tarasstorybook

[tarasstorybook]

i love talking about my ocs i feel like a proud mom talking about her kids and their achievements but my kid's achievements are acquiring trauma and adding to their kill count

[tarasstorybook]

I just like when a man is big and strong but he has doe eyes

[tarasstorybook]

this asshole

[gestures to favorite character]

[tarasstorybook]

You know those things you think you can't write because they're an emotion not a plot?

Try oneshots!

Oneshots are great because they can be just a single scene or moment. They allow you to write that one conversation you want to write without needing to create a whole story around it.

You wish you could just write about that character getting a damn hug for once? Do it! Who needs a huge context? Just put it out there!

Oneshots, people! Write them read them. Love them. They're awesome.

[tarasstorybook]

[tarasstorybook]

Writing advice from my uni teachers:

If your dialog feels flat, rewrite the scene pretending the characters cannot at any cost say exactly what they mean. No one says “I’m mad” but they can say it in 100 other ways.

Wrote a chapter but you dislike it? Rewrite it again from memory. That way you’re only remembering the main parts and can fill in extra details. My teacher who was a playwright literally writes every single script twice because of this.

Don’t overuse metaphors, or they lose their potency. Limit yourself.

Before you write your novel, write a page of anything from your characters POV so you can get their voice right. Do this for every main character introduced.

[tarasstorybook]

thi s one wins

[tarasstorybook]

[tarasstorybook]

Here’s a little bit on subplots!

[tarasstorybook]

Getting Him Back

Life was quiet now that she didn’t have to hide anymore, the town had made roots in the last place it relocated itself to. The magic community didn’t have to worry about hiding who they were anymore, ex operatives like her didn’t have to worry about being caught and brought back anymore. She was finally free to go as she pleased again, see the ones she loved again without risk of being found and losing those closest to her. A life without worry, she couldn’t even remember what that felt like anymore.

“What are you thinking about Nic?” Her familiar jumped up onto the countertop next to her.

“That the MCIA isn’t breathing down my neck anymore. The more that I think about it, I can go back home Carmen.”

“But I thought Haven was your home?”

“I suppose it is.” Nic laughs quietly to herself, she didn’t even mean to set roots in Haven. But once she found her old friends were living there, she couldn’t really bring herself to disappear again. At the time, Haven was her best bet for hiding from her old job, it was the one place they couldn’t follow her to.

“You miss him.” Carmen says suddenly. “How long was your spell supposed to last?”

“Until I could remove it, the protection spell was for the best when I left. I don’t think he even knows I put it there.”

“Well, I’m sure he’ll understand when you see him.”

“I haven’t talked to him in so long, I don’t even know what he would say when he sees me again.”

“Your looks haven’t changed, I know he would be happy to see you again. You can go to him without worry now, you won’t be putting him in danger.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Nic muses.

“I’m always right.” Carmen stretches before laying down on the counter. “Go get him, bring him here.”

“I’ll have to tell the others where I’m going.”

“Not much, let it be a surprise to those that don’t know. The ones that do haven’t said anything.”

“They probably assumed I’d say something in my own time.” Nic laughs.

“Probably.”

“You know, I think I will go get him.” She makes off for her room to pack a few things for her trip. She told the rest of the coven that there was something she needed to take care of, she didn’t know how long it would take but she promised to be back as soon as she could. It had been so long since she had been to her old home, even longer since she saw him. Nic remembered what she said to him as clear as day, unable to take it anymore she left the MCIA and in turn had to leave him behind for his own safety or risk them using him against her. Before she had left, Nic had placed a protection in place to make sure he stayed safe. She had been on the run ever since and now she was free to find him.

Nic was a little worried about how the reunion would go but she held out on the hope that everything would be fine. Her protection barrier around the house was still in place when she got there, a faint red light glinted in the sunlight as she passed through it and walked the path to the front door. Nic still held onto her old house key on the hope and promise to come home someday. She took a deep breath as she stuck the key in the lock, turning it and walked inside.

