starfireandthistledown

[starfireandthistledown]

can you do jealousy/possessive prompts or aus? thanks!

Absolutely! Not really a fan of the possessive side, but I can do some jealousy prompts all day long. Hope you enjoy! :)

Person A sees Person B, their crush, talking to their mortal enemy, Person C, and immediately assumes that B and C must be having some kind of romance. This makes them hate C even more and causes some resentment towards B.

Person A knows, absolutely knows deep down that Person B would never cheat on them, but they can't help the twinge in their heart every time they see B talking easily with someone else.

Person A is very socially awkward and self-conscious about it, which makes them think that their partner Person B is always looking for someone new.

Person A notices Person B talking to someone else at a party and immediately swoops in with an arm around B's waist to claim them as their own.

Person A can feel their temperature rising a degree every time Person B dances with someone else at a party, finally culminating in them cutting in and not letting B dance with anyone else the rest of the night.

Person A has mind-reading abilities and gets irritated every time they can sense Person B is thinking about someone else.

Person A can hardly blame anyone for being attracted to their hyper-attractive partner Person B, but that doesn't mean they have to like it.

Person A is in love with Person B, who is in a committed relationship with Person C. Person B is unaware that A is absolutely seething every time they are affectionate with C. (or for bonus spicy points, B absolutely is aware that A is jealous and plays it up so that A will reveal their feelings).

Person A knows that Person B likes them but is too shy to let them know, so they start actively flirting with Person C to get A to make a move out of sheer jealousy.

Person A gets aggravated every time Person B hurries through a conversation or situation together, convinced that B is having an affair with someone else.

[starfireandthistledown]

hii!! I'm a bit embarassed to ask this but I've been struggling with creating a character with a different personality from mine which is something I regularly notice whenever I make character sheets. Do you have any advice on how I can make it different yet not make it seem robotic? Sorry if I didn't explain it well :,)

Hello, friend! Please don’t be embarrassed. Creating characters can be super challenging.

One thing I sometimes do is create a complete character sheet for myself and keep it on file. Then, when I’m creating a new character, I put their sheet side by side with my own, and I consciously make choices for that character that are opposite / somewhat different from mine. That way, I’m guaranteed to be pushed out of my comfort zone!

Another strategy is to study some of the big personality types (MBTI, for example) and figure out what kinds of differences there can be in people’s minds and personalities. That can be amazing inspiration for a character design!

Finally, basing a character off a person you know / have met / have observed is a HUGE advantage. Human beings are incredibly diverse, and studying real-life people to base your characters on is a perfect way to find some realistic traits, quirks, mannerisms, preferences, etc. And just because you’re basing a character off a real life person doesn’t mean you can’t add lots of other things to the character beyond that inspiration! :D

I hope this has been helpful :) If there’s anything else I can help out with, please let me know! Best of luck creating your characters!!

[starfireandthistledown]

Person A is a firefighter at the local fire station, and they always seem to be on call when Person B accidentally sets fire to an appliance at 2 AM.

[starfireandthistledown]

OTP prompts inspired by classic movies

Bonus points if you can guess which movies they’re from ;)

1. “I’m a scam artist who only came to town to fool everyone into thinking they could be musicians, and you totally see through my act but hey maybe we could still be friends right??”

2. “It’s entirely possible that you’re the most naïve politician I’ve ever been an assistant to and I think you just need a good talking to before you’re ready to go back home, but then you had to go and tell me about your hometown and have your mother send me a jar of preserves, okay guess I’m helping you take down the entire American government now, this is fine”

3. “I’m a police investigator hired to solve your murder and I may or may not have fallen asleep looking at your portrait several times and OH CRAP YOU JUST WALKED IN THE FRONT DOOR, YOU ARE NOT DEAD, ABORT MISSION”

4. “Getting fake-engaged to my best friend’s almost-girlfriend’s sibling in order to make sure we don’t go bankrupt is not what I expected out of this deal, but honestly I’m not complaining”

5. “I’m a reporter who really needs a break into the big time, you’re a runaway royal who ends up sleeping on my spare cot because you don’t have anywhere else to go, and you don’t know that I know your identity so I’m going to get my big break by writing about your reactions to everything, but oh no you’re actually really charming and innocent and dang it how am I ever going to betray your confidence now”

