#Writers and Poets

[writers-potion]

The Pirate's Glossary

Ahoy - an interjection used to hail a ship or a person, or to attract attention.

Arr! - an exclamation

Avast! - a command meaning stop or desist

Aye (or ay) - yes; an affirmation

Becalmed - the state of a sailing vessel which cannot move due to a lack of wind

Belay - (1) to secure or make dast by winding on a cleat or pin (2) to stop, most often used as a command

Bilged on her anchor - a ship holed or pierced by its own anchor

Bilmey! - an exclamation of surprise, short for "God blind me!"

Blow the man down - to kill someone

Boom about - when a ship turns in the wind the boom can swing violently enough to injure or kill a person on board. "Boom about" may be shouted to warn others the boom is about to move.

Bring a spring upon her cable - to come around in a different direction, oftentimes as a surprise maneuver.

Careen - to take a ship into shallower waters or out of the water altogether and remove barnacles and pests such as mollusks, shells and plant growth from the bottom.

Chase - a ship being pursued, or the act of pursuing a ship.

Code of conduct - a set of rules which govern pirates behavior on a vessel.

Come about - to bring the ship full way around in the wind. Used in general while sailing into the wind, but also used to indicate a swing back into the enemy in combat.

Crack Jenny's teacup - to spend the night in a house of ill repute.

Crimp - to procure (sailors or soldiers) by trickery or coercion, or one who crimps.

Dance the Hempen jig - to hang

Davy Jones' locker - a fictional place at the bottom of the ocean. In short, a term meaning death.

Dead men tell no tales - standard pirate excuse for leaving no survivors.

Deadlights - (1) strong shutters or plates fastened over a ship's porthole or cabin window in stormy weather. (2) Thick windows set in a ship's side or deck. (3) eyes.

Fire in the hole - a warning issued before a cannon is fired.

Furl - to roll up and secure, especially a ship’s sail.

Give no quarter - the refusal to spare lives of an opponent. Pirates raise a red flag to threaten no quarter will be given.

Handsomely - quickly or carefully; in a shipshape style.

Haul wind - to direct a ship into the wind.

Heave down - to turn a vessel on its side for cleaning.

Heave - an interjection meaning to come to a halt.

Ho - used to express surprise or joy, to attract attention to something sighted, or to urge onward.

Letter of marque - a document given to a sailor (privateer) giving him amnesty from piracy laws as long as the ships plunders are of an enemy nation.

List - to lean to one side

Long clothes - a style of clothing best suited to land. A pirate, or any sailor, doesn't have the luxury of wearing anything loose that might get in the way while climbing up riggings.

Marooned - to be stranded, particularly on a desert isle.

Me - My

No prey, no pay - a common pirate law meaning a crew received no wages, but rather shared whatever loot was taken.

Overhaul - (1) to slacken a line (2) to gain upon in a chase; to overtake

Parely - a conference or discussion between opposing sides during a dispute, especially when attempting a truce, originating from the French, "parler," meaning "to speak." The term was used in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" as part of Pirate law.

Piracy - robbery committed at sea.

Quarter - derived from the idea of "shelter", quarter is given when mercy is offered by pirates. Quarter is often the prize given to an honorable loser in a pirate fight.

Reef sails - to shorten the sails by partially tying them up, either to slow the ship or to keep a strong wind from putting too much strain on the masts.

Run a shot across the bow - a command to fire a warning shot.

Sail ho! - an exclamation meaning another ship is in view. The sail, of course, is the first part of a ship visible over the horizon.

Scupper that! - an expression of anger or derision meaning "Throw that overboard!"

Sea legs - The ability to adjust one's balance to the motion of a ship, especially in rough seas. After walking on a ship for long periods of time, sailors became accustomed to the rocking of the ship in the water. Early in a voyage a sailor was said to be lacking his "sea legs" when the ship motion was still foreign to him. After a cruise, a sailor would often have trouble regaining his "land legs" and would swagger on land.

Shiver me timbers! - An expression of surprise or strong emotion. In stormy weather and rough seas, the support timbers of a ship would "shiver" which might startle the crew. The phrase may have been less common during the Golden Age of Piracy than it had become later in fictional works.

Show a leg! - A phrase used to wake up a sleeping pirate.

Sink me! - An expression of surprise. Many pirate exclamations used exaggerated imagery to highten a point. Ye might say the sailors were punchy or a bit melodramatic after a lengthy stay at sea.  

Smartly - quickly

Take a caulk - To take a nap. On the deck of a ship, between planks, was a thick caulk of black tar and rope to keep water from between decks. This term came about either because sailors who slept on deck ended up with black lines across their backs or simply because sailors laying down on deck were as horizontal as the caulk of the deck itself.

To go on account - A pleasant term used by pirates to describe the act of turning pirate. The basic idea was that a pirate was more "free lance" and thus was, more or less, going into business for himself.

