#using them to help in worldbuilding is great

[aroaessidhe]

2023 reads / storygraph

The Poisons We Drink

YA urban fantasy

a girl who brews powerful potions is coerced into making potions to interfere with D.C.’s most influential politicians in an attempt to stop a dangerous Witcher Registration Act from passing, and will do anything to protect her sister after their mother is killed

bi MC, nonbinary love interest

arc from netgalley

[joshuamj]

i am Blind to basically anything I'm not familiar with, so i still don't know anythin about In Stars and Time. Could you give some info on it??? i am looking for games to play rn....

hmmm okay.. I will say, going in blind is best! I went in knowing literally only 3 things. 1) that it was about a timeloop, 2) that it was entirely monochrome, and 3) that this one character I had seen once was in it (Mirabelle, didn't know her name, just that she existed). And going in with such little knowledge was great, I'd highly recommend

But if you want more, then here's a bit more.. (mostly a synopsis of stuff you'll figure out early on, no major spoilers)

Obviously its a story about a timeloop! In the game, your party is a group trying to save the world from someone simply known as "the King" who is freezing the entire country in time. Interestingly, the game takes place at the end of your journey. The entire party has been assembled and have known each other, you've journeyed across the country, collected items that'll allow you to enter where the King awaits. All thats left to do is go through where he's holed up and defeat him. Also interestingly, you don't play as the protagonist of this story I've just mentioned. A girl named Mirabelle is the chosen one, blessed by her god, she is unable to be frozen in time, and has taken it upon herself to save her country. Yet, you aren't playing as her. You're playing as someone named Siffrin, just one of her party members, and one that says that they're only here because "they have nothing better to do." This should be Mirabelle's story, but you quickly realize why it isn't. Not long into the game, Siffrin's life unexpectedly comes to an end, and the fact that there's a timeloop afoot becomes apparent. Nobody but you and one strange mystery person (named "Loop" of all things) are aware of the loops. In the game you'll do all that you can to make it to the King and defeat him and keep your friends safe, no matter how many deaths, no matter how much time. But thing's aren't that simple you'll find!

Also this game is about a timeloop, so as you may guess, there's a lot of death involved so warnings for lots of death (including suicide), and also warnings for Really Bad Mental Health Stuff, as you may also guess, being trapped in a timeloop isn't good for your mental health. Check the warnings for the game if you think you may need to!

[exopelagic]

my players don’t know it yet but the adventure we’re doing rn is me being silly goofy bc they hadn’t made their characters in time for me to plan around them. now that I Know Things the game can really start

[literaryvein-reblogs]

How to Describe Clothing in Writing

Creating vivid descriptions for a story or character is a mark of a great writer. One specific form of descriptive writing that particularly affects setting and characterization is the portrayal of characters’ clothing.

Writing Tips: Describing Clothes

Clothing descriptions work best when they appear organically in the course of the narrative. The story should never halt in place so that you can shoehorn in a bunch of sartorial descriptions. Here are some writing tips to help you use clothing descriptions in your creative writing:

Integrate clothing into your initial character description. The first time readers meet a character, they should get a sense of how they dress.

Study articles of clothing to make sure you know what they look like. This will help you choose the right words to describe them. For example, it would be appropriate to describe a chiffon dress as “sheer” or “thin,” but it would be clumsy to describe it as “threadbare” because chiffon is not cheap.

Pick outfits that fit the setting you’re writing about. If you’re describing an elegant ball, you might want to place a character in a form-fitting strapless evening gown, as this is a common piece for formal dances. Describing the clothing reinforces the setting you’ve chosen.

Blend clothing into job descriptions. If you’re describing a monk at work, you could note how the loose-fitting sleeves of his frock draped onto a table. If you’re describing a superhero in an action scene, describe the flow of their cape or the stiffness of their boots.

Let your characters change outfits. Show a character arc by marking how a character’s clothing changes over the course of your story. If a character in a YA novel starts out wearing ill-fitting khaki slacks with enormous pleats and ends that same novel wearing a denim jacket with an “anarchy” pin on the lapel, we know they’ve undergone some major changes.

Use clothing to set characters apart. Represent the difference between two characters by describing the differences in their clothing. Let’s say you’re describing two characters interviewing for the same job: One wears a sporty, ruched, A-line dress, and the other wears jeans and a sweatshirt. The reader can infer aspects of both characters’ personalities and make a comparison between two characters.

Reasons to Describe a Character’s Clothing

A character’s clothing is a window into so many aspects of their lives. From a character’s clothes, readers can make inferences about the following:

Clothing reveals a character’s personality. A knee-length fur coat and a corduroy jacket are both forms of outerwear, but it’s quite unlikely they’d be worn by the same kind of person. Readers can deduce a character’s style and personality from the clothes they wear.

Clothing implies a character’s wealth. Is your novel’s main character comes from a working-class background, it’s more likely they’d wear a t-shirt and jeans than a lavish and expensive piece of clothing. Just as in real life, clothing indicates status and wealth.

Clothing shows a character’s point of view toward the world. Clothing can reveal a character’s views on the world. If someone puts on a graphic t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, it implies that they could hardly care less about offending other people. Meanwhile, a character who wears a dressy button-down shirt with a single-breasted plaid jacket seems like the old-fashioned type. Maybe they’re heading to a mixer at the country club?

Clothing suggests the time and place in which a character exists. As part of your worldbuilding process, you’ll want to be as precise as possible about your book’s setting and time period. This doesn’t just apply to historical fiction; it applies to all forms of writing. For instance, if you’re writing a battle scene set during the Revolutionary War, you might need to study the physical descriptions of britches and pantaloons. But if your scene is set in a present-day battlefield, you might describe a soldier as wearing camouflage with a tag hung from a necklace. Simply by changing the clothing description, you’ve marked a massive distinction between these two war stories.

Source ⚜ More: Notes ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs ⚜ References: Fashion

[dailyadventureprompts]

So, from a worldbuilding perspective, wizards have schools, right? It's an easy 1:1 to go from the idea of people who gets their magic from study to the cultural touchstone of academia, and that helps us figure out what institutions and cultural norms are like in our setting.

Correspondingly, clerics have temples, place where their connection to the divine was fostered among a community of fatihful who share their devotion if not their magical gifts. If you were in a d&d world and needed someone with cleric skills, you'd head toward a temple.

But what do Sorcerers have? They're usually presented as one off oddballs or magical oddities but if power exists it's a logical consequence of worldbuilding that there's going to be institutions dedicated to preserving and refining that power.

I'm going to argue that Sorcerers have dynasties, an extended family who share the collective potential for inheriting the magical gift of their powerful ancestor(s). Dynasties would likely be closely tied to the reigning power structure, extended privileges and patronage the same way that noble families are in exchange for their marital support. If you were a ruler in a d&d world, having Battlecasters on hand to shore up your powerbase is just as important as having cavalry and footmen, so you want to make sure the people who are capable of passing down their magical gift are having kids so that their heirs can support your heirs.

This puts a sorcerous dynasty in an interesting position depending on how people in your world think that magic is inherited. Is the gift recessive? Do you breed for it or follow your heart? Are you having too few children or too many? How does that factor into material inheritance? What do you do with all the children who don't show signs of being able to do magic? What if the gift skips a generation or two one of THEIR children show signs of sorcery? Can you let them marry into other families knowing you might be giving away some of your power? Could you use that as a political bargaining chip? How do you handle bastards? What's your stance on monogomy? How do you handle fertility issues? Is the magic waning over time or is it just diluted or are none of your heirs just not living up to your potential? Is there some unadvised ritual or alchemy or dark pact you can make to restore greatness to your line or awaken dormant potential? Does intermarriage with other magical practitioners of different disciplines strengthen or weaken the chance of inheritance? Is there a way to bend politics in your favour to ensure you get this infusion of new blood? Is that baseborn adventurer with the sorcerous gifts a threat to your power or a potential spouse for your firstborn?

All these are brilliant adventureseeds that I don't think I've seen explored all that often. There's only a specific type of player and a specific type of adventure that are concerned with court politics/brigerton style affairs of the nobility, but making those nobles into spell-slinging-sorcerers make them FAR more relevant characters for the background of an adventure.

[juunipupu]

I keep getting notifications for you answering other people's asks, so I figured I'd give it a go, lol. Your work is so inspiring in a way I can't express—I've been in sort of an inspirational rut lately, but your art always helps me and gets me thinking! (Especially Knight and the Enemy Within, which I have saved on my phone, lol.) I even managed to get one of my irl friends hooked on your art just by scrolling your blog next to them!

I really hope you're having a great holiday! Thank you so much for sharing your amazing work with all of us, it's appreciated more than you know, and it's really helped me personally with my worldbuilding project! It's so inspiring to see the level of human emotion in your work :)

(sorry for the rambling ask 😭)

Thank you...truly and sincerely, thank you

[kaurwreck]

fun fact! the contemporary Japanese constitution as amended does not and can't exist in bsd. this isn't conjecture— there are institutions that still exist in bsd that were dissolved by Japan's current constitution, and the events leading to Japan's current constitution have not happened in bsd.

