop users to access. yay!

wish me luck lol

[dandequill]

wip pages on their way!

given that i primarily use tumblr mobile w/ my ipad on account of my laptop being the technological equivalent to a cranky old witch, it’s not often that i can do any funky stuff in terms of editing blog themes and setting up fun pages. today, however, i have been forced to get the laptop out in order to get some stuff on my memory stick, and whilst i’m here (and struggling), i’m going to attempt to create something resembling a nice, smooth, easy-to-navigate wip page for all ye desktop users to access. yay!

wish me luck lol

[dandequill]

Position Details: Article Writer

ASPEC JOURNAL is looking for four different article journalists for our opening publication. There are three different word count openings. Once assigned a word count position, an article must fall in-between the word count minimum and maximum. 

Article content is up to the writer, as long as its primarily asexual and/or aromantic-themed (other lgbtqa+ themes can also be included). Article possibilities include; short stories, poetry, autobiographies, interviews, politics and culture. Content can be fiction or non-fiction. 

Examples include; interviews, coming-out stories, historical research

Writers will only be submitting their written work upon completion. ASPEC JOURNAL moderators and editors will format submitted work. 

Word count openings;

(750 - 1,000) word count

(500 - 750) word count

(200 - 500) word count

—–

(Applications here!)

(About ASPEC JOURNAL) (FAQ) (Position Details) (Twitter)

[dandequill]

TEA HOUSE

a writeblr discord server!

I figured while all this corona virus social distancing stuff is happening there are still people who will want to talk to others. So I made Tea House, a writeblr discord server for those who want to talk about their writing or just need some people to talk to. 

THIS IS A PG 13 ALL AGES SERVER PLEASE NO NSFW STUFF

what does it inculde?

- a general chat

- writing sprints

- excerpt channel

- a place to show art

- and more!

How do you join?

- if you want please like or reblog

- click here to join!

I hope you guys enjoy! I can’t wait to talk to you!

[dandequill]

on the magic system of blackbird (planning update)

24.05.2020 : sunday evening

so creating a robust, functioning magic system for this story is something i’ve always found difficult, primarily because the magical fantasy elements aren’t really the focus of the plot or the themes; they’re more of a subtle backdrop for the more prominent aspects of coming-of-age, forging your own identity, and exploring sexuality. and in my mad-planning-frenzy of the past few days, i’ve tried to make finding a way to reconcile the magical and human elements of the narrative a priority, just so i can get it out of my mind and renegate it back to being an afterthought - but in pushing myself to get it over and done with, i think i’ve actually found a pretty strong way to weave it in a little more prominently than i was originally planning.

so. the story is primarily about self-discovery, learning to value yourself and those around you, and generally developing a healthier, more peaceful state of mind, right? so the idea is to make magic and the attainment of it a metaphor for love, for yourself and the world around you.

the idea would be for it to be a kind of real-world extension of a person’s mindset and wellbeing, and the wellbeing of those around them. it would therefore only be accessible to people who have achieved a true, deep sense of self-worth and fulfilment (alternatively, it’s accessible to people who haven’t yet achieved that ‘true’ peace mindset and instead becomes stronger/more intense as the person continues to grow mentally/emotionally). therefore, it couldn’t be used malevolently, only rarely in violence (perhaps as a last-resort act of defence/protection?), and never as a driving force in a war, lending a military advantage to any side.

it would also make magic very rare in the world because people are messy and complicated and struggle to overcome their problems and be conventionally ‘good’ people, thus creating a situation in which it could be a quality that’s common enough to be generally accepted as a natural thing that exists and can happen to people, but rare enough that nobody has really studied it and worked out a definitive method of how to achieve magical powers. it opens itself up as a semi-philosophical tool for exploring deeper topics of mental health and morality, thinking about questions of how “good” or “healthy” of a person you have to be to be able to use magic.

there’s a lot of aspects that need ironing out here - for example, i need to work out that latter point of determining at what stage a person “qualifies”, for lack of a better word, for magic, before i can really start writing in characters who use it - but so far, i don’t think magic as interconnected with mental wellbeing and morality is a concept or system that i’ve seen before (probably because of the technical difficulties of actually working out who can use it, to be fair, but i’m down for the challenge).

i’d be really, really interested to hear other people’s thoughts on this! it’s been inspired partially from rewatching a:tla and thinking about how airbending works and partially from working through my own mental health issues lately, and i’m quite excited to explore this further.

am gonna whip out my brand-new blackbird taglist today, because even though it’s more of a technical, behind-the-scenes update, it’s still very intrinsic to the story and something i really want to use in it: @lrose-writes @littlesonnets

shoot me a message if you want to be added/removed from the taglist!

also damn i really hope i explained this decently well because honestly i’m very overexcited and dont really know how to organise my thoughts today lol

[dandequill]

if you don’t have @ least one collection of specific items i literally have nothing more to say to you. we will never relate to each other. however, you cool ass motherfuckers who do collect @ least one type of thing, reblog this post and say what that thing is. i’ll go first: clown dolls and good luck charms

[dandequill]

Writing Tip June 4th

A list of body language phrases.

