viciousvenganza - Tumblr blog

[viciousvenganza]

good traits gone bad

perfectionism - never being satisfied

honesty - coming off as rude and insensitive

devotion - can turn into obsession

generosity - being taken advantage of

loyalty - can make them blind for character faults in others

being dependable - always depending on them

ambitiousness - coming off as ruthless

optimism - not being realistic

diligence - not able to bend strict rules

protectiveness - being overprotective

cautiousness - never risking anything

being determined - too focussed on one thing

persuasiveness - coming off as manipulative

tidiness - can become an obsession

being realistic - being seen as pessimistic

assertiveness - coming off as bossy

pride - not accepting help from others

innocence - being seen as naive

selflessness - not thinking about themself enough

being forgiving - not holding others accountable

curiosity - asking too many questions

persistence - being seen as annoying

being charming - can seem manipulative

modesty - not reaching for more

confidence - coming off as arrogant

wit/humor - not taking things serious

patience - being left hanging

strategic - coming off as calculated

being caring - being overbearing

tolerance - being expected to tolerate a lot

eagerness - coming off as impatient

being observant - being seen as nosy

independence - not accepting help

being considerate - forgetting about themself

fearlessness - ignoring real danger

politeness - not telling what they really think

reliability - being taken advantage of

empathy - getting overwhelmed with feeling too much for other people

[viciousvenganza]

literally what the fuck is going on with @/rosepehtels

this was originally supposed to be a tumblr post before things got out of hand and i hit image limit. below is a call out document for tumblr user @/rosepehtels for repeated cases of lifted/plagiarized content.

writeblrs personally victimized by ashley:

@veneritia

@bebewrites

@lord-fallen

@mjjune

@space-writes

@memento-morri-writes

[viciousvenganza]

hi everyone, long time no see! coming back to tumblr with a pitch that one friend rated 12/10, another 15/10, and no one less than a 10 (that i will be mentioning for the purposes of this post).

so basically me and my girlfriend are in our final year as university undergrads, and are fighting for our lives for stuff to put on our cvs / master applications that falls in line with our degree programs and interests (english literature for both). as much as i'd like it to, 'spending well over 80 hours mapping out dnd sessions' for some reason doesn't tend to appeal to employers or admissions offices.

this is where VULTURE CULTURE comes in.

we've laid out the principal tenets on the 'about' page, but a tldr for whoever is interested:

At Vulture Culture, we aim to take the works of people they may not necessarily feel the best about, works that may not otherwise see the light of day, and give them a ‘home.’ We believe that there’s no such thing as a story not worth telling. By not charging submission fees (be so for real) and keeping our guidelines few, we also hope to erode some of the traditional barriers in publishing, and create a more accessible space for all.

in other words, GIVE US YOUR LEFTOVERS.

we are a literary magazine that will accept anything that exists in the mid range of what you love and hate. have you ever wanted to be published but where do you even start? here. are you unsure what to do with that old work that's been sitting in your drafts forever (it's good enough to post, but not good enough to be picked up by anyone of significance)? hi.

our first issue theme is NEW BODIES, and we are just as curious as you to find out what that means. deadline is march 1st, 2024.

come help us be employable or whatever. also in return you get to clear up some draft space and see your name in print. together, love wins 🏆

[viciousvenganza]

writeblr garden advent calendar: RELIGIONS

temple of the three-legged crow. to a person who has never seen the sun, the light takes on the form of imagination. altars of nuwa. xiuyujing was built around the altars of nuwa, serving as the foundation of the city. disciples of the divine emperor. the scions of chensha karst and the disciples were once synonymous--until the world ended and the gods died. doctrine of the ten magistrates. they say that the ten magistrates are everlasting, for life cannot exist without death.

the jadesworn four.

[viciousvenganza]

The Archive Undying and You: Don't Make Friends With These Guys, But Do Read Them

[viciousvenganza]

ALL-IN-ONE: “THE BOOK” 

 a highly customizable, simplistic but fancy googledoc for writers. perfect for organizing notes while keeping it aesthetically-pleasing. to download / copy, go to file and click “make copy” to copy it to your gdrive. 

features: 

overview / introductory page 

custom headers 

table of contents 

characters pages (ft. profiles for main characters and separate page for side characters) 

arcs and ideas page 

locations page 

chapter notes page 

chapter organizer (dedicated to complete chapters) 

please like / reblog if you’re using or interested in using it!