6. “You’re the superstar of the ballet world and I’m just an author who’s been hired to write some new ballets for your company, and no of course I’m not in love with you, here’s three new ballets that definitely do not star you as various angelic beings”

7. “We probably should have clarified that you work for my arch-nemesis before we started this flirtation”

8. “I’m a famous celebrity and you just inadvertently saved me from a crowd of aggressive fans then proceeded to critique my entire career”

9. “No no no I didn’t mean to lose the one bone that your entire paleontological career has been spent looking for, I’ll even help you look for it! (unless it means you’re leaving, then I’m going to hide it where you’ll never find it)

10. “You tried to break into my dad’s art collection to steal something in the middle of the night but what you don’t know is that they’re all fakes and I can’t exactly let you go with that information, actually wait if you’ll help me steal back his fake statue from a highly guarded museum I’ll let you take anything you want”

(Bonus: “I know they’re all fakes and I only broke in because I’m an investigator trying to prove it but you’re so cute I’ll actually help with the whole museum heist thing”)

[starfireandthistledown]

Person A is a history teacher and is shocked to learn that the students have started a rumor that A is secretly dating Person B, the grumpy math teacher down the hall. In trying to prevent the rumor from spreading, A and B only make things worse.

[starfireandthistledown]

Hi! Might I ask for, uh, your take on how to write steampunk? Like the most important things about the setting and the types of plot? Thank you 🖤

I don't have much experience in the steampunk genre, but I think the main thing to keep in mind is creating the tone! Naturally, you're going to have the classic elements of traditional Victorian mixed with modern locomotive/steam-power aesthetics. Creating a visual is key to this genre, so definitely play into that whole steam-centric town setting, locomotive power, and upended Victorian tradition.

The setting is pretty fluid, with a combination of both past and future. Don't confine yourself to one time period - take what you like from both and make it your own!

Fashion is the huge thing with steampunk. Leather, nuts and bolts, buckles, top hats, fancy boots, lace, etc. If you can create that fashion aesthetic, you've won half the battle.

Contraptions and machines are the other big thing. Steampunk is all about inventions and revolutionary ideas, so play off that and create something unique for your characters to be working with / inventing / fighting / etc.

For plots, I'm afraid I don't have many tips since I don't have the experience. However, I think the classic plotlines (revenge, lost love, hero’s journey, overcoming personal difficulties, loyalty to family, training a protegee, solving a mystery, government entanglements, spy business, the list goes on) can be applied to any setting. With steampunk, you can take a pretty simple plot and make it exciting just by adding some fun steampunk elements and being as creative as possible!

Sorry I can’t be of more help! Here’s some links I found to some good source material for writing steampunk. Happy writing!!

Writing Steampunk

Tips for Writing Steampunk

5 Elements of Steampunk

Steampunk Story Generator

[starfireandthistledown]

Simple Acts of Love - Part 2!

Picking wildflowers for them

Squeezing their hand when you know they’re stressed about something

Beginning a collection of something (seashells, feathers, bottle caps, etc.) together

Taking photos of the other doing the things they love

Forehead kisses

Napping in a hammock together

Running to them, picking them up, and spinning them in a circle

Threading your fingers through their hair

Making their favorite kind of tea / coffee

Playing the piano together

Giggling while trying to have a serious make-out session

Listening to their breathing slow down as they fall asleep

Attending events / parties you wouldn’t normally enjoy just so you can be with them

Kisses down the spine

Leaning down to pick something up and knocking foreheads together, causing a lot of giggling

Tracing the veins on the insides of their wrists

Drawing or painting them and making a gift of the art to them

Trimming their hair

Watching a movie together but muting the sound and improvising dialogue at random

Surprising them with a hug from behind

Frantically checking them over for injuries after a traumatic event

Sharing a milkshake

Grabbing them by the collar for a kiss

Excitedly telling them about your dream they featured in

Adopting a pet together

Sighing and melting into their side after a long hard day

Seeing their messy hair after spending the night together for the first time

Skipping stones together

Hiding your face in their neck

Counting their freckles and listing a reason why you love them for each freckle

Reminding them to drink water

Letting your lips brush their ear as you whisper to them

Link to Part 1

[starfireandthistledown]

Up next: simple acts of love between lovers, part 2!!!! If anyone has something specific they’d like to see included, let me know :)

[starfireandthistledown]

Romantic Prompts from Song Lyrics <3

"People pray in church on Sundays for moments like the day you took my hand."

