#steelheart wip

[softlyapocalytpic]

WIP whatever day!!

Literally about to go to the movies with some friends but I had to get some painback @persephotea who tagged me.

This is immediately following tranquility lane.

Scared baby blue eyes, a little older, a little wiser, but still the same eyes that made the shattered pieces dig into her skin. 

Blaring arms and pounding blood. Amata’s scream. The death march in her ears getting louder louder. The world is stained red. Red with anger that burns white hot, red with lights that bathe the room, red with blood that drowns.

Baby blues looking on with horror.

It had all started back then. She’d died the minute she pulled the trigger, and had been reborn into something more violent and awful than she could’ve imagined. Could James still see his little girl? Could Leo still see his older sister?

The rage bled out of her the cool numbness taking over. Sweep the shards into a box, tape it, throw it into the back with all the others. 

Later, later, later.

It always going to be later. For him, for her. 

Later, later, later.

Her grip on his collar slackened. Bone deep exhaustion threatening to pull her under tow, but she had to keep going, had to keep moving. Her hand dropped to her side and she turned away from him. She didn’t want to see, couldn’t see, how he looked at her. Didn’t want to see the scorn, regret, fear. Nothing that would cut the box open, nothing that keep her from moving forward. 

“We’re going.” The little remnants of rage bled into her words and exhaled out, “Your taking Leo with you, and you’re not going to abandon him this time. I don’t care how much that slows down Project Purity. He’s going with you.”

The storm behind the glass isn’t spinning. She can’t even see it anymore. Dull, dull, dull silence with a world reaped of color is being left in it’s place, and she finds that this time she doesn’t have the energy to care. She doesn’t hide her rifle that’s strapped to her back (better that he knows whats she’d had to become), she doesn’t hide the armor (put up the walls, put up the distance), and she doesn’t look. She can’t look.

“Amelia?”

Fragile. She never saw him that way. He was warm, he stood tall in quiet practiced defiance, and his voice was as steady, firm, and gentle as his hand. 

(she’s heard it before, she heard it when the last light of the vault was snuffed out, when Leo came into the world with the first of many tears)

She turned to face him (what a mistake), “What? I thought you wanted to get back to your project. Do you really want to waste more time talking?” Her voice was dull, but the accusation was sharp.

Hurt, hurt, hurt. Baby blues, a little older, a little wiser, stung with pain. It was her fault. It was always her fault. But she watched the wall raise up, watched in horrifying familiarity the growing distance, and all she could think of was Leo.

“I suppose your right. Let’s get going then.”

[kookaburra1701]

For the Illustrious Khemor General Information- 4 and 7 Background- 8 Last Dragonborn- 10 and 13

From the OC asks here.

General Information: 4. Race 7. Class (or a general description of their skillset)

Khemor is an Osh Ornim (Iron Orc) from the Dragontail mountains! But he was raised in a Crown Redguard household in Skaven, as the apprentice of a mage. His master was an accomplished necromancer and conjurer, and Khemor followed in his footsteps. His particular talents lie in medium work, that is, communication with the dead and creatures of various planes of Oblivion.

Background: 8. What guilds do they join? Are they committed to those guilds, or are they mostly in them for the benefits?

After his master died, Khemor joned the College of Whispers in Cyrodiil. While Khemor was resentful of the way the Empire treated Hammerfell in the Great War, he thought there was no use in refusing a good academic position where he could continue his research in peace. He climbed the ladder in the College of Whispers for almost 20 years, and during that time was a model citizen of Cyrodiil.

Last Dragonborn: 10. Who do they marry? How did they meet?

Khemor will marry Borgakh the Steelheart. As for how they meet...the entire scene is in this WIP Wednesday post I made for Nostos. The relevant passage:

Khemor lifted his head, peeling the hood of his cowl and a lock of his hair back to peer up at his rescuer. As he blinked the river water from his eyes, the blurry figure above him came into focus.

A female Orsimer stood above him, silhouetted by the noonday sun. Water drops twinkled as they fell from her crest of dark hair and traced the severe angles of her face. Her eyes were dark, and framed by deep madder paint that graced her high cheekbones and was now dripping and streaking towards the two white tusks peeking out from behind her lower lip. Her tunic and trews clung to her figure, revealing every bulge and groove of her well-muscled arms and legs.

My love of the Hapless Nerd and Buff Protective Jock dynamic is still going strong, and shows no signs of abating.

