#creatives challenge

[jacklesversebingo]

(x)

Check out the @jacklesversebingo blog to find your next favorite story.

Below is a list of our lovely group for Round Two of the bingo.

Show these fantastic authors and creators some love by commenting and reblogging their work. Be sure to check out their blogs, too, for additional fanworks.

@all-alone-he-turns-to-stone \ @artyandink \ @ashewintercpu \ @chevroletdean \ @coffee-obsessed-writer

@copperboom82 \ @deadlydivergentgirl \ @deanbrainrotwritings \ @deaneverafterstories \ @deans-queen

@dean-winchester-is-a-warrior \ @enigmalynne \ @foxyjwls007 \ @holylulusworld \ @impala-dreamer

@impalaimagining \ @jensengirl83 \ @justagirlinafandomworld \ @kazsrm67 \ @kickingitwithkirk

@k-slla \ @minefield-of-a-ninja \ @nescaveckwriter \ @nightxcreature \ @phoenixwritesfanfiction

@pink-sparkly-witch \ @riteofpassage77 \ @rizlowwritessortof \ @rubyvhs \ @shy-taylorsversion

@spnbabe67 \ @ssadesto \ @supernotnatural2005 \ @torn-and-frayed \ @wayward-dreamer

@winchester19-67 \ @winchester-girl67 \ @zepskies

[deanwinchesterswitch]

(x, x, x)

Need an escape?

Head on over to @jacklesversebingo. There are over 300 fics and lovely aesthetics for you to choose from.

Fluff, angst, smut, everything in between, and all of the above combined.

Be sure to show the creators some love by commenting and reblogging.♥️

[tahbhie]

How many drafts should you go through before deciding your novel is ready?

There's no specific (official) number, but to create a foundation that ensures you don't burn out quickly, overwork yourself, and get tired of your work, I'll say four. It's the same number I use for my students since most of them have other engagements outside writing that take up a copious amount of their time.

1. Initial or Zero Draft:

This draft is also called the 'just write' draft. Focus on putting that idea down. As the creative juices flow, let it all out. Don't worry about perfection or coherence; the goal is to capture your raw ideas and get the story out of your head and onto the page.

2. Second Draft:

This is the plot draft. Read through what you have written to see if every detail you added was meant to be. Here, you focus on the structure of your story. Ensure that the plot makes sense, the pacing is right, and there are no major plot holes. This is where you might add, remove, or rearrange scenes to improve the overall flow of the narrative.

3. Third Draft:

Character development draft. In this stage, you look deeper into your characters. Make sure their motivations, backgrounds, and arcs are well-defined and consistent. Flesh out their personalities and relationships, ensuring they are compelling and believable. This is also a good time to refine dialogue and make sure it sounds natural and true to each character. That's for this drafting stage.

4. Fourth Draft:

Grammar and punctuation draft. This is the polishing stage. Focus on correcting grammatical errors, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. Pay attention to sentence structure, word choice, and overall readability. This draft is about making your manuscript as clean and professional as possible.

Keep in mind that the goal is to define what completion means for each draft. Once you reach the goal, take a break and return to it for the next drafting stage.

Some writers pay people to carry out some of the drafting stages for them, so if you fall into that category, you might have fewer drafting stages to handle yourself!

Reblog to save for later 😉

Thank you all for the support 💜!

[modifiedmonster]

Show, don't tell : Part 1

Directory Writing Masterlist Blog Etiquette Buy me a Ko-Fi?

[ Angry + Frustrated ]

Red face

Tensing up jaw/body

Clenching fists

Gritting teeth

Stomped feet

Rolling eyes

Crossing arms

Kick/Hit something

Eyebrows furl

Face crunches up

Tight lips

Narrow eyes

[ Happy + Excited ]

Laugh/Giggle

Smile from ear to ear

High tone in voice

Smiling/Grinning while talking

Heart Pounding

Clapping

Breathing deeply

Squeal/Scream

Talking fast

Contentedly Sigh

Tilted head

Hand clasped over mouth

[Bored + Tired ]

Pace back and forth

Sigh loudly

Blank face

Play with fingers

Staring off into space

Yawning

Fidgeting around

Leaning head on hands

Rubbing eyes

Droopy eyes

Dark circles under eyes

Complaining

[Sad + Scared]

Trembling lips/body

Tears in eyes

Bite Nails

Curl up/tuck knees to chest

Bite nails

Eyes burn/turn red

Stop breathing OR breathe fast

Lose appetite

Frowning

Darting eyes

Blinking quick or not at all

Pounding heart

© ModifiedUchiha 2023 ★ Feel free to use them for inspiration , but give credit if adding to a list ★

[angstober]

Welcome to another year of Angstober! We're delighted to unveil the prompts for this year of angsty, spooky fun.

