#i have a list of successors in my drafts but i am waiting for that MISSING PIECE so i can finally post it

[manawari]

Tawata Kanae as the Plague Monarch's successor!

It was that one post from @i-bring-crack, but I can't remember which one. The idea lingered just then! Especially when I have another AU in the works ;)

Both Kanae and Querehsha have red eyes, purple lips, and pure badass, girlboss energy! I think her lore could be put this way:

Querehsha appeared in Kanae's dreams and offered her new powers. Kanae refused and told the monarch to screw off, which caught the Plague Queen off-guard, but was impressed with the hunter's crude attitude. So, Querehsha then offered Kanae to bring all her guild mates back to life — Goto, Akari, Ippei, you name it! Kanae, who was still deeply grieving for her deceased acquaintances, agreed. The entity smirked and a bright green light flashed around them both. Kanae jerked awake. At first, she thought the dream was faux until she received a call from none other than Goto Ryuji, demanding her where she was.

Needless to say, Kanae had never been so happy as much as she felt indebted to the Plague Monarch.

The catch is: she would be used as a puppet in a plan Querehsha was scheming.

Kanae would soon feel rage against Jin-woo, someone whom she had no idea of, but the mention of his name made her blood boil. From what Querehsha told her, Jin-woo had stolen the army that would've been Kanae's. The ants should've been hers.

Also, this could be a funny idea the dynamic Kanae and Jin-woo would have in this AU. Kanae holding a grudge against Jin-woo, who's like "wtf did I ever do to you?!" and then he'd start hating her back.

Everyone being so shocked when Kanae was suddenly determined to get close to Beru, the ant who had wiped the majority of her guild, and what was even more confusing to them was how Jin-woo seemed to hate her more than he hated Goto.

"THAT ANT SHOULD'VE BEEN MINE!"

"FINDERS KEEPERS YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

[maybe-seggy-will-be-our-always]

undefined

How is Leon the most and least humble person at the same time? Learn more about it in this very lengthy and very much not really requested translated transcript of the newest NHL interview starring Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stütze and Marco Sturm. Please don't be mean I tried best.

Christian Rupp: Servus [sorry but it’s just a form of greeting I don’t want to translate] to our German NHL call today with three first round picks who have all been drafted in the first round [I know this is repetitive but I thought it was funny]. I am excited for this great group! Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers, Tim Stützle of the Ottawa Senators and Marco Sturm, Assistant Coach of the LA Kings. Thank you for agreeing to this format and thank you for being here. First question, of course, Leon: You broke Marco Sturm’s record and are now sole German top scorer in the NHL. Since this has been a few days ago now did you get the chance to fully realize/internalize this fact?

Leon Draisaitl: Yeah, I think that the media and you are maybe making a bigger deal out of it than I myself to be honest. No question, of course this means a lot to me but as I have said enough times already I have way too much respect for Sturmi and all the other outstanding German hockey players we’ve had in the NHL. So I don’t want to make a thing out of it that it isn’t.

C. R.: It’s always „Dream Big“ – have big plans as a young player and dream big. Is that something you can even dream of, being the best German player in the NHL?

L.D.: Yes, I mean dreaming of something like that is always nice, that was probably no different for Sturmi and now for Timmi as well. We all dream of something that big playing in the streets as small kids. Coming out on top is of course super special to me, that is out of question. But as I said, there’s always something to work on and to improve and that is what I am trying to do here.

C.R.: Marco, your record had been standing for a long time. Leon now broke it at the young age of 25. Is he a worthy successor?

M.S.: By all means, yes! It took me 15 years to reach that point and Leon did it in only four. That beats everything! But [I didn’t catch what he said here but I guess something along the lines of an elaborate form of „that“] was only a matter of time. Leon won’t be the first and last one. Tim will be the next one, also only a matter of time. I am happy about this and am gladly passing on that title to Leon. He is completely different and plays in an entirely different league than I did. It’s only the beginning for him, I am sure there are many more points to come.

C.P.: And with Tim Stützle, the next one is already on his way. He’s diligently collecting points in his rookie year. Regardless, Tim, for you. What’s it like for you seeing the/your count written out especially now that you got to know how hard it is to score and collect points in the NHL. How bis is this number for you?

Tim Stützle: Yes, I will have to be honest and say I noticed that every time we played Leon. Especially in the defensive zone it isn’t the easiest thing but mostly it was incredibly fun playing against the best players in the world every day. And again, especially in our league [I think he’s talking about the Canadian division here], playing against Edmonton with Leon and Connor who, which is no secret, belong to the two best players in the league and the world and particularly with Marco, who has collected many, many points. It’s supercool seeing German hockey getting better and better.

C.P.: I’ll throw this question back at Leon. You played against him a few times now this season. What did you notice about Tim Stützle’s game, what did you like about it?

L.D.: Everything! I mean, playing in the league already at his age and so to say helping your team win or playing a big role on the power play right away, that isn’t quite that easy. I think we all know this. Timmi is probably experiencing that himself right now, that the league can be hard [on you] and is quick to bring you back down to earth. Plainly, because it is the best league there is with the best players there are but I’m gonna say, playing this continuously good in his first year as an 18 year old is an impressive achievement.

T.S.: *laughs* Thank you!

L.D.: *grinning* Of course!

C.P.: I can spot a shelf in the background. Leon, did you already receive your trophies? You did win a few in the pre-season, did they arrive already? Do they have a spot already?

L.D.: Nah, I don’t have the real ones here yet. I haven’t even seen them yet to be honest. I got smaller ones, how do you call them in German, replica trophies. Yeah, it is pretty cool. They are downstairs and I guess are functioning as chewing toys for my dog right now. But the real ones, as I said, I haven’t even seen yet.

C.P.: Marco! Of course we want to talk a bit about you as well. You are assistant coach of the LA Kings. How are you looking back on the season?

M.S.: Yeah well, as everyone knows we are in the midst of a rebuild right now. We are right at the start which is never easy. Patience is the most important feat in this phase. Many older players are now gone, a few still remain. The youngest players aren’t quite there yet, that’s why we still need to exercise patience and work hard. Particularly with the younger players. Then, hopefully, we’ll be able to take the next step next season or in the summer and maybe we’ll receive some new players. A player or maybe multiple players who will help us.

