lucidchaos12 - Tumblr blog

[lucidchaos12]

*taking notes*

The right FREE tools to write a book

hello hello, it's me!

today I was thinking of how much you loved my masterlist featuring some free tools for writers, and I thought I would do something like that again but, this time, featuring just one or two tools per step while getting the best of "the writer's workbook" (which is also free).

before going any further, for those who don't know, "the writer's workbook" is, as the name says, a workbook for writers, with over 90 pages. it has lots of sheets divided into categories, to help you build the skeleton of your novel. (know more about it here).

however, we can get the most out of it using other complementary tools to ease this process.

Brainstorming

Reedsy generator - it's one of my favorites, and it can be quite useful when you're stuck and want to get an idea. you're free to make changes to it so that it is as unique as possible.

Mindmap

Lucidspark - although it has a premium version, I find it so helpful when it comes to making a mindmap. I've used it multiple times before, including for college assignments, and it's one of the best I've found so far.

Mindmup - I'm sharing this one here as an alternative to lucidspark, since this one doesn't require to create an account, and you have access to unlimited maps. however, in my opinion, it is not as good or intuitive as lucidspark is.

Come up with names

Behind the name - it's a classic, but one of my favorites. you can search every name you could ever imagine, and get its meaning, history, variations, etc. it still has some tools you can use such as a name generator, anagrams, and much more.

Make a profile

Fake person generator - although it was not created for authors, you might find it useful since it gives lots of details and you can be interested in some fields.

Character generator - this one was made for writers, and is simple and easy to use.

Family tree

Family echo - it's so simple yet so helpful.

Maps

Inkarnate - it has a paid version, but you can use it for free and create a great map.

Politics

Filteries - this is sooo complete and accurate!

hope this was helpful! have a nice day <3

[lucidchaos12]

*my autistic asf ass taking notes*

Body language cheat sheet: Jealousy

Here’s a quick cheat-sheet to behaviours you can use in showing jealousy in your characters. Remember, these depend largely on the context of the scene, but they’re good ideas to get you started on allowing your readers to interpret jealousy where you don’t want to outright tell them that’s what it is. It’s a good technique to use if you’re wanting to hide a romantic interest.

Clenched jaw or tightened facial muscles

Rapid blinking or increased eye contact

Tensing of the body, such as crossed arms or tightened fists

Increased fidgeting or restlessness

Reddening of the face or neck

Changes in breathing patterns

Increased heart rate or pulse

Breaking out into a cold sweat or feeling clammy

Darting eyes or side glances

Tightness or discomfort in the throat

Flaring of the nostrils

Clenching or grinding of the teeth

By the way...

💜 Do you need help getting your WIP organized?

Pick up my 3 extensive workbooks for writers, with dozens of fully-customisable templates. These are my first ever original E-books and templates available outside of my coaching programs!

💜 The Writer’s ToolBoox contains: The Character Bible, The Plotter’s Almanac, and The World-Builder’s Chronicle

Grab it through the [link here] or below!

[lucidchaos12]

I hope yall realise half my reposts are there so I can save them for later reference -

The Grimoire as a Tool

Here are some great ways to give your grimoire more utility in your practice beyond just being a spell book:

Gazing page for trance and meditation work

Charging sigils for crystals and tools

Altar page (especially great for those who can't have a physical altar)

Altar pages for deities, spirits, guides, etc.

Intent pages decorated with colors, objects, and symbols associated with your chosen intent

Gateway pages for journeying and lucid dreaming

Vision and dream board pages to record dreams and recall them during ritual

Binding page for all the things that need somewhere to go besides your mind (I recommend using another piece of paper or a scrap of fabric to cover this page)

Pendulum board page

Crystal grid layout page

Throwing bones page (can have a grid, cardinal directions, elemental symbols, or other such markings to aid in interpreting throws)

Divination pages (create using scribbling, automatic writing, or ink splotches to create random markings that can later be interpreted)

Mirror gazing page (can be made with a reflective sticker or by pasting in a suitably reflective surface into your book, may be overlayed with thin black fabric or lace to somewhat obscure the reflection)

Invocation page with symbols and sigils for invoking certain entities

[lucidchaos12]

kiss kiss kiss

[lucidchaos12]

[lucidchaos12]

Pagan Discrimination

Discrimination towards Pagans mainly started with the rise of Christianity. Christians believed the practice of witchcraft was devil worshiping and associated Pagan deities with the antichrist (the Celtic deity Cernunnos is a major reason Satan and demons are often portrayed with stag antlers)

They turned things like Pentacles and Pentagrams that represented balance to things that represented evil. Deities like Cernunnos that represented nature and wild things to representing devils. The whole practice of witchcraft was turned into devil worshiping when we didn't even believe in their devils.

