sunny-ghost

[sunny-ghost]

hello! i am looking for russian and portuguese sensitivity readers that are willing to answer some questions about their cultures and upbringings. there's no reading involved, as i haven't written much; just questions.

i've been doing a lot of research, but online articles don't really delve into homelife, upbringings, etc. they're mostly about food, traditions, etiquette, which have been very helpful but now i'm trying to learn about different aspects. i want people to read my story, and be able to relate to the main characters' experiences tied to their cultures, to resonate with them and feel seen; especially since the novel is targeted towards younger audiences.

i also felt it'd be good to communicate with you guys directly and get your opinions on things, rather than solely relying on articles.

my two characters are thirteen year old twins, vlad and eleonora. their mother is russian, and their father is portuguese - so i'm not sure if they have a patronymic name, if it still applies due to their father not having a russian name.

the plot is that they lost their parents in a car crash, and are either staying with relatives, or are in foster care when they stumble onto a portal, and get transported to another world. so, their culture and memories of experiences with their parents is very important to the plot; especially when they find a "way to bring them back to life".

i'll just be asking questions such as;

- are there any specific cultural ornaments in your house?

- because the two main characters are lost in a fantasy-esque world, what would you miss the most if you were far away from home/family

- what cultural aspects do you feel are underrepresented or that you'd personally love to see?

[sunny-ghost]

thank you for your kind words, i'm definitely gonna have to take you up on that editing offer, or just betaing would be more than helpful ^^ reblogging this in case anyone else needs this advice

actually, one last thing

i need some advice; i have some pretty bad memory issues that i've had since childhood. they never used to affect my writing too much, but it seems to have gotten worse. reading helps you write better, you learn new sentence structures, phrases, words

whenever i try to write, i cannot remember the words. and i don't mean every couple of paragraphs, i mean most of my sentences sound the same cause i keep resorting to the same words i do remember. it's frustrating, my writing feels flat. i keep reading and reading but i don't absorb any of it, it's like my mind is turned off.

does anyone have any advice? i've tried commonplace books, and while they're good - i keep forgetting i have one, and honestly, it's just like moving the actual novel from one place to the other. i can reread it easier, quicker, but i still can't remember it.

i feel like i've lost my ability to write, it just doesn't come as easily anymore. i get stuck, trying to think of the words, and hours pass.

[sunny-ghost]

actually, one last thing

i need some advice; i have some pretty bad memory issues that i've had since childhood. they never used to affect my writing too much, but it seems to have gotten worse. reading helps you write better, you learn new sentence structures, phrases, words

whenever i try to write, i cannot remember the words. and i don't mean every couple of paragraphs, i mean most of my sentences sound the same cause i keep resorting to the same words i do remember. it's frustrating, my writing feels flat. i keep reading and reading but i don't absorb any of it, it's like my mind is turned off.

does anyone have any advice? i've tried commonplace books, and while they're good - i keep forgetting i have one, and honestly, it's just like moving the actual novel from one place to the other. i can reread it easier, quicker, but i still can't remember it.

i feel like i've lost my ability to write, it just doesn't come as easily anymore. i get stuck, trying to think of the words, and hours pass.

[sunny-ghost]

update

hello everyone! as you've noticed, my posts have been lacking lately. truth be told, i haven't written anything in uh, months. the snippets i've posted are from editing, the last time i actually wrote something from scratch?

last year.

so, this tumblr account is gonna be inactive permanently. if i ever return, it'll be on a new account. thank you to all my followers and those who interacted with my posts o/ to my sensitivity readers, i'd still like to continue working with you ^^ i'm active enough for that at least lol

[sunny-ghost]

yes!! i got stuck cause my friends and i could only think about the world going into chaos due to the sudden introduction to magic. people didn't know how to use their newfound power and were unintentionally (or purposely) wreaking havoc and destruction. the only result i could imagine was akin to apocalyptic, or magic immediately being banned to prevent further damage.

but this is perfect! the world adapts to magic. it definitely has its dangers that damn sea serpent is ruining the beach , but it doesn't all immediately go to shit. it provides opportunities! like magical gordon ramsey lmao, and people being inherently curious about the new animal mutants and transformed terrain.

though, there will be some people who believe this means the end of the world. they claim that magic is cursed, and will bring everyone down. most are understandably cautious, whereas others view the stars as a divine gift sent from above.

i forgot how fun worldbuilding is. though i still need to figure out character goals, antagonists, conflicts etc, this is great!

so i've got this new wip, but have no idea how it works. the conflicts, the antagonists, etc

magic has never existed before in this universe; no witches, nothing. one day, stars fall from the sky, and contaminate the world. those who drink/eat from contaminated sources, gain magic. there are no spellbooks or guides, no mentors or prior knowledge to help those who suddenly obtain magic - so the world is thrown into chaos.

but aside from that, i can't think of an actual plot/goal for the characters or anything 😔

[sunny-ghost]

thank you @macabremoons for the tag!

rules: go to pinterest, search "[your name] core aesthetic" and create a moodboard from the first nine images. no need to mention your name

tagging: @rydykg, @halfbit, @janec23 and anyone else who wants to join!

