rcsthewriterreblogs

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Intro Post!💀🦇🕸🕯

Hey there! Figured I'd finally make one of these in case anyone who stumbles on this blog wonders what it's all about.

As it says in my blog description, this is an online space where I can compile and organize imagery, info, and anything else that inspires me related to the novel I'm developing. At least that was the original motivation for making this, but I'm definitely wanting to post some original content surrounding the story and the characters in it soon! This imaginary world has been obsessing me for a few years now, and I'm honestly chomping at the bit to share it with others.

What you'll see on here:

Images related to: gothic lit, the regency period in Europe/Britain, the late 16th/early 17th century, some earlier 18th century, ancient and prehistoric cultures, paganism, the occult, witchcraft, fairies, folklore, the countryside/forests, autumn, Halloween, demons/devils, romantic fashion, screenshots and gifs from films, illustrations/other artists' art that inspires me, and any other random pic that speaks to me or that gives me an idea even vaguely related to the story.

Text posts relating to: all the same subjects above, plus quotes from poetry and literature, other stories that inspire me, and writing advice posts/memes.

Hopefully soon: posts introducing my characters and sharing concept art, ideas, research I've done, who knows what else??

***Content warning for some imagery that may be disturbing (as can be expected, I guess, from a horror aesthetic/theme).***

What the novel's about:

It's [going to be] a gothic/dark fantasy/folk horror/historical fiction novel set in regency Britain and centering around the concept of Halloween and its origins/meaning. Think Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell meets Over the Garden Wall. Kinda. Characters include a bratty aspiring sorcerer, a demonic changeling who wants to be human, a witch, a sin eater, and a handsome devil. Over the course of the plot the question of whether the spirit realm(s) and mortal world should be kept separate will be a source of conflict.

I've had some aspects of this story/characters in my head since I was 14, so it's super special to me!

About me:

I'm an artist, writer, and musician. This is my first time trying to write anything as involved as a novel. I'm having loads of fun with it, though. I love music and reading and history, particularly fashion history, and anything related to the supernatural. The title of my blog is a reference to a song by Echo & the Bunnymen (though I think it's actually an inaccurate lyric :P ).

Ficton books I've been reading lately: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles books, Edgar Allan Poe short stories

Nonfiction books I've been reading: The Devil and All His Works by Dennis Wheatley, Celtic Mythology by Philip Freeman, The Making of Victorian Values by Ben Wilson, Occult Features of Anarchism by Erica Lagalisse, Halloween by Lesley Pratt Bannatyne

Some musical artists I'm into recently: Cranes, Kate Bush, The The, The Smiths, Fiona Apple, Alex G, Caroline Polachek, Imogen Heap, Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget, Pinback, Steeleye Span, The Cleaners From Venus, Suzanne Vega, The Garden, Jessica Pratt

Visual Artists I've been thinking about lately: Edward Gorey, Aubrey Beardsley, Nicole Rodrigues, Francisco de Goya, Leonora Carrington, Brian Froud, Wendy Froud, Willam Blake, Edvard Munch, Harry Clarke

Some of my favorite films: The Witch, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, The Wicker Man (original), Meshes of the Afternoon, Days of Heaven, The Thief and the Cobbler, The Masque of the Red Death

Regardless of why you're here, I sincerely hope you enjoy browsing around, and feel free to say hi! :) I would love to link up with other writers on here and make some new pals. Also feel free to like this post and I'll give you a follow!

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Amazing! What a brilliant month of writing. I hope that April is just as productive.

I can’t locate the post that inspired my efforts, [if I do I will link it here] but I made it a habit to write almost daily beginning in early March, at any point where I was physically and mentally able.

Some days I wrote zero words, others I wrote over a thousand, but most often it was somewhere in the middle.

Regardless, progress was made, and I tracked it all in my notes and ended the month with almost ten thousand words written across Neon Bloodlust and Kiss Me With Your Fist.

What I have learned and wish to bestow upon my fellow writers is this : The words add up, over time. No matter how big or small, they add up. Some days no words will come out at all, and that’s okay, too.

Even small progress is worth celebrating and being proud of.

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

I love everything about this. The imagery it creates is brilliant.

"Do you have personal demons?"

"Yeah, why?"

"If they had names, what would they--"

"Mitra and Par."

"That was, I didn't expect. They already have names?"

