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The Best Hot Chocolate, a recipe from Hiss

“Did you know that the secret to the best hot chocolate is to basically just use melted chocolate? With maybe a dash of heavy cream.” This is an excerpt from my upcoming middle grade novel, Hiss. His mood crashed again and turned a stricken face up to her as he flipped back the top flaps of the box to show her. “Oh my,” she said, putting the files down on the hall table. “What happened…

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Johannes Gutenberg Great +++ Grandfather of Publishing

Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the movable type printing press made him the great +++ grandfather of publishing and our modern Western societies possible. Before 1440, fewer than 30% of adults were literate. The written word was produced by the few for the few. The ruling elite – the church and the nobility – tightly controlled ideas, information and knowledge were. Books were rare, as they…

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Hey writeblr!! ❤️ I'm a writer with zeros WIPS at the moment and I'm mainly looking for people to bounce ideas off of 💡

Hi I'm Paige, I am just a collage student living off of TV dinners and hoping I can get a book written because I'm on an idea blockage rn.

If you want to be writer friends cool! 🧡 maybe message me or reblog this post 📫 if not totally chill I have zero WIPS to talk about.

But seriously writeblr I need a community

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Reblog if you think it’s okay to platonically say “I Love You” to your friends

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Trope chats: death personified

Death, the eternal mystery that awaits every living being, has been personified and conceptualized in various ways throughout literary history. This installment of trope chats embarks on an exploration of the personification of death in literature, tracing its evolution over time, examining its impact on society, and considering the cultural influences that shape its myriad representations.

I. Ancient Personifications: The Grim Reaper and Beyond

The personification of death dates back to ancient mythologies and folklore. In Greek mythology, Thanatos, the god of death, was often depicted as a winged figure escorting souls to the afterlife. The Romans similarly personified death as the god Mors. In medieval Europe, the Grim Reaper emerged as a skeletal figure wielding a scythe, becoming an iconic representation of death in Western culture.

II. The Dance of Death: Medieval Allegories

During the medieval period, the "Dance of Death" emerged as a popular motif in literature and art. This allegorical theme depicted death as an impartial force claiming individuals from all walks of life, emphasizing the universality of mortality. The macabre dance, often portrayed in murals, manuscripts, and woodcuts, became a poignant reminder of the transience of human existence.

III. Literary Personifications: From Shakespeare to Modern Works

In literature, death has been personified in countless forms. Shakespeare's "Hamlet" features the haunting figure of Yorick's skull, a memento mori that encapsulates the inevitability of death. The works of Edgar Allan Poe often feature death as a spectral presence, accentuating the eerie and supernatural aspects of mortality. In contemporary literature, authors like Neil Gaiman ("The Sandman") and Terry Pratchett ("Discworld") play with the personification of death, offering nuanced and sometimes humorous portrayals.

IV. Cultural Influences: Eastern Perspectives

Beyond Western literature, Eastern cultures have their own personifications of death. In Hinduism, the god Yama serves as the lord of death and justice, presiding over the cycle of reincarnation. Japanese folklore features the Shinigami, death spirits or gods who guide souls to the afterlife. These representations showcase the diverse ways cultures interpret and personify the inevitability of death.

V. Allegories and Symbolism: Death as a Literary Device

The personification of death in literature is often employed as a literary device to convey complex themes. In John Donne's "Death, Be Not Proud," death is addressed as a transient force, diminished in the face of eternal life. In Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude," death takes on a fantastical and whimsical persona, blurring the lines between life and afterlife.

VI. Impact on Society: Fear, Reflection, and Coping Mechanisms

The personification of death in literature has a profound impact on society. It instills fear, prompting individuals to confront their mortality and grapple with existential questions. Simultaneously, it serves as a tool for reflection, encouraging contemplation on the nature of life, the inevitability of death, and the legacies one leaves behind. Literature becomes a conduit for coping with the existential anxiety that death elicits.

The personification of death in literature, an ever-present and evolving theme, offers a lens through which humanity examines its mortality. From ancient mythologies to contemporary novels, death takes on myriad forms, reflecting cultural perspectives, existential concerns, and the evolving nature of storytelling. As literature continues to shape our understanding of the inevitable enigma, the personification of death remains a timeless and resonant exploration of the human condition.

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How to Say No

This was first published July 12, 2023, but it needed updating. I’m deep into edits for my third middle grade novel (release sate May 1, 2025) and working on finalizing the first draft of a new adult paranormal series. When writing my previous two books, I learned that the secret to success in almost any endeavour is large, uninterrupted blocks of focused time. And this required learning how to…

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This is a meme I saved years ago. I wish I knew who to credit it to. If anyone recognizes it, please let me know.

