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[arlincsolis]

Castles & Palaces In Writing

I see this come up a lot in writing. People often need clarification about castles and palaces. The two are different, and usually, people get them mixed up or combine the two as one. I've seen this in writing that people have sent me for editing.

So here is a little guide!

Castles:

Castles are large, fortified residences that can consist of a group of buildings with strong walls to defend against attacks. The word castles comes from a Latin word meaning "fortress'. Castles are expensive to maintain and even build. This means they were only able to be inhabited by royal or noble blood. Nobles would use them as a seat to control the surrounding areas.

Castles were not designed to be luxurious.

Castles had peep-holes in their walls so archers could shoot out of them and still be behind cover.

Castles were oftentimes on the water to fortify a country's defense.

Castles typically had moats and cannons.

Everything in castles is designed for practicality, including how spiral staircases were created. They often ascent clockwise. They needed their enemies to be at a constant disadvantage.

Castles normally have:

Moats

Walls (Inner & Outer)

Gatehouses

Drawbridges

Inner Defense

Baileys or Wards

Living Quarters w/ Support Buildings

Keeps

Dungeons

Great Halls

Chapels

Stables

Wells

Workshops

Architect Designs Include:

Crenellations

Walkways

Hoardings

Bretèche

Arrow Loops

Embrasures

Castles were not places of luxury. For example, toilets were often in bedroom closets. Toilets were wooden planks with holes held up by stone supports. People hung their clothes in the room to prevent moths from getting to them.

Palaces:

Palaces were designed simply for elegance, lavishness, and luxury. They didn't have fortified walls, moats, or cannons. Palaces are lived in by royalty, heads of state, or heads of churches. They are lush and often have gardens surrounding them.

Palaces are crafted to hold a wide accommodation of people. For example, the Palace of Versailles in France has 2,300 rooms. Buckingham Palace only has 800. It is a place the monarch will entertain. The monarch would typically have a bedroom, a drawing room, a privy, and a closet. The kingdom would ensure it is furnished with the best clothes and furniture.

There are three type of major palaces in our everyday life:

Royal Palaces: Official residence of monarchies or royal families.

Imperial Palace: Grand residences of emperors or imperial families.

Episcopal Palaces: Residences of high-ranking clergy.

[arlincsolis]

The Cats Under The Cherry Blossoms

The Cats Under The Cherry Blossoms is a short story I wrote in March 2023 for a writing contest.

Prompt:

Write about a cat living in an ancient temple, like the Acropolis.

We left the city of Changsha behind hours ago, having only been in China for a day so far. Changsha had been pretty for what little I got to examine it before my mother put me in a rented car and hauled me to the countryside, if that’s what you wanted to call it. She swore that she had found us the best place to stay. Changsha hadn’t even seemed natural; I couldn’t imagine a place better than that.

“Aren’t you enjoying your time in China?” my mother, Lauren, asked.

I didn’t know how to tell her I’d rather be home in New York than somewhere in China. I was home from college for spring break, and I was put on a plane to China rather than a beach like my friends. It had been my mother’s idea to come to China since, in her eyes, it was her duty to show me my culture. My father, Manchu, was born in China and immigrated to the United States, where he met my mother, Lauren, the perfect blonde. He died before I even turned five, leaving me alone in the world with Lauren.

“I don’t even know Chinese!” I groaned, not even looking at her.

The part nobody tells you about being Chinese and being raised by a white American woman is that other Asians will assume you at least know Chinese. Countless times at Asian restaurants, waiters would ask me questions in Asia and await my response, which never came. I only imagined being in China would make that even worse. I doubted they’d even believe me if I said Lauren was my birth mother.

“I’m sure you will learn a phrase or two before we return to New York.”

I wanted to hold her to that because deep down, I did wish I could embrace my father’s heritage, but it was nearly impossible without him being here. My mother didn’t understand, even though I knew she wanted to.

When we pulled up to the traditional house, sat in the middle of nowhere, where the owners had turned it into what an American would call a bed and breakfast, I felt uneasy. I insisted that it was the lack of internet and cellphone service, missing my friends, and maybe… even my desire to be on a beach somewhere in Florida.

 “Look at you! Beautiful!” the elderly Chinese woman running the hotel squealed.

She touched my hair, and my mother's glare told me not to complain. The warm smile she gave me was my only welcoming smile since arriving in China, so I accepted it graciously. Maybe my mother was right; perhaps this was the best place in China.

