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hey mutuals, you can dm me for my new blog!

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happy wbw!

what are some small details from your worldbuilding that dont affect the plot but that you like anyways?

Hi, and thanks for the ask! (this really forced me to think)

In The Godless, they need some way of communication with the others (despite it being a post apocalyptic setting, the district leaders need to be able to talk to other district leaders) so they have little communicators like phones! The only difference is that when they make calls it pops up like a hologram from the shoulders up, so you can see the other person like a facetime.

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I love past me for writing fun scenes and saving them for later use.

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Various Ocean scenes by Lionel Walden (1861-1933).

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WRITEBLR REINTRODUCTION !!

Hello, I'm CJ Laurrier (xe/xem), and this is my writing blog! You can call me CJ or Laur or anything you want, including nicknames based off my URL like Raze or Gold! I'm a minor, but I've been writing for about 5 to 6 years now. I'm queer, trans, and neurodivergent, so I'm big into characters that represent that. My favorite genres to write are fantasy and sci-fi (especially dystopian) because I love the worldbuilding, but I also write general fiction and poetry! If you'd like to be added to a taglist for any of my WIPs, just send an ask!

MAIN WIPS !!

The Godless ; A sci-fi/dystopian story about surviving the end of the world. Speak of the Devil ; A fantasy story heavily influenced by Christianity's myths, plus general religion, with magic and fighting. PARA-NATURAL! ; A thriller story about a girl and her new acquaintance, on the hunt to find her sister's murderer. When The Lights Go Out ; A mystery about a dysfunctional family and a couple missing kids.

TAGGING !!

cj — original ; my posts cj — reblog ; reblogs cj — self reblog ; when I reblog my posts cj — poetry ; my poems cj — writing ; my writing cj — mail ; asks cj — advice ; my tips cj — [character name] ; OC profiles cj — [WIP name] ; everything I post about that WIP under one tag resources !! ; advice/tips/resources i love queue ; queued post

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I'm a supporter of making pathetic characters

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Writing Fight Scenes: The VIOLENT Method

okay, so because people have a hard time writing effective fight scenes, I'm going to walk everyone through the method that I use for everything from massive sci fi battles, to quick three-v-eight sword brawls to bar fights. The VIOLENT Method. (Because fun mnemonics)

Visceral: Make sure your audience feels it by keeping it grounded in injuries and pain. People get fuckin' hurt in fights, and no fight where people do not is going to feel real. Tying into this, people don't fight fair, and people don't fight pretty. Even people who are trained fighters will make mistakes in their technique in a real fight because adrenaline makes you worse, not better, even as it makes you faster/stronger. Also, in real fights people stomp on downed opponents, take shots at turned backs, people bleed, scream, etc., Also, really critically, people are exhausted after fights. Your characters should be wrung by the time it's over, even if it only lasted for a few minutes.

Immediate: Keep sentences short and punchy. No one is analyzing every step of the fight tactically while it's happening. If characters are thinking "Ah yes I will make him overextend and then pull his wrist in and throw him before stomping his head…" I know that the author of the scene has never been in an actual fight. Keep sentences short and punchy. "Draw in, grab, and throw."

Obnoxious: Tying into the above, fights can be disorienting. Don't overdo this, you need your reader to have an idea of what's going on, but don't underdo it either - things should be a bit chaotic. If it feels like the characters know everything that's going on around them, you're doing it wrong. Read what the following sections say about rhythm, but bear this in mind: once you get a rhythm going and keep it flowing for several paragraphs: break it with a short, hard paragraph and shift it in a way deliberately disorienting to the reader on purpose to drive in that things are unpredictable. In a fight, there's a lot of noise, there's a lot of confusion, and that should reflect enough in the narration to bring a sense of it to the reader - but again, don't overdo it to the point where the reader can't tell what's going on.