I’ve included a very comprehensive list, organized by the type of body movement, hand and arm movements, facial expressions etc. In some cases, a phrase fits more than one heading, so it may appear twice. Possible emotions are given after each BL phrase unless the emotion is indicated within the phrase. (They are underlined for emphasis, not due to a hyperlink.)

Note: I’ve included a few body postures and body conditions as they are non-verbal testimony to the character’s physical condition.

Have fun and generate your own ideas.:-)

Eyes, Brows and Forehead

arched a sly brow:  sly, haughty

blinked owlishly:  just waking, focusing, needs glasses

brows bumped together in a scowl:  worried, disapproving, irritated

brows knitted in a frown: worried, disapproval, thoughtful

bug-eyed:  surprised, fear, horror

cocky wink and confident smile:  over confidence, arrogant, good humor, sexy humor

eyes burned with hatred: besides hatred this might suggest maniacal feelings

eyes flashed: fury, defiance, lust, promise, seduction

eyes rolled skyward: disbelief, distrust, humor

forehead puckered:  thoughtful, worried, irritation

frustration crinkled her eyes

gaze dipped to her décolletage: sexual interest, attraction, lust

gimlet-eyed/narrowed eyes: irritation, thoughtful, mean, angry

gleam of deviltry:  humor, conniving, cunning

kept eye contact but her gaze became glazed: pretending interest where there is none/bordom

narrowed to crinkled slits:  angry, distrust

nystagmic eyes missed nothing (constantly shifting eyes):  Shifty

pupils dilated:  interested, attraction to opposite sex, fear

raked her with freezing contempt

slammed his eyes shut:  stunned, furious, pain

squinted in a furtive manner:  fearful, sneaky

stared with cow eyes:  surprised, disbelief, hopeful, lovestruck

subtle wink:  sexy, humor/sharing a joke, sarcasm

unrelenting stare: distrust, demanding, high interest, unyielding

Place To Place, Stationary Or Posture

ambled away:  relaxed, lazy

barged ahead:  rude, hurried

battled his way through the melee:  desperate, anger, alarm

cruised into the diner:  easy-going, feeling dapper, confident

dawdled alongside the road:  lazy, deliberate delay for motives, unhurried, relaxed

dragged his blanket in the dirt:   sadness/depressed, weary

edged closer to him:  sneaky, seeking comfort, seeking protection, seeking an audience

he stood straighter and straightened his tie:  sudden interest, sexual attraction

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig: demonstrates physical condition – he has to pee

hips rolled and undulated:  sexy walk, exaggerating for sex appeal

hovered over them with malice/like a threatening storm: here it’s malice, but one may hover for many reasons.

hunched over to look shorter:  appear inconspicuous, ashamed of actions, ashamed of height

leaped into action feet hammering the marbled floor:  eager, fear, joyous

long-legged strides:  hurried, impatient

lumbered across:  heavy steps of a big man in a hurry

minced her way up to him: timid, sneaky, insecure, dainty or pretense at dainty

paced/prowled the halls:  worried, worried impatience, impatient, diligently seeking pivoted on his heel and took off:  mistaken and changes direction, following orders, hurried, abrupt change of mind, angry retreat

plodded down the road:  unhurried, burdened, reluctant

practiced sensual stroll:  sexy, showing off

rammed her bare foot into her jeans: angry, rushed

rocked back and forth on his heels: thoughtful, impatiently waiting

sagged against the wall:  exhausted, disappointment

sallied forth:  confident, determined

sashayed her cute little fanny:  confident, determined, angered and determined

shrank into the angry crowd:  fear, insecure, seeking to elude

sketched a brief bow and assumed a regal pose: confident, mocking, snooty, arrogant skidded to an abrupt halt: change of heart, fear, surprise, shock

skulked on the edges of the crowd: sneaky, ashamed, timid

slithered through the door:  sneaky, evil, bad intentions

stormed toward her, pulling up short when: anger with a sudden surprise

swaggered into the class room:  over confident, proud, arrogant, conceited

tall erect posture:  confidence, military bearing

toe tapped a staccato rhythm:  impatience, irritation

tottered/staggered unsteadily then keeled over:  drunk, drugged, aged, ill

waltzed across the floor:  happy, blissful, exuberant, conceited, arrogant

Head Movement

cocked his head:  curiosity, smart-alecky, wondering, thoughtful

cocked his head left and rolled his eyes to right corner of the ceiling:  introspection

droop of his head: depressed, downcast, hiding true feelings

nodded vigorously: eager

tilted her head to one side while listening:  extreme interest, possibly sexual interest