Japan's constitution was rewritten by US General Douglas MacArthur in 1946, in the aftermath of WW2. But WW2 hasn't happened in bsd. (This is also not really conjecture; it's evidenced by there being a Great War and Fukuchi's aims to prevent a second would-be-greater war— irl, the Great War was only called that prior to WW2 because it was, until WW2, the most destructive, widespread war in the modern world. We then had an even greater war and so began numbering them.)

but, it's not even only that WW2 hasn't happened. you might have noticed bsd's Great War parallels but doesn't mirror irl!WW1— in bsd; the international alliances were different (ex: France was allied with Japan and Germany); Japan disengaged from the Great War before its conclusion (after Fukuzawa killed Japan's war hawks); the subsequent peace treaty was between France, Germany, and England (in lieu of the Treaty of Versailles); different nation states arose in the aftermath (the Republic of Nares only exists in bsd, it never existed irl— but WW1 did collapse empires and beget several new nations); the Great War beget the United Nations instead of the League of Nations; etc.

it's not clear precisely where bsd's alternate history breaks from ours— or if there was ever even a break or if it's an entirely parallel timeline—but it is canon that the Port Treaties that forcefully opened irl Japan exist in bsd but were never abolished like they were irl in 1899. it's canon that Suribachi City formed after itty bitty baby Chuuya black hole kaiju'ed a foreign settlement in Yokohama since there wasn't any appetite to rebuild it— which means that as recently as approximately a decade prior to canon, there were still foreign settlements in Japan. this is further confirmed by the Colonel in 55 Minutes.

all of this to illustrate: any claim regarding bsd!Japan's laws based on irl!contemporary Japan is incorrect unless specifically affirmed in canon. Based on the information we've been given thus far, the two Japans are operating on completely different legal frameworks.

in other words, there's no basis for deciding same sex marriage is illegal in bsd!Japan until Kafka Asagiri writes it into canon.*

*For example, I'm fairly certain Yokohama's municipal tax laws and regulations are similar enough to irl!Yokohama because Kunikida mentions a specific tax zone in Osamu Dazai's Entrance Exam that seemingly aligns with a tax zone specific to some contemporary Japanese municipalities, including Yokohama.

*Random fanfic of any gay BSD ships getting proposed to/are married/seems like they are married

“it’s cute and all but you’re forgetting that gay marriage is illegal in Japan”

Stfu, they are literally part of the mafia and have killed poeple, you really think they’d care about that💀

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

Apr 2nd

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1. hi!! i think this falls under ITMF: I was wondering if you may know any fics where the people of Gusu/Gusu Lan watched LWJ grow up and so when WWX come to Cloud Recesses, they watch them fall in love. It can be compliant or divergence.

I’m not sure if this is exactly what they were requesting for 1, but the following fics have people realizing that Lan Zhan and Wei Ying like each other and/or feature family members & friends teasing Lan Zhan about liking Wei Ying during the CR arc:

All According to Plan by pupeez4eva (T, 6k, WangXian, Time Travel, Humor, Cloud recess days, Post-Canon)

forces of attraction by bleuett (M, 20k, WangXian, SongXiao, Romantic Comedy, of sorts, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, au where wwx was raised by BSSR, Idiots in Love, Developing Relationship, Accidental Marriage, Sharing a Bed, everyone's gay uncles sl and xxc, secret matchmaker lxc, Fluff, No War AU, Hand Jobs, lwj's fight flight or fuck instincts, the inherent horniness of sword fighting, Happy Ending)

💖 Hoards and treasures by apathyinreverie (T, 21k, WangXian, Siblings, Family, not particularly Jiang friendly, YZY Bashing, slightly darker Gusu Lans, LXC being the best brother, Some manipulation, But with the best of intentions, and not between wangxian, Dragon LWJ, Fox WWX, Smitten LWJ, Fluff, perfect happiness, adorable WWX, Romance, Some worldbuilding, courting)

Just Say Yes Series by edenwolfie (T/M, 338k, WangXian, Matchmaking, Pining, Getting Together, Canon Divergence, POV Alternating, Fluff, First Kiss, Declarations Of Love, Humor, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Good Uncle LQR, Engagement, Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It)

Pigtail Pulling by protos_metazu_ison (G, 3k, WangXian, Fluff and Humor, Crack Treated Seriously, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans)

🔒There’s fire in him (in me) by luckymoonly (M, 9k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, getting together early, No Sunshot Campaign, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Fluff and Smut, Horny Teenagers, Unplanned Pregnancy, Mpreg, Smut (Top LWJ/Bottom WWX), Falling In Love, courting, WWX and NHS are BFF, First Time)

tiny gentians by humancorn (G, 1k, WangXian, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Age Regression/De-Aging, De-Aged WWX, he's like 5, Fluff, Pre-Slash)

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2. Are there any fics where Jiang Cheng actually focuses on Wei Wuxian's mental health and try to help him? That'd be sweet. Please let me and please and thank you😁 @yasssbassss

❤️ For Both Of Us (And Time Is But A Paper Moon) by sami (E, 65k, WangXian, Time Travel, Some People Live/Not Everyone Dies, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Healing, Yunmeng Shuangjie, Canon Divergence, Asexual JC, First Time, Getting Together, BAMF JC, BAMF LWJ, [Podfic] Cold read of For Both Of Us (And Time Is But A Paper Moon) by kisahawklin, Для нас обоих (И время лишь бумажная луна) (Russian translation) by nomuad)

I think these might work for 2 (they at least showcase Jiang Cheng’s concern for Wei Ying and helping him as much as he can):

a life without sun by thankgodforpandas (T, 30k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Mutual Pining)

🔒Blur the Edges of Memory by geethr75 (T, 53k, WangXian, JC centric, Good brother JC, Post canon, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, No golden core transfer, Sect Leader WWX, Hopeful Ending, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Heavy Angst, Fluff, Angst with a Hopeful Ending)

if i had the strength by agloeian (M, 16k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Fix-It, somewhat of a case fic, Heaven Official’s Blessing inspired gods & ghosts, No Spoilers for Heaven Official’s Blessing, Mild Alcohol Abuse, Mental Health Issues, WWX is not in a great place for a lot of this fic, He Gets Better Though!, this fic is all about learning to give yourself the help you give others tbh, Baby LJY, recovery fic, Accidental Baby Acquisition)

The Threads of Fate by WaitForTheSnitch (E, 176k, WIP, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Good Uncle LQR, Protective LWJ, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Pining LWJ, WWX in WWX’s Body, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Oblivious WWX, Siblings JC & WWX, Supportive JYL, Protective NHS, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Comic Book Science)

A Mother's Love by FirefliesNLightningBugs (M, 170k, WangXian, XuanLi, Canon Divergence, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Mostly combo of the Untamed and MoDaoZuShi timelines, Unreliable Narrator, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Miscommunication, Family Feels, Found Family, PTSD, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Political Intrigue, Mystery, POV Multiple, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Strong Female Characters, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Good Brother In Law JZX, Genderbent WWX, Intersex WWX, not a/b/o, POV Original Character, Expanded Universe, Unplanned Pregnancy, Golden Core Reveal, WWX Has No Golden Core, Cultivation Sect Politics, Bisexual WWX, YLLZ WWX, Yunmeng Shuangjie, Pining WangXian, Parent-Child Relationship, Getting Together, Protective Yúnmèng Jiāng Sect, MXY Lives) jc focusing in wwx health, "a mother's love" by FirefliesNLightningBugs on ao3 has partial Golden core (and general poor health) reveal post sunshot and jc being an awkward protective supportive bean

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3. Recommend me to some one sided love, like someone like wei wuxian but he's dating lan wangji (vice versa) but they don't break up @lanwuxian0725

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4. For intmf: an emotional hurt/comfort fic where lwj is the one being hurt and getting comforted. I'm totally happy with there also be a physical injury aspect, I just really want a fic where lan zhan's emotions are key. Thanks! @landofvinesandmonoliths

🔒 the anteroom of golden age by everythingispoetry (M, 92k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Disability, Recovery, Mental Health Issues, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Families of Choice, Developing Relationship)

🧡 Sustenance of the Soul OR Five Times Lan Wangji Refused to Eat and One Time Wei Wuxian Convinced Him To by InTheGreySpaces (E, 9k, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Angst, Pining, Eating Disorders, LWJ Has an Eating Disorder, and WWX is going to help him get past it, Inedia, Inedia used in the wrong way, LWJ's 33 Lashes Punishment, referenced as the cause of his eating problems, Submissive LWJ, Sort of?)

A Lot of Edges Called Perhaps by hansbekhart (E, 21k, WangXian, Semi-Public Sex, Public Masturbation, Mutual Masturbation, Anal Sex, Sex in the cold springs, Mutual Pining, Grief/Mourning, Injury Recovery, Ethical Dilemmas, Ethical Edging, Risk Aware Consensual Patience, Edgeplay sort of, Happy Ending, [Podfic] A Lot of Edges Called Perhaps by kalakirya)

A Study in Comfort by WeaverOfTheNight (T, 8k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Established Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, no plot just vibes, POV LWJ)

And I Will Call You Home by Spodumene (E, 42k, WangXian, Case Fic, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Canon-Typical Violence, Blood, Ghosts, Suicide, Explicit Sexual Content, Attempted Sexual Assault, LWJ whump, Original Character Death(s), [Podfic of] And I Will Call You Home by Spodumene by AuntieIroh)

i don't wanna lose you (hope it never ends) by annemari (T, 20k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Sickfic, Getting Together, [Podfic of] i don't wanna lose you (hope it never ends) by exmanhater)

🔒 Vagabond by xantissa (E, 65k, WangXian, Slow Burn, Mystery, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Frottage, Case Fic, murders, Supernatural, Angst, Fluff, those two are so in love it hurts, Happy Ending, extreme fluff, Hurt/Comfort, badass LXC, Canon-Typical Violence, top LWJ, Bottom LWJ)

what builds a home by Stratisphyre (T, 45k, WangXian, MY & WWX, Canon Divergence, Adopted WWX, POV Multiple, warning for JGS behaving exactly as expected, child endangerment, Brother Feels, Minor Character Death, [Podfic] Cold read of “what builds a home” by Stratisphyre by KeriArentikaiPods (KeriArentikai))

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5. Hello!

