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[the-avariea]

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↳ arryn. she/her. polyamorous straight.

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— © ARRYN WOULFE 2022 — reblogs are appreciated. do not steal, plagiarize, or modify my account.

[the-avariea]

Books I Recommend for 2022

Introduction

Hello, my boos~ Today, we got a post on book recommendations as I am not up for posting a tip post at the moment. Gonna let my mind have a break, you know? So, a few notes, TBR means to be read, and NF means not finished! Two, the genres above them are estimates and not exact, and three, please check any trigger warnings before you read it! Have fun reading, lovelies.

Historical Fiction

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Circe by Madeline Miller

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Barrows

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (TBR)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (TBR)

Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (TBR)

Mystery

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio (TBR)

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco (TBR)

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (TBR)

Romance

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (NF)

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey (TBR)

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (TBR)

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (TBR)

Dystopian

Divergent by Veronica Roth

1984 by George Orwell

Legend by Marie Lu

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Maze Runner Series by James Dashner

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Scythe by Neal Shusterman (TBR)

Handmaid's Tale by Margret Atwood (TBR)

Science Fiction

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen (srsly read it now shoo)

Warcross by Marie Lu

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Dune by Frank Herbert

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (TBR)

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman (TBR)

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (TBR)

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (TBR)

Fantasy

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

A Court of Honey and Ash by Shannon Mayer and Kelly St. Clare

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare (NF)

Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas (TBR)

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal (TBR)

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (TBR)

Spicy Romance (Minors shoo)

Born, Darkly by Trisha Wolfe

The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori

Misconduct by Penelope Douglas

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas

Credence by Penelope Douglas

Unconditional by Q.B. Tyler

The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

The Stone Prince by Gena Showalter

Priest by Sierra Simone

Pestilence by Laura Thalassa (I prefer Death but start here)

The Stopover by T.L. Swan (TBR)

[the-avariea]

How to Write Multiple Point of Views

Introduction

Hello, my boos~ We are gonna talk about how to write multi-POVs today! I have some experience in the area, and I really do find the topic genuinely fun! This might not be as informative as my regular posts, but I still hope this helps anyone who wants to write with more than one point of view :)

Establish

It's always a good idea to have a reason you will write more than one point of view. Don't do it just for fun, but for the plot. This is important, as many readers might be confused if not understanding the importance when thrown into more than one point of view. See, my favorite part about Multi-POVs is that it can be used to broaden the reader's perspective of the story, yet if not properly done, it can make things worse than they would have been with one POV. Here are some questions to answer and better understand the why of your multiple POVs:

Why does the story need to be told in multiple POVs?

Is each character involved in the POVs have vital importance to the story?

What does the world-building look like? Is it big or small?

Is one character limiting on the plot?

Is this something you would like to commit to if you are going to do more than one book?

Voice

When writing from multiple points of view, it can be easy to become a narrator that constantly knows what everyone is thinking and feeling during a specific character's chapter, but you don't want to do this. Since this is multiple points of view, it's best to make each character unique and have a limited perspective on what only they are thinking and feeling. We shouldn't make the readers more confused than they already could be. Each character's view should be unique only to what they can share and no one else. If you can't do this where the character's voice is strong and independent, it might be best to stick to one character or try to evolve your skill to reach where you would like your story. No one has to get it right, right off the bat!

Their Inner Beliefs

I want you all to understand something, each character, despite what is clearly written out from your perspective, will believe they are the hero or the one with the higher actions and morality. Even if they are attacking people for nothing, they have their own beliefs for why this is right to them, so if say Character A believes that Character B is evil because they constantly kill those who do nothing wrong. B will believe he is a hero because he knows that those he kills are, in fact, the evil of the world. It's all a blurred line of good and evil, and everyone will believe they are on the side of good, while others won't. Sometimes characters know what they are doing is bad and still will think it's good; that's just how people are. It's best to keep this in mind while sculpting your characters' points of view.

First VS Third Person

Let's chat about writing in the first or third person. First-person is when the characters are front and center, everything is done in their eyes, I, us, we, etc. Third-person is when the point of view is limited to one character, but from the outside perspective of the narrator, she, he, theirs, they, etc. When doing multiple points of view, deciding on which type of point of view will make each voice more distinct.

First-person in a multi-POV will make each voice more unique and a clear view of how each character feels, while third person can offer a smooth glide between each character's point of view. Please keep in mind, both have their own challenges, and sometimes, you should just stop overthinking it and go with your gut; nothing says you can't redo it later.

Scenes

One of the best pieces of advice I had ever gotten was to never do the same scene again with a new character in a new chapter. This is very repetitive, and while some readers might appreciate the new look, doing this can be very dull for many people. The idea of a new chapter and a new point of view is to keep the story going; doing the same scene slows down the plot and simply is unnecessary. Now, of course, if you truly desire to, you can always do it where the scene is over, but the character is reflecting on emotions or thoughts while in this new scene, just don't make it where it seems like they are replaying the entire old scene in their head.

