#author community

[hayatheauthor]

Blog Posts Masterlist

Here are all the blogs I've written sorted according to six categories and a lot of sub categories.

Post Writing (Publishing):

Querying/Getting Published

How To Get Published As A Minor—A Step-By-Step Guide

How To Get Out Of The Slush Pile And Make Your Agent Say Yes

How To Answer Some Common Literary Agent Questions

The Rejection Checklist: Manuscript Pitfalls to Avoid

Editing

Everything You Need To Know Before Editing Your Manuscript

How To Eliminate Passive Voice From Your Manuscript

Pre Writing:

WIP building

Ten Dos And Don'ts Of Worldbuilding

How To Name Your Characters

A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting a Compelling Storyline

How to Pick The Perfect Weapon For Your Characters

Writing tools

How To Hook Your Readers With Your Chapter's Starting And Ending

How To Write And Create A Sub Plot

How To Immerse Your Readers With Indirect Characterisation

First or Third Person? How To Choose The Right POV for Your Story

Genre-Based Advice:

Fantasy

How To Build A Realistic Magic System

Things To Consider When Writing With Mythologies

Tips To Consider When Writing A Fantasy Religious Story

Horror/Thriller

How To Get Away With Murder...As An Author

How To Get Away With Murder Part Two: Writing Murder Mysteries

How To Build Tension And Make Your Readers Feel Scared

Romance

Crafting Asexual Romance: Navigating Emotional Intimacy in Fiction

Character-Based Advice:

How To Write An Antagonist

How To Create Realistic Book Characters

How To Write A Compelling Character Arc

How To Create A Morally Grey Character

How To Write A Plot Device Character

How To Develop A Memorable Antagonist

Writing Believable Teenage Characters: Dos and Don'ts

Crafting Character Voices And Distinct Dialogue

Crafting Authentic Child Characters: From Toddlers to Tweens

How To Create And Execute Unreliable Narrators

How To Write Immortal Characters in Fiction

Creatures/Monsters

How To Write Mythical Creatures Without Sounding Redundant

How To Write Vampires With An Original Twist

'Sensitive' character topics:

How To Write POC Characters Without Seeming Racist

How To Write A Disabled Character: Ten Dos And Don'ts

How To Write And Research Mental Illnesses

Resources And Advice For Writing Abusive Parents

Scene-Based Advice:

How To Build Tension And Make Your Readers Feel Scared

Four Tips On How To Make Your Plot Twist Work

How To Set The Scene Without Info Dumping

Writing A Creepy Setting: Tips And Examples

The Dos and Don'ts of Writing Flashbacks in Fiction

Crafting Realistic Car Accidents in Fiction: A Writer's Guide

Writing Rage: How To Make Your Characters Seem Angry

Crafting Sad Scenes: Writing Tears and Emotional Depth

Fights, poison, pain

How To Accurately Describe Pain In Writing

How To Create A Well-Written Fight Scene

The Ultimate Guide To Writing Persuasive Arguments

Forgining Epic Battles: Techniques For Writing Gripping War Scenes

The Writer's Guide to Authentic Wounds and Fatalities

Ink And Venom: A Writer’s Guide To Poisonous Prose

Everything You Need To Know About Writing Stab Wounds

Everything You Need to Know About Writing Burns

Everything You Need To Know About Writing Gunshot Wounds

Everything You Need To Know About Writing Bruises

Recommendations:

Websites And Writing Apps Every Author Needs in 2023

Seven Blogs You Need To Read As An Author

Ten Websites Every Author Should Know In 2024

Series

Writing Wounds

Writing Mythical Creatures With A Unique Twist

Writing Emotions

[creatrackers]

Writer (& Artist) Ask Game

Reblog this and let your pals ask about your OCs, stories, or about you! Remember to check your inbox, and feel free to tag someone you want to see play :)

* Who was your first ever OC? Do you still “use” them? How have they evolved over time?

Who is your newest OC? Why did you make them?

Biggest self-insert OC?

What kind of music do your OCs listen to?

What are some of your OCs biggest fears?

Do you have any OCs without stories? Will you ever create one for them?

What are your favourite relationships between your OCs? (romantic or platonic!)

Do you have any OC family trees?