“Hello? Anyone home?” She called out but there was no response, the house was quiet. Nic wandered to the living room of the house, coming across her old altar and photograph. She picked up the picture, smiling a little to herself as she reminisced on the past, remembering the good times before she left the MCIA. Things seemed so simple back then.

“Nichole?” A man’s voice catches her attention. “You’re home?”

Nic smiles as she turns around to face him, he had short brown hair and blue eyes, his clothes were covered in dust. He was of average build and height, not that much shorter than Nic. “Yes Thomas, in a sense I’m home.”

Thomas crosses the room, hugging her he picks Nic up and spins her around. “God I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

“Where have you been?” He sets her back down on the floor, brushing off any dust he might have gotten on her.

“I have so much to tell you.” She snaps her fingers and clothes were clean once more. They sit down on the couch and she tells him everything that she had been through during the time that she was gone, she tells him about the people she met and friends she made along the way, what she was doing now and why she came back.

“So they’re not after you anymore then?” Thomas questions a little hesitantly.

“No, the others wouldn’t allow it. I’ve made quite the friends when I found Haven by accident.”

“That’s good, I was worried about you.”

“I know.” Nic pauses to think about what she wanted to say next. “There’s something I need to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Come back with me?”

“Back where? To Haven?” He looks at her confused.

“Yes, there are people there like me and not just as an ex operative. It's nice there, I’d say it's quiet there but it's not always quiet.” She chuckles a little to herself.

“There would be a lot to move there wouldn’t there?”

“Thomas my beautiful idiot did you forget I have magic? I can have everything there in nothing flat. We can pack our things up in boxes so it’s easier to move, put the house up for sale. I have a home there, much like ours, I was feeling nostalgic when I found it.”

“Okay.” Thomas laughs a little and shakes his head, he did briefly forget that his wife had magic. “We’ve got a lot to do then.”

“Yes we do.” Nichole smiles up at him.

They set to work on getting the house packed up and put up for sale. Since they were moving everything to her house in Haven, they were able to leave the house fully furnished for anyone that would want to buy the house. It took quite some time to get everything packed up and ready to move, a few weeks at most. It all got moved to her home, Nichole explained to Thomas everything that he would need to know when moving to Haven with her. She told him about all the people that lived there and that he would have to apply for citizenship in Haven. She got to introduce him to the rest of the coven once everything was said and done, Thomas got used to the idea of the kind of people that lived there. Nichole was just happy to finally be with him again, despite how things went in the past everything turned out alright in the end.

[tarasstorybook]

me: (writes fics in my head while running)

me: (writes fics in my head while driving)

me: (writes fics in my head while brushing my teeth)

me: (sits down to write a fic at my computer) I got nuthin

[tarasstorybook]

[tarasstorybook]

here have 10 pieces of writing advice that have stuck with me over the years

every character’s first line should be an introduction to who they are as a person

even if you only wrote one sentence on a really bad day, that’s still one sentence more than you had yesterday

exercise restraint when using swear words and extra punctuation in order for them to pack a punch when you do use them

if your characters have to kiss to show they’re in love, then they’re not in love

make every scene interesting (or make every scene your favorite scene), otherwise your readers will be just as bored as you

if you’re stuck on a scene, delete the last line you wrote and go in a different direction, or leave in brackets as placeholders

don’t compare your first draft to published books that could be anywhere from 3rd to 103rd drafts

i promise you the story you want to tell can fit into 100k words or less

sometimes the book isn’t working because it’s not ready to be written or you’re not ready to write it yet; let it marinate for a bit so the idea can develop as you become a better writer

a story written in chronological order takes a lot more discipline and is usually easier to understand than a story written with flashbacks

[tarasstorybook]

Bringing The Family Together

“Are you sure this will work Tori?” Blair asked, he wasn’t opposed to the idea of what they were about to do, there was just no telling what was going to happen, they didn’t even know if the people they spoke to were even telling the truth about him.

“I’m sure Blair.” Victoria looks up from her books. “I just have this feeling he’s not gone, not really and by doing this it will either prove me right or prove me wrong.”

“What if something goes wrong?” Another asks, watching from the far side of the room.

