nikoadari

[nikoadari]

Showing 'Anticipation' in Writing

Fingers tapping rhythmically on a surface.

Shifting weight from one foot to the other.

Checking the time frequently.

Eyes darting to the door or window expectantly.

Taking deep, excited breaths.

Biting the lower lip in nervous excitement.

Rubbing hands together eagerly.

Whispering, “I can’t wait” to themselves or others.

Fidgeting with objects, like twisting a ring or playing with a pen.

Heart pounding with eagerness.

Perking up at any noise that might signal the anticipated event.

Smiling slightly, as if imagining the future moment.

Knees bouncing up and down while seated.

Glancing at their phone or watch repeatedly.

Clutching a piece of clothing or accessory tightly.

Standing on tiptoe to get a better view.

Ears straining to catch any sound.

Swallowing nervously, throat dry with excitement.

Humming or softly singing to pass the time.

Practicing a speech or action they are looking forward to.

[nikoadari]

a list of 100+ buildings to put in your fantasy town

academy

adventurer's guild

alchemist

apiary

apothecary

aquarium

armory

art gallery

bakery

bank

barber

barracks

bathhouse

blacksmith

boathouse

book store

bookbinder

botanical garden

brothel

butcher

carpenter

cartographer

casino

castle

cobbler

coffee shop

council chamber

court house

crypt for the noble family

dentist

distillery

docks

dovecot

dyer

embassy

farmer's market

fighting pit

fishmonger

fortune teller

gallows

gatehouse

general store

graveyard

greenhouses

guard post

guildhall

gymnasium

haberdashery

haunted house

hedge maze

herbalist

hospice

hospital

house for sale

inn

jail

jeweller

kindergarten

leatherworker

library

locksmith

mail courier

manor house

market

mayor's house

monastery

morgue

museum

music shop

observatory

orchard

orphanage

outhouse

paper maker

pawnshop

pet shop

potion shop

potter

printmaker

quest board

residence

restricted zone

sawmill

school

scribe

sewer entrance

sheriff's office

shrine

silversmith

spa

speakeasy

spice merchant

sports stadium

stables

street market

tailor

tannery

tavern

tax collector

tea house

temple

textile shop

theatre

thieves guild

thrift store

tinker's workshop

town crier post

town square

townhall

toy store

trinket shop

warehouse

watchtower

water mill

weaver

well

windmill

wishing well

wizard tower

[nikoadari]

calling all authors!!

i have just stumbled upon the most beautiful public document i have ever laid eyes on. this also goes for anyone whose pastimes include any sort of character creation. may i present, the HOLY GRAIL:

https://www.fbiic.gov/public/2008/nov/Naming_practice_guide_UK_2006.pdf

this wonderful 88-page piece has step by step breakdowns of how names work in different cultures! i needed to know how to name a Muslim character it has already helped me SO MUCH and i’ve known about it for all of 15 minutes!! i am thoroughly amazed and i just needed to share with you guys 

[nikoadari]

Please Support Me! I Write Short Stories!

And now, I'm writing full-length novels, too!

[nikoadari]

Please Support Me! I Write Short Stories!

And now, I'm writing full-length novels, too!

[nikoadari]

for the love of god, write all the self-indulgent scenes you want.  be utterly  shameless about including every last fantasy.  i know everyone likes to share quotes and quips about how miserably hard writing is, but please please try thinking of it as a joyful act where you get to be a messy human who makes art rather than some pain filled quest for icy perfection.

[nikoadari]

Disability Writing Guides

Collecting all of these in one convenient place! If you have any requests, questions, comments, and especially concerns about what/how I’m writing these, please let me know!

Writing Chronic Pain

Writing Deaf Characters

Writing Disability and the Idea of Cure

Writing Wheelchair Users

General Disability Etiquette for Writers

Overused Disability Tropes

Writing Blind/Low Vision Characters

Writing Facial Difference

Writing Seizures

Asks!