"It's such a mystery just to hear you say you're mine."

"You know where you can find me again. I'll be waiting here till the stars fall out of the sky."

"Like a telescope, I will pull you so close till no space lies in between."

"I have dreamed you too long, never seen you or touched you, but known you with all of my heart.”

"Tell me, where's your hiding place? I'm worried I'll forget your face."

"The spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly."

"We'll be together some sweet day. When that day comes, we'll never part."

"Eternity is not long enough for you and me." 

"Your words are the blanket that keeps me warm when the night is cold enough to break me." 

"If you love someone and you're not afraid to lose them, you've probably never loved someone like I do."

"We've got making love right down to a fine art."

"How I yearn for the years we were young and in love."

"I will sing to you as if my chest is glass."

"When I'm alone at night, I dream you paint the stars against the twilight. I wish your silhouette would always stay there."

"My every heartbeat is yours."

"I cling to every moment with you, every parting glance, an accidental touch."

"Every kiss is a cursive line; every touch is a redefining phrase."

"In the gray around me, how you shine."

"You have no idea how many times I think about you, how many nights I've been waiting to love you, how much I've come to need you." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dreams We Never Lost, Tide Lines // There for Me, Sarah Brightman // In the Wind, Lord Huron // Venus, Sleeping at Last // Dulcinea, Josh Groban // Cornerstone, Arctic Monkeys // Vanilla Twilight, Owl City // Spirit of the Sea, Blackmore’s Night // I’m in the Mood to Be Desired, John Denver // Capture, Sleeping at Last // Love Someone, Lukas Graham // Mad Love, Neon Trees // Drops in the Lake, Lord Huron // Sing to Me, Sleeping at Last // The Airway, Owl City // My Dream I Dream, Ex Libris // I’ve Loved You Before, Melissa Etheridge // Turning Page, Sleeping at Last // Dearest Esmeralda, John Denver // You Have No Idea, Josh Groban

[starfireandthistledown]

Person A doodles the name of their crush, Person B, in their notebook every day. A is distraught after losing their notebook at school, but the next day, the notebook turns up in their locker. On the front is a sticky note with Person A’s own name doodled on it, along with Person B’s phone number.

[starfireandthistledown]

Hi again! Hope you don't mind more asks from me haha. I'm thinking about this idea: two killers are set against each other (which reminds me of Guns Akimbo even though I haven't watched it yet), each has to find and kill the other before the other does the same, and I'm trying to understand how to develop a plot like this written from the perspective of one of them. It should be a lot of suspense, right? Any prompts or ideas? Thanks a lot!

Hi! I never mind asks :) Thanks for dropping in again!

You're definitely right that you need to build suspense in order for it to be believable. Your story will be character-driven, and you need to build that relationship up right from the start so you can hook your readers. From there, the tension should build at a good pace - not so fast that you lose your readers, but not so slow that they get bored. Here's some tips on building suspense:

Let the character who is telling the story from their perspective be worried about stuff. Give them a short deadline to do something, a reason to look over their shoulder at every turn, something that is constantly on their minds that makes everything they do more urgent. This will create suspense like nothing else.

Give the characters some kind of puzzle / riddle / problem to solve. Their relationship should revolve around this story, but it should also develop separately. For example, the two characters are trying to kill each other, but what if they're actually working for the same agency and have no idea? What if there's someone long-lost in their pasts who is going to confront them both? What if they knew each other a long time ago and are about to discover that too late? What if there's someone hunting both of them at the same time they're hunting each other? The possibilities are limitless, and it will add so much weight to your story if you're giving the characters a race against time to solve something while still carrying through with the relationship angle.

Use parallel plotlines to build suspense. Don't let the main characters' arcs be the only thing the audience cares about. Craft strong secondary characters / villains / sidekicks / mentors / strangers / etc. who will give weight to the story and move the plot along beyond what the main characters are doing.

Don't reveal everything about your characters at once. Give them a few defining characteristics that will allow your readers to be intrigued by them, but then slowly reveal things about the characters' motives, backstories, decisions, etc. that will keep the readers anticipating more.

Constantly end chapters / sections with the promise of something more to come, whether that be in character relationships, plot twists, unfolding of unexpected events, etc.

Use flashbacks to build the narrative in a non-linear progression. You don't want to overuse this, but flashbacks can be a really strong way to develop characters and build suspense.