"Yep."

"Wait that's you fairy thing and puppet, the big scary puppet thing."

"Yes it is."

"Mom, those aren't personal demons, those are characters in your story."

"I didn't come up with them and they're always whispering at me and telling me what to do. Just because I gave them a setting and story to distract them doesn't mean they're not demons."

"They act like an angel and demon on your shoulders?"

"Demon and slightly less evil demon, but yes."

"I thought the fairy was good."

"Well, let's try an example; say they suggest I set a building on fire. Mitra would want me to check for people and get them out first. Par would want me to make sure as many people as possible are inside. Both would enjoy the fire and the screaming."

"So your demons are like that crazy mushroom witch's brain?" (He meant Little Witch Academia)

"...yeah, yeah. A lot like that."

"I don't like your demons."

"Eh, they grow on ya. What about you?"

"Oh, I don't have demons. I have screaming skeletons."

"I think that's called a headache, do you, do you want something for that?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.

DEAD POETS SOCIETY dir. Peter Weir

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Some of my writer’s block cures:

Handwrite. (If you already are, write in a different coloured pen.)

Write outside or at a different location.

Read.

Look up some writing prompts.

Take a break. Do something different. Comeback to it later.

Write something else. (A different WIP, a poem, a quick short story, etc.)

Find inspiring writing music playlists on YouTube. (Themed music, POV playlists, ambient music, etc.)

Do some character or story prompts/questions to get a better idea of who or what you’re writing.

Word sprints. Set a timer and write as much as you can. Not a lot of time to overthink things.

Set your own goals and deadlines.

Write another scene from your WIP. (You don’t have to write in order.) Write a scene you want to write, or the ending. (You can change it or scrap it if it doesn’t fit into your story later.)

Write a scene for your WIP that you will never post/add to your story. A prologue, a different P.O.V., how your characters would react in a situation that’s not in your story, a flashback, etc.

Write down a bunch of ideas. Things that could happen, thing that will never happen, good things, bad things.

Change the weather (in the story of course.)

Feel free to add your own.

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Random mansion generator

The Procgen Mansion Generator produces large three-dee dwellings to toy with your imagination, offering various architectural styles and other options. Each mansion even comes with floorplans:

https://boingboing.net/2019/07/12/random-mansion-generator.html

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Brilliant advice!

Writing tip: keep a diary.

It's as simple as that, really. Make sure to write daily, and write about your feelings, thoughts or day as if you were a narrator in a novel. If a conversation stood out today, write the dialogue. If the landscape looked lovely on your way to the store and it is still weighing in your mind, describe it, and write how it made you feel. No matter how dramatic, write it. As a matter of fact, my diary entries are all very flowery and dramatic. But they're excellent writing exercises.

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Fun meta asks for writers

Tell us about your current project(s)  – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

What character do you have the most fun writing?

What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?

Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

Are you more of a drabble or a longfic kind of writer? Pantser or plotter? Do you wish you were the other?

How would you describe your writing process?

What do you envy in other writers?

Do you want your writing to be famous?

Do you share your writing online? (Drop a link!) Do you have projects you’ve kept just for yourself?

At what point in writing do you come up with a title?

Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?

Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?)

Do you think readers perceive your work - or you - differently to you? What do you think would surprise your readers about your writing or your motivations?

Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

What other medium do you think your story would work well as? (film, webcomic, animated series?)

Do you reread your old works? How do you feel about them?

What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?

Would you say your writing has changed over time?

What part of writing is the most fun?

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

CANINEMOTIFF: A WRITEBLR INTRODUCTION

All wander toward death eventually, but only fools and wayfinders run toward it. (Nine Hells Wip)

This will be a place for me to post snippets and edits about my wips and characters, maybe even links to chapters if I'm feeling bold. I'm a serial procrastinator and daydreamer, so I'm hoping this writeblr will hold me accountable for the wips I've discussed here rather than chasing the rabbit down new wip ideas and abandoning my old ones. My wips are all reworkings of wips I've previously introduced for that reason, as I'm determined to finish something this year.

Anyway I'm glad to be back and I'm excited to see what everyone else has on the table as well!

ABOUT ME

You can call my H.P. King, I'm 24, middle child and I grew up in the mountains but now I live by the sea. I have a preoccupation with dog poetry and art.

ABOUT MY WIPS

intros coming soon!