Liquid: Fights flow. There's a definitive rhythm and momentum to a fight. While the characters won't necessarily have a great idea of everything happening, they WILL have a sense of the momentum around them and the way the fight is making them move. Momentum and movement are going to be the key to writing an impactful fight scene and give the reader a sense of excitement, or, if you want to give a sense of a dragging, exhausting affair of attrition, do the opposite: grind the momentum to almost nil while two massive groups start sniping and grinding at each other with almost no movement.

Environment: Where's the fight happening? How is everyone moving? Describe the surrounding environment. This is the space a fight is happening in, whether a big open field, a forest grove, a small tight room where you can use the walls for leverage, a park where you can use benches for jumping points or to smash people's heads against, etc., matters in a fight, as does how everyone is using it. Heat, cold, visibility, all of these factor into a fight as well.

Narrator: Who is your narrator in the fight? A trained soldier? A trained fighter? Just some untrained schlub who has no idea what they're doing? These people have a different idea of how fighting works, and that matters. What a soldier notices, what a correspondent notices, what a martial artist notices, etc, are all differences. Keep an eye on how you present this.

Tactics: What does everyone want out of the fight? Is one side fighting to kill the other? Just to knock out? To capture? To take a location? Just to drive each other off? What are the rules of engagement? How trained are the combatants? What kind of discipline is everyone under, if any? Weapons? These all matter when you're asking questions, and you should research what effects all of these will have, but short version: fighting to kill is easier than fighting to capture, and its very rare, despite what the movies say, that any force will fight to the last man rather than retreat.

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A List of Prompts

because yeah i think it would be helpful if there was a comprehensive list of those, so

ANGST. want to cry? here's some onion for you.

fighting/intense

someone is injured

protective

reluctant allies

shedding a tear

secret relationship--getting caught and confronted

enemies to lovers

corruption arc

sentence starters

forbidden love

101 ways to break the characters (and readers) heart

broken trust

hit em where it hurts

for the damaged

short angst sentence starters

soft angst sentence starters

high pain tolerance

dark and angsty sentence starters

from the villain

SMUT / NSFW. having horny thoughts? endulge.

action prompts

subtle intimacy

sexual tension

kissing starters

smut dialogue prompts

sfw friends with benefits

types of kisses

soft dirty talk sentence starters

consent is sexy

spicy actions

subtle smut sentence starters

nonverbal sexual situations

bdsm and dom/sub prompts

build the tension

love and leashes

FLUFF. for when your heart needs healing.

simple actions.

forehead touches.

things done while spooning

things done while dancing

oblivious idiots in love

idiots in love

dancing prompts

dialogue prompts

simple touches

casual affections

soft and sweet sentence starters

types of hugs

comforting

domestic intimacy

comforting actions

soft touches

BITTERSWEET. for those who like to hurt and then soothed.

reassuring your lover

reassuring your lover pt. 2

sacred moments

hurt/comfort prompts.

hero x villain prompts

lovers in denial

comforting a lover after a nightmare

grumpy x sunshine

enemies with benefits

noticing trauma

all about the yearning

found family

nightmares and sleeping

reassuring

reunion after (physical) trauma

possessive/territorial

for the heavy hearted

enemies to lovers

hero x villain sentence starters

dissociation starters

intervention

enemies to lovers and lovers to enemies

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soft prompts for couples in rainy season

curling up with a book together

hearing the sound of rain

writing journals separately, but in the same room, enjoying the sweet solitude and the treasured company

telling each other stories of their childhood

making playlists of classical music

watching movies 

dancing in the rain

strolling around the town under a colourful umbrella

writing silly poems for each other

doing nothing but laying in one’s lap and them gently running their hand through your hair, staring outside window

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[houndmouthed, a writeblr intro]

about me;

she/they, bi, 22

from nz, grew up in a small town and then moved to a small city

elliot hound is a pen name :)

[my writing]

what to expect;

fantasy and queer storylines, a focus on imbalance of power, exploration of fantasy conventions (usually with a focus on subverting them or exploring how certain archetypes affect the characters they are applied to)

common tropes & themes;

found family, nature that is twisted and wrong, annoyances to lovers, rural settings, traumatic pasts, weird magic systems, the nature of monstrosity, sarcastic characters