+ novel prep template for Notion here.

[viciousvenganza]

ALL-IN-ONE (GUIDE): “THE SECOND BOOK” 

 a highly customizable, simplistic but fancy googledoc for writers - especially for preparing your work for NANOWRIMO. perfect for planning your novel, exploring your story premise, designing your characters and world while keeping it aesthetically-pleasing. to download / copy, go to file and click “make copy” to copy it to your gdrive. 

features: 

overview page 

clean design

inspirations page (incl. space for aesthetics)

setting page (incl. secrets, locations)

character profiles and questions for character concept

story premise page

please like / reblog if you’re using or interested in using it!

+ novel organizer template for gDocs here.

[viciousvenganza]

— introducing 009: CELESTIAL BODIES + [ link ]

until October 15th 2023: stand a chance to win a free copy of this template by joining the giveaway!

a google doc template made for planning a novel or piece of writing that is inspired by space. this document features 9 pages of celestial illustrations that I drew especially for this template. this template contains a lot of functional elements (e.g. dashboard with to-do-list, drop-down menus to track progress), and is also made to flexibly accommodate any length (including large amounts) of writing and planning. every purchase of this template comes with a light and dark mode. the template and static previews can be found in the link above or in the source code.

features:

two templates for one — light and dark mode versions of this template

13 total 8.5" x 11" pages, with 9 unique pages of celestial illustrations I drew especially for this template

a dashboard first-page with a daily to-do-list and milestone tracker that can be sorted by priority or level of completion

plot points section, research sections, locations section, character sheets, and ideas vault / free section that is made to accommodate any amount of writing, including long amounts of prose

individual character sheets and individual research sections that can be easily copied and duplicated for more

terms of use:

you may edit to your heart’s desire. Change the colours, replace, add or remove elements and images etc.

you may remix pages with pages from my other templates.

you may not remove the credit from the templates.

you may not copy, sell or redistribute my templates whether wholesale, in part (i.e. taking out certain pages) or remixed (i.e. modified).

you will also receive an additional guide with images on how to use and edit google doc templates! if you have any problems or issues, feel free to leave an ask or join our discord server.

I am absolutely thrilled to be sharing this template, it's really a labour of love and I've poured many hours into this! this was so fun to make, and I am so happy with how it turned out.

I hope you enjoy this template, and all likes + reblogs are always appreciated. ♡

[viciousvenganza]

Writer Beware makes posts on which publishing houses to avoid at all costs, which words to look for and which words to watch out for in contracts, and several other things that will keep you in control and knowledgeable about the publishing process.  I’d suggest reading through the website if you want to avoid getting ripped off, cheated, or scammed.

[viciousvenganza]

TO THOSE MAKING NATIVE OCS

I see this a lot, no one has actual names, or any reference for names, that are legit Native American, varying among the tribes, for their characters.

Babynames.com and shit like that will give you names made up by white people.

However, I’ve got your solution.

Native-Languages  is a good website to turn to for knowledge on a lot of native things, including native names. If you’re unsure about the names you’ve picked, they even have a list of made up names here!

Please don’t trust names like babynames.com for native names, they’re made up and often quite offensive to the cultures themselves.

[viciousvenganza]

A general cane guide for writers and artists (from a cane user, writer, and artist!)

Disclaimer: Though I have been using a cane for 6 years, I am not a doctor, nor am I by any means an expert. This guide is true to my experience, but there are as many ways to use a cane as there are cane users!

This guide will not include: White canes for blindness, crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs as I have no personal experience with these.

This is meant to be a general guide to get you started and avoid some common mishaps/misconceptions, but you absolutely should continue to do your own research outside of this guide!

The biggest recurring problem I've seen is using the cane on the wrong side. The cane goes on the opposite side of the pain! If your character has even-sided pain or needs it for balance/weakness, then use the cane in the non-dominant hand to keep the dominant hand free. Some cane users also switch sides to give their arm a rest!