Favourite OC?

OC you most struggled to make?

* Sum up one or more of your wips!

Which story took the most research?

Which story has the most lore?

Current word count of all your main wips?

How many projects do you have going on right now? Are there any that you doubt you’ll ever finish?

What was you first major project? How far along is it?

What are some tropes and character dynamics found in your wips?

Describe the setting of one or more of your wips

What are some things that inspired your stories? Real events? Maybe a dream?

What story are you the proudest of? Why?

* When did you start considering yourself a writer/artist?

What are all the “kinds” of writing/art you do? (short stories, poetry, screenplays, digital, painting, clay, etc.)

Are you in any writer/artist groups? (Ex: discord server!)

Do you have/want a career in your medium? If not, what do you do/want to do instead?

What’s your favourite genre to write? Is it also your favourite genre to read?

What are your favourite books?

What are your favourite movies?

 Favourite songs at the moment?

What was your first fandom you were in? Did you make any art/fanfic for it?

How are you doing? <3

Ask away!

[author-ayshen-irfan]

[theeccentricraven]

Five things I like about writing

Thank you @kaylinalexanderbooks for the tag!

Rules: Title says it all 💜

I love to follow in the footsteps of my favorite authors. I've read so many good books in my life. I admire how authors put a lot of hard work and effort into the writing. I love how their stories impacted me. I want to do the same.

I love making my quirky ideas come to life. My mind is constantly brewing ideas. What if this? What if that? How about this? How about that? My mind is storming with so many ideas, I need to get them down. I love seeing those ideas on paper.

I love expressing emotions and pain. I've gone through a lot of pain in my life. My characters go through painful experiences as I did. I like to get deep into their emotions. It helps me heal and persevere.

I like to come up with imaginative settings. I've created worlds after thinking, "I've seen some cool worlds in other fantasy and sci-fi, but I haven't seen this yet." I create places that I would love to visit. I often create places I wish were real. Even when writing in our contemporary world, I like to find ways to use the setting. I like to imagine amazing events happening in ordinary places. The setting is like a character.

I like doing a project that's worth doing. Even if I write 300,000 words of trash, it's still worth it. I've made something. I've accomplished something. I'm a creator holding my creation. I am spending my time on something that requires a lot of brains, perspiration, and determination. I am keeping the craft of writing alive in our generation. I inspire myself. I hope to inspire others.

Tagging (No Pressure): @selenekallanwriter @americanfemcel @melpomene-grey @talesofsorrowandofruin @faeriecinna @tildeathiwillwrite @ad-wills and anyone who wants to join!

[skittlemxkadeauthor]

Tumblr friends! It has been so long since I've used this site and none of the people I follow are active! Pls ♥️ or 🔄 so I can follow you!

Looking to follow blogs about:

- Agender / Transgender Pride

- Authors / Artists / Poets

- Daniel Howell / Phil Lester

- Game Grumps

- Good Omens

- Bad Omens

- Sad boys

- Anything queer!

[apolline-lucy]

are people still interested in reading novellas these days? there’s no way my wip will be over 40k unless I replot everything and add some useless drama

i know the publishing industry doesn’t favour novellas but if i self publish maybe i’ll still have readers. i do read 30k fanfics myself after all

[filmcourage]

I've Written 12 Books: Here Are Tips That Can Help Every Writer - Andrew Warren [FULL INTERVIEW]

Watch the video interview on Youtube here.

[jude-thedude98]

Looking for beta readers beta editors more novel writers and novel writing prompters for writing group on Discord. If interested message me.

[selenekallanwriter]

OC in three

Thank you @theeccentricraven for the tag.

Rules: Post three images you feel relate to your OC. They can be celebrities, famous artworks, photos, anything you think fits them. Please site your sources.

Luna from BLOOD MOON.

Wolf: http://m.gettywallpapers.com/black-wolf-wallpapers/

Girl: https://co.pinterest.com/pin/pretty-face--53269208086368614/

Dagger: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/golden-dagger-8f4c541704c741c9aec9c36164d9523e

Tagging: @graysquirrel7 @csdarkfantasy and anyone who wants to join

[fandomnerd9602]

an Author update

07-16-23

I need to change my laptop password.