13. Saadia or Kematu?

Khemor gives up The Traitor of Taneth to Kematu without hesitation, as he recognizes Iman immediately. Some might say that since she was just a young teenager during the war she shouldn't be held responsible for her actions, but Khemor would point out that he was also a child during the Great War and he was a part of the resistance in Skaven, at great personal risk. So he's unsympathetic.

[ellen-shame]

thanks to @fahatesyou for the third tag!

rules: show the last line you wrote and tag as many people as there are words (or however many you like)

It was even weirder, the first night he realised Geno didn’t want to fuck him, just cuddle him. It’s pretty normal now. They probably only have sex four or five times a week; less when Geno is especially busy. Sometimes Sid thinks about how much Geno is paying per orgasm and winces.

From a WIP entitled 'steelheart' about steel oligarch Geno who keeps sex worker Sid on the payroll. This was inspired by @ticklefighthockey's posts a couple of weeks ago if I remember correctly? Anyway, you're not gonna believe this, guys, but they fall in love.

[kingtrash-dan]

35, 31, 25, 20, 8, 1 (sorry it’s a lot ‘^^)

Oh no, I don't mind at all if its a lot :] ask away~ I'm assuming this is from the writer ask meme so: 35. Post the last sentence you wrote - Is this considered spoilers if this is drafting? Lol "It was the last thing that Tom heard before his world became unfocused and hazy." 31. Top five favorite books in your genre? - "My" genre, I'm not sure what that means exactly, angst?? General bullshittery?? Well in any case I'll just tell you my favorite books: 1. Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld 2. Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey 3. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson 4. Vicious by V.E. Schwab 5. Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki by Haruki Murakami 25. What's your worldbuilding process like? - Well, for worldbuilding I like to look at actual world maps if I'm basing it on real places, then I do things like go to google earth and look around the streets and views to get a general feel of what the area is like. This is also for more fantastical locations since we do base things off reality, then add a little bit of a twist to it ourselves. Sometimes, when I feel motivated, I sketch out the environments to full detail so I can get a clear visual for what everything looks like. 20. Any advice for young writers/advice you wish someone would have given you early on? - Make.A.Comprehensive.Skeletal.Structure.Of.Your.Story. Direction, direction, direction! When I was younger, I used to throw caution into the wind and just write along without knowing what happens next, I would be just as surprised as my readers when seeing what happens in the story. When I say comprehensive skeletal structure, I mean it for every single chapter, you can have one BIG outline for the general course and plot for the story, but for every individual chapter, at least try to list down what happens so you can see how well it will flow with the rest of them. E.g. Chapter 1: >MC is introduced through a flashback from an outsider's POV >Cut to present day where MC is being questioned by authorities over a recent murder that they witnessed >MC is uncooperative, makes it clear they do not like cops >Reveal in the end that MC is a victim of police brutality, and that the flashback may have more of a story to it regarding MC's hatred for police. Then if you cut to Chapter 2 you'll get to see if the points of the story connect well or not, example being it would be good to follow MC into a new location brooding over their interaction with the police instead of let's say, a sudden cut to a side character with nothing to do with the current story progression. Unless of course, you mean for it to be jarring and such. Though take my advice with a grain of salt, I'm a professional (or so I like to think given it's how I earn a living) visual artist, not a professional writer. 8. Do you have any writing buddies/critique partners? - Ahaha I already answered this in a previous ask but, yes I do, only for original works though, not fandom works. 1. Tell us about your WIP! - My WIP is the last installment of a grievously long fanfic with a word count over 40k+ rejected scenes already. I have been gnawing at my brain trying to make it make sense and going virtually insane doing so, cursing the gods who listen for taking away my muse and leaving me a hollow grey shell of a man I used to be. Other than that, I'm having fun with the drafts, I relearned that this is supposed to be a fun hobby and I'm treating it as such.

[plotholes-and-paradoxes]

Camp NaNo WIP Intro: Vamp

Genre: YA urban fantasy/dystopian

Comps: Coldest Girl in Coldtown meets Steelheart

POV: Third Person

Themes: found family, grief, power, greed, mercy

Summary: Ten years ago, a small percentage of the population became vampires overnight. Now, life is mostly back to normal. The people in power are cruel and bloodthirsty — but that’s how it always is, isn’t it? And where there is injustice, there are always rebels.

The last couple years have scarred James — literally. There are laws against vampires draining the unwilling, but the twin scars trailing up from James’s neck to his cheekbone proves otherwise. Now, he has a sick brother to protect and a rebellion to fight for.