Warp - To move (a vessel) by hauling on a line that is fastened to or around a piling, anchor, or pier.

Weigh anchor - To haul the anchor up; more generally, to leave port.

Ye - you

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Reference:

https://www.pirateglossary.com/

[old-school-romantics]

[novlr]

Save formatting for last

Try to avoid formatting while you’re drafting — it’s a distraction.

Your first draft will never look the same as your final one, so formatting takes you away from the important business of writing. For many writers, it’s the reason they struggle to get words on the page.

[judas-redeemed]

beautiful beautiful by judas h. (after cameron awkward-rich's meditations in an emergency) image ID in alt

[amateur-scribbler]

I want you to hate me. Because I truly love proving myself right.

I love satisfying the sick whispers of self loathing and controlling the narrative of how this love will end, in time.

Because I know how to hurt you and sometimes I do it without even trying I’ve got this bitter guilt and this ever-quick poisonous bite.

I am not loveable or cute or the girl everyone wants to fawn over I am the girl people compare to hurricanes because it’s a promise that I will destroy everything in sight.

It’s an imposter, a facade, some type of trick of the light this version of me you love has never aligned with the one that whispers harsh truths to me late at night.

No, I’m not her, and I don’t deserve any of your love, because given the chance I’m still that sharp tongued snake always ready to poison the ones who take a selfless step in the murky waters to try to hold my head above.

So I’ll push you so far away, to the point that you stop understanding why you ever even contemplated fighting to stay.

Because honestly I truly love being right.

Letting you think I’m a monster means you’re finally meeting the dark voice who’s been whispering words of hatred to me every night.

The self fulfilling prophecy - t.k.o

[jessequinones]

Writers Help

Hey writers, I got a question for you. Can anyone tell me about Q and A dialogue? I received feedback from one of my beta readers who says I do this a lot (and for anyone who's unsure of what I'm talking about, I'll give you an example.)

Character A: "Who are you?" Question

Character B: "No one important." Answer

I was told it was best to avoid this kind of writing for dialogue and I was curious if anyone can explain this a bit more and what can I do to improve, or get rid of it?

[randomnotebookthoughts]

I need to be fucked in such a disgusting way.

[expominds]

another thing i dislike

‘when you paw at him, begging for more’ PAW? EXCUSE ME? am i a dog?

pls stop using this word i hate it sm. it has the same feeling it gives you like the word “moist”

[painbutitspoetry]

My favorite thing about writing is that it's the one place it's not weird to be dark

[writers-potion]

I'm writing a sci-fi story about a space freight hauler with a heavy focus on the economy. Any tips for writing a complex fictional economy and all of it's intricacies and inner-workings?

Constructing a Fictional Economy

The economy is all about: How is the limited financial/natural/human resources distributed between various parties?

So, the most important question you should be able to answer are:

Who are the "have"s and "have-not"s?

What's "expensive" and what's "commonplace"?

What are the rules(laws, taxes, trade) of this game?

Building Blocks of the Economic System

Type of economic system. Even if your fictional economy is made up, it will need to be based on the existing systems: capitalism, socialism, mixed economies, feudalism, barter, etc.

Currency and monetary systems: the currency can be in various forms like gols, silver, digital, fiat, other commodity, etc. Estalish a central bank (or equivalent) responsible for monetary policy

Exchange rates

Inflation

Domestic and International trade: Trade policies and treaties. Transportation, communication infrastructure

Labour and employment: labor force trends, employment opportunities, workers rights. Consider the role of education, training and skill development in the labour market

The government's role: Fiscal policy(tax rate?), market regulation, social welfare, pension plans, etc.

Impact of Technology: Examine the role of tech in productivity, automation and job displacement. How does the digital economy and e-commerce shape the world?

Economic history: what are some historical events (like The Great Depresion and the 2008 Housing Crisis) that left lasting impacts on the psychologial workings of your economy?

For a comprehensive economic system, you'll need to consider ideally all of the above. However, depending on the characteristics of your country, you will need to concentrate on some more than others. i.e. a country heavily dependent on exports will care a lot more about the exchange rate and how to keep it stable.

For Fantasy Economies:

Social status: The haves and have-nots in fantasy world will be much more clear-cut, often with little room for movement up and down the socioeconoic ladder.

Scaricity. What is a resource that is hard to come by?

Geographical Characteristics: The setting will play a huge role in deciding what your country has and doesn't. Mountains and seas will determine time and cost of trade. Climatic conditions will determine shelf life of food items.

Impact of Magic: Magic can determine the cost of obtaining certain commodities. How does teleportation magic impact trade?

