rags-writes-whatnow

[rags-writes-whatnow]

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

[rags-writes-whatnow]

Small fantasy worldbuilding elements you might want to think about:

A currency that isn’t gold-standard/having gold be as valuable as tin

A currency that runs entirely on a perishable resource, like cocoa beans

A clock that isn’t 24-hours

More or less than four seasons/seasons other than the ones we know

Fantastical weather patterns like irregular cloud formations, iridescent rain

Multiple moons/no moon

Planetary rings

A northern lights effect, but near the equator

Roads that aren’t brown or grey/black, like San Juan’s blue bricks

Jewelry beyond precious gems and metals

Marriage signifiers other than wedding bands

The husband taking the wife's name / newlyweds inventing a new surname upon marriage

No concept of virginity or bastardry

More than 2 genders/no concept of gender

Monotheism, but not creationism

Gods that don’t look like people

Domesticated pets that aren’t re-skinned dogs and cats

Some normalized supernatural element that has nothing to do with the plot

Magical communication that isn’t Fantasy Zoom

“Books” that aren’t bound or scrolls

A nonverbal means of communicating, like sign language

A race of people who are obligate carnivores/ vegetarians/ vegans/ pescatarians (not religious, biological imperative)

I’ve done about half of these myself in one WIP or another and a little detail here or there goes a long way in reminding the audience that this isn’t Kansas anymore.

[rags-writes-whatnow]

“You, Councilman, are my problem. Despite your relatively new status, you hold just enough sway with the younger dwarves to be a thorn in my side. So. I’m telling you now to back off.” He watched as the Councilman eyed him warily. Bilbo let the moment hold a while longer, tension settling, before quickly breaking it with motion, pulling correspondences from his desk. “Guarantee of restitution from Mirkwood, their post-campaign route plans, and a promise from King Thranduil himself to commit more supplies to the campaign.” He said as he laid it all on his desk and turned it for Lain to see. “Everything I said I would get, I did. I’ll present it all at the next Chamber Council. But before that, I need to know if you support the retaking of Dol Guldur.”

Lain laughed, face flooded with an almost smug sort of disbelief. “Shoulda known y’d only brought me in here ta strongarm me. Spymaster through and through, aren’ ye?”

“I am.” He didn’t even try to hide it.

“An if I don’?”

“Let’s not let things get ugly so soon, Councilman.”

“Will they?”

“They very well might. Which is why I ask you to very carefully consider your next move, because I promise you, this is as nice as I’ll be.”

Lain only gave a bitter smile, looking down at his lap. “Yer gonna threaten me inta compliance?”

“Only if this isn’t enough.” Bilbo shrugged. “It’s your choice.”

Lain's eyes narrowed as he studied the hobbit before him. There was a sharpness to Bilbo's gaze that hadn't been there before, a hardness that spoke of battles fought and won. For a moment, the young dwarf felt a flicker of doubt. "And what exactly would 'ugly' entail, Master Baggins?" His voice low and challenging despite the unease settling in his gut.

Bilbo leaned back in his chair. "Oh, I'm sure you can imagine, Councilman. Information has a way of surfacing when it's most inconvenient." He paused, letting the implication hang in the air. "Your family's mining contracts, for instance. It would be a shame if certain … discrepancies … came to light."

Lain's face paled, bravery faltering. “I- I don’ know wha ye mean.”

“It wasn’t your fault, I’m certain.” Bilbo spoke with a predatory form of sympathy in his voice. His smile was less of a smile and more the baring of teeth. “You were still new to the job. Mistakes were bound to be made.” He reached into his desk once more and pulled out a copy of a contract, certain sections circled and lines underlined. “It’s a good thing the Miners Guild never noticed that tiny little misplaced decimal. Otherwise, they’d realize they were getting … shafted.” He chuckled at his own little mining joke. “And, by my calculations, your family would be in quite a debt. Tough debt to pay.” Bilbo sighed as if saddened by the situation. He was being as cruel as possible. “It really would be a shame if the legacy of your forefathers was ruined after less than five years as the head of your family.”

Lain's face had gone ashen as the implications sunk in, his eyes wide with fear and disbelief. "H-How did ye … ?" He stammered, unable to finish the question.