By demonizing witchcraft, society's views of witches have been very deluded. Usually people picture cranky old women with warts and hooked noses (which is racist btw) instead of the actual witches just trying to practice their beliefs.

A lot of it is also very misogynistic, as Pagan cultures valued both their women and men equally and women could hold positions of power.

And during the witch trials, more women were accused and executed because they were "more likely to be tempted by the devil." Especially widows and outspoken or activist women.

In Europe, an estimated 50,000 people were killed for suspected witchcraft. How many of these were actual Pagans is irrelevant because it's impossible to know, but the goal was still to eliminate witches.

To this day, there's still stigma around witchcraft and witches are frequently misrepresented in media.

It'd be bad if that was it, but it's not.

There's still plenty of stealing our holidays and traditions.

Christian holidays were placed around the time of Pagan holidays to make conversion easier. Christmas is during Yule and took a lot of Yule traditions, St. Brigid is based on an Irish god and her feast is during Imbolc, All Saints Day and now Halloween is during Samhain, etc.

St. Patrick's day isn't based on any Pagan holiday, but it still manages to erase Pagans. St. Patrick is famous for converting Ireland to Christianity, and driving away the "snakes" (which were a metaphor for Pagans).

What's even funnier is that today we associate the day with images of Leprechauns, which are a type of Celtic fae (Pagan creatures from another realm). But of course that isn't recognized.

Many types of fae have been separated from faeries (elves, dwarves, and many others). But I could talk about that for hours, let's save that for another post.

Christians managed to demonize Pagan symbols, deities, and traditions they didn't like, and take the ones they did for their own religion. Effectively erasing people's idea of Paganism and Pagan traditions and practices.

This is why it's so important to spread awareness. To share Pagan traditions and practices so people know what it really is. And to spread awareness as to how Christians buried us. Please reblog if you care about Pagans.

[lucidchaos12]

It's a long, long way to Na Sing Se...

(Context: Players recently left a walled city they dubbed ‘Na Sing Se.’ (reference to ATLA meaning ‘the penetrable city’). After saving the next town from the evil cult, the mayor throws a gala in their honor and the PCs are trying to find dates.)

Ranger, approaching an NPC: Hey, are you from Tennessee? 'Cause you’re the only ten I see 😉

DM, OOC: This is a fantasy setting, Tennessee doesn’t exist.

Ranger: Are you from Na Sing Se? 'Cause you’re… Just okay. 😉

DM: Roll a persuasion check, and I’m giving you disadvantage.

(Ranger rolls a nat 1 and gets slapped)

[lucidchaos12]

Villain turned Caretaker:

When a magical Hero gets kidnapped by an unknown Villain they instantly and easily get use to living conditions in captivity.

No food? Fair enough, once a three days is fine. Cold and no blanket or mattress? Okay, it's better for the back anyway. Blindfolded/tied up? Understandable, Villain can't trust a person they just met after all, can they?

(V:) "Oh, don't you like the way I hosted you, poor thing? Wanna cry for your friends to come get you?"

(H:) "Oh no, that's okay, really. It's not that different from my usual trainings"

(V:) "What."

Hero shrugs.

(V:) "You know, it's not fun when you're not complaining. Is that how your Leader treats their precious secret weapon?"

(H:) "Can a monster like me really expect anything better?"

(V:) "........"