C.P.: We have all been anxiously watching/awaiting the 2020 Draft. LA Kings with Marco Sturm, I am sure Tim Stützle would have been a good fit there as well. Now, to be frank, with Tim in the room. How often did you regret not selecting Tim Stützle?

M.S.: I don’t have any influence on this process but I had my hopes, of course. Regrettably, nobody heard me, that’s how it goes and I only learned we were picking Byfield the day of the draft. But Byfield, I’ll have to say, he played the last 5 games up here and he will, too, become an outstanding player in the league. Maybe a bit different to Tim but personally I had hopes Tim would end up playing for/with us.

C.P.: Tim, it keeps getting better for your team, you are on a streak right now. Are you sad the season will be over already for you?

T.S.: In the beginning, of course, we weren’t quite that good. But we are in the middle of a rebuild as well and we have a lot of young players. But the last games it clicked for us and I think we won seven out of nine games. We feel comfortable and have a lot of fun playing together and as a young team we savor every day.

C.P.: What are the plans for the upcoming weeks? Has Toni Söderholm called?

T.S.: Yeah, I will have to see. There will be talks with trainers and management about what is best for me. There are still some remaining problems with my hand and I will have to get another surgery. That’s why we will have to wait and see.

C.P.: Marco you lay the foundation for players wanting and enjoying to play for Team Germany, at worlds for example, again. What is your stance on [I again did not catch what he was saying] of German hockey?

M.S.: Generally I think we caught up nicely in the past years. As you mentioned already, if you want players, especially the ones playing in the NHL to [here probably something along the line of „to come play for Team Germany“] you it has to be fun. It is a long season for the boys and if they then go on and play another tournament on top of that, that is not easy and because of that it has to be fun and that was what I had been trying to achieve back in my days. German hockey needs the [NHL] boys to get ahead. And as I said, back in my day, the boys always liked playing here [Team Germany] and we always were successful.

C.P.: The list of German NHL players speaks for itself here, it is quite long and with Leon at the head, how do you rank the German national team, especially if all NHL players were to join. Particularly with the Olympics on the table as well. What are Germany’s chances of keeping up with the top nations?

L.D.: Yes, I think we do have a pretty decent team. Of course it’s always important to stay realistic if it’ll be enough going up against the USA or Canada. That is something we will have to see but I believe we have a lot of players that have the ability to compete on that level and that a few NHL players will be present as well, hopefully all of them. I think we have a very very good team.

C.P.: Sadly, we have almost reached the end of our Zoom call today. I will making my rounds one last time. Tim, what are your summer plans?

T.S.: I think I will most definitely spend my summer in Mannheim. I will practice with the [„Fitnesstrainer“ so I guess just coaches/trainers] and some Adler players. I think it will be a good summer for me because I want to work on a lot of things and grow stronger [generally, just improve is meant here I think]. I think it will be best for me to be there [Mannheim].

C.P.: And you Marco? Will you stay in Landshut and then later, will you be returning to the LA Kings?

M.S.: After the first few meetings it is, I think, clear that I will stay here for the upcoming years. I like it here and working together with [the bosses], it is fun. But then for me it is the same as it is for Tim and Leon. I will most probably stay with family and friends in Landshut for a few months before it is time to get back to business again.

C.P.: I don’t think I have to ask about your goal, Leon. I would describe it as a quite big and silver thing [I don’t have a good translation here, the expression was „etwas größerer Silberling“].

L.D.: Yeah of course! I hope we’ll remain in the game for as long as possible and come out at the very top in the end. That is the dream and the goal of course. Then, as the other two have already said, I  will spend the summer mainly in Europe and will prepare for the next season there.

C.P.: So for you this, so to say, means Köln is calling in the summer even if it is a shortened one?

L.D.: [In my opinion this was said hesitantly] Yeah, mostly in Köln.

C.P.: I wish you all the best for your athletic projects, stay healthy  and thank you for joining this exclusive NHL.com.de [he said that so I dunno] Zoom call.

*Everyone says their goodbyes*

[echodrops]

The League of Villains Plays DnD AU

(Saw a post by @bunny-loverxiv last night that reminded me I’ve had this stupid thing in my drafts unfinished for over a year now. I’m not sure I’ll ever have time to come back and finish it, but in the spirit of what I posted earlier, here it is, in all its unfinished.. glory...)

Since I asked for a League of Villains plays DnD AU and no one delivered, alas, I guess I’ll just do all the work myself!

So, without further ado:

Shigaraki Tomura’s Character Sheet:

Race and Appearance: Fallen Aasimar, with hair pale as the flesh of wraiths and eyes like two burning pools of blood, reflecting out from the infernal pits of the abyss. His rippling muscles under his bone-white skin carry the scars of his uncountable victories, and when his corrupted celestial powers radiate forth, ghostly skeletal wings rise--

( “Do I have to keep reading? This is really long...”

“It’s important!”)

Alias: “Zephiroth”

(”Isn’t that the guy from Final Fantasy?”

“No! That was Sephiroth! My character’s name is totally different!”)

Class: Oath of Conquest Paladin/Hell Knight

Motto: Dim the Ray of Hope

A dread knight whose armor is black with the blood of his enemies; to stand against him on the field of battle is to know true fear, and none have called themselves his equal and lived to tell the tale. His menacing aura is a cloud of evil righteous murder that spreads across the land as he advances, and everywhere he travels is seeped into the deepest of despairs. Civilizations tremble before the darkness of his impossibly dark darkness.

(“Did you run out of adjectives?”

No, I meant exactly what I said.”)

Also, collects the severed hands of his conquests.

(”Tomura-kun, this isn’t a character, this is just you!”

“Collecting body trophies is standard lore for conquest paladin; you’d know if you read Xanathar’s Guide.”)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

(“Shigaraki Tomura, I am not sure this alignment fits with the character you’re describing--”

“I wrote the campaign, so good’s whatever I say it is.”

“Boss, doesn’t playing in your own campaign defeat the purpose? Knowing everything ahead of time’s a great idea!”

“Shut up, I don’t care about spoilers.”)

