#and it's importance has infected my wips lol

[thatndginger]

Happy WBW! What role does music play in your world? Does it keep history and legends alive? What genres are popular? What situations do people sing or listen in? Are there concerts and stars or is it more localized? How has it changed over time?

First off, I apologize profusely for how late this is! I felt like this question deserved more effort than I’ve been able to really put into things lately ^.^||

That being said, I’m answering this for War Witch - since Shapeshifter’s music scene is almost exactly like our real world one - so buckle up!

In terms of sound, Aeterre [War Witch’s planet] is somewhere near our Romantic Period of music. It’s all acoustic - electronic instruments have yet to be invented - but highly varied in style depending on the region. Take Korin. In the main hubs, the typically ‘Koric’ cities and population centers along the coast, there’s a focus on modern music and keeping up with modern trends. ‘Good’ art - and by extension music - lays emphasis on emotion and a glorification of the past and magic at the current time.  Popular musicians tend to eschew traditional ideas of structure and convention when creating music, creating elaborate pieces that evoke intense emotion and imagery. Attending operas and concerts is a pastime enjoyed by both the upper classes and the growing middle class. Some of the most popular operas tell the tales of heroes from the Unshattered Age, when magic still lived in everything and “things were better”. A lot of these operas have fairly… loose interpretations of events. It’s primarily a form of enjoyment.

But for the lower classes, music tends to be a little ‘dated’. The poor aren’t able to easily access modern composers and musical trends, so their music tends to be from an earlier time, and simpler in scale. There are no grand orchestras in the poorer parts of Koric cities, after all. In these parts, music is usually found at festivals and dance halls, large celebrations or special events. An important addition: protest songs have always been important for the lower classes, and there is a well documented history of protest music especially in relation to the organized labor movements and industrial workers. 

If you move away from the coastal civilization centers, into the farmlands and areas that haven’t always been under Koric rule, music becomes much more ‘folksy’, but also much broader in variety due to a wide array of cultural backgrounds. Music tends to be more ‘useful’ for lack of a better term in these rural areas. It passes on knowledge, preserves history. Depending on the region, some songs may only be sung at certain times of year, during certain festivals. There are work songs, rhythmic melodies meant to keep workers moving in time with each other. Music is still entertaining, yes, but it feels much more like something that binds a community together in these rural areas.

In the Tirallfain Valley, music has a very unique sound. Because of the region’s geography - straddling the border of Korin and the Suaythen Empire - the music there has hints of both traditional Koric and Suaya sounds. But, because of the region’s general isolation, the music generally sounds unique from either. Most famous songs tend to tell the tales from the Unshattered Age - battles won and lost, heroes and villains, great witches and gods - or detail natural events and seasonal changes. In more 'modern' songs, there is a distinctive thread of 'fuck the Koric' that isn't always subtle, as many in the Tiraillfain valley resent Korin's colonization both during and after the Unshattered Age.

[candyfloss-esophagus]

Heyo, it's me! Not being late for once!

Okay, ask game time! (not holding back this time so get ready!)

These are all for Crying Wolf, cause I'll never be normal about it <3

☼

☄

✄

♡

☠

☾

☽

∞

★

(I know you've answered similar questions about the fic before, so feel free to skip those if you don't wanna answer them again <3 )

Hey, thanks for the ask!! I'm sure I have answered similar questions in the past but fortunately for you, my brain is a sieve that has been thrown over the edge of a waterfall.

☼: how i came up with the idea

I didn't actually come up with the idea all by myself, I'm part of the noirpunk discord server that regularly has little round robin fics and snippets that everyone can add onto. In its very early days, we were discussing what would happen if there were a symbiote that was virtually undetectable (and also, tangentially, what would happen if Hobie became infected) and I was so intrigued by this concept that I asked to use it in an actual fic!

☄: what the writing process was like

Arduous. Writing is like pulling teeth for me lol and Crying Wolf is certainly no outlier. I wrote chronologically whenever I had the time to sit down and think about it, but I had it vaguely planned out from the get-go. The only thing was that I added in another chapter -- chapter four was never meant to exist! I was going to shove everything that happened in chapter four and five in together but that seemed like a little much.