Itmf funny modern shapeshift fics 🤗

Thank you!

🔒Attempt the Impawsible by Reverie (cl410) (T, 5k, WangXian, Animal Transformation, Modern with Magic, Fluff and Humor, Established Relationship, nielan, Happy Ending)

🔒💖 blue-ribbon bunny by cicer (G, 15k, wangxian, modern, shapeshifting, supernatural elements, fluff & humor)

The Peanut Butter Jar AU series by ScarlettStorm (E, 76k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Fox WWX, animal rescuer LWJ, Minor pining, major shenanigans, Comedy, Smut, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Adhd WWX, Blowjobs, Frottage, switch rights, Scent Kink, mildly telepathic sex, courtship via kittens, Pacific Northwest setting, Established Relationship, not just fox wwx but also foxboy wwx, petting, both platonic and sexual, Scent Kink, mildly telepathic sex, Blowjobs, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Sex Toys, Some A/B/O Dynamics, but in a non a/b/o world, No mpreg, yes self-lubrication, switch rights, Emotional Hurt/Comfort)

Playing Possum by DizziDreams (T, 1k, WangXian, Modern AU, Crack, animal shifter wwx)

stray cat strut by ScarlettStorm (E, 54k, WangXian, No War AU, the world’s least mysterious casefic, Cat WWX, followed by catboy WWX, Comedy, Shenanigans, comedy shenanigans, Slow Burn, a disgusting amount of magically necessary forehead smooches, switch rights)

What a Difference a Ray Makes by miffmiff, Yoo_im_finally_writing (T, 7k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, WWX is a Little Shit, JC is So Done, LWJ Suffers in Aquatic Silence, involuntary animal transformation, Biology Inaccuracies, Cursed LWJ, Ridiculous Bonding Rituals, also dragon shapeshifters exist in this AU, wildly alternating povs, Attempt at Humor, Crack)

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6. Hello!!! Just saw a fanart by benevolenterrancy were wwx teases lwj about getting a kiss and them being dumbfounded at actually being kissed and am now Yearning for a fic like that, please 🙏 (I would love if it was canon setting/pre-relationship but honestly anything with the same premise would be great) @pinsluke

pale shadows of forgotten names by Chrononautical (T, 56k, wangxian, Madam Lán Lives, Madam Lán Deserves Better, Good Sibling LXC, Badass LXC, He gets there in the end it just takes a while, Not particularly JGY friendly, Gūs�� Lán Sect Rules, Canon-Typical Behavior, Unresolved Sexual Tension, the universal fear of growing up to become one of your parents, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives AU, Except WN but he’s very polite, Arranged Marriage, Forced Marriage, Imprisonment, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, not between wangxian, Drunk LWJ, to lighten the mood, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Traumatized WWX, though he will not admit it, Taking time to heal, canon-typical communication skills) Wei Ying teases Lan Zhan into kissing him after their arranged marriage in the first chapter of pale shadows of forgotten names but Wei Ying laughs off the kiss so I’m not sure if that’s quite what they are looking for.

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7. itmf a fic about a glow up of some sort, can be canon or any other AU! can be either lwj or wwx glowing up

From the Warm Sun by sunshine_sparrow (T, 58k, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Discussion of Rape, Period-Typical Sexism, Mostly CQL but probably some MDZS too, CSSR Lives, Madam Lan Lives, Qingheng-jun Lives, But WCZ Still Dies, Fix-It, Happy Ending, All Soft and Very Little Angst, the wens live, Baoshan-sanren is a Badass, Cangse-sanre is a Badass, Good Person MY, Good Person LQR) There is a gap and then WY returns to cr

For 7 There was a fic where WY saw lz after a certain period of absence and lz was on a motorbike and was trying to impress WY. He even saved him from assault and gave a lift from Caiyi. There were additional details when fighting wens who captured dragons etc Sorry, can't give the exact name or link. But that was definitely a glow up

Twelve Moons and a Fortnight by stiltonbasket (M, 290k, WangXian, Humor, Slow Burn, Post-Canon Fix-It, Long-Distance Relationship, Epistolary, Love Letters, Family Feels, a-qing lives, teenage romance, Adoption, Romantic Comedy, Happy Ending, Weddings, Case Fic, Parenthood, Politics) twelve moons and a fortnight has a glow up moment on ao3. Also if I remember right rise of divine oracle by blak salt (ffnet & ao3) also has it, tho first rec has a more specific 'get glam'd up for an event' sequence

Rise of the Divine Oracle by BlakSalt (T, 291k, WangXian, Boy Love, Hurt/Comfort, Romance)

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8. I have a weird request for a fic so I've been rewatching winx club so do you know any fic where there's a crossover between winx club and MDZS

Your love gives me Wings by SaiaiSaiko (M, 27k, WangXian, WWX Lives, MXY Lives, Winx Club Fusion, Enchantix Form, Sirenix From Winx Club, Believix From Winx Club, Fairy WWX, Witch WWX, Curses, Bad Health through Curses, Spiritual Tools are Pixies, Accelerated Aging, older looking WWX, Fairy NHS, BAMF WWX, BAMF NHS, WWX in WWX’s Body, JZX Lives, NMJ Lives, JYL Lives, The following tags contain spoilers, Evil JGS, Trans MXY, Self-Discovery, Misgendering, Victim JGY, Curse Breaking)

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9. First off thank you for everything you do ♥️ y'all out here doing the lords work 🥲🙏 this is my first itmf request since I found this blog hehe but anyways: looking for fics where lan zhan first kisses wei ying under the tree scene but wei ying actually uncovers his eyes and things unravel from there? 🤭 the more explicit the better but down for any rating. No modern settings pls and thank you ♥️ @queenofangts

Stolen kisses, shy maidens by naqaashi (E, 5k, WangXian, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Happy Ending, Top LWJ/Bottom WWX, Phoenix Mountain Night Hunt Competition, Multiple Orgasms, Overstimulation, Soft WangXian, Minor XuanLi, Awkward JZX, JZX Tries, Supportive JYL, Good Sibling JYL, Fluff and Humor, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Mutual Pining, Resolved Sexual Tension, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, YLLZ WWX, WWX's Dubiously Self-Lubricating Asshole, Marathon Sex, First Kiss, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Semi-Public Sex, Outdoor Sex, WangXian in Love, Porn with Feelings, PWP, Maybe A Little Plot, Fix-It, Canon Divergence, Fluff and Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, BAMF JYL)

Within a forest dark by danegen (E, 12k, WangXian, Dubious Consent, Phoenix Mountain Night Hunt Competition, post-Burial Mounds trauma, wwx's cnc kink, only dub con at the beginning)

Wei Ying doesn’t uncover his eyes during the kiss but learns soon after that Lan Zhan was the one who kissed him in Advisable Lan rules and other shenanigans, Nonsense does the trick, the breaking of your soul (upon my lips), There’s A Molester On The Loose At Phoenix Mountain!!, & To see with eyes unclouded

💖🔒Advisable Lan rules and other shenanigans by apathyinreverie (G, 4k, wangxian, LXC & LWJ, JC & WWX, Canon Divergence, fix-it, humor, drunk LWJ, smitten LWJ, soft WWX, possessive LWJ, gusu lan rules, drunk shenanigans, fluff)  

Nonsense Does the Trick by septune (E, 4k, WangXian, Dubious Consent, Consensual Sex, Praise Kink, if u squint, PWP, emotional smut, Spit As Lube, Getting Together, Fix-It of Sorts, First Time, Light Dom/sub)

the breaking of your soul (upon my lips) by sunsandships (M, 40k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Mutual Pining, Canon-Typical Violence, Golden Core Reveal, Happy Ending)

There’s A Molester On The Loose At Phoenix Mountain!! by sweetlolixo (G, 3k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Humor, Crack, Fluff, Romance, Wangxian happy ending)

To see with eyes unclouded by Mianlong (M, 34k, WIP, WangXian, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, WWX Has Self-Esteem Issues, Sad LWJ, Sad WWX, Fix-It of Sorts, Everybody Lives, Yunmeng Siblings Feels, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Anxiety, POV Multiple, Depression, WWX Has ADHD, Autistic LWJ, YZY Bashing, JFM Bashing, Bad Parents JFM and YZY, Good Uncle LQR, Twin Jades of Lan Dynamics, Implied Mpreg, Slow Burn)

Not While by You, I Stand and Hum by StitchNLich (GallifreyanAtHearts) (E, 37k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Arranged Marriage, Golden Core Reveal, Emotional Constipation, Getting Together, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Fix-It)

~*~

10. For itmf, id love fics where lqr finds out that lwj is the shameless freak and wei ying is the more innocent one please! @stormblessed95

🔒Something is wrong with A-Zhan! by HeloSoph (M, 15k, WangXian, NieLan, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Sort Of, Dark LWJ Morally Gray WWX, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, WWX Isn't Adopted by the Jiangs, WWX is a Lan, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, JC Bashing, Smitten LWJ, Possessive LWJ, Engaged WangXian, Blood and Violence, Shameless LWJ, Good Uncle LQR, Semi-Public Sex, or at least wangxian's version of it Scheming NHS, POV NHS)

Dispersing Clouds by dreamingofcake (E, 283k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Abusive YZY, Canonical Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Sex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (Background Character), Background Character Deaths, child deaths, Canon JC, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cultivation Sect Politics, Homophobia, Heteronormativity, Feelings Realization, WWX is Not Oblivious) Lan Qiren walks in on Lan Zhan having sex with Wei Ying in chapter 45

~*~

11. do you know any fics like a home under construction by cheekybrunette, where sizhui feels like his relationship with lwj and/or wwx will change following wwx coming back from the dead?