Nobody knows when Morgue was turned. Nobody knows why she’s allowed to act with almost total irreverence towards the rules. (Not the laws, the rules. There’s a difference.) But when she shows up, asking to help the rebellion, they’re not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Especially when that mouth has fangs.

With the self-described vampire prince of the town growing more powerful by the day, James, Morgue, and the rest of the rebellion have their work cut out for them. After all, heroes usually do.  

(please comment or DM if you would like to be added to the taglist)

[linkedsoul]

A summary of my WIPs

Stories of Qelt:

THE WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY meets MAHOU TSUKAI NO YOME

A free-spirited girl with dreams of freedom and adventure forms a bond with the Fæ of her village, to whom she must never tell her name. As she grows up, their relationship develops, and so does her craving for travels and the rest of the world - something disapproved by her village and her family, that she should never leave. 

The Northern Roads: 

YOKOHAMA KAIDASHI KIKOU meets HOKUHOKUSEI NI KUMO TO IKE

Vikk, a lone Cartographer, meets Merashi, an eccentric Priestess on her pilgrimage, during a rainy night. He reluctantly takes her along, and the two of them start a long road trip through the mysterious, magic-filled Northern Roads. 

Chaosbringers: 

STEELHEART meets THOR

In a world of superpowers, the greatest villain is Seira, a young, scrawny girl with desperate destructive tendencies and a growing god complex. When Seira loses her powers, she ends up living two other villains, and teams up with them to take revenge against a branch of the government that harmed them all, all the while learning to be human again. 

I Rise: 

JORMUNGAND meets THE CRUEL PRINCE and SIX OF CROWS

The Kingdom of Aeva has nine crown heirs, pulling strings against one another in the kingdom’s underworld. When Kadijah, fearsome half-monster assassin, fails to kill the ninth prince, Abraham, he takes her as his bodyguard, and she joins him and his team of misfits in the dangerous intrigues and fights for the Aevan throne. 

Trash Children:

TOWER OF GOD meets AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER

Kôan tries to live like a normal person, despite being heir to one of the most powerful of Families in the world. When all the other Families declare war against her, she flees with her adoptive brother, Raehmn. But both of them are found by their respective nemesis: Shuugka, from the Family rival to Raehmn’s, and Myeing, heir to the other most powerful Family, prophesied to confront Kôan “at the end of it all”, in a fight that will decide the fate of the world. 

The Princess and the Witch (temporary name):

THE TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA meets CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE

As a war threatens to break out, princess Lune is forced to marry someone to strengthen her kingdom’s political alliances. But she sets a condition: her suitor must bring her the legendary object that defeated the Evil Witch. Zaya, the former Evil Witch, owner of said legendary object, sees there her chance to redeem all Witches, currently banned from the kingdom. But first, she must survive the 3-month long, intrigue-filled engagement period, and earn princess Lune’s trust. 

Drown to You:

THE LITTLE MERMAID meets LOVELY COMPLEX 

In order to impress her crush, Meryan is trying to drown the human that trespasses on siren waters regularly. When she realizes sultry songs don’t work because the human is asexual, she sings to them what they most want to know. Except, Vee, the human is an Immortal. A little desperate and afraid of what they’ll do with their new knowledge, Meryan recruits Vee to help her woo her crush, and get to know better what kind of person they are. 

[theswordofpens]

11/11/11 #6

So I was tasked to do this by none other than @hyba ! Without further ado, here's my answers. 😁

1.) If you could choose one character ( one of your OCs, but you can choose another character as well) to hang out with for a night, which would it be?

All of my OCs have a way of having fun during the nights, but I'd have to say that Raven is by far the most fun out of all of them.

2.) When did you get the idea for your WIP(s)?

The majority of my WIPs were mentally conceived about three or four years ago. There's a couple from before that time and a couple after.

3.) What's the one thing you want accomplish in your life?

There's many things I want to accomplish in my life, but there's one thing that's for certain: I want to be a loving husband and a father!

4.) Where do you go when you need to take some space away from whatever is frustrating you (your writing, or anything else)?

I'll usually take a long walk and contemplate what's the core issue of my problems. The walking helps to circulate my blood and to clear my kind of any bad thoughts.

5.) What's the funniest book you've ever read?

Steelheart from the Reckoner series by Brian Sanderson. The book the serious tone, but I live how comical the dialogue scenes can get.