✄: something i deleted before the final draft

I post on a chapter by chapter basis because I'm too impatient to keep an entire wip to myself (trying to change that!) but there was going to be a scene where the symbiote was explicitly purged from Hobie. I decided not to write it because of medical semantics and how it would have made it even longer and also because my mental health was like a raft strapped together by duct tape at that point in the year.

♡: my favorite part

My favourite part is the end bit and Peter's conversation with Hobie because that was the thing that the server went into most detail about when we were cooking up the whole concept. I love thinking back to that night so much!

☠: something i found challenging

Fucking writing the damn thing lol. Motivation is very tricky for me and finishing what I start is even moreso (ta adhd!) but we got there in the end!!! As mentioned before, writing is difficult for me and I'm not actually a very good writer so trying to get it to a standard that I felt honoured what we had originally come up with in the server was definitely a challenge.

☾: how i thought people would respond to the fic

I.. didn't? Getting comments is so incredibly rare and special to me and the fact that I get so many purely because I write the most for noirpunk on ao3 is WILD.

☽: how people *actually* responded

Well they responded for a start lol. I got veritable essays on how bad I made people feel and theories for how it would progress and how well done the whole thing was and people from the server cheering me on and even one person who only investigated for the cannibalism, and were grossed out by it which is incredible. It was just a torrent of warmth and love and it was so confusing to me at the time but so important now looking back. It was an awful time for me and my life and having all those comments and responses was so special.

∞: something i wish i’d done differently

I read back on it a few days ago and it all seems so superficial to me now, so suffice to say most things and be done with it there.

★: something i’m proud to have accomplished

Just fuckin. Writing it. Finishing it. Impacting people's lives with it. That's why I write that's why I do this. And it was my first foray into more violent stuff so I'm glad I started it by diving in headfirst instead of just dipping my toes in.

Thank you for the ask! Ask game for any other fics of mine that you care to hear about is here, the fic Crying Wolf is here, and I hope you have a lovely day!!

[go-go-devil]

Fanfic writer ask: 🎁🦈📚

🎁 Have a piece of a WIP you want to share?

Here's a short segment from a Pathologic fic I just started writing a few days ago!

Clara paused. She assumed it may have been a prophetic vision, much the same as the ones she’d been granted since birth. Although hers were always panic-inducing warnings that manifested her thoughts like emerging plague clouds: saying the wrong thing to someone and incurring their wrath, failing to save her bound from the sand pest, forgetting an important task after being outrun by the unholy speed of time. Yet it was the death visions that were the worst of them all. 

Without warning she could be walking the lamplit streets only for her mind to gruesomely predict men hurling knives into her head, beating her to a bloody pulp, or even scorching her flesh with flames just a little farther down the road. Another time she imagined falling limp to the ground within the rotting innards of an infected house as a black, cold haze overtook her senses, to which her body pulsed with those pains as if it could remember shutting down in death.

Some of those visions even repeated, like the premonitions of those two goons who kidnapped Rubin and accosted her in the tunnels. So many variations of them pinning her against the wet, flesh-like walls, dealing blow after blow and snapping her fragile bones like twigs. 

Even if they were illusions, the ferocity of them still reduced her to tears each night…

🦈 Which character is the toughest to write?

In my Knock-Knock fic, House With No Door, I occasionally had trouble writing for the Lodger's father since that character literally doesn't appear in the game itself. To write him I basically had to take the two sentences of dialogue that reference him and build an oc out of it, then try my best to integrate him into the plot of the game. Overall, though, I do like my interpretation of him a lot!

Also in that very patho wip I just took a segment from above, there are several characters in it that I've never written for before: Lara, Aspity, Block, and Aglaya to be precise. While I do feel I at least have Lara and Block's voices and mannerisms down, I am slightly intimidated with getting Aspity and Aglaya's characters right since both are complex characters whom I don't wanna water-down (especially Aglaya since her scene's gonna be very intense and important to the narrative)

Granted my perfectionism ramps up when writing for patho characters since I only played the game once at the moment, so I'm afraid I missed some lore tidbits here and there by forgetting to complete an optional mission here and there

📚 Is there a fanfic or fanfic writer you recommend?