Backstory: Zephiroth the Bloody swore an oath to complete the conquest of his father, King Jenovo, who fell in battle to his eternal rival and estranged foolish younger brother, Nimbus Might ( “You know, I really think I’ve heard these names before...”). Jenovo’s quest was undoubtedly a noble one: to reunite the brothers’ separated kingdoms under a single legitimate banner--and its single legitimate ruler. The two brothers clashed in a battle of titans that shook the entire world, and though he was in the wrong, Nimbus Might reigned supreme in the end, and took Jenovo’s life and kingdom both. The death of his father crushed the last remnants of joy and love in young Prince Zephiroth’s black heart and now he will stop at nothing to put an end to Nimbus Might’s reign by turning every symbol of his false kingdom to dust.

Notable Stats and Weapon: +5 Intimidation, +5 Persuasion; greatsword and shield wielder.

Tomura is a quintessential min-maxer; he made everyone else take the standard array for stats but... “rolled” for his.

(”This old man’s been reviewing the character sheets, Shigaraki, and couldn’t help but notice some discrepancies in the party’s stats compared to yours--”

“You’re welcome to not play. Ever.”

“Must have been a trick of the light!”)

Carrying: The holy relic “Lavos”

(”Isn’t that just from Chrono Cross?”

“I think you mean, Khrono Kross, Spinny.”)

The relic is a glowing black and red container imbued with a hellish aura, containing magical bullets said to be formed from the blood of the time goddess, allowing Shigaraki to permanently unwind his opponents’ powers. Limited use, 5 times.

Dabi:

Race and Appearance: Tiefling.

(“Did you not even bother to write an appearance?!”

“My character has the same appearance as me.”

“That’s not even possible. Tieflings are supposed to have horns!”

“Okay, my character has the same appearance as me with horns.”)

Alias: “Dabi” 

(”You can’t name your character after yourself!”

“But I’m not named Dabi.”)

Class: Phoenix Sorcerer

Motto: Ashes to Ashes

(”You can’t play this class either, it isn’t canon.”

“You told me to pick one from the wiki; ain’t my problem you didn’t specify.”

“I said no homebrew!”

“And that means... what?”)

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

(”You ignored my instructions about our alignment too, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but you said ‘good’ so I assumed I misheard.”

“We’re the protagonists of this story--our cause is just!”)

Feats and Skills: ...Hmm, for some reason, many things have been written and then crossed out?

(“W-What have you done?! You can’t just modify things however you feel! Why would you even swap out Nourishing Fire for an Elemental Affinity that deals ice damage?! And did you just scratch out ‘long rest’ and put ‘short rest’ here? That’s OP!”

“When the hell have any of you let me get a long rest?”

“Animal Handling as a skill, seriously?!”

“Figured you’d give me some monsters to tame.”

“Go fuck yourself!”

Shigaraki was, in fact, planning on there being monsters for Dabi to tame.)

Backstory: A traveler with a shadowy past.

(”That’s... your whole backstory? Are you freaking kidd--”

”Aww, come on Dabi, this bio is lame! Oh, I know, I know! You’re actually a prince in disguise, exiled from his kingdom and seeking vengeance on his father, the one who left him horrifically burned and on the brink of death, which caused you to be rescued by the soul of a lonely phoenix, and at the end of your quest, after reclaiming your rightful throne from your evil father, you free the phoenix who possessed you to save your life, but then it returns and swears its eternal love to you! Eehee!”

“We’re...not doing that.”

“You can’t do that anyways, it completely undermines my lore. There are only two kingdoms in this world, and I’m going to be the ruler of both of them.”)

Notable Stats and Weapon: +3 Deception, +4 Insight; wields darts.

(”But why do I even have to pick a weapon? It says right there I have Burning Hands.”)

Carrying: A shard of never-melting ice in the shape of a three-petaled flower; it exudes a calming chill even when wreathed in the wildest of fires. Looking at it makes you feel... melancholy?

(”Why is this the only section with detail?! If you could put this much effort in here, you should have taken the rest seriously too!”)

Mr. Compress:

Race and Appearance: Human, a man in the prime of his life, with a roguish glint in his eye and a rakish gold mustache above his mysterious smirk. There’s an artfully placed scar below his right eye that speaks to a life of the blade and adventure, and his pressed linen and metallic brocade doublet belies his nature as a man of impeccable taste. His jaunty black bandana is always pulled low over his eyes, but mischief seems to twinkle out from beneath the accompanying black mask nevertheless.

(“Oh, I like it! A lot! Hey, hey, will you rewrite mine for me? Make it like yours but cuter!”)

Alias: The Dread Pirate Roberts

(“Huh? The first part is good, but why “Roberts”?

“Well, no one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Westley.”

“What are you snickering about, Kurogiri?”

“Nothing at all, Shigaraki Tomura.”)

Class: Multi-class Swashbuckler and School of Conjuration Wizard

Motto: To the Pain!

(“These two classes don’t compliment each other at all. You should change to Hexblade at least!”

“As you wish.”

“Kurogiri’s laughing again. What are you two hiding? Tell me!”)

Mr. Compress knew full well the classes he picked didn’t mesh; he just lives for the shits and giggles. He’s actually been playing DnD longer than Toga’s been alive, but where’s the fun in telling Tomura that?

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Skills: Acrobatics, Persuasion, Performance, Sleight of Hand

(“Okay, but am I the only one who actually created a real character instead of a self-insert? DnD’s a role-playing game; isn’t the whole point to use your imagination?!”

“Ain’t our fault your real self is too boring to be a decent character, Lizard.”

“You never miss an opportunity to insult me, do you, asshole?!”)

Backstory: Although he came from unremarkable origins, Westley Roberts found himself thrust on to the path of great destiny when the merchant ship on which he was employed was attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts--

“How can he attack his own ship? You forgot your own name, didn’t you?”

“Not all, Shigaraki! I’m not that old!”

--but when Roberts heard the tale of Westley’s quest to prove himself for the one he loved--

“Wait, who is this other character now? There was no love interest listed before!”

“Just let me tell the story!”

--Roberts was overcome by the depth of Westley’s tale of woe and decided to name him his successor, passing down the title of Dread Pirate Roberts--

“Can I change my character to a Dread Pirate?”

“No, Dabi!”

“I’m just sayin’, why was I not informed of this option?”

--sothathecouldmildlyterrorizethewatersaroundhishomekingdomandfinallyamasstherichesneededtoimpresshischarminglove. PHEW! Thank you for letting me finish!

