#finchwrites

[screechingjellyfishnight]

Oh woe is me, for my hermit crab hath pinched me. Alas, it is the way of crabs, forgive them, for they know not what they do. All I dreamed was to look into my beautiful crabby’s eyes and instead I was met with claws and pain! I forgive my crab, for he was as scared as I. He was afraid of getting eaten, and I was afraid of the claws! He dug them in as I howled in pain, and when he finally released I dropped him, by my own foolishness did I drop the crab! Right onto a bag of popped corn! He was frightened, and returned to his shell, I lifted him, gently replaced him into the tank, and cried in pain at the bloody palm of my hand. Oh, do be weary of the crabs!

(In all seriousness my crab did pinch me, and I did drop him AFTER he let go, I did not shake him off. He landed on a bag of hermit safe popcorn (I made it for them) and I quickly grabbed him and set him in the tank. It was quite an ordeal. I screamed and my sister basically kicked my door down. I screamed LOUD. I had to scream or else I’d have shaken my hand or tried to toss him. So I screamed and held my hand still and begged my crab (hermit crabs are DEAF btw) to let me leave with my palm NOT eviscerated. He eventually let go and I dropped him quick before he could pinch again. I then picked him up from his shell and sat him in his tank)

Y’all he fell 3 inches onto a bag of popcorn in the drawer under the crabitat. He is fine. He’s actually been very active tonight.

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Writeblr intro post

So yeah when I first came here I didn't know this was a thing so I've been working on this in the background. Now that it won the poll, I'm making it now!

I'm going to edit this post as I go so it has more links as I make posts about my WIPs!

About Me

Hi. Call me Kaylin. It's a pen name but I like it. (Some people are just finding out this isn't my real name and y'all should've read the bio)

I'm an education major and do writing on the side and it's a huge passion of mine (hence why I want to teach literacy)

Asexual demiromantic sapphic (she/her) currently in a relationship - (I am comfortable within reason to talk about my experiences)

Love ask games and tag games and generally interacting with others

Love reblogging mutuals' writing talking about WIPs!

21+ but my WIPs are YA - I don't usually reblog anything with a mature community label (sorry in advance for mutuals who do), but when I do I mark it 18+ and I try to label content warnings (LET ME KNOW IF I MISSED SOMETHING)

I'm an educator by heart so I love giving feedback, know a lot about kids, and of course education psychology and theory

I have minor scoliosis, early start of arthritis in my hands, and chronic headaches and migraines attacks in control with medication if anyone needs to ask me about these experiences for writing purposes. I also occasionally use a cane due to knee pain from an injury.

I have an ultimate get to know me game if you want to check that out

My asks are always open! Feel free to stop in whenever you want!

My WIPs

The Secret Portal

See linked intro post for more detail!

YA sci-fi/fantasy

Planned to be a five book series

Quick version: A bunch of adolescents discover a portal to a dimension populated by people with powers. There's also a war. Yayyy.

The first installment is currently in the process of being read by beta readers. Apply to be one here!

One to five game

Q&A (open at any time!)

Tagged as #the secret portal, #tsp, or #teaspoon if you want to give it a nickname. #tsp updates and #tsp excerpt are used as well. All characters get their own tag and #alium will be used when talking about my world building

Ask to be added to or removed from the tag list! @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy @honeybewrites @the-golden-comet

School of the Legends

See linked intro post for more detail!

YA urban fantasy fairy tale retelling

International school for people with gifts (born with), majicks (learn), and curses (given).

Currently in planning stage but five chapters have been written.

One to five game

Tagged as #school of the legends and #sotl. Also use #sotl updates and #sotl excerpt, though not as often as TSP

Ask to be added to or removed from the tag list! @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

I have a WIP questionnaire I have gone for BOTH TSP and SOTL!

Other Ideas

It Was All Just a Dream - (linked WIP questionnaire) high school senior gets an entire redemption arc via vivid dream

The Emerald of Secrets - temporary title for vague fairy fantasy idea

Perspectives - we watch the same event five times in a row from different perspectives

Eternity - temporary title for a supernatural detective story

The Others - temporary title for a sci-fi apocalypse story

There are more but these are the main ones

What I Post or Reblog

Updates on my writing

Tag games and ask games! I love them dearly but it may take a bit to reply! I have a lot piled up and not all of them are simple. But I will get to them!!

