#writeblr stuff

[thetruearchmagos]

Find The Word Tag

Thank you ever so much @the-stray-storyteller for the tag!

Your words: Short, Bleary, End, Surge, Silver

Unsurprisingly, I only had something for one of these words, so the rest of them get 'whatever I managed to make up right now'. Which happens to mostly involve Gustav...

Short:

After a short eternity winding his way through the charnel house Gustav arrived at a quiet corner, where it seemed the stable and conscious casualties were holed up. He scanned the room, and his eyes quickly found familiar faces. "Hello, you two!" Corporal Georgiou almost rose from her seat, but her legs failed her and she crashed back down. In front of her on a cot, Private Inamdar raised his left hand in greeting, his right arm hanging in a sling. "Evenin', sir," the former eventually got out, delivering a mockery of a salute from seating that Gustav duly returned.

Bleary:

The sound of hard knocking against steel tore Gustav from his sleep, and he swung his legs out under him on pure instinct. "Sorry, sir," Sergeant Amadi called, "but captain's on the net." He tossed him a canteen, and Gustav caught it. Hunched under the track's low roof, he splashed cold water into his face and wiped bleary eyes before drinking, then crawled towards the rear hatch. "Well then, let's see what he's got for us."

End:

Even as the last desperate men threw their hands to the sky and crawled towards his lines and the last of their vehicles smouldered in the field, Captain Gustav's attention was absorbed by the words coming through his headset. He didn't like what he was hearing. Soon he was clambering out of dugout and into daylight. Gustav's eyes swept across the landscape, and his face was bitter. Lieutenant Gruev, clutching a bleeding arm but with a look of pride in his eyes, ran up to him. "That's the end of it, then?" Gustav shook his head. "Not hardly, lieutenant. Get Warrant Zhao and tell him to get my wounded out of here. We're pulling back out west while we still can."

Surge:

Thick, billowing smoke choked and burned and stung his lungs but Gustav forced himself in. Eyes screwed shut, he tore through the troop compartment by feeling and instinct alone, until he was in the turret and his hands clenched around the man's legs. Gustav pulled and the man didn't move, and a surge of sudden strength came into him and he dragged the man from his seat and over his shoulder. Staggering, he turned back and crept.

Silver:

Gustav lay on the dirt and looked up. The night was so beautiful he almost forgot to breathe. The woods to his back ate the noise of the world and left him more alone than he'd been in weeks, but it didn't scare him. Above, new and unfamiliar stars shone like silver on black canvas in a sky clear as crystal. He blinked just to make sure it was real, and let himself drink it in, and for a moment forget that there was anything else on that world.

Tagging @theprissythumbelina @kckramer @hessdalen-globe @bureaumantic @sleepyowlwrites @caxycreations @moonlitinks

Your words: Mockery, Crawled, Bitter, Stung, Dirt

[maddstermind]

Hurrah hurrah!!! Hello @akiwitch! I'm your pinch-hitter for the @writeblrgarden Secret Santa event!

I've been wanting to make this since reading part of Summoning Trouble you shared a while back, so I'm glad to have finally gotten the excuse to do it!!

[notsocheezy]

Welcome to The Author's Archive

I'm Cassandra Erica, local girlish-shaped thing carrying she/they pronouns under each arm (despite how much more difficult it makes grocery shopping). For a full year - that's three-hundred and sixty-five days for all you number fans out there - I wrote at least one thing every day and posted to this blog. Those are Brain Curds, by the way - and their retirement is but only temporary.

"So," you're wondering, "what have you written so far? What are you working on? Are you going to keep up this weird reflexive second-person perspective?" To answer back-to-front: no, many things, and not quite as many things. Here are some lists!

~~~

RELEASED ON NOTSOCHEEZY.COM!

The Real Me (2022, Short Story)

There's something a bit off about businessman Mr. Shirley Jones. What's he hiding?

Three Takes on Death (2022, Short Story)

What might happen when we die?

Pink Bow (2022, Novella)

Who knew trying on one dress at the mall could change a person's entire life? Chris - or, uh, Kris - certainly didn't. Was it just a dress inside that box with the pink bow, or was it something more?

Passable. Episode One - The Virgin (2024, Writer's Block Short)

The pilot episode (of sorts) for a trans sitcom. Lily gets herself a date with a little something extra. Sarah racks her brain to keep her boyfriend sexually satisfied without breaking chastity. Alice and Brayden run a 'scientific' study with a virgin busboy.

Plus some other things, don't worry about it.