~*~

12. Hey I’m itmf bratty/whiny/clingy Wei Ying and Lan Zhan taking care of him @mxiwpno

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13. I'm in the mood for monster!wangxian in the same flavor as Buried in the Sky, Hallowed by thy Depths by themunchking and Phantom Leashes by mondengel ^^

~*~

14. hiii any fics where wwx goes back to gusu with lwj in his first life? @ashxi-wx

gone with the silence by SpeedingCheetah (M, 63k, WangXian, LSZ & WWX & LWJ, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Self-Harm, Major Character Injury, Injury Recovery, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, POV LWJ, WangXian-centric, Golden Core Reveal, Post-Sunshot Campaign, WangXian Adopt LSZ, Ambiguous/Open Ending, a sorta-kinda-maybe fix it story, WWX Goes to Gusu, triggers are in the notes)

no way back, no way home by via_the_cryptid (T, 4k, WIP, WangXian, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Hurt WWX, LWJ is So Whipped, Protective LWJ, Soft WangXian, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt No Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort Breaking of Gusu Lan Sect Rules, Golden Core Reveal, Wen Remnants Live, Canon Divergence Canon - Modao Zushi & The Untamed Combination)

🔒Swordless by WithBroomBefore (G, 32k, WangXian, Established Relationship, Canon Divergence, Golden Core Reveal, Crying, Feelings, Trans Character, AFAB LWJ, Kissing, POV WWX)

Red Flower With One Hundred Petals; Smoke Carried on the Blue Dusk Air by carolyncaves (T, 32k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Alcohol, Mental Health Issues, Angst, Tenderness, Golden Core Reveal, Hurt/Comfort, thoughts of death/dying, Rabbits, Caretaking, Marriage Proposal, Wedding Fluff, Family Feels, Literal Sleeping Together, Shotgun Wedding, angry wedding planner JC, Yunmeng sibling drama and fluff, physical affection, Terrible Parties, Happy Ending)

❤️ a stone to break your soul, a song to save it by rikke (M, 180k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, arranged marriage)

~*~

15. Hi, I hope you guys are doing well💓 is there any fic where LWJ is the commoner? Like simply ordinary people or rogue cultivator and WWX is the one with higher status. It will be amazing if the plot have the conflict between WWX family who don't agree with their relationship. Any dynamic/ background is okay, thank you in advance! @yourslwj

Turn Left by kianspo (M, 204k, WangXian, NieLan, Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Friends to Lovers, eventually, references to child sexual abuse, not main characters, Neurodivergent LWJ, Slow Build, Lán Family Feels, specifically, Twin Jades of Lán Feels, lwj-centric, Twin Jades of Lán Dynamics, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies) Lan Zhan grew up outside of Gusu Lan and became rogue cultivator and then met Wei Ying. There is some conflict from WWX family regarding Lan Zhan (he is technically Lan, but was kidnapped as child and doesn't know his family and vice versa)

travelers through the empty gate by stiltonbasket (M, 112k, WangXian, royalty au, mistaken identity, emperor WWX, poor LWJ, forced marriage, (by LWJ himself), confused WWX, parenthood, misunderstandings, empress LWJ, fluff & humor, married life, angst w/ happy ending, WIP)These don’t feature Wei Ying’s family looking down on Lan Zhan but I think otherwise fit: Turn Left and travelers through the empty gate

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16. Hey for itmf,

Any fics where wangxian are married (arranged or something else) and lwj is really cold towards wwx (at least at the beginning?)

🔒 Concord by Deastar (T, 41k, WangXian, Arranged Marriage, Gusu Lan Sect Rules, Depression, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, [Coldread of] Concord by Deastar by AuntieIroh)

我的皇后是農民 | sowing seeds in the cold palace by sweetlolixo (E, 84k, WangXian, Imperial Palace, Emperor LWJ, Imperial Consort WWX, Farmer WWX, Angst, Romance, Wingman LJY, Wife-chasing-LWJ, Arranged Marriage, Best Boy A-Yuan)

True Gold Fears No Fire by defractum (nyargles) (M, 82k, WangXian, Royalty AU, Ancient China, Wuxia, Historical Inaccuracy, Arranged Marriage, Identity Porn, Mutual Pining, Emperor!LWJ, empress!wwx, Eventual Happy Ending, Misunderstandings)

How You Would Let Me Have You by longleggedgit (E, 15k, WangXian, XiQing, Arranged Marriage, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergence, First Time, The LXC/WQ is a "mutual beards" situation just FTR)

Mourning Robes by Starlight1395 (T, 17k, WangXian, No Sunshot Campaign, Arranged Marriage AU, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Depression, dissociating, Mild Blood, Fluff, juniors idolizing WWX like he deserves, slowburn between WWX and Cloud Recesses, Hinted smut, Jingyi has a CRUSH, Supportive JC)

the river and the sea by sasamelons (T, 7k, WangXian, Soulmates AU, Arranged Marriage, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Falling In Love, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Mutual Pining)

permissive presumption by sarahyyy (G, 7k, WangXian, Royalty AU, Arranged Marriage, Pining, Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings)

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17. Hi! Do you have a recommendation of modern au where Wei wuxian or lan wangji sees a painting of one another and feels close and doesn't know why. Please it's so good @lanwuxian0725

'Till We Meet Again by Alwritey87 (T, 9k, WangXian, JC & WWX, JC & LWJ, Major Character Death, Soulmates, Modern Reincarnation, Immortals, Ghost WWX, Scholar LWJ, Angst with a Happy Ending, Good Sibling JC, JC is tired of WangXian not getting their shit together, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, based of the Hua Zhong Xian, LWJ is a history nerd, Soft JC, JC & LWJ Dislike Each Other, (friendly rivalry), WWX is not resurrected)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[cydork]

Alien Questionnaire - A Biological Perspective

A while ago, somebody linked me a very comprehensive worldbuilding questionnaire. For most aspects of a fictional society, it was great, but I noticed it assumed that anyone using it was making up a fictional human society, or at least a society of beings very similar to humans. As such, there was almost nothing in the biology department, which to me is one of the best parts! Thus, this questionnaire was born.

These questions are designed to help people worldbuild from a biological foundation. As such, the questionnaire only touches lightly on other aspects of a fictional society, and is more of a jumping off point. I wrote it with the aim of using it to develop aliens, but it should be suitable for any project with non-humanoid species, such as sapient terrestrial animals.

Have fun! I'd love to see your answers :)

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General Anatomy How many limbs do they have? Do they have limbs at all?

What are their primary manipulators? Where are they located? How does this affect their tool use, building ability, etc?

What kind of body covering do they have, e.g. hair, scales, feathers? How do they clean it? Do they shed this covering constantly, or all at once at certain times? 

Can they maintain a constant body temperature? If not, how do they deal with changing environmental temperatures? 

What kind of habitat do they live in? Both specific habitat, and broader such as on land vs in water.

What adaptations do they have for living in this habitat?

What kind of creature did they evolve from?

What are the similarities and differences to their closest living relatives? 

What resource(s) is the most necessary and urgent for them? E.g. for many animals, but not all, it’s water.

What are some common mutations? E.g. eye colours, ability to digest lactose in humans.

What injuries or illnesses are considered disabling? 

How is their healing ability? Can they regenerate? If they can, is that limited to certain body parts or a certain number of times?

Senses What senses do they have? E.g. sight, smell, electroreception, etc.

How good are those senses?

Which of their sense/s do they use the most in everyday life?

How might this choice of sense impact the way they interact with the world? 

Can they detect things that Earth creatures cannot? If yes, how and why?

Movement  How do they move? Do they walk, crawl, fly, etc? 

If they have multiple modes of movement, which is preferred, and why?

Which part/s of their body do they use to move?

What is their speed and endurance like? 

How agile are they? 

Do they rely mainly on their own bodies for travel, or do they use pack animals and machines? 

How often do they move around? Are they mainly sedentary, do they move a lot within a set area, do they migrate, etc?

Do they have different levels of mobility depending on age, sex, or other biological group? E.g. young barnacles are able to swim, while adults are anchored permanently to a surface. 

Reproduction and Lifecycle  How many sexes are there? 

Are there differences between the sexes (ignoring the reproductive system)? 

Are there different castes, such as in honeybees or naked mole rats? If so, what is the function of each caste? 

