inks-and-quills-blog

[inks-and-quills-blog]

Hello again guys! Just wanted to let you know that I’m going to be active on YouTube over on a channel called Night Shift. Starting this Friday at 8:00 pm EST, we’ll be live streaming. There should be a lot of fun and a lot of laughs, so if you like newer YouTube channels dedicated to art and fun come check us out on the Night Shift! See you guys later. Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMkcZ8ChBG247r74P1R3b9A

[inks-and-quills-blog]

The amazing digital art of Alyn Spiller

[inks-and-quills-blog]

Just some helpful advice I stumbled across. Happy writing!

How do you describe a characters looks in a way that isn't tacky or just plain bad and cliche? i.e "I guess I wasn't that bad looking I had brown hair and ...." ect.

Tips on Describing Characters

I think that the best way to describe your characters without seeming cliche is by actually avoiding describing your characters. What I mean by this is only describe your character when it is absolutely necessary, this allows your readers to use their imagination when reading your novel. Personally, I prefer to create my own vision of characters in novels depending on their personality. So, if you’re finding it too difficult to describe your character without it sounding mundane, it may be best to just leave it out completely. However, you may wish to include important details about their appearance such as glasses, freckles, or the piercing colour of their eyes. You can differentiate which details you need to include by determining whether other characters may mention them at a later stage, ie. a potential romantic partner or a relative that admires this trait of your character. 

Of course, alternatively, the best method that you could use is by introducing other characters. For example, if your character is describing a relative, your main character will share familial traits with them. It could be a family trait in your character’s family that they have a lopsided nose or slightly droopy eyes, you could easily compare this characters’ traits to your own. You could touch on the fact that your main character does not share some of these familial traits. For example, none of their immediate family has ginger hair but your main character does. Not only does this describe your character’s traits, but also allows you an insight into their familial relationship and whether they feel ostracised or included in their family.

If you liked this, give it a reblog to let me know!

→ Remember to send in your own requests for writing advice!

→ Read some of my other writing tips!

[inks-and-quills-blog]

It was the middle of the night. The ground was covered in snow from a snow storm earlier in the morning, but now everything was still and silent. The sky above was now clear of clouds and stars stretched out as far as the eye could see in dazzling displays of light. The little village nestled on the edge of a forest looked somewhat cozy and inviting despite the bitter cold. Lanterns were lit in the streets giving the small town some light, and a few of the buildings gave off a warm glow from inside. All was as it should be, but there was an unsettling feeling in the air. For some unknown reason people found themselves unable to sleep and many kept glancing out their windows as if expecting something to happen. That’s when they saw him. A strange figure stumbled into town clutching a cloak tightly around themself and shivering in the cold. They only managed to take a few steps before collapsing in the middle of the road, unmoving. The keeper at the local inn rushed out to help the stranger and with the help of a few others managed to get them in front of a fire to warm up. The villagers removed the hood of the figure’s cloak and curiously examined the man in front of them. He was definitely unconscious and looked deathly pale. He was dressed in finer clothes, and what interested the villagers most was a pin he wore that depicted a strange symbol. One of them went to reach for it, when the man’s eyes opened and he quickly tried to back away from the people surrounding him. His eyes were wide with horror and he was shaking violently as he examined the large room around him. “Are you alright?” The inn keeper asked him, worried at the man’s sudden freak out. “I don’t know.” The man replied continuing to look about the room. “How did I get here?” “You walked into town a couple minutes ago.” One of the villagers answered. “Do you know where you came from?” “Uh...um.” Though it would have seemed impossible the man’s eyes grew even wider. “No. I’m not sure.” He then looked fearfully at everyone around him and asked, “Who am I?”

[inks-and-quills-blog]

I used to do this all the time until I got myself a little reading light to clip to my books

[inks-and-quills-blog]

This style is absolutely stunning, and I love all of the golden designs and attention to detail on these. The shading and textures on these images are also done really well.