A cane takes about 20% of your weight off the opposite leg. It should fit within your natural gait and become something of an extension of your body. If you need more weight off than 20%, then crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair is needed.

Putting more pressure on the cane, using it on the wrong side, or having it at the wrong height will make it less effective, and can cause long term damage to your body from improper pressure and posture. (Hugh Laurie genuinely hurt his body from years of using a cane wrong on House!)

(an animated GIF of a cane matching the natural walking gait. It turns red when pressure is placed on it.)

When going up and down stairs, there is an ideal standard: You want to use the handrail and the cane at the same time, or prioritize the handrail if it's only on one side. When going up stairs you lead with your good leg and follow with the cane and hurt leg together. When going down stairs you lead with the cane, then the good leg, and THEN the leg that needs help.

Realistically though, many people don't move out of the way for cane users to access the railing, many stairs don't have railings, and many are wet, rusty, or generally not ideal to grip.

In these cases, if you have a friend nearby, holding on to them is a good idea. Or, take it one step at a time carefully if you're alone.

Now we come to a very common mistake I see... Using fashion canes for medical use!

(These are 4 broad shapes, but there is INCREDIBLE variation in cane handles. Research heavily what will be best for your character's specific needs!)

The handle is the contact point for all the weight you're putting on your cane, and that pressure is being put onto your hand, wrist, and shoulder. So the shape is very important for long term use!

Knob handles (and very decorative handles) are not used for medical use for this reason. It adds extra stress to the body and can damage your hand to put constant pressure onto these painful shapes.

The weight of a cane is also incredibly important, as a heavier cane will cause wear on your body much faster. When you're using it all day, it gets heavy fast! If your character struggles with weakness, then they won't want a heavy cane if they can help it!

This is also part of why sword canes aren't usually very viable for medical use (along with them usually being knob handles) is that swords are extra weight!

However, a small knife or perhaps a retractable blade hidden within the base might be viable even for weak characters.

Bases have a lot of variability as well, and the modern standard is generally adjustable bases. Adjustable canes are very handy if your character regularly changes shoe height, for instance (gotta keep the height at your hip!)

Canes help on most terrain with their standard base and structure. But for some terrain, you might want a different base, or to forego the cane entirely! This article covers it pretty well.

Many cane users decorate their canes! Stickers are incredibly common, and painting canes is relatively common as well! You'll also see people replacing the standard wrist strap with a personalized one, or even adding a small charm to the ring the strap connects to. (nothing too large, or it gets annoying as the cane is swinging around everywhere)

(my canes, for reference)

If your character uses a cane full time, then they might also have multiple canes that look different aesthetically to match their outfits!

When it comes to practical things outside of the cane, you reasonably only have one hand available while it's being used. Many people will hook their cane onto their arm or let it dangle on the strap (if they have one) while using their cane arm, but it's often significantly less convenient than 2 hands. But, if you need 2 hands, then it's either setting the cane down or letting it hang!

For this reason, optimizing one handed use is ideal! Keeping bags/items on the side of your free hand helps keep your items accessible.

When sitting, the cane either leans against a wall or table, goes under the chair, or hooks onto the back of the chair. (It often falls when hanging off of a chair, in my experience)

When getting up, the user will either use their cane to help them balance/support as they stand, or get up and then grab their cane. This depends on what it's being used for (balance vs pain when walking, for instance!)

That's everything I can think of for now. Thank you for reading my long-but-absolutely-not-comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when writing or drawing a cane user!

Happy disability pride month! Go forth and make more characters use canes!!!

[viciousvenganza]

Did I daydream this, or was there a website for writers with like. A ridiculous quantity of descriptive aid. Like I remember clicking on " inside a cinema " or something like that. Then, BAM. Here's a list of smell and sounds. I can't remember it for the life of me, but if someone else can, help a bitch out <3

[viciousvenganza]

hi, i apologize if this is weird for me to ask, but do you have any resources that could help a foreigner with naming chinese original characters? im a white american who's writing a story that has southern chinese characters, and i want to make sure im properly naming my characters and not giving them nonsensical names. any criticism and advice is appreciated. thank you ♡

hmm with regards to naming Chinese OCs, I think if you are going into it with very little experience with Chinese names, it's best to first take a look at popular names based on year and gender, and then go from there.