Notable Stats and Weapon: +4 Dexterity, +5 Charisma; wields a rapier with impeccable skill. Is definitely not left-handed. Carrying: A Rodent of Unusual Size. Excellent distraction. Also edible.

“What is wrong with everyone in this room?!”

And the rest of the League I didn’t finish, but:

Spinner: A gorgeous lady Argonian who spits beams of pure light--

“No, this is too cool. Change it.”

“Awww come on, Shigaraki, just let me have this--”

“Change it.”

Toga: Tabaxi assassin. ON A QUEST FOR LOVE. (May or may not have decided this after peering over Mr. Compress’s shoulder during character creation time.)

Twice: Halfling wizard. None of his stats make sense because he couldn’t make up his mind where to put them.

Hawks: Aarakochra bard. Entirely useless. That asshole who rolls to seduce everything.

Kurogiri: The DM. But not by choice.

There’s no Giran or Gigantomachia because I started writing this before either of them were really “part” of the League. Use your imaginations~

[khazadspoon]

At A Whim

Part 3 of the strange mortal emperor AU i am knee deep in. This time from Jun Wu’s POV. I initially wanted this to be longer but I prefer seeing these things from Pei Ming's POV so that will be where we go from now on. A short offering today.

------------------------------------------------------------

Time drifted, as it so often did, without any truly remarkable event. Dignitaries were received in the palace, plans for a temple were drafted and re-drawn, a new garden was approved, and the rota for the guards was reorganised. The last of these was of particular interest.

Emperor Jun Wu had taken the list of guards and senior officials and considered it carefully. He glanced down the list of names, eyes taking in each character, and picked up his brush. A few strokes and the order was changed. Just a flick of his wrist and the guards would be in disarray… if he had wanted that. But chaos was not his agenda. He simply wanted to see how far he could push before he was questioned.

It had taken some time for Pei Ming to truly catch his eye - he was a womanizer, loud, brash, and was simultaneously too strict and not strict enough on his juniors. Some idolised him and others hated him. And while Jun Wu could sympathise with that, being loved and hated himself, it was not a quality he admired in others. But once he had seen General Ming Guang training the scales had tipped in his favour.

He was skilled, anyone could see that. It was the way his body moved, the fierce control and startling lack of arrogance that had been arresting enough for Jun Wu to stop and take notice. The training courtyard had been deserted but for the lone figure, his body arching and curving as he went from movement to movement in seamless transitions. With a training staff in one hand he leapt into the air, turned, landed. He made almost no sound. Jun Wu watched as his robes whipped about him, the muted reds and golds of his station catching the last rays of sunlight before the night came.

There was a beauty in this palace guard he had not noticed before. It was at least worth considering… Not for his successor, that role was yet to be filled and he had heard tails of a young man who may have been the answer, but it had been lonely to be emperor by himself for nearly a decade.

That was when he had decided to try and pursue Pei Ming. It had not been in his plans that the General would find him first. The kiss in the music room had been outside of his original plan and he had needed to reassess.

So, brush in hand, he set about his next plan.

It was usually a young and quiet guard who stayed in the Royal quarter at night, one who had been vetted by his advisers and by the highest Generals. But Jun Wu had seen to it that Pei Ming would gain the honour, at least for a little while.

Jun Wu waited for the news to be passed on. He was sitting on his throne when he saw General Ming Guang approach, the rusted red cape over his shoulders billowing out behind him as he moved. It was a dramatic entrance even without shouts or calls, only his chin tilted high as though he was trying to make himself appear taller.

“Your Imperial Highness,” Pei Ming said with a low bow, hands cupped in front of him. His sword stayed at his side and Jun Wu eyed it, considering the scabbard’s intricate design.

“General Ming Guang; you may address me,” he answered, voice tipped low and soft. It had taken time and no shortage of effort to cultivate his reputation as the gentle emperor who cared for his subjects. He saw the effect his words could have on others and their shock at his dulcet tones, and he saw the way Pei Ming’s guard lowered as he spoke. No doubt he was remembering the softness of Jun Wu’s kiss, the way they had melted into one another and breathed as one if only for a short time. Jun Wu smiled, an honest smile as he was truly amused by the situation, and watched the slightest shade of pink rise on his general’s cheeks.

“There has been a change to the guard postings. It is my understanding that Your Highness penned the changes, and that Your Highness requested me to guard the royal pavilion at night.”

He spoke clearly, his voice firm and unquestioning, but Jun Wu could see the uncertainty in his eyes. Their focus was just below Jun Wu’s chin and consciously away from any direct eye contact. The urge to lean forward and reach out, to lift Pei Ming’s gaze to meet his, was nearly too tempting.

Jun Wu leaned on his elbow and rested his chin on the back of his hand. “This is true. Do you take issue with this, Ming Guang?” He asked, only the slightest hint of displeasure in his voice.

Pei Ming’s gaze shot up, his eyes wide and his lips parted as he scrambled to fix the situation. “No, Your Highness! I was only curious as to why .”

“Do I need a reason?” He asked. Pei Ming lowered his eyes again and bowed his head. The sunlight caught his armour, glinted off of the well polished hilt of his sword. He looked obedient in that moment, ready to bow to his Emperor’s will. Jun Wu found it irritating, though he could not say why. He leaned forward on his throne and shifted his foot, catching the general’s attention. “Do I, General?”

Pei Ming’s lips narrowed into a thin line as he raised his eyes. There was defiance in his gaze and it made something sharp unfurl in Jun Wu’s stomach. He kept his expression measured, fought the sharp smile that threatened to curve his lips and waited for Pei Ming to speak.

“No, Your Highness,” he said at last. “You do not. I… Thank you for the honour of attending you.”

He bowed low, the length of his hair falling over one shoulder as he did so. Jun Wu covered his mouth with a hand and smiled, warmth filling him as Pei Ming straightened and looked at him once again.

He rested his fingers against his lips and watched as Pei Ming’s eyes followed the movement. The general licked his lips, his hand forming a tight grip on his sword.

“Then I shall see you this evening, Ming Guang,” Jun Wu said softly, easing back into his throne.

Pei Ming swallowed, the movement of his throat visible above the collar of his robes. “Yes, Your Highness.”

[prettylittlelyres]

Inside the Writing Process - Part 5

I’ve been so excited about the ideas this chart has given me for Violins and Violets, so I’m making this fifth “Inside the Writing Process” post about it. It’s immensely useful for...