Writing from others

Writing advice

Beta requests, book announcements, and intro posts to help boost!

I try to keep things positive! If I see a negative post about writing I'll usually reblog it with some positive spin. Sorry if that's annoying but it makes me sad that people aren't happy about writing.

I always try to include image IDs to make my blog accessible - if something is incorrect or you have any suggestions for making IDs better let me know!

[sarandipitywrites]

9 Lines, 9 People Tag

@cowboybrunch tagged me for this one - thank you! Go check out her excerpt from Boneman

passing the tag on to @indecentpause, @starscribes, @i-can-even-burn-salad, @notwritinganyflufftoday, @aziz-reads,

@fanged-writer, @snooeycatwrites, @finchwrites, @clairelsonao3, and an open tag!

here's a bit from Spark Signature:

The bus ride to First Hill is the goddamn same. It’s a good thing, they tell themself. If nostalgia’s so important for this ritual to get rid of this dumbass feeling—whatever the hell it is—the more the merrier. But getting off at the university’s stop and walking through its grounds, Vy feels almost like time forgot to pass, after all. They stop on the little bridge over the water feature and noon crashes into midnight. The lights from the hospital rooms wink at them from across the street and they stand there, seventeen again. The cold wind plucks at their thin jacket, freezing the tear tracks to their cheeks. They stare up at those windows, waiting for the one on the eleventh floor—sixth window from the left—to turn off. As if he’ll be here any minute, now.

Spark Signature taglist (ask to be added or removed): @leah-yasmin-writes, @unrepentantcheeseaddict, @ceph-the-ghost-writer, @mundanemoongirl

[cowboybrunch]

9 lines 9 people/writing share tag!

got bopped for this one a bit thank u @wyked-ao3 (x) @the-golden-comet (x) @rotting-moon-writes (x)

@lychhiker-writes (x) @tragedycoded (x) and @sableglass (x) <3

(ik im behind but keep bopping me please i love reading ur stuff)

i was planning on taking a break from Dust to Dust but Amalie broke down my door and DEMANDED that she tell me what's going on (baby it's not even your pov) so. nine-ish lines:

He tugged the blanket over his head to block the afternoon sun beaming through the windows and inhaled the stink of sweat and recycled breath. The new darkness did little to soothe the pounding in his head. The events of the previous night were muddled, but he could make a guess. He drank too much (he usually did), and Amalie was upset with him (she usually was). Flashes of whispered scolding cut through his yawning thoughts, but he was the king. His wine glass was always full. As if his musing had summoned her, the door creaked open. She never bothered knocking anymore. She knew what she’d find.

nine tags! hop in!

@finchwrites @saturnine-saturneight @tildeathiwillwrite @oliolioxenfreewrites @writingrosesonneptune

@illarian-rambling @jev-urisk @dyrewrites @sarandipitywrites

and, as always, an open tag! :-)

[willtheweaver]

Writing share/ out of context line tag

TY for the tags @indecentpause @aintgonnatakethis

Line is the most recent one I edited from A Feather in the Forest:

———————————————————————

Fen waved his hand. Nothing. He then clapped. Still nothing.

“Out cold” he said with much relief. “Won’t be feeling good come morning, but will otherwise be alright.”

———————————————————————

Tagging @illarian-rambling @bloodmoonloveletter @thylocalbard @finchwrites @drchenquill

@katenewmanwrites @riveriafalll @fantasy-things-and-such @theeccentricraven @tildeathiwillwrite and open tag

[illarian-rambling]

Thanks for the tag @davycoquette!

Writer Questionaire

1. Is writing a hobby or way of life?

I mean, it's my greatest passion, but it's not what I do or plan on doing for a living in the future, so I'll go with hobby. To be honest, I'm fine with that. I think I'd enjoy writing a lot less if I was doing it professionally.

2. A journal full of writing notes or a clean, completed manuscript?

Sorry guys, clean manuscript. I do a barebones outline to start, then just write the thing top to bottom. I know first drafts aren't supposed to be pretty, but I can't help myself.

3. Who (or what) is your writing inspiration?

That's a tough one. I read a lot, so maybe Sanderson or Tolkien, but honestly, the person who inspired me to take writing more seriously is a guy from my weekly dnd group. He was the first person I met in real life who wrote and had published stuff. He proved to me that regular people can be authors too.