6.) Of all the characters in books that you have read, which one is your favourite?

I'd have to say that I loved Deuce from Enclave by Ann Aguirre. The way she was written was truly a badass.

7.) Have you ever abandoned a story / book for over a year and why?

No, I try to keep writing creatively in my WIPs as much as possible.

8.) If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where you would be?

My bed 😅 I'm running on 3.5 hours of sleep right now.

9.) Name one writer whose writing and style have influenced you

I'd have to say Suzanne Collins. After I read Hunger Games, I became determined to produce a book that was just as great as that was of the same caliber as it.

10.) Do you have an end in mind for your WIPs?

I do, actually. I have endings for all my WIPs. But remember, the end is also the beginning.

11.) Which WIP have you enjoyed writing the most so far?

Of the WIPs I do have, I've only written the majority on the Blood Tournaments project

Thanks again for the tag! Please tag me in more games so I can get to know you guys better. ^_^

[aeldari-enclave]

Oberyn the Bold of Steelheart’s Champions WIP. He’s the test model for the way I will be painting the my AoS army. The intent was for the armor to look like marble but I’m afraid it just looks dirty.

I am looking forward to my Soul Wars box arriving.

[drybleahcim]

WIP Tag

Tagged by @wallpatterns

What is the working title of your book?

So I'm not sure if they'll end up being books, or just Tumblr Serials, or what will happen, but I have two that I'm working on with a third that will probably start, and a possible fourth haha!

1) My Name's Al, and My Dad's a Demon

2) Mechpunk

3) The Adventures of Bartholomew Roberts

4) The Color of Space

Where did the idea for the book come from?

1) Honestly, I think it was the cover of a romance novel I glimpsed walking through Target... It's obviously evolved since then but I think that's what sparked it haha!

2) Learning about the history of nuclear reactors and nuclear engines and wondering what would happen if we had focused on nuclear power instead of nuclear weapons.

3) A while back I was considering a Steampunk cosplay and/or YouTube/podcast and came up with a persona that turned into Bartholomew Roberts.

4) My Dad mentioned something that sparked the idea haha!

What genre is your current work in progress?

1) Urban Fantasy

2) Mechpunk

3) Steampunk

4) Sci-fi

Choose actors for your movie rendition.

Okay, I don't have most of these characters at all ready to dream cast, but I'll say... Matt Bomer, Margot Robbie, Tim DeKay/TBD (old/young), and no idea whatsoever!

Give a one sentence synopsis of your book.

Oh geez...

1) The child of a demon and compatriots do their best to keep evil at bay and reintroduce magic to a world that's forgotten it.

2) Mechs are her life, they have been since her great-great-granddad made the first one and ended the war, now it's up to her to choose, start another war? Or leave her Mechs forever?

3) Follow along with Bartholomew Roberts as he encounters strange lands, daring chases in the sky, and clockwork wonders of all kinds!

4) Humanity's experience and interactions with two alien races whose technology is far beyond our own, one who wants to help and the other... Who knows?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agent?

1) Self published on Tumblr unless something drastic happens!

2) Maybe agent? Possibly self-published, more likely another Tumblr serial.

3) See 1

4) Honestly no idea haha!

How long did it take you to write your first draft?

Well... None of them are done yet haha...

What other books would you compare your story to?

1) Dresden files and Percy Jackson books.

2) I can't really think of any that I've read. Maybe Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson?

3) Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher and the Leviathan books.

4) Robert Heinlein, John Scalzi, and a bit of Ender's Game.

Who or what inspired you to write the book?

1) Dresden files firmed up the vision, before that the romance novel cover mentioned above!

2) Pacific Rim, a few people I knew in New York, and a history lesson!

3) I made the persona, then Bartholomew took a path of his own!

4) Something my Dad pointed out that I ran with!

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

1) I plan on setting it in a new world with it's own theology and mythology, so lots to dig into there!

2) Nuclear powered mechs and a strong, female main character.

3) I'm going to try and write it in an older, radioplay, episodic style. But we'll see how that goes!

4) COLOR. LOTS AND LOTS OF COLOR.