Insights

When debating the importance of the character, you should figure out what their point of view offers to the readers. Do they give something unique to the plot? Like do they know something the protagonist doesn't, or do they have motives that need to be foreshadowed by their actions and thoughts? What do they offer to the plot by being part of the main cast to broadcast how they are? These are essential things to think about as each point of view you choose should offer a vital point to the story. We really don't want a character in there that is in there for nothing but the sake of it.

[the-avariea]

Random Q&A for Sixty Seconds

Introduction

Hello, my boos~ A couple of days ago on my story, I asked for random questions you all had for my WIP, Sixty Seconds. So, here we are. I hope this gives you more insight into what the WIP is about, and yeah :) Also, once again, please do not try to steal anything; thanks.

Why do you call it Sixty Seconds?

So, long story short, I researched drowning and how long it took, and I learned that it takes about three minutes. In sixty seconds of those three minutes, the person's mind will show a bunch of memories from over their lifetime in a last attempt to get them to try and survive. Granted, this research isn't definite; I just never changed the name after that as it ties into the plot too well.

How long will it be?

About 60 chapters, three acts.

What's the genre?

Currently, it is Mystery with a sub-genre in Romance.

What's the setting like?

It's set on an island, so imagine a lot of beaches and very light blue water. It's kind of a tourist destination with its beaches and very mountainous terrain. Most of the plot takes place either in the “town”, mountains, or the beach. I don’t know if this was a good answer, but that's all I got, lol.

If it were made into a movie or a tv series, which would you pick, and who would you cast?

Good question, probably a series. I feel it as a movie would be too long, and with the amount of plot twists and cliffhangers, it would just work better as a series.

Oh geez, the cast is hard cause I am picky lol—no joke, I literally changed this list five times before I even put it into canva:

Kara: Odeya Rush (or Ella, naturally)

Braxton: Giulio Berruti

Rosalind: Samantha Logan

Keanu: Will Poulter (I almost lost my mind on this one)

Damius: Chance Perdomo

Can you tell me more about your MCs?

Ah, my favorite topic. My MCs are five people: Kara, Braxton, Rosalind, Keanu, and Damius. Kara is the like main-main person; she is who the story revolves around. I can't share a lot about all of them, but basically, Kara is a ballerina with a genuinely dark and tragic past who is known to be rather cold and unsympathetic. Braxton is the story's love interest, known to be very headstrong and strategic. Rosalind is one of Kara's few friends from the very beginning, known for her likes of rich delicacies. Keanu is our arsonist child, okay, not actually a child, but a child. Damius is our resident party boy who can probably use an apple as a weapon if needed. I know the last three don't sound important, but they are.

What kind of representation can we expect?

I have cultural representations of Romanian, Italian, East Asian, South Asian, Middle-Eastern, Greek, Bulgarian, and African. There are more specific parts of each, but I don't want to go too in-depth. I have an LGBTQIA+ rep of gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender, pansexual, asexual, and others. Then we have the mental illness representations: depression, general anxiety disorder, OCD, PTSD, anorexia, and more.

What kind of vibe does it give off?

You know how an apple rots over time, slowly decaying from the inside out? Yeah, think that, but worse. I really don't know how to answer this other than it's a particular type of dark that slowly unveils itself the further you fall down the hole. I made a list of "aesthetics" in my "Meet the WIP" post if you want to check that out.

Any romance tropes?

Yes, there are a few, lol:

Burns-the-world-and-wouldn't-let-a-flame-touch-her, strangers-to-lovers, love angle(?), fated love, forbidden love, friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, and more.

Is there magic? If so, who is the most powerful character?

So, no, there isn't any magic, but it does get mentioned as the world is an alternate universe where magic can be accessed-ish, I can't say more without spoiling other books. The most powerful character would have to be Damius or Kara, and we are talking in terms of deadly skills.

How much time does the book span over?

I would have to check the timeline to be sure, but it's currently 8-ish months.

How does it begin?

Technically the prologue is the start, so it is a small look to change your thinking on a specific subject, and the actual first chapter starts with Kara at a pier. That's all you get for now, sorry.

How many deaths are there?

The real question should be, how many people are still alive by the end of the book, which I would respond with two or three. So, enjoy that pain. (the story has almost 15+ characters :P)

[the-avariea]

Tips on Writing Villains

Introduction

Hello, my boos~ How are you all on this lovely day? I am so glad to be back from my hiatus and can't wait to start regularly posting again! Anyways, pfft, welcome to today's post on tips for writing villains. This topic is often discussed, so rather than tell you how, here are just some tips I picked up along my writing journey.