Bilbo's smile never wavered. "I have my ways, Councilman. It's my job to know things." He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "Now, let me be clear. I don't want to ruin you or your family. I actually quite respect the legacy your ancestors built. And I understand mistakes can happen. But I will not hesitate to use every bit of information at my disposal if you continue to be a problem."

The young dwarf swallowed hard. "Wha do ye want from me?" He asked, his voice barely audible.

-----

Bilbo girlbossing in Erebor after Thorin was too stupid to admit his feelings, and instead, gave Bilbo a ridiculously high position in his royal council.

[rags-writes-whatnow]

Compiled some basic information I know about drawing fat characters for beginners since I've been seeing more talk about absence of really basic traits in a lot of art lately.

Morpho Fat and Skin Folds on Archive.org (for free!)

[rags-writes-whatnow]

TIMESLIP KDRAMAS I'VE WATCHED AND WHAT CHANGING FATE MEANS / INVOLVES IN EACH ONE:

Lovely Runner: you can change the circumstances, but in any reality, people will continue to make the same choices

Live Up To Your Name: you can change your own fate, but is that enough? can you live with that?

My First Love: the more you try to change the tragedy, the more it becomes your fault

Twinkling Watermelon: you can't change the big events, you can only change how prepared people are for them

Marry My Husband: everything that's happened has to happen again, but maybe it doesn't have to happen to you

The Story of Park's Marriage Contract: history repeats itself and the only way to stop it is to arm yourself with knowledge

My Perfect Stranger: the only way to make things better is to learn the truth, however horrible, and confront it head on

Familiar Wife: you can change whatever you want, but watch out!

[rags-writes-whatnow]

random medical facts to use for your hospital whump writing. let your whumpee be a patient today!

if a patient has a seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes, or if they suffer several seizures, they risk sustaining brain damage — because their brain can’t get oxygen during the seizure.

if a patient’s coughing up blood when they’re lying on their back, make sure to tune their face to the side so that they don’t choke on their own blood (the same applies to vomit too)

chest compression can and often leave patients with broken ribs. because you have to push down hard enough in order to help pump blood from the patient’s heart to their brain (the point is so that the brain gets blood, in order to prevent brain damage), and more often than not, you’ll end up breaking your patient’s ribs — that is normal and okay, because it’s better for your patient to have broken ribs than it is for them to lose their life.

after a course of electroconvulsive therapy, you’ll normally have to give your patient a dose of muscle relaxant, otherwise the aftermath of the shock may cause musculoskeletal complications.

you don't use a defibrillator to shock a patient if they already flat line, because their heart no longer has any electricity. quote "asystole isn't a shockable rhyme, and defibrillator may actually make it harder to restart the heart." (Cleveland Clinic)

the famous, classic "a character was knocked out and they stayed unconscious for hours before they woke up on their own with no lingering damage" trope is actually almost impossible if you want your work to be medically accurate (but if you don’t care about accuracy and are just here for the whump, that is totally fine!). if someone was knocked out and they stayed unconscious for more than several minutes, chances are that they suffer permanent brain damage, so they won't "wake up on their own in the next hour or two and be completely fine without intense medical attention".

[rags-writes-whatnow]

@Fanfic writers:

My friend send me this link, is a series on a profile on Ao3 (tumblr) that has different tutorials to insert things to fanfics via html code, I thought I would share bc it’s really cool

Lists of tutorials:

How to make images fit in mobile browsers

This is a tutorial/live example on how to make large images fit on mobile browsers but remain normal size on desktop browsers.

How to mimic letters, fliers, and stationery without using images

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic the look of letters, fliers, and stationery (as well as other forms of written media) without using images. For all your epistolary fic needs.

How to make a “choose your own adventure” Fic

This is a tutorial/live example on how to create a "Choose Your Own Adventure" fic. While this has been explained before (see here), this particular tutorial shows you how to use a work skin to hide the next parts from the reader until they click through to get to them.

How to make linked footnotes on Ao3

This is a live example of how an author can create linked footnotes in their work with only a little bit of HTML and no workskins required. This is best viewed by clicking "Entire Work". While I've included the actual coding in bold and italic once you click "Hide Creator's Style", there's a more detailed explanation here.

How to change text on Ao3 when the cursor is hovering over it (or clicked on mobile)

This a tutorial/live example on how to have text change or appear once a cursor is hovering over it. Helpful for pop-up spoilers, language translations, quick author's notes, etc.