Tagging @hell-yeah-fantasy, @nashbranson, and @dantedevereaux

[scarlet-shattering]

Alitura

Alitura is the second continent of Lacera, and (for now, at least) its largest. It’s the shard of Lacera that is the least explored, and it’s a combination of all four major Elemental Planes: Air, Earth, Water, and Fire. In normal fantasy worlds, these planes generally surround the Prime Material plane, as they are shown  in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. I had a different idea when utilizing these classic fantasy ideas, though. Since I already had this idea of a shattered world, I essentially shoved all the Elemental Planes together on their own, separate from the Prime Material plane altogether. That meant, however, that there would be a location where all FOUR planes would intersect, which is something that I hadn’t seen in any such representation of the Elemental Planes. That’s where the following idea came from:

The Crossroads of Chaos: The very center of Alitura, where all four major Elemental Planes intersect. The blending of all four primal elements creates a miniature, pseudo Prime Material Plane where individuals from all over Alitura gather. The Crossroads are very different from Tora, though, because it seems a lot more in tune with nature. The buildings are smaller, modest, and made of wood and stone, where Tora buildings are brick or even concrete. The area is warm, calm, and peaceful, a sea of grass caught in an endless spring. Inspired by: How the 4 planes would intersect, the name comes from a Yugioh booster pack (seriously)

Air: Overturn Valley: The Elemental Plane of Air is a vast desert, whose ever-changing sands confuse even the most seasoned travelers. However, the desert always retains one constant feature: Overturn Valley, a thriving village clinging to the underside of a great canyon known as the Sirocco Ravine. The buildings are all built upside-down, connected by pathways that twist and sprawl through the strange settlement. Inspired by: Gerudo Desert from Breath of the WIld and the Western Air Temple from Avatar,

Earth: Stepgrove: The Elemental Plane of Earth is a grand stretch of stone, moss, and hills. A few isolated forests dot the landscape, and those that do have immense trees. The landscape is extremely hilly, rough, and difficult to navigate. On top of that, no one can tell you for certain where the main settlement of the plane of Earth, Stepgrove, lies. The legendary wandering garden is made up of trees that roam across the plane, walking on their roots as though they were legs. The dryads who walk with these trees are very protective of it, but will allow small groups of outsiders in, taking comfort that returning with malicious intent is difficult when the village isn’t where you left it. Inspired by Brokilon from the Witcher universe and Ildithia from the Steelheart series Fire: Mount Ignis: The harshest and least civilized section of Alitura, the Elemental Plane of Fire is partly taken up by a vast no-man’s-land known as the Cinder Wastes, and the rest of the plane is only slightly more habitable. The entire area is dominated by a single, gargantuan volcano, Mount Ignis. Until recently (stay tuned!) it was the lair of an ancient red dragon, but over the past few centuries, the native humanoids have begun to take back the mountain. Slowly but surely, the society there has begun to bloom. Inspired by: Red Mountain from the Elder Scrolls universe Water: Drench: The Elemental Plane of Water is arguably the calmest of the four main planes, for, as the name suggests, it is merely a vast sea. There are numerous (still WIP) islands that dot the grand expanse, as well as countless underwater caverns and lairs of all sorts of creatures. The main surface-level settlement, though, is the town of Drench, a city on water. This entire society floats on docks, pathways, and boats that are mysteriously without an anchor. Yet, Drench stays in the same place. Inspired by: Venice, the river city from Avatar (the Painted Lady episode) Minor Planes/Intersections:

When the planes intersect, they create smaller sub-planes or notable areas. All of these are in the grand lore of the DMG, though the Monastery of Repose is a player’s place of origin that we created together. Frostfell: The Frostfell, or the Elemental Plane of Ice, resides between the planes of Air and Water, a rigid, frozen compass needle pointing due north. Very far north, near the edge of the continent, is a structure called the Monastery of Repose. Monks gather from the various planes and meditate there, learning sacred and long-forgotten arts of healing. Through the bitter cold, these monks seek enlightenment. Swamp of Oblivion: The intersection between the planes of Water and Earth create a sizable swamp, a great marsh where numerous unsavory creatures call home. There is no society here, and no settler has ever tried to create one. All that lives in this great bog are monsters, wraiths, and the like.