[nikoadari]

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 much 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

[nikoadari]

Words to Describe Someone's Voice

I went scouting through the internet for words to describe a character’s voice. Here’s a handy list for all you writers:

Adenoidal/Nasal - Some of the sound seems to come through the nose.

Appealing - Shows that you want help, approval, or agreement.

Breathy - With loud breathing noises.

Brittle - You sound as if you are about to cry.

Croaky - Sounds as if they have a sore throat.

Dead - They feel or show no emotion.

Disembodied - Voice comes from someone who you cannot see.

Flat - Spoken in a voice that does not go up and down.

Fruity - Deep and strong in a pleasant way.

Grating - Unpleasant and annoying.

Gravelly -  Low and rough.

Gruff - Has a rough low sound.

Guttural - Deep and made at the back of your throat.

High-Pitched - Very high and shrill.

Hoarse -  Low rough voice, usually because their throat is sore.

Honeyed -  Falsely sweet voice.

Husky - A husky voice is deep and sounds hoarse often in an attractive way.

Low - Quiet and difficult to hear / in a deep voice.

Matter-of-fact - Used about someone’s behavior or voice.

Modulated - Controlled and pleasant to listen to.

Monotonous -  Boring because it does not change in loudness or become higher or lower.

Orotund - Loud and clear.

Penetrating - So high or loud that it makes you uncomfortable.

Plummy - This word shows that you dislike people who speak like this.

Quietly - In a quiet voice.

Raucous -  Loud and sounds rough.

Ringing -  very loud and clear.

Rough - Not soft and is unpleasant to listen to.

Shrill -  Very loud, high, and unpleasant.

Silvery - Clear, light, and pleasant.

Singsong - Rises and falls in a musical way.

Small - A small voice or sound is quiet.

Smoky - Sexually attractive in a slightly mysterious way.

Softly Spoken - A quiet gentle voice.

Sotto Voce - A very quiet voice.

Stentorian - Loud and severe.

Strangulated - One that someone stops before they finish making it.

Strident -  Loud and unpleasant.

Taut - Shows someone is nervous or angry.

Thick - Voice sounds less clear because of an emotion.

Thin -  High and unpleasant to listen to.

Throaty - Low and seems to come from deep in your throat.

Tight - Shows that you are nervous or annoyed.

Toneless - Does not express any emotion.

Tremulous - It is not steady because you are afraid or excited.

Wheezy - Has difficulty breathing.

Wobbly - Unstable tone due to fright or emotions.

[nikoadari]

Prompt

When all the great houses are cursed by a vengeful witch and the heads of each house are trapped in a sleeping spell, it’s up to the heirs to break the curses while juggling their estates and general unrest in the land. However, each curse is specific to the dark history of each house, and the heirs will have to dig deep into their family’s secrets, unraveling lies and deception that intertwine the houses and beg the question, do the great houses deserve to be saved?

- Lynn

[nikoadari]

i unironically believe electricity is the closest thing we have to magic in this universe. consider:

it's basically what human "souls" are made of (your consciousness is the result of miniscule amounts of electric charge jumping between neurons in your brain)

when handled incorrectly or encountered in the wild, it is a deadly force that can kill you in at least half a dozen different ways

when treated respectfully and channeled into the proper conduits, it is a power source that forms the backbone of modern society

if you engrave the right sigils into a rock and channel electricity into it, you can make the rock think

there is a dedicated caste of mages (electrical engineers) tasked with researching it in ivory towers

whatever the fuck Galvani was doing with those frog legs

look at this and just try to tell me it isn't a kind of summoning circle

[nikoadari]

Welcome new followers who do not quite look like porn bots.

A word of advice: If you only hit the Like heart, your blog appears to be empty and your tumblr experience will not be good. Because people will block you.

I will block you.

Get reblogging, fill your blog. This is how it's done here.

[nikoadari]

A Little Too Fast

Trigger Warning: alluding to abusive relationships, flashback to abuse

When Clara heard the notification buzz of a text on her phone she sighed, put down her book, and went to retrieve the reusable grocery bags from the kitchen cabinet. If she had to leave her flat to meet her friend, she might as well do her weekly shopping.