NINE HELLS WIP

NA Portal Fantasy / Queer / Dark Academia

Taglist: @stormharbors / @ladywithalamp / @wildswrites / @darkgazer / @muddshadow / @ghostschemes / @lockejhaven / @moariin / @myriadwriter

ONE FOR SORROW WIP

YA Modern(ish) Fantasy / Queer / Small Town Gothic

Taglist: @cozyprompts / @writeouswriter / @stuffaboutwriting / @cream-and-tea / @moariin / @myriadwriter

SOLDIER, POET, KING WIP

NA Fantasy / Queer / Fairytale Vibes

Taglist: @moariin / @myriadwriter / @borisyvain

BLOOM WIP

NA Dystopian Fantasy / Queer / Hopeful Apocalypse

Taglist: @cream-and-tea / @treesandwords / @cozyprompts / @uppoffringar / @the-orangeauthor / @achilleid / @corpsepng / @moariin / @myriadwriter

THE WANDERING LIBRARY WIP

YA Low Fantasy / Queer / Ghibli Inspired

Taglist: @moariin / @myriadwriter

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Writeblr Introduction📚

Hey, hi, howdy! The name's Josephine, but feel free to call me Jojo (pronouns are she/her), your local monster enthusiast and DILF Collector!

A little about me: I’m in my early twenties, I am from the Midwestern United States, and am currently in college getting a degree in Writing and Applied Arts with an emphasis in editing and publishing, as well as a minor in History. I tend to be busy busy busy during semester, so in my free time I like to doodle and write silly little stories.

My art and writing updates I post a lot on my social media accounts, which are as follows:

Instagram: jojo.writing.art

Twitter: JojoPenguin_Art

TikTok: jojo.penguin.writes

Discord: Jojo the Rad Penguin#3942

Tumblr: my DMs and ask box are always open!💛

I am ALWAYS down for chatting with and meeting other writers, and engaging with others’ content!! The primary genres I work with are:

- Horror (in varying genres, but primarily Gothic) - Paranormal - Monster Romance (I'm aroace as hell, so expect all my romances to be pretty 'clean' - AKA no erotica to be found here!) - Historical Fiction - Light Fantasy

If any of these genres interest you, feel free to keep on reading about my WIPs below the cut! Now about my general writing style...

Most of the stories I write are inspired by two things: fairytales and horror. A majority of my WIPs are either directly inspired or loosely based on some fairytale, folklore, or myth, and most are part of some genre of horror, whether it be Gothic, psychological, folk, survival, or supernatural. Also a lot of my writing influence comes from authors like Angela Carter, Sarah Waters, Caitlin Starling, Shirley Jackson, and Robin McKinley.

A list of my WIPs are below the cut!

The Monster and the Butterfly || Novel || Gothic Romance + Historical (1890s) + Paranormal + Gothic Horror + Fairytale Retelling (Beauty and the Beast + Eros and Psyche) || 3rd Draft Edits + My Main WIP

Comp: Crimson Peak + The Bloody Chamber + La Belle et la Bete/Panna a Netvor

Whitechapel, London 1894.  Sophie Wickes and her family struggle to survive, melancholy eats away at her father more and more with each passing day, and her passion for cultivating flowers procures no income. She must swallow her pride and set aside her hatred for England’s aristocracy when she’s offered a chance of employment by the reclusive Lord Edgar Cushing to tend the gardens of his Rosenthorne Hall. However, the estate, its gardens, and their master is nothing what Sophie expected. The house? Rotting, dilapidated, hideous. The gardens? The husk of something alive, whimsical, and beautiful. The master? Faceless, nothing more than a voice from the shadows. Despite her fear and anger, Sophie becomes enthralled by the garden’s potential for mystic, untainted beauty, and she develops a close friendship with Lord Cushing, even though he is nothing but a mere whisper of darkness that pleads for her to never seek him out. However, whatever enchantment the gardens and Lord Cushing’s voice bring her shatters as she begins to receive nightly visitations from a crooked-jawed phantom and butterflies who’s wings whisper of a bloody past and the truth behind the faceless lord's gentlemanly masquerade.

Temperance and Mr. Wyrm || Novella || Body Horror + (Monster) Romance + Drama + Magical Realism + Historical (1980s) + Fairytale Retelling (King Lindworm) || 2nd Draft edits

Comp: The Fly... but make it snakes.

