kratqa

[kratqa]

after all these years it's the #dieslow that still gets me

[kratqa]

i made a guide for ppl

[kratqa]

“Stop telling me your weird and cryptic dreams. They never make sense and then I can’t stop thinking about them.”

[kratqa]

site that you can type in the definition of a word and get the word

site for when you can only remember part of a word/its definition 

site that gives you words that rhyme with a word

site that gives you synonyms and antonyms

[kratqa]

how to unstick that stuck scene:

- make sure you know how each character feels going into the scene, and how that progresses throughout

-understand what each character wants out of the scene

-understand why you are including this scene in the first place

-check the last scene and make sure it is resolved the way you want it

[kratqa]

Surnames are just as important as given names. So, I compiled a list of the websites I use to find my surnames.

English Surnames

Dutch Surnames

Spanish Surnames

Scottish Surnames

German Surnames

Italian Surnames

Irish Surnames

French Surnames

Scandinavian Surnames

Welsh Surnames

Jewish Surnames

Surnames By Ethnicity

Most Common Surnames in the USA

Most Common Surnames in Great Britan

Most Common Surnames in Asia

[kratqa]

child handling for the childless nurse

My current job has me working with children, which is kind of a weird shock after years in environments where a “young” patient is 40 years old.  Here’s my impressions so far:

Birth - 1 year: Essentially a small cute animal.  Handle accordingly; gently and affectionately, but relying heavily on the caregivers and with no real expectation of cooperation.

Age 1 - 2: Hates you.  Hates you so much.  You can smile, you can coo, you can attempt to soothe; they hate you anyway, because you’re a stranger and you’re scary and you’re touching them.  There’s no winning this so just get it over with as quickly and non-traumatically as possible.

Age 3 - 5: Nervous around medical things, but possible to soothe.  Easily upset, but also easily distracted from the thing that upset them.  Smartphone cartoons and “who wants a sticker?!!?!?” are key management techniques.

Age 6 - 10: Really cool, actually.  I did not realize kids were this cool.  Around this age they tend to be fairly outgoing, and super curious and eager to learn.  Absolutely do not babytalk; instead, flatter them with how grown-up they are, teach them some Fun Gross Medical Facts, and introduce potentially frightening experiences with “hey, you want to see something really cool?”

Age 11 - 14: Extremely variable.  Can be very childish or very mature, or rapidly switch from one mode to the other.  At this point you can almost treat them as an adult, just… a really sensitive and unpredictable adult.  Do not, under any circumstances, offer stickers.  (But they might grab one out of the bin anyway.)

Age 15 - 18: Basically an adult with severely limited life experience.  Treat as an adult who needs a little extra education with their care.  Keep parents out of the room as much as possible, unless the kid wants them there.  At this point you can go ahead and offer stickers again, because they’ll probably think it’s funny.  And they’ll want one.  Deep down, everyone wants a sticker.

[kratqa]

a vampire giving themselves a pep talk to a mirror that has a crudely drawn picture of themselves that they drew taped to it

[kratqa]

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has trouble remembering developmental milestones. I put these together, but can’t take credit for any of the photography. Hope someone finds them helpful!

[kratqa]

So, let me guess– you just started a new book, right? And you’re stumped. You have no idea how much an AK47 goes for nowadays. I get ya, cousin. Tough world we live in. A writer’s gotta know, but them NSA hounds are after ya 24/7. I know, cousin, I know. If there was only a way to find out all of this rather edgy information without getting yourself in trouble…

You’re in luck, cousin. I have just the thing for ya.

It’s called Havocscope. It’s got information and prices for all sorts of edgy information. Ever wondered how much cocaine costs by the gram, or how much a kidney sells for, or (worst of all) how much it costs to hire an assassin?

I got your back, cousin. Just head over to Havocscope.

((PS: In case you’re wondering, Havocscope is a database full of information regarding the criminal underworld. The information you will find there has been taken from newspapers and police reports. It’s perfectly legal, no need to worry about the NSA hounds, cousin ;p))

Want more writerly content? Follow maxkirin.tumblr.com!

[kratqa]

101 unique or interesting names for female characters.