4. Which is worse: someone you "idolize" reading your first draft or listening to you sing?

Listening to me since, easily. I can't sing, but I'm fine with that. I'm not emotionally invested in my singing ability like I am with my writing ability.

5. Has writing from someone else's POV ever changed your own perspective?

Maybe a little? I feel like a lot of my characters are based on different parts of my own psyche, so really I'm just leaning into those. Because of that, writing about them has made me more accepting of different parts of my own identity.

6. Tumblr, AO3, LiveJournal, or FFN?

I'm only on Tumblr at the moment. I don't intend to put my writing anywhere else because I feel like sites like AO3 aren't really made for original fiction.

7. AO3 wordcount, and are you satisfied with it?

Not on AO3, but I just did the math and between three Honor's Outcasts books and two and a half Mortal God books, I'm at 644,000 words. Add up all the miscellaneous short stories I have floating around and I'd put myself at an even 650,000. Not bad!

8. What movie/book/fic gripped you irrevocably?

The Name of the Wind was the first book that really showed me what could be done with prose. I don't care that the third book is never coming out, Kingkiller Chronicles will always have my heart <3

The Foundryside Trilogy is an underrated series that basically inspired Mortal God. It weaves fantasy and sci-fi perfectly, has some of the best villains I've ever read, and the ending still makes me sick to think about. Which is a compliment.

And, of course, the Stormlight Archives massively inspired my worldbuilding. I always strive for the layer of depth and strength of character found in those books.

9. What’s the highest compliment you’ve ever been given, and have you been given it?

The best comment I've ever gotten isn't exactly a compliment. One of my beta readers once commented on a weak metaphor, "You can do better, you started with a symphony." That really stuck with me for some reason. It reminds me that I do have the capability to write beautifully, and that I shouldn't settle for anything less.

10. What defines your writing style?

I've been told my narration is very conversational, cut through with fanciful descriptions. I've also been told the voice of whichever character I'm writing from the POV of tends to slip through into my writing style. Descriptions in Sepo's chapters are darker and more grim, the narration of Ivander’s chapters gets more sarcastic, Twenari’s chapters focus more on the smaller details, the voice of Astra’s chapters has some more of that country flair, and so on and so forth.

I'll tag @fantasy-things-and-such @wyked-ao3 @rotting-moon-writes @finchwrites and anyone else who wants in :)

[nettleandthorne]

thanks @sarahlizziewrites for the nine lines, nine people tag! i'm sharing nine (ish - it just breaks ten) lines of my nano project, hands in the deep, dark earth!

“Do you think yourself living in a children’s story?” he asks, the depth of his voice buzzing in the Gravedigger’s bones. “I believe you do a disservice to us both to imply that you do.” “What?” “We are neither of us clear-cut creatures. I do not think myself a monster as you understand them. You do not seem helpless or foolish enough to bargain with the dark. I apologise for the ice upon your house, Gravedigger, and I will do my utmost to keep it closer to my side on future nights, but I would ask that you not decide I am here to trick or keep you.” He tilts his head in that strange, animal way of his; the motion disturbs his shimmering black cloak, and it parts for a moment to reveal his bone-wrought chest like thunderclouds before a full, white moon. The Gravedigger looks away, not wanting to see those fragile ribs exposed.

i'm tagging @finchwrites, @the-grim-and-sanguine, @dyrewrites, @ink-bunny-blue, @sparrow-orion-writes, @lexiklecksi, @acertainmoshke, @sunset-a-story, and @365runesoftheamalgamations with no pressure as usual! <3

[toadmancer]

out of context wips game ~

rules: pick a bunch of your WIPs and summarize them as badly as possible, then ask your followers to vote on which one they’d be most likely to read. multiple/all/none options are completely optional.

@vaynglories tagged me! i found some brain wrinkles >:3c

I TAG............... @tsundozer @finchwrites @draculinawrites .... (immediately forgets which of my mutuals r writers) ....... if u have wips i wanna see them!!!!!!!! (but also no pressure!!!!!)

[autumnalwalker]

Last Line Tag

Thank you for the tag, @winterandwords.