Great Conflagration: The borders of the planes of Air and Fire create a gargantuan wall of fire that few mortal beings have ever been able to cross. The endless winds of the plane of Air constantly feed the flames, which almost threaten to expand to other areas, but never quite seem to.  Fountains of Creation: Legend has it that the border between the planes of Fire and Earth are where mortal beings first began, though the area is far too harsh for all but the most resilient beings in this modern age. The hills look remarkably like those that cover the plane of Earth, except that they’re constantly on fire. Very few beings can withstand both the intense heat AND the altitude, but some do.  Elementi: Each of the four major Elemental planes’ main cities protect an ancient power, known as an Elementus. These Elementi are the raw, infused essence of the planes that they inhabit, quite literally the source of these planar energies. Overturn Valley is home to the Wind of Wuthering, Drench protects the Waters of Tranquility, Stepgrove houses the Stonehardt, and Mount Ignis bears the Soulflame. Details in the next big post, which should be out soon!

[softlyapocalytpic]

WIP Wednesday

This is a random bit that I wrote for a chapter that ended up being cut, although I'll probably rework it in somewhere.

Y'all can have it in the mean time! Tagged by @persephotea

Tagging: @sirmanmister and anyone else who wants to be tagged <3

Amy ran her tongue along the top of her teeth sweeping away the taste of iron. Yeah, it was pretty bad this time. In her mind, she could see the crystal clear image of her dad’s disappointed expression, the look that in her younger years would’ve had her apologizing in seconds. Unlucky for him, she had stopped giving a shit what everyone thought of her. Why should she anyway? It’s not like anyone gave a crap about her. So what if she and Butch punched each other’s shit in? What was the big deal? It was the delinquent and the misfit. Surely no one should care as long as they were the only ones who were getting hurt.

(That’s how they acted most of the time anyway.)

Butch was in the cell next to her, separated by bars. Keeping the two of them separated until their parents could come and give them a good talking to. Personally, Amy thought it was overkill, but whatever. Chief Hannon would sit and wait while her dad chewed her out, and once he was satisfied he'd sack her with community service. She wondered if she could convince him how badly she didn’t want to work in the diner and get put on dish duty. She could steal milkshakes that way. Ration free!

“The fuck you lookin’ so smug for? HUH nosebleed? Know something I don’t?”

Amy snorted and ignored him. Folded her arms behind her head and just pretended like he wasn’t even there. She really tried to ignore the spitball that came next, but it hurt. What was with the lungs on this guy?

She dug into her pocket and pulled the first thing she touched, lobbing it at his head. It met its mark and she relished in the way he yelped. She was still the baseball team’s best pitcher afterall, and their best hitter, even if they’d kicked her off. 

Butch hissed and rubbed the red spot on his forehead, “Man, sometimes I wonder if you’re actually a girl. You sure as hell don’t throw like one.”

It wasn’t the first time she’d heard it, and she expected that it wouldn’t be the last. Eventually, when the insults stop getting creative and targeted they just stopped mattering. Right? She shrugged it off either way.

She stayed sitting up and said, “I dunno, I’ve seen Susie have a pretty good aim when she feels like it. She threw a hair dryer at me once from across the changing room. It only missed because I’d bent down to tie my shoe.”

“Who the hell throws a hairdryer?!”

“Susie Mack on a bad day, that’s who.”

He made a knowing face that told him he knew a thing or two about it, and asked, “Is that why you filled her locker with stink bombs?”

Amy shook her head and started kicking the back of the bench with her heel, “Nope, that was after she spread some nasty rumor about Amata. And no, before you ask, I’m not repeating it.”

“You’re no fun, Lockhart.”

“That’s me.” Amy the party pooper. Amy the wet towel. Amy the buzzkill. She kicked the back of the bench harder, “Hasn’t known a day of fun in her life. Will one day grow up to be a spinster lest she is cursed with marrying one of the freshmen brats.”

“Well shit I wouldn’t say that. Sure you can’t cook, but I’m sure a wild thing like you would be great in the sack-”

She pulled something else out of her pocket, an eraser this time, and flung it at his head. She missed. “I’m going to fucking kill you when we get out of here.”

[indepthcreativewriting]

Beginnings (Part 2)

This is my second post on beginnings. My first one, Beginnings (Part 1), covered beginning to write your story, so this post will cover writing the actual beginning of your book. Below are some elements of beginnings that you may (or may not) want to use.

1. Prologues

First off, a lot of posts advise against using a prologue as a way to start your story. Personally, I don’t usually feel the need to include a prologue in my WIPs, but I have read WIPs (by some of the other writers I hang out with) and books where I felt like it actually worked. If you’re trying to decide whether to keep the prologue or cut it out entirely, I would recommend 1) doing your research on prologues and when they work/don’t work and 2) find someone to read the prologue and first chapter or two of your manuscript so you can get a fresh perspective on it. I hate to say it, but that prologue may be one of the darlings you’ll have to kill off. (More on killing your darlings in another post.) 

