#wip: beurkratti

[wallacejwriting]

KEYS TO THE CITY ☾ an urban fantasy heist & monster romance

the first in the beurkratti universe

genre | urban fantasy, thriller, mystery, romance audience | adult pov | third person limited, present tense, multi pov

premise | after their older brother is arrested, two siblings work together to gather a team to save him, all while the brother plots his own escape alongside the monster trapped in his stolen jewellery.

note | the current plan is to post this on ao3 as it is written. why? that's my own reasons. enjoy the free book.

themes & tropes | queernorm, heist, prison break, monster fucking, queer themes, found family/ragtag bunch of misfits, magical sex changes, rebellion, slow burn romance, enemies to reluctant allies to lovers, underdogs, sticking it to the Man

content warnings | body horror, possession, militaristic state & police, religious themes, graphic sexual content, graphic violence

☾ SYNOPSIS

In the Free City of Limestus, theft of religious artifacts is punishable by death. Centuries ago, when Saint King Christos took the crown of Limestus, he banned the worship of all gods but those of the Free Cities. All sacrilegious material was locked away, forgotten to all but a few. In the modern day, Karim, a poor thief, is hired to steal a specific artifact from the forgotten vault. Not convinced it’s real, he agrees for the massive payout. But when the theft goes wrong, Karim ends up with two problems. First, he’s arrested and to be hanged. Second, and more pressing, the wrist cuff he’s stolen won’t come off and a monstrous voice in his ear keeps getting louder. On the other side of the city, in the tiny apartment they share, Karim’s younger siblings, Zahir and Jinan, realize he’s not coming home. If Karim’s been captured, then the only way to save him is to break into prison and break him out, before it’s too late. They can’t do it alone. They’ll need a crew. And Karim will need to team up with his monstrous new earworm in order to survive. But who hired Karim, and why? And can three poor thieves from Limestus’ shadows outsmart and outmanoeuvre not just one, but two of the immortal Saint Kings?

☾ CHARACTERS

Karim - 31, reiqe, trans, he/him. A thief captured at the start of the story. Level-headed and fairly calm under pressure. Wants to protect his siblings.

Zahir - 26, reiqe, trans, they/them. An artificer who dreams of more than what they have. Jinan's twin. The reckless one who gets them into trouble.

Jinan - 26, reiqe, cis, she/her. A waitress who is also a sweet talker and a grifter. Zahir's twin. The fast talker who gets them out of trouble.

Aazaraaviria "Az" - unknown age, supposedly erdauta, cis, ze/hir. The monstrous spirit trapped within the wrist cuff. Cunning, sly, deep voiced. Supposedly a necromancer.

Saint King Christos - several hundred, iboro, cis, he/him. Antagonist.

Saint King Viggo - several hundred, orc, cis, he/him. Antagonist.

The Rest of the Crew - shhh. It's a secret.

☾ SETTING

The world of Beurkratti is a vast and diverse setting filled with a large variety of sapient species, different forms of magic, and technologies that are both familiar and not. The general world tends to hang out around the 20th century in terms of technology. The Free Cities are five city states who banded together many years ago to prevent themselves from being taken by larger nations. They are the oldest country-less nations in the world and are older than some countries. The Free Cities were founded on an idea of freedom for all, with no dictators to push one down, and to create a place where no one culture would dominate. That... hasn't worked out. But Limestus differs from that vision more than others in a couple of ways. The largest is that Christos, its Saint King and thus ultimate ruler, has banned religious freedom, taken and destroyed many religious artifacts, and pushes his beliefs and insecurities onto his people. This has led to a militaristic state where the police force is spear-headed by another Saint King, Viggo, the ruler of Aunfu. All five Free Cities are located on an island which rides the border between tropical and subtropical. It is hot and humid year round, there is sand and bleached stone everywhere, and the clothes are loose and flowy and thin. The summer season brings extreme weather that many believe only the Saint Kings protect them from. Reiqe, the sapient species that Karim, Zahir, and Jinan are part of are relatively humanoid. They possess long, prehensile tails with long hair, turned, furry ears similar to that of a sheep, but pointier, rough pads on the hands and feet for climbing, digitigrade legs with three-toed feet, webbed fingers and toes, and gills on their necks. They also are covered in short, water-wicking fur, and their skin and fur are typically shades of medium to dark brown. Reiqe have three standard sexes, which are assigned the pronouns he/him, she/her, and ve/ver, respectively. There are two distinct kinds of reiqe found in the Free Cities, the far more common tropical variety, who tend to have lighter brown tones for fur and are much more suited to tropical weather, and the far rarer arctic variety, who tend to have darker brown tones for fur and are far more suited to arctic and northern climates.

☾ UNIVERSE

Beurkratti is meant to be an absolutely massive universe all centering around this planet of Beurkratti and the people who live upon it. Some stories are small while others are much larger in scope.

✹ LINKS | Playlist; Book Tag; Universe Tag; Excerpts; Character Profiles

✹ TAGLIST | @reminiscentrevelry

ask to be on the taglist! either in the notes of this post or in my askbox. taglist will be used for snippets, character profiles, & large worldbuilding posts.

[wallacejwriting]

"Do you know what the most magical ingredient in the entire world is?"

"Uh... crystals, right?"

"Ah, you'd think, but no, no, no. Bones. The bones of sapients, to be specific. You see, sapient beings, people, are the only thing in this world which can absorb all kinds of magic, and because of this wonderful world of ours, almost all of them do. After a lifetime of absorbing magic, those wonderful bones are simply sitting in boxes, discarded and unused."