She checked the mirror before she left, carefully rounding out her afro and lightly adjusting the loose sleeves of her white kaftan. Her sepia sandals were only slightly darker than her lipstick, and it shone prettily on her clear, hickory brown skin. She allowed herself a light smile at her appearance. She looked good. As usual.

These days, Clara thanked God every time she walked outside for having a car with a working air conditioner. As she drove, she could see a few passersby outside, all trying to find some shade not made by a cement block building.

As pitiful as it looked, Clara had to shake her head at their poor judgement. While they fanned themselves with magazines and fumbled for sunglasses, almost everyone she saw had chosen tight clothes that showed skin red and burned. After about a decade of summers like these, she thought it was about time white people in the city learned to dress for the heat.

“Foolishness,” she muttered to herself. She parked outside the little smoothie shop Robin wanted to meet at and walked inside to order and wait. The place smelled of chlorine and chemicals, and Clara immediately took a large gulp from her water bottle. She was definitely picking the next place for them to hang out.

Robin came in a few minutes later, breathless and clearly having walked there. Her bejeweled sunglasses flashed from fluorescent lights and her loosely curled hair was slightly damp from sweat. Clara looked approvingly at the loose shorts and flowy blouse she wore but could only sigh as the woman went through one debit and two credit cards before finally being able to buy her own smoothie from the vendor.

Once she had her drink in hand, Robin found Clara easily and rushed over to sit down with her grinning friend.

“Trouble in paradise?” Clara asked, still grinning.

“I’ll get it sorted out on Monday, don’t at me.”

Clara blinked and took a few moments to sort through her mental slang dictionary before making a note to look it up later and moving on. “You had a favor to ask me?”

Robin tried to answer while still slurping her smoothie and ended up hacking and coughing. Clara handed her a napkin with a sympathetic look and waited for her to clear her airways before repeating the question.

“Yes!” Robin leaned forward and Clara made a conscious effort not to lean back. With her sunglasses no longer covering her eyes, Robin’s intense staring was almost intimidating.

“It’s a matter of utmost importance, Clara. I need you…” She paused for dramatic effect. “…to help me go ring shopping for Jessie. I’m planning to propose to her!”

She waited for a moment, nearly trembling in excitement, for Clara’s reaction. Clara was…well, she was more confused than anything else. The calendars hanging in nearly every room of her flat told her it was the fifth of August aka ten days until Clara and Jessie’s six-month anniversary. She knew this because the date was circled on each of her calendars, along with the time set on her phone so that she didn’t have to think too quickly on her feet when Clara inevitably asked her for help with an anniversary gift last minute.

She knew she’d waited too long to respond when Robin began to deflate and lean back.

“Congratulations?” she tried, but it was already too late. Robin bit her lip.

“…You aren’t happy about it?” she asked, clearly upset. Clara sighed and took her second sip from her smoothie to buy time before recoiling. God, this drink was terrible. She sighed again, refusing to let her annoyance show on her face.

“It’s not like that, Robin. I’m just surprised. I think you’re a great couple, and from what I know of Jessie, she’s a great partner to you and you to her. It’s just…as your friend, don’t you think you’re going a little fast?”

“No, I don’t.” Her response was immediate and frustrated, and Clara put a hand on Robin’s over the table before the argument she sensed was brewing exploded in a public restaurant. It worked, and Robin’s next words came slowly.

“Usually I would be bored by now, wanna bail, move on to the next thing. But not with Jessie. I love her so much; she brings out the best in me! She’s always supporting my dreams and listens no matter how long I ramble, and I really feel like I’m home with her. Like I have someone who understands me completely. Jessie’s just…I really feel like she’s the one, you know?”

Her eyes were wide and honest, and Clara nodded. She wholeheartedly believed Robin felt that way; the blonde was a terrible liar.