Expanding a Story into a Series

OK, so I’m sure a lot of people with ADHD have seen this going around and related to it a lot, but I think a lot of writers could relate to it as well in terms of things that can distract us from the main points of our WIPs (and of course some writers have ADHD anyway).

I saw a copy of this chart on Facebook yesterday, and it got me thinking. Disclaimer: I don’t know if I have ADHD (I have executive dysfunction and a lot of trouble concentrating, but I don’t know why, and don’t have time or energy to get it looked into), but it did get me thinking.

It made me think about how to organise my expansions of the world around my WIP Violins and Violets (currently seeking beta readers), because I wanted to address a lot of things in the book that just weren’t practical to address (because there’s only so much you can put in a book without it become completely unreadable. This is why I’ve never finished Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey, even though I love it, especially all the beautiful world building... it’s just too much to hold in my head). It was always in my mind that I could solve this problem (too many ideas for one book) quite simply, by writing more books.

This is a really long post, I know, but if you want to learn a fun way to come up with ideas for prequels, sequels and companion books for your story, keep reading! It’s a little bit like the snowflake method, and of course you can then use that to expand each individual idea that you have. It’s also available in shorter form here.

I’d been letting ideas for storylines involving other characters rustle around in my head since I finished the first draft of Violins and Violets in August... and then I saw this yesterday, and realised it would be a pretty good place to start thinking about the ideas that I do have, and listing them in relation to the main storyline of Violins and Violets. I spent about an hour writing down everything, just letting it all spill from my head, and this is what came up.

(Side note: I really do adore Pukka Pads Irlen refill pads. Another thing I may or may not have is Irlen syndrome, which would explain why I can’t read off white backgrounds for very long, and why my eyes hurt if I try. All I know for sure is that these pads help me so, so much, and they come in very gorgeous colours! These pages are from the “rose” pad, but I use “lavender” ones as well, a very soft and relaxing pale purple.)

Expanding Violins and Violets

Pre-Story Prologue for “Context”

Write down all ideas about character backstories to help you develop a prequel (or set of prequels) by exploring those.

Magdalena’s upbringing and Conservatory training with Dorota and Maja (these characters also never appear in Violins and Violets (with the exception of Magdalena) but I really want to explore their lives, going into more detail about Dorota and Maja’s relationship, how they raised Magdalena as their daughter, how they met, and Dorota’s fight to get Magdalena an education).

Käthe and Hansi touring Europe with their music. I’d be missing out on the opportunity to portray a fun sibling dynamic like the Mozart siblings had if I didn’t write this story. However, I do feel it might be better suited to a series of short stories, a collection of small standalone pieces, than a full-length novel, but it’s early days, and I have a lot else to do for this project in the meantime.

Franz and Julia’s early marriage/courtship, particularly how it really only happened once they were married; it would go a long way to explaining why Katharina’s parents are so relaxed about her having an arranged marriage; they genuinely believe it’ll work for her, like it worked for them (and they’re not entirely wrong, but that’s quite literally another story).

Start of Story

Consider all the characters involved in the main story, and ask yourself what’s going on in their lives that the protagonist doesn’t see. If a character only appears partway through the story, ask them what they were doing before.

Katharina goes to Prague (which is of course the main story of Violins and Violets).

Hans tours Europe with a comically large and ever-increasing pet entourage (this post goes into that in proper detail!).

Renée finds her way to Malá Strana and makes friends with Magdalena. Not for a second does she realise that a) Magdalena is with Katharina or b) that she, Renée, is in love with both of them. And then she meets the man who becomes her husband, also a big bi disaster, and Realises™.

Johann and Wilhelm meet at university; they’re both Law students. This would be a fun opportunity to take a step into the Dark Academia genre, but I’m not exactly sure what I’d do with them. Perhaps a poetic treasure hunt sort of mystery love confession? (I know already that this will be tricky because I manage to write about two proper poems a year and I’ve already written one in 2019, for Violins and Violets. I may have to put this off for a while.)

Semi-related side-story

Now think about the characters who come and go in the story and think about why that happens. Develop the stories of what they do after they leave.

Herr Benes and his boyfriend have a marvellous time in Budapest, enjoying their retirement away from the scrutiny Benes faces in the Malá Strana Opera House in Prague.

Herr Havelka is a devious and sacriligeous boi, also a sneaky bastard, but why is that? What other yuck things does he do after he leaves the Malá Strana? What is the origin of his malice?

Herr Janda retires and leaves Katharina (or Sebastian) in charge of the Malá Strana Opera House, but how does he spend his retirement? What does he think of Katharina’s continued work after she’s discovered? He’s a composer, himself, so I want to explore the compositions he works on, later in life. Maybe he’s quite inspired by Katharina both in terms of technique and ideas for music to compose in her honour.

Magdalena’s husband, Bartolomeǰ, runs a bookshop, and this is how they meet. He’s a big fan of Katharina’s music, and gets to know a lot of his regular customers. What are their stories? Who are his friends? What do they think of Magdalena? What do they think of Katharina?

Wait, OK, back to the main story

If you’re a fan of time-jumps, then a) Violins and Violets might be right up your street because it has a massive one, and b) this is probably a good and useful step for you. If not, maybe not. But ask what happens in the time-jump and then write about it. What stories can you tell about the space in between one part of your story and the other?

I want to explore Katharina's life in Salzburg, her friendship with Johann, Wilhlem, Lulu and her family, and her reconciliation with her parents after so many years apart. They're not angry at her, nor she at them, but things aren’t perfect between them, especially while they’re grieving Hans, and I want to look at that.

Something I just now remembered

Do you ever get deep down a rabbit hole, thinking about your story, and realise part of it you’d never thought about particularly deeply is actually very sad or very happy or makes you angry? Go into detail about it.

Magdalena and Bartolomeǰ never have any children born to them, but they're everyone’s Cool Aunt and Cool Uncle, and are basically extra parents to Evžen after Bartolomeǰ took him on as an apprentice.