Assuming your characters are Han Chinese/have Han Chinese names, check out these articles about naming trends:

What can we tell from the evolution of Han Chinese names?

Most Popular Chinese Names (trends in 2023 and across the decades)

Looking at appropriate names by generation is a good starting point just so you don't end up picking a name that sounds like the Chinese equivalent of naming a zoomer "Agatha" or "Gertrude" or something like that. This is a good method of quickly naming minor characters.

Beyond that, a lot can honestly be explained away by character back story/the intentions of the parents (although note: Chinese people are never named directly after senior relatives, as this is taboo). One thing to consider is that, sure, some people are just named after pretty words or whatever, but there can also be significant qualities/traits that give meaning to a name. So don't be afraid to choose characters that describe invisible/intangible qualities, because if it's just fluff, that can sound ridiculous too (my mom still laughs at all the ugly flower name suggestions my nainai came up with for me and my sibling, for example).

As the articles mention, some names have more feminine or masculine implications than others, but in general, Chinese names are gender neutral. If a girl has a more 'masculine' name, one could easily assume it's because the parents wanted to imbue her with certain traits. This is why it's worthwhile to consider which characters make up the names you choose, even if you never have anyone mention it.

Another thing I'd say is, while not a rule of thumb, I tend to give less important characters in stories monosyllabic names. No need to break out the Ruijie or Bairuo or whatever for a throwaway character.

If your characters are from southern China somewhere, then another thing to consider if how they are nicknamed; southerners more often give people nicknames like Ah-[syllable from given name], so this would be a clearer indicator to the reader as to where they are (similarly, how they address family members may offer these clues as well). For region specific names, you should also look to surnames based on regional prevalence, as certain names are more common in some provinces due to migration patterns as well as sinicization of non Han surnames throughout history.

Chinese Surnames wikipedia

Hundred Family Surnames wikipedia

Tangential but interesting article about the history of Chinese family names

Hopefully that helps a bit or maybe it's just treading over things you already know. If worst comes to worst, just ask someone you trust what they think about the names you've come up with.

[viciousvenganza]

8 useful websites & apps for writers

Notion

Desktop app for organizing your notes with tons of views and functions - works like a mini personal website.

Ommwriter

A peaceful writing program with focus options and ambience settings - complete with typing sound effects!

Reedsy

A massive website for writers with tools, generators, prompts, programs, tips and services.

Figma

A free-form editable and collaborative mind-map interface, for laying all your notes out visually.

Novlr

Free online writing software with goal setting and thorough tracking options, now with in-app courses as well.

Freedom

Distraction-muting app that blocks attention-sucking websites for a set period of time.

Milanote

Another visual board organizer for your notes and plans.

Wordtune

Editing app to rephrase your sentences depending on length or tone.

Do you need help getting your WIP organized?

Pick up my 3 extensive workbooks for writers, with dozens of fully-customisable templates. These are my first ever original E-books and templates available outside of my coaching programs!

The Writer’s ToolBoox contains: The Character Bible, The Plotter’s Almanac, and The World-Builder’s Chronicle

Grab it through the [link here] or below!

[viciousvenganza]

Advice from an (Amateur) Archer on Writing About Archers and Archery

Admittedly, I don’t have the widest range of experience when it’s come to archery. I’ve only been shooting for a year now, and the time that I do take to shoot have long months between them. Still, I think it’s important to outline the basics for anyone who wants to write an archer in their book and wants to save themselves the embarrassment of having the archer do something that an archer would never do in a million years.

- Archers usually unstring their bow after battle. Unstringing a bow is exactly what it sounds like: removing the string from the bow’s limbs. Usually, archers then wrap the string around the now-straightened bow so they don’t lose it as easily. Archers unstring bows because everytime the limbs are bent by the string, there is a large amount of tension in the limbs. If the string is on too long and the bow has not been shot for a while, the limbs will start to wear down and lose their power, resulting in an archer needing to buy new limbs or an entirely new bow.