“Nothing’s going to go wrong Mason, go get Kylie, the spell is almost ready.” Victoria puts her hair up in a ponytail as she gets the last of what she needs ready. Even though he was older than her, Mason quietly did as she asked, getting their older sister Kylie.

“That’s what the devil’s trap is for isn’t it? In case something goes wrong or his soul is more corrupt than we originally thought.” Blair had waited to ask until he was sure Mason was far away from the living room.

“Yes.” Victoria sighed, she didn’t like the idea of trapping her older brother but they had to be careful, they hadn’t done it the last few times because they wanted to be in some kind of good graces with the ones they met and asked questions.

“Everything will be okay.” Blair reassures her. “You’ve done this quite a few times, and you’ve got me in case our containment isn’t enough.”

“I just hope he’s the same as when he left the last time we saw him.”

“He will be, Caiden wouldn’t change he’s too damn stubborn. You and I know that better than anyone.”

Victoria gives a half hearted smile and laughs a little at that. Mason returns not too long with Kylie, Victoria wasted no time explaining to them about what she and Blair were about to do. There were a few questions, how confident she felt in the spell, if it was going to be the same Caiden they remembered growing up and so on. She did her best to answer their questions as best she could, once that was taken care of she and Blair got started.

Meanwhile in Hell, Monroe was with Ferden and a few of the others in the pirate section of Hell. Eliza had joined their conversation and was sitting with them, trading stories with the rest of them. Monroe was sitting close to Ferden and laughing at one of the stories Eliza had told when he thought he felt something tugging at him. He stopped laughing when he felt that pull, the others had noticed his shift in demeanor.

“Everything okay Monroe?” One of them asked him.

“I don’t know, I thought I felt something pulling at me. It was probably nothing though.” He tries to write off. He felt it again but this time it was stronger and actually pulled him back a little.

“You’re being summoned.” Eliza explains to him. “Probably some kids being stupid and not knowing what they’re messing with.”

“You should check it out.” Ferden suggested. “And if it's something you can’t get yourself out of just call for us.”

“I guess.” Monroe sighs. “I’ll try not to be gone too long.”

“Be safe amore, you and I have planning to do later.” Ferden kisses him on the cheek before Monroe disappears.

Monroe wasn’t really too much in the mood to deal with kids that had no idea what they were playing with, so he was ready to make this call quick and be on his way. However the room he was standing in, he could have sworn it felt familiar, almost home like. Monroe felt like he was stepping back in time, back to his childhood home in Scotland. Why would someone be summoning him in an old place he used to call home?

“Caiden?” A woman’s voice comes from behind him.

“Victoria?” It almost sounded too good to be true, but he needed to know so he turned around. “Holy shit it is you.” He almost couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw her and went to hug her.

“Caiden wait-” She didn’t get a chance to warn him about the trap as he slams into it and gets knocked to the floor. “I meant to tell you about that.”

“Tori why?” Caiden groans, pushing himself back up. “I thought you loved me.”

“I do but I didn’t know how far gone you’d be.” Victoria looks to Blair to break the trap.

“How far gone I’d be?” Caiden repeats, making sure he heard her right.

“Hell corrupts doesn’t it?”

“Depends on what side you live on but yes I suppose it does. I lucked out and wound up the more civil side.”

“Civil side?” She looks at him confused.

“I’ll have to explain it to you later.” He waves off her question. “Nice to see you Blair, am I good?”

“Nice to see you too.” Blair smiles. “Yeah you’re good.”

“Thanks.” Caiden pulls his baby sister into a hug. “Chris I’ve missed you guys so much.”

“Missed you too Caiden, we all did.”

Caiden looks up to see the smiling faces of his younger brother and sister. Smiling himself he pulls back from Victoria. “I can see that, hey punk.” He greeted Mason.

Mason sticks his tongue out at him, melting back into a smile. “Hey Caiden, ever figure out your gift Mama kept trying to tell you about?”

“I did when I left Scotland, thought it was because I spent too much time in the sun.”

“Do you still have it?” Kylie asks.

“I think so, I don’t know not a lot has changed after I died and became what I am now.”

“What a demon?” Blair teases him. “I told Mama you were a demon when we were kids.”