Two friends of mine are excellent fic authors who I recommend people check out on AO3!

solonggaybowser has written several really nice Hylics fanfics, particularly ones revolving around Wayne/Dedusmuln (and even the only Dedusmuln/Somsnosa fic I've seen yet) that are super cute and charming! At the moment he's also been writing some cool Pokemon fics too for Gens 5 and 8 characters

undeadarchivist has a boatload of very well-written Pathologic fics that I enjoy that tend to focus on trans and neurodivergent hc's for several of the characters (particularly Daniil and Artemy). His gen fics are some of the best I've ever read, and I'm sure his more explicit fics are of a similar high quality (sorry I'm too sex-repulsed to read those lol)

[allylikethecat]

📌🍓

YES oh my gosh thank you for sending me asks from the works in progress emoji ask game!! If anyone else wants to send some in OR reblog the list for themselves, it can be found HERE. As someone that has way too many WIPs I love any and every opportunity to chat about them lol

📌 - how do you organise your wips?

All of the planning / outline happens in my Notes on my iPhone that's synched with the Notes app on my Mac book, that's where I keep track of where I am in the fic, make important continuity notes, and scenes that I liked but didn't fit right get pasted at the bottom. These notes are all "Pinned Notes" and once a fic is finished they are unpinned. All of my fics live in Google Docs on my Google Drive and each fic as two documents that are titled whatever the fic is and then drafting (for example I have a Make Way for Ducklings document and a Make Way for Ducklings Drafting Document) the drafting document is where each individual chapter is written and edited, and then is copied over to the actual document when posting. It's kind of ridiculous and not very efficient but it is my system and I am sticking to it lol

🍓 - wip you think people will like most

Based on all of the polls I've done people seem to like Make Way for Ducklings and anything in the Infection Fic Verse the most! But also know people are excited for the SATVB sick fic!

Thank you so much for reading and sending these in! I'm so grateful that people have not only taken the time to read my fics, but also engage with me about them on the interwebs!! I hope you had a great day and that you have a wonderful night!

❤️Ally

[light-yaers]

HELLO.

long time no updates, i know. to put it very bluntly, i haven’t written a WORD in three weeks. my mental health has been in the gutter, and i haven’t had that spark to keep writing, despite still imagining stories in my head

i’ve been very stressed about work and money and everything in between given the economic climate in the country i live in, and as a result have been getting mentally and physically unwell. i currently have a chest infection, but it’s clearing up. last week i had a throat infection too, lol.

don’t think i have forgotten about you all, i really haven’t. all of my wips will ultimately get an ending eventually, even if it’s on my deathbed. life has just got in the way recently, but i’m still here!

and i am hoping, praying, that taylor swift’s new album will help spark something within me when it comes to writing again. you all know that music is so important to me, so i’m looking forward to sitting down on sunday and possibly doing some writing!

lots of love.

beff x

[multi-lefaiye]

for the ask game, 1, 5, 7, 20!

HELL YE thank u!!!

What’s your longest wip right now?

Okay I answered 1 already, but I'll go ahead and explain a bit about the abandoned WIP I mentioned called Spotters' Quest, because that's still my longest piece of original writing! Somehow!

Spotters' Quest was a dark fantasy thing about a group of characters accused of different crimes being offered a chance at redemption, if they can find a rare artifact that many don't believe truly exists. It was kind of a mess of a story but I had a lot of fun with it!!! Maybe.... maybe someday I'll try and revive it in some capacity.

Anyway.

Do you listen to music while writing or no? If yes, what’s your favorite kind of music to listen to?

For me this really depends!!! I definitely listen a lot to music while I'm brainstorming, because listening to music and thinking about OCs is my favorite way to develop a story, but when I'm actually writing I actually don't listen to music very much. Instead, I tend to listen to narrations of horror stories, or video essays, or movies I've watched a hundred times.

I find that music tends to distract me when I'm writing more often than not, and it tends to influence the mood of whatever I'm working on. Listening to something spooky or that I've listened to a hundred times fulfills my need to have background noise while also not distracting me too badly. I do the same thing when I'm drawing!

Of course, there is the risk of whatever story I'm listening to affecting whatever I'm writing, but that hasn't been too much of an issue for me tbh.

Do you outline before writing? If so, what’s your outlining process like?

I didn't used to do much in the way of outlining, but in recent years I've tried to make much more of a habit of it! Generally when I outline I just try to write down a basic list of every event that needs to happen, and then as I develop the story I fill it out more.

If I'm really having trouble getting into something, I'll plot out a whole scene by essentially listing everything that happens.