In a loose (and bloody) retelling of the King Lindworm folktale set against the backdrop of 1980s Milwaukee, two people try to navigate their unorthodox romance while an arcane, snake-like infection afflicts, and starts to change, one of them. Temperance Cavell, a six-foot tall woman living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, lives a quiet, unexciting, and demure existence running a convenience store with her mother. But despite her mother's overbearing nature, the nonstop caring of her ailing grandmother, and her near-nonexistent social life, she cannot complain. This life is quiet, she’s (somewhat) in control, and nothing is unexpected… That is until Jack Turner, the motorcycle-riding kleptomaniac with a heart of gold, bursts into her store one Saturday afternoon, and between them a romance reluctantly blooms. But such love is swiftly threatened to shatter when Jack’s body begins to betray him, contorting him into something that is completely, and utterly, non-human.

The Bones We Haunt || Novella || Gothic Horror + Historical Fiction + Period Drama + Romance || 1st Draft + A.K.A the WIP inspired byJojo simping for Ciarán Hinds

Comp: Jane Eyre + Bluebeard's Bride + The Death of Jane Lawrence + Mexican Gothic

November, 1899. While on holiday in Cambridge and attending museum lectures with her mother, Jane Sterling seeks to make this her chance to officially pursue her love of paleontology. While her family encourages the pursuit of passions and challenging rigid social norms, the institutes in place hinder her passion, making her resort to dressing brightly and speaking loudly for attention. Jane's chance comes to reveal itself in the form of the wealthy and reclusive Sir Terence Hayes, who’s come in search for her father, the esteemed paleobotonist Dr. Samson Sterling, to appraise fossils found in his garden. Her mother eagerly volunteers Jane to go in Dr. Sterling’s place as he remains ill in America, and Terence brings her to his isolated family's estate in the vast, deep, muddy marshes of Wolf’s Run. And the land is shrouded in urban legends. There are whispers of 'The Wolf's Run Beast,' the 'Monster of the Marshes,' that haunts the land under the cover of night, and as Terence leaves Jane to her work he is hell-bent that she's to return to Cambridge before nightfall. However, freak storms rage, causing the marshes' waters to rise and wash out the roads in flash floods before Jane has a chance to return, leaving her stranded at Wolf’s Run - and at the mercy of all that lurks there.As night looms, the staff hastily depart, an eerie silence falls, Terence forbids her from even coming near the cellar, and, most importantly, he warns her against leaving her room before dawn. All is merely a strange act to Jane, brushing it off as the eccentricities of an Englishman, until something comes scratching at her door, hungering for her blood. What started as a mere chance at becoming known swiftly becomes a tumultuous game of blood, teeth, survival, love, and salvation - and Jane must prepare to sharpen teeth of her own if she's to survive the horrors of the Wolf's Run marshes.

Those Red Nights || Novel || Crime thriller + Psychological Horror + Neo-Noir + Urban Fantasy + Werewolf Horror + Historical (1990s) + Fairytale Retelling (Little Red Riding Hood) || 1st Draft (incomplete) + A.K.A. the WIP inspired by Jojo simping for Bob Odenkirk

Comp: The Silence of the Lambs + Se7en + Gargoyles

Selene Radcliffe is a young freshly-graduated detective, having spent long hours and many sleepless nights researching, studying, and looking through cold case files in an effort to prove herself as skilled of a private investigator as her late father, the renowned and well-respected Det. Arthur Radcliffe. However, she is a woman in a predominately male profession, a woman without a voice–literally and figuratively–and she wants to make a name for herself without relying on whatever legacy her father left behind. When the presence of a serial killer who the media has named “The Big Bad Wolf” on account of the strange, animalistic nature of his murders that occur on the nights of a full moon begin to plague the streets of Milwaukee, Selene sees this as her opportunity to prove herself and her skills to her peers, and she tasks herself and her partner Det. Apollo Esposito to hunt him down.  But it swiftly becomes apparent that the man they are hunting is no man, and may instead be a dreaded creature of folklore–one that is now keen on hunting them down in a blood-red game of cat and mouse…

Dragon-Plague || Novel || Medieval Horror/Fantasy + Adventure + Body Horror || First Draft + NaNoWriMo 2023 Project

Comp: Bloodborne + Blasphemous + DnD + Between Two Fires

A plague doctor, a gentle ex-knight, a runaway lady, and a thieving nun cross a land ravaged by a devastating disease that turns people into uncanny dragon-human hybrids to find, and destroy, the origins of the arcane plague.