"...Bones? Your magic uses the bones of the dead?"

"Yes. Of the old, specifically, those who died young are useless to me."

"...You scare me, Basil."

"Good."

[wallacejwriting]

Keys to the City

In the Free City of Limestus, theft, especially of religious artifacts, is punishable by death. Centuries ago, when Saint King Christos took rulership of Limestus, he banned the worship of any gods but the five of the Free Cities. All sacrilegious material was locked away, forgotten to all but a few.

In the modern day, Karim, a poor thief, is hired to steal an artifact from the vault, a task he’s never heard of anyone completing. He agrees, but when the theft goes wrong, Karim ends up with two problems. First, he’s arrested and will be hanged. Second, and more pressing, the wrist cuff he’s stolen won’t come off and a monstrous voice in his ear keeps getting louder.

On the other side of the city, in the tiny apartment they share, Karim’s younger siblings, Zahir and Jinan, realize he’s not coming home. And if Karim’s been captured, then the only way to save him is to break into the prison and break him out, before it’s too late.

They can’t do it alone. They’ll need a crew. And Karim will need to team up with his monstrous new partner in order to survive.

But who hired Karim, and why? And can three poor thieves from Limestus’ shadows outsmart and outmaneuver not just one, but two of the five immortal Saint Kings?

[wallacejwriting]

Magic systems in the world of Beurkratti:

Primal

Fey

Moon

Sun

Star

Faith

Deep

Necromantic

I know that Faith is the most important in Keys to the City, with probably Moon and Necromantic as the next most important.

Gotta. Make world building posts.

[wallacejwriting]

Overarching Series Title: The Place of Stones

Genre: High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Constructed/Second World Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

Audience: Adult

Content Warnings: Depends on the story, but generally violence, both graphic and non, coarse language, sexual innuendo and themes, and past death of children

Tropes & Themes: Found Family, Magic School, Saving the World, Adventure/World Walking, Cosmic Horror Jedi, Redemption, Hope, Magic & Technology, People Being Inherently Good, Chronic Illness, Queernorm Society/Queerness is Celebrated, Hopepunk Fantasy

Overview

Everything leads back to the beginning.

The world is changing. A magically-fuelled industrial revolution spins its early gears in the biggest cities of the world, and its changes echo throughout the land. As countries form new alliances, seek out new resources, and bring forth a new age, many remember the untamed land beyond their walls and keep themselves in check, but many more are forgetting why it's taken so long to change the world in a lasting way.

Beurkratti does not resist change, but welcomes it. Yet perhaps these newest changes came too soon.

As cities grow and people crowd together, new dangers and struggles arise. Cold wars, political assassinations, treasure hunters diving in Ancient Ruins, and even the first raising of the first god in almost two centuries. Never before have the connections between people fostered so much power and progress.

As sapientkind connects, we grow stronger. And we celebrate in this strength.

But no matter how bright our days or how loud we celebrate, we must never forget the world outside our doors. The ancient, unknowable forces of Deep Magic are in flux, throwing chaos across Beurkratti. Most recently, this chaos created a horrifying and devastating pandemic fifteen years ago, a pandemic which wiped out almost a quarter of all children, worldwide.

For some, Deep Magic speaks to power, while others know it is only the Wardens who dare to heed its call. But it is not the only way to seek power, nor the only magic we can harness.

As we draw back the veil on the unknown world, we might discover secrets whispered by the gods, long thought lost. Rumours of treasures, whispers of tricks, and tales of the ability to take on a god and win travel roads that didn't exist five years ago, and these rumours have many people wondering if these rumours aren't true.

Because if they are true, and there truly is a way to steal the power of a god, then why hasn't anyone managed it yet, and who will be the first one to pull it off?

Beurkratti is changing, but no matter how its surface changes, its underbelly remains the same: the dangerous magic, the much less dangerous rest of magic, the plants that grow no matter where you look, the curious people, and the ancient, slumbering beasts beneath the oceans, who, if awoken, will destroy the world.

Setting & magic info, as well as blurbs for all stories in Beurkratti found below the cut.

Setting & World

    A large, expansive world, Beurkratti has several main landmasses and many more smaller ones. The majority of our story takes place on the continent of Sôzho, which includes the country of Krizvalla, one of our main countries. Sôzho is filled with all sorts of people, climates, and cultures, including the largest and most dangerous country in the whole world – Ǎboia, whose leader and military continue to colonize every island they can find.

Beurkratti is home to many fantasy species, some sapient and some not. Sapient species include humans, the underground and mushroom growing dwarves, the flower-like elves, the four-armed orcs, the tall and arrogant drakes, the lynx-like magbaxia, the tall, humanoid owlfolk, the moth-like leotha, and many more.

Gender is a massive part of Beurkratti, as is the relationship between culture, gender, and body, and there are many sapient species with more than two sexes, and many cultures with more than two genders. Beurkratti is queernorm, and queerness is baked into the setting from the ground up.

Beurkratti is a world at the start line of a magically-fuelled industrial revolution. The biggest cities in the most advanced places are starting to see the very first cars; magic crystal powered engines revolutionize the textile and metallurgy industries, and magic and technology are reaching far greater heights than they ever have before.

Yet, despite all this, Beurkratti is not safe. It is clear that this world was never made for the people who currently live upon its surface. While in groups, sapientkind has managed to eke out a pleasant existence, the dark and deadly magics and ruins of those who came before will destroy those who linger too long, and the ancient stone beasts that wander the world can make quick work of any individual.