What is Angstober?

Angstober is a yearly October challenge with 31 angst-themed prompts to inspire you to create. The challenge is open to all sorts of creative work - writing, art, edits, whatever you want - in whatever medium you want. Original work or fanworks? Whatever you feel inspired for!

How do I take part?

Tag your works with #angstober2024 and the day of the prompt (e.g., #day 01) to share on tumblr. Feel free to @ us directly in the post as well! To share your work on AO3, add it to the Angstober 2024 collection.

You can post your works whenever - early or late - and use as many or as few prompts as you feel inspired for! We'll do our best to reblog as many works to the @angstober blog as we can.

Is there a banner to post my work with?

Absolutely!

Anything else?

Nope. Happy Angsting!

2024 Prompt List

Again

2. Countdown

3. Self-Destruction

4. Blood

5. Do Better

6. Medication

7. “You Still Don’t Get It.”

8. Growing Pains

9. Promise

10. Humiliation

11. Wake Up

12. Rotten Touch

13. Shaking

14. Only Around You

15. False Hope

16. No One Else To Turn To

17. “Shhh…”

18. Falling Stars

19. Tear-Stained Cheek

20. Spare Me

21. Abandoned

22. Crocodile Tears

23. Safe/Unsafe

24. Dark Sunrise

25. You’re No Better

26. Persuasion

27. Curled Up

28. Perfect

29. Get Out

30. Nothing Else To Tell You

31. It Ends Here

[dionysiaproductions]

Ides of March Writing Challenges:

🗡️ Stab it: Write 23 words (or 23 sentences if you're playing on hard)

🗡️Settle a debt: Finish an old unfinished work

🗡️Become a dictator: Outline a version of your narrative world where your protagonist has complete control. What would they want the world to look like?

🗡️Kill Caesar: Outline a version of your story where the main character dies. What would all the supporting characters do?

[my-darling-boy]

But where have we come? And where shall we end?

[bookished]

( a collection of starters or dialogue prompts. adjust phrasing as necessary.) feel free to make edits to better suit your muse, but please don’t edit or add on to the original post <𝟑 if you like, please consider supporting me through tips

"You don’t get it, do you? Every time I walk away, the ground pulls me back toward you like I’m tethered to this place, to you!"

"I swear, even the rain mocks me, falling harder every time I try to forget you!"

"Why is it that every time I try to move on, the stars spell out your name like they’re taunting me?"

"I hate how every single flower blooms brighter when I think of you! It’s like even nature is against me!"

"I can’t stand it! Every time I get close to letting you go, the wind whispers your name, like it won’t let me forget!"

"Every time I try to bury these feelings, the earth shakes beneath my feet as if it knows what I’m doing!"

"I’ve tried to walk away a hundred times, but every shadow, every flicker of light reminds me of you. It’s like you haunt me!"

"Even the ocean keeps pulling me back to the shore where we stood. Do you know how infuriating that is? I’m drowning in memories of you!"

"Every time I close my eyes, the wind rushes in like it’s carrying your scent! I can’t escape you, even in my dreams!"

"I’ve screamed at the stars, demanded they stop reminding me of you, but they just burn brighter. They know, don’t they? They know!"

"You have no idea how much I’ve fought against this, how much I’ve tried to tear you out of my life, but even the trees whisper your name!"

"It’s like the moon itself mocks me, shining brighter whenever I think of you! It’s unbearable!"

"I hate how even the fire crackles louder when I’m angry with you, like it’s feeding on my frustration! But I can’t stop!"

"Do you know what it’s like to try and forget you, only for the rivers to murmur your name every time I pass by?"

"I curse your name every time I see the sun set, but it still paints the sky in colors that remind me of you!"

"I tried to burn the letters, the memories, but the fire wouldn’t take them! It’s like the universe won’t let me forget you!"