Magdalena and Renée never lose touch after Renée leaves to marry, and Magdalena also stays in touch with Herr Benes, and they each eventually figure out the other is bi (Magdalena) and gay (Herr Benes), and have many fun letter exchanges not dissimilar to meetings in a Lesbian Crying Cupboard. I love their friendships and I want to dive into them more than I could from Katharina’s perspective alone. Imagine something like Lemony Snicket’s The Beatrice Letters, and you have some idea of the absolutely delicious format I’d want for this--because it wouldn’t be a traditional prose novel; it would be mostly epistolary, and for that, I need something a little different--all the letters bound together in a collection along with diary entries from the characters, ticket stubs from operas, playbills, pictures of gifts they send each other over the years, absolutely everything. A treasure trove and a mammoth project, but I am so entranced by this idea! The Baroque/Rococo aesthetic of the late 18th century is right up my street.

Wrap up story and finally get to the point/end of story

I’m, uh... not excellent at fully understanding the sentiment of instructions, but I feel less bad about (deliberately) misinterpreting this one, because I do so to have it mean “create an epilogue/a sequel”. Write down any ideas you have to that end.

Lulu’s children all grow up to follow careers in music. Hanna becomes an opera singer following help from Katharina and Magdalena to get her into a Conservatory in Berlin. Minna becomes a highly renowned composer (arguably a successor to Katharina), and Theo... well, I’m not exactly sure what he does, but that’s the point. I don’t have to know just yet. All I need to know is that I want to find out.

After grieving Johann, Wilhelm finds happiness and new love. Perhaps he brings his new partner to Prague, or perhaps he meets him there. That’s something I want to explore, as is...

...Herr Benes’ return to Prague with his boyfriend, meeting Wilhelm and his boyfriend (boyfriends for everyone. In this house we write gay joy or we write nothing (or we write angst)). Maybe there follow some nice rag-tag-band-of-elders adventures (quite literally a band, too, since they’ll all be musicians) and/or shenanigans. Do they all--with Katharina and Magdalena, of course--go on a fun trip to Salzburg and Eggwald together? That would be rather lovely. Some kind of Best Exotic Marigold Hotel story. Happiness.

Too many details/lose train of thought

Now’s your chance to get away from the main story! Ah, the guilty pleasure of AUs. Ah, the even more fun version of AU-related guilty pleasure where you get to write AUs of your very own novel! Go on. You deserve it, because you wrote a whole novel and you’ve read it at least as many times as you’ve drafted it... but you still want more content. You want to see how these characters that you love will cope in different worlds, different situations, different everything. Go for it. And if you have any details about the far-flung prelude or coda to the story (music terminology drop? Who’s that? I don’t know her), get into those, too. You know the ones I mean. The ones where you discuss the impact of the storyline on people centuries later, or get into the creation story of the world your characters live in.

I was fool enough to start thinking about a Vampire!AU of Violins and Violets before I had finished the first draft of the actual book. But that’s going on this list, because I have already written a slightly-related one-shot, Daughter, and I certainly don’t plan for that to be the only thing I ever make for it.

Violins and Violets and Varsity - a high school AU I’ve been thinking about since December 2018 - drawing on my experiences playing Swing Band and Pit Band in secondary school. It would be set in the UK, though, and characters would have more Anglophone-sounding names. I have some ideas for this written down somewhere in my computer, but, for now, I’m just going to leave you with the names, because I’m not certain I’m super happy about the current premise for the plot.

Katharina - Kate

Magdalena - Maddie

Hans - Henry

Bartolomeǰ - Bart

Renée - Rena

Going back to the dark academia mentioned earlier, I think it could be interesting to explore--not a modern AU, but in the modern day--how people now would look back on the lives of the characters from Violins and Violets had they really existed. I grew up not far from Reading, where an original handwritten manuscript of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was found in a charity shop in 2011, and I want to take that idea and run so, so far with it. I adore dark academia, as my followers will know, and it seems like a perfect chance to combine my knowledge of Music History and Music Theory with my current studies of Sociolinguistics. Here’s what I’m thinking:

Music History students team up with Sociolinguistics students to study the letters exchanged between the characters and coming to realise that everyone involved was a big and lovely Queer Disaster in some way or other, and that Katharina and Magdalena, as Johann and Wilhelm, were in love. And then all the students fall in love, too, because dark academia plus romance is my downfall (hence my current WIP, She Has No Name).

Steps I missed out of this process, I missed out because I couldn’t think of ways to relate them to my storyline. Those are:

What was I talking about?

Realise I’ve been talking too long.

Apologise.

If you can think of ideas to go along with those steps (although I’m hesitant to encourage anyone to apologise for what they write), too, go for it, and please let me know! I love hearing about everything you write! Now I dare you to have a go at this process for planning expansions of your story.

[rewrite-the-wrongs]

introductions / howdy, pardner

My first short story was about a fishboy and his human best friend. They battled a mutant piranha (whose name I think may have been Mutant Piranha, such was the monumental daring of my creative endeavor) and his army, who were out to destroy a mountain that held a whole planet together. The boys won singlehandedly, because scale was apparently a bit of a mystery to me.

This was the second grade. My teacher--who held me every day as I cried for weeks, confused and miserable and stranded in the throes of my parents’ divorce--understood before I did that I create to a ploddingly slow and steady drumbeat. A sentence is always so much more in my head than I’m able to let out, at first; I have to pore over it again and again, fleshing and flourishing (and often correcting) it, the same way I often have to reread paragraphs or pages or whole books to truly capture their meaning. In a word processor, this back-and-forth is as easily said as it is done; on double-wide ruled paper with dashed-line handwriting guides, the task is magnitudes more time-consuming, especially for somebody as messy as I am. So, while nearly everybody else played at recess on the sandlot and the jungle gym around us, a select few stragglers laid our reading folders on our laps and finished our stories.

My villain, that dastardly Mutant Piranha, found himself in prison at the story’s close. Awaiting trial, I guess; I never ventured that far ahead, seeing the big fishy bastard for a coward. “When no one was looking, he stabbed himself.” That’s the last line, stuck in my memory, not for its own sake, but for my poor teacher’s horrified face as she read my final draft there on the playground.

A mom volunteered to type up the class’ stories and get them printed and bound. For years afterward I reread that collection, always proud to have written the second-longest piece therein. I felt the weight of the pages, inhaled the tiny but acrid breeze that came from rapidly leafing through them. Knew it was a whole smattering of worlds inside, that one of those worlds was wholly mine, and I had the power to show it to people however I wished. Yes, I thought, I want this.