Mouth And Jaw

a lackluster smile:  feigning cheerfulness

cigarette hung immobile in mouth: shock, lazy, uncaring, relaxed casualness

clinched his jaw at the sight:  angered, worried, surprised

curled her lips with icy contempt

expelled her breath in a whose:  relief, disappointment

gagged at the smell: disgust, distaste

gapped mouth stare:  surprised, shock, disbelief

gritted his teeth:  anger, irritation, holding back opinion

inhaled a sharp breath:  surprise, shock, fear, horror

licked her lips:  nervous, sexual attraction

lips primed: affronted, upset, insulted

lips pursed for a juicy kiss

lips pursed like she’d been chewing a lemon rind: dislike, angry, irritated, sarcasm

lips screwed into: irritation, anger, grimace, scorn

lips set in a grim line: sorrow, worried, fear of the worst

pursed her lips:  perturbed, waiting for a kiss

scarfed down the last biscuit:  physical hunger, greed

slack-mouthed:  total shock, disbelief

slow and sexy smile:  attraction, seductive, coy

smacked his lips: anticipation

smile congealed then melted into horror

smile dangled on the corner of his lips: cocky, sexy

smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder:  conceit, sarcasm, over confident

sneered and flicked lint off his suit: sarcasm, conceit

spewed water and spit: shock

stuck out her tongue: humor, sarcasm, teasing, childish

toothy smile:  eagerness, hopeful

wary smile surfaced on her lips

Nose

nose wrinkled in distaste/at the aroma

nostrils flared:  anger, sexual attraction

nose in the air:  snooty, haughty

Face in General

crimson with fury

handed it over shame-faced

jutted his chin: confident, anger, forceful

managed a deadpan expression:  expressionless

muscles in her face tightened:  unsmiling, concealing emotions, anger, worried

rested his chin in his palm and looked thoughtful

rubbed a hand over his dark stubble:  thoughtful, ashamed of his appearance

screwed up her face:  anger, smiling, ready to cry, could almost be any emotion

sneered and flicked lint off his suit: conceit, derision, scorn

Arm and Hand

a vicious yank

arm curled around her waist, tugging her next to him:  possessive, pride, protective

bit her lip and glanced away:  shy, ashamed, insecure

brandished his fist:  anger, threatening, ready to fight, confident, show of pride

clamped his fingers into tender flesh:  anger, protective, wants to inflict pain

clenched his dirty little fists: stubborn, angry

clapped her hands on her hips, arms crooked like sugar bowel handles:  anger, demanding, disbelief

constantly twirled her hair and tucked it behind her ear:  attracted to the opposite sex, shy crossed his arms over his chest: waiting, impatient, putting a barrier

crushed the paper in his fist:  anger, surrender, discard

dived into the food: hunger, eager, greedy

doffed his hat:  polite gesture, mocking, teasing

doodled on the phone pad and tapped the air with her foot:  bored, inattention, introspection

drummed her fingers on the desk:  impatient, frustrated, bored

fanned her heated face with her hands: physically hot, embarrassed, indicating attraction

fiddled with his keys: nervous, bored

firm, palm to palm hand shake:  confident, honest

flipped him the bird: sarcastic discard

forked his fingers through his hair for the third time:  disquiet/consternation, worry, thoughtful

handed it over shame-faced:  guilt, shame

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig:  physical need to relieve himself

limp hand shake:  lack of confidence, lack of enthusiasm

propped his elbow on his knee: relaxed, thoughtful

punched her pillow:  restless, can’t sleep, angry

rested his chin in his palm:  thoughful, worried

scratched his hairy belly and yawned:  indolent, bored, lazy, relaxed, just waking

shoulders lifted in a shrug:  doubtful, careless discard

slapped his face in front of God and country:  enraged, affronted/insulted

snapped a sharp salute:  respect, sarcastic gesture meaning the opposite of respect

snapped his fingers, expecting service:  arrogant, lack of respect, self-centered

sneered and flicked lint off his suit

spread her arms wide: welcoming,  joy, love

stabbed at the food: anger, hunger, determined

stood straighter and smoothed his tie:  sudden interest, possible sexual interest