(V:) "That's fucking it. I'm keeping you"

-------------------------

[lucidchaos12]

dance of the earth and sun

[lucidchaos12]

This art goes h a m

A bit old now, over a year and a half ago now haha, but since I did one of these for Zephyrus and A Sadness Runs Through Him, I figured it'd be cool to do one for creature too. So here are my favorite frames from creature :)

[lucidchaos12]

It's themmmmmmm your honour - /pos

Hermitcraft antics

[lucidchaos12]

some elements of spellwork distinguishing animist or spirit-based approaches from the energetic and psychological – a laughably basic and woefully incomplete list:

waking: most especially relevant for dried herbs or other preserved material. rouse what lies dormant with breath and touch and whisper.

speaking (or writing, etc): ask for assistance, don’t demand it. give praise, throw in some epithets. make deals, discuss terms and conditions. say thank you. say what you mean.

listening: now shut up for a bit. anticipate communication. words, song snippets, images, colours, feelings, whatever. look out for a “no” and be ready to honour it–it may hit hard in the chest or the guts. we have two-way streets here.

giving: praise, prayers, food, drink, candles, incense, crafts, all the usual suspects and more… reciprocity is key, no one likes a perpetual taker. some situations call for altruism, others for hard-nosed contracts, others for a secret third thing.

feeding: giving again, but specifically to maintain or revive longer workings. remember what the dormouse said…

sourcing: the perfect is the enemy of the good, but it makes a difference. grow, make, forage (responsibly) as much as possible. listen & give when sourcing things from the earth. shop ethically, re-use, thrift.

paring down: if it seems like a lot to go through for everything you want to include in your spell, then good. depth before breadth. use fewer herbs/stones/whatever that you know well, and that really need to be there. god i hate 12-ingredient spell jar recipes with #babywitch stuck on them. yes i will probably stick #babywitch on this. sue me.

to me these follow logically from the premise that plants, stones, bones, bits & bobs have spirit, not just energy. because that implies that their power must be given, it isn’t just there to be channelled (energetic model) or derived from the practitioner’s mental associations (psychological model). i claim nothing of reality and little of truth, but this premise has served me well.

just in case: the writing style is a little conceit that i use in many of my personal notes, which this was originally. obviously “in my opinion/experience/practice” etc.

[lucidchaos12]

“Today, we’re going to kill god. Tomorrow, we’re going to bring him back. So that we can kill him again.”

“Alright, who let [X] drink?”

[lucidchaos12]

I'm going for gold, lads, lasses, and other gendered classes!

Do you like visual novels? Do you like stories about the fey? Do you like your entertainment as EDUTAINMENT?

IF SO, BOY HOWDY DO I HAVE A VISUAL NOVEL PROJECT FOR YOU.

The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) is a lore-rich and choice-driven romantic visual novel inspired by Irish mythology. Play as an Irish tenant farmer from the mid-19th century, whose path becomes inexplicably entwined with fairy affairs after getting robbed by the roadside and lured into the mythic and war-torn world of Tír na nÓg: A once unified land, now divided into the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Will you escape with your stolen belongings? Or does fate have something else in mind?

OKAY, BUT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU, SEEKER OF SEROTONIN?

6 wonderful romantic/PLATONIC options (each love interest can be pursued entirely platonically)

a visual novel whose philosophy is less on anxiety-inducing, arbitrary choices to get a good or bad ending, but instead focuses on if you, the player, are interacting with a character in a healthy or unhealthy manner, leading to player freedom and choice

intelligent and reflective writing that is reflected within character moments and dialogue

and MORE! (so much more!)

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE OUT ABOUT THIS GAME?

Here is the bio link, which has links for the indie developers' social media accounts (Tumblr, Twitter, Discord Server) along with the link to their official website, which has a deep dive into every main NPC and the philosophy of the game. The demo is out now and free on both Steam and Itch.io

(As an official statement: I am in no way employed or affiliated with Moirai Myths and I was not approached in any way to make this post. This is me being a feral fan on main, blazing this post)

EDIT:

HELLO EVERYONE! DID YALL KNOW THE KICKSTARTER FOR THIS GAME JUST LAUNCHED TODAY? NOW YOU DO! MORE DETAILS AND MORE FUN TO BE HAD!

They’re doing voice acting reveals this month, along with an early bird special to see blushing/flirty emotes!

EDIT THE SECOND:

WE HAVE REACHED FULL FUNDING WITH THE GAME! Which is excellent, because it means that my little hyperfixation is gonna be made!

However!

It would be very nice if we could reach some of the stretch goals (which go into depth here: x). Not only are they fun (MC customization, a switch port, expanded voice-over work, more sprites, mini-games, side stories), but I think they'd spark a lot of serotonin for folks playing (myself included).