How much I plot something usually depends on how important it is to me that I know what happens going in, but I find that outlining something too much tends to actually make it harder for me to write the scene!! I work best when I have a basic outline to go off of and can kinda.... do whatever feels best based off of that.

As an example of what my basic initial outlines can look like, here's a snippet of my initial outline for a scene in Fragile Things:

Arthur is helping cut Noah's hair short for the first time and he's doing a bad job.

Noah doesn't really like the final haircut, but he doesn't want to make Arthur feel bad.

Arthur can tell Noah doesn't like it, though, so he lets Noah cut his hair too as payback

Noah does a similarly bad job

They both laugh about it and they're just having a nice time

This is an example of one of my beefier outlines actually (in that it's not just a one-sentence description of a scene lol), but it's still short and sweet enough for me to play around with it.

How do you usually come up with story ideas?

I answered this one already as well, but I'll talk a little about my inspiration for Bleeding Over Eden specifically!

So Bleeding Over Eden was initially inspired by two series that are near and dear to my heart: a TV series called The Finder, and a creepypasta series called Infected Town Case Files.

Bleeding Over Eden 100% started as a ripoff of The Finder, because while I care about that show and I think it's super cool and creative, I also think there's a lot of.... issues with it.... that make me uneasy (mainly in its treatment of its Romani characters, in that it has non-Romani characters freely use the g-slur and just hhhhhh not great). Essentially I just like... took the basic archetypes for the main cast and made new OCs based on them, which I later developed and expanded upon.

The second bit of inspiration came from Infected Town Case Files, but it was kind of a, like... vague concept. Infected Town Case Files is the sequel series to a different creepypasta, but I've never read the original and honestly I think that kinda adds to my experience a little, in a weird way. Because Infected Town Case Files is the story of a character AFTER his big paranormal adventure, dealing with the aftermath and his trauma and grief, and that was SUCH an interesting concept for horror for me that I kinda.... yoinked it... ASDJFKL

So the original concept of Bleeding Over Eden was just a character dealing with the aftermath of a massive supernatural event, with a touch of the basic character archetypes from The Finder (the quirky protagonist with some sort of supernatural power, the supportive best friend, the delinquent, the love interest, etc.), but since then it's grown and changed and (hopefully) become its own thing distinct from its inspirations.

Though tbh I might lean a bit into the inspo from The Finder again, because I was rereading my original notes for these characters and I actually really really like a lot of what's there.

[thethistlegirlwrites]

I've seen a few people do your character asks for a lot of people, and I wanted to know if I could too? Or does it get annoying to answer for so many characters? 🍵for all of them, if you don't mind, and I totally understand if you do mind