How to mimic author’s notes and Kudos/Comment buttons

Anonymous on tumblr: do you have a skin that would mimic the author’s notes and review/kudos buttons section from the end of a fic? the desired effect being that the fic could go on after the “end” of the fic, so after the author’s notes and review/kudos buttons

Here's a tutorial/live example to do just that, with some of the buttons actually functioning. I'll explain more inside!

How to wrap text around images

This is a tutorial/live example on how to align images to the left or right of the screen and have text wrap around them.

How to mimic email windows

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic email windows on AO3 without the need to use images.

How to make ios text messages on Ao3

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic iOS text messages on AO3 without the need to use images. There's also a chapter on how to have emojis displayed on AO3 as well.

How to make Customized page deviders

Bored with the default page dividers? This is a tutorial/live example on how customize your page dividers with no images needed (though I do show you how you could use images if you wanted to do such a thing).

How to make invisible text (That can be highlighted)

This is a live example how to make invisible text that can only be seen by highlighting the text. Tutorial is included in text, and you can always leave comments about questions you may have.

MOBILE USERS: Sadly, this probably won't work for you, since highlighting in a mobile browser is different than web. I've tried correcting this, but have yet to find a solution.

How to make a rounded playlist

Original coding and design is from layouttest. I make no claims for it, just tweaked it so it will work on AO3.

How to create notebook lined paper on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of lined notebook paper in their work. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

Sticky notes on Ao3 without using images

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of sticky notes (aka Post-Its) in their fic. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

How to make deadpool’s thinking thinking boxes on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of Deadpool's thinking boxes in their fic. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

How to make newspaper articles on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of a newspaper article in their work. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

[rags-writes-whatnow]

Resources for Tolkien fans

Here are some useful resources I’ve found while I’ve been in the community, so I thought I’d share! PLEASE ADD YOUR OWN IF YOU HAVE ANY! And please reblog and share!

References

askmiddlearth – A great blog where you can send in questions and receive answers regarding just about any aspect of the Legendarium. 

coco.raceme – A collection of quotes, songs, and important passages from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, arranged by book and chapter.

Fish in Middle Earth – Did you ever want to know what kinds of fish there were in Middle Earth? No? You’ll probably end up reading this anyways. The curiosity will get to you.

henneth-annun – The HASA story archive has mostly moved to AO3 now, but this website still contains hundreds of timelines, character bios, quotes, object descriptions, and more.

silmarillionwritersguild – Essays, meta, biographies, and more – all about the plot and characters of the Silmarillion.

Languages

almare – Tumblr user almare has a great collection of Tolkien language resources, including a handy graphic of the relations between Elvish languages.

councilofelrond – A good resource for translations of canon texts, glossaries, conlang discussions, a dictionary, etc. Of particular interest is their Sindarin mutation chart, which is necessary pretty much whenever you’re stringing more than two Sindarin words together.

dwarrowscholar – Contains everything from lessons to a truly massive Khuzdul dictionary. If you have a basic understanding of Neo-Khuzdul, you can also make use of the translation tool.

Hiswelókë’s – A delightfully thorough dictionary available in a variety of arrangements ( English-Sindarin, Sindarin-English, thematic, etc. ). Available in English, French, and German.

midgardsmal – The blog of David Salo, one of the people who worked on the languages in Peter Jackson’s Tolkien films.

realelvish – A handy phrasebook that provides categories for easy searches, dialects, pronunciation, and multiple translations of the same phrase. Includes fun categories, such as ‘in the bedroom’ and ‘on the internet’, as well as many others that are more in keeping with Tolkien’s tone. 

sindarinlessons – A collection of rules, references, and explanations of Sindarin grammar.

your-sindarin-textbook – On this site, a duck teaches you Sindarin. What more could you want? Includes exercises and references.

Books

All the books in PDF – These two posts both contain links to Tolkien’s works and where you can find them online.

HoME reading order – tumblr user lintamande has put together a list of Tolkien’s texts beyond the Silmarillion, in case you were wanting to dip your toes into HoME but didn’t know where to begin. They also have a general Silm resource page that’s worth looking at, as well as all their meta. 

On Fairy Stories – One of Tolkien’s most-referenced essays.

Tolkien’s letters – A collection of many of Tolkien’s transcribed letters, useful for all those really obscure facts you need to check and to impress your friends.