Villain VS Antagonist

There is a difference between a villain and an antagonist for those who don't know. See, villains are evil, were as antagonists are merely opposers to the protagonist, so they could or could not be evil depending on the point of view. It can be hard to identify whether your character is a villain or an antagonist. Here are some tips for how:

You can tell a character is an antagonist when the line is blurred between good and evil for them. Since villains are typically undoubtedly evil.

Antagonists typically cause conflict, whereas villains aim to either destroy the protagonist or their path for purely evil intentions.

Motivation

Now let's dive into your villain. All good villains seriously need motivation, something that keeps them going. Simply making them a villain because they are bad doesn't precisely cut it. Motivation can be about anything: from their tragic past, an idea that formed in their head, the delusion that what they will do is helpful, wants to be known around the world, etc. Typically, I would develop their background before making a motivation. Change your thinking with this one, put yourself in their shoes; what made them the way they are? Why do they strive for their goal? Do they even have a goal?

I do say, though, avoid the clique motivations like their family is dead, or they want vengeance for something really small.

Goals

Let's talk real quick about goals. Did you know that the villain constantly opposing and attacking the protagonist doesn't have to be their primary goal? The protagonist could be something they merely consider an obstacle to their true goals. It's always a good idea to figure out their main goal. The best part about this is that it doesn't have to be their motivation; goals can be a plethora of things that the villain aims towards. Goals could be about anything that deals with the villain's beliefs and ideals. So have fun with it, seriously.

Connection

How do they have a connection to the protagonist? What is their connection to their past and them now? What is their connection between being bad and doing bad things? Connection is everything when trying to make an unforgettable villain. Connection to everything that is going on around them, will actually help your reader connect to them. So, I would definitely look into more about the villain's past and them now.

Manipulative

Manipulation is a play on words, emotions, and body movements. I am not saying all villains are manipulative, but let's face it, most are. Villains absolutely love to play with the protagonist; affecting their emotions and thoughts with a few words is a game to them. Even if the manipulation is the truth they are sharing, the aim of the game is to hurt the protagonist. Learning proper manipulation tricks can go a long way cause sometimes even recurring characters use it, so look into it, but here are some of my tips:

When you go into manipulation, it is a good idea to figure out how they manipulate someone: pretty lies, the harsh truth, etc.

Do they have a specific tell when they are doing the manipulation? An ear twitch, a hand movement, perfect stillness, a small smile?

Have them fail in their manipulation tactics once they know each other more; this should leave the villain confused and backfire on their own emotions.

The protagonist's emotions should be messed up after a manipulation; they shouldn't be okay. I mean, manipulation is aimed to attack the protagonist's way of thinking, even the slightest nudge. No one would be okay after that; they wouldn't act precisely the same. Even if it's just a tiny change.

Intelligence

While the idea of a fool for a villain can be entertaining, it is probably a smart move for them to be intelligent. It will prolong the book further and keep the action up. The intelligence level should depend on the amount of effort they put into what they do; do they lay traps, are they able to avoid everything the protagonist does, do they have their entire plan plotted out, etc. It is a good idea to figure out how they work and decide from there what level of intelligence they need for the plot to move forward logically.

Emotions and Beliefs

Many villains are affected by their emotions and beliefs. Hence why they become a villain in the first place. This is where you should look at how far gone they are from the good side. What do they believe in? How far away are they from their emotions? Do they give mercy to the innocent, or do they ruthlessly crush it? Will they stop at nothing to get what they want? What would they do if they got what they wanted?

You can even make them have logical reasoning as to why they are the way they are. With this, you can connect the readers to them even more, and they can judge the villain for everything they have done and why they do what they do.

[the-avariea]

This User Boxes

Hello, my boos~ This post is pretty explanatory, but today I have some genuinely random "This User..." boxes, so that will be fun, lol. Also, I truly apologize for the last slide, I saw an opportunity, and I took it. Anyways, see you later :)

[the-avariea]

Me: I don’t want to brag, but I have over 54 trigger warnings for my novel.

Others: How is that brAgGInG?!

[the-avariea]

Getting Organized

Introduction

Hello, my boos~ Today I bring a post I wrote in twenty minutes and off the top of my head. You are so welcome for this mess. Have fun reading my exhausted tips on organization. (I am so so sorry for any typos—)

Notebooks

I know as writers, we all gather notebooks like hoarders. However, it is time to put them to use.

Use a different notebook for every wip; however, color code it. When I use notebooks, I keep three per WIP. White is basics: a welcome, type of genre/age range, and a tracker of word counts and chapters I have done. Grey is for plotting purposes: building character, in-depth backgrounds, plot lines, etc. And Black is for editing and notes: taking notes, changing scenes, writing random lines I want to add—this notebook is really just a random one.