There were three things to mention about this hotel: 1.) There were stray cats everywhere. Some of them were friendly, and some of them were not. 2.) There was one other guest, Kai Meng, who seemed to be the same age as I am. 3.) Everything about this hotel was a traditional Chinese house. It had only been modified as much as needed. According to the older woman who owned it, this place was a tourist attraction during the summer. I just enjoyed seeing the paper panel doors (Shoji, as my mother called them) in person.

Cats meowed as they followed me through the garden, begging for my attention. I sat on the bench, letting them rub against my legs and leaving their fur behind. What brought so many cats to a place like this? Had it solely been the care of an older woman? Maybe the owner was just one of those crazy old cat people.

A male voice from behind says something in Chinese. I jumped a little at the sound of his voice. A few of the cats scurried away while a few tamer stayed. I turned around and stared at him, confused, unsure of what he had just said.

“They like you,” Kai repeated, except in English this time.

 “How long have you been here?” I asked, being friendly.

 “For roughly two months. I am investigating Li Shou. Myths say her temple was around here during ancient times. The number of cats confirms that,” Kai answered.

I gave him a dumbfounded look, unsure of how to reply. Li Shou? That slid off his tongue so easily, almost as if I should’ve known who she was.

“Do you not know who Li Shou is? How do you live in China and not know who Li Shou is?” Kai asked, judging me.

“I’m from New York… I don’t even know Chinese. I thought that much was obvious by my extremely white mother and me not understanding you,” I responded hatefully, striking at him like a snake with venom ready on its fangs.

“The myth is that when the world was created… Gods chose cats to rule the world. Li Shou was the cat goddess. Cats didn’t want to run the world; they wanted to relax and enjoy the sun. They nominated humans. The gods took away the cats’ power to talk, and they stopped ruling,” Kai answered. “It’s a little silly to someone like you, I imagine. Not everybody in China probably knows Li Shou, either.

“So, you’re here investigating ancient Chinese cat gods?” I asked, amused.

“It’s my job!” He yelled, noticing my amused tone.

“It sounds to me like you’re digging too deeply into this. The hotel owner is an elderly woman; this house has been in her family for generations, and elderly women love cats!” I yelled back, not as loud as him.

Kai stormed off, not saying anything else. I was relieved he left me in the garden with the cats. When he emerged, the ones that had run away came back. While China might not have been my favorite place to visit, I did enjoy the cats.

***

On our third day at the hotel, I started to spy on Kai Meng. Although I found him rude, he was the most exciting thing at the hotel. He never noticed my presence, or if he did, he didn’t want to acknowledge me. I found him in various rooms, staring at multiple knickknacks the older woman (whose name I still hadn’t learned) had collected.

Everywhere I went, the cats followed me. They followed me so much that I even started to believe in Li Shou. Whenever I let the cat goddess enter my thoughts, I cursed myself and blamed Kai Meng. But the cats were different from the cats at home. They seemed to listen to me and watch me.

“How long are you going to follow me?” Kai finally said at the end of the third day.

“I’m not following you!” I argued.

“It’s hard for you to sneak around when the house is extremely open, and cats follow you as if your pocket is full of catnip,” He retorted.

I was quiet for thirty seconds, trying to produce a response before I finally gave up. Why did the cats follow me so much compared to my mother or Kai? I didn’t have an answer.

“So, why are you here? What is your name? If you’re going to stalk me, I at least want to know your name,” Kai interrogates me.

“My name is Mei Zhao. I’m from New York. My father died before I was five, and I could even remember him. My mother drug me across the world because she felt like if I were closer to my Chinese heritage, I’d be closer to my father or something,” I answered.

“Do you feel closer to your father?”

I almost laughed at the question. How could four days in China make me an expert on my father? I knew only his appearance from the photos my mother kept around the house.

“No,” I responded bluntly. “I’ve never felt further.”

A black cat meowed loudly by the fountain in the garden, gaining both of our attention. It was as if the cat was attempting to speak to us.

“Why do I feel like that cat is trying to speak to us?” I asked, not taking my eyes off the cat, scared it would run away.

“Maybe it is,” Kai replied, walking towards the cat.

The cat meowed again, circling the fountain. Kai followed it closely. The cat reared up, pawing at a stone lodged in the fountain as if it were begging us to touch it. Kai gave me an uneasy look as he reached out and pressed the stone. I was prepared to laugh at him and call him silly until the stone went inward into the fountain.

The water in the fountain stops moving through the fountain system. The ground around the fountain slides inward, exposing a set of old stone stairs that seem centuries old. Almost coordinated, we pulled our phones out of our pockets and turned the flashlight on.

 Kai was the first one to begin his descent down the stairs; behind him, the cat followed. I stood outside for a moment, telling myself it was a terrible idea to follow some guy I had just met and a cat down the staircase, but I eventually did go down the stairs.