stuffed his hands in his pockets: self-conscious, throwing up a barrier

sweaty handshake:  nervous, fearful

touched his arm several times while explaining:  sign of attraction, flattery, possessive

wide sweep of his arms:  welcoming, all inclusive gesture, horror

Sitting or Rising

collapsed in a stupor:  exhausted, drunk, drugged, disbelief

enthroned himself at the desk:  conceit, pronouncing or taking ownership

exploded out of the chair:  shock, eager, anger, supreme joy

roosted on the porch rail like a cock on a hen house roof:  claiming ownership, conceit, content

sat, squaring an ankle over one knee:  relaxed and open

slouched/wilted in a chair and paid languid attention to:  drowsy, lazy, depressed, disinterest, sad, totally relaxed, disrespectful

squirmed in his chair: ill at ease, nervous, needs the bathroom

Recline

flung himself into the bed: sad, depressed, exhausted, happy

prostrated himself: surrender, desperate, miserable, powerless, obsequious, fawning, flattering

punched her pillow:  can’t sleep, anger, frustrated

threw himself on the floor kicking and screaming: tantrum

Entire body and General

body stiffened at the remark:  offended, anger, alerted

body swayed to music:  dreamy, fond memories, enjoys the music

bounced in the car seat, pointing:  excitement, fear, eager

cowered behind his brother:  fear, shyness, coward, desperate

curled into a ball:  sorrow, fear, sleepy, defensive

heart galloping:  anxiety, joy, eager

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig

humped over his cane, each step shaking and careful: pain, aged

inhaled a deep breath and blew out slowly: buying time to find words/thoughtful, reconciled

quick and jerky like rusty cogs on a wheel:  unsure of actions, self-conscious, tense, edgy

rocked back and forth on his heels:  impatient, cocky, gleeful

manhandled the woman into a corner:  bully, anger

slumped shoulders: defeat, depressed, sad, surrender

stiff-backed:  priggish, haughty, affronted

stood straighter and straightened his tie:  sexual interest, wants to make an impression

stooped and bent: aged, arthritic, in pain

stretched extravagantly and yawned:  tired, bored, unconcerned

sweating uncontrollably: nervous, fear, guilt

tall erect posture:  confidence, military bearing

was panting now at:  afraid, exhausted, out of breath, sexual excitement

-Sharla Rae

[dandequill]

woo i have a writing update yay

man, i’ve been struggling on actual plot points and ideas for my fave wip blackbird for a damn eon and at long last i think i’ve managed to overcome that block somewhat! yay! i always find it hard when planning projects to think beyond the basic ~cool concept~ and actually map out story beats and events. but hopefully, now that i’ve got my shit together and am actually beginning to pull the plot into focus, i can start posting more updates on here, at least from the planning stage (my research and planning document is... becoming quite large). so, if you’re interested in

investigative journalists giving authority the middle finger and uncovering corruption among the elite

a lesbian lead and her eclectic bisexual love interest

urban fantasy worldbuilding based loosely on 1920s italy (in terms of fashion, architecture, technology, etc)

primarily hispanic and middle eastern-coded character cast

a sign language conlang (yes i’m indulging the linguist in me with this project)

three stubborn ladies fighting tooth and nail to throw their emotionally abusive and financially corrupt father in jail before he finds the tomb of a sleeping magician and unleashes untold horrors upon the world

then feel free to drop a message below and i’ll put you on a blackbird tag list!

[dandequill]

Writing does not have to be realistic 

Writing does not have to be realistic 

Writing does not have to be realistic 

Oh my god, I’ve seen this so much recently and it’s killing me. Posts that talk about how extreme shows of emotion don’t happen constantly, how fight scenes should never take more than a minute, how nobody notices the exact color of someone’s eyes the first time they meet. And yes, while true irl, you don’t have to write “realistically” if you don’t want to. Not only is expecting this form of realism stifling to a lot of writing styles and genres, but, um, hello we are making art, people! Art! Where exaggeration and aesthetic are at their best and often greatly add to whatever you’re creating. 

You want your characters to throw themselves to the ground and sob? To leap and clap their hands from joy and excitement? Do it!!!! Fight scenes that take pages and involve the most ridiculous, outlandish weapons, and have the characters twirl and spin and leap and call out witty banter? Fucking go for it, my guy! You want your character to observe “the gorgeous, ever changing, shifting green hues” of their love interest’s eyes the first time they meet? Hell yeah, baby! 

Look, all I’m saying, is that if realism takes away from your writing, if it feels confining and suffocating, then don’t do it! Nothing has to be realistic if you don’t want it to be. Again, we’re talking about art here. Go all out! Be ridiculous and outlandish! Don’t let other’s demand for realism destroy the story you’ve crafted