Abelia

Abeline (Abba-line)

Abilene

Adelaide

Agnes

Althea

Amity

Andromeda

Anja

Anona

Anya

Arcadia

Ariane

Ariel

Asa

Atria (At-tree-ah)

Aviana

Beatrice

Bianca

Brigid

Cassiopeia

Caterina

Constance

Coralie

Cordelia

Cybele

Damia

Deja

Delia

Devorah (Like Deborah)

Desdemona

Ebba

Elena

Emmeline

Ena (In-ah)

Enya

Estelle

Eudora

Fable

Fayola

Felice

Fifer

Flora

Garnet

Geraldine

Gretchen

Halona

Hebe

Honoria

Isolde

Ilia

Jaya

Jolie

Junia

Kay

Kendra

Keziah (Kee-zee-ah)

Kiaria  (Key-R-E-ah)

Lavinia

Ligeia

Livia

Luana

Lucasta

Mable

Maddalena

Maeve

Magdalen

Margo

Mariel

Marilla

Merilee

Mirabel

Natalyn

Necilla

Oriana

Odelia

Parvati

Poppy

Quenby (Kwen-bee)

Quintia

Roselle

Rianne

Sabina

Sable

Salem

Seneca

Shiloh (Shy-low)

Shreya

Shayera

Sukey

Tallulah

Tamara

Taruria

Una

Verena

Verdi

Whimsy

Xavia (Zay-via)

Yvonne

Zaria

Zelena

UPDATE, link to the guys list: http://theunamazingauthor.tumblr.com/post/149959702359/100-unique-or-interesting-names-for-male

[kratqa]

When making oc's do you have character sheet tips? Like I have the basic down looks, family, ect but do you have any other recommendations?

Wow, this is a great question! I actually had to pull up several of my character creation sheets for reference.

Some of my favorite go-to details include (for real world characters and for fantasy characters):

Appearance: obviously, including any quirks, how do they carry themself, average clothing

Preferences:

sexuality

favorite food

favorite color

favorite animal

favorite weather

favorite season

favorite time of day

favorite music

foods that they will/will not eat

religion

political beliefs

etc

Personality: calm, rude, oblivious, introspective, stubborn, etc

Family:

who are the characters parents

what is their relationship with their parents

do they have siblings siblings

what are those relationships like

Family Life:

what was it like for the character growing up

are there things that affect them in their present state from their childhood

what was discipline like as a child

were they rich, poor, or somewhere in between

Cultural History: does this affect the character, do they have cultural traditions that they follow

Flaws: every character should have a flaw (maybe they are really caring, but it leads to them being too trusting and getting manipulated; maybe they are super smart, but they have a hard time connecting to people as a result; etc)

Blank Spots: everyone has a bit of ‘basic knowledge’ that they somehow missed of misunderstood (it happens for everyone), what is the character’s ‘blank spot’

Wants: what does the character want most, what do those around the character want for them

Needs: what does the character actually need (this can be different from the wants, and often should be for character growth; however, the character growth can happen even if the wants and needs are the same by having the course of events be contrary to the characters expectations)

Fears: what is the character afraid of, both literally and existentially

How Do They Handle:

disappointment

anger

embarrassment

attraction

betrayal

fight or flight

money

lack of sleep

alcohol

injustice

mental illness

grief

exercise

etc

Defining Moment: is the character’s defining moment going to happen to them during the story or has it already happened (characters can have more than one defining moment)

How Do(Would) They Feel About:

glitter

Ferris wheels

camping

coffee

crispy or floppy bacon

mushrooms

Twilight books/movies

guns

etc

Extras:

do they have a signature smile

do they have a tell when they lie

do they have any nervous tics

do they speak loudly, softly or average volume

what is the quality of their voice

do they gesture when they talk

do they have a good understanding of personal space

how do they greet other people

how do they say goodbye

is there anything they always have on them/with them

do they remember faces or names better

what does the character admire most in others

pet peeves

what grosses them out

I hope this helps! This list is in no way a complete record of all the things your could identify about your OCs, if anyone has anything they’d like to add, feel free!!

[kratqa]

Reblog the writers’ fortune cookie for luck!

[kratqa]

How to write about Grief:

There is no right or wrong way to experience grief. Just as there is no right or wrong way to write it. Everyone is different, each set of circumstances are different. 

The point of this post is to show you how different people react in different ways, and give points on how you might write that, depending on your character and story.

Reactions to Grief

Numbness: Your character may go into auto-pilot and be unable to process the events that have unfolded.