*

I’ve been introduced to writing many times over, by many people. Don’t get me wrong--I nightowled the first several chapters to many half-baked novel concepts all through my youth. But teachers have a way of showing a thing to you from new angles.

The first person to impact me as such was a high school teacher who was essentially given carte-blanche to construct a creative writing workshop in the English curriculum. The first semester was structured--you practiced poems, short fiction, humor and essay writing, drama, the gamut. Every semester after, the carte-blanche was passed on: A single assignment due a week, each a single draft of a poem or a minimum of two pages’ worth of prose. Forty-five minutes a day to work, and of course free time at home. By the time I graduated, I’d finagled my schedule such that I was spending two periods a day in the computer lab, and several hours after school every day working the literary arts magazine before I went home to get the rest of my homework out of the way and write some more..

My next big influence came in the form of  a pair of writers who taught fiction at my university, a married couple. One had me print stories and literally, physically cut them up section-by-section as a method of reworking chronologies. Told me stories happened like engines or clocks or programs--pieces that meshed differently depending on how they were put together, rules that held each other in place. The other showed boundless confidence in me, listened happily to some older students who recommended I be brought on board for a national arts mag. They both encouraged me toward grad school, but toward the end of my junior year I began to stumble, and by senior year I was, to be frank, a drunken asshole. Time I could be bothered to set aside for writing began to dwindle. I limped through the editorship with the help of my extremely talented, utterly more-than-worthy successor--and come to think of it, I’ve never truly thanked her. Maybe I’ll send her that message, now that I’m feeling more myself.

*

On feeling more myself:

That drunken rage was brought on by a myriad list of factors, the primary ones being 1) I am the child of recovering alcoholics, and our inherited family trauma runs deep, 2) An assault that will likely be mentioned no further from hereon in, as I have reached a solid level of catharsis about it, 3) Some toxic-ass relationship issues, and 4) I was a massive egg and had no idea (or, really, I had some idea, just not the language or understanding or even the proper empathy to eloquently and effectively explore it).

I had a recent relapse with drinking, technically--a mimosa at Christmas breakfast at my partner’s parents’ home--but I’m not honestly sure I can call it a legitimate relapse. I’m not in any official self-help group, I’ve never engaged in the twelve steps or a professional rehabilitation. I had a very wonderful therapist for a few years but reached a point at which I could not pay her any longer and we parted ways--I miss her dearly, as she truly became my friend and confidante; she was the first person I came out to, and very well-equipped to handle it, lucky for me--but I’m still on behavioral medication. That tiny smidgen of alcohol pushed my antidepressants right out of my brain, and I became terribly anxious and angry and sad all at once, and briefly lashed out during a conversation with my partner behind closed doors. Not nearly the lashing out I’ve released in the now-distant past--more on that maybe-never, but who knows, as I am obviously a chronic over-sharer.

Frankly, I don’t deserve my partner. She endured my past abuses, told me to my face I had to be better, and found it in herself to wait for me to grow. She’s endlessly and tirelessly supportive of me. She sat with me to help me maintain the nerve to start this blog tonight. I came out to her as a trans woman just under a year ago, now, and I’m happier than ever, and we communicate better than ever. Our relationship is, bar-none, the healthiest and stablest and happiest I’ve ever been in.

So, naturally, I apologized fairly quickly at Christmas, and continuing where I’d left off at two and a half years, decided I’m still solid without booze.

If we’re all being honest, though (and I’m doing my best to be one hundred percent honest, here, though I will absolutely be censoring names because no shit), I still smoke way too much fuckin’ weed. High as balls, right now. 420 blaze it, all day erryday, bruh. That self-medicated ADHD life. I should be on Adderall and not antidepressants, probably, but it’s been a while since an appointment and psychiatrists are expensive, so I’m at where I’m at for now. Sativas help a lot. It helps with the dysphoria, too.

I don’t have a legal diagnosis for gender dysphoria, but tell that to my extreme urge to both be in and have a vagina. I’m making little changes--my hair, an outfit at a time, no longer policing how I walk or run or how much emphasis I put on S sounds. If I manage to come out to my parents sometime soon--and it feels like that moment is closer every day--maybe I’ll tell y’all my real, full chosen name. For right now, call me Easy.

*

Anyhow. My goals here are pretty simple:

1) Share words, both those by people I like/admire/sometimes know! and occasionally words I’ve made that I like. See the above screenshot from my notes app. Steal some words if you want, but if you manage to make money off some of mine, holler at ya gurl’s Venmo, yeah?

2) Discuss words, how they work, and how we create them, use them, engage with them, and ultimately make art of them. I am not a professional linguist, but I went to undergrad for creative writing, so, hey, I’ll have opinions and do my best to back them up with ideas from people smarter than I am.

3) Books! Read them, revisit them, quote them, talk about them, sometimes maybe even review them, if I’m feeling particularly bold. No writer can exist in a vacuum, and any writer who insists they don’t like to read is either a) dyslexic and prefers audiobooks or b) in serious need of switching to a communications major (no shade, but also definitely a little shade @corporate journalism).

5) I added this last, but I feel it’s less important than 4 and does not deserve bookend status, and I am verbose but incredibly lazy, so here I am, fucking with the system. Anyway: Art! Music! Video games! I fucking love them. I’ll talk about them, sometimes, too. Maybe I’ll finally do some of the ekphrastic work I’ve felt rattling around in my brain for a while now. Jade Cocoon 2′s Water Wormhole Forest, looking right the fuck at you.

6) Ah, shit, I did it again. Oh well. Last-but-not-last: This is obviously, in some ways, a diary, or a massive personal essay. I will sometimes discuss people, places, or experiences that have informed my work just the same as other people’s art has.

4) Be an unabashed and open Trans woman. TERFs, transphobes, ill-informed biological essentialists not permitted. Come at me and my girldick and prepare to be dunked on and subsequently shown the door via a swift and painful steel-toed kick in the ass. Everybody who doesn’t suck, if I screw up on any matter of socio-ethics or respect for diversity, please feel free to correct me.

*

Punk’s dead, but we’re a generation of motherfucking necromancers. Be gay, do crime, fight the patriarchy, and fart when you gotta. May the Great Old Ones select you to ascend to a higher plane and learn the terrible truths of existence.

Much love--

Easy

[wikitopx]

There are Simple Letter of Resignation Samples. This post will help you solve the problem. Read the following.