Non-Tolkien

A shameless plug – I do my best to collect useful references, notes, and masterposts on writing, Tolkien, and more in my ‘references’ tag.

howtofightwrite – This blog contains discussions on weapons and how they’re used, as well as some particularly useful weapon primers that will give you the basics on the weapons your character uses. 

Medieval references – A collection of a few useful references for medieval-type jobs, terms, and more. 

Mood music – Themed music playlists for just about anything you could ever want to write.

Traveling – The methods of traveling in the Middle Ages, and the time it would require.

[rags-writes-whatnow]

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

[rags-writes-whatnow]

Disney hero/villain tropes and personalities I'd like them to revisit or try for the first time.

An optimistic male lead. Pessimistic leads are a dime a dozen, so having someone who's more innocent and sees the world in a positive light would be awesome.

2. A male hero/female villain dynamic. Male villains are more common than female in Disney canon (though the female villains have better odds of being iconic), and usually when we have a female villain, we have a female hero. It'd be neat having a male protagonist and a female antagonist.

3. A villain who's kinda right, or has selfless or selfless-adjacent (ie not "I'm doing this just for me," but "I'm doing this for someone I care about--and maybe me too") intentions and bad methods. I feel like Disney has done this trope before (or at least tried), but I'd love them to do this more; a complex villain who CHALLENGES the protagonist to grow as a person, whether they're doing "I'm selfish but now I understand how it hurts others" or "I thought I was doing everything right but now I see the situation isn't so black and white."

4. A forgotten/fallen hero as the villain. I like the idea of someone who was originally a typical Disney protagonist, only to get to a situation where they gave in to their fear, hope, despair, grief, etc. I remember the 2015 remake of Cinderella doing a really good parallel to how both Cinderella and the Tremaines had suffered grief, but while it embittered the Tremaines, Cinderella held strong, making them resent her further (particularly Lady Tremaine).

5. A shy Disney protagonist. Most Disney protagonists are pretty outgoing and/or social, so having someone who isn't the best at socializing would be a cool Disney lead--plus if it was a musical, the singing could either all be done from the protagonist and co's minds rather than out loud, or the protagonist only sings when they think they're alone. Perhaps they eventually gain the confidence to sing publicly.

6. A hero and villain romance. This may not be something that you wanna have with a film that caters to a younger audience (glamorizing abusive relationships and such), but if done correctly, I like the idea of a villain redemption and subsequent falling in love with the protagonist. As such, they'd probably have to be a secondary villain in order to keep their crime/kill count low. It's a controversial idea, but I do like the enemies to lovers trope (note: ENEMIES to lovers, not two people who pester, annoy or argue with each other then fall in lover over time; not a fan of that).

[rags-writes-whatnow]

PSA for those writing coffee shop AUs, bakery AUs, etc.

I have worked in the food service industry for 20 years and I just wanted to make an informational list of common mistakes or misconceptions I see in writing about said industry. Not trying to be a jerk, just thought I would try to make a helpful list! I will add more if I think of any and please feel free to ask any questions you may have!

- it's cookie dough, not cookie batter. Doughs are for thicker stuff, typically something you can pick up in your hand (cookies, bread). Batters are more liquid and pourable (cakes, brownies, muffins)

- one person cannot make all the products from scratch and bake everything themselves unless they are a very slow business. Most of the time someone has a specific thing they do weather it's focused on specific products or split up like one person does the batters/doughs, one person preps and bakes, one person decorates. Sometimes one person does multiple things but generally not every single thing every day by themselves

- Front of House = people interacting with customers like barista, waiter, person at the register. Back of House = people making the food (line cook, baker, etc), dish washer (the worst job in the world, I salute all dishwashers everywhere)

- if they're doing stuff like bagels, doughnuts, breakfast pastries, cinnamon rolls, bread, etc they are there EARLY. Depending on the product some people start working at 2 in the morning. I saw a published book that had someone making dozens and dozens of cinnamon rolls from scratch in like one hour. Not possible even though I wish it was

- frosting, icing, and glaze are all different things. Frosting is the thicker stuff you see on cakes and cupcakes. Icing is typically for cookies, especially the decorated cut out sugar cookies. Glaze is thin, like what you get on doughnuts

- 99% of people who work in the food service industry will immediately go home and shower. I've seen lots stories where the character gets done at work and goes out. You are covered in various substances with powdered sugar in places you didn't know it could get, a shower before Literally Anything is a must

[rags-writes-whatnow]

Do you write erotica? Do you want your sex scenes...better? Have a uterus? Oh buddy. Oh pal.

