jeanjwould

[jeanjwould]

currently writing from the pov of the emotionally unstable bisexual dilf babygirl side character and it is the most fun i've ever had, everyone should try this sometime

[jeanjwould]

Yeah. I feel the major problem with the vast majority of Carmilla adaptations and retellings is that they're either just as if not more homophobic than the original story, completely toothless and go for a traditional forbidden romance/coming of age type thing, or are pretty much in-name only. In addition to that rarely do they do anything interesting with the lingering unanswered questions of the original novella.

I'd love to see a retelling that manages to strike a balance between playing into the uncomfortable psychosexual gothic horror angle and subverting/ avoiding the underlying homophobia of the original.

part of me wonders if it's not part of the mentality of trying to sanitize/dress up queer themes to be more palatable to cishet folks (like the need for all queer rep to be written in a way that doesn't "look bad" to cishet people). or maybe it's just as simple as people liking carmilla and thinking it would be fun as a sweet romantic coming of age story. but i agree, i've never seen a carmilla retelling that really adds much to the tale.

sounds like we'd like to see the exact same things! thanks for sharing your thoughts—and also just thank you to everyone who has engaged with my little essay and offered your own ideas!! it means a lot to me :)

[jeanjwould]

have a little reflective piece i wrote on carmilla for my substack,,, as a treat

[jeanjwould]

The thing is “My love becomes a vampire so I’ll become one too to stay with her” can’t hit the same anymore. It’s become just a “ooh being a vampire would be sexy!” or “yay we get to live forever!” romantic thing versus the most defiantly heretical devotion that would make the paper it was written on burn. There’s no “ooh~ vampires~” but rather being willing to join everything you fear and dread the most, that once shattered your mind to endure.

It also just can’t hit the same without that backdrop of severe Victorian social mores one dare not set a foot outside, and a lifetime of being bound by them. Or without the certainty that heaven is real, and you’re willing to bar yourself from it for eternity if your love isn’t granted entrance.

This is gothic Romance with a capital R at its pinnacle and I’m never going to stop thinking about it

[jeanjwould]

Dealings of Devices, with Vices

I’ve been rather angry at myself and my phone. Lately, I’ve been so aware in how much time I waste on my devices, but I get so frustrated when I stop. I’m trying to be more mindful, but my brain has found a pattern it doesn’t want to quit.

I know I do activities that are healthy for my brain. I read, I write, I play multiple instruments, I have an academic passion, I analyze the shows I like… Why do I feel so incomplete? Why do I feel like I’ve accomplished nothing? These aren’t rhetorical, they are honest questions. They all stem from the phone and computer.

For all of the intelligent things I do and succeed at, there’s always someone out there who’ll make me feel like I need to do more. Whether it’s intentional or in good faith, their video, post, writing, what have you will— I don’t feel inspired for the right reasons. The only thing I’m inspired to do it soothe my own ego.

I like writing. But writing using technology distracts me, drains my energy. I refuse to sit still unless my phone is glued somewhere else. It’s good in a way! It’s making me use paper and a pen. But, my brain is so used to immediate results, it hates looking at my journals, how much I have left to complete. It’s a reminder of all little I believe I’ve accomplished.

It’s all a mindset I’m learning to reset. Will I be angry and anxious about it? Yes. But, it’s for the health of my mind. I’m sure it’ll understand.

…

This was mainly inspired by @jeanjwould’s substack post and this video by Jared Henderson on YouTube. Thanks for helping me realize some things about myself and how to get it on paper.

[jeanjwould]

"I did it for you" has gotta be my favorite form of betrayal. You gave me a gift I never asked for, and now I have to look around at the world you destroyed with the knowledge that it was gift wrapped and addressed to me.

[jeanjwould]

okay okay what's your least favourite 'classic' novel you ever read. i'm curious xx

[jeanjwould]

[jeanjwould]

having an ancient vampire develop a psychosexual obsession for me after repressing any feelings of love for centuries would fix me i think

[jeanjwould]

AAAAAA thank you vienna!!! may our detachments serve us well!!!!!! :)

dropped a bit of a vent-ish post on my substack. just doing a little bit of introspection on my current creative standing and mental state if anyone is into that

[jeanjwould]

dropped a bit of a vent-ish post on my substack. just doing a little bit of introspection on my current creative standing and mental state if anyone is into that

[jeanjwould]

Reblog and put in the tags some of your pet peeves when it comes to books / writing.

[jeanjwould]

🍖 How to Build a Culture Without Just Inventing Spices and Necklaces

(a worldbuilding roast. with love.)

So. You’re building a fantasy world, and you’ve just invented: → Three types of ceremonial jewelry → A spice that tastes like cinnamon if it were bitter and cursed → A holiday where everyone wears gold and screams at dawn

Cute. But that’s not culture. That’s aesthetics.

And if your worldbuilding is all outfits, dances, and spice blends with vaguely mystical names, your story’s probably going to feel like a cosplay convention held inside a Pinterest board.