"Every time I get close to leaving, the stars realign, the air shifts, and it feels like the world won’t let me go!"

"You think I want to feel this way? Even the storms rise up when I try to let you go, like the sky is angry at me!"

"I’ve tried to bury it, to push you out, but even the ground beneath me trembles with your name!"

"Every time I get close to moving on, the world bends in your direction! Why can’t I escape this?"

[brittanyearnestauthor]

How to Write Toxic Characters Effectively

Writing toxic characters can be challenging because we often avoid these personality types in real life—they’re socially draining and cause harm wherever they go. However, toxic characters can serve an important purpose in storytelling, adding depth, conflict, and drama to a narrative.

This post was inspired by a personal experience of being falsely accused of creating fake accounts to contact someone who pretended to be a friend. While the accusations are completely untrue and unfounded, I wanted to turn this negativity into positivity by sharing writing tips for creating compelling toxic characters.

Toxic Character Traits

Here are some common traits of toxic people that you can incorporate into your characters:

- Playing the Victim: They act as if they’ve done nothing wrong, blaming others for their problems while refusing to take accountability.

- Accusing Others: They enjoy accusing others of things, whether those accusations are true, fabricated, or even projections of their own actions.

- Talking Behind People’s Backs: Gossip and spreading lies are their forte—they share secrets or fabricate stories about others to create drama.

- Telling Lies: They thrive on creating falsehoods to draw people to their side and control the narrative.

- Playing a Fake Version of Themselves: They avoid authenticity, crafting a persona to alienate others and boost their fragile sense of self-worth.

- Turning People Against Each Other: They manipulate conversations, taking words out of context to sow discord between friends or allies.

- Twisting the Truth: They distort reality to craft harmful narratives that suit their agenda.

- Making Themselves Look Better: Toxic characters fabricate achievements or victim stories to elevate themselves and deceive those around them.

- Refusing Responsibility and Accountability: They refuse to accept their wrongdoings, often shifting blame to maintain their self-image.

Conclusion

Toxic characters can play crucial roles in storytelling, serving as instigators of conflict or catalysts for growth in other characters. While they can be exhausting to write, they offer valuable lessons about the consequences of toxic behavior and its impact on those around them.

However, I recommend using these characters sparingly, unless your story revolves around the specific theme of toxicity and its repercussions. When approached thoughtfully, toxic characters can add depth and complexity to your narrative.

Happy writing!

[jesncin]

I love ur Lois so much!!! Lois has always reminded me of my mom and so seeing your version of Lois, one that faces similar uphill battle when it comes to work and how you can start sanding yourself down to try and get further, is amazing and touching. Can't wait to see more of this Lois, especially as she works up the ranks!

Thank you! I think that part of Lois (becoming less of yourself in order to move ahead in an industry, especially as a woman [of color]) is so underappreciated and should be explored way more.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

With the end of season two comes a second redraw!

[Nov 2022] [June 2023] [June 2024]

[jacklesversebingo]

Photos: Resources

Sign-up for the bingo will soon be closed - November 15. If you're a fan of Jensen or the characters he portrays, consider joining in on the fun.

Or, if you prefer, simply follow the blog for the wonderful fanworks submitted by fabulous creatives. With over 33 participants so far, there are already plenty of styles and genres to choose from, with more to come.

Be sure to read the Guidelines/Rules and the FAQs before signing up.

Discord is required to participate in the Bingo.

Sign-up Here

The list of characters that can be used for this bingo. Jensen RPF is also welcome.

Ben/Alec McDowell (Dark Angel)

Jason Teague (Smallville)

Jake Gray (Devour)

Priestly (Ten Inch Hero)

Tom Hanniger (My Bloody Valentine)

Dean Winchester (SPN/The Winchesters)

Jack Durfy (Buddy Games)

Soldier Boy/Ben (The Boys)

Beau Arlen (Big Sky)

Russell Shaw (Tracker)

Mark Meachum (Countdown)*

*We might not see him/the show this round, but he's going on the list.

[me-writes-prompts]

:-"I've found my other half" Two introverts in love with each other prompts-:

(I looooooove this trope, so thank you anon for this request! Tag me if you write these, pleaseeee!!!!)