Let me know if anyone wants a post on deciding whether or not to keep your prologue.That’s a can of worms I’ll keep closed for this post, but I may make a post on in the future.

2. The Hook

You’ll hear this a lot when people talk about beginnings. “You need to hook your reader right from the start!” True, but make sure that your hook 1) actually has to do with your book, 2) sets the tone for your story, and 3) encourages the reader to keep reading by making a promise that the book can keep. (More on promises in a different post as well.)

Hooks are usually the first line/paragraph of your first chapter. These are what intrigue your readers and encourage them to keep reading. Here are some good first lines/hooks in books I’ve read.

I’ve seen Steelheart bleed.

-Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson.

The Darkness has grown more powerful each day for the last five years.

-The Magenta by Cassidy Bennett.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man, in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

All of these hooks set the stage for the story. They convey the mood, often some element of world-building or character, and pulls the reader deeper into the story. Another wonderful hook, this one beginning with dialogue, was from Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25.

“Have you found the last two yet?” The voice on the phone was angry and coarse, like the sound of car tires over broken glass.

That one piece of dialogue communicates volumes. It shows that someone is searching for something or someone—two of them. The description of the voice on the phone gives off the sense of something bad, leading me to believe that the person on the phone is not good news.

3. Typical Day in the Life of...Whoever This Character Is

Yeah, some readers care enough to read through it and some don’t. For the most part, readers want to see the moment when everything changes for your character and the consequences of that moment. Get as close to the action as possible.

There’s a rule I learned from the writing podcast Writing Excuses that I really liked called late in, out early (I abbreviate it as LIOE so I don’t have to type it out every time I mention it). I believe the hosts of the podcast accredited this principle to screenwriting, but I could be wrong.

LIOE means that you bring the readers (or viewers) in as close to the action/event they actually care about as possible, show them what they want to see, then have them move forward before things get too boring again.

For example, say your character is taking part in some sort of meeting where they have to negotiate stuff. Since long meetings for negotiations can start off pretty boring, bring the reader in right when things get interesting. This may be when a disagreement arises and starts to escalate. It could also be when something crazy, like a bomb going off or a bunch of rebels breaking in, could occur.

Instead of starting off your chapter with every little thing happening at the meeting (especially if it involves new policies or whatever that have little to no effect on your story), start off with something like:

High-pitched beeping beneath his feet yanked Prince Alak out of his boredom. Negotiations were one thing, but bombs were another.

I’ll have to do another blog post on LIOE, since this explanation could go on for much longer. I’ll leave it at that for now though.

That’s all for this post. Hopefully it helps you, and remember: you’ve got this! Happy writing :)

[ellen-shame]

Ten Opening Lines

thanks for the tag, @yabagofmilfs and sorry it's taken me soooo long to do!

Rules: list the first line of the last ten (10) stories you published. Look to see any patterns you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any.

I have not yet published ten stories so I'll do some WIPs too!

(you and me) supersede - 'Sid can’t stop pacing around the covering bed.'

2. (begging for a piece of that) bubble - 'Sid tosses his robe on the ottoman at the foot of the bed and stands gloriously naked as he pokes around trying to find his sleep shirt.'

3. Gentle Violence

'r/penguins

4/3/2010 u/UserMcLoser Rumours that Malkin is scent marking Crosby on the reg?? Apparently it’s an open secret in the league that Malkin’s courting Crosby… View full post ⬆️90'

4. Reverenced Helplessness - '“Hot in here, eh?” Sid says.'

5. (this is how you make yourself) vanish into nothing - 'Maybe it starts like this:'

6. (wow wow wow wow) that's low brow - 'Six weeks after they start - dating? hooking up? having sex every night and sleeping next to each other every night and saying things like God, you’re really beautiful in bed, not like every night but not infrequently either -

(- which is like six and a half weeks after Jamie says with incredible, gorgeous, amazing casualness that he’s into men as well as women -)

(- and like six weeks and two days after Jamie becomes the first person Trevor ever comes out to on purpose, as in like, for the sake of being open and honest as opposed to for the sake of I think we’re about to jerk each other off but I don’t want you to punch me if I’ve misjudged the vibe -)

(- well like, not that Trevor totally wasn’t thinking that coming out to Jamie on purpose might increase the chances of them jerking each other off, because that’s also six weeks and a half weeks after Trevor realises with all the abruptness of an elevator wooshing down and leaving your stomach in your chest that he finds Jamie incredibly attractive -)