Here’s how to fix that—aka: how to build a real, functioning culture that shapes your story, not just its vibes.

─────── ✦ ───────

🔗 Culture Is Built on Power, Not Just Style

Ask yourself: → Who’s in charge, and why? → Who has land? Who doesn’t? → What’s considered taboo, sacred, or punishable by death?

Culture is shaped by who gets to make the rules and who gets crushed by them. That’s where things like religion, family structure, class divisions, gender roles, and social expectations actually come from.

Start there. Not at the embroidery.

─────── ✦ ───────

2.🪓 Culture Comes From Conflict

Did this society evolve peacefully? Was it colonized? Did it colonize? Was it rebuilt after a war? Is it still in one?

→ What was destroyed and mythologized? → What do the survivors still whisper about? → What do children get taught in school that’s… suspiciously sanitized?

No culture is neutral. Every tradition has a history, and that history should taste like blood, loss, or propaganda.

─────── ✦ ───────

3.🧠 Belief Systems > Customs Lists

Sure, rituals and holidays are cool. But what do people believe about: → Death? → Love? → Time? → The natural world? → Justice?

Example: A society that believes time is cyclical vs. one that sees time as linear will approach everything—from prison sentences to grief—completely differently.

You don’t need to invent 80 gods. You need to know what those gods mean to the people who pray to them.

─────── ✦ ───────

4.🫀 Culture Controls Behavior (Quietly)

Culture shows up in: → What people apologize for → What insults cut deepest → What people are embarrassed about → What’s praised publicly vs. what’s hidden privately

For instance: → A culture obsessed with stoicism won’t say “I love you.” They’ll say “Have you eaten?” → A culture built on legacy might prioritize ancestor veneration, archival writing, name inheritance.

This stuff? Way more immersive than giving everyone matching earrings.

─────── ✦ ───────

5. 🏠 Culture = Daily Life, Not Just Festivals

Sure, your MC might attend a funeral where people paint their faces blue. But what about: → Breakfast routines? → How people greet each other on the street? → Who cooks, and who eats first? → What’s considered “clean” or “proper”? → How is parenting handled? Divorce?

Culture is what happens between plot points. It should shape your character’s assumptions, language, fears, and habits—whether or not a festival is going on.

─────── ✦ ───────

6. 💬 Let Your Characters Disagree With Their Own Culture

A culture isn’t a monolith.

Even in deeply traditional societies, people: → Rebel → Question → Break rules → Misinterpret laws → Mock sacred things → Act hypocritically → Weaponize or resist what’s expected

Let your characters wrestle with the culture around them. That’s where realism (and tension) lives.

─────── ✦ ───────

7.🧼 Beware the “Pretty = Good” Trap

Worldbuilding gets boring fast when: → The protagonist’s homeland is beautiful and pure → The enemy’s culture is dark and “barbaric” → Every detail just reinforces who the reader should like

You can—and should—challenge the aesthetic hierarchy. → Let ugly things be beloved. → Let beautiful things be corrupt. → Let your MC romanticize their culture and then get disillusioned by it later.

─────── ✦ ───────

📍 TL;DR (but like, spicy): → Culture is not food and jewelry. → Culture is power, fear, memory, contradiction. → Stop inventing spices until you know who starved last winter. → Let your world feel lived in, not curated.

The best cultural worldbuilding doesn’t look like a list. It feels like a system. A pressure. A presence your characters can’t escape—even if they try.

Now go. Build something real. (You can add spices later.)

—rin t. // writing advice for worldbuilders with rage and range // thewriteadviceforwriters

Sometimes the problem isn’t your plot. It’s your first 5 pages. Fix it here → 🖤 Free eBook: 5 Opening Pages Mistakes to Stop Making:

🕯️ download the pack & write something cursed:

[jeanjwould]

so i'm a couple of chapters in and i'm not quite sure how the author took og lucy talking about how she wishes she could marry every one of her suitors and took it as,,, lucy hating all of them? but i'll give the benefit of the doubt

i don't usually do this but i'm starting the lucy undying audiobook and i'm gonna share my thoughts here as i go :P i'm kinda nervous for this read because i'm not sure if i'm gonna like it, but it's a dracula story so i want to at least give it a shot 💀💀💀

so like, if you don't want spoilers, filter the tag #jean reads lucy undying

[jeanjwould]

i don't usually do this but i'm starting the lucy undying audiobook and i'm gonna share my thoughts here as i go :P i'm kinda nervous for this read because i'm not sure if i'm gonna like it, but it's a dracula story so i want to at least give it a shot 💀💀💀

so like, if you don't want spoilers, filter the tag #jean reads lucy undying

[jeanjwould]

the OC of the person reading this

this is a very fun idea actually! I encourage people to reblog with an explanation as to why/why not

[jeanjwould]

okay results are in, this eats actually

trying to figure out the height lineup of the main cast of my wip and i can't figure this shit out so im gonna let this poll and the order of the results decide for me 💀💀💀