“I know. It’s just that…a marriage is meant to be a life-long thing, hon. Most relationships, not even necessarily romantic, just most relationships in general, don’t last that long. And people change a lot from year to year, decade to decade. Are you saying you’re certain that you’ll love her and that she’ll love you the same through all of that? You’ve known her for eight months total, not even a full year, and dated her for seventy-five percent of that. How can you be sure you know who she is through everything?”

“Ohhh, Clara, I get it now.” Robin relaxed back into her chair with a soft sigh and Clara braced herself. That was never a good sign.

“It’s okay! You wouldn’t understand, I guess. We’re lesbians, y’know? Lesbian dating isn’t the same as hetero dating. We hit the ground running when it comes to love.”

Wow. That…was worse than she’d been expecting. She retracted her hand and placed it in her lap, frowning as she thought of what to say.

“I understand very well that some lesbians, and some people who are not lesbians, ‘hit the ground running,’ as you say. I don’t think it’s wise, or safe for the heart or mental health of those who do it. Listen, I can’t help you with picking an engagement ring. I wish I could support and be part of the planning like that, but I can’t. I do wish you two a happy life together, though.”

She made to leave, but Robin seized her wrist before she could get out of her seat.

“Wait! What about–”

A light-skinned woman appeared in Clara’s mind, short and pretty. Sweet when she was calm, a raging demon when she was angry, one that lashed out both verbally and physically, always starting with a hand yanking Clara closer so she could–

“Let go of my wrist, Robin,” Clara hissed. Her voice was icy, but she didn’t realize how much until she saw Robin’s expression. The blonde let go immediately and mumbled, “Sorry” almost too quietly to hear. Clara tried to take a steadying breath and considered leaving then and there – Robin knew how she felt about being grabbed out of the blue like that – but the thought of letting things end on such a sour note hurt something deep inside her. She had been friends with Robin for years, after all, ever since college. She could at least hear her out. She was fine.

With an angry sigh, she took her seat again and gestured for Robin to continue. The woman fiddled with her fingers for a few moments before saying anything, but when she did Clara had to close her eyes to calm herself.

“I get that you don’t support the wedding, but why can’t you just support me, Clara? I’m in love! I was going to make you one of my bridesmaids! You’re my friend; you’re supposed to want to help me!”

“First of all,” Clara said coolly. “I’ve spent the last five years helping you, in nearly every sense of the word. I have spent energy and money and time I could have spent doing anything else letting you cry on my shoulder, giving you advice, buying your groceries and paying for your gas. You slept on my couch for three months paying for nothing but the clothes you filled your suitcases with. And I’ve helped you in every relationship you’ve been playing at, including this latest one, far more than anyone should reasonably expect, Robin. You cannot and will not pull that card now.”

“I–”

“Let’s be honest here. You don’t know much about her. We’ve been friends four times as long and you don’t even know that much about me. Have you ever seen me get angry about anything? And I mean truly angry, not just irritated or annoyed.”

Clara huffed but thought about it for a while. After a minute, she shrugged with one shoulder. “When that creep at the bar tried to touch your ass, you were pissed,” she said. Clara grimaced at the crass language and shook her head.

“I was definitely upset at that, yes, but not truly angry. If I had been, I would have either smashed a glass on his face or strangled him.” She watched Clara’s expression morph.

“This illustrates my point perfectly, though. You have never, in five years of friendship, seen me that way. Not even once. You’re confused – you think that would be out of character for me. You don’t know how I am when I’m confronted with something that makes me truly angry. Don’t you think knowing I could try to strangle someone to death, and in what circumstances that would happen, is just a little bit important when deciding if you wanted to marry me? When deciding if you intimately knew who I was as a person?

“What about other emotions, or other circumstances, not with me, but with Jessie? Don’t you think knowing her that way – knowing her in every way – is just a tad bit important before deciding you want to be partners with someone in life forever?”

As her voice died she realized she’d been too loud. She heard the other patrons whispering and closed her eyes, embarrassed and angry and refusing to look at anyone.

