marthasmargins

[marthasmargins]

Get these ai writing assistants out of my face!!!! I don't care if my writing is bad at least it is mine!!!!

[marthasmargins]

THE FUNERAL PYRE. ∣ a sapphic/lesbian vampire novella ↳ The idea of touch leaves the vampire averse and yet she grasps at the woman’s shoulders as if she’s holding on for dear life, as if she’s been dangled over a never-ending edge and this woman is the sole, tangible object in her vicinity onto which she can dig her nails. She can feel the woman smile against her neck, feels her hold her tighter, and the vampire wants to cry.

GENRE: gothic horror, sapphic/lesbian literature POV: third person, present THEMES: vampirism illustrated as metaphor for desire, overcoming internalized homophobia (except the story takes place sometime in the 15-18th century), discussions of religion and religiosity.

EXCERPT:

It happens as she passes by the woman to get to the cellar for more carrots. For a moment, the vampire can't help but follow the curve of her neck, to notice—not for the first time—how beautiful she is, to outline the inviting slope of her shoulder. For a moment, it seems so easy to just lean in, to plant a kiss on soft skin. "Are you alright?" The woman asks. The knife is in her hand, the tomatoes half-diced. The vampire jumps three feet into the air for having been caught staring, face burning in shame. The realization of it all shoots through her like a sheet of ice, pale and cold, and her heart palpitates with excitement and self-hatred all the same. "I'm fine," she manages, and tells the woman that she'll be retiring to bed immediately. She does not need the woman's soup, nor does she want it. The woman's efforts to keep her from leaving are valiant as they are admirable: a hand grabbing at her bishop sleeves, a swift move to stand in front of her to survey her face, to search for emotion that she knows she won't find. The vampire dodges each attempt with expert precision and flees to her bedroom anyway. In the dark, she lays down with tears and bites her hand to keep the nausea at bay. Bile tastes a certain kind of bitter and she gags. With great effort, she sinks her teeth into her fist and pays no mind to the blood that pools beneath her head, the red that soaks into her pillows and sheets. She can wash them anyway; the blood has far been watered down by her tears. She notes with distaste how dirty desire feels. In the dark sanctuary of her room, she prays and prays for the feeling to go away. In the morning, she washes her sheets and acts like yesterday didn't happen at all, but in her throat, the bile remains.

third image by Elizaveta Porodina

T A G L I S T  lmk if you wish to be added!

[marthasmargins]

WIPS OVERVIEW <3

hello everyone! finally had a chance to sit down an actually start typing out a general overview of my current works in progress. I'm incredibly excited to share these, and can't wait to begin posting more about them!!

it is also important to note that I frequently write about issues that have impacted me or my family personally, whether that be mass state-sanctioned violence/atrocities or things like intolerance, etc.

most of these are short stories or novellas, and I hope you guys have as much fun consuming this content as I had making them!

THE FUNERAL PYRE

STATUS / complete, in editing stage GENRE / gothic horror, cottage-core (kinda), literary fiction LENGTH / standalone novella POV / third person, present tense.

WARNINGS / blood, biting, intense but non-graphic descriptions of shame regarding sexuality

THEMES / vampirism illustrated as metaphor for sapphic desire, overcoming internalized homophobia (except the story takes place in the 15-18th century), religion and religiosity

CONTEXT / I wrote the first draft of this story around two years ago when I was first coming to terms with my sexuality. It was incredibly difficult, but fleshing out and writing the story brought great healing.

BLURB / The vampire is a quiet being, living on a homestead in the outskirts of a village she happens upon in the effort to isolate herself. the villagers know that she's different, and assume that she is the bloodthirsty and insatiable monster that they've all heard rumors about while trading with nearby villages. so, the townsfolk begin to routinely send over people whom they think are also "cursed" as a sacrifice to the vampire, supposedly to keep the monster placated enough to not kill the village, while also disposing of the "witches" that they do not want as their neighbors. it’s completely unspoken, the entire thing. nobody talks about it. theres no word for it. there’s just a new person on her door, once every few months, trembling with fear. with an unamused look, she lets each of them hang their coats and take a bath, gives them food, and then a cloth bag of just enough vegetables from her garden to last them the trip across the lake and to the next town over. she never speaks to them. the town thinks she eats the people, but those sent to her remain safe and away from their oppressors. as far as she’s concerned, there remains nothing left to be desired in such a quiet life, but still it’s a quiet life and far from the chaos that usually plagues those like her. that is, until, they send over the woman who will come to embody her biggest fear: desire.

[FINAL TITLE WILL BE RELEASED SOON] or "The Coldest Evening of the Year"

STATUS / writing first draft GENRE / gothic horror, literary fiction LENGTH / standalone novella POV / first person, present tense.

WARNINGS / death, non-graphic descriptions of violence and blood

THEMES / grief and loss of culture/identity, loneliness, finding love

CONTEXT / the story is based off of an Anatolian myth, the karakoncolos, wherein the mythological creature's lore is reimagined and used as a plot device to explore what it looks like to survive and live life after experiencing a mass atrocity (specifically inspired by my kurmanji-kurd and turkish roots and family history).

BLURB / the story is told in the first person, but not through the main character's narration. rather, it is told through the eyes of a student attending a prestigious graduate school for astrophysics, snuggled high in the snowy mountains where the winter months are unbearably long and cold. her name is Diane. the protagonist of the book, however, is Uriel, a man who was transformed into a karakoncolos during one of turkey's many massacres against its kurdish population. though the myth changes depending on your region in Anatolia, Uriel falls victim to one of the karakoncolos's most heinous tricks: being lured outside of his home during the height of the Zemheri, hearing the voice of his mother who had been missing for days during the massacres. as he steps into death's arms, he realizes that his fate will be far less merciful than death. Uriel, despite his best wishes, is now immortal, and fated to roam the earth, only visible to the rest of the world during the coldest evenings of the year.

as always, thank you for your time and let me know if you have any particular thoughts about either of these stories!

warmly, martha

[marthasmargins]

[marthasmargins]

writeblr intro ◡̈

hi all! my name is martha (she/her) and I'm very excited to be joining the writeblr community again after a long hiatus. I'd love to follow other fellow writers on here so please introduce yourself below if you feel comfortable to do so!

some fun facts/things to know about me are...

just turned 26 years old (ahhhh)

by trade, I am an osint international criminal law researcher

mother to two beautiful cats, fiancée to one beautiful person

kurmanj (Kurmanji speaking Kurd)

got into literature through poetry (my beloved), and then started writing short stories and later novellas

love love love to collect old books and antique items

also trained in film photography and did weddings for a bit

things I enjoy writing

anything that's slightly uncanny valley

existential and introspective literature

very big fan of not giving characters names (unless the narrative requires otherwise)

incorporating real-world themes to my writing (like oppressive systems, colonization, etc, I guess you can never flee from your upbringing)

dark/light academia settings

dialogue-heavy stories/chapters

I look forward to meeting all of you! I'm so excited to read your work, interact, and get immersed in the community!