Updated March 13, 2020

Keeping it simple makes good sense when you’re providing notification that you’re leaving your job.

Resignation letters don't have to be complicated or offer much in the way of information about why and where you're going. You don't even necessarily have to include a line thanking your employer for the experience.

You do, however, have to be courteous and polite.

There's no sense in burning a bridge, even if you hope you never see anyone at your soon-to-be former employer again.

You never know when you might need a recommendation, or who your erstwhile co-workers know in your industry. There's no sense giving them a reason to bad-mouth you to a potential employer.

1. Why Write a Resignation Letter

Why write a resignation letter? A formal resignation letter documents the fact for your company’s human resources department that you're leaving. It also provides your employer with the date of your departure (two weeks' notice is standard) and other information they may need to finalize your termination from employment with the company.

Finally, it’s a mark of your professionalism and allows you to leave your current position knowing you’ve crossed all the “T’s” and dotted all the “I’s.”

2. Keep Your Letter Short and Simple

A resignation letter allows you to cut through any confusion that could result during a face-to-face conversation with your manager or supervisor. Your letter does not need to be lengthy. See below for a sample resignation letter that is brief and to-the-point, and review these tips for how to write a resignation letter. The main items to include in the letter are:

The fact that you're leaving the company

Your last date of work

As well, it is both appropriate and polite to include a thank you for your time at the company and an offer to assist during the transition as you exit if you will be available.

It's possible that the letter will be included in your employee file with the company, and consulted if you request a reference in the future.

Even if you are disenchanted with your job, resist the temptation to comment negatively on fellow employees, your manager, or the company.

There is no need to give the employer any more information than they need to know, which is the simple fact that you are resigning and when you are leaving.

3. Simple Resignation Letter Example

Use this resignation letter sample when you want to keep it basic and simply want to tell your employer that you are leaving, but, don't want to thank your employer or provide any details regarding why you are resigning:

Simple Letter of Resignation (No Thank You)

Your Name Your Address Your City, State Zip Code Your Phone Number Your Email

Date

Name Title Company Name Address City, State Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

Please accept this letter as notification that I am leaving my position with ABCD on September 15.

If I can be of assistance during this transition, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Your Signature (hard copy letter)

Your Typed Name

4. Simple Resignation Letter Example With Thanks

On the other hand, maybe you do want to say thank you—either because you truly mean it, or because you were brought up to have good manners.

Unless you really are leaving under a cloud, it’s a smart strategy to say “thank you” for the work opportunities you have been given during your position tenure, as this helps to ensure that you remain on a good footing with the employer you are leaving. In this situation, use this resignation letter sample:

Simple Letter of Resignation (With Thank You)

Your Name Your Address Your City, State, Zip Code Your Phone Number Your Email

Date

Name Title Organization Address City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

I've recently accepted a position at another company, and so I'm writing today to offer my formal notice that I'll be leaving my job. My last day will be January 15.

I've enjoyed my time with XYZ Corp, and I thank you for all your help and guidance over the past five years. Please let me know if I can be of assistance during this transition.

Sincerely,

Your Signature (hard copy letter)

Your Typed Name

5. Resignation Letter Sample With Formal Notification

Use this letter of resignation sample to formally inform your employer that you are submitting your resignation. This letter is brief and to the point.

Basic Letter of Resignation With Formal Notification

Your Name Your Address Your City, State Zip Code Your Phone Number Your Email

Date

Name Title Organization Address City, State Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

Please accept this letter as formal notification that I am leaving my position with XYZ company on September 15.

Thank you for the opportunities you have provided me during my time with the company. I am more than grateful to have had the opportunity of working with the team here. If I can be of any assistance during this transition, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Your Signature (hard copy letter)

Your Typed Name

6. Email Resignation Message Example

Use this brief email message example as a starting point for writing your own message.

Email Resignation Letter Sample

Subject: Your Name - Resignation

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

This is to formally notify you that I am ending my employment with ABC company, effective on June 30, 20XX.

I appreciate the professional, training, social, and personal development opportunities I've had while with the company; thank you for the support you have provided me during my tenure here.

Best regards,

Your Typed Name Home Address Phone Number Personal Email Address

7. Sending an Email Resignation Message

If you’re emailing your letter, here's how to send your resignation email message, including when to send it, what to include, and how to format it.

In your subject line, use a phrase similar to “Notice of Resignation – [Your Name].” This will ensure that your resignation receives immediate attention and review.

Be sure to include your contact information in your signature. That way, the company can easily get in touch with you if they have questions after you've left.

8. More Resignation Letter and Email Examples

Review more samples of the best resignation letters and email messages for a variety of circumstances. There are templates and samples that will work for whatever reason you are moving on from a job.

9. When to Give Your Manager the Letter

You can print the letter to give to your manager during a conversation about your resignation. Or, you can email it to your manager either before or after your chat. If you're not sure when your final day of work will be, wait until after your meeting and follow up with an email message; it’s customary to provide an employer with at least two weeks’ formal notice before your ultimate departure.

10. Tips for Quitting the Right Way

When it comes to quitting your job, there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it. To make sure you leave on the best terms, do the following:

Give two weeks' notice whenever possible. You can give more time if you wish, but you're not obligated to do this. It's considered bad form to give less notice, however. By giving this notice, you allow your employer the time they need to find and, possibly, train your replacement. They’ll thank you for it.

Write a resignation letter containing all the pertinent information – e.g., the fact that you're leaving, and when your last day will be.

Clean out your computer (before you hand in your notice). Now is not the time to find out that the company considers storing your thesis on the hard drive a violation of their computer use policy. Any personal documents need to be deleted. Be sure, however, to leave a list of access codes and passwords where your replacement can find these.

Summarize current projects you will not be able to complete before your departure date. This way, both your current team (if any) and your successor will be able to easily pick up where you left off. You might also draft a general list of your daily work responsibilities for your replacement to use as a guide.

Don't bad-mouth your boss, your co-workers, or the company, and don’t draw comparisons between them and the new employer you may be joining. Be positive, professional, and polite.

I hope this post can be helpful to you. You will be solved the problem with Wikitopx.com. More ideas for you: Email Greetings That Get Read

From : https://wikitopx.com/job/simple-letter-of-resignation-samples-712987.html