“Very funny Blair.” Caiden rolls his eyes, smiling as he does so, he missed this, their normal, teasing banter. “How did you know where I was?”

“Mason finally figured out his gift.” Kylie says.

“I guess it helps being able to talk to spooks.” Mason shrugs. “Once I did that, we were able to get a start to figure out how to track you down.”

“But how did you know I was in Hell? What if I wasn’t?”

“Asked around.” Victoria puts simply. “Nobody saw the point in lying to us.”

“Oh, you’re very brave and stupid for taking a stranger’s word for it.” Caiden teases his baby sister.

“We found you though didn’t we?” She looks up at him smugly.

“Okay, okay yeah I’ll give you that.” Caiden laughs. “What have you guys been up to?”

They spend the rest of their time catching up on all those missed years being apart. If he was being honest, Caiden was so used to people calling him by his last name that it took some readjusting to hear his brothers and sisters call him by his first name. Perhaps it was time for him to start going by Caiden again, it was his name after all. He told his brothers and sisters all that he had been up to after he died and got to Hell, how he resided in the pirate section and got along with everyone there. Caiden told them about how he was now engaged to Ferden and that he would love nothing more than for them to be there. They all happily agreed to it, even going so far as to going to Haven. Caiden was even able to convince them to stay there, it would be another reason for him to visit ground floor and maybe start considering moving to Haven with Ferden. His brothers and sisters were welcomed to Haven with open arms, he missed his family and he was so glad to see them again.

[tarasstorybook]

me, with a vague plot idea, 1 (one) character name, and an outline that consists of mostly question marks:

[tarasstorybook]

i love characters who could get the absolute Shit kicked out of them and still be fine but as soon as someone touches/handles them gently it’s like “ah. im going to shatter to pieces now thanks”

[tarasstorybook]

Stolen Goods Rewrite Part 15

Max was very enthusiastic to help the others dock the ship, Lizzy stood off watching with amusement in her eyes. He had learned the ins and out of how the ship worked faster than anybody else ever had, she mused that it was because he had always wanted to sail the sea and that was why he was so quick to pick up how the Bella Luna operated. Max was eager to get off the ship and step foot in Scotland, he practically sprinted down the gangplank once it was lowered.

“Come on Lizzy! Let's go!”

“You brought a puppy on our ship.” Davion teases her.

“I did not.” Lizzy laughs a little. “He’s still wound up from the jail break and needs something to do just to exhaust him.” She starts off the ship to catch up with him. Lizzy found it relaxing to be back in Scotland, she couldn’t remember the last time she had been home.

“So this is Scotland then?” Max asks when she catches up.

“Yes.” Lizzy smiles. “This is where I was born and lived for a short while before my mother and father ran off to sail the seas. I stop by every now and then, I try to anyway.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“It is.” Lizzy pauses for a moment, gesturing for him to follow her as she starts to walk. “Tell me something Max, how are you after what you did in Kelna?”

“Fine, why?” Max looks at her curiously, he was used to her questions about his wellbeing but this one puzzled him a bit.

“No reason.” She tries to wave it off. “Just needed to know.”

“Okay.” Max quietly follows her for a while before asking. “Are you okay after Kelna Lizzy?”

“I.” She wasn’t really sure actually. “I have come close to death so many times, none of those experiences scared me as much as that night. That was the closest Renwick has ever come to seeing me hanged.”

“It’s okay if you’re not.” Max takes her hand in his as they walk. “You don’t have to put up a front for me.”

“You’re a sweet kid Max.” Lizzy smiles at him, she stood by what she had said too. “I’m alright, come on let me show you what Scotland has to offer.” She holds his hand tighter as she pulls him along to show him the places she frequented when she stopped there.

While they wandered Max had noticed that it was significantly cooler in Scotland than it was back in Kelna. After summer had transitioned to fall and he had noticed the decrease in temperature, it wasn’t too bad though nothing he couldn’t push through and ignore. However as the days went by it was getting harder to ignore and brush off, it was starting to show with how he held himself that Max was starting to feel the cold.