“Do you believe the cats here are more than your average stray cats now? They communicate. You have to listen,” Kai pointed out.

“Forgive me, but the stray cats in New York hardly pretend I exist,” I responded.

We walked down the stairs until my legs ached, reminding me how out of shape I was. At the bottom was a room of darkness that even our flashlights couldn’t illuminate. The cat took the lead, and we followed it into the darkness.

“This is not how I wanted to spend my spring break,” I announced.

At the other end of the darkroom was a massive statue of a black cat with jewels wrapped around its neck. Kai examined it with his flashlight, not wanting to leave any stone untouched. Within minutes, he found words inscribed into the wall.

“Those who venture further must prepare for the maze,” He transcribed for me.

“What does that mean?” I asked, cluelessly.

“It means we have found the temple of Li Shou… Li Shou has also set up an elaborate maze to protect herself and her jewels. We shouldn’t go any further. Maybe this place is better kept a secret,” Kai responded.

I decided against telling him Li Shou sounded like an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. I figured he would get defensive if I called her that. The black cat meowed loudly again and sat before the statue as if trying to get us to look at them both.

“Don’t you think the cat resembles Li Shou?” I asked.

Kai looked between both.

“I see the similarities, but I doubt it. How could a cat live that long? I think they’re just another black cat,” Kai responded, kneeling to pet the cat.

The cat purred loudly enough to hear it from where I was standing before giving us a final meow and heading toward the stairs. We followed, not wanting to be left in the temple. Kai didn’t say anything as we climbed the stairs. I was out of breath when we reached the top and relieved by Kai’s quietness. He pressed the button again, watching as the fountain returned to what it had been before our findings. Kai gave a small laugh. He didn’t believe what had just happened.

“I hope you have enough to finish your work here finally,” I said.

“Enough and more, but again, I think the temple’s location should be a secret place that nobody knows about except the cats. It’s been untouched all this time, and everybody here lives a peaceful life,” Kai responded.

I agreed. The elderly woman running the hotel and the cats didn’t need the stress of researchers coming into their homes.

The next day, Kai Meng left the hotel, leaving my mother and me as the only guests. It was our last day before heading back to Changsha. My mother took me to local villages, and I finally learned to say, “Hello, how are you?”. When we returned to New York, I looked at my father’s photo of the fireplace with a new view. I even told all my friends who spent spring break on the beach that I spent spring break off the grid in China in spring with blossoming cherry trees.

[arlincsolis]

Writing Portfolio / Masterlist

This is a link to all of my writing examples. Some of these are also posted on my website. Beware some of these are NSFW content.

Started: 07/22/2024

Last Updated: 08/19/2024

Short Stories:

The Cats Under The Cherry Blossoms

Book Preview Chapters:

DND Content:

Basic:

Enfrys & Zaki Introduction

SFW:

NSFW:

Fanfiction:

*Will Add Soon*

Commission Work:

*Will Add Soon*

Writing Help:

Castles vs Palaces

How I Stay Motivated

Picking an Artist for Your Book Cover

[arlincsolis]

Zaki & Enfrys Character Sheets / Introduction

Zaki and Enfrys are two DND OCs that I made to use in writing prompts and to write with when I'm bored. They're also the stars of my NSFW examples for my portfolio. Some of the writing I do with them will be fluffy and SFW, and some of it not so much. Enjoy :D

Zaki:

Appearance:

Hair: Dark Blue / Almost Black

Eye Color: golden, cat-like eyes.

Skin Color: Light Blue / To The Extent It Looks Gray

Horns: Two Horns. They protrude from his forehead. They curl above his head.

Teeth: Fangs.

Class: Bard

Backstory:

Zaki is the son of King Hollis, a human king. Zaki is currently Hollis's only son, which makes him the only legitimate heir he has. While Hollis has attempted for a human son, he has only been blessed with three daughters: Vaesna, Izara, and Eliana.

Zaki was born to King Hollis and a hybrid human/succubus. Despite all advice from his advisors, Hollis brought Zaki back to the palace. He is mostly hidden away from the public as Hollis and Queen Consort Esmae hope to have their own legitimate heir.

Even though he's technically a disgraced prince and hidden away, Zaki is still treated like a prince for the most part. He isn't completely locked away and can leave his room at certain times of the day. He wears nicely tailored clothes & owns a lot of jewelry. He wears a lot of rings and has bandings to wrap around his horns.

Zaki loves creating music. He is proficient with the lute, the lyre, and the flute. He devotes himself to his music, spending a lot of time in the gardens playing.