[my wips]

wip: dog teeth

five teenagers go ghost hunting in their fucked up little town // queer, contemporary fantasy, ya

wip: how fair the vine / pale kings & princes

grad student finds more than he bargained for when his study of local folklore leads him to the fair folk that inhabit the wild parts of his small university town // queer, folkloric urban fantasy, na

wip: the saint of stolen grace

a wanderer unwillingly tied to a small god explores the ravaged earth in the aftermath of a fantasy war trying to restore their grace // queer, low fantasy, na

wip: whispermage

a young woman helps solve a murder mystery in a fantasy city using her connection to the goddess of death // wlw-centric, folkloric fantasy, na

[other]

main is @bittenthehand

please tag me in tag games, I'm not always fast but I always get to them eventually and I really just like seeing what other people are writing

same url different account

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WRITEBLR REINTRODUCTION !!

Hello, I'm CJ Mae Laurrier (xe/xem), and this is my writing blog! You can call me CJ or Mae or Laur or anything you want, including nicknames based off my URL like Raze or Gold! I'm a minor, but I've been writing for about 5 to 6 years now. I'm queer, trans, and neurodivergent, so I'm big into characters that represent that. My favorite genres to write are fantasy and sci-fi (especially dystopian) because I love the worldbuilding, but I also write general fiction and poetry! If you'd like to be added to a taglist for any of my WIPs, just send an ask!

MAIN WIPS !!

The Godless ; A sci-fi/dystopian story about surviving the end of the world. Speak of the Devil ; A fantasy story heavily influenced by Christianity's myths, plus general religion, with magic and fighting. PARA-NATURAL! ; A thriller story about a girl and her new acquaintance, on the hunt to find her sister's murderer. When The Lights Go Out ; A mystery about a dysfunctional family and a couple missing kids.

TAGGING !!

cj — original ; my posts cj — reblog ; reblogs cj — self reblog ; when I reblog my posts cj — poetry ; my poems cj — writing ; my writing cj — mail ; asks cj — advice ; my tips cj — [character name] ; OC profiles cj — [WIP name] ; everything I post about that WIP under one tag resources !! ; advice/tips/resources i love queue ; queued post

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WEBSITES FOR WRITERS {masterpost}

E.A. Deverell - FREE worksheets (characters, world building, narrator, etc.) and paid courses;

Hiveword - Helps to research any topic to write about (has other resources, too);

BetaBooks - Share your draft with your beta reader (can be more than one), and see where they stopped reading, their comments, etc.;

Charlotte Dillon - Research links;

Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;

One Stop for Writers - You guys... this website has literally everything we need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;

One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It's FREE!

Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;

National Centre for Writing - FREE worksheets and writing courses. Has also paid courses;

Penguin Random House - Has some writing contests and great opportunities;

Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;

The Creative Academy for Writers - "Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication." It's FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;

Reedsy - "A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book" It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;

QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I've never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);

Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It's FREE but has a paid plan;

Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;

I hope this is helpful for you!

(Also, check my blog if you want to!)

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Hello! Back from my short mini-hiatus that I took to care for my mental health, feeling a lot better!

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Advice on Writing Thieves, Assassins, or Other Stealthy Characters

I’ve put a lot of research into this, and I’ve seen a lot of great rogue-like characters, where the author was clearly unsure as to how they perform their criminal activities. If you feel the need to ask why I know this stuff, my main writings are for a book series called “A Thief’s War,” which should be more than enough explanation. I swear I’m not personally a thief.

Anyway, here we go:

Lockpicking:

I’ve seen some stories where characters grab a paperclip, and boom, no lock can stop them. I’ve also seen some where master thieves take a hammer and smash the lock.

A lock has a series of tumblers in it, each of which need to click into place for it to unlock. A key’s design is usual exactly what it must be to get these tumblers into the proper position.