I woke up this morning to see this as my wallpaper

Thanks Mom 😂

[hayatheauthor]

How To Build A Realistic Magic System

Whether you’re a five year old watching Disney movies or an adult reading fantasy books, everyone loves magic. It is the heart of fantasy and the favourite trope of many authors. A good magic system should be both visually appealing and work to enhance the mood of a story. But it can be hard to make your own realistic world of magic with so many different types of magic at our disposal. 

Unsure how to build a realistic magic system? Here are six things you should consider when creating your magic world! 

1. Establish A Type Of Magic 

Authors and other creators have spent centuries establishing hundreds of different types of magic. There’s folklore, witches, magical creatures, demons, mythology and so much more. It’s good to create your unique brand of magic when world building, but there are basic facts you need to establish before you jump into your book. 

For example, in my WIP The Traitor’s Throne magic only exists in the realm of mages, however, it can be used or stored in every living being from that realm (including trees). The reason it doesn’t exist in the other realms (or the human realm, to be specific) is that there is literally magic in the air of this realm, something that the human realm lacks.  

Your readers don’t have to know all of this background information, but it’s important for you to have a clear image of your magic system before you jump into your book. 

 Here are some questions you should ask yourself when establishing your type of magic: 

How do your characters get their magic (genetics, draw it from others, etc.)? 

What does your magic look like? Can people see it? If not, why? 

Do spells, curses, and charms exist? What about potions? 

Can magic be stored in manmade objects? Why or why not? 

Is your magic akin to a witch’s or a mage’s? 

Does your magic fade with time? 

Does your magic exist in animals? What about plants? 

Do you need help with how to properly pace your world building facts while writing? Check out my previous blog post today!

2. Create Limitations 

Nothing can exist without laws. Not even magic. 

Limitations exist to make your writing seem more realistic, but they also help you create adequate boundaries and rules for your book. This can look like a set of laws followed by a society of wizards or a rule book humans need to follow when they summon and use demon magic. 

Aladdin couldn’t ask the Genie to kill people or make someone fall in love with him, Harry Potter couldn’t create limitless food for him to eat during the summers, and Percy Jackson couldn’t control the water in a human’s body. 

Tell us the dos and don’ts of your world. Establish boundaries. Create a fantasy world that feels like it could be real and maybe even exist alongside our world. 

If you are a fantasy author writing a book about a character who accesses magic through another being (a human summoning a demon, etc.) then consider creating some limitations for the summons. Maybe the human can only summon the demon once every week, maybe they can’t ask the demon to interfere with another person’s death (bring someone back to life or kill someone). 

Unsure what magical limitations to implement in your WIP? Comment down below for some personal advice! 

3. The History Of Your Magic

Everything starts somewhere. Humanity didn’t exist during the big bang theory, fire didn’t exist until humans were made. Everything has a past, so what’s your magic’s history? 

Did it always exist in the society your character lives in? Did someone just wake up one day with newfound powers? When was your magic founded? How do your characters know how to use magic? What timeline are they in? What does their fashion, architecture or mode of travel look like? 

These might not seem like important questions right now, but you could find yourself wasting precious writing time in the future mulling over how your characters get light during the nighttime. (Lanterns? Candles? Magic balls of light?)

Do you need to create a list of all the monarchs who ruled over your world throughout the past five hundred years? Of course not! But would it be helpful to know who the first monarch was and why they possessed the power and influence needed to govern your world? Yes! 

Creating a concrete history can also help you when writing dialogue for your book. Make corny history jokes or comparisons, have your character’s mother dramatically talk about how her child is like a recluse from the dark ages. 

4. How Does Your Magic Affect Your World 

One of the most important things to establish when creating a magic system is how it affects your world. Do mythical creatures exist because of the magic? What about another world? Or another species? 

You need to create a concrete setting for your book to take place in, and establish how the living beings of your world are affected by this setting. Do the trees have black trunks in your world of demons? Do pixies exist in your world of elves? 

Creating a fantasy world is only the first step, you also need to establish how this world affects the species and characters in your world. 

5. Don’t Forget The Humans! 

One of the reasons books like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson got so popular is because they gave us an excuse to believe magic was real. Maybe magic really exists but we’re just muggles who can’t see Hogwarts. Maybe the Greek gods were real all along but we can’t interact with them because we aren’t demigods. 