I generally find this easier in my mind, so I know where to write things down when I need to.

However, if you don't wish to do this as I do and only want one notebook, next slide :)

One Notebook

Welcome to the dark—but not dark—side. Thankfully, you can get notebooks with 200 pages, so one notebook is enough. However, 80 pages is the average amount. So let's organize that notebook :)

I always use highlighters, colored pens, and regular black pens when I write. Everything is color-coded; in fact, the inside cover has an index for what each color means. I always use red for editing—I blame school for this, I use blue when I need to just make a quick note or smth, Purple is for ideas, and Gold/Yellow is for a topic change.

I always make sure every topic is separate, so I keep a blank page between the topics and I use little tabs! These saved my life. I didn’t use the content page once, and these literally just sent me straight to the topic I needed! This helps me find everything easier. Especially when it's one notebook, and I tend to smoosh all my ideas together.

Schedule

I mentioned this in my "Self-Care" post, but scheduling is an angel sent from the gods. I get so much more done when I plan out my day the night before. Even if I am exhausted, I still plan it out.

Using the Notes app, I jot down what is going on the next day, list out times, and start to schedule everything out :)

It really isn’t hard. Especially since you can do it about anywhere.

Writing Area

I really hope that your writing area is clean—unlike mine—because when I tell you that it messes with your brain, yeesh. Cleaning up where ever you write the most is the best tip I can give you. Having a clean area de-stresses the mind and allows for you to just write without a single worry.

I can’t tell you how to clean, as I don’t know how messy your area is, but just clean it. I beg of you.

Document Placement

I know almost everyone here writes online, so you probably use Google Docs, and if not, these should still work based on what you use.

In my Docs section for google, I have thousands of files. Each is made with a purpose, and each is carefully placed in a folder. In my “Writing” folder, it contains a folder for “Sixty Seconds.” In this folder, I have my drafts in the “Drafts” folder, character sheets and random scenes I want to add in “Plotting,” word count sheet tracker in “Tracking,” and etc.

Basically, it comes down to making sure you can find everything easily. Years ago, I had thousands of docs everywhere, and it was a mess to find a WIP I was working on. This method is just so much better.

Outline

If you have Google Docs, use the outline function. It's so easy to do, you don’t even know. All you do is make your chapter name into a subheading, and then it automatically gets to be a part of your outline. Because of this, no need to scroll forever; you just tap and go. It's the best function next to the word count one—I ain’t got no time to count every word I wrote.

Also, Microsoft might have this, but I don’t ever use it except for school, so I am unsure *dance emoji*

WIP Ideas

I would recommend a notebook or folder for this. That way, it's easy to use and just jot down. Also, it is easy to access and overall the best way to keep WIP ideas. I used a notebook hidden under a hardcover cover sheet, so anyways, lol. In the notebook, I have a like content sheet, and each number is paged so i can easily get to an idea if I want or even just write it down. Just use two different colors when you do this: one for the idea and one for notes. It is easier to understand that way.

[the-avariea]

Writer: “Oh! I don’t think you should look at that!”

Person: “But I need my last page back.”

Person: *taps open search history*

Writer: “Oh no.”

Search History: *ways to saw someone open, can u drown from waterboarding, how to strangle someone with a scarf...*

Person: “…are you insane?”

Writer: “…no, but my characters are.”

[the-avariea]

Practicing Self-Care

Introduction

Hello, my boos~ Being NaNoWriMo season, I figured now was a good time to share how to keep making sure you are taking care of yourself. I am super excited to share some of my tips, so here they are :)

Breaks

I know that being a writer seems like you should be writing every hour on the hour, but it's quite the contrary. Taking breaks allows your mind to destress and allows for you to just rest at that moment. It can also allow for any blocks you have to slowly go away! I highly would recommend a break every thirty to forty minutes for at least five to ten minutes. Do whatever you want during this time but whatever you were doing before your break. Go on a walk, breathe in some fresh air, read, play with some pets, or just sit back and relax.

You deserve this break, and your mind will thank you for it.

Mercy

Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. I mean it. If I see you worrying over how you aren't sure if this is as good as anyone else's, I will attack you. Full-on monkey clinging type of attack.

Allow yourself to write however the heck you wish! You are doing the best you can, and it can and will continuously improve the longer you write. It didn't take J.R.R. Tolkien a day to write his Hobbit stories; it took years! Take all the time you want, and just have some mercy on yourself; your writing is magnificent.

Schedule

I know some people just write when they have the time for it—totally not me—but maybe it is time to start a schedule. Creating a schedule will avoid any unnecessary stress of, "Will I have time to write today?" or, "I might fall behind if I don't write soon." Then you can also make sure you have enough time to write the amount you want to write, and you can see just how much extra time throughout your day you will have!