There are a wide array of shapes and sizes for lockpicks, and if you’re going to go around picking locks, you’re going to need more than one. There is no universal lockpick. Furthermore, for some reason a lot of people don’t include the secondary locking tool: a lock wrench. This is used to turn the the lock, and to keep the tumblers in place once you’ve appropriately placed them with the lockpick.

A lockpicker will know that a tumbler is in place when they hear it click, but the noise is usually quiet, so they’ll often have their ear close to the door.

Can you pick a lock with a paperclip? Yes, but it’s hard as hell, and a paperclip won’t fit into all locks. Not to mention it’s a pain turning the lock once the tumblers are in place.

 With code locks, a lot of movies or books show someone pressing their ear closely to the lock, whilst turning it, and listening for a click when it hits the right number. This actually works. These are the most useless goddamn locks in history.

Now, if you’re writing modern day, with smart locks and various other such tech, I’m afraid I can’t help. I haven’t studied that as much. Though, the previous advice will help for most locks, and that information still applies to basically all types of lock that aren’t incredibly expensive.

Sneaking:

The dashing rogue slips through the shadows, his cloak billowing behind him, and somehow none of the dozen patrolling guards walking right by happen to notice him.

Yeah, that’s not how it works.

Sneaking involves a lot of remaining very still, knowing your surroundings, and holding your breath.

A thief infiltrating a house will scout it out, usually for weeks in advance. Sometimes they’ll pose as various businessmen, and try to get the owners of the house let them in for a while so they can study the ins and outs of it. Cracking open a window isn’t quiet, and you need to know what doors will creak and what doors won’t.

If you’re trying to sneak, you need to try and stick near furniture and heavy objects. The floor isn’t nearly as likely to creak when you’re near these. Furthermore, you need to step lightly, and wear the appropriate footwear. Usually some cloth wrapping’s around one’s feet will help to be quiet, but avoid any shoes that might make clacking noises, or sound like they’re peeling off the floor when they move. A thief will also never scuff their feet, if they’re any good at sneaking.

Black clothing only helps you sneak if it’s dark, and your surroundings aren’t bright coloured. If you’re in a city of white buildings and marble, you’ll want matching attire. This is just for if you’re skulking about a city, though. Just make sure you don’t stand out. However, dark clothing will greatly help you not be seen from a distance when it’s night.

If a thief suspects someone is nearby, they should always try to locate a nearby hiding spot, and remain perfectly still. Do not move, and a good thief will hold their breath if they start getting anxious, as heavy breathing could easily give someone away.

Many stories also don’t seem to account for the fact that various rogues and criminals have shadows, too. Even a quick and subtle movement of a shadow might be enough to give away one’s presence. It’s really, really hard to actually sneak up on someone due to this, and several other factors. Most people will actually feel tense, and usually catch wind of it if someone is sneaking up behind them, as even very quiet sounds and movements like breathing will subconsciously register to people if you get too close.

I’m a master assassin, and I carry a goddamn greatsword:

There is a reason they would use daggers. Assassins didn’t usually sneak into the king’s bedchamber in the dead of night, without being seen once. There are guards. A long hallway with two guards standing in front of the door at the end, there is absolutely no way to slip past that.

They would usually have to get into the building during the day, disguised as a servant, or even another guard. They’d have to wait for the perfect opportunity to sneak into that nobleman’s bedchamber, midday when he was absent, and then wait in there for hours.

If the assassin is sneaking in at night, they rarely go through the interior of the building. Just like a thief, they’ll get the layout of the building, and then they’ll usually enter through a window, or wherever is closest to the target. If they don’t have those guard patrols memorised, they’re screwed.

But you know what’s not subtle? An assassin carrying around a scimitar, or some flashy crossbow. If you’re going to sneak past people, you need a weapon no one will see, and that you can probably hide if someone decides to search you.

Fingerprints:

This is mainly relevant for modern era stories, and I just wanted to say that I’ve seen a few shows where a criminal isn’t wearing gloves throughout the whole thing. You always wear gloves, you never leave the murder weapon. If you touched something without gloves, you may as well take it with you to avoid risk.