Magic

    Magic is an integral part of Beurkratti and is part of the world from the ground up. Magic is treated as a true science in this world – a multi-discipline, world spanning, oft-misunderstood, and with our understanding constantly evolving over time – and while there are main kinds of magic, they can all be broken down into two categories.

One: magics that permeate from the cores of celestial bodies, such as stars, terrestrial planets, moons, and gas giants, where it seems the more different the body, the more different the magic.

And two: magics that do not, which are Faith and Deep Magic.

Natural magic, the magic that comes from Beurkratti's core, is the most understood, then Faith. Star, Sun, Deep, and Moon magic are the others. While there are magics from other planets, they only appear in small ways.

With Natural magic, you can craft potions and salves with ingredients, grow magical plants, draw runes and arrays to call upon the power to enact change in the world, and even learn to take on the powers of the beast. Many magic users take on familiars, with these powers.

With Faith, your beliefs in the unknowable become real, powering the gods who reside in another realm and even creating new ones, in extreme situations. Faith comes from the soul, and allows for soul bonds, soul bargains, the creation of strange, liminal spaces, and so much more.

With Star and Sun magic, you take the power into your blood, becoming a martial magic user. Movement is the key to these. Sun magic makes you fireproof, gives you great strength and durability, as well as incredible healing. Star magic makes you coldproof, gives you great stealth and agility, as well as camouflage abilities.

With Moon magic, you call upon the three moons to learn from their three schools of power: healing and empathy, water and tides, and illusion and divination. Moon magic is also what creates the sirens, vampires, and werewolves of the world – one magical condition for each moon.

And with Deep magic, you flee. Only the Wardens can use Deep Magic, and all others will fall to madness and ruin should they be exposed too long. Wardens use Deep Magic to travel the world, greatly enhance their bodies, use simplistic magic known as Rings that no others can cast, and even hold off death for as long as Deep Magic allows. But all of this comes with a great cost: as a Warden, you get no afterlife, only the endless oblivion of joining the Depths.

Series/Books in Universe:*

Stone Rites: Katya, a half-orc member of an ancient order, meets a young boy capable of seeing Harbingers the same day she is called back to her order's base. Given a task that overlaps with her own goal of curing her peoples' inevitable madness, she takes on the boy as an apprentice as she travels the world to help others and find answers. But as Katya grows closer to understanding what is happening to Beurkratti, she begins to uncover the truth behind the global pandemic, fifteen years prior, and that the Architects may have been trying to help rather than hurt. Tag: #wip: stone rites

Faithbreaker: Seven years ago, Morgan, then an Inquisitor, failed to stop the raising of a new god and was forced to cut it down in order to stop its creators, trapping two thousand half-dead souls within themself. Now, the cultists have returned, seemingly risen from the dead, and are attempting to raise it again. This time, if Morgan can't stop them, then whether they live or die those two thousand souls will never know rest. Tag: #wip: faithbreaker

On Colder Shores: Fourteen year-old, half-mer Trill spends their days deep diving into the underwater caves to scavenge for magic crystals, which they sell to feed their family. When a messenger from one of the world's most prestigious magical academies discovers Trill's great magical ability, they offer a deal: come to the academy for the full six years, and the school will not just pay for Trill's education and life, but also the lives of their family. Trill accepts, to give their family security, and finds themself swept up in a world with no idea how to stay afloat. Tag: #wip: on colder shores

King of Kings: In the Free Cities, Koré awakens from a nap to find their mother murdered and Koré the only suspect. Fleeing, they stumble across the invisible borders dividing the cities and into the arms of Helios, the Saint King of the Dead. Given sanctuary to prevent their arrest, Koré finds themself trapped within the walls of Helios' manor, and can only use themself and what's inside the manor's walls to solve their mother's murder, all while dealing with their growing attraction to the dark and dangerous Helios. Tag: #wip: king of kings

Divine Maps: Loren acts as the sole librarian, accountant, and teacher for their small village in the north of a smaller country. When one of the Queens' Prophets divines a map to an unknown treasure, the queens seek out someone who can decode, translate, and navigate the maps. Their tests lead them to Loren, who, alongside a grumpy prince who gave up his title, seeks out the answers to the mysterious maps. Tag: Divine Maps

Theft of Gods: Kit, a thief with a debt so high that only the gods can claim it, and Bao, a book binder who made a bad deal and lost their freedom as a result, meet under the hardened gaze of their High Queen when she gives them the opportunity to clear their debts and cleanse their souls. All she wants in return: for them to steal the secrets of immortality from the very gods themselves. Tag: Theft of Gods

Deep Resonance: A twelve-year-old drake wakes up with no memory, no name, and no clue. Dragged into the dungeons and sentenced to death for the markings on their skin – markings that deem them the only living victim of Deep Fever – it quickly becomes clear that this child cannot be killed by normal means. A guard who lost a child to the Fever dubs the drake Azure, and as he spends his days guarding them while those in power debate how to destroy them, he begins to grow attached to Az, and starts to wonder if maybe, with his knowledge, he wouldn't be capable of setting them free and helping them find the true reason they exist. Tag: #wip: deep resonance

Bouquet of Stars: Sofya has spent years dreaming of her debut at her first marriage season. The perfect dress, the perfect manners, every little detail accounted for. Right up until Princet Deimos, the god-fuelled Celestial and heir to the kingdom, crashes her debut and marks her as the star of the season, both making her the most popular and the least desirable woman on the market – because as long as Deimos has their eyes on her, no one else will step forward, despite everyone knowing Deimos has no interest in marriage. Determined to save her season, Sofya confronts the princet, and finds herself falling into Deimos' world and Deimos' arms. But can a person for whom the mortal world is but a pause on their way to godhood truly love a regular woman, or was Sofya doomed from the start? Tag: #wip: bouquet of stars

*more wips to be added. Yes really.