Give your readers that childlike sense of hope that makes them believe in magic. Make them think they might be able to meet your characters one day, if only they discovered a door to your magic school or stumbled upon a demigod in action. 

This can be easy for fantasy authors writing about a human who accidentally ends up in a fantasy world, but if you’re an author writing about non-human characters (like me) then here are some ways you can establish the presence of humans in your book: 

Humans exist, but they live in another realm/world or don’t know how to access your character’s world (the gate to the underworld in PJO). 

Humans can access your world, but the area your character lives in is surrounded by a natural body (an ocean, a forest, etc.) that humans always get lost in. Or maybe they forget their memories when they travel in it. 

Humans don’t exist, but they did centuries ago. Your character’s species had a big war against humans and they killed them all. (Or maybe they just thought they did).  

Do you need help with how to properly pace your world building facts while writing? Check out my previous blog post today!

6. Sanderson’s Laws For Magic 

Still unclear on how to establish a proper magic system? Consider looking into Sanderson’s Laws for Magic. 

If you’re a fantasy author you’ve probably already stumbled upon some variation of his laws during your worldbuilding research, but I would advise looking at Sanderson’s blog and reading his original rundown of what the laws are all about. 

In their simplest forms, Sanderson’s laws of magic are: 

Law One: An author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to how well the reader understands said magic. 

Law Two: Limitations > Powers. 

Law Three: Expand what you already have before you add something new. 

I hope this blog on how to build a magic system will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment your favourite writing tools to help your fellow authors prosper. 

Want to learn more about me and my writing journey? Visit my social media pages under the handle @hayatheauthor where I post content about my wip The Traitor’s Throne and life as a teenage author. 

[ladyfogg]

Friendly reminder that I now offer Author Coaching services!

What is Author Coaching?

Author coaching is when a professional author guides you through your own writing experience, from the inception of the idea all the way to the final manuscript and beyond. This can include anything from refining your idea, creating an outline, and organizing a writing schedule, to identifying your audience and providing constructive feedback and much more.

An author coach is there to bounce ideas off of and help keep you accountable for your own progress. They’re there to help break down the daunting task of novel writing into manageable steps.

Check out the link to learn more!

[author-ayshen-irfan]

Review indie books✨ review indie books ✨review indie books✨ review indie books✨

It helps us authors out so much.

[theeccentricraven]

Introduction

Name: Just call me Raven.

Dream: Become a published novelist.

Hobbies: play the harp, bake, cook, read, sew, go on walks outside, watch YouTube, storytelling

Likes: Opera, Celtic themes, food, true crime stories, history, fantasy and scifi, the coast, faith, family, scambaiting, and great stories

Favorite Books: Harry Potter series, The Giver, Mistborn, Uglies, Frankenstein, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Jane Eyre, A Walk to Remember, Silas Marner, The Otherworld, The Hunger Games, Ender's Game, The Chronicles of Narnia, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Jacob Have I Loved, Forestborn, Defy the Stars, Tom Sawyer

My WIP's:

The Blood Cleaners (YA dystopia)

Columbus Day (YA scifi)

The Keeper of Maralla (unconventional high fantasy)

The Star House Club (MG/YA urban fantasy)

Brigid Aideen Quinn (sci-fi fantasy superhero)

Sanctuary Calling (Space sci-fi Dystopia)

Voice of Shadows (high fantasy)

The Enchantress (MG fantasy)

New Victoria (steampunk sci-fi)

My Social Media Links:

twitter.com/eccentric_raven

nanowrimo.org/participants/raven_heart

tiktok.com/@the_eccentric_raven

pinterest.com/teccentricraven

[cljordan-imperium]

Tag List

First - for @aziz-reads, @blind-the-winds, and @saltysupercomputer - I know your answer my adorbs friends <3 @raincoffeeandfandoms & @call-sign-shark - I know to tag you on my Peakyverse ones.

For - @writingmaidenwarrior. @pheita, @toribookworm22, @outpost51, @dreaminggoblin, and @thebejeweledwatercat - if you want things changed, just let me know.