- Archers always retrieve their arrows after battle. Arrows are expensive and take a long time to make, so archers want to conserve as many arrows as possible. Sometimes they have a repair kit with them at the ready, in case they find an arrow with a loose arrowhead or broken fletching that can easily be repaired. 

- Training arrows are not the same as battle arrows. Training arrows have thinner shafts and usually blunted tips so they can easily be removed from targets. Thinner shafts break more easily, and the blunted tips – whilst they can pierce skin – usually won’t get very far in the flesh. They’re also easier to make. Battle arrows are thicker, and their heads are pointed at the tip and have two pointed ends at its sides. This arrowhead is designed to easily pierce through flesh, and is incredibly difficult to pull out because its two pointed ends snag onto flesh. If you want to pull it out, you’d have to tear the flesh away with it, which can lead to an even larger wound.

- Arrows are fatal, and one can incapacitate a soldier for the rest of his life. Arrows are not easily snapped off like you see in movies. The draw weight is too strong, and they can sometimes be as strong as bullets. They will pierce through bone and tendons, which do not easily heal. Furthermore, if you want to remove an arrow, you either have to go through surgery, parting the flesh away from the arrowhead so it doesn’t snag onto anything, or you have you push – not pull – it all the way through the body.

- Bows are not designed for hitting people with in close combat. The limbs are specifically made to flex. Imagine hitting someone with a flexing piece of wood. If you hit with the middle of the bow, it still does very little because there is no weight behind the bow, and so you might as well be hitting them with a pillow. It might be annoying to the opponent, but it won’t save you. Archers need a secondary blade in close combat. They cannot strike people with their bows and expect to win.

- Draw weight affects speed, range, and impact. Draw weight is measured in pounds, at least in America, and it is measured in how much weight must be pulled when you draw back the string. A high draw weight means stiffer, thicker limbs that can shoot further and hit harder. But, this is at the cost of speed. A low draw weight means thinner, more flexible limbs that can shoot smaller distances and have low impact, but can be shot faster. Before you acrobatic fanatics immediately seize the smaller bow for its speed, understand that a bow’s advantage is in its range. No one can hit an archer from 300 meters away with their spear or sword. The archer has complete dominance over the battlefield in this way, and their arrows can kill anyone who gets too close. Not hurt. Not annoy. Kill. And a higher draw weight means a better chance of piercing through specific armor, then flesh, then bone. A lower draw weight means less range and, even worse, a lower chance that the arrow would even pierce through armor if the arrow even hits its target. 

- Bows will always be outmatched in close combat against any other weapon. Bows take too long to draw and shoot, and at such close range, the opponent has an easier chance to dodge oncoming arrows. I already explained that the bows themselves cannot be used to take down a foe. 

- Bowmen on horseback are utterly terrifying. Archers usually can’t move from their spot because range is more important than mobility, and at such a long range, you usually don’t need to move from your spot anyways. Bowmen on horses, however, are closer to the battle, and worse, they are faster than almost anyone on the battlefield. Not only are they difficult to hit, you have no way of predicting where they will shoot next because they can circle around you in confusing ways. If you want an interesting archer character, I’d advise trying these guys out.

- Never underestimate armor and padding. Arrows will never be able to pierce through plate armor because its curved surface will always deflect oncoming arrows. Arrows can pierce through maille because maille is made out of metal rings that can be bent and can fall away. However, padding usually lies underneath, which is surprisingly durable and can stop an oncoming arrow, as well as absorb some of its impact. Because of this, make certain that the archer is focusing on gabs in the armor. To know this, you MUST study armor. Gabs usually lie where the joints are because soldiers need those gabs open so they can move. Typical gaps lie in the neck, the armpit, the inner-elbow, the knees, and the palm of the hand. Impact is also an archer’s friend. A war arrow shot by a hundred pound bow, hurtling at incredible speeds and gaining momentum the further it travels, can evoke serious damage. To be hit by one of these arrows will feel more like being hit by a horse than being hit by someone’s fist. 

[viciousvenganza]

Writing Militaries, the Basics

This is a very strategic-level overview of what to consider when making a military. There's a ton more that goes into this, but these are some starting points.