Are differences in sex or caste used to justify discrimination or hierarchy? How might these ideas differ in different populations? 

Do they have a concept of gender? If so, is gender affected by sex, caste, or some other factor?

How do they attract a mate? Do they release a chemical into the air, do an elaborate display, etc?

Does one individual try to actively woo another, or is courtship more mutual?

What do they find attractive in members of the same species?

What is the usual reproductive partnership? E.g. two individuals, one main reproducing individual with a harem, no set partner, etc. 

How long do they live?

How are young brought into the world? Live birth, eggs, spores, etc?

Is producing young a painful, dangerous process, or is it easy?

How much parental investment is there? Are there many young with little investment, or few young with a lot of investment (r vs K strategy)? Or is it somewhere in the middle? 

How many offspring are produced at a time? Think about how attitudes towards children may differ between a species that produces one or two, and a species that produces dozens or even hundreds at a time.

How do they grow? Are they born looking like miniature adults, gradually growing bigger? Do they have specific phases of high growth, like puberty? Do they have a larval phase, metamorphosis? 

How self-sufficient are they as young? Can they move around and feed themselves as soon as they are born? Do they require parental care? 

What is the usual structure of childcare? Single or multiple parents/related individuals? Communally raised? 

Is sex purely for reproduction, or does it serve other purposes?

What kind of sexuality is considered the norm? This doesn’t just refer to same/other sex pairings, but the culture around sex in general.

Diet and Foodchain What is their diet? Are they carnivores, omnivores, frugivores, insectivores, etc?

Do they feed off an unusual source, for example rocks, metals, or (in appropriate settings) something like magic or souls?

What physical adaptations do they have for this diet? 

Is their diet very restricted, or can they have a wide range of foods?

How often do they eat? What is the culture around mealtimes, if any?

Are they prey for other organisms? For each other?

If they are, how do they deal with it? Do they fight back, have barriers, or do they accept it as a part of life?

If they are hunters themselves, what is their attitude to killing other organisms? Are they respectful? Prideful of their kill? Is it completely trivial? 

If they are hunters, how do they hunt? Are they solitary or packhunters? Are certain members of the group designated to hunt? 

Are the results of foraging or hunting shared, or is it everyone for themself?

Are they parasitic, parasitised, or in a symbiotic relationship with any other organisms? 

Body Rhythms How often do they sleep?

What time of the day are they most active? Are they nocturnal, diurnal, crepuscular? 

Do they generally sleep for one long period a day, multiple shorter periods throughout, or something in between? 

Do they sleep to cope with extreme temperatures or bad conditions, i.e. hibernate or aestivate?

Do they have any biological processes that disrupt their life e.g. moulting, reproductive cycles, etc?

If yes, how does their society accommodate for these processes? Does it accommodate them at all? 

Communication What is their main method of communication? Sound, visuals, scent, etc? Think about their main sense and how this would affect communication.

What is their body language like? What small moving parts might aid their body language?

If they have multiple methods of communication, are they all given equal weight, or is one considered higher than others? 

Society How sociable are they? 

If social, what is the usual social structure? 

Are there hierarchies? How strict or relaxed are the roles?

How are disputes usually settled? Is it more common to be violent or appease the other party? 

If not social, what is the reaction to being with other individuals? Do they become aggressive or stressed? Do they tolerate each other? 

What is the usual size of a community? Do they have communities at all? 

Do they have an in-group vs out-group mentality? If so, how strong is it? This generally relates to how scarce or plentiful resources were during their evolution, and how territorial their ancestors were.

What kind of bonds do they form? 

On the spectrum of individualistic to community-oriented, where do they fall?

Do they have a strong sense of personal identity? Think about how this might tie in with the previous question. 

What are the main things they derive identity from? Occupation, gender, family ties, etc?

Do they have names? If yes, how are these names formed? Are they given by another party or chosen by the individual?

Have they domesticated any creatures? If so, what do they use these creatures for?

Do they have any unusual relationships with other creatures on their planet (beyond predation, parasitism or mutualism)?

Do they produce art? What are their main forms of artistic expression? Think about how this will be linked to their main sense(s), communication method, and/or primary manipulators.

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GLOSSARY Primary manipulator: Main body part used to manipulate objects, e.g. hands in humans, trunks in elephants, feet in parrots.

Sedentary: Inactive, staying in the same place.

Caste (reproductive): A group within a species with differences in body type and reproductive ability.

Symbiosis/Mutualism: Interactions where both parties benefit, e.g. cleaner fish getting a meal in exchange for picking irritating parasites off larger fish.

Aestivate: To become inactive during hot or dry periods, usually involving being sealed in mucus or soil e.g. lungfish, snails. 

Reproductive cycle: Regular hormone fluctuations that affect an animal’s fertility or attitude towards breeding. The cycles can range from months to years and can include things such as antler growth in male deer, heat cycles, and menstruation in humans.

[ladyloveandjustice]

My Top 12 Favorite Anime of 2024 (and more)!

We had a lot of good anime in 2024, so here's the list of my top 12 favorites and some bonus great anime as well. If you get tired of clicking the review links, check out my anime overview collection for all of them here.  

You can also check out my post about my favorite manga from 2024 here and my favorite books of 2024 here.

These are in no particular order!

Delicious in Dungeon (a.k.a Dungeon Meshi)

Dungeon Meshi  is one of my favorite stories period, and easily my top anime of the year. The basic premise is that Laios and his party of adventurers need to travel through a monster-infested dungeon rescue his sister. Rather waste precious time earning money for food, Laios decides they should just eat the monsters they encounter as they travel. But then that simple plot spins off into so much more...

The story combines cooking and adventure animanga expertly. It has some of the most impressive and fascinating worldbuilding I've ever seen, top-tier varied character design and a great plot. It's also funny as hell, and I love its main cast of nuanced eccentric weirdos with all my heart. Even the characters who have five minutes of screen time feel like you could watch a spin-off series about them.

It's not just about food, but the cycle of life and death, about hunger of all kinds, about ecosystems and societies and finding solace in the monstrous...there's a lot simmering under this story!

So, go ahead and eat up! And read my review here for more!

Mayonaka Punch

Canceled YouTuber, Masaki, meets a pathetic lesbian vampire, Live. Live agrees to help Masaki launch a new YouTube channel, but in exchange, Masaki has to let Live suck up all her blood when they reach 100 million subscribers.

 This is the kind of stuff I watch anime for. This is what dreams are made of.

Do you support women's wrongs? Are you craving some women who are loveable shitheads? Do you want a great ensemble comedy about five disaster vampires wreaking havoc and a cynical human along for the ride? This show has all that, plus some down bad lesbian vampire shenanigans! But there's also a lot of growth for the main character, and the show has a lot of pathos in how it explores how the internet and its outrage train can do a number on one's mental health.

It's a ton of fun! See my full review here!

Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc.

Being a magical girl is no longer the domain of teenagers, and has evolved into an actual career dominated by adult women. Kana becomes a magical girl for a scrappy start up company, and tries her best to navigate working life.

It's the magical girl story about adult women I've been craving for years! Magical girl media often explores the struggles of adolescence and growing up, and this show takes us to the next step by using magical girls to explore what it’s like to be a young woman entering the working world. The focus is one Kana struggling to grow her confidence and accept support from her workplace, but it also has a lot to say about companies exploiting their workers, prizing efficiency and growth over actually taking care of their customers, and it shows how the world could be better than what it is right now. Check out my review here for more detail!

Girls Band Cry

After being bullied, Nina drops out school and ends up starting a band with four other girls, including the woman whose music saved her at her darkest moment. Nina's determined for the band to stick it to the people who once looked down on them. GBC features some wonderfully messy and entertaining teenage girls, actually incredible CGI animation and great music. Nina, the lead, is allowed to be angry and obnoxious and powered by spite, but the narrative sympathizes with her and loves her spirit, even if she sometimes messes things up. All the girls have rough edges and raw emotion and a great dynamic with each other. They also flip people off a lot.

It was kind of screwed over by streaming, but don't sleep on it! See my review here!

Natsume's Book of Friends (Season 7) 

Anime's sweetest boy and his horrible cat (affectionate) are back, and it's time for more yokai adventures! I’ve already talked at length about how this series is special–check out my series review/ Rec post for the series here. I also did an article titled The Courage to Speak: Mental Illness and Recovery in Natsume’s Book of Friends that goes into more in-depth analysis. The story is sweet and charming and sometimes heartwrenching and very important to me.

It's yet another season of lovely, bittersweet yokai tales that tug on your heartstrings, the characters continue to heal and grow in slow but satisfying ways. It just feels so nice watching this series again and letting the love, comfort, and catharsis wash over me. See my review here.

Dead Dead Demon's DeDeDeDe Destruction

A giant mothership is hovering over Tokyo. The aliens have done nothing, not even leaving their ship, but Japan and America are already trying to blow that UFO up, and show off who has the best weapons, causing many civilian casualties along the way. Meanwhile, two girls are just trying to living their lives.

This anime goes hard on criticizing the military industrial complex, Japanese nationalism and imperialism, American imperialism, xenophobia, mistreatment of immigrants, rich people, and conspiracy theorists. That means it's often devastating and visceral, but it also follows some fantastic weird girls and their ride-or-die soul bond, as well as other charming, funny teenagers who are just trying to live in a world falling apart around them. You can also look forward to some plot twists that recontextualize everything you know!