For Sci-Fi Economies Related to Space Exploration

Thankfully, space exploitation is slowly becoming a reality, we can now identify the factors we'll need to consider:

Economics of space waste: How large is the space waste problem? Is it recycled or resold? Any regulations about disposing of space wste?

New Energy: Is there any new clean energy? Is energy scarce?

Investors: Who/which country are the giants of space travel?

Ownership: Who "owns" space? How do you draw the borders between territories in space?

New class of workers: How are people working in space treated? Skilled or unskilled?

Relationship between space and Earth: Are resources mined in space and brought back to Earth, or is there a plan to live in space permanently?

What are some new professional niches?

What's the military implication of space exploitation? What new weapons, networks and spying techniques?

Also, consider:

Impact of space travel on food security, gender equality, racial equality

Impact of space travel on education.

Impact of space travel on the entertainment industry. Perhaps shooting monters in space isn't just a virtual thing anymore?

What are some indsutries that decline due to space travel?

I suggest reading up the Economic Impact Report from NASA, and futuristic reports from business consultants like McKinsey.

If space exploitation is a relatiely new technology that not everyone has access to, the workings of the economy will be skewed to benefit large investors and tech giants. As more regulations appear and prices go down, it will be further be integrated into the various industries, eventually becoming a new style of living.

[belovedapollo]

existential crisis on a Sunday in April (+ a poem about child of the universe) 🖋️ reblog is ok, don’t repost/use

[pink-heart-writes]

when the only way to heal is to take them out of your life completely, that's when you know they broke you in half.

- dee (blocked)

[novlr]

how do i write an established married couple that are out of their honeymoon phase and now theyre just cute and comfy w/ eachother??

Established relationships, in particular, require careful consideration and development to make them feel authentic and relatable to your readers. An established relationship is one that has a history of shared experiences and a level of comfort and familiarity between the characters and can take many forms, such as long-term friendships, romantic partnerships, or even familial bonds. Writing established relationships requires a deep understanding of the characters’ backstories, the dynamics of their relationship, and how their connection influences their individual arcs.

Understand the dynamics of established relationships

Established relationships have a history and shared experiences that shape their current state.

Power dynamics, roles, and expectations within the relationship have been formed over time.

Established relationships involve a level of comfort, familiarity, and trust between the characters.

Conflicts and challenges in established relationships may be more complex and deeply rooted.

Characters in established relationships have a deeper understanding of each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and quirks.

Established relationships involve a sense of commitment, loyalty, or even obligation.

Develop their backstory

How and when did the characters first meet, and what were their initial impressions?

What significant events or experiences have the characters shared that have shaped their relationship?

How has the relationship evolved over time, and what challenges or conflicts have they faced together?

What are some of the defining moments or turning points in their relationship?

How has the way the characters have grown and changed as individuals affected their relationship?

What are some of the inside jokes, shared references, or traditions that are unique to their relationship?

Show the depth of their connection

Use dialogue to reveal the characters’ familiarity, comfort, and understanding of each other.

Show the characters engaging in shared activities or rituals that demonstrate their bond.

Describe the characters’ nonverbal communication, like knowing glances or subtle gestures.

Reveal the characters’ ability to anticipate each other’s needs, thoughts, or reactions.

Show the characters supporting, comforting, or challenging each other in meaningful ways.

Demonstrate the characters’ willingness to make sacrifices or compromises for the sake of their relationship.

Explore conflicts and challenges

Identify the underlying tensions, differences, or unresolved issues in the relationship.

Show how the characters navigate and cope with these challenges, both individually and as a pair.

Explore how external factors, such as family, work, or personal goals, can strain the relationship.

Demonstrate how the characters’ individual flaws or weaknesses can affect the relationship.

Show the characters working through conflicts, compromising, or finding solutions together.

Illustrate how the challenges and conflicts ultimately strengthen or change the relationship.

Develop character arcs

Show how the relationship influences each character’s personal growth, decisions, and actions.

Explore how the characters’ individual journeys affect the dynamics of the relationship.

Show how the characters learn from each other and inspire growth or change.

Show how the relationship evolves because of the characters’ individual development.

Illustrate how the characters’ shared experiences and challenges shape their shared future.

Reveal how the relationship ultimately supports or hinders the characters’ individual goals and desires.

Craft authentic dialogue and interactions

Use inside jokes, nicknames, or references that are specific to the relationship.

Show the characters finishing each other’s sentences or thoughts, demonstrating their deep understanding of the other.

Use subtext and implication in dialogue to reveal the characters’ unspoken feelings or concerns.

Demonstrate the characters’ ability to communicate effectively, even during conflicts or disagreements.

Show the characters engaging in playful banter or teasing that reflect their comfort with each other.

Illustrate the characters’ ability to have meaningful, vulnerable conversations that deepen their connection.

[flimythings]

-filmythings

[peaceishim]

[bravecatfish]

By B.Z @bravecatfish