Tags: #beurkratti, #wip: beurkratti, #inspo: beurkratti, #series: the place of stones

Banner Art Credit: The Standing Stones by weinrot93

[wallacejwriting]

I am working on the WIPs posts for all the Beurkratti series. So far there are 8. One of which is a sequel to another. God damn I love this series.

I think I'm gonna shrink the map though. Less landmasses.

Please ask me about Beurkratti.

[wallacejwriting]

In Beurkratti, not all the sapient species have the same two (intersex people exist but we're simplifying based on the recognized, separated sexes) sexes as humans, and, because of this, not all of them use the same "default pronouns" of humans.

Humans have two generally recognized sexes assigned at birth, male (he/him) and female (she/her).

Elves have one, but are capable of shapeshifting their reproductive organs ala snails (they/them).

Dwarves have three sexes (he/him, she/her, they/them).

Orcs have two sexes (she/her, he/him).

Magbaxia (cat-like people with some monkey traits) have two sexes (he/him, she/her).

Drakes have three sexes (he/him, she/her, xe/xyr).

Mers have three sexes (she/her, they/them, ve/ver).

Goblins have one sex and do not reproduce sexually (ey/em).

Leotha have four sexes (ze/zim, he/him, zhe/zhir, she/her).

The owlfolk have three sexes (she/her, he/him, they/them).

The underwater medusa people have two sexes (she/her, zhe/zhir).

The underwater abe sapien people have two sexes (he/him, ve/ver).

The centaurs have two sexes (he/him, she/her).

And that's all I've got for now! Hope you like.

[wallacejwriting]

I'm floating the idea of revamping Beurkratti to have modern day/near future magitech and civilization levels of stuff. You know, like a true 21st century urban fantasy, but in a totally constructed world, and things are powered by magic instead of coal and oil and shit.

[wallacejwriting]

Also the Beurkratti series overlap!

Katya and Trill have a massive crossover in Trill's third year of school.

Kit and Loren are both under the orders of the same pair of queens.

Morgan and Koré are both in the Free Cities. They actually interact regularly after Koré's first book.

Az and Katya have a ton of overlap but I can't explain how.

Katya lives in Krizvalla, which is the place Deimos is the heir of. They meet up sometimes.

Plus they all overlap in years and influence each other's worlds! I love interconnected things.

[wallacejwriting]

Gravedigger's Lament

From Beurkratti

I’m tired of burying children. Their little bodies too small; Coffins too big; We break them Down, and build two childrens’ for each adult.

Gravediggers in lines, Hands, shovel, hole; Metal hitting dirt like fever Hits bone; both break.

We stand in mud of our own making; Blisters splitting hands and Cries splitting silent air. We break down the line; Hands, face, choke.

I'm tired of burying children; Tomorrow, I'd like to bury Myself, instead.

— Author Unknown; found at the end of the Deep Fever outbreak in 731 CE

[wallacejwriting]

The Echoing Stones | Premise

premise | A travelling guardian pursues a thief in possession of stolen magical artifacts across her frozen home country while attempting to train an unwanted apprentice and uncover the secrets of her people and their powers.

It's rough, and a bit of a mouthful, but it conveys exactly what I want it to, which is the overall story and a bit of the tone. Feedback and suggestions welcome, as well as just general excitement.

Beurkratti's back baby!

[wallacejwriting]

Gods of the Saint-Kings of the Free Cities.

Rauzuno: /raʉzuno/ “Raow-zoo-no”. The highest god of the Free Cities. The god of the sky, the weather, and the suns. Seen as ferocious due to harsh weather. Often depicted as a phoenix.

Saint: Christos

Liseiye: /li:saɪjeh/ “Lee-sigh-yay”. The god of war, blood, and family. Seen as a protector of children. Often depicted as a wolf.

Saint: Viggo

Iikifu: /eɪki:fu:/ “Ey-key-foo”. The god of death, rest, sleep, and empty spaces. Often depicted as a large dog.

Saint: Helios

Yopeiye: /jəʊpeɪji:/ “Yoh-pey-yee”. The god of the oceans and seas, the winds, and all trade which relies upon them. Often depicted as a colossal, many eyed squid.

Saint: Nereida

Maudeiu: /məʊdeɪjəʊ/ “Mow-day-oh”. The god of wisdom, justice, and patience. Often depicted as an owl, sometimes similar to a Harbinger, sometimes similar to a pygmy.

Saint: Andromeda

[wallacejwriting]

And so it begins. The Echoing Stones, the first book in Katya's series, Wardens' Fate, which takes place in the Beurkratti universe, is now under serious planning. I gotta transfer some stuff and simplify. Part of my new strategy.

@eussoros. Congrats you're getting what you want. Regular Beurkratti content.

[wallacejwriting]

Hello! Welcome to the blog. This is an updated intro. I've been here for a minute, just wanted to tidy things up.

I am Wallace, but I also like Wally and Lace just as much (and I generally refer to myself as Lace), so feel free to pick your preference! They/Them or He/Him pronouns, in that order.