~~~

BRAIN CURDS

Brain Curds are lightly edited daily writing - usually flash fiction and sometimes terrible on purpose. Click here to see some of the greatest hits! Here are some of the more notable series:

The Frank Program

Frank hosts a podcast with high profile guests, and he's not afraid to tell you "what they don't want you to know," but he has plenty of his own secrets.

Quantum Fates

On a day that ought to be like any other, Trevor wakes up from a nightmare with a splitting headache, a voice in his head, and visions of the near future.

Passable.

Four trans college students share an apartment in Irvine and screw up each others' lives through sheer lack of scruples.

Government Man

Government Man is from the government.

Cole Nicole

Genderfluid femboy model, Cole Nicole, navigates life just outside the spotlight.

Veronica

Via gruesome means, Veronica gets her revenge - a dish best served at 98.6 degrees.

The Prom Consort

Kelly finds herself roped in to an arrangement (don't call it a love triangle) that might just be profitable. That is, if old wounds don't prove too painful.

~~~

WIP!

Anthill Theory (Short Film) Finished - Waiting for Soundtrack

An exploration of free will through a time loop that the protagonist doesn't know he's in.

A Covenant of Rust (Novella) This is the part where I ignore it for a year.

A newlywed couple moves into a 1950s prefab home in early 2020, but finds more hidden beneath the surface than the floor plan could reveal. Will forgotten secrets and isolation bring them together, or tear them apart?

Blue Rabbit (Short Story) Pre-Final

Sequel/companion to A Covenant of Rust. I keep telling myself I'm going to finally finish this one, but it'll have to wait for its sibling project.

One Late Night Easter Morning (Short Story) First Draft

A chance encounter at a bar leads to late-night musings about humanity.

The Order of the Degenerati (Novel) Outlining

A secret society was formed after the tragedy of the holocaust to make sure it never happened again. Unfortunately, nowadays the most they can do is make YouTube videos go viral.

It Goes Up (Never Never NEVER NEVER NEVER) Complete

You will never read it.

Memories Retained (Novella?) Mostly Cancelled (because Quantum Fates is better)

Ever had a dream where you were back in high school, before it all went to shit, and you decided to do something differently? Ever woke up and found out it really happened?

Seeing Other People (Novel?) I Hate It Now

A story of love, polyamory, Dissociative Identity Disorder, and heartbreak.

And MORE! THERE IS ALWAYS MORE!

~~~

MY BOOK!(?)

Publishers don't seem super interested in collections of short stories, and I'm afraid a collection of short stories and novellas may make a literary agent's head explode, so expect to see Tales from Starved Childhoods as a self-published debut! It includes a fully rewritten new version of Everyone Has Their Price (2017); newly revised versions of Next Day Delivery (2017), The Real Me (2022), Three Takes on Death (2022) and Pink Bow (2022); and all-new stories still in progress.