OH PLEASE ASK AWAY!!! I am happy to go wild over all my OCs! Honestly trying to focus on one WIP is like trying to pick a favorite child lol. 🍵Half Tea & Half Lemonade: what is a goal your OC is working towards? Do they have smaller goals as well as something large? What progress have they made? Are they open to revision or adamant about what they need to accomplish? Magic & Silver Robin - Robin wants answers about what happened to his father. That's the overarching goal that's driven the rest of his smaller goals. He wanted to become a vampire hunter to try and investigate his father's disappearance, and he stayed in the job even when things got bad because he didn't want to lose his chance at getting answers. Robin isn't very open to changing that goal, and he insists on staying in the field when he changes agencies, because he swore a binding fae oath to find out what happened to his father and he literally can't change that. John - John wants to protect his fellow hunters the best he can. He feels responsible for the others he works with, and he's a very protective person at heart. He's changed how he chooses to do that, switching from an active field role to a training one, but he still does his best to make sure his trainees will have the best chance of surviving the job. Kira - Kira got into the hunter world trying to track down the vampire who attacked her and her mother. Even though he's since been staked, she's stayed on the job because the hunter research facilities have given her a huge opportunity to make scientific and technical breakthroughs. Her goal now is to improve the lives of both hunters and ordinary people with her work. Cody - Cody wants to be an author. He's currently a librarian to pay the bills, but his end goal is to get one of his myriad manuscripts published. He's a storyteller and he wants to share his stories with the world. Maira - Maira wants to make sure the human and vampire communities live in peace with each other. Her goal in her whole career has been to mediate disputes and try to find ways of bringing disparate groups together and getting them to see past conflict. Partnering Robin and John is an attempt at that on a small scale. Emma - Emma wants to make sure no one else goes through what she did, being unwillingly turned into a vampire. She keeps a close eye on what happens in her club, which she promotes as a place humans and vampires can mix, so that curious kids will come to her club and not go looking in more dangerous places. She also uses her position as the owner to gather information and pass it on to John. Arion - Arion wants to enjoy his un-life. His philosophy of the world is very hedonistic and self-serving. He doesn't care who else is damaged along the way, but he wants to have the things he enjoys. He's willing to sacrifice to get those things, which can sometimes make him appear to enjoy an austere existence, but he has specific goals, and his current one is to capture and enjoy a part-fae and their unique blood. Between the Trees Brooke - Brooke wants to keep her family together. The only people in her village she can count on are her adoptive father and brother, so she doesn't want to lose either of them. She'll do whatever it takes to hold onto the only people who haven't treated her as sub-human because of her vitiligo. Aspen - Aspen wants to heal people. He's never forgotten that he would have died as a child if not for the village healer who helped him, and he wants to pass that on to someone else. He feels like he was saved for a reason. Will - Will wants to protect his kids. He's a soldier at heart, and he will defend them however he can. He's tried to do that by adopting them and keeping them away from the main life of the village, but that's no longer enough, and he's been forced to try and find another, and more permanent, solution to keep them from being dragged into the dangers of the life they all lead. Written in Ink Jesse - Jesse wants to find a way to get humans to rethink their perception of the fae, so they will roll back the incredibly dangerous fae registration laws. He thinks his best chance of that is to take a job in the human world, and the idea of being a hunter appeals to him because he was rescued in the past by hunters and would like to be able to help someone else like him. 

Amy - Amy wants to do the most good she can while she's still alive. She used to want to be a highly decorated hunter, but being bitten and infected by a vampire changed her perception. Now she's firmly aware of her own mortality, and she wants to do things that matter, because she has no idea how much time she has left. Tina - Tina is a healer, and she wants to not only physically heal people, but heal the rifts that have opened between the humans and fae. She doesn't like seeing pain of any kind and she wants to do what she can to relieve that. Who Fights Monsters (Doing the ones I know for this, there's a HUGE cast of characters and not all of them are speaking to my yet) Joe - Joe wants to keep his family safe and living in harmony. As the pack leader, he sees his role as keeping the peace between family members and presenting a united front to the rest of the world. He tries to make decisions that have the best chance of keeping the family together and alive, and the loss of Abby has made him a bit more cautious in his perspective. He can't stand the thought of losing another member of his family right now, be that to an unsolvable difference in opinion, or to something happening to them from the outside. Tom - Tom wants to make sure his family is safe. He values family loyalty above all else, and he will do whatever it takes to protect his pack, no matter the cost. He trusts his family to be in the right, and he will defend them even when things look bad. Maya - Maya is a bit torn between what she feels is her duty and what she finds to be her heart. She feels that her gift is meant to be used to bring people closure and find answers for them, but with a family to raise, she has to balance that perspective with looking after her own family and being what they need. While registration laws were in place, she stayed away from the city life in order to make sure she wouldn't be taken away from her family for being unregistered, but now that that's changed, she's once again trying to find a balance in her life. Kate - Kate wants to make sure people are treated with fairness and honesty. She only takes cases she truly believes are just. She has a stronger than usual sense of the fae value of honesty, and people twisting the system to get away with things they should pay for infuriates her. She wants the right thing to be done, and that to her is the highest importance. She has a strong sense of right and wrong and her morality is more black-and-white than the rest of her family. Erin - Erin wants to be a valued part of her family. She feels like an outsider, since she struggles with her shifting magic. While her family doesn't treat her differently because of that, she still feels as if she's somehow lacking some important feature of what it is to be a Phelan, and she wants to find a way to be herself and still be a good member of the family.