What is the purpose of the military?

Militaries hold a lot of purposes depending on the strategic goals of the country or group. The obvious answer is fighting wars, but militaries have also been used to police their own people, respond to natural disasters, perform intelligence actions, and colonize other lands.

Where does the military operate?

Some militaries operate abroad/not on their own soil, some operate only on their own soil, and some do both.

Beyond that, there are a number of spaces that militaries can operate in:

On the ground

On water

In the air

In space

In cyberspace

There are other places that you could potentially imagine a military operating in a fantasy or sci fi story, like: underground, in a magic realm, inside of bodies, etc.

Where militaries will operate will depend on their geography and their technology level, as well as their strategic objectives. Navies are generally the most efficient way of moving a whole lot of people pretty fast across long distances and keeping them near where they want to be, while ground troops are needed to take and hold territory. Air forces can provide support to ground troops, carry out surveillance, and carry out fast infiltrations and exfiltrations over land. Space militarism can provide GPS, surveillance, more accurate missile targeting, colonization of other planets. Cyber-militarism can knock out infrastructure from a distance, including in non-permanent ways; provide access to strategic information; and provide misinformation to opposing forces.

Consider also what kind of terrain they’re fighting in. Urban warfare is way different from jungle, mountain, or grassland fighting.

What are the alliances?

Alliances provide militaries with additional support, deterrence against other attacks, and greater strategic reach. Consider the alliance between the US and Russia in WWII--it was one of the things that forced Germany to split their forces. It also allowed an approach on multiple fronts. Similarly, consider who the US now uses its numerous bases as ways to have troops within short reach of basically everywhere in the world at all times.

How do they manage supply chains?

In many ways, militaries live and die on their supply chains and logistics. Militaries need ways to get not only people but stuff (food, weapons, etc) to the warfront. In modern American warfare, it is common to use local contractors for at least some subset of these needs, which significantly shortens supply chains but creates risks if they are not vetted well enough.

Before planes, on-land vehicles, and ships were as good as they are now, long supply chains could become massive problems for militaries. They can become increasingly difficult to secure as they get longer, it takes longer to get stuff places, and if they are cut off troops at the front can become entirely cut off from supplies like food. Oceans can make this even more difficult, as old ships used to much more prone to sinking and could take months to get where they were going.

Is service voluntary?

The United States has a voluntary military, as of right now, which means that every one who serves signs up to do so. Previously, the US has used a draft, wherein some subset of AMAB people were pressed into service due to not enough people wanting to serve voluntarily (see: the Vietnam War). While the draft is gone, AMAB people between the ages of 18 and 25 in the US still have to register for selective service, which means they could theoretically be called up for service if the draft were reimplemented.

Countries such as Switzerland, Israel, and South Korea have conscription, which means that some subset of citizens (in some cases male, in some cases all genders) are required to serve in the military for some length of time.

There are advantages and disadvantages to conscription. Most notably, it leads to the military consistently being at least a certain size, especially when it or the war being fought are unpopular. On the other hand, the militaries have historically been less well-trained and suffer much more attrition.

Are they a standing military?

Most countries now have some form of standing military, but historically that hasn’t always been the case. It is expensive to maintain a standing military, and militaries were in some cases made up of militias or localized fighting forces that could be stood up as necessary.

Do they fight in uniform?

This may seem obvious, but insurgencies are militaries too, and they don’t usually fight in uniform. This can act as a significant advantage for insurgencies, who generally blend in with the general populace.

[viciousvenganza]

Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of free resources for different sign languages:

American Sign Language (ASL)

Australian Sign Language (Auslan)

Black American Sign Language (BASL)

British Sign Language (BSL)

Chinese Sign Language (CSL)

Emirati Sign Language (ESL)

French Sign Language (LSF)

Indian Sign Language (ISL)

International Sign Language (IS)

Irish Sign Language (ISL)

Japanese Sign Language (JSL)

Mexican Sign Language (LSM)

Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL)

Ukrainian Sign Language (USL)

Please feel free to add on if you know of others, be it more resource for one of the sign languages above, or resources for learning any of the other 300 plus sign languages.