Personality:

Zaki is flamboyant (he is a bard, after all). For example, as a Tiefling, Zaki loves eating meat but will not cook for himself or touch it. He hates anything messy and raw meat has blood.

Personality Traits:

I take great pains to always look my best and follow the latest fashions. I don’t like to get my hands dirty, and I won’t be caught dead in unsuitable accommodations.

Ideals:

Independence. I must prove that I can handle myself without the coddling of my family. (Chaotic) Responsibility. It is my duty to respect the authority of those above me, just as those below me must respect mine. (Lawful)

Flaws:

I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever. I have an insatiable desire for decadent pleasures. In fact, the world does revolve around me.

DND Character Sheet

Enfrys:

Appearance:

(Sticks Between Autumn & Winter Appearance Mostly.)

Hair: Orangish / Ginger or Pale Blue

Eye Color: Crisp Orange or Ice Blue

Skin Color: Orange / Blue

Class: Rogue

Backstory:

Enfrys is the fourth son of a king. At a young age, he realized he would never inherit the throne and sought after his own form of glory. He stole gold from his father and ran away.

Over the years, he has become a pirate king who rules over the oceans. Other pirate captains fear him, and his word is respected. Enfrys is a cold individual who demands respect but will also treat everyone around him with it.

Personality:

Enfrys is a cold individual who hardly shows his real emotions to people. People who are close to him have had to earn their spot.

Personality Traits:

My eloquent flattery makes everyone I talk to feel like the most wonderful and important person in the world. My favor, once lost, is lost forever. Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.

Ideals:

Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good)

Bonds:

I am in love with the heir of a family that my family despises.

Flaws:

I have an insatiable desire for decadent pleasures. I hide a truly scandalous secret that could ruin my family forever.

DND Character Sheet

(Will add to this as I develop them as characters)

[arlincsolis]

Introduction Post!

hi! my name is Arlin! ᡣ • . • 𐭩 ♡

I am a self-published author (and soon a traditionally published author)! I, unfortunately, majored in english and would like to make that everybody’s problem. ‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

Here to post writing tips, headcanons about my own book series, and give advice on my self-publishing journey to hopefully help people. ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡ ˚

link to other social medias: ˗ˏˋ✩ˎˊ˗

[arlincsolis]

How do you stay motivated to keep writing when you have no inspiration??

How I Stay Motivated

Staying motivated to write takes a lot of work. Motivation to write will come and go. For example:

The Kingdom of Misfortune (TKOM): It took me 6 years to write this book, mostly because I wasn't motivated. I was in high school, then college, suffering through an illness and losing an entire organ in my digestive tract. But I now know tips that would've saved me so much more time if I had just followed them.

The Whispers of Eternity (TWOE): It took me a year to fully finish this book.

The new secret series: The first book took me three months.

So, I have some tricks I've learned since 2021, when I released TKOM, which I will happily share.

Outlining.

When I wrote TKOM, I did it entirely off the dome. At the time, I didn't see a problem with that, but I experimented with some outlining with TWOE and learned that it really does wonders. It does more than I thought it would. Outlining sets an expectation. It allows me to know where this chapter will start, what it will contain, and where it will end. Of course, sometimes my characters throw me a curveball, and we go off the outline. That is okay because outlines can be adjusted. Another thing outlining really helps me with is if you go a few days without writing and need help remembering precisely what a character says, you don't have to go hunt for what chapter it's in. In my outline, I give a brief one-sentence description of a conversation. "They talked about his childhood," for example. That tells me if I need to remember what was said, that is the chapter I need to reread. It saves me so much time. You just need to be good at summarizing the entire chapter within one short paragraph.

Set Goals.

You can set goals that you want to meet and hold yourself to it. Could you start with small goals that you want to accomplish each day? This could be as simple as writing 3,000 words a day. Could you give yourself a time limit each day to achieve these goals? I set harsh deadlines for myself to follow with TWOE. I wanted the first rough draft completed within five months. I accomplished that even though I wasn't motivated each day because I stuck to my goals. Do not set yourself up for failure by setting unreasonable goals. You know yourself better than anyone else. What works for some people will not work for you, which is okay. Just because I wrote the first draft of a book in three months does not mean that's reasonable for you. This is my third one, after all.

Take Breaks.

Taking breaks is essential. It keeps you from getting burnt out on your ideas. Sometimes, you cannot force writing. It's okay to put a project down for a little bit. You must be confident in your ability to shelve something to work on something else. For example, I shelved book 3 of The Western World Chronicles for an entirely new series. I knew I wasn't in the right place to write it. Don't force it. Return when your mind is fresh and ready to continue. Breaks don't have to be long, either. Short breaks are just as helpful. Days, weeks, months. They're all valid.