As far as prompts go, I'd have to know more about the nature of the characters' relationship (enemies to lovers, enemies to friends, enemies to grudging partners, just plain enemies, etc.) and the setting. I hope this helps with the plot and suspense angle! Let me know if there's anything else I can help with! :)

[starfireandthistledown]

Hi again!❤️ I'd like to ask for a second opinion, although maybe it's not 100% the style of your blog. I'm writing about a kid from a poor family who got abandoned by their parents and raised in a rich family instead, and so far I realise I'll have to look up what kind of psychological problems abandoned/orphaned kids and their new families have to deal with. But on another note, what do you think it's going to be like for the kid to find themselves, without a warning, in a basically aristocratic home? How would they behave and think and feel? Maybe you can give me an idea of what to google to get information on that? Thank u❤️

This sounds like a cool concept :)

First, I cannot speak from experience, but these are my ideas about what the kid might go through living in a home where they are in a totally different environment than they're used to. If the kid grew up in a neighborhood where violence / war was prevalent, they're going to have a hard time adjusting to a peaceful home without a lot of surrounding threats. It will probably take them a while to learn to sleep through the night and to be comfortable not having an immediate escape plan. They might even struggle with getting used to having a bed to sleep in, enough food to eat, or a safe home to come back to.

If they've been adopted into an aristocratic family, they might struggle with feeling out-of-place and inferior to their adoptive family, especially when it comes to fancy occasions or etiquette. They'll probably get frustrated with themselves when they mess up and feel like they've embarrassed the family. Overall, the culture gap between their upbringing and their adopted family's lifestyle will be a huge barrier that could easily discourage or embarrass them.

Since their family abandoned them, they're probably going to have huge abandonment issues, especially if they were younger when that happened. They're going to be anxious at being left alone and constantly be training themselves to be independent. They'll probably experience a lot of hurt that will hit them slowly and will make it difficult to trust their new family. Definitely don't shy away from the slow process it will take to build new trust and become comfortable in a new environment!

As far as what you can research, I'd look into abandonment issues, displacement issues, and even imposter syndrome. Less specifically, you can research common struggles for orphaned children or children who are adopted into new environments. I hope this is helpful!

[starfireandthistledown]

Person A is shocked to discover that Person B – a full-grown adult – is routinely taking books from the little library for children that A has in their front yard.

[starfireandthistledown]

hii! can i request for simple acts of love between lovers?

YESSS I live for this

Cradling their face in your hands and softly kissing their forehead

Sitting on the counter watching them brush their teeth / shave in the morning

Brushing their hair

Covering them with a blanket when they fall asleep on the couch

Caring for their injuries and placing a gentle kiss on each one when you're finished

Making them dinner when they come home from work exhausted

Writing them a long-distance love letter and enclosing a pressed flower

Taking a break from washing dishes to slow-dance in the kitchen to their favorite song

Curling up by the window together with a blanket and a cup of tea during a rainstorm

Taking an early morning walk and watching the sun rise

Baking something together and ending up exhausted, covered in flour, and grinning from ear to ear

Growing a garden together

Carrying them to bed

Swimming at night

Washing their hair

Leaving them the last one of their favorite snack and doodling a little note for them

Having a tickle fight

Wearing their clothes

Playing hide and seek in their own home but always giving away their hiding spots by giggling

Holding hands to balance out each other's temperatures

Listening to them play their instrument

Not being able to stop smiling while kissing

Popping into each other's Zoom calls

Taking silly pictures in a photo booth

Doing laundry together

Taking special care of them when they're sick

Getting things off the highest shelf for them

Tying their necktie for them

Carrying them over the threshold of their first home together

Going grocery shopping together

Comforting them after a nightmare

Bailing them out of awkward social situations with a specially-designed system of code words and hand motions

Link to Part 2

[starfireandthistledown]

Person A is marshaling at a graduation ceremony and takes their job very seriously. Person B is the family member of one of the graduating students, and they take every opportunity to ask A mundane questions in hopes of getting A to notice them.

[starfireandthistledown]

Person A works in their school library and is too shy to ask their crush, the very popular Person B, for a date. Little do they know that B has been crushing on them as well – until B slips a little note into the library book they’re returning.