[sunny-ghost]

that's a great idea!! i never considered how it'd affect different kind of locations. that makes a lot of sense too, if the stars fell into the ocean surrounding port towns. whereas in the city, there isn't a lot of soil for the stars to dig into, but people would still be affected by eating contaminated food that comes in.

as for the port towns, stars that fell into the ocean could also contaminate the fish by turning some into leviathans and such, or those aberrations from the game "dredge"

so i've got this new wip, but have no idea how it works. the conflicts, the antagonists, etc

magic has never existed before in this universe; no witches, nothing. one day, stars fall from the sky, and contaminate the world. those who drink/eat from contaminated sources, gain magic. there are no spellbooks or guides, no mentors or prior knowledge to help those who suddenly obtain magic - so the world is thrown into chaos.

but aside from that, i can't think of an actual plot/goal for the characters or anything 😔

[sunny-ghost]

so i've got this new wip, but have no idea how it works. the conflicts, the antagonists, etc

magic has never existed before in this universe; no witches, nothing. one day, stars fall from the sky, and contaminate the world. those who drink/eat from contaminated sources, gain magic. there are no spellbooks or guides, no mentors or prior knowledge to help those who suddenly obtain magic - so the world is thrown into chaos.

but aside from that, i can't think of an actual plot/goal for the characters or anything 😔

[sunny-ghost]

My enjoyment of writing, my productivity, and the quality of my work improved tenfold when I started embracing slumps and taking them as an opportunity to read everything I could get my hands on, watch lots of films and shows, go to the theatre, play games, hang out with friends, visit new places, and generally absorb life and marinate my brain in the art of storytelling.

Take from that what you will.

[sunny-ghost]

Hello! I am still in need of a sensitivity reader, so if you're interested and fit the criteria please get in touch! If not, reblogs are highly appreciated!

Japanese / Japanese American sensitivity reader needed!

My mystery novel, "The Oakwood Mansion", centres around Mai, a third generation Japanese-American protagonist living with her grandmother as she tries to solve the disappearance of her high school classmate. It is finished and roughly 80k words.

This is my first time working with a sensitivity reader, I will be open and communicative, working with you on every step of the progress. I'm more than happy to discuss compensation so you're properly paid for your hard work.

If interested, please let me know your discord tag, or we could communicate via tumblr or email, whichever you prefer. Please reblog!

[sunny-ghost]

thanks for the tag!

without a doubt, it'd have to be plushes. i can't resist them, even though i'm literally designing tarot cards for one wip in particular. so, plushes for every other wip except that one, which gets printed out tarot cards.

tagging @macabremoons :]

The goal of Summerfest is to talk about our works, have fun, interact with other people; so let’s do something in the spirit of that by starting a tag game.

You have free rein over the creation of one piece of merchandise for your story? What is it? Reblog this, answer the question, and then tag someone else to play the game!

[sunny-ghost]

“i will never be able to write like them :(” and neither should you? you are your own special self and that’s what you should be recognized for

[sunny-ghost]

serpent's quest shenanigans

a brief itinerary for serpent's quest's first major act, these are generally in chronological order altho small parts are liable to change.

actually writing it down makes them sound like some scooby doo ass characters which is actually pretty accurate. i try to make all the plot points inherently fun with the potential for more serious and emotional moments

and yeah this is another slide from the presentation altho not entirely finished yet? i want to add a little doodle to it but thats gonna be..hard

[sunny-ghost]

khayos and leon from serpent's quest this is such a dumb little comic but it kept making me laugh so. maybe i'll polish it and make it look pretty later. khayos's pet had a name written down somewhere but i honestly don't remember where i wrote it down so. it might have to be renamed.

[sunny-ghost]

random poll because i am a curious little lad

by creator, i am referring to anyone who is making/wants to make something based on an idea or goal. so you could be a writer, a musician, a worldbuilder, cosplayer, etc. it does not necessarily have to be original.

limited answer options but i tried :( feel free to expand on this with more specific polls. i didn't include a "multiple of these" option, since while i know that would be the majority, i want to know what is the most reoccurring sources of inspiration.

also for clarity.

real life - includes things like, scientific phenomena, animals/animal behaviours, or recent/current events that are happening but may not necessarily be directly happening to you.

feel free to specify what kind of projects you usually make as well in the tags!

[sunny-ghost]

i am once again asking people to put whales in space. specifically whale sharks. and make their spots glow. they're stars. that move. do you understand.

[sunny-ghost]

I think the worst part about writing a book is wanting to tell everyone everything about your characters and your ships and your elaborate fantasy world and the massive plot twist at the end of your novel but you can’t, because if you do, then where is the fun in reading it? What is a good book without its element of surprise?