Passing the (optional) tag to @talesfromtheasterism, @agirlandherquill, @theharpywrites, @finchwrites, @acertainmoshke, and the usual open tag for anyone else who wants to join in.

Here's the last line from Chapter 22 of Empty Names, which will be posted in full 24 hours from now.

His friend deserves someone better than him.

[faeriecinna]

Out Of Context WIP Tag

Thank you @finchwrites @melpomene-grey and @somethingclevermahogony for the tag!

Rules: pick a bunch of your WIPs and summarize them as badly as possible, then ask your followers to vote on which one they’d be most likely to read. multiple/all/none options are completely optional.

I'll give a tag to @buffythevampirelover @illarian-rambling and @bard-coded

[screechingjellyfishnight]

I felt like I was going to have a spiral but then I looked at the isopods in my crabitat and thought “if they can thrive and be happy with bad things happening around them, so can I”.

I was told to off myself and smoked some weed about it. Then I let myself enjoy some nice music and watched my isopods and crabs scuttle around together in the tank. Good days, my friends, good days. Sometimes when people say hateful things they need love said back to them. That’s all there really is to live for in this life. Love and kindness make the world go around in a positive way. Let’s keep our words positive and our minds clear, if not for others than for ourselves.

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

WIP Intro Post

The Secret Portal

Realize I probably should've made this a while ago

Basics

TSP is a YA sci-fi/fantasy series planned to be 5 books in length

Queer and disability representation with ethnic diversity

Ensemble cast

Multi POV (most first person, some third)

Found family

Themes of loyalty, innocence, cycle of abuse, interpersonal relationships, power, and more!

About

TSP follows a group of adolescents discovering a portal to another dimension, called Alium.

Alium is similar to our world, but is populated by people with a variety of powers, though there are a minority of people who do not have powers.

The divide between those with powers and those without have risen to an extreme, where a war has now broken out.

TSP has an even mix of comedy and drama, thanks to its cast of teens. There's action, there's filler, there's suspense, there's cliffhangers!

Where Am I?

I have been working on TSP for over a decade. Find out more with the backstories I've posted giving an overview of my progress: (Masterpost here).

If you wish, you may now read draft one in its entirety here.

TSP Part One is fully drafted and is in the process of beta reading (Sign up here).

My focus at the moment is fully refining the pseudo-science magic system.

TSP Part Two is currently being drafted.

Tags

I tag all TSP related content as #the secret portal, #tsp, and #teaspoon (as a fun nickname) so it's easy to find by whichever you want to search for it in my blog

#tsp update and #tsp excerpt are used for self explanatory reasons as I post my progress or excerpts

#alium is used whenever I talk about world building related to TSP's dimension

Reply to this post or send me a message if you want to be added to/removed from the tag list!

@thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites @nebula--nix

@literarynecromancy @honeybewrites @the-golden-comet

I will be adding to this post more later down the line!

[sarandipitywrites]

@cowboybrunch tagged me to share stuff, so share i shall! go check out her excerpt from Burden of the Reluctant Death here

have some of the first draft of the Cyberwitch WIP:

Vy’s no murderer; the cops all know it, from the moment they pull up their file. Still, they keep them there for hours that stretch into eternity, into midnight. They clear Vy to leave — only after they’ve told the story forwards, backwards, and inside-out — and boot them out into the darkness. They don’t even have the decency to call Vy a cab. Bastards. There are darker neighborhoods, even in Georgetown, but Vy’s eyes couldn’t care less about that. Without the sun and without their cane, they’re left to trail their fingertips along the grimy and pockmarked faces of the buildings just to keep themself from falling into a gutter. At least their good eye is streetside. It’s the only reason they see the bike. It’s vintage — an Arietis Meteor in candy-apple red, with cobalt-tinted chrome detailing. They were popular back in the 210’s, fell out of vogue by the 20’s with the debut of the Nova. These days, a working model could be the centerpiece of a collector’s showroom, even though you can find a busted one in a junk heap every now and then. Even if you did, you’d be out of luck; most shops won’t fix it for you. They aren’t in the habit of training their mechanics to operate on extinct species. Finding someone with a working Arietis Meteor means you’ve found someone who isn’t just willing to get their hands dirty — you’ve found someone who’s willing to learn the motorbike equivalent of a dead language. Vy’s not that ‘someone.’ But they used to know her.

tag! @aziz-reads, @ryns-ramblings, @talesofsorrowandofruin, @snooeycatwrites, @finchwrites - what have you been working on lately?