If this post has interested you at all, please, please, please check out the Kickstarter above! Thank you!

[lucidchaos12]

Isa’s Whumptober Masterlist 2022

SO I PUT THESE DOWN IN ORDER OF DAY (except for the alternative prompts, which are in order of creation), SO THEY’RE NOT IN THE CORRECT ORDER THEY WERE ACTUALLY POSTED. I don’t have the braincells to go through and do it in order of posting sadly :’D BUT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE HERE SO HAVE FUN! –

Day 1 – This Wasn’t Supposed to Happen

Day 2 - Caged

Day 3 - Impaled

Day 4 – Dead on Your Feet

Day 5 - Hyperthermia

Day 6 – Proof of Life

Day 7 – Shaking hands & Silent Panic Attack

Day 8 – Head Trauma

Day 9 – Tossing and Turning

Day 10  - Poor Unfortunate Souls

-

Day 11 -  ALT PROMPT 12 – Carried to Safety

Day 12 – Mayday! Mayday!

Day 13 - Fracture

Day 14 – Desperate Measures

Day 15 – Breathing Through the Pain

Day 16 – No Way Out

Day 17 – Reluctant Caretaker

Day 18 – Take My Coat

Day 19 – ALT PROMPT 7 - Protective

Day 20 – Fetal Position

-

Day 21 – You’re Safe Now

Day 22  -  ALT PROMPT 15 - Tears

Day 23 – At the End of Their Rope

Day 24 – Blood Covered Hands

Day 25 – ALT PROMPT 11 - Stabbed

Day 26 – Why Did You Save Me?

Day 27 – Magical Exhaustion

Day 28 - Headache

Day 29 – Sleep Deprivation

Day 30 – Note to Self, Don’t Get Kidnapped

Day 31 – A Light at the End of the Tunnel & Comfort

- Cutting Board (Bonus Art that didn’t get completed.) THANK YOU AGAIN EVERYBODY FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND FOR STICKING AROUND FOR THE RIDE!!!

[lucidchaos12]

What're some things you wish you knew before getting into serious writing (i.e. things before writing a novel, editing large projects, etc.)?

This is an excellent question! I've come to terms with some things, but overall I've had a great time learning. Here are a few things that it would have really helped me to know early on.

Most writing advice doesn't need to be taken THAT seriously. While my writing has improved from listening to and applying writing advice, there was a period of time where I felt anxious over how many things I was doing "Wrong." I overcame this by realizing that not all advice was for me, but for some other writer out there. Also, the act of writing improved my writing more than reading about how to improve my writing ever could.

You're never going to be old enough to write with experience! Tongue-in-cheek, but when I learned that most of my favorite works were written by authors past their 40s, 50s, etc. I realized everything I write now will reflect my current age and inexperience. I accepted that and kept writing anyway. Can't write a masterpiece without writing a few flawed stories first!

Most people who love your story will not understand it like you do. Everyone sees something slightly different, or focuses on stuff you really don't care about. On the other hand, there will be a handful of readers who tell you what your story is actually about and those readers are so much smarter than you and they're the best people ever because they make you feel like an accidental genius.

Publishing is a crazy, competitive, hard work atmosphere. Like most creative endeavors, unfortunately, writing rarely pays the bills. It definitely hasn't paid mine. Do it at your own pace, whether that's being published, self-pub, or just writing at home for your own sanity. It's all good.

Inspiration does just go away. You plan a novel, you love the characters, you think this is going to be The One. And then next week you're over it. You still keep it, but you look back at all those plans and feel a little bad that it didn't get an ending...Actually, I'm glad I didn't know this one. I would have avoided so many projects that taught me useful things.

[lucidchaos12]

I think many people don't take trans trauma seriously, that it's nothing more than a joke.

As a trans person, it was traumatic to feel as though I would be loved only if I conformed to my expected gender. It was traumatic to hide away, to sever myself from every little thing that made me happy. It was traumatic to discover my gender and sexuality in an environment where I felt insecure and scared.

Masculinity and femininity can be traumatic, for trans people, this is especially true. Treating these traumas like jokes only tells me that you don't support trans people, that we have to have certain experiences in order to be valuable.