[omgkalyppso]

I can't just pick one because I'm indecisive af, so how about three for the WIP ask thing: "fairy," "wedding interrupted," and "the wind was bitter cold"? Or you can pick just one of these to elaborate on if that's too much lol

This is going to be a long ass post. Here we go!

fairy

Okay so I have an AU that I’ve promised myself not to start in earnest until either or both my soulmate au or mermaid au’s are finished. I’m calling it a fantasy au, but the doc is titled fairy because it primarily features Claude’s introduction and the make up of fantasy races for the fantasy au are as follows:

Fae - Vampire

Claude - Fairy

Hilda - Werewolf

Lorenz - Hedge Mage

Marianne - Werewolf

Ferdinand - The human child (now a man) exchanged for a fairy / changeling child

Edelgard - Human Hunter

Hubert - Human Hunter

Caspar - Human Hunter

Linhardt - Vampire

Seteth - Vampire

Rhea - Ancient Dragon

Sylvain - Human Hunter

Felix - Human Hunter

Ingrid or Mercedes - Human Hunter

Maya - Werewolf

Raphael - Werewolf

Ignatz - Werewolf

The hunters will be working in groups of three, and I can’t decide whether Sylvain + Felix + Ingrid as three of the Faerghus four is more interesting than Sylvain + Felix + Mercedes in the role of a cleric for the sake of monster hunting. I’m also undecided about whether and how to incorporate Dimitri as some wild thing that-maybe-killed-Glenn, but I feel more strongly about not including him to focus on the core plot in my outline.

Have an excerpt of blocked dialogue. Marianne is running from hunters and to keep her from being tracked, Hilda and Lorenz are destroying her shoes.

Lorenz: We do have a cobbler in town but whether they'll have something for your feet, I just don't - no!

Hilda: (coming back in the house, letting in each a white and black cat) What?

Lorenz: Hilda! Only the black cat is mine. Maggie.

Hilda: What's the big deal? (the white cat walks behind a couch or chair or something and comes out the other side as a white dove) Oh.

Lorenz: Yes. Oh. (white dove turns into a large moth, turns into tiny little fairy fey!Claude)

Claude: Wow, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to get in here. (Lorenz tries to catch him) Hey! Careful.

Lorenz: Sorry?

Claude: It's fine. (Hilda does grab him) Oh. You're fast. (but he just poofs from her hand) Not that it matters.

Hilda: I'm so sorry Lorenz.

Claude: Lorenz! I almost didn't recognize you without the sun on your skin. Why's it so dark in here? (a knock at the door)

Lorenz: (to Claude) Hide. (who does)

Hilda: Seteth, hi.

Seteth: Whatever it is you're doing in here, you're not half as subtle as you think you are. There are hunters going door to door, and if that shock of blue hair is unusual to me, it will surely stand out to them. Hide your friend more securely. They will be here within the hour. I'm off to warn Linhardt.

wedding interrupted

The final chapter of my fic Lorenz and Hilda’s Paired Ending might end up stretched out to three chapters because as it stands I’m bullying them. I intend to interrupt their wedding night three times. The first two times with accidents / incidents relating to Sylvain.

the first time lorenz and hilda are interrupted his shirts are hanging open, hilda's fully dressed, they've basically been making out. cue knock at the door hilda: (distressed) Are you going to answer that? lorenz: I told them not to disturb me except for fire, kidnapping, or a declaration of war. (buttoning up, haphazardly before answering) Yes? chief of staff: There's been a small fire in the stables. lorenz: What? chief of staff: All steeds are fine, and are being round up by [servant] on his wyvern. We're going to move them to the barns on the eastern farmstead. lorenz: Was it arson? chief of staff: It appears to be ... incompetence. lorenz: Was anyone hurt? chief of staff: Not seriously. lorenz: (holding his forehead) Who was hurt, and in what way was it not serious? chief of staff: Margrave Gautier, your grace. Although he was uninjured by the fire, he took a rather nasty tumble from the roof of the tack house. lorenz: That's two stories up. chief of staff: It is. He landed in a rather soft pile of snow however, and is being treated in his rooms. lorenz: (exasperated) What was he doing up there? Was anyone else involved? chief of staff: His ... Beg pardon. Duke Fraldarius was ... present. One can only speculate what led them there, and what stole the Margrave's pants. lorenz: Ah. Well handled. (a pause) He's fine? chief of staff: He's fine. lorenz: Then I will deal with this on the morrow. Thank you for telling me. chief of staff: (as like a goodbye) Your Grace.