Tales from Starved Childhoods is set to be the physical manifestation of my early career as a writer, so stay tuned and look for it someplace books are sold!

~~~

If you'd like to be one of my readers or vice versa, don't hesitate to reach out! I'm shy but I won't bite without consent.

I'm always happy to have more eyes on what I'm making and I'm always happy to read something new. It helps with the burnout. I'm open to most any genre - I don't really think much about labels when coming up with ideas.

If you work for a publisher and you see something you like, send an email to publishing@notsocheezy.com with the subject line, "Business Factory."

[lividdreamz]

INSANE ASYLUMS, CANNIBAL PROPHETS, ELDRITCH CULTS, & SELF-PROCLAIMED GODS GALORE

A WIP INTRODUCTION — OF ILL REPUTE

GENRE; Dark Fantasy, Occult Horror, Romance (?)

TARGET AUDIENCE; Adult

STATUS; Outlining and Drafting

TARGET WORD COUNT; 40K — 60K

CONTENT WARNINGS; gore, violence, torture, cannibalism, abuse and exploitation of mental patients, sexual content

SUMMARY; When a new patient who calls himself Yoska Menik and boldly declares he is a god arrives at The Maker’s Sanctuary—an insane asylum with a reputation built on less than holy monks, shrieking lunatics, and inhumane practices—he is quickly dismissed as a madman. While everyone believes Yoska Menik’s another deluded lunatic, Valentin, a fellow inmate harbouring a dangerous secret of his own, finds himself inexplicably captivated by him…even as increasingly strange occurrences begin to unfold around the asylum. As his relationship with Yoska Menik deepens, blurring the line between madness and sanity, Valentin must learn to navigate the treacherous path between his forbidden desires and the dangers they present.

THEMES/TROPES; Faith, Belief, (Abuse Of) Power, Revenge, Rebellion, Religion, Identity, Tradition, I-Don’t-Like-You-Very-Much To I-Will-Serve-You-All-My-Days, Found Family (Kind Of…)

CHARACTERS;

Valentin — Alleged cannibal. Prophet. Performer of strange blood rituals at midnight. He’s also an opium addict, but we don’t talk about that.

Esa St. Edvin — A god (self-proclaimed) with dubious eldritch powers (unconfirmed). If you call him Yoska Menik, it’ll make his day.

Martja'ysa Bruheimer Isko-Sanni — A formerly wealthy divorcée who may or may not be able to commune with spirits. Moody, melancholic, prefers solitude.

Johannes St. Lendzell / Ly — Purported victim of demonic possession. Cried and clawed at walls often. Friend of Valentin. Dead.

Pia St. Ørjan — A woman who believes she’s made of glass. Approach with caution.

Jin ij Phanom Sieng — Valentin’s younger brother. Merchant. Rebel fugitive and woefully bitter about it.

Father Paavali — The Maker’s Sanctuary Monk #1. Cruel, contemptuous, and violent.

Father Mika — The Maker’s Sanctuary Monk #2. His kindness, compassion, and love for his wardens often mask his perverted urges.

STARRING A CAST OF;

Creepy monks

Creepier cults

Strange supernatural happenings disguised as miracles

Ritualistic cannibalism

Blood magic

Wacky religious prophecies

Cruel and unusual punishments

Opium addicts

Failed rebellions

Surreal sex dreams

A gothic insane asylum

One (1) ghost

TAGLIST; Ask To Be +/-

MAIN TAG; Forthcoming!

OF ILL REPUTE is a WIP I began working on in 2018 and promptly dropped (for many reasons). However, as you can clearly see, I’m picking it back up again! If you’d like to know more about it and it’s world, here are two posts where I go into more detail about its setting. More posts about its worldbuilding (and characters) to come!

[cheerfulmelancholies]

Came across this a while ago and thought it looked fun:

As you can see by my progress, I have a ways to go 😅

[oddcryptidwrites]

Louise "Lou" Ledet [NYTF]

Right on cue, Lou came stalking out of the woods. She crouched by the body, scanning the forest floor. Her hood was pulled back revealing her stern face, shaved head, and eyes that could cut steel. (Knight of Dawn, Chapter 11)

Full Name: Louise Seraphina Ledet

Pronouns: she/they

Title: Queen Consort of State (Louisiana)

Gender: nonbinary (uses female titles)

Sexuality: demisexual

Birthday (Age at start): March 9th, 2163

Parents: Etienne "Marcel" Ledet (deceased), Aurelie Corinne Boudreaux Ledet (deceased)

Siblings: Lisanne Ledet (deceased)

Spouse: Achilles Eloi Gauthier (deceased), ค̡̮̲͚̺̖͖͔͍ͮ๔̡͉̙̝͔͇̌ͥ̃ͅг̷̻̠̆̔เ̶̲͕͎͌ค̠̪̰̱̭̩̐ͩͣ͞ภ̢̬͈ͣͦ ̵̜̦͈̠͇ͨͨ̒͛Շ̤͉̲̹̼̠̎͂̔͢ค̴̙͚͎̭̱̠͓͍̆̌ͫ̐к̰͙̦̘̣̔̎̍́є̇̑̍ͧ͏̗̭̠๏͍̝͉̹̼̮́͝ ̃̓͏̱̝͕๒̦͔̺̮͆̈́͒͋͠є̧͍͎͚̣̟͉̗ͥ͐̉ͅг̢̝̥̙̱͈̇ﻮ̧̖̗͕̽̂̌̚ͅє̨͙̙̣͓̘͕̻̑г͕̪̱̭ͪ̊ͭ͘๏̧̙͈͇̻͔͍̬ͪภ̙̣ͨ͗̽͢