This is my writing sideblog. My main blog is over at @lacependragon! I will follow, like, comment on posts, and send asks from there, but I post my writing here and I reblog writing stuff to this blog.

I'm a queer, autistic author with chronic illness/pain and a whole lot of wips. I'm Canadian. I've been writing over half my life (and when you're a couple years shy of 30, that's not bad!) and I was reasonably popular as a fanfic author (RWBY fics mostly), something I've largely stopped doing as of September, 2021.

I'm very passionate. Which is to say I have a Lot(TM) of opinions. And I refuse to take personality tests even if I love them for characters.

Also I really love writing programs. I don't think you need them to be a good author, whatsoever, but god I love them so much.

My Writing

I write basically two things: big ass, character driven, SFF series with tightly woven plots & relationships, plus ridiculous amounts of lore and worldbuilding; and romance novels. That's it. I'm pretty sure I'm better at the latter, which I think is cool.

Also: I have a lots of wips. I cycle between them regularly but I always come back around to the others eventually.

I can sum up my writing as such:

Mostly SFF with a focus on fantasy and scifantasy

Character focused and driven

Often relationship driven - family, friendship, romance, etc.

Almost all of my protagonists are they/them NBs or some other flavour of trans

Mainly queer, disabled, neurodivergent characters

Queer and trans focused romances, also polycules

Found family, slow burn romance, platonic bonds, redemption arcs, overcoming adversity & trauma

Gray morality and tough decisions

Intricate world-building, in-depth magic systems, lots of fantasy creatures, and details on how these things interact with everyday and overarching life

Puns. A lot of puns.

A lot of silly combo words I use as a shortcut to avoid conlanging unnecessarily (though I do LOVE a good conlang)

Listen there's a lot of apocalypses in my WIPs. And overcoming them. It's a theme. It's because of the state of the world. Roll with it.

The Blog

What can you expect on this blog?

Character intros, WIP intros, worldbuilding posts, magic building posts, lore posts, and more

Lots of rambling posts about my WIPs, in general, and progress updates as I draft them

Screenshots and discussions of writing programs, including Scrivener, Word, Excel, Plottr, Aeon Timeline, Scapple, Powerpoint, Illustrator (for maps), Clip Studio Paint (for maps), Photoshop (for nonsense), and Notepad++

Snippets and chapters from various drafts of various WIPs

Inspiration posts for various WIPs

Reblogs of other writeblrs I think are great

Tips, tricks, and advice I picked up from my own experiences as a writer

Rambles about writing, the universe, and my process

Non-Writing Tag: #wall talk

The WIPs

[Under the cut because oh my goodness this is getting long]

Main Projects

THE METAHUMAN INITIATIVE Book One: Descent

Series Overview Urban fantasy, mystery/thriller, suspense, adult. Long as fuck.

Nat Carter is drawn to Veda City, a place built to uncover the secrets of superpowers in Metahumans, after the violent and mysterious death of their family. Once there, they set out to uncover who killed their family, why, and how it boosted Nat's own powers, only to realize that the conspiracy is far deeper than they ever imagined. And, somehow, Nat might be at the centre of it all.

Links: WIP Post | Series Tag | Book One Tag | Series Playlist | Book One Playlist | Character Profiles | Book One Excerpts

BEURKRATTI: THE PLACE OF STONES

Series Overview High fantasy, urban/constructed fantasy, adventure, mystery, adult. Multiple connecting series.

The changing world brings forgotten history forward. The Wardens, the protectors of the world, struggle to find the source of the faltering ancient magic that is causing widespread destruction. Old gods and new are risen in the Free Cities, and nothing is as it seems. For a young Warden, Katya, an opportunity arises to seek the answers for her people's inevitable spiral into nothingness, only to find far more than she ever bargained for.

Currently Undergoing Major Revisions

Links: WIP Post [Being Updated] | Series Tag | Book One Tag [TBA] | Spotify Playlist [None]

BOOK OF FARSIDE Book One: City of Fractured Dreams

Series Overview Scifantasy, apocalypse, adventure, mystery/suspense, adult. Series.

A floating, island city suffocated by civil unrest is thrown into deeper and more violent turmoil after the return of the apocalypse kills its elite fighting force in one fell swoop. Everyone seeking power leaps at the chance to seize it, all while ignoring the dark fate that made it possible. Amidst it all, two siblings, separated by eight years and an entire city, struggle to find one another and not lose themselves in the process.

Links: WIP Post | Series Tag | Ramble Tag | Book One Tag | Spotify Playlist

PATHS MADE OF STARDUST

Series Overview Fantasy, magic school, mystery/suspense, young adult. Series.

Every year, new witches flock to one of the many witch colleges across Mokeno. This year, three students arriving at Starmont College will cross paths for more than just classes. Two first-year students discover a third is held captive by her father's illegal curses and fight to free her from his grasp. If they succeed, they can bring down one of the most corrupt men in the country. If they fail, getting caught will be the least of their problems.

Links: WIP Post [Being Updated] | Series Tag | Book One Tag [TBA] | Spotify Playlist [None]

RESTORING MOONBLOOM HOLLOW

Series Overview Romance, fantasy romance, polyamory, adult. Companion series.

A dying trading post on an abandoned road receives new life when a poorly worded ad tricks an alchemist into moving to the town. Unfortunately, Arlo is not the saviour Moonbloom Hollow was looking for. Two townspeople, Samir and Winnie, don't let Arlo's grumpy exterior stop them, however. They are determined to save their town, and Arlo is determined to save themself. Maybe, working together, everyone can get what they need, and maybe fall in love along the way.