The Faeries and the Lark || Novel || Dark/Gothic High Fantasy + Sapphic + Adventure + Fairytale/Folklore Retelling (East of the Sun, West of the Moon + Sleeping Beauty + Scandinavian Folklore) || Development + On-Hiatus

Loosely based on the fairytales Sleeping Beauty and East of the Sun, West of the Moon, as well as Scandinavian folklore, The Faeries and The Lark follows three faeries–spirits of nature–raising a human child they’ve named Lark, the princess of a sun-worshipping kingdom wiped out by a subterranean society of trolls. The faeries devote their lives to protecting Lark from the worlds of man by raising her to believe she’s one of the fae, and to keep her deep in the forest so that she can remain hidden from the trolls that restlessly hunt for the princess that escaped their massacre. But everything the three faeries worked hard for is put to the test when Lark encounters a human named Sigrid, the toughened, sword-wielding chancellor’s daughter from a neighboring moon-worshipping kingdom that’s threatened to be swallowed by the fairies’ forest, and every aspect of her life as she’d known them threaten to crumble around her.

And these are my WIPs!!!!! I hope one of some of them have caught your eye, and that you stick around to see where these all go!! To know more about some of these WIPs, I've their tags down below!

Thanks so much for reading!!💛🐧

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

A brief introduction, and links to the links

I'm D.N. Schmidt. I'm a science fiction author, humorist, and a brain in a jar. I'm currently writing my fifth book.

A lot of these posts are links to stuff on my main main site. So, if you want to read something cool, all you have to do is click. I know people on social media just want to doom scroll. But clicking is how you find indie websites that aren't owned by billionaires.

But if you're still reading, here's some help finding my stuff:

Humor - Funny articles and short jokes

True Stories - Things that actually happened to me... Probably.

Writing about Writing - Creativity tips, writing advice, and more.

Writing Prompts and Story Ideas

Fantasy stories

Urban fantasy stories

Science fiction stories

Horror stories

A few of my best tweets

And there's more if you just take a look around...

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

WIP INTRO—TALES OF THE OAK AND LIGHTNING

GENRE | Urban fantasy - Baltic mythology retelling.

SETTING | A rural countryside.

STATUS | Editing / Planning to query in Spring-Summer 2024.

POV | Multi-POV 3rd Person.

THEMES AND TROPES | Found family, the chosen one, the reluctant hero, family secrets, the power of friendship, dealing with loss, paying the price, religious trauma, religion and devotion, friends to lovers.

WARNINGS | Death, fire, creepy settings, alcohol abuse, horror elements.

BLURB

In the heart of Lithuania’s countryside, Adamas and his four brothers return to their childhood home after thirteen years. Little do they know, their reunion unveils a destiny forged in the shadows of the dense forest. The pages of their mother's missing will reveals the prophecy of five brothers in magic as the lost Sons of Oak. Determined, Adamas embarks on a journey to uncover the secrets hidden within the family tree, filled with betrayals and sacrifices. He meets in his path, the protector of thunder, Medeina. She shares the secret of how their mother sealed their fates, making a deal where she gave up her powers in order for them to have a chance at a normal life. However, the strength of the brother's connection is about to be tested. The forthcoming reappearance of a god from the past may unveil the cost of their mother’s bargain struck long ago.

Leave me a comment if you want to be added to the taglist!

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Writeblr Intro

Hello! My name is Kit. I am new to writeblr, but very old to tumblr. I live in the US, I'm 26 and use she/they pronouns.

I've been creeping on the tags for a while, but I finally made a blog just for writing. I'd love to share updates on what I'm writing, excerpts and talk about writing with other writers.

I'm currently writing my first novel, it's young adult high fantasy. I've written about 40,000 words in the universe, but I've recently finished a more detailed outline. So, I'm starting the real rough draft now that I know more of what I want to say.

A lot of my characters are queer and disabled, like me. I want to write books that are magical and that a lot of different people can see themselves in. I think fantasy serves as a cool conduit for imagining what the world could look like beyond a lot of the power structures we take for granted.