Slipping out of Handcuffs:

This usually requires dislocating your fingers. Ouch. But, if the one cuffing or tying up the thief isn’t paying too much attention, you can keep your hands at an appropriate angle that the cuffs will not go on correctly, or the ropes not pulled tight enough, and you can probably slip out of them.

Who needs masks when you have shadowy hoods?

Guess what the easiest facial feature to notice in the dark is? If you guessed eyes, then you’re right. But, if you’re blending in, and your eyes are veiled by the hood that’s somehow not obscuring your vision while you crane your neck downwards to ensure that it covers your face, then people are usually still going to be able to see your lips, which stand out the second most of any feature on a person.

Yes, a hood is good if you’re trying to blend in. But it’s not good for making sure people don’t see your face. Wear a damned mask.

This is all I’ve got, for now. Hope it helps someone!

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the summer we bloomed || wip intro

"this is not all about changing who you are, but changing the way you think, and the way you do things."

synopsis:

Juliette Dixon is boring. Juliette Dixon is afraid. Juliette Dixon is alone because she is boring and afraid, and Juliette Dixon knows all of these things-- after all, they're painfully obvious. A second year of high school has ended and she is spending yet another summer alone, forty hours a week, behind the register at her family owned flower shop 'New Blooms,' tending to flowers and engaging in the same conversations every day with the shop regulars-- "Hello, how are you?" "Oh, wow! How long have you and your wife been together?"-- only to watch them leave into a city thriving without her. And Juliette Dixon has found comfort within this fact for numerous reasons, but the arrival of a new regular-- Ronyn Wilds-- who's been plastering flyers on the community advertisement board inside of the shop announcing her bands upcoming performances in the bars in the belly of the city and buying bouquets for ridiculous occasions begins to pique her interest, soon dragging her through a whirlwind of experiences of self discovery, healing, and something Juliette would have never thought part of her story-- love.

genre:

young adult contemporary/coming of age

vibes/themes/aesthetics

found family, every character is queer, healing, the struggles of being a teen™️, the journey to self love, disability representation, mental health representation, a garage band full of idiots in love with life, dancing on top of cliffs under the stars, 3 a.m during sleepovers with your best friends, playgrounds, no like seriously bro this band is so underground you've probably never even heard of them like--

warnings:

internalized homophobia, mentions of substance abuse, mentions of transphobia, recreational drug use (weed), mentions of risqué acts, swearing ? mentions of hospitalization, mentions of s*icide and self destructive behaviors.

setting:

san francisco, ca

plot and kettle:

juliette is working at her family owned flower shop -> enter ronyn wilds, a punk girl who juliette is thoroughly convinced is a vampire despite the fact that it is the twenty first century and vampires don't exist... yet.. -> ronyn has been coming in for days now, asking for bouquets for occasions that are absolutely, extraordinarily ridiculous and then posting ads for her bands concerts -> tired of her isolation, juliette's childhood best friend wendy decides to drag her to one of ronyn's concerts one night where juliette meets ronyn and the rest of the band who decide to take her under their wing -> a variety of shenanigans ensue. they create a summer bucket list -> many character + romantic developments also ensue -> they find happy ever after <3

THE CHARACTERS:

Juliette Dixon (MC): 17, she/her, questioning. A very sweet, quiet and sensitive girl. She has partial hearing loss from a traumatic head injury as a child and wears a hearing aid in her right ear. Though not particularly bothered by the physical effects, she still suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia due to the events that occurred, resulting in her isolating herself from everything and everyone (except school, of course). She enjoys cleaning to relieve her stress, as well as art and her family cat.

Wendy Wright: 18, she/her, straight(?) ~ Juliette’s childhood best friend since kindergarten. Just like Juliette, she’s very down to earth and kind. However, since getting older, she has found more interest in spending time with boys and partying rather than with Juliette, so the two friends have both lost close touch, but they are still good friends connected with a close bond.