Starting a schedule can be pretty straightforward. I usually use my Notes app the night before, write down everything going on tomorrow, and then plan it out using times. I even schedule wake-up times and when I will eat. I just find this so soothing than going day to day with only the basic ideas on what I have to do. I also won't forget anything this way!

Reading

Being a writer generally means that you read, and also, being a writer means that people tell you to read to improve your own writing; and while this is true, you shouldn't only read to enhance your writing. Read to just read, for god sake. Books are meant to be devoured word by word, so go live in that book's realm and stop worrying about your own writing while reading!

Writing

Writing is not a chore. I repeat writing is not a chore. If it begins to feel like a chore and not something fun to do, stop. Just stop writing. Take a day's break. I know you might find this weird, but if you aren't enjoying writing, then there is a chance the reader might not enjoy reading no matter how well it is written. Words put off these vibes, and if you aren't into it, those words you are writing are affected. So stop and take a break. Doesn't matter how long, but once you feel motivated to just write for fun again, dive right back into it! Writing is meant to be joyous, never something to dread.

Sleep

I know some people preach not sleeping or romanticize the freak out of it, but not sleeping is insanely unhealthy. Sleep is so vital to our writing and our life. I understand you might not have gotten enough words out, so you are pulling a late-night session, but listen to me: writing when we are exhausted is confusing. I mean, have you read what you wrote at 3 am? "Her feet were feet," or, "I said, 'Pigasus rules.' I spoke." Just horrific, truly.

Getting a total eight hours of sleep will allow a break for our minds and our bodies. We literally need that time where we just shut down, just like our phones do or our laptops. Stop writing and go to sleep at a reasonable hour. I beg you to leave the dark side.

Exercise

Go get that blood pumping. Put down those writer finger-guns and hit that gym. Think of exercising as the time to jam out to some music and drown yourself in some thought about your WIP. Use this time to break away from the electronics and have a healthy lifestyle and work out ideas for your story. I think one time, I actually solved a plot hole in the middle of my running time. I think it's because you are getting the blood to rush throughout your body, but who knows; maybe it's our writer powers leveling up.

Hydrate

Go drink some water right this instant. I demand it. Even if you already had water today, go drink some more. Shoo. Stop reading this post and go drink water.

[the-avariea]

Imagining that one day my book helped someone. That one day, my views on the world made someone smile or think differently. That one day, a person will recommend my book as a must-read. That one day, my words on paper will be highlighted with little notes beside them. That one day, people will look into specific topics my story talks about to better understand them. That one day, my book will be on the NY Times Bestseller list.

This. This is what keeps me writing. 

[the-avariea]

Meet the WIP

Introduction

Hello, my boos~ Welcome to my brief introduction post on my WIP, Sixty Seconds. I have been writing it for a while now, so I am super excited to share more on it. Also, steal anything and feel free to find a foot up thy's gluteus maximus :)

Basics

Current Title: Sixty Seconds

Author: Mwah~ (Arryn W.)

Word Count Goal: 150k

Genre: Mystery

Year Started: 2020

Phase: Beginning of Rewrite in Draft Three

Age Range: 17+

Explicit? Extremely.

POV: Third, two different people

Basics (Cnt.)

Tropes: wouldn't-let-a-flame-touch-her, found family, strangers-to-lovers-to-enemies arc, antiheroes, dead parents, mind-bending plot twists, broken friendships, etc.

(I know literally no tropes istg)

Aesthetic: chaotic dark academia, stormy ocean waves with the foam crashing onto the pale yellow sands being covered by dark clouds emitting petrichor, darkly lit stages, ballerina shoes, scattered empty paint bottles, soaking wet clothes hung over a car, moonlight across an eerily calm lake, blood seeping from under a man, shattered red wine bottles across the concrete where its color was being soaked up, bloody water, white shirts with red stains, fingers drenched in blood and dirt, weapons thrown across the room with everything torn up or broken, books exploding in mid-air with pages floating down like snow, etc.

Blurb

(But not a blurb, cause I suck at them)

Following the story of a 24-year-old ballerina who commits suicide under the guise of a massive storm, readers will have to come along to find out what gave that final shove over the edge.

Cast

Kara Smithe: "Who is the true ruin of us: you or me?"

Braxton Santoro: "We don't put people out of their misery here. We thrive in it."

Damius de Luca: "Sometimes I forget what it's like to live."

Keanu Robertson: "So I burnt down one church; it's not a big deal!"

Arya de Luca: "Did I hear torture?"

Rosalind Shallows: "That has to be the dumbest thing anyone has ever said in the history of the universe."

Julian: "I told you to rest, but what do you do? You stab someone!"