[starfireandthistledown]

Hi! May I ask for any tips on how to write a high school AU in the USA setting? As in, what parts of the school life to include? I only know they don't have uniforms and everyone eats in the same big canteen. I'm from a totally different country and we don't have that culture at all so it makes me wonder haha

Hi! This is an excellent question and I'm more than happy to oblige :) High school can be a super confusing system, so here's some ideas based on the American school system that might help with inspiration!

High school in America lasts four years. 9th grade is ages 14-15, 10th grade is ages 15-16, 11th grade is ages 16-17, and 12th grade is ages 17-18. 9th graders are freshmen, 10th graders are sophomores, 11th graders are juniors, and 12th graders are seniors. The school years typically runs from August to June, with a break during December for Christmas and occasional holidays.

Classes are divided into either four or six periods depending on the school. Classes are usually an hour or an hour and a half, and students have assigned seating while the teacher instructs them. The core classes are English, math, history, and science, but there's lots of other courses like art, drama, band, ROTC (which is military training), etc. Every teacher has a "planning period," where they don't teach a class and have time to work: this is an excellent device to use for a heart-to-heart with a teacher.

Sports are a HUGE deal among students and can include football, basketball, tennis, baseball, soccer, wrestling, cheerleading, etc. Students usually stay after school for practice, and athletes tend to hang out with one another during and after school. Games are played on and off campus, and athletes ride together in a team bus. The athletes are usually considered the popular, cool, sometimes dim-witted kids. If it's a small town, the Friday night football games are the literal highlight of the week for everyone in the town, and the stadium has hundreds of bleachers for all the spectators.

Most of the drama happens in the hallways and the bathrooms. That's where kids go to gossip, text, make out, cry, get bullied, do drugs, and lots of other insane stuff. The hallways are usually patrolled by teachers, but a lot of stuff flies under their radar. Also, every student has their own locker (with a private combination) where they keep their extra stuff, and locker-side chats are pretty common tropes for a high school AU.

The cafeteria is another common place for drama. All the students go through the line, get a tray of food, and eat together in a giant room. Some schools require students to sit with their class, and others let them sit wherever they want. This is the primary place that students get word around, and it's notorious for being the place where students divide into their little cliques / tribes.

There's always a library, and students typically go there with their class or during the few minutes between classes. Libraries are great for clandestine meetings or for nerdy love to bloom :)

Students ride the bus to school unless they have a ride to and from. They wait by a bus stop in the heat or cold until the bus picks them up and drops them off at school. Bus rides are either loved or hated; it all depends on who you get stuck with. This is another fantastic way to have your characters thrown together and to form an everyday connection.

You're right; most American schools don't require uniforms. Some private schools (or Catholic boarding schools) do require a uniform, but certainly not in a public school. There's usually a dress code prohibiting anything that's too suggestive or has obscene words or stuff like that.

Students are required to take PE (physical education) classes which teach them a variety of sports skills and are generally well-hated. The students then go to a locker room (one for boys, one for girls) to change clothes for their next class, and weirdly they all change clothes in front of each other. There's also showers and sinks and stuff in there.

Some high schools have talent shows that students enter. This is a huge deal for some reason, and students will enter with talents like singing, dancing, playing an instrument, telling jokes, etc. These talent shows are usually very well attended by parents, faculty, and other students, and the judges are either teachers or fellow exemplary students. This is a great way to have your characters thrown together or to create some tension.

Every school has a prom in April, May, or June. It's a big dance party that's chaperoned by teachers and involves bringing a date or arriving with a group of friends. Prom is a huge deal in high school and usually encompasses getting the perfect outfit, a sweet ride, and your dream date. Every prom has a theme (historical characters, under the sea, celebrities, etc.) and they play a variety of music ranging from line dances to slow love songs. They also crown a Prom King and Prom Queen.

American high schools obsess over this thing called Homecoming, which is the big event to end the school year. It starts with a big athletic event (typically a football game) which is played at home against a big rival team. After celebrating the big victory (which usually happens), the school has a huge dance party that's similar to prom.

The big finale to high school is graduation. Senior students wear a cap and gown (very specific to their school), march with their graduating class (whom they have usually grown up with), and walk across the stage to receive a handshake and diploma from the principal. Several teachers and students (like the valedictorian) give speeches, and then students celebrate and cry over their experiences. Graduation is one of the most emotional and anticipated events in high school, so definitely make use of that one if your characters are seniors!