By @me-writes-promtps

Going to the same bookstore, and they notice the other one is checking out the same book as them

^^"I love that book. It's my 7th re-read." "No way. I'm also doing a re-read :)"

The classic bumping into each other in a coffee shop, except they're both a little awkward and don't know what to say

"It's crowded in here, isn't it?" "Yeah. I hate having to take the subway every day." "Really? me too!"

"I hope you don't mind the silence." "It's alright when it's with the right person."

Exchanging shy smiles across the room <3333

Noticing little details about them

^^"How do you know this is my favorite food?" "You're always eating it." "Well, not always!" "Oh yes, always."

When they both love museums>>>

"This place is my favorite getaway." "Mine too. It's quiet and peaceful here."

They can communicate through their eyes alone

Sitting next to each other in an empty theater and finding out they both love the not-so-popular movie

[vivsinkpot]

How to Craft an Unforgettable Opening Sentence

“Begin as you mean to go on—but with teeth.”

Your first sentence is more than a hook. It’s a promise: of tone, voice, tension, and style. So how do you make it bite?

Start with Movement or Mood

Drop the reader into something already happening—a flicker of tension, a sound, a change.

“The scream tore through the morning like a knife through silk.”

“By the time they noticed the blood on the floor, she was already gone.”

Ask yourself: What emotion do I want the reader to feel right away?

Start with a Contradiction

Use paradox to spark curiosity.

“Everyone said he was a good man. He wasn’t.”

“She had waited her whole life for this moment, and now she wanted to run.”

Contradiction = instant tension. The reader wants to know why.

Start After the Event

Let the fallout speak louder than the explosion.

“They buried the monster behind the chapel, but the ground never settled.”

“It took three days for the smell to fade.”

Hints of trauma, mystery, or aftermath can draw readers deeper than action ever could.

Let Voice Do the Work

If you’ve got a strong narrator, show it off in the first line.

“You’d think I’d be used to ghosts by now.”

“The last time I saw him, he was trying to steal a book from a priest.”

Voice tells the reader how this story will be told. Think attitude, rhythm, and perspective.

Don’t Waste Time Being Polite

Skip greetings. Skip the weather (unless it’s cursed). Skip “My name is…”

Instead of: “My name is Calliope and I live in the city of…”

Try: “They say beauty is a gift. I say it’s a curse.”

Jump into what matters. You can catch the reader up later—right now, you’re getting them hooked.

Your challenge: Write 3 first sentences for your WIP.

Make one moody, one voicey, and one full of contradiction. Then pick the one that won’t let you go.

Want feedback? Tag #vivsfirstlinechallenge and let’s read each other’s openings 💌

[nasa]

NASA Inspires Your Crafty Creations for World Embroidery Day

It’s amazing what you can do with a little needle and thread! For #WorldEmbroideryDay, we asked what NASA imagery inspired you. You responded with a variety of embroidered creations, highlighting our different areas of study.

Here’s what we found:

Webb’s Carina Nebula

Wendy Edwards, a project coordinator with Earth Science Data Systems at NASA, created this embroidered piece inspired by Webb’s Carina Nebula image. Captured in infrared light, this image revealed for the first time previously invisible areas of star birth. Credit: Wendy Edwards, NASA. Pattern credit: Clare Bray, Climbing Goat Designs

Wendy Edwards, a project coordinator with Earth Science Data Systems at NASA, first learned cross stitch in middle school where she had to pick rotating electives and cross stitch/embroidery was one of the options.  “When I look up to the stars and think about how incredibly, incomprehensibly big it is out there in the universe, I’m reminded that the universe isn’t ‘out there’ at all. We’re in it,” she said. Her latest piece focused on Webb’s image release of the Carina Nebula. The image showcased the telescope’s ability to peer through cosmic dust, shedding new light on how stars form.

Ocean Color Imagery: Exploring the North Caspian Sea

Danielle Currie of Satellite Stitches created a piece inspired by the Caspian Sea, taken by NASA’s ocean color satellites. Credit: Danielle Currie/Satellite Stitches

Danielle Currie is an environmental professional who resides in New Brunswick, Canada. She began embroidering at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic as a hobby to take her mind off the stress of the unknown. Danielle’s piece is titled “46.69, 50.43,” named after the coordinates of the area of the northern Caspian Sea captured by LandSat8 in 2019.