Sterling: "If you want to threaten someone with a knife, get a stepstool."

Echo: "Gods, I woke up in the wrong house."

Playlist

i. see through by north bloom, ii. partners in crime by finneas, iii. where is my mind? by esterly, iv. miracle by hurts, v. only friend by cub sport, vi. die young by max frost, vii. cinnamon girl by lana del rey, viii. it's okay to be afraid by saint slumber, ix. turning page by sleeping at last, x. already gone by sleeping at last, xi. power by isak danielson, xii. the deep by noll, xiii. nervous by oliver riot, xiv. addicted by jon vinyl, xv. mercy by hurts, xvi. fight or flight by conan gray, xvii. visions of gideon by sufjan stevens, xviii. meant to be yours by ryan mccartan, xix. seven devils by florence + the machine, xx. falling by nick de la hoyde, xxi. skinny dipping by sabrina carpenter, xxii. lovely by billie eilish, xxiii. can you feel my heart by bring me the horizon, xxiv. you were never gone by hannah ellis

Playlist (Cnt.)

xxv. sing to me by mission, xxvi. powerful by major lazer, xxvii. dive by francis novotny, xxviii. numb by tom odell, xxix. in flames by digital daggers, xxx. black out days by phantogram, xxxi. collide by rachel platten, xxxii. the lighthouse by halsey, xxxiii. stroke by banks, xxxiv. love and war by fleurie, xxxv. pleaser by wallows, xxxvi. can i exist by missio, xxxvii. no turning back by koda, xxxviii. don't bring me down by two feet, xxxix. mama always told me by g-eazy, xl. the beach by the neighbourhood, xli. will it tear us apart? by airways, xlii. somebody, some body by brevin kim, xliii. beautiful crime by tamer, xliv. you belong to me by cat pierce.

[the-avariea]

Me: *stares at laptop with a satisfied smile after writing for four hours*

Me: So, how many words did we write today?

Document: 10 words.

Me: Oh—

Me: *reflects on time spent on Instagram, Pinterest, and Spotify*

Me: Why is it so gosh-dang low?!

[the-avariea]

Meet the Writer

Introduction

Hello, my boos! It's a new theme, and I am crying over how much I love it now. Anyways, this post will be just a post on who I am, I guess. Let's go~

Some Info 'Bout Me

Name: Arryn or Ryn/Ari (Not my real name~)

Pronouns: She/Her

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Straight

Age: Ageless

MBTI: INTP

Random Facts

I am a Polish American

I tend to write extremely dark stories

I might be allergic to the actual sun *dance emoji*

I listen to way too much music

I really love fire

My fiancé is Hephaestus

I am a total science geek

I probably spend way too much money at Starbucks

I might be majoring in Computer Science and Minoring in Creative Writing

I am a tad obsessed with Archeological Digs

I am currently planning a trip for my year off of school to travel to the most beautiful libraries around the world

Likes

Winter

The Color Gold

Favorite Movie Genre is Action

Hibachi Grills

Extreme Cold >>>>

Traveling is the Best

Driving During the Night

Weeknd

The Piano, Viola, and the Cello

Iced Coffee

F1 Racing

Dislikes

The Horror Genre

Gardening

Waking Up Before 10 am

White Chocolate

Loud Noises (I have a sensory disorder, lol)

Boring Books

Warm Temps (above 70 F)

Cold Fries

Crowded Spaces

Favorite Movies

Baby Driver

The Great Gatsby

Catch Me if You Can

Birds of Prey

Suicide Squad 2

Deadpool 2

Tomorrowland

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Favorite TV Shows

Killing Eve

Simpsons

The Queen's Gambit

The Magicians

Superstore

Friends

Brooklyn 99

Vincenzo

The Untamed

Love 020

Favorite Books

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Born, Darkly

Nyxia

The Great Gatsby

Pride and Prejudice

The Love Hypothesis

My Writing

I have been writing forever; I can't even remember a time when I wasn't writing—besides last month, lmao. Almost every one of my W.I.P.'s never get finished; until 60S which is my current one. They usually all have romance subplots, and I try to ensure they never really take over the original plot point. All of my word count goals aim for over 100k; for me, at least, that is enough to share the entirety of the story in my head.

I tend to write:

High-Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi, and Dystopian.

Music to Describe Me

Tokyo Drifting by Glass Animals, Denzel Curry

This Is What Makes Us Girls by Lana Del Rey

Mister Asylum by Highly Suspect

Only Friend by Cub Sport

When Will I See You Again by Shakka

Hush by The Marías

Whispers by Halsey

We All Burn To The Ground by MISSIO

Burning Pile by Mother Mother

Life Itself by Glass Animals

Terrible Things by Brick + Mortar

Skyfall by Adele

I am not a woman, I’m a god by Halsey

Float by Call Me Karizma

Romantics by Tove Lo, Daye Jack

Blossom Roses by Her

Neon Gravestones by Twenty One Pilots

Young God by Halsey

[the-avariea]

How to Determine the Genre for Your WIP

Introduction

Hello, my boos~ It's so sad that this is the last post of my Persephone and Hades theme, but all things end at some point :) Anyways, today we are going to chat about the genre of your WIP! I am super excited, so let's get into it.