Links: WIP Post [Being Made] | Series Tag | Book One Tag | Spotify Playlist [None]

Side Projects/Minor Projects

Supernova | wip post | tag Urban fantasy, contemporary, young adult. Standalone 15-year-old Andie has never belonged. Bounced from foster home to foster home, they figure they’ll leave the system when they age out. An encounter after school one day awakens powers Andie never knew they had and quickly turns their life upside down. A foster home that cares, foster parents who know their struggles, a new school, and even new friends. But where did Andie come from? And how did they get here? They need to know, or they’ll never be able to rest.

Ghostpossible | wip post | tag Urban fantasy, new adult. Standalone When Y2K hit, it tore open a portal through the ether, letting ghosts, spooks, and all sorts of monsters through. Sixty years later, the best people to tackle the dead and ghastly are the young, and Kai Yeung, part time college student and full-time big sibling, is trying to make it big in the ghost hunting live streaming business. Money is tight, and this is their best option. Until a guy named Archie shows up and reveals that he’s been possessed by an ancient magical artifact and the very grumpy warrior trapped inside it. If Kai can get the artifact off, they can sell it and provide for their sister for years to come, but that’s only if they can get it off Archie before those chasing him can catch up.

Demon Fuckers Anonymous | wip post | tag Fantasy, dark academia, new adult, erotica. Standalone. A disabled student in their upper years at a prestigious, elitist, bullshit academy for magical grad school struggles to keep up due to exhaustion and ableism. To get back on track, they summon a demon in hopes of getting him to help. But the summon uncovers a deep conspiracy beneath the bowels of the school, and a long pent up desire to connect with someone, mind and body.

Queer Witch Cozies | wip post | tag Urban fantasy, cozy mystery, romance, adult. Series Ciar Gallagher can find things no one else can, that’s their talent as a witch. So when a frantic man comes to the door one night begging for Ciar’s help, they’re pretty sure they can do it. But there’s two problems. One, the man is a regular human, one with no knowledge of magic, and two, he’s asking Ciar to find his kidnapped daughter, and Ciar’s never tracked a person before.

Care Home for Chosen Ones | wip post | tag Urban fantasy, contemporary, adult. Standalone 25-year-old Marlowe takes great pride in their career as a care worker at Sunrise Elder Care, especially in their chats with the remaining chosen ones of a long finished prophecy. But when strange shadows begin to haunt the care home, Marlowe must summon all their knowledge and their most trusty weapon – the push broom – in order to stop the returning Dark One and save the elder chosen ones and their home before it’s too late.

Persephone Project | wip post | tag Science fiction, mystery/thriller, adult. Standalone Five years ago, Axl Thorn was arrested aboard the U.S.S. Faraday for techno-terrorism and multiple counts of first degree murder. Now, the cybernetic attacks have made a resurgence, but this time someone else is behind the keyboard. Pulled out of holding to help, Axl is kept on a short leash by their pissed off personal guard, whose job is both to keep Axl out of trouble – hah! – and to keep others from attacking them. Yet as the attacks grow stronger, the unlikely allies must cast aside their differences if they have any hope of saving the station and all those it connects to.

[wallacejwriting]

Me & My Writing

Me

Call me Lace, Wally, or Wallace

they/he, late twenties, Canadian

Been writing for fifteen years

Chronically ill, autistic, and always exhausted

My Writing

SFF, largely focused on fantasy

If not writing character and mystery driven fiction, I'm writing romance

Disabled, neurodivergent characters

Queer characters, stories, relationships, and polycules

Lots of mysteries, intrigue, history, and thematic echoes

Love found family, slow burn romance, strong platonic bonds, and the ways people find each other

Lots of fantasy creatures, in-depth magic, big worlds, deep and intricate world building

Puns. So many puns.

Personal Tag: #wall talk

My Blog

Posts about my wips, including intro posts, character posts, snippets, rambles, etc.

Asks and the occasional tag game

Reblogs of inspiration for projects

Posts about my process, how I go about things, etc.

Tips and tricks for various aspects of writing based on my own experiences

Reblogs of people's things I think are neat

Screenshots of various writing programs that just look like so much nonsense but is me having breakthroughs and a good time

Rough (and snarky!) WIP Summaries Below the Cut

Main Projects

The Metahuman Initiative Urban fantasy, mystery, adult. Series A city built to uncover the secrets of superpowers draws Nat Carter, a grieving adult who just lost their family. Yet no matter how Nat digs, or how far they go, it seems they're only uncovering the surface of the darkness within Veda. A long series, TMI focuses on Nat Carter, a traumatized and bitter person who craves only to protect and care for those they love, in their quest to discover why their family was murdered and what the secrets of Veda have to do with it. Vibes: perseverance, revenge, grief, and learning to trust and heal Tag: #the metahuman initiative

Descent | wip post First book in The Metahuman Initiative. 21-year-old Nat Carter seeks out answers behind their family's sudden and horrific murder in a dark metropolis filled with secrets, crime, and superpowers. Vibes: perseverance, guilt, grief, collateral damage, moody noir city Tag: #wip: descent