“Come on,” she said softly to Robin, standing up. Robin followed, leaving both their unfinished smoothies behind, a dumbfounded expression on her face. They ended up in the hot sun again and Clara went immediately to her car, back as straight as a rod as she tried not to explode.

“Come on!” she snapped. She caught herself and let out a big puff of air before saying more quietly, “Let’s go.”

Robin hesitated, grumbling something rude and inaudible before flopping into the passenger seat, arms and legs crossed. The ride was quiet at first. Robin tugged and twirled her hair around a finger, the way she usually did when she was upset and thinking, but Clara didn’t say anything. After a few minutes, Robin broke.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know all those things, but I don’t see why it matters. I know I love her. She treats me right and we’re happy together. I don’t have to see her mad to know that.”

Clara shook her head and sighed through her nose.

“If you don’t see why knowing this person as a full individual before you propose is important, that’s your business. I’m just saying I can’t participate. I won’t go to the wedding, I won’t help plan the wedding, I won’t help you find your ring, none of it. Don’t ask me for a gift or anything, either. I’m just….”

She realized she was gripping the wheel so hard that her hands hurt. She loosened them and sighed again.

“I’ll just wish you two happiness, okay? Good luck with your proposal.”

The ride was silent after that.

Clara drove Robin all the way to her apartment across town. She parked in front of the tall building and waited for her friend to get out, but she stayed there for a few moments, just looking down at her crossed arms. Clara waited, expecting a last bid for her to be in the wedding or a question about their friendship or even a snarky comment about not caring about Robin’s feelings. That’s how their arguments tended to end.

But not this time. After ten minutes of letting the car run, Clara had run out of patience.

“If you aren’t going to say anything, go home, Robin.” She sounded defeated even to her own ears, but at least it got the blonde out. Clara watched her walk away, but not once did Robin turn back to look at her. It made her feel petty, but Clara felt a glimmer of relief that she had resisted the impulse to buy her that smoothie.

Clara waited for a while longer, not even sure what she was waiting for, before driving home. In her rear-view mirror, she could see the grocery bags waiting for her in the backseat. She wasn’t lazy for ignoring the groceries, she just…she needed a minute.

When she got inside, she took off her shoes and put her things away. The world was beginning to gray out at the edges, and she pounded on her vagus nerve, hoping to calm herself down before the stress really hit her.

“It’s okay,” she breathed to herself. “It’s okay.” It wasn’t okay, and it wasn’t working.

She hurried to the clear, plastic rod of the living room shades, and the shafts of light narrowed, darkening the room like a movie theatre. She consciously unclenched her jaw, lifted her eyebrows before letting them rest in their normal position on her face, uncurled her fists and let them hang at her sides. She breathed in the air of her only safe space, letting the scents of rosemary and lavender fill her lungs and – hopefully – calm her. It was quiet. It was dark. She was okay.

She wasn’t.

Okay, then. She got out her cleaning supplies, her mouth set in a grim line of determination. Her stomach felt jittery, and in between sweeping and folding laundry and cleaning windows, she paced. Any moment without movement made her feel like she was on the verge of panic. She let a fun soundtrack play throughout the house, but none of the songs sounded right.

Now her stomach was nearly in knots. She tried to dance and immediately stubbed a toe. She thought about calling other friends or her parents, even her brother, but the thought of someone seeing or hearing her like this filled her with so much shame that her eyes began to water. Her emotions were usually quite intense, but this was extreme. She had “broken up,” so to speak, with good friends before but it had never felt like this. What was going on?

She eventually ended up just lying on her bed and staring up at the ceiling. There was a headache pounding away just behind her left eye, her leg itched, and she was too hot. She was thirsty. She was hungry.

She sat up so fast it nearly gave her whiplash. Her stomach swirled.

“This is ridiculous!” she shouted. “This is so stupid! She was the one who wanted to do something dumb! She asked me why I didn’t want to help and I was honest! I shouldn’t be the one feeling like this!”