Ronyn Wilds: 17, she/her, lesbian- NOT ACTUALLY A VAMPIRE!! Contrary to Juliette's popular beliefs!! She is a fierce character, hard at the front yet actually very, very soft. Her care for others extends beyond her care for herself, a drive that has gotten her in plenty of sticky situations that still have yet to get through to her. When Ronyn’s not playing guitar for the band she created at only 15 with Ryan, “The Sun Shines,” she’s piercing or tattooing herself and her friends in the garage of her home or buying a shit ton of makeup and clothes with her parents credit cards. Other times, she’s joining protests or viciously advocating for equality. Juliette finds her undying care for other people quite admirable.

Archie Reynolds: 16, he/him, bisexual. Youngest in the band. Absolute fucking idiot, as expected for being on the high school’s varsity football team. Lead vocalist of “The Sun Shines.” The band refers to him as their ‘comic relief character’ as he’s always found making jokes and finding adventures in the strangest of places. He’s the easiest going out all five of them, and is basically the glue that holds them together, though he only joined late after the band had gotten together when he began dating Ryan. His backstory is not as deep as the other characters as his purpose is to shine as the biggest advocate for being yourself. Instead of studying, he enjoys playing football and being an nuisance amongst his friends and boyfriend, playing with dogs, and eating a lot of food. Juliette loves how care free he is and takes a lot of inspiration from him.

Ryan King: 17, ftm transgender & gay, he/him. The overbearing ‘mom’ friend, but like also a dad friend. Growing up as the oldest, Ryan had to take care of his family after his parents divorced and his mother took care of three other siblings, however his care did not come appreciated. At the age of thirteen he was kicked out after coming out to his mother and was forced to live with his aunt in San Francisco. Ryan met Ronyn in middle school music classes, and later on they decided to form a band with Ryan as the drummer. Ryan also enjoys cuddling with Archie, smoking a lot of weed, and painting!

June Suzuki: 17, non-binary lesbian, they/them. Very closed off and quiet, June is often seen as rude, however they are simply just… quiet. Even around their friends, they like to keep to themselves and watch instead of engage. At the age of fifteen, June had to move in with their sister, Yuri, due to a dire financial situation with their parents, where they unfortunately picked up a habit of substance abuse. Not long after, they were hospitalized for two months and took an interest in music therapy, training themselves to sing as well as play the bass guitar and piano. They also found a lot of love in doing other things such as hair, makeup, going to concerts, and sharing their experiences to motivate other teenagers, especially queer, going through the same things they went through. They found out about Ronyn’s band through school flyers and decided to join, ultimately finding a family they truly felt accepted and loved in.

authors note:

this is a work that is SUPER highly personal to me as it’s whole purpose is to show what it’s like as a teenager going through many struggles such as discovering your sexuality, especially as a lesbian, amongst a heterosexual world, as well as learning to come to terms with disabilities and mental health struggles. each character is supposed to represent some of these struggles but ultimately have the same outcome. the intent is not for every character to find self love immediately, but to go through the process of it and begin the journey of that acceptance, because the recovery process does not take only one summer— it takes years. this will definitely be shown. this novel will go through the struggles while also combining healthy ways to cope with them. i’ve had this idea for a couple of years now as i’ve always wanted to write something that represents my experience as a lesbian woman growing up in a heterosexual norm world. i’m really hoping that with this book, readers will be able to find a part of themselves in at least one character and find a bit of hope as well.

tag list!! (ask to be - or +):

@antique-symbolism-main @enchanted-lightning-aes @night-academy @bookish-galaxy @carefulpyro @lanawritesalittle @galaxial-darktale @kirsten-is-writing @lanawritesalittle @razegold

i also used a couple of prompts from @sleepyowlwrites wip intro format template!!thank you for that, it really helped!

more updates coming soon :]

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Sorry for all the tag games I haven't participated in! If you tagged me and I haven't gotten to it, that just means it got buried in my notifs!

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Docs?

Thanks for the ask!

docs ; what's the longest story you have ever written (pages or word count)?

I hardly stay on one wip at a time, I switch between them so often, I think the longest thing I've ever written that was just one story was about 20k?