A break for you.

another knock at the door, lorenz is undressed, hilda is still fully dressed. things were Busy hilda: Don't answer that! lorenz: (desperate, plaintive) Your family is under my roof, I need to appear responsible. hilda: Bring up my family again and see how far that gets you. lorenz puts on a housecoat, goes to speak with his staff. i didn't bother blocking out this dialogue though it would likely be included lorenz: Hilda, I'm headed off for a few minutes. (starts pulling on pants at the least - not his dress pants) hilda: What? Why? lorenz: Your brother might be holding Sylvain hostage. hilda: What? Goddess, let me- lorenz: Please don't. hilda: But I could easily be fully dressed much faster. lorenz: Exactly. I'm obligated to go, and if people see me in a housecoat and you fully dressed, then they will know far more about our bedroom than I could ever stomach. (calling to her from the door) Don't undress. hilda: (calling back, while lorenz has the door open) I'm letting my hair down! (i ... can't not deal with lorenz who's been obsessed with marriage for at least eight years not wanting hilda to fuck him in her wedding dress) felix: I'm so sorry, your grace. lorenz: It isn't your fault, as far as I know, and, outside of public forums, you may call me Lorenz - we have enough years together. servant: He's still in there, my lord. chief of staff: (correcting) Your grace. lorenz: It's fine. Holst? Are you in there? holst: Lorenz? They fetched you over this? lorenz: Sylvain... Are you alright? Holst, they're calling this a kidnapping. holst: What? sylvain: I'm okay. lorenz: Can someone please open the door? holst: Ah! Right! felix: (relieved, going to sylvain's bedside) Sylvain ... lorenz: (slamming the door, keeping his staff on the opposite side) Are you all out of your minds? You can't even behave for four hours? sylvain: (apologetic, pleading) Lorenz. lorenz: (angry)I swear Sylvain, you have tested my patience three times tonight. (more annoyed and kinda sad than angry) And two of these moments have pulled me from my marital bed. sylvain: Shit. (gets elbowed in the head by felix) Fuck. lorenz: (about to lose his shit) Stop this, nonsense! sylvain: I'm sorry. holst: You have my apologies as well. lorenz: (rolling his eyes) I'll offer my forgiveness in the morning, assuming you refrain from any further tomfoolery. holst: Of course. sylvain: I won't be moving. lorenz: Alright. (a sigh) I am curious to know what happened here, but I fear Hilda will bar the door if I take much longer. felix: Thank you. lorenz: You are welcome. Your grace. felix: Felix. lorenz: Felix.

Another break

((much?) later) lorenz: Now where were we? hilda: Lorenz if someone knocks on this door while you're inside me you better not fucking answer it. lorenz: I ... hilda: If you answer it, you can sleep in the hallway. lorenz: I won't answer it Hilda. I'm all yours. (they fuck, and like, catch their breath and whatever) hilda: Mmmm, well now I'm undressing. lorenz: Good. Because I need to feel your body now. Let me help you. when they're both actually naked. we'll get the third knock on the door hilda: Lorenz, I swear to Seiros. lorenz: I ... I'm not inside you. (goes to get his housecoat) hilda: You cursed us! lorenz: I know, my dear. (opening the door) Please don't tell me someone's declared war. chief of staff: (amused, kind of mocking) No, your grace. lorenz: Then what (internally: the fuck) is so important that it couldn't wait?

The wind was bitter cold

This is a skyrim-adjacent fic featuring my oc Oretia and esaari’s Philip. It’s meant to be a werewolf fight and confession. The title of the wip is just the first line in the document because I was lazy and knew I’d remember what it was:

The wind was bitter cold. Layers in Winterhold were key to survival, and when someone of irregular size, taller, fatter, continuously growing children, were in need of a new one, Oretia found herself as busy as if she’d been hunting to feed the masses. This was to say nothing of the leather straps and parcels that found use in fishing and construction. She found it difficult to believe that the city had been so small and conservative before her arrival so as to ration away the whole winter.

Oretia wondered what resources the Jarl had at their fingertips, if the people did complain beyond her business of an inability to weather the cold and their hardships. For the moment, at least, she found purpose in being out in the woods, despite Philip’s warnings of full moons and things in the forest.

She’d had to hold back her laughter and embarrassment, and had resolved to tell her sister to be more subtle in the southern mountains, as stories like werewolves were infecting the city below.

The moon was full, and high already, though the sun had yet to set — brightening the fallen snow to a rich golden color, as well as the shaggy coat of an unexpected guest.