What is a Genre

A genre is basically a category your WIP would go in that is based on the WIPs plot. An example of a genre being used is These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong; this book's genre is Historical Fiction, but it is also in the Mystery, Fantasy, and Romance categories.

The best part about genres is that there are subcategories, which is why Chloe Gong's book resides in three more next to the primary genre of Historical Fiction.

Genre List

Here is a list of genres and short info about each of them:

Fantasy. A story with fantasy aspects, among which are magic, supernatural creatures, and more.

Horror. A story that can cause fear in the reader from the written words.

Sci-Fi. A story where the aspects typically involve futuristic scientific elements or non-existent technology.

Mystery. A story set around solving some significant mysterious circumstances.

Romance. A story following a romantic relationship under dramatic situations.

Historical. A story set in time periods that are not modern.

Crime. A story surrounding criminal situations.

There are more, but these are just some of the major genres out there. Understanding genre definitions can be a massive help for those trying to figure it out.

Determine the Target Audience

What I mean by this is: is your book made for middle grade, young adults, new adults, etc. You want to figure this out because based on this, the search for your WIPs genre can slightly become more narrow and help you do research into the proper genres you believe to be your WIP. For example, if you think your WIP is YA and believe it is fantasy, you would research into YA Fantasy.

Looking into the Aspects of Your WIP

When you decide on a genre, look at the tone of your story. What is the aesthetic? Is there a significant part in your novel that really determines the entire story? Is there a magical aspect? If so, is it important? And more to think about.

Based on the above, you might already have a genre in mind! That is great, but my advice is to always look into that genre and research it before making it official. I had two times where I got the genre in my head slightly wrong.

Deciding on a Genre

When you have researched more into the genres you think are your WIP, look into published books that also reside in that same genre. This way, you can see if the two—your book and the other book—may be similar and if your WIP is that genre.

If you still feel like you have the right genre, yay! Congrats on figuring out your WIP's genre! If you don't, you can always ask someone who has read your WIP for insight into what they would say the genre is. Sometimes, this method is the best way to think of genres as they are just readers and not the writer.

Last Resort

Let's say you still can not figure it out for the life of you; you've asked friends, beta readers, family, etc. and here you are still stuck. If you absolutely desire an answer, there are some websites out there that can help you narrow your search by entering some information. Personally, I would suggest to go take a break, let your mind rest for as long as you think—I would give it at least a full day—and then come back to it and try to figure it out because sometimes our minds are just too stressed to work at that moment!

[the-avariea]

What is NaNoWriMo & Should You Join + Tips

Introduction

Hello, my boos~ It is October, and you know what that means; NaNoWriMo is right around the corner! I hope that you all are as excited as I am for this upcoming month. Even if you aren't joining NaNo, it's the autumn season; get excited, people! Pfft, anyways, let's get into it.

What is NaNoWriMo?

NaNoWriMo—aka National Novel Writing Month—is a wonderous month, where writers all join together to write 50k words in a month of November on the NaNo website—or on their own if they desire. It takes place every year, from the 1st of November to the 31st of that same month.

Typically, writers writing a pre-existing WIP would continue to write for that WIP and aim to potentially finish it! Beginning writers—or writers that would rather not write their main work in progress—can start an entirely new story during the month.

Set Your Goal

Ah, my favorite part! Setting a goal for the challenge will make your life just so so much easier; you will get to see your progress more defined, you will get to figure out how much to write each day—however, the NaNo site does that for you—, and you will know what to expect for that month.

As I've said, the standard goal is 50k, but the best part is that you can decide your own word count goal! Whether you want to go higher or lower, it is all up to you. It's about how you feel and if you think that goal you are setting can be completed. Now, I am not saying to do only 500 words, as that defeats the purpose of a challenge, so go for something you think is challenging but achievable!

Outlining

It's still October, so while I say this with kindness, Pantsers, and Plantsers, it's time to plot. I know that not many writers actually plot, but from past experiences, if you don't want the WIP to be a chaotic mess, plot. I swear on it; planning just makes it seem so much better, especially since you will probably hate my next tip.

Editing

You have probably heard this countless times if you have either done NaNo or been in the writing community a long time, but do not edit your past work. Write and move on. This helps you achieve the word count goal so much quicker, and no editing means no second-guessing your work! Do that later, you know, when you aren't in a challenge.