Notable physical features: shaved or half-shaved head (depending on the book), scars on her face, usually wearing tactical gear

Personality: unstable, bitter, paranoid, impulsive, odd, shrewd, quiet

Extended Introduction

(CW for Child Marriage)

Louise Seraphina Ledet (Gauthier) is the intriguing outsider who lives not too far from the Perimeter. They are a mother figure to Lennox at their best, and an absolute nightmare to deal with at their worst. Lou is highly unstable and prone to acting violently, even towards those she cares about.

Lou was the second of two daughters born in the New Orleans Parish Zone of Louisiana to influential entrepreneurs who controlled much of the food supply in the old Ninth Ward. Lisanne, her older sister, married the Prince of the New Orleans Parish at the time, Achilles Gauthier. Soon after, the previous King of State died, and Achilles assumed the role, making a pregnant Lisanne the Queen Consort of State. Lisanne died in childbirth, and King Gauthier, inflated with egotistical power, blamed the Ledet family and demanded to marry the then-15 year old Louise Ledet. Marcel and Aurelie allowed for this to happen.

Less than six months after their marriage, King Gauthier bled to death after having his genitals removed, and Louise Ledet fled the state. Nowadays, Lou can be found all over the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and most often, Georgia. They have a scattering of safe homes across the southeast and continue to rule the state of Louisiana from their odd isolation. Lou rarely returns home.

NYTF WIP PAGE

Tag List (reply or dm to be added or removed; I pulled from the old tag list + the call post):@author-a-holmes, @soul-write @flowerprose @ceph-the-ghost-writer @theglitchywriterboi @when-wax-wings-melt @thechaoticflowergarden @lyralit @penspiration-writing @samatedeansbroccoli @charlesjosephwrites @italiangothicwriteblr @thetruearchmagos @pineapple-lover-boy @unilightwrites @sanguine-arena @bardic-tales @joshuaorrizonte @blind-the-winds @circa-specturgia @hymnonlips @aloeverawrites @the-stray-storyteller @writeblrsupport @starlit-skys @kyuponstories @guessillcallitart @magic-is-something-we-create @talesofsorrowandofruin @writingonmymind @imslowlydisintegrating @worldsfromhoney

[egpenrose]

Yes, brain, I absolutely need to clean and reorganize my desk on day 3 of nanowrimo. Oh, and you're right: I don't really like this lamp. Maybe I can search my entire home for one to switch it with. Hang up some art? Have to have that inspiration...

[mx-ryder]

For the record:

I will never object to someone messaging me out of the blue. I mean, as long as it's not some weird hateful shit or something lol

Messaging people for the first time is so hard. What am I supposed to say? Like, "You seem really odd and your blog intrigues me. Do you want to have philosophical conversations or perhaps talk about fictional characters?" What! Whatever. I will just follow you back and stare at your blog with my big beautiful brown eyes.

[hayatheauthor]

10 Non-Lethal Injuries to Add Pain to Your Writing

New Part: 10 Lethal Injury Ideas

If you need a simple way to make your characters feel pain, here are some ideas: 

1. Sprained Ankle

A common injury that can severely limit mobility. This is useful because your characters will have to experience a mild struggle and adapt their plans to their new lack of mobiliy. Perfect to add tension to a chase scene.

2. Rib Contusion

A painful bruise on the ribs can make breathing difficult, helping you sneak in those ragged wheezes during a fight scene. Could also be used for something sport-related! It's impactful enough to leave a lingering pain but not enough to hinder their overall movement.

3. Concussions

This common brain injury can lead to confusion, dizziness, and mood swings, affecting a character’s judgment heavily. It can also cause mild amnesia.

I enjoy using concussions when you need another character to subtly take over the fight/scene, it's an easy way to switch POVs. You could also use it if you need a 'cute' recovery moment with A and B.

4. Fractured Finger

A broken finger can complicate tasks that require fine motor skills. This would be perfect for characters like artists, writers, etc. Or, a fighter who brushes it off as nothing till they try to throw a punch and are hit with pain.