NOW....FOR EVERYONE ELSE, DESCRIPTIONS OF MY WIPS ARE BELOW THE CUT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHICH WIPS, IF ANY, YOU WOULD LIKE TAGGED FOR WHEN POSTED.

You can like this post for all of them, or message/comment to let me know if there are just certain ones that you want tagged on

@theimperiumchronicles - The Four Horsemen have taken over hell with the Horseman of Death as Queen and the Horseman of War as King. Hell has been split into two level, Imperium is the upper where Abriella and Cruz rule and where beings live. Caligo is the lower, the spiraling torture pits. The ousted Princes of Hell want to take back their thrones and are waging war to do so. In addition to dealing with them, a new realm, Uffern, has come into play and how that is going to work out is still undecided.

@the-andromeda-effect - In Greek Mythology Andromeda was sacrificed by her parents to save their kingdom from Poseidon's wrath after her mother offended him, but Perseus saves her from death by a Krackon and takes her to his kingdom to be his Queen. Mircea (Meer-cha) Kalavati wasn't sacrificing his wife to appease a god, or bring peace to his clan, he was doing it to start a war with another. His mistake when he hired Caliban Andros was lying to him about why he wanted her rescued, then killed to look like those who had kidnapped her had done it. Never lie to your hitman. Now, like Perseus to Andromeda, Caliban has rescued Riona Kalavati and something is drawing him to the woman. He will kill to keep her safe, and her husband is going to regret that lie for what remaining life he has left. Now as Adira Andros, she is definitely Caliban's Queen, and his "army" has rallied around her.

@behindthesemasks - Melania LaVeau is a professor at LSU in Baton Rouge. She is also the grandaughter of Ambrose Meyers, one of the most powerful men in the country and the daughter of Marie LaVeau...yes THAT Marie LaVeau! Old money, going back to when the Gautier family came over from France to settle in New Orelans, there isn't much that goes on in Louisiana or Mississippi that they don't have their hands in. Meyers Worldwide, a tech conglomerate is a cover for underworld activities that will eventually come to light. What happens when someone decides to cross the most powerful, and immortal, Queen of Voodo and threaten one of her children? Will New Orleans be left standing? If you are a fan of Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, or The LIbrarians, the story is in the same veign. All of the characters are human, but there are supernatural occurrences around them.

@bendingthelaws - Colin Masterson is the Cook Count State's Attorney. He has been on a mission to take down the head of a Chicago crime conglomerate that is headed by Constantin Rakeovich. Now someone has kidnapped his intern and is sending her back to him in tiny pieces. Is it Constantin? Is it another one of the people that Colin has crossed? Now he and those he trusts are going to have to figure it out before someone else disappears or is hurt. Complicating matters is that his brother, Colton Masterson is Constantin's defense attorney. The brothers have never been close, but in this situation, things take a much darker turn. Will Colton stand by his brother or his client? And what happens when something bigger happens and puts everyone Colin cares about in the crosshairs? If you are a fan of Law & Order, or any of those types of shows, this is much in the same vein and will involve more than just the lawyers. All characters are human. There is no supernatural beings or magic. Some places are going to be fictional, but the main setting is the city of Chicago.

@devil-in-the-details-ay - When Lucifer's daughter Yara gets bored and wants to intern for the Lord of Death, Astaroth, her father agrees. After their first meeting, the Devil changes the plans once more. Deciding to make Yara someone else's problem, she is now to be Astaroth's wife. Navigating this challenge, and those who will come against them both will reveal a lot about each other, and themselves. Is the Princess really as spoiled and entitled as she seems? Is Astaroth really the iceberg incarnate that he seems? Is she even who she believes herself to be? And what happens when someone decides to try to interfere in their relationship?

@magical-mistakes-vm - Vollrath, the Master Warlock of the local Coven, encounters Mahala (Mah-HAY-lah) preparing to do a ritual on his land. Her mistakes in not being careful in preparations allowed him to find her, but it also set up events in the future that they will need the help of his best friends Baldur and Elmar to deal with. A witch that has no clue what she is and a Master Warlock who is not used to letting people close have to navigate revelations that will change both their lives, and possibly even the Coven. When his brother, Balor, an equally powerful warlock within the Coven who he has been at odds with for years, also shows up and it is clear will be needed, it just adds one more complexity to the situation. Can they all get along to keep each other safe, or will one of them fall to those who are coming against them?