Here's a hint; write just the sex parts when you're ovulating.

Leave the dialogue for when you're not.

Your hormones are so very very very useful when they're torturing your soul.

[rags-writes-whatnow]

me: *writes fic*

me: great! time to post to ao3-

ao3 summary box: *exists*

me: 

ao3 summary box:

me:

ao3 summary box: 

me:

[rags-writes-whatnow]

When your Character...

Gets into: A Fight ⚜ ...Another Fight ⚜ ...Yet Another Fight

Hates Someone ⚜ Kisses Someone ⚜ Falls in Love

Calls Someone they Love ⚜ Dies / Cheats Death ⚜ Drowns

is...

A Child ⚜ Interacting with a Baby/Child ⚜ A Genius ⚜ A Lawyer

Beautiful ⚜ Dangerous ⚜ Drunk ⚜ Injured ⚜ Shy

needs...

A Magical Item ⚜ An Aphrodisiac ⚜ A Fictional Poison

To be Killed Off ⚜ To Become Likable ⚜ To Clean a Wound

To Find the Right Word, but Can't ⚜ To Say No ⚜ A Drink

loves...

Astronomy ⚜ Baking ⚜ Cooking ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Food ⚜ Oils

Dancing ⚜ Fashion ⚜ Gems ⚜ Mythology ⚜ Numbers

Roses ⚜ Sweets ⚜ To Fight ⚜ Wine ⚜ Wine-Tasting ⚜ Yoga

has/experiences...

Allergies ⚜ Amnesia ⚜ Bereavement ⚜ Bites & Stings ⚜ Bruises

Caffeine ⚜ CO Poisoning ⚜ Color Blindness ⚜ Food Poisoning

Injuries ⚜ Jet Lag ⚜ Mutism ⚜ Pain ⚜ Poisoning

More Pain & Violence ⚜ Viruses ⚜ Wounds

[these are just quick references. more research may be needed to write your story...]

[rags-writes-whatnow]

10 World-Building Aspects You Probably Overlooked

When crafting a fictional world, it's easy to focus on the big picture—epic battles, grand landscapes, and memorable characters. However, it’s also important to flesh out your world-building to create a ‘real’ world. Some aspects to consider when world-building are: 

Local Cuisine

Consider the types of food your characters eat and how it reflects their culture, geography, and economy. Unique dishes can reveal societal values and local ingredients.

Currency & Trade

Explore the forms of currency used and the trade systems in place. This can include bartering, precious metals, or unique items as currency, influencing economic interactions.

Timekeeping Practices

Different cultures may have their own methods for measuring time, whether it's a unique calendar system, seasons, or celestial events, affecting daily life and traditions.

Cultural Taboos

Consider the unspoken rules and taboos that govern behavior in your world. These can drive conflict and character motivations, adding depth to societal interactions.

Local Flora and Fauna

Unique plants and animals can shape the environment and influence the culture, whether through medicine, food sources, or as part of local mythology.

Rituals and Festivals

Incorporate unique rituals or festivals that celebrate historical events, seasonal changes, or important life milestones, providing insight into cultural values and traditions.

Language Nuances

Explore dialects, slang, or even the use of sign language that reflects the culture and social dynamics, enriching dialogue and interactions between characters.

Architecture and Housing Styles

The design and materials of buildings can reflect climate, resources, and cultural values. Unique architectural features can tell a story about the society that built them.

Social Hierarchies and Classes

Examine how social structures affect character relationships and interactions. Class distinctions can influence everything from daily life to political power.

Environmental Impact

Consider how the natural environment shapes societal behaviours, resource usage, and conflicts. Climate and geography can drive migration patterns and societal development.

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors! Instagram Tiktok

[rags-writes-whatnow]

“So mermaids and sirens are two different species?” “Just so. My people, what you call mermaids or merfolk, share a common ancestor to you humans, making us distant cousins. What you call sirens, however, are fish that evolved to look and sound like humans to attract their favorite prey.”

[rags-writes-whatnow]

So... I found this and now it keeps coming to mind. You hear about "life-changing writing advice" all the time and usually its really not—but honestly this is it man.

I'm going to try it.