She knew it was true, but at the end of her rant, she didn’t feel any different. She punched her sheets angrily before grabbing her phone and searching for activities to distract herself. Nothing outside. Not only was it too hot, it was also too bright, and there were too many people. She could still feel the eyes from the other customers at the juice bar. She angrily flicked through the results on her phone.

No friends, either. The idea didn’t bring her to tears anymore but it still made her feel sick inside. The thought of opening her book made her want to burn a library down and the idea of watching television made her consider, just for a moment, punching a hole through her computer screen….

Clara frowned. She knew this feeling, she realized. This restless, painful, and above all annoying frustration that would course through her. She couldn’t do anything but let the emotions run their course through her body. It was a good thing she had so many sick days saved up; she would be exhausted tomorrow. The last time she’d felt like this was after she broke up with Savannah. Wait.

“Oh, my God!” she yelled. She went into her text messages and blocked Robin’s number. Social media was next. Instagram: blocked. Facebook: blocked. Twitter: oh, she’d already deleted that app a while ago. Email: blocked! She didn’t let herself think about it. If she thought, she would begin to doubt, and if she doubted, she would cave, just like she always had. Just like Robin always counted on her doing.

Clara leaned back on her pillows, wondering if deleting the messages between them would be next, but she decided not to at the last moment. She might need them later, after all, when looking for clues in how this had all started.

Clara checked the phone’s clock and groaned. It was barely past three in the afternoon. She’d just have to go about the rest of her day like this, then. She dragged herself from the bed and fetched the whiteout from her work drawer, crossing out each plan made with and for Robin.

It was odd to consider why this was happening. Clara and Robin had never dated. There had never been any romantic feelings between them, not in the five years they had known each other. But leaving Robin and leaving her ex…it felt the same.

It would be okay, she decided. She felt terrible right now, and she would for a while, she was sure. But she had done this before, and she would do it again. Tomorrow, she would call her family and tell them that she was cutting Robin off. They would fuss, and her mother might even drive all the way here from New Mexico, and that would be fine. She would take what strength she could from them, let them support her through her initial stages of grief.

In a week, she’d tell her friends. They would have varied reactions, and that would be fine, too. This was the end of a relationship, not the end of her life. She would heal, and restart her gym membership, and aim for a promotion at work so that she could afford getting two pints of ice cream per week instead of one.

She would learn to be even more careful with who she invested time in again. She would learn to balance her life out again. She would learn happiness again. She always did.

[nikoadari]

Oh to lay on the deck of a ship and stare up at the stars, far from any light pollution, fully experiencing why our ancestors thought the gods lived up there.

[nikoadari]

There’s an alien race who has declared themselves ‘conquerors of the Milky Way’, but the reality is that every Milky Way species finds them so cute and practically harmless that they just let them believe they rule the galaxy.

[nikoadari]

Only non-writers would dare to look a writer in the eye and say that writing on a laptop/pc and your phone is the same thing.

[nikoadari]

Writing Tips

Maintaining Motivation to Write

❀

➼ if you’re bored writing a part & want to move on to another scene… imagine how bored your readers must be

➝ keep it interesting and meaningful ; write every scene like it will be your favorite

➼ if you’re stuck on a scene — skip it

➝ use placeholders and come back to it when motivation strikes

➝ personally, I do something like: {ENTER: battle scene} and then I’ll list details, lines, or dialogue I want to include so I don’t lose my ideas

➼ if you’re stuck on where to go with a scene — delete the last line and reroute

➝ keep your last line saved somewhere or in brackets — never actually delete anything, but this can help broaden your perspective and encourage creativity

➼ if you’re stuck on a character name — use placeholders

➝ I love to research my names intensely; I’ll spend way too long researching that I’ll forget what I wanted to start writing ; plus once I get attached to a name I am reluctant to change it, even if I think of a better one

➝ so I’ll temporarily replace the name with something like: [A] or [Villain] or [King]

➼ if you don’t have motivation to write an entire excerpt, write a sentence for each of the five senses in the scene

➝ touch, sight, hearing, taste, smell

➝ having these details can help immerse yourself back into the scene when you’re ready to write it