You should also see my review for some content warnings and a really important message about episode order if you want more detail, you can read it here.

Senpai is an Otokonoko

 Makoto is an "otokonoko" ( a term that means crossdressing boy) and he's figuring out his relationship to gender, and hiding his interests from his mother. A girl named Aoi confesses to him, thinking he's a girl. But he reveals the truth, she's ecstatic about it, much to his shock. Meanwhile, Makoto's best friend Ryuji is also crushing on him...

It's tough to be a queer kid in a world full of rigid gender roles and insidious homophobia, and this anime shows the unfairness of that struggle. But it also shows the joy of finding those who accept and understand you, and of slowly becoming comfortable with who you are. The show knows how to make you really roots for these great kids, and it's really good at tugging the ol' heartstrings. See my review here for more!

A Sign of Affection

The anime follows Yuki, a shy girl who's been deaf since birth, and Itsuomi, a world-traveler and polyglot, fall in love. They both live in very different worlds, but as their romance blooms, they're eager to learn more about each other.

A Sign of Affection is shoujo romance at its sweetest, with soft colors, gentle blushes, tender moments, and plenty of warm fuzzies. The animation is beautiful and the show treats Yuki's perspective with care and delicacy as the story goes on. It also have a great focus on communication and consent in a relationship. Read my review here! 

YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master

In this world, people have the ability to shapeshift into yatagarasu, the giant three legged ravens from Japanese mythology. Prince Wakamiya, who's next in line for the emperor, is thought to be an incarnation of the powerful "Golden Raven", so the four women chosen as his bride candidates (each who carry the hopes of their respective provinces) compete fiercely for his hand. Yukiya, a canny young boy, has been pulled into being the prince's attendant, and both Yukiya and the women soon find themselves pulled into a deadly web of mysteries and political machinations.

Yatagarasu is a tightly woven tale of political intrigue, featuring lots of palace folk plotting against each other, multiple assassination attempts, spies, fascinating worldbuilding and use of mythology, well executed plot twists, and complex characters. Yukiya is a very likeable little trickster with a heart of gold, and he works well as an audience surrogate who has to keep up with all this weird court drama. In the first half, the story focuses a lot on on women contending with rigid roles and how that leads to both enmity and empathy between them. But disappointingly, most of those characters are dropped or have their roles reduced in the second half of the anime, which is a shame.

Overall, this anime is a story that hooks you with it's story and it's dark, majestic atmosphere and never lets go. It's just plain good, and pretty underrated, so I'd suggest checking it out!

The Apothecary Diaries (Episodes 13-24)

The second half of The Apothecary Diaries was somehow even better than the first half, crafting a compelling ongoing mystery and delving into MaoMao’s backstory. There were quite a few big thrills that made me gasp aloud. MaoMao, the world's best poison-obsessed detective, pulled off some show-stopping feats and she remains an incredible, endearing character. Especially now that we’ve learned she has a killer evil laugh. Check out my review of the first part of The Apothecary Diaries here and slightly more detail on this run of episodes here.

Dandadan

 Another one you've probably heard of, it's the story of two kids- Momo, who was abducted by aliens and Okarun, who was cursed by a yokai. Now they have to break Okarun's curese while aliens and yokai are hunting them!

Dandadan is an anime bursting with absurd action and humor, and it has a boppin’ soundtrack and amazing animation from Science Saru. It’s wildly weird in the best way, and the characters are hilarious lovable losers. It's also the rare example of a battle shonen that actually treats its female lead as an equal to her male partner, in screen time and in battle. I adore Momo with all my heart- she's fun, she's bombastic, she's badass, she's everything.

However, the main problem I have with the show is its pattern of putting Momo in sexual peril. I go into more detail about this and the show in general in my review here.

Train to the End of the World

 A story about four girls and a dog traveling across a weird, warped version of Japan to find their missing friend, Train to the End of the World is wild. I absolutely adore bizarre anime about equally bizarre girls, and this delivers. We see the girls encounter a cult with mushrooms growing out of their heads, screaming goatmen and even zombies on their journey. The dynamic between the different characters is great, and the dialogue is snappy. If you appreciate wild and weird zaniness that also has a lot of heart and great friendships, give this show a try. My full review is here.

Bonus Anime- some other stuff you might want to check out!

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!

Despite an extremely goofy title Cherry Magic quickly became a surprisingly grounded, thoughtful and heartfelt BL romance worth watching. See my full review here.

7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!

Rishe has lived seven lives, had lots of adventures, and in every single one of them, she has been killed as result of the world war started by the emperor of a neighboring kingdom. Each time Rishe dies, she's sent back to the moment the crown prince of her own country broke off their engagement (she's actually pretty happy about it). But in her seventh life, the future Emperor sees her, is instantly smitten by how cool she is and proposes to her. Rishe decides she might as well enjoy life chilling in the palace before things inevitably go to hell.

7th Time Loop has a fun conceit, and it features a vivacious, badass heroine who's a joy to watch. Having lived as a commoner in most of her past lives, she's ready to use her smarts to help people--whether it's going undercover to help a maid who's being bullied or addressing illiteracy among the servant girls. Whether she's beating up kidnappers or politically maneuvering, she's learning and growing and kicking ass. While her love interest is a bit too broody for me, I do deeply relate to how Rishe's badassery clearly turns him on. The antagonists and plot are sometimes a bit silly, but it's always a good time. A josei anime about an awesome gal is just what the doctor ordered.

Acro Trip

A silly show about a magical girl fangirl who's recruited to an evil organization by an incompetent villain,  Acro Trip is a lot of fun, and I recommend it to any magical girl enjoyer. I also recommend it to anyone who loves pathetic failguys and girls. Our "villain" Chrome is the most hilariously pathetic of them all. You like bad boys? Well this man is literally bad at everything. See my full review here.

Whisper Me a Love Song

 I have to give a shoutout to the only textual yuri anime that came out this year--it's production basically completely collapsed, but it's still watchable and the story is a sweet and solid girl band romance. At least consider giving the manga a shot if nothing else! See my review here!

[turtle-paced]

Little help with renlys depth and any sort of genuine kindness. I’ve seen renly been described as only doing what benefits him and nothing else. He’s opportunistic, egotistical but with great charisma and humour. But does he have any depth at all? Sure he loras says he loves him. But do we see anything in the books that shows anything other than him doing something for show? He even calls shireen ugly and she’s 9. Is there much to him at all?

No. But that's the point. Renly's shallowness tells us a lot about the Tyrells and others in Renly's camp. There's a sympathetic view:

"War will make them old," Catelyn said, "as it did us." She had been a girl when Robert and Ned and Jon Arryn raised their banners against Aerys Targaryen, a woman by the time the fighting was done. "I pity them." "Why?" Lord Rowan asked her. "Look at them. They're young and strong, full of life and laughter. And lust, aye, more lust than they know what to do with. There will be many a bastard bred this night, I promise you. Why pity?" "Because it will not last," Catelyn answered, sadly. "Because they are the knights of summer, and winter is coming." Catelyn II, ACoK

And there's a less sympathetic view:

"Good men and true will fight for Joffrey, wrongly believing him the true king. A northman might even say the same of Robb Stark. But these lords who flocked to my brother's banners knew him for a usurper. They turned their backs on their rightful king for no better reason than dreams of power and glory, and I have marked them for what they are." Stannis, Davos II, ACoK

Whether Renly's followers signed up for a chivalric illusion or out of sheer opportunism, the point is that there is nothing behind Renly's cause. Everyone there is chasing dreams in some way, while around them there's a very real crisis.

When all is said and done, Renly's a minor character there to give depth to more important characters, worldbuilding dynamics, and the discussion of monarchy, not to be deep in and of himself. That's fine. It's a valid purpose for a minor character to serve.

[assortedshrift]

Captivated by the twst yandereverse au!!

Help! I’ve been sucked back into yandere twst content, specifically the yandereverse au written by @thatnonameuser. Just checked back into The Red King holds a Bleeding Head after being off tumblr for a while and chapters 9 and 10 totally blindsided me. I very much recommend their series to any yandere enjoyers!!

Some thoughts I had while reading the last two chapters (major spoilers)

ch9

Darling being considered an insult in Heartslabyul is one of those worldbuilding tidbits that I love to see. It makes sense that Heartslabyul, and probably Rose Queendom, would stereotype darlings as disorderly and in need of constant correction. 

Like oh, darlings are just naturally less disciplined than yanderes, so calling a misbehaving yandere ‘darling’ implies they’re no better than the people they are supposed to be managing.

Also imagine being a darling and hearing your friend/SO call another person darling with the same tone of someone saying a slur. Idk why but it's super funny to me.

Also again, from the flashbacks I'm guessing that the King of Hearts probably took advantage of this to some extent and played off any disobedience as being ditzy and unorganized. But not too often though, or the Queen goes from “oh you silly darling” to “this leash is for your own sake”.

(omg coming back to this because just remembered that Crewel is from the Queendom of Roses and mr “whips are great accessories” definitely made a fashion line of darling-safe collars and leashes)

Also Trey was so unsubtle with the desserts. Clover, please, you can't say your pro darlings rights while watching them eat food that you drugged!