Anger: This can be aimed at other people, at a Higher Being, or at nothing in particular.

Unsteady: Your characters may be unsteady. For example, unable to stop their voice from shaking or they may find it difficult to stand.

Focusing on Others: Your character may disregard their own feelings because they are so overwhelmed and instead concentrate on someone else’s well-being. 

Seek out routines: Amid upheavals, your character may seek comfort in tasks that are familiar and “safe,” such as working, cleaning, making their bed, making absurd amounts of tea or taking a morning walk.

Pretending that Everything Is Okay: Grief is viewed as an emotion that should cease or be concealed once the funeral is over. So people mention the news in an offhand comment, then talk and laugh as if all is right with the world.

Denial: Some people deny the reality of death and convince themselves that the news is a joke or can’t be true.

Reactions from people surrounding your character:

People may avoid your character as they do not know what to say or simply can’t find the right words.

Some may even go as far as to cross the street when they notice your character approaching.

Even people that the character has known for years may act strange or standoff-ish, simply because they don’t know what to say.

On the other side of that, some people may be overly helpful and friendly.

It is not uncommon for estranged friends, family or others to suddenly reappear in a person’s life after they have experienced grief. 

Either because those people want to offer their support and love  or because they’re being nosy and they want to be kept up to date on the “drama”.

Most people will move on from the event fairly quickly if they weren’t emotionally invested. 

Some people may even get annoyed at your character for still being upset weeks or months later.

When talking about the person they have lost:

Your character may recall a memory or tell a story about their loved one, these are possible reactions. (I have encountered all of them.)

Your character may being to cry or get upset at the thought of the person they have lost. 

The person they are talking to may become awkward and avert eye contact when your character brings up the person they have lost. 

Others may ask or tell your character to stop talking about the person they have lost. They may roll their eyes, cough awkwardly, or cut off your character mid sentences so that they can change the subject.

Some people may ask inappropriate questions about the circumstances in which the character’s loved one passed away. Depending on the personality of your character then may react differently. 

Other things to note:

Grief is not constrained by time. 

One of the main problems with grief in fiction is that a character is typically heartbroken for a couple scenes and then happy again. But grief does not evaporate because the world needs saving. 

Allow your character to wrestle with their grief. 

Your character may feel guilty. Your character may feel a twinge of guilt when they laugh or have a good time with someone else; when they do something to remind them that they’re alive, and their loved one isn’t. 

Grief is a game changer. A previously outgoing character may withdraw and isolate themselves. Some people may take grief and/or bereavement as a sign that life is too short; they may make big decisions in an attempt to make themselves feel better and grow away from their pain.

Sometimes grief can help you find your purpose.

At first grief can be all consuming. It hurts and you can’t really control it. It may seem unrelenting. Eventually the grief will become easier to deal with, your character may find the days to be better, but that doesn’t mean that when the grief hits it doesn’t hurt any less.

For most people, grief never really goes away. “Sometimes you have to accept the fact that certain things will never go back to how they used to be.”

It is rare that a person will ever give a long speech about their feelings, a lot of people struggle to even find the words. But that’s okay. Show the reader how your character feels, rather than just telling them.

Don’t pause the plot to deal with the aspect of grief. This could overwhelm the readers and drag the pace down. In reality, life doesn’t just stop due to grief, the world keeps spinning and things still need to be done. Use the character’s grief as a backdrop for the story’s events.  

Yes, grief affects the character’s day-to-day life, goals, and relationships. But it shouldn’t drive readers away or stagnate the story. Instead, should engage readers and produce empathy that keeps them turning pages.

You don’t need to tell your readers that everything will be fine. You don’t need to provide all of the answers.

“Skirting grief and treating it lightly is easy. But by realistically portraying it through a variety of responses and its lasting effects on the character’s life, readers will form a connection with your characters.“

[kratqa]

Template from @radioh

[kratqa]

[kratqa]

hey kids

you know why I like redemption narratives? because a redemption narrative says: no matter how broken or wrong or bad or stupid or ridiculous or harmful or sad or terrible, you can atone.

there is still a road back. it might be rocky and steep, complicated and messy. walking it may take all your life. you may lose your foothold, slip and fall back into the abyss, but the wall is still there. the ascent is still there. hard is not the same as impossible.

you are never too far gone. you are never beyond saving.