It didn’t take long for the others on the ship to notice that Max wasn’t used to cooler temperatures like they were. One of the crew members made a point to let Lizzy know what was going on, they mused that Max didn’t tell her because maybe he was trying to prove that he could get through it just fine. That had made Lizzy laugh a little, it wasn’t that she didn’t believe what she was being told, she found it adorable that Max was trying to play tough through something he wasn’t used to.

It was late evening when that was brought to her attention, Lizzy had gotten up earlier than Max, quietly dressed for the day and headed out to go find something to keep Max warm during the day. She was throwing her cloak over her shoulders when she left her quarters, it was a dark blue and black cloak that kept her pretty warm during the cold season.

“Where are you off to this early in the morning Lizzy?” Davion gets her attention as she is leaving the ship. “And without Max I see.”

“I’m going to find him a cloak and some warmer clothes for the fall and upcoming winter. He isn’t used to the cold and we don’t want him to freeze.” Lizzy explains to him.

“No we wouldn’t want that.” Davion agrees with her. “Is he aware of where you’re going?”

“No, he’s still asleep. Max isn’t exactly the early riser, it was a late night last night anyhow, he seemed exhausted by the time the crew called it a night.”

“Is it safe to assume you’d like me to make sure he doesn’t try to follow you?”

“If you don’t mind?”

“As you wish Captain.” Davion smiles a little at her. “I’ll do my best to keep him on the Bella Luna.”

“Thank you Davion, I’ll be back as soon as soon as I can.” With that Lizzy takes off and is gone for most of the day.

Not too long after Eliza left, Max had finally woken up. It took him a moment to realize that Eliza wasn’t with him like she normally was. He thought nothing of it and carried on like normal, thinking she was out on the ship Max leaves their quarters to go look for her.

“Good morning Max.” Davion greets him. “Finally awake I see.”

“Morning.” Max mumbles. “Where’s Lizzy?”

“She stepped off the ship for a bit, she’ll be back shortly.”

“Where did she go?”

“She just went to go get something, come on why don’t you and I spar for a little while? It’ll help warm you up.”

“You guys started to notice that?” Max feels his cheeks flush a little.

“You weren’t exactly secretive about it. Everyone started to notice that you were feeling the cold.” Davion chuckles. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about Max, not everyone is made for the harsh winters. It’ll take time to adjust to it, once you do you’ll be able to brush it off like it's nothing.”

“I guess I’m used to Kelna’s weather, it doesn’t get cold there.” Max shrugs.

“Really? What exactly is Kelna like Max?” Davion mused he could use this as a way to keep Max distracted until Lizzy came back, and having never been to Kelna except the few times he was there he was curious as to what Kelna was like.

Max lights up at Davion’s question, he was more than happy to tell Davion about Kelna’s history and how it came to be. Max told him everything he knew, what he was taught, the stories he grew up with, and a little about the Estriumian religion and what gods his household worshipped when he was growing up. Max even taught Davion how to say a few phrases in Kelnan. He was able to keep Max’s attention until Lizzy walked back onto the ship, arms full of things she picked up from town.

“Having fun you two?” She calls over to them.

“Max was just informing me of Kelna’s history and culture.” Davion turns to face her.

“Do you need help with anything Lizzy?” Max goes to offer his help.

“Sure, I need you to come with me anyway Max.” She gives him a few things to carry and follow her back to her quarters.

“So what are they?”

“Things for you.” Eliza says with a smile. “I was told that you weren’t handling the cold well and so I decided maybe it was time to get you warmer clothes and such for the upcoming winter.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“No, but I also don’t want you to freeze, I think this one though is one of my favorites.” She holds up a green cloak for Max to see before draping it over his shoulders and clasping it together with a silver chain, making a few adjustments before letting it be. “There, now walking around should be better. What do you think?”

“I like it, it's warm.”

“I’m glad, come on there’s still more to see in Scotland.” Eliza leads the way out, Max following close behind. Even though he had never gone through a cold winter, Max had taken it pretty well. It helped that Eliza made sure he didn’t freeze during that time, being able to dress warmly also helped. To say the least though Max enjoyed his first winter but was looking forward to when they would be able to set sail again in the upcoming spring.