The City of Fractured Dreams | wip post Scifantasy, political drama, adventure, series First book in the Book of Farside. A city-state in political unrest is thrown headfirst into all out war when a failed attempt to stop monsters kills the city's most powerful soldiers and leaves its streets vulnerable to all those who'd seize them. In the midst of this battle, a pair of siblings seeks out one another after eight years apart, but both have changed far more than the other realizes. Vibes: scifantasy, dystopia, urban fantasy, gritty oil/greasepunk, floating islands, looming doom Tag: #wip: farsiders

Beurkratti: The Place of Stones | series post High fantasy, adventure, adult, series A constructed fantasy world at the beginning of a magically-fuelled industrial revolution begins to undergo great change as the ancient magic left behind by the Architects begins to attack the world and sets a time limit for uncovering its secrets before the world is lost. Vibes: trans, found family, adventure, hopepunk, friendship, very queer Tag: #wip: beurkratti

Backburner

Tales from Lumira | wip post High fantasy, romance, adult. Series Three small countries are forced to put aside their differences when the major superpower countries on either side of them enter a cold war that threatens to tear the continent apart. Vibes: found family, romance, enemies to friends, big house with a bunch of strangers in it, forced proximity Tag: #wip: tales from lumira

Supernova | wip post Urban fantasy, contemporary, young adult. Standalone 15-year-old Andie has never belonged. Bounced from foster home to foster home, they figure they'll leave the system when they age out. An encounter after school one day awakens powers Andie never knew they had and quickly turns their life upside down. A foster home that cares, foster parents who know their struggles, a new school, and even new friends. But where did Andie come from? And how did they get here? They need to know, or they'll never be able to rest. Vibes: superheroes, hopepunk, a nicer world, friendship, found family, belonging Tag: #wip: supernova

Ghostpossible Urban fantasy, new adult. Standalone When Y2K hit, it tore open a portal through the ether, letting ghosts, spooks, and all sorts of monsters through. Sixty years later, the best people to tackle the dead and ghastly are the young, and Kai Yeung, part time college student and full-time big sibling, is trying to make it big in the ghost hunting live streaming business. Money is tight, and this is their best option. Until a guy named Archie shows up and reveals that he's been possessed by an ancient magical artifact and the very grumpy warrior trapped inside it. If Kai can get the artifact off, they can sell it and provide for their sister for years to come, but that's only if they can get it off Archie before those chasing him can catch up. Vibes: monster fucking, content creation, toxic online communities, ancient sexy warriors trapped in jewellery Tag: #wip: ghostpossible

Demon Fuckers Anonymous Fantasy, dark academia, new adult. Standalone A disabled student in their upper years at a prestigious, elitist, bullshit academy for magical grad school struggles to keep up due to exhaustion and ableism. To get back on track, they summon a demon in hopes of getting him to help. But the summon uncovers a deep conspiracy beneath the bowels of the school, and a long pent up desire to connect with someone, mind and body. Vibes: disability, ableism, mystery, body horror, horror, erotica Tag: #wip: code magic

Queer Witch Cozies Urban fantasy, cozy mystery, romance, adult. Series Ciar Gallagher can find things no one else can, that's their talent as a witch. So when a frantic man comes to the door one night begging for Ciar's help, they're pretty sure they can do it. But there's two problems. One, the man is a regular human, one with no knowledge of magic, and two, he's asking Ciar to find his kidnapped daughter, and Ciar's never tracked a person before. Vibes: soft, cozy, found family, cooking and baking Tag: #wip: finder witch

Care Home for Chosen Ones Urban fantasy, contemporary, adult. Standalone 25-year-old Marlowe takes great pride in their career as a care worker at Sunrise Elder Care, especially in their chats with the remaining chosen ones of a long finished prophecy. But when strange shadows begin to haunt the care home, Marlowe must summon all their knowledge and their most trusty weapon – the push broom – in order to stop the returning Dark One and save the elder chosen ones and their home before it's too late. Vibes: found family, caretaking, caring for each other, pride in small things, forgiveness, compassion Tag: #wip: care home for chosen ones

Persephone Project Science fiction, mystery/thriller, adult. Standalone Five years ago, Axl Thorn was arrested aboard the U.S.S. Faraday for techno-terrorism and multiple counts of first degree murder. Now, the cybernetic attacks have made a resurgence, but this time someone else is behind the keyboard. Pulled out of holding to help, Axl is kept on a short leash by their pissed off personal guard, whose job is both to keep Axl out of trouble – hah! – and to keep others from attacking them. Yet as the attacks grow stronger, the unlikely allies must cast aside their differences if they have any hope of saving the station and all those it connects to. Vibes: horror, technothriller, forgiveness, redemption, atonement Tag: #wip: persephone project

Standalone Romance Projects

On the Mountain Contemporary romance, adult. MM. A painter in his mid 20s wants to know more about the father he barely knew, and hunts down a military  buddy who sent his father postcards for over two decades. He finds the vet on a mountain, one leg gone and handcrafted furniture all around him, and the two strike up a friendship to remember a man they both cared dearly about. But what starts as friendship begins to morph, and both must struggle with what their relationship is, and if they can handle the change. Vibes: age gap, strangers to lovers, bonding, anti-military pro-veteran Tag: #wip: on the mountain

Writing Retreat Contemporary romance, adult. MM. A struggling best-selling author goes on vacation to a small mountain community to break his writers' block and meets a gruffy, grouchy lumberjack who has the cabin next to him and helps run the lodging that the author is staying at. As the two spend their early mornings by the water together, they begin to bond and fall in love. Vibes: coming out, safety, falling in love, learning to trust Tag: #wip: writing retreat