Cyberwitch taglist (ask to be added or removed): @leah-yasmin-writes

[cowboybrunch]

OC questionnaire tag

double tagged, thank you! <3

go meet their characters!!

@fortunatetragedy (royston. ROYSTON. and babysitter gott!)

@jev-urisk (i adore the box of forced truthfulness. is kazimier a softie? i wanna hug him. i dont think he'd let me)

My questions:

If you were offered the position of mayor of your city, would you take it?

What board game do you like the most?

If you were about to be executed what five foods would you have as your last meal?

So you're one of those people?

Is this really where you wanted to end up?

Why can't you just.. stop?

Your questions:

What's your retirement plan?

Do you have a favorite memory?

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three objects would you take with you?

Marcella and Theodore will be answering, and Rosalie will be popping in to keep them honest

If you were offered the position of mayor of your city, would you take it? Theodore: I'm already a ceremonial figurehead. No, thank you. Marcella: The mayor has no real power. Give me a position of real influence and I'll consider it.

What board game do you like the most? Marcella and Theodore *in unison*: Risk. Rosalie: Chutes and Ladders. Marcella: Snakes and Ladders, and we're not allowed to play anymore. Theodore: Yeah, because you're a sore loser. Marcella: You cheated! You rigged the spinner— Rosalie: Let's move on, please.

If you were about to be executed what five foods would you have as your last meal? Marcella: If I was about to be executed, I wouldn't be thinking about food. Do they have me imprisoned? What restraints are they using? What kind of guards? Do they have a set rotation, and have I been here long enough to track it? Rosalie: It'll be faster if I answer for her. Marcella: Do not answer for me. Rosalie: Fine. *whispers* Pizza with olives and sausage, sweet potato fries, an extra sweet iced tea— Marcella: Next question. Theodore: But I didn't get to— Marcella: Next question.

So you're one of those people? Rosalie: Oh boy. Theodore: Why would you say that? Why would you think that? Are you threatening us? Is this a threat? Marcella: You've activated his shame response. Best to move on.

Is this really where you wanted to end up? Marcella: I did what needed to be done. I'm not going to apologize for it, if that's what you're looking for. Rosalie: That wasn't the question. Marcella: I'd go back and change it if I could, but I can't, so this conversation is pointless. If you're looking for someone to wax poetic about their regrets, ask Theodore. Theodore: No. Rosalie: No? Theodore: Of course it isn't where I wanted to end up. What more do you want me to say?

Why can't you just... stop? Theodore: I've tried. God, I've tried. Marcella: If I don't do it, nobody else will. Rosalie: Maybe we should take a break.

tag! @inadequatecowboy @illarian-rambling @leahnardo-da-veggie @finchwrites @oliolioxenfreewrites + open tag!

botrd taglist (ask to be +/-)

@vyuntspakhkite-l-darling @fortunatetragedy @autism-purgatory @rosesonneptune @cartoonghosts

@dyrewrites @whoevenknowswhatimwriting @jev-urisk

[emabatis]

Last Line Tag

I was tagged by @theprissythumbelina. Thank you!

Another one from this series' "About a Vampire Picking Up a Prescription"

They didn’t do it to be cruel. That’s just the way the spit splattered.

I'm no-pressure tagging @albatris @ahordeofwasps @finchwrites and anyone else who wants to participate!

[willtheweaver]

Find the word tag

Thanks for the tag @thatuselesshuman

My words are: Grief, absent, leave, fall

Lines from A Feather in the Forest,

Grief: Caine felt ashamed. He let grief get the better of him.

Absent: Even the moss and lichen was absent.

Leave: “Leave those two in the holding cell next to the winch.” Hesper told Rasp. “His lordship will deal with them as he pleases.”

Fall: Thankfully, the fall was cushioned by the midden heap.

Tagging @orions-quill @ominous-feychild @honeybewrites @finchwrites @drchenquill

@riveriafalll @literarynecromancy @the-letterbox-archives @whatwewrotepodcast @davycoquette and open tag

Your words are: fate, sight, chance, predict