An image of the Caspian Sea captured by Landsat 8 in 2019. Credit: NASA

Two Hubble Images of the Pillars of Creation, 1995 and 2015

Melissa Cole of Star Stuff Stitching created an embroidery piece based on the Hubble image Pillars of Creation released in 1995. Credit: Melissa Cole, Star Stuff Stitching

Melissa Cole is an award-winning fiber artist from Philadelphia, PA, USA, inspired by the beauty and vastness of the universe. They began creating their own cross stitch patterns at 14, while living with their grandparents in rural Michigan, using colored pencils and graph paper.  The Pillars of Creation (Eagle Nebula, M16), released by the Hubble Telescope in 1995 when Melissa was just 11 years old, captured the imagination of a young person in a rural, religious setting, with limited access to science education.

Lauren Wright Vartanian of the shop Neurons and Nebulas created this piece inspired by the Hubble Space Telescope’s 2015 25th anniversary re-capture of the Pillars of Creation. Credit:  Lauren Wright Vartanian, Neurons and Nebulas

Lauren Wright Vartanian of Guelph, Ontario Canada considers herself a huge space nerd. She’s a multidisciplinary artist who took up hand sewing after the birth of her daughter. She’s currently working on the illustrations for a science themed alphabet book, made entirely out of textile art. It is being published by Firefly Books and comes out in the fall of 2024. Lauren said she was enamored by the original Pillars image released by Hubble in 1995. When Hubble released a higher resolution capture in 2015, she fell in love even further! This is her tribute to those well-known images.

James Webb Telescope Captures Pillars of Creation

Darci Lenker of Darci Lenker Art, created a rectangular version of Webb’s Pillars of Creation. Credit:  Darci Lenker of Darci Lenker Art

Darci Lenker of Norman, Oklahoma started embroidery in college more than 20 years ago, but mainly only used it as an embellishment for her other fiber works. In 2015, she started a daily embroidery project where she planned to do one one-inch circle of embroidery every day for a year.  She did a collection of miniature thread painted galaxies and nebulas for Science Museum Oklahoma in 2019. Lenker said she had previously embroidered the Hubble Telescope’s image of Pillars of Creation and was excited to see the new Webb Telescope image of the same thing. Lenker could not wait to stitch the same piece with bolder, more vivid colors.

Milky Way

Darci Lenker of Darci Lenker Art was inspired by NASA’s imaging of the Milky Way Galaxy. Credit: Darci Lenker

In this piece, Lenker became inspired by the Milky Way Galaxy, which is organized into spiral arms of giant stars that illuminate interstellar gas and dust. The Sun is in a finger called the Orion Spur.

The Cosmic Microwave Background

This image shows an embroidery design based on the cosmic microwave background, created by Jessica Campbell, who runs Astrostitches. Inside a tan wooden frame, a colorful oval is stitched onto a black background in shades of blue, green, yellow, and a little bit of red. Credit: Jessica Campbell/ Astrostitches

Jessica Campbell obtained her PhD in astrophysics from the University of Toronto studying interstellar dust and magnetic fields in the Milky Way Galaxy. Jessica promptly taught herself how to cross-stitch in March 2020 and has since enjoyed turning astronomical observations into realistic cross-stitches. Her piece was inspired by the cosmic microwave background, which displays the oldest light in the universe.

The full-sky image of the temperature fluctuations (shown as color differences) in the cosmic microwave background, made from nine years of WMAP observations. These are the seeds of galaxies, from a time when the universe was under 400,000 years old. Credit: NASA/WMAP Science Team

GISSTEMP: NASA’s Yearly Temperature Release

Katy Mersmann, a NASA social media specialist, created this embroidered piece based on NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) global annual temperature record. Earth’s average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record. Credit: Katy Mersmann, NASA

Katy Mersmann is a social media specialist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. She started embroidering when she was in graduate school. Many of her pieces are inspired by her work as a communicator. With climate data in particular, she was inspired by the researchers who are doing the work to understand how the planet is changing. The GISTEMP piece above is based on a data visualization of 2020 global temperature anomalies, still currently tied for the warmest year on record.

In addition to embroidery, NASA continues to inspire art in all forms. Check out other creative takes with Landsat Crafts and the James Webb Space telescope public art gallery.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!