Trey’s parents definitely taught him how to mix drugs into baked sweets and he definitely got a lot of practice with his darling brother and sister. I bet that at some point the siblings have/will catch on to the scheme but like, what can you do about it? 

*annoyed sigh* Big bro Trey noticed me stressing out over my entrance exam so I’m probably gonna get the sedative brownies tonight.

And after Riddle’s overblot he might even consider branching out to some of the dorm members once in a while. ADeuce being yandere in this au makes them like 63% more feral and I would definitely be tempted to sedate them once in a while.

Speaking of our besties, I really like how Grim, Ace, and Deuce are being portrayed. Yes they're yanderes in a society that promotes violence for the sake of love. But they're still single braincelled goofs who just want to hang out with you. 

Ch 10

The MOMENT the author mentioned a metallic scent I KNEW that wasn't normal pet food!!! And Grim eating it… oof!! If he wasn't just as enthusiastic about eating everything including literal grass I would be a bit more scared!

Gotta admit I was feeling stressed out when reader shouted at ADeuce. Like, we know that this is a school for magical villainous yanderes, I just knew someone was gonna overhear. In a way it's probably a good thing that we were almost immediately confronted by Cater who kinda owes us after the overblot, that could have gone a lot worse.

Additionally, I like how Cater’s canon aversion to his sisters is incorporated into this verse while also doing a bit of worldbuilding in how a family in a yandere society would act. Honestly I’m a sucker for worldbuilding.

Riddle was sweet here, But this section also caused the greatest dissonance between me and the reader-character. I would absolutely be salty about the fact that Riddle shouted our darling status like that. Dude put us in serious danger and I’d want to hold it over his head. Going forward, every time he tries to lecture us about safety I’d say “Well it would be a lot safer if SOMEONE hadn't announced my status to the whole world,” which is definitely a bad idea that would build up to a yandere-style meltdown later. TLDR reader probably made the right call in how they responded to Riddle asking for forgiveness.

I know that as the audience we have access to knowledge that the reader-character dosent, but I was low-key cringing (in a fun way) during the interaction with Trey. 

“... have you met your darling, Trey?”

“Yes, I think I already have.”

YeS, i ThInK i AlReAdY hAvE. Trey you mischievous rat (affectionate).

Oh hey, its Che'nya!

Dang, your really gonna narc on Trey like that huh?

The execution was a harsh reminder that we can't treat our friends here like we would in the normal world. A straightforward bitch-fest resulting in a couple of body bags is horrifying, but Chenya did us a solid, even if his reason was almost as horrifying as the murders. 

But now that I know he's stalking us I can imagine the reader (if she becomes desensitized) could get used to an invisible companion she can (sort-of) let her guard down around and complain to him about the NRA boy’s ghoulish acts. 

Speaking of, I wonder if the original Cheshire Cat intended for a scenario like that with Winston, but was thwarted when their snooping was discovered and the Queen decided to go full mask off.

[tinytablepodcast]

Help Us Choose Our Next Game!

We received so many wonderful submissions from the indie ttrpg community of games to play next on Tiny Table. We need your help to narrow them down! We will be taking the top 3 games to Patreon for our patrons in the Mini and Micro tier to vote on.

Reactors and Romance: Reactors and Romance is a rules-light RPG about flirting while piloting a giant robot. You only have one stat, and that is your HEAT 🔥. Your HEAT measures how hot your mech's reactor is getting, and how hot of a pilot you are 😉 Will you fight or flirt your way through battle? Can you keep your mech from overheating? What will it be hotshot?

To Infinity...: Inspired by Alien and The Thing, "To Infinity..." is a tabletop social deduction game where up to 4 players and 1 GM need to escape on a spaceship from an alien monster who killed the rest of the crew. What none of the survivors know is that this isn't just a monster, the alien could be any one of them...

Hellborn Descended: Hellborn Descended is an infernal TTRPG set in a modern Hell, inspired by comics and shows such as Hellboy and Helluva Boss. In Hellborn, players take on the role of sinners, demons, and fallen angels, working together as mercenaries to attain wealth, fame, and power, or gloriously die trying. Check out their kickstarter!

Darkest Hour: Darkest Hour is a horror tabletop game inspired by horror movies of all kinds, featuring a group of monster hunters attempting to put a stop to a malicious supernatural entity in a single night. Over the course of six rounds, known as the Hours, the hunters must use their abilities to establish benefits that will aid them even as the haunt grows in strength and the hunters become less effective. As Blackest Night envelops them, the haunt feels insurmountable -- will the hunters find the haunt's true weakness and destroy it for good, or be whittled down until only a Final Girl remains? Featuring six haunts, six locations ripe for the haunting, and six unique hunter archetypes, Darkest Hour is perfect for one-shots for 2-5 players, and can either be run by a GM, or communally without a GM.

Dawn of the Orcs: Dawn of the Orcs is a GMless dark fantasy worldbuilding and roleplaying game. Play the magical technocrats who create the first orcs as living weapons and tell the story of how the Orcs become their own people. It can be played seriously as a fantasy transhumanist Dr. Strangelove, or as a wacky game of Saruman by committee.

The Trains of the Glorious Republic of the People: The Trains of the Glorious Republic of the People is a tabletop RPG where players take on the roles of a train crew in a fictional 1930s totalitarian state. Your mission is simple: get yourselves and your unique train from point A to point B though things are never that easy on the tracks of the Glorious Republic. The game requires only d6s, pen, paper, and, above all, your loyalty to the party.

Paratype: Paratype takes place in the aftermath of an apocalypse where giant bugs have reclaimed the earth. For humans survival is a challenge-one helped by the invention of a device that grants strange new buggy abilities. Paratype is a game about survival, humanity and so, so many bugs.

Broke Wizards: Broke Wizards is a light, silly game about working class sorcery. Play as students of the prestigious Audment's Academy of the Arcane who must go delving for treasure in order to pay tuition. To cast magic, wizards must use items found around their dormitory as makeshift spell ingredients - and then use their real-life argumentative skills to convince the living force of magic that yes, actually, a dirty shot glass is a great ingredient for casting a spell of water breathing, thank you very much.

RiskTaker: RiskTaker is a GM-less system built around players making big moves with big risks. Each sessions revolves around "The Scene," a climactic event like an episode's final battle in a superhero TV show, or the aftermath of a heist gone wrong. Players take turns either doing exposition scenes to give context to The Scene and built character relationships, or Influencing The Scene, which means they take a decisive action and decide how effective that action will be. But watch out - the more impactful your action, the more things can go wrong, and the more likely it is that they will. But what's a good story without a few Risks?

'til it kills us: in ‘til it kills us, you play as a group of young, reckless queer activists fighting to make a difference in the world. you’re angry, and you’re scared, and rightfully so. not to mention, you’re all a little bit fucked up. whether you’re dealing with issues at home, struggling with mental illness, or just learning to stand on your own two feet, life isn’t easy. but you’re also in love with the world, and with each other, so you keep fighting anyway. it’s the only thing you can do. the only problem is your magic. sure, it protects you. sure, it helps you fight. but you can feel it – feeding on the most unpleasant parts of you. and the longer you have this magic, the more you fear by those feelings. you worry it might be powering but you keep fighting. what else is there? remember what you always said: we’re going to keep on fighting ‘til it kills us.

If you submitted a game to us and don't see it on the list, don't fret! We will be hosting many polls like this and your game is still in consideration. If you game is on here and isn't chosen to move on to our next poll, also don't fret! We may add it on to the next poll again.

[vivsinkpot]

How to Name Fantasy Places (Without Pulling Random Letters Out of a Hat)

Worldbuilding is all about making things feel real—and names carry the weight of your entire world’s history, culture, and mystery. So here’s a foolproof method for naming places that actually feel like places.

Step 1: Decide What This Place Means to the People Who Named It

Every name tells a story. Ask yourself:

What did the first people to settle or discover this place notice?

What is this location known for?

Is it sacred, cursed, rich, desolate?

Examples:

A towering forest could be called Whispergrove (for the sound of the leaves or the myths around it).

A desert ravine where travelers vanish might be The Hollow Path.

Step 2: Choose a Naming Style (Consistent with Your World)

Think about the culture that named it. Do they use:

Compound words (e.g. Stormwatch, Ravenfell)?

Descriptive + noun (e.g. Blackmoor, Silverdeep)?

Old tongue or language rules (e.g. Eldrinor, Vaskhara)?

Functional or mundane names (e.g. Southfield, The Western Reach)?

Stay consistent within a region or people group. Language = worldbuilding.

Step 3: Use This Naming Formula When You’re Stuck

If your brain’s fried and nothing sounds right, here’s a go-to naming formula that always gets the job done:

[Adjective or Descriptive Element] + [Geographic Term or Feature]

Try words like:

Descriptive: black, silent, shattered, ancient, golden, hollow, crimson

Features: hill, pass, reach, coast, vale, hold, watch, spine, hearth, barrow, fen

Examples:

Ashfen – a burnt wetland

Crimson Hold – a fortress with a bloodstained history

The Broken Reach – a territory that collapsed after war

Frosthollow – a snow-laden valley

You can also reverse it:

Glenmor (Glen = valley, Mor = great)

Ridgewyn – (Ridge = feature, wyn = an invented or repurposed word suggesting wind or joy)

Step 4: Don’t Be Afraid to Steal from Real Life (and Twist It)

Real world etymology is your friend:

Latin roots: Aurum Vale (Gold Valley)

Norse/Germanic: Drakenfjord (Dragon Fjord)

Old English: Thorneby (Settlement of Thorns)

Mash these with your own invented words or blend them with existing ones to sound just unfamiliar enough.