Singing in Silence Contemporary romance, adult. MM. The popular musician and front man for a band is forced to get a bodyguard after an encounter with several fans goes horribly wrong. Scared of the stage but not willing to admit it, he lashes out against the new guard, and the two quickly bash heads. But fear is the mind killer, and if the singer can't get over it, he won't be able to perform at the biggest show of the year, the one he's been waiting for his whole life. Vibes: trust, safety, music, fame Tag: #wip: singing in silence

Werewolf in the Barn Contemporary fantasy, romance, adult. MM. A sheep farmer opens his barn one day to find a very attractive, very naked man sleeping in his hay loft. The man turns out to be a werewolf, and the two strike up a deal for him to help out around the ranch. Now if only he'd put pants on more often. Vibes: slow burn, awkward physical contact, flustered showers Tag: #wip: werewolf in the barn

[Last edited July 31st, 2022]

[wallacejwriting]

I saw recently about your takes on representation of autism in your current WIP. First of all I really want to say that it feels amazing as an autistic writer myself to know there's someone out there providing and actively working on accurate representations of autism in media, its all too common to feel like the butt of a neurotypical writer/director's joke.

But anyway, what I wanted to ask is how obvious and direct do you plan on making the fact of the characters in the book being autistic? Is it a direct statement or just kind of there as a part of the character that needs no explanation? I find the differences in books with this kind of thing fascinating.

Thank you! I love hearing from other autistic writers and knowing that we're all making it better in the book world for ourselves and each other.

This is the part where I explain that I answer asks in a really scattered, rambling way, that is absolutely due to the autism and various other nonsense. I tried to make this as coherent as possible. But I get excited when talking about my blorbos.

So far, in all of my wips with autistic characters, I find a way to address the fact that they are autistic in the text. In my modern stories, or futuristic ones, I use the word "autistic" directly, and in fantasy stuff I explicitly have terms for those umbrella categories of neurodivergence with varying levels of nuance based on the setting.

So there is usually a direct statement of some sort, typically not at all the central part of a scene (except in one case, but that's because the character being autistic is ACTIVELY WHY they are being chosen for their task), but I try to never make it accusatory or bad. A lot of my characters just mention it offhandedly when asked why they're a little different or when they are bringing up their own boundaries.

But I don't bring it up immediately. I wait until it makes sense in the text. Until then, I weave it into the actions of the main characters.

I work a lot to make it consistent in the writing, because I'm so used to taking it out of my default writing that now I have to put it back in, if that makes sense. So I'm working with different sets of traits and symptoms for each character, and I make sure that flows through the narrative just like any other trait or the like.

I guess to be more specific, let's look at Nat, from Descent, who is one of three characters I was referring to in that post - the other two being from two different wips (one being the person in the aforementioned central scene, the other being Katya from Beurkratti).

Nat is autistic. Diagnosed as a young one, at just over a year old (genetic testing all babies get in TMI 'Verse) and had some good supports in life. Strong family system, even if small. They spent their whole life in small towns, two in particular, and so have never had to deal with the more city based parts of being autistic, which are the parts that, imo, really suck.

Nat:

is very easily overwhelmed by noise and smell. They end up wearing discrete ear plugs and wearing specific smells under their nose to block out others to manage the city.

has a tendency to yell and slap things when they're upset

gets emotionally overwhelmed when they're faced with hard decisions or decisions with strong consequences to the point of having meltdowns

deeply dislikes being touched by people they don't have as part of their little circle and snaps at people who do

experiences grief in distinctly different ways than most neurotypical people do, such as full emotional shutdown, focusing on logic, becoming increasingly external task focused rather than internal focused

struggles with recognizing facial expressions, to the point where I legitimately can't "tell" facial expressions and HAVE to write them out as descriptions because Nat doesn't know what any of them mean until they get close to people and get a chance to absorb it.

doesn't have a central special interest or interests, but is extremely driven and focused in everything they take on, and definitely hyperfocuses on the investigation hard

Nat doesn't need a set routine so much as they need to know what is happening at all times. If you say X then do Y, Nat gets upset. The bigger the difference, the more frustrated they get.

Nat's stimming ranges from mildly self-destructive (they bang their head off walls when they're upset a lot, not hard enough to do damage, but very rhythmic and constant) to very small (they grind their teeth a lot, which causes dental problems later on), but most of it is discreet because people in their small towns thought they were weird

Nat is low empathy, but in a way that lets them connect with animals, strangers, and characters, but struggles to let them connect with those closest to them. The vulnerability and personal nature makes it much harder.

Some of the things I'm really looking forward to including with Nat is the explanation as to why their powers manifest differently than others at their level. It's the autism. Nat's different brain chemistry actively change how their powers manifest, making them unique in many ways. They also suffer a lot of unique challenges, due to this.

After Nat's power upgrade, just before the story starts, Nat stops being able to take medication because it stops working. Their body destroys it, seeing it as a threat. They have tinnitus due to the constant sensory stimulation of electronics and electricity in the city. This makes it far easier for Nat to get sensory overload, now, making it harder for them to get around and do things.

Nat's autism also changes how they approach that upgrade. A lot of Metas lose all their control, or find that things that used to be easy as much easier to mess up, in the event of a huge, sudden uptick in power. With Nat, everything they're used to doing is easier than ever, more powerful, and almost subconscious. But it's much easier to hurt others and lash out. It's must easier to go overboard. And doing new things is a lot more difficult and scary.

That's all I can think of for this for now. Thank you very much for sending this ask. It was fun to talk about.