@princess-of-thieves-id - Princess Inara is set to marry Prince Diyan the next day, a man she has never met or even set eyes on. Ever defiant, that is the last thing she is going to do. Deciding to thwart her father's plans, the Princess slips out of the castle and sets to escape. Little does she know that the Prince's family sent Arik, the Prince's best friend and a trained assassin, to watch over her, fearing more that she would be murdered by enemies rather than escape. One thing that Arik knows is that Diyan doesn't want to marry Inara either, so instead of stopping her, he helps her with a promise to keep her safe if she stays with him. They make it to the next town, which is a port and aboard a vessel that is just preparing to depart in an effort to stay one step ahead of the soldiers now searching for Inara. Unbeknownst them, they have just become stow-aways on a pirate ship. Complicating things further is that Arik and the Captain of the ship are not strangers, and when a romance develops between Inara and Arik and the Captain deciding he would like her for his own, things become even more complicated. Not to mention all three of them are being hunted by multiple kingdoms. Nothing like a quiet day on the sea, right?

@tapperhet-em - When Princess Meeri's father is deposed by his brother, he believes she was part of the coup, and disowns her as his family flees the country. Lucky for her, she is found by one of the knights she befriended in childhood and is still loyal to her, Einar, before her uncle did. A members of nobility, he and three of his friends spirit her off into hiding where they can plan to figure out who set her up, help her rebuild a life apart from royalty, and decide how to bring about justice. Can the seeming unrequited love of Einar for Meeri turn into more? Or will one of his brothers in arms, cut him off from that possibility? And how close was/is the traitor to Meeri? Sometimes safe isn't as safe as you think...and destiny, it's more than just a lofty ideal. She is a bitch sometimes, and she will find you.

*****

Back to The 20's - ongoing story with Rose & Alfie Solomons who belong to @raincoffeeandfandoms

Annabella has been alive for almost 300 years. During a lot of that, the demon Jasper has been her best friend. While on an excursion to London, she had a chance to meet the dashing Tommy Shelby, but she knows a devil in a dress coat when she sees one, and they are nothing but business. However, when she meets the enchanting Rose Solomons, (OC of @raincoffeeandfandoms) the wife of Alfie, it becomes personal. She adores the woman and a friendship blossoms. Her good friend Gynnifer also shows up and has some wonderful ideas on how to make Rose's wonderful projects even better.

Bayou Witches - ongoing story with Heaven & Arthur Shelby who belong to @call-sign-shark

Arthur Shelby served in the military with Melania LaVeau's best friend Alexander. During that time, her fiance', Cade, and some of their old friends also were stationed together. Now dealing with PTSD and recently married, Melania suggests to Cade that he invite his old friends to their estate in the beautiful bayous of Louisiana to help him relax and have some comradery with his old mates. What could not have been predicted is that Arthur's wife, Heaven, is a powerful witch in her own right, who fits right in with Malania's family and instantly adopted. Who better to adopt the beautiful French witch, than the French Creole legacy family of the LaVeaus. Sometimes family is what you make it, not the blood in your veins, and in the bayou, anything is possible...

*****

Still working on 1st chapter ----

@sehnsuchtrising - The kingdom of Sehnsucht has fallen. The former royalty imprisoned. The fate of the kingdom is now in the hands of the five closest friends of the King - A beautiful sorceress (Katarina), a dark elf who has a slight pyromaniac streak (Sebastian), a Princess that tends to be highly overly dramatic (Aoife), a dragon trainer that was still an apprentice (Barkley), and a rogue and lockpick who is a klutz (Taliesin). What could go wrong??

[apolline-lucy]

I NEED YOUR HELP

my book isn’t released yet and hasn’t been shared to anyone, but some HOMOPHOB*C HATER named CHARLES gave it 1 star to ruin the reputation of my wlw book before it’s out

From their profile, i can see their average rating is 1 star for over 7000 books…. Clearly they’re trolling.

Please help me report their rating HERE

It only takes a minute and I’d be so grateful :)

WE HAVE TO PROTECT QUEER BOOKS AND QUEER REPRESENTATION

thanks to everyone who takes time to help