Buddies

I swear on my life, find a writing buddy, you will thank me later. Every time I have done NaNo, I’ve had a buddy, and the motivation you get just makes you want to write so much more. In my case, it got competitive, and I wrote 10k in one day. See? Great motivator. Also, it helps to know that someone is going through the same struggle! So, get one! It's always more fun with friends anyways.

Breaks

I beg you, don't be one of those writers that refuse to take a simple break. Writing 50k words is a feat, and even if you can already do that amount normally, please take breaks. Even if you just step away to stretch, drink some water—you better drink water—I am watching you—, or go chat with some friends; take a break. It's essential to care for your mental and physical health during this month.

Should You Join?

There are a multitude of reasons you can join NaNoWriMo, same for if reasons not to join. Here are some to join:

So Close! You are right at the brink of being done with your WIP, and you need that boost. GO FOR IT. This month was literally made for you.

Writers Block. You want motivation and inspiration; welcome to the perfect month for you. Starting a challenge can be the ideal way to get around writer's block, and even if you can't, at least you tried it out.

Can't Start. Being forced to write a set WC goal in one month will force your brain to work, and suddenly you have the beginning of your WIP. Now keep it up for the rest of the month. We believe in you.

Should You Join (Cnt.)

Reasons not to join:

You are busy. You simply won't have time to join, even after trying to set a goal, and you still can't see a way to enter; then join next year! Or do the NaNo Camp in April or July!

Fast-Paced. You do not wish to write your story that quickly, fearing that the work won't be up to par that you want it to be. If you genuinely worry about this, either set a lower goal or just don't join with that WIP.

[the-avariea]

How to Decide on a Word Count Goal for Your WIP?

Introduction

Hello, my boos~ I am super tired, but let's do this! A few brief notes, WIP means Work in Progress, and WC means Word Count. Anyways, let's get into it. :)

By Genre

One way you can decide on a word count goal is to determine based on your WIP genre. It's common for publishers only to take on debut works if they are in the target range for the genre—so not too short nor too long. Here are some ranges for each genre:

Fiction: 80,000 - 110,000

Romance: 80,000 - 100,000

Mystery/Thriller: 70,000 - 110,000

Sci-Fi and Fantasy: 90,000 - 125,000

Historical Fiction: 80,000 - 120,000

YA: 45,000 - 80,000

Middle Grade: 20,000 - 50,000

Figure Out the Other Goals

If you can plot out your story—or even have the basic idea of how it would go—you should be able to sit down with a piece of paper, and think about how many chapters you would like, then determine the word count you should have for each chapter. Based on that, it can give you an overall word count goal! And from there, you can better define it and figure it all out.

Tracker

Keeping a tracker of your current word count for each separate chapter can help you determine the average amount of words in each chapter you write. From there, sit down for a minute and think about if you like the word count where it is so far or would like it to be higher. Based on this, you can figure out an overall word count goal!

How I Set My WC Goal

I sat down, looked at the plot I had written out, and decided on formatting. I figured out how many chapters, the three acts for the book, and then decided I would like to have a 150k WC for 60S. I am saying it helps to know the format of how your WIP will be set up. It also helps to have plotted beforehand. If I hadn't plotted, I wouldn't even have a goal. And to be completely honest, you don't even need a goal! This is just something for people who desire one. Goals make it easier for people to track and better understand how they wish for their WIP to move forward. I determined a 200k WC goal for RTE before I even did the chapter WC goal or the formatting. I just knew that this book's story would be long and deserved to be told properly.

Why Should You Have a Word Count Goal

Word count goals offer people insight into their WIP's; it gives them a better understanding of how their story should be told—should it be long and dramatic, or should it be short and thought-provoking? Here are some reasons to set one:

Editing. You just wrote 130k words, and you feel fantastic to write "The End" at the bottom. Sadly, this is ten thousand over your goal! When it comes to editing, having that goal in mind can give you a new perspective over what is unnecessary to the story and what could be changed.

Outlining. Using your word count goal, you can go in-depth over how long each act should be, whether you are doing the Save the Cat method or the three-act method. Or, if you are doing separate parts!

Schedule. Using the goal, you can create an actual writing schedule! Although, I know not every writer will use one. Even just determining how many weeks you want to write and figuring out the end-of-the-week WC goal is significant enough!

Daily WC Goal

Moving on from the overall word count goal, let's talk daily. With this, I would recommend a tracker, but instead of chapter word counts—like I talked about before—this would be added on for how many words you wrote that day, whether it be for two chapters, scenes, etc. The best part about having a daily word count goal is that it can motivate people to actually write, as they have set that goal. The goal can be as little or as long as you want it to be! For example, mine is 500 for the day, as I know how busy I tend to be!