(- so anyway, six weeks and two days after Trevor says to him, I think I might be gay, and then really hates that might and decides it doesn’t count unless you do the thing properly and adds, I mean. I think I probably am, and Jamie says, Okay -)

(- which is to say, six weeks after Trevor spends two days dancing around Jamie, getting wound tighter and tighter, chest pounding, lowkey feeling like he’s about to puke, wondering if it’s all in his head or if he’s right to think Jamie’s also dancing around him, and then they go up to their roof to watch the sunset and both turn to each other at the same time and kiss like they’d planned it and Trevor’s head explodes -)

- anyway, six weeks after that, Jamie calls from the bathroom one morning that he’s thinking about growing a moustache.'

7. (WIP) steelheart - 'Geno was supposed to be back at 8, but at 8.06 he texts Sid sorry late.'

8. (WIP) (don't look at me, you've got a) girl at home - 'Nolan is sleeping less nowadays.'

9. (WIP) (i'm gonna pop your) bubblegum heart - 'Auston has been put on baby-sitting duty.'

10. (WIP) Encyclopaedia - 'There's a new guy in Auston's adult literacy class.'

Comments: Hmm, I think I have a tendency to start with short little sentences that sound fairly everyday and unremarkable, but which quickly lead into the main issue of the fic. However, I definitely played around with different forms outside my comfort zone in these fics - the most obvious examples being vanish into nothing and that's low brow. My favourite might be vanish into nothing because I really enjoy writing that self-consciously plays with the fact that it is writing. I also remember really wrestling with the opening of that's low brow, very aware that I was doing something very much outside my usual style, but trying to capture the maelstrom of feelings and experiences Trevor had just gone through.

Let me know if you spot any other habits of mine! I love talking about writing.

[kingtrash-dan]

🌱💻📌📡🎁

(When I put the satellite there, I was curious if you put your wip chapters, side stories, etc. on any platforms.)

Oh wow hahah you wanted to know a lot, okay here we go :]c 🌱 - This one is a little bit of both, I plan arcs for characters and how they change as people but sometimes when I start to write them they sort of gain a mind of their own and start to go off the rails without my consent. 💻 - Ideal writing space for me is a corner table near a window on a rainy day, with soft orange lighting in the background. 📌 - Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan series, Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart, and Rick Yancey's The Monstrumologist series. These are my top three favorite authors and books/book series and you can plainly see where I get a lot of my themes from. :pc (Special Mention V.E. Schwab's Vicious also read these books lmao) 📡 - If we're talking fandom related works, ao3 is where I put most of my wip chapters. If we're talking original works, I don't tend to share any of my wips or side stories online and usually would only work with my team and partners in constructing the storylines and going over wips. 🎁 - Honestly, expose yourself to different media, the best way to learn in my personal opinion is to widen your media cache and reference points. Let me say that you are NOT being a copycat by taking inspiration from other creators unless you are explicitly just claiming their works as your own, we all learn by example and by following the footsteps of those that came before us. So observe, consume media, take note of what works and what doesn't. Writing is much like visual arts, you need a point of reference and the freedom to explore and experiment with them, and those that tell you otherwise may not be too well versed in the craft.

[plotholes-and-paradoxes]

NaNoWriMo Day 1

welcome to my day 1 update! 

timeline: November 1  what i wrote: I worked on a bit of everything today. I brainstormed some short stories, wrote a little of a book review for school, added a bit to WIP-V (a WIP about vampires that I lovingly think of as Coldest Girl in Coldtown meets Steelheart) and WIP-12 (aka my untitled queer 12 dancing princesses retelling that I’ve fallen in love with but have almost no plot for).  what’s up next: I really want to work on some of Spellbind’s second draft tomorrow and figure out more of my plot for WIP-12. 

most work needed: yes 

fave line(s): “I read about your fey,” she says in her honey-crisp voice. She always says things like that. Hamlet is “my” Hamlet, fairytales are “my” fairytales. Then again, I guess she is my fairytale. 

[ghadzoeux]

Began highlights on Steelheart and basecoated the other two liberators #igers #igersreims #Reims #nofilter #warhammer #GamesWorkshop #paintingwarhammer #figurine #ageofsigmar #shadespire #stormcast #citadel #liberators #workinprogress #wip #hobbyholder #toysandgeek