Anyhow, the main point is I saved it because I love the word 'shenanigans'. It's one of those 'old-fashioned' words that needs to be used more often! I'm trying to find a place for it in my current WIP.

What 'found' words have you come across lately? How did you use them?

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How to Overcome a Panic Attack

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Things you find on a break from writing!

We have a circular garden in our driveway filled with peonies and lavender. And two unexpected guests!

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one time a professor asked me if i’d ever wanted to write anything “more important” than romance. and i said no. i was put on this earth to write about sad people kissing. and if another writer ever came up to me and said they wanted to write 400 pages containing nothing but a character baking a single loaf of bread each day, then i would tell them to do that. people don't write something because it's important. they write about something and that is what makes it important

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Writing children's literature

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Yes!

HEY YOU BELOVED LITTLE DUMMIES

Would anyone like weekly short stories throughout the summer for Character Backstories?

I'll do a total of 3 for each character, and I'll probably be doing them for StF

But as it gets closer to me finishing TCOT, I'll switch to building up for the release date?

(PLEASE comment or reblog if you do want this)

@clever-naming-convention @smudged-red-ink @ajgrey9647 @pastellbg @lunaeuphternal

@sl-vega @illarian-rambling @alnaperera @agirlandherquill @somethingclevermahogony

@thepeculiarbird @ryahisbored @darkandstormydolls @phoenixradiant @nkikio

@aesthetic-writer18 @kia-is-poisoned @katwritesshit @aalinaaaaaa @caffeinated-and-annoying-bard

@corinneglass @thelazywitchphotographer @cybercelestian @rivenantiqnerd @bigwipscholar

@artsandstoriesandstuff @bloodmoonloveletter @vyuntspakhkite-l-darling @urnumber1star @wyked-ao3

@starmanbutitsregulusblack @starslide @stars-forever @savepoint-has-died @sunglasses-in-the-bentley

@mysticstarlightduck @themortalityofundyingstars @fantasy-things-and-such @leahnardo-da-veggie @sunflowerrosy

@supercimi @hisshiss-bitch @thecrazyalchemist @gardenofrunar @envycollective

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Paranormal Passion: 10 Historical Romance Prompts

Paranormal passion takes romance to the next level! Ready to write your own story? Here are ten prompts to get you started. Giving it a historical twist adds a whole new layer of intrigue and excitement.

1. In the bustling streets of 18th century London, a young woman with a secret gift of precognition stumbles upon an ancient artifact that binds her to a brooding vampire seeking redemption.

2. During the height of the French Revolution, a courageous seamstress with the ability to speak to spirits becomes entangled in a dangerous love affair with a mysterious nobleman-turned-werewolf, who is hunted by his own kind.

3. In the midst of the American Civil War, a wounded Union soldier with an extraordinary talent for healing meets a Confederate ghost with unfinished business and an undying love for his widowed wife.

4. On the eve of World War II, a resourceful British codebreaker discovers an enchanted book that transports her to the dangerous world of a cursed 1920s Chicago gangster, who vows to take revenge on the family who betrayed him.

5. Amid the lavish court of Imperial Russia, a young aristocrat cursed with the ability to see death omens crosses paths with a reclusive sorcerer who offers her a chance to break the curse at a deadly price.

6. In the opulent palaces of ancient Egypt, a slave gifted with the power to control fire catches the eye of a high priestess who harbors a dark secret involving forbidden magic and a vengeful pharaoh.

7. As the Aztec Empire crumbles under Spanish conquest, a brave warrior haunted by visions of his fallen kingdom forms an unlikely alliance with a fierce jaguar shifter tasked with protecting an ancient relic that could change the course of history.

8. In medieval Scotland, a bard blessed with the ability to communicate with faeries is drawn into a perilous romance with a cursed knight doomed to transform into a raven with each setting sun.

9. Along the silk road in ancient China, a trader cursed with immortality and the power to control shadows encounters a mysterious woman with the ability to charm even the most dangerous of spirits. Together, they must navigate treacherous lands and rival factions while uncovering the truth behind their intertwined destinies.

10. In the Viking age, a shield maiden blessed by the gods with the power to foresee her enemies’ movements finds herself entangled in a forbidden romance with a fierce berserker cursed with uncontrollable rage. As they fight side by side against invading forces, they must confront their own inner demons and discover if love can truly conquer all.

And if writing historical paranormal passion isn’t for you, then take a look at these ten prompts for writing urban fantasy.

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Spiritually, it's important to forgive other people, but you don't have to hang out with them.

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This is a great process.

Who's working on their pitch for their novel this week? Does anyone find them easy?

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What have you bravely started lately?

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Nobody cares. Just write fully, joyously and with abandon.