Step 5: Keep a Masterlist

Once you’ve named a few places, keep a naming glossary. This keeps your language consistent and helps with world cohesion.

Bonus: Don’t Try to Be Clever Every Time

Not every place needs to sound mystical. A town named Bridgemarket or Eastmere can be just as immersive. Let some names be simple. That’s what makes the epic ones stand out.

TL;DR

What does the place mean to the people who named it?

Pick a naming style that fits your world.

Use: [Descriptive] + [Feature] = instant immersion.

Pull from real etymology and adapt.

Keep it consistent—and don’t overcomplicate.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Tips: Writer's Block

Here are some tips to get you out of the woods and writing again when the distance between points A and B feels impossible to close.

Pile on the conflict.

Stories tend to stall because characters, and their world, haven’t changed.

Throw in some conflict.

Respect the draftiness. 

Robert Boswell asks writers to "respect the draftiness of drafts.”

Stop self-editing and take advantage of the great luxury of a first draft: It does not need to be brilliant. 

Work on something else. 

Start a secondary project.

Sometimes taking a break from a troubling spot and returning later is all it takes to uncover what was tripping you up in the first place or to figure out what was wrong with a phrase you stared at for half an hour and couldn't make sound right.

Use a device. 

A ringing phone, a sealed letter, a knock on the door, a gun in a drawer: sometimes you’ve got to rely on the less sophisticated tools in your writer's toolbox.

You can write the stranger at the door into something less opaque later, but for now, use a tried-and-true device to get you out of trouble.

Research. 

Research about the world of your story should influence not only your reading but also the music you listen to, the places you visit on a Sunday afternoon, what bars you visit, and other aspects of your life away from your draft.

Try to infuse your world with the world of the story.

Don’t draft linearly. 

Sometimes you can stave off writer’s block by allowing yourself to skip around in a manuscript. Write in the middle for a while, or write the final scene first.

Chances are, what you imagine as the final scene when you start will fall somewhere else when you’re done, but taking the time to write it will pry open some new doors.

Read. 

There are 3 types of reading that can be helpful when you’re blocked.

The first is familiar: read material similar to what you are writing. Think about those books in terms of the decisions their writers made. Where were you awed by the structure or dialogue? Borrow those techniques to get you past your block.

The second option is to read about writing. There are thousands of books about craft. Solicit recommendations from writer friends about books that have helped them. Re-read favorite books on the craft that shaped you as an early writer, and seek out literacy narratives by writers you admire.

The third category of helpful reading is perhaps counterintuitive: read something that has nothing to do with your project or with writing. Grab a popular novel you’ve been itching to read, or revisit a classic you only pretended to read in high school. Read for pleasure, and in doing so, remind yourself what it is that enchants you about language.

Change your routine. 

If what you’re doing isn’t working, try something else.

If you’re a morning writer, try writing after dinner.

Trade in your laptop for some paper and a favorite pen, or move yourself to a library or park for a while.

We create our writing habits in an effort to establish discipline for our practice, but sometimes they become too confining.

Give you mind room to stretch and see what happens.

Start over. 

This is the most daunting advice of all, but it is sound.

Sometimes an idea can be excellent but it needs to be executed a couple of different ways before a writer can see the work through to completion.

Try a new point of view or beginning your novel in the middle.

Source ⚜ More: Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Worldbuilding ⚜ Writing Notes writer's block pt. 1 2 3 ⚜ topics lists for inspiration

[topazadine]

Things that immediately turn me off a fiction book

I'm pretty picky with what I read, because the time I spend reading is time that I could spend writing. I generally know if I will like a book within the first chapter, and I feel no shame in giving up if I'm not vibing with it.

And no, I don't believe in the "oooh read further it warms up" because does it? Does it really? Do I want to waste time finding out?

Frankly, at this point in life, I read more nonfiction than fiction because there's just so. many. bad. books. that are getting published. Worse than fanfictions.

Anyway, here are the things that make me give up. Maybe hearing this will help you as you write your own masterpiece.

Too Many Proper Nouns

Three characters maximum in the first chapter or two. Do not throw dozens of people at me. I will get confused and give up. Let me get to know the main character, by themself or with a few of their closest companions, before you make me remember everyone else. And go deep with those characters! I want someone to stick with!

You can reference other characters, to create a sense of a deeper world, but do not go all-in on them. Make it clear that they are just there to provide a bit of context, and we don't have to remember them yet. We should only be meeting three characters maximum.

Throwing Us Immediately Into a Dramatic Action Point

This is controversial I know, but I hate when something immediately starts with a battle. I don't care if any of these people live or die. I don't know them. I haven't grown attached to any of them.

Even just a page or two to get to know them first will help. You can have them gearing up for a battle, thinking about what's going to happen, maybe talking to their friends, maybe checking their armor, whatever feels natural for them. But do not just start with stabbing people! I don't care about them yet!

Too Many Details

Many this is just me, but I simply do not care about every piece of armor your character is wearing. I don't need to hear a play-by-play of every single color of every single thing because I don't care. Pick out a few specific things for me to focus on and that's it. Stop overloading me with colors and patterns and armor styles.

Yes, yes, you've done your research on historically accurate gear. That's great. It would be good for a movie. But if I have to look up different armor pieces every five seconds, I am glossing over it and moving on. I don't care. I'm here for the story. If I wanted an infodump about medieval armor, I would simply pick up a nonfiction book (and maybe I will).

White Space Syndrome

Tell me what the overall scene looks like instead of all these hyperspecific details of certain objects, like carts or emblems or whatever. I want to know where I am!!

Don't just say "a forest." Tell me what kind of forest. Tell me if it's a young forest or an old snarly forest or a swampy forest or a cold alpine forest.

Don't just say "a castle." Tell me if it's a bustling castle or a gloomy castle or a rundown castle.

Don't just say "on the sea." Cold sea? Tropical sea? Far far away from land or is land in sight? These are the things I want!

Too Much Backstory

For the love of god do not explain the entire history of this culture in the first chapter. The first chapter is for getting to know the characters we're going to be following. You can introduce those things slowly and carefully as the story unfolds.

I get that fiction writers are delighted by all the worldbuilding (or research, in historical fiction) they have done. But the reader does not care right away. They need to get invested before all those little specifics matter at all. My eyes glaze over and I give up because I don't want to have to remember all of that all at once. It's like you just threw a college textbook at my face.

Plus, if you're doing third-person limited, you have to remember that the character is not going to be thinking all of that! They won't say all of that either! Because they know all of that!

Even a general on the brink of a major battle is not going to go "yes, this all dates back to when we took Iuanfutila back in 181, when the brave Iuanfutilans protested the rule of our Yawwbaawnwhryr leaders ...." They are focused on the present moment, and they may discuss the backstory later. Tell us what we need to know now because that is what the character would be thinking too.

"Oh, but Topazadine, how will the readers understand the context if I don't tell them??"

There's a battle. Two groups are at war. Or something was stolen. Or two people are fighting. Whatever. We understand those things. We can get the basic gist of how things are going to play out by just showing us these things happening. Then, as we have gotten a feel for the characters, you can tell us more about the context.

If you walk into a store that's being held up by an armed robber, do you give a shit about his backstory, or do you only care once that person has been arrested and you have to testify? I think we know the answer. You're not going "ohhh why is he doing this??" at first. You're going "HOLY SHIT THERE'S A GUN WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NOW???" and then you'll care about the other stuff later.

Too Much Play-by-Play

I also do not need a play by play of a fight scene. I need to know the general movements, and then the overall atmosphere. I want to feel what the character feels rather than feel like I'm watching a football game.

Your reader will fill in the gaps if you give them enough information, but when you overload them with every single action, they're now trying to keep track of what went where instead of how this moment is supposed to feel. And now the action and drama has gone out of the writing because it's become a manual of fighting techniques.

Pointless Dumb Conversations

"Oh, could you turn around for me? I want privacy."

"Sure, of course, I'm a respectable man." Manfred knew that a lady-in-waiting would be unsettled by the presence of a strange man, so he wanted to be respectful.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Oh my god no one cares!!! No one!! We don't need this exchange. Cut it. This is stupid. Unless something is actually happening or something is meaningful about them saying this, shut up.

How to Not Write a Horrible First Chapter That Makes People Ragequit

Can you tell I'm mad today? I started and stopped three different books because they were all so bad.

Three characters max in the first chapter, with deep discussion of each. (One or two is better.) General appearance, demeanor, profession, whatever.

Restrain the urge to infodump! Dribble it out over the chapter!

Give the setting more attention than random little details that ultimately do not matter. I don't need to know the pattern of the curtains on the horsecart that's about to be burnt. Don't care.

Do not give a play by play of every single action that a character takes because it's boring and no one cares.

In media res is great but do NOT start with a big climactic intense battle or fight or whatever because we don't know these characters and don't know who to root for (or why we should care).

Your character is not going to give us a history lesson in why this conflict is happening. Do not do it yourself either. Give us just enough to get intrigued and no more. Think how your characters would think and what they would prioritize in discussions.

If a conversation is just pleasantries and has no purpose, drop it, we don't care.