Jonna Hyttinen on Instagram

Follow So Super Awesome on Instagram

[inks-and-quills-blog]

More fun facts about ancient Celtic marriage laws: There were no laws against interclass or interracial marriage, no laws against open homosexual relationships (although they weren’t considered ‘marriages’ since the definition of a marriage was ‘couple with child’), no requirement for women to take their husband’s names or give up their property, but comedians couldn’t get married

[inks-and-quills-blog]

Hello guys! For any of you needing a fantasy map for a project you’re working on I’d highly recommend Azgaar’s Fantasy Map Generator. It’s a really quick and easy way to generate fictional continents and even if you don’t use the generated map it gives you it’s also a great source of inspiration. It’s really easy to use and it’s completely free so go ahead and give it a look if you’re interested. https://azgaar.github.io/Fantasy-Map-Generator/

[inks-and-quills-blog]

Woah

A willow sculpture by Trevor Leat.

[inks-and-quills-blog]

This is such a well animated GIF and I really like the style it was done in.

~ a sweet gif I put all my heart into creating

[inks-and-quills-blog]

May your crits be epic and your fails be epically hilarious.

In the dice gods we trust!

[inks-and-quills-blog]

This is a beautiful set of dice.

[inks-and-quills-blog]

A helpful list on different ways to end a novel. Happy writing!

How To End Your Story

The Circle Ending- A story that does a full circle and comes back to the beginning

The Moral Ending- An ending where you learn a lesson and see the character develop

The Surprise Ending- A big plot twist last minute

The Reflection Ending- The Character looks back on their past achievements and experiences

The Emotional Ending- Leave your readers feeling sad, bittersweet, or happy

The Cliff Hanger Ending- End on something that will leave your readers at the edge of their seat

The Humor Ending- Finish in a funny or humorous way

The Question Ending- Make the reader wonder what will happen next

The Image Ending- Show, don’t tell

The Dialogue Ending- Finish with a quote from one of your characters

[inks-and-quills-blog]

2minutetabletop made an awesome tool for creating maps for free. If you want to make maps for d&d or your stories be sure to check this out! Along with the programs listed above, I find that Krita also works well with these too.

Building your maps in Wonderdraft, Photoshop, or Gimp? Please enjoy these (free) hand drawn map symbols I have been working on!

Download: https://2minutetabletop.com/wonderdraft-map-icons/

[inks-and-quills-blog]

I’m getting ready to go to an annual Harry Potter movie marathon with my friends, and every year I’m reminded of how much I love J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world.

[inks-and-quills-blog]

This is a simple yet awesome style and really shows how minimalistic designs can still portray so much.

FAÜNA is an ongoing minimalist design exploration of the animal kingdom by TRÜF  @trufcreative

[inks-and-quills-blog]

She opened the door, listening to it creak and groan in protest as she tentatively stepped inside the quiet room. Spread out in endless rows before her were old tables varying in fashion yet all the same dark color, bookcases filled with old books and countless little knick-knacks, and what could be seen no matter where she looked were small little clockwork mechanisms of almost every kind. The room was dim, the only light came from tall windows that were hidden behind frayed gray curtains, but yet what she saw was awe inspiring.

Many had written this place off as a graveyard for hopeless things, and they weren’t wrong. There was a pocket watch that ticked too slow, a music box that skipped notes, and at the center of the room was miniature train track complete with a toy locomotive that no longer ran. The room was filled of things like this, and though it was true this was a place for broken things, the girl still found there seemed to be a magic about it all the same. She wandered the rows taking in the sights, treading lightly as if afraid to disturb the silence around her. It left her in a sort of trance, and she found herself holding her breath although she was unsure why. She slowly made her way to the back of the room and stopped when she saw a man hunched over a table with a toolbox beside him. He didn’t acknowledge her presence as he continued working on an old wall clock before him. She stood and watched him for a moment, before she could find her voice. “Sir?” She asked meekly, as if scared by the break in silence her words had created. He set his tools down and slowly turned to face her. “Yes?” His voice sounded like an instrument out of tune, and his eyes seemed to hold a spark that had long since faded. Yes, she reminded herself. This place was truly made for broken things. She grabbed the locket from around her neck and gently placed it on his table. “My locket no longer opens. I’ve taken it to many places and yet no one was able to fix it. I was told that you’re a mechanic and that you could possibly help me.” He gave her a sad smile before picking up the golden locket and examining it carefully. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to fix it, but I’ll do what I can.” He told her. “Come back tomorrow, alright?” She nodded before offering her thanks and then she turned and left that magical place behind her; knowing that her locket would likely find a home there amongst the other discarded treasures long since abandoned and forgotten.