5. Road Rash

Road rash is an abrasion caused by friction. Aka scraping skin. The raw, painful sting resulting from a fall can be a quick but effective way to add pain to your writing. Tip: it's great if you need a mild injury for a child.

6. Shoulder Dislocation

This injury can be excruciating and often leads to an inability to use one arm, forcing characters to confront their limitations while adding urgency to their situation. Good for torture scenes.

7. Deep Laceration

A deep laceration is a cut that requires stitches. As someone who got stitches as a kid, they really aren't that bad! A 2-3 inch wound (in length) provides just enough pain and blood to add that dramatic flair to your writing while not severely deterring your character.

This is also a great wound to look back on since it often scars. Note: the deeper and wider the cut the worse your character's condition. Don't give them a 5 inch deep gash and call that mild.

8. Burns

Whether from fire, chemicals, or hot surfaces, burns can cause intense suffering and lingering trauma. Like the previous injury, the lasting physical and emotional trauma of a burn is a great wound for characters to look back on.

If you want to explore writing burns, read here.

9. Pulled Muscle

This can create ongoing pain and restrict movement, offering a window to force your character to lean on another. Note: I personally use muscle related injuries when I want to focus more on the pain and sprains to focus on a lack of mobility.

10. Tendonitis

Inflammation of a tendon can cause chronic pain and limit a character's ability to perform tasks they usually take for granted. When exploring tendonitis make sure you research well as this can easily turn into a more severe injury.

This is a quick, brief list of ideas to provide writers inspiration. Since it is a shorter blog, I have not covered the injuries in detail. This is inspiration, not a thorough guide. Happy writing! :)

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!

Instagram Tiktok

[thetruearchmagos]

So... Anyone got a fictional military battle you'd like to see dissected? I'll take anything.

Hell, I'll take yours!

[maddstermind]

Hello hello @theglitchywriterboi!!! It's me, your secret santa for @writeblrgarden!!!!

I had. A lot of ideas of what I wanted to do, but I was limited by time (holiday season - working a LOT at a job I'm still new at), but I hope you like these two!!!! I had a blast drawing em!!! :D

[charbroiledchicken]

if it's good enough for you, then it deserves to be made. don't let anyone else decide if your story is worth it or not.

[lividdreamz]

❤️ Happy WorldBuilding Wednesday! ❤️

What are your cities or towns like? Feel free to talk about the layouts or the people or the architecture, etc. and to talk about more than one if you'd like!

Hiya, Tori! Thanks for the WBW ask! I’m going to answer this for a “new” (really it’s a dead WIP from 2018 I’ve decided to pick back up) WIP I’m tentatively calling “Of Ill Repute”. Let’s get right into it!

Of Ill Repute takes place in an impoverished district in Kir, which is the capital city of The Szel, a country that has recently undergone a violent (and failed) rebellion from which it is still struggling to rebuild economically + physically. The district in which OIR is mainly set in was hit hardest and I’ve attempted to show that by describing its Absolute State (mostly inspired by 15th century Rome): defaced and destroyed statues; ruined homes, tombs, and temples; the heads and limbs of rebels who have been executed nailed to front doors etc. etc.

Most of Of Ill Repute is set within an insane asylum, but on the rare occasions when my main character venture outside of the asylum, that is what they’re confronted with. Since there isn’t an opportunity to get as much worldbuilding in as I’d otherwise like (Of Ill Repute is a novella), I felt as though I should let the setting do most of the talking where it’s concerned. Also, Kir allows me to lay some of OIR’s thematic groundwork, because a considerable portion of the novella concerns itself with how the political squabbles of the moneyed elite affect the impoverished.

Again, thanks for the ask!

[theaftersundown]

fanfiction truly being the savior for everyones sanity

[themightyhumanbroom]

My average writing experience:

"Alright I think I'm almost done actually-"

*Google doc grows second health bar and a choir starts singing in latin*

[kriz-smthn]