Avoid Distractions.

Sometimes, you just need to lock yourself in a quiet room with no TV, music, or anything else. I can't write if my husband is in the room. He's my biggest distraction, and multiple times, I have had to lock him out of the room. Of course, this requires money, but some people work best if they travel to a remote place specifically to write. I would love to be able to afford to travel to the places where my new series takes place. It has multiple settings all over the US and even the rest of the world. I'd love to write these chapters in these places and experience what life is like there. Greece and Dubai are two areas directly mentioned in the new series. I've never been to either.

Reward Yourself.

Each time you meet one of your goals, reward yourself. Go get ice cream! Order a new book! Set up a gold star chart for yourself like they do kindergartens. Do whatever will make you feel accomplished.

Write Everyday.

I don't mean to write your story every day. Just write something every day. There are multiple places to go to get free writing prompts. Do one every day. Make it a habit and stick to it.

Enter Writing Contests.

Shockingly, I still do this. Reedsy, for example, has writing contests. You do have to pay to enter for a chance at a prize, but if you just want to enter a story for others to read but not to be judged or do the prompt, it is entirely free. You can enter hundreds of other contests; you just have to find them.

Find Inspiration.

Sometimes, inspiration doesn't flow. In the writing space, there is no such thing as a completely original idea. There are too many books and authors for that. If you've drawn inspiration from something for your current project, please feel free to soak it up. Each time you're feeling unmotivated, return to it. You can also look for similar titles in the same genre and check them out. Do not copy, though. Copying and taking inspiration from are two different things.

Take Care of Yourself.

My most important tip is that you should ALWAYS take care of yourself. Make sure you've eatenand drink water or another liquid while you write. Take care of your body. Take a shower. Go to the gym. These things help you not only physically but also mentally.

There are more tips. I am sure I could come up with another five, but these are the ones I use daily. I think they are the most important ones to follow.

I hope this helps :D

-Angela

[arlincsolis]

How To Find an Artist for Your Book Cover from a Self-Published Author

Book covers, in my opinion, can make or break your book. As much as they say, "Don't judge a book by its cover," everybody does. People want pretty books to sit on the shelves. That's why Fairyloot, Bookish Box, and Illumicrate books resell for hundreds of dollars. Most popular book content creators strive to collect these special editions.

That's why the most challenging part of self-publishing for me was the book cover. There are many decisions to be made in the book cover design process. It is best to strive to find someone you can feel confident with to create your vision.

Advice to Follow To Find an Artist

Do not hire friends or family.

Always ask for price and portfolio regardless of whether you know this person.

Before you agree to anything, sign a contract.

Set a budget.

Stick to your budget.

Writing a book and working with my friends has taught me that no matter how well you think you know someone, they do not have your best interest at heart. I actually got scammed the first time by one of my friends. You can separate your friendship and try to form a professional one, but it's best to avoid that entirely. My current book cover was created by a friend, and if I could go back, I wouldn't work with them again. This isn't anything they did, but rather, every time the book cover is brought up negatively, it makes me feel like a bad friend. It is hard to ignore. I'd rather have a strictly professional relationship with a cover artist for the next series.

When looking for an artist or graphic designer, ask for portfolios. Even if you have followed them for months and think you know their work, even if they post art that you think looks great, they will still need to excel in what you envision. Check their portfolio and decide if their style actually works for you. If it does, get a quote. I also recommend setting your sights on artists with previous experience with book covers.

Contracts are so important and worth the money. Depending on the artist, they might already have a contract for you to sign. Contracts will outline the expectations that you have and the expectations that they have. Contracts also provide definite proof of what you owe and will receive in exchange. They are here to protect you and the artist.

Setting a budget is a requirement. With my first book, I crowdfunded the money. I knew exactly how much I wanted to spend, and it helped me find someone within that price range. Self-publishing gets really expensive fast, so setting budgets for each step is crucial. If you can build a community before your book is published, crowdfunding is an excellent way to fund a book cover so that you, as the author, can focus on ensuring the book has the edits and marketing needs.

Stick to your budget! I added this because I know sticking to your budget can be difficult for some people, especially me. I found multiple super expensive artists and way out of my budget that I would've loved to work with, but my book would've suffered if I did. There were better areas for that money to be spent.

While some of this seems like a common practice, some opportunities seem so good that these five rules can slip your mind. I was scammed by someone I was close to (close enough they were invited to my wedding!). It's best to treat all business dealing with your book as well... business.