I'd love to follow other authors, particularly ones that are also working on longer term projects. I think it'd be cool to get feedback from people, or find other people who have been doing this longer and talk more about their thought processes. I'm open to following writers of all genres since I read them all and think there's so many cool things to learn from different styles!

Any advice on how to get started is appreciated, will be following anyone that interacts with this post.

I look forward to getting more involved in this community!

KB

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Research sites for writers

Here's my huge and growing collection of sites to research story topics, mostly for fantasy and science fiction writers. See anything I should add?

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Hello, Writeblr! I am Solveiga (she/her), writer of stories about folklore and horror and a drinker of tea. I am currently revising a complete draft of the manuscript, and I am looking to make some friends.

THE BASICS

Europe / mid-20s / history & folklore enthusiast

Love horror, mystery, fantasy, chosen family, slow burn romance, dysfunctional families.

If you like stories with morally flawed characters full of sacrifices and betrayals, religious trauma, and found family, then you might be interested in my writing.

I am terribly afraid of lightning despite writing about the gods of thunder.

GOALS

Make some friends here in the community. Just want to scream and get excited about other people's WIPs.

Get my hands on the edits of my draft, and hone my writing skills.

Maybe query? We will see about that!

Read more books in 2024.

It means a lot to me when someone shows support or interest in my work. Feel free to interact or drop me a message.

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Writeblr Re-introduction

(Updated 3/4/24)

(Picrew link)

I go by either Lex or Averey. I'm 31 years old, biracial, queer in every way, and have raging ADHD and autism. Disabled af. I will make all of this my ocs problems. This blog is all about writing and books! I write longer novels (or try to), occasionally short stories, a lot of poetry, lyrics, and I also make my own moodboards and character playlists!

What I read: Urban fantasy, dark fantasy, paranormal, horror, speculative fiction, and the kind of poetry that punches you in the gut. I prefer NA/Adult, but I've recently discovered that I haven't completely outgrown YA like I thought. I've just outgrown overhyped, white mainstream YA.

What I write: NA/Adult urban fantasy, queerness, neurodivergence/disability, relationship anarchy-style found family themes. Kinda fucked up poetry (that is, at times, oddly gorey for someone who can barely stomach gore). Big fan of writing the self as the true villian. I've only written a little horror but want to write more.

Wips: Lost Things, The Crooked Heir, Weeping Brentwood, Ascension (all of which have their own tags)

If you made it this far, come tell me about your favorite wip that you’re currently working on/want to be working on! Bonus points if it has an intro post or tag that I can get lost in :D

[rcsthewriterreblogs]

Creating a magic system

@irbelletti on Instagram

A series of tips to write a wonderful magic system your readers will come back to and adore.

Type

What kind or magic do your main characters make?

Think of what you'd like to see. Is it elemental magic? Something involving potions? Something given from a deity?

TIP:

Choose a type of magic that has rules, but can justify a lot of things that happen in your work.

Make sure you either research on said type, or plan it out thoroughly

Rules

Every magic system has rules. They are useful for setting boundaries to where magic can be used, and where it can't. Rules are especially important the bigger and the longer your story is.

QUESTIONS:

Does it come with a cost?

What spells/practices are forbidden, and why?

Do magic practitioners have to be in groups?

TIP:

Look into other books' magic systems and find the most widely used rules.

Aesthetic

Your book will be a home to your reader, at some point, and you have to make sure it's a pleasant one.

Think of what kind of experience you want your reader to have.

QUESTIONS:

Is it a friendly environment?

Is it more natural or more urban?

Is it modern or old-fashioned?

Any magical creatures?

TIP:

Write about an aesthetic you really like, and you'll do an awesome job.

Users

They are the people that actively make magic.

You'll need to know if there are different kind of users, what's the difference in their ability, and if they can have different levels of expertise.

QUESTIONS:

Does it come with a cost?

Does it tire the user?

Is it innate, or do people have to train to attain it?

Can everyone have it?

TIP:

Select a "highest power level", but don't make it too common to avoid unrealistic tropes.

Magical Animals

Often they are vital to a story. Think about Game of Thrones, where dragons play a massive role. Or in Harry Potter, where owls are the main messengers.

QUESTIONS:

Are they naturally magical?

Do they choose the person, or the other way around?

Are they mythological?

TIP:

Look into mythology (without appropriating someone's culture!) and find inspiration for your magical friends.