Oretia stared at the injured beast with reverence and surprise, and she had to wonder if it were they that had unnerved the local populace. A great elk, albino, but for the splash of blood staining its side, trailing down a shattered leg, hobbled north towards the cliffs and the sea. The creature was magnificent, beautiful and strange to look upon, covered in the fog of its own heavy breaths, and whether it had seen her, seemed resolute in its undoubtedly final act.

This was not how Oretia had intended to spend her evening. No matter what other ‘things’ there were in the forest, wolves and mountain lions and all manner of predators would pose a very real danger if they should find her. Yet as the elk lay down by the cliffside, it felt too much like a gift, from which deity or daedra she couldn’t be sure, but there was no walking away from such a calling.

The elk’s massive chest heaved with each pained cry, its haunting song echoing off the cliffside in a melodic death rattle. As Oretia approached, she could hear horkers bay on the shore below, terrified by the commotion, scattering into the sea. A predator may have heard the call already, but she was too close now, caught in the sad gaze of a large doomed eye, and it became a matter of pride and honor. Oretia readied her blade.

[writings-from-the-hart]

Writebr Intro

Writeblr Intro Time!

Hiya! This is so overdue and I apologize for that lol. I’ve been meaning to write this but school seems to always be getting in the way of just that. Writing. But here I am finally writing this! And yes my username is a pun of my own last name but I just couldn’t resist.

So basically, I really want to surround myself with other writers and have stumbled across tons of writeblr’s (I think that’s what they’re called lol). Instantly I was in love and wanted more of what the community had to offer. I’ve been a self-proclaimed “author” or writer since my early years of grade school. I was that child in the back of the class with ADHD that couldn’t sit still (the cliche bouncing leg and always chewed down nails) and had what my mother called an “overactive imagination”. My notebooks in high school were often filled with wild stories about “galaxies far far away” or dystopias with cruel governments ruled by dictators. Now I’m in my second year of college swamped with classes about the Psychology of criminals (or I like to call the science of murder), and trying to find time to write a novel. So the struggle is real my dudes.

A little about Me:

Hana

20

She/Her

Pisces

Asexual

Forensic Psychology Major and English with a concentration in Writing Minor

Book hoarder

Dog Mom

Vintage AF

Low Key Emo Punk because I’m no average white girl!

History nerd (Love learning about the old wars and cultures)

Movie nerd (There’s an endless stack of DVDs in my house)

Fandoms:

The Mandolorian (or the ManDADolorian)

Star Trek

Star Wars

Hannibal

X-Files

King Falls Am

Welcome to Nightvale

Transformers (Obviously not the bad movies lol. Bumblebee is baby and must be protected always.)

Good Omens

Sherlock

Lord of the Rings

Marvel (There are so many shows and movies in this category we would be here all day if I tried to list them.)

Timeless (Not sure if the fandom is still alive after what the writers did to one of our ships lol)

DC (I’m a huge Batman geek and adore Wonderwoman, but I take the good with the bad when it comes to this fandom. Especially movie-wise anymore.)

And there’s probably more but my memory isn’t working currently.

Goals?. . . maybe:

Get my novel finished (This has literally been on my To-Do List for who knows how long.)

Meet more writers/new writers.

Improve my poetry (I suck at poetry so I bad I never let it see the light of day, so I need to work on it.)

Start my bullet journal.

Wips:

Okay by now you all know I have at least 1 Wip because I mentioned getting a freaking novel done, but just as a precaution as to what I mean by Wip or Wips. I get distracted quite easily, for some odd reason my brain absolutely loves to jump from one idea to another for no absolute reason. Like WTF dude we already have an idea we’re working on why do you keep bringing all these new ones to me like stray dogs. And like any good dog Mom or distracted writer, I want to keep all the ideas/stray dogs. So, when I say Wip I mean “Look at this cool idea I came up with” and I’ll make sure to specify which one is hogging most of my time.

Renegade: Dystopian, Thriller, Post-Apocalypse, and Science Fiction.

This is my baby. Most of my free time is dedicated to adjusting plotlines, character arc’s, fixing freaking plot holes, and other important stuff other than just plain writing. I’m hoping to finish this also monster of a story by 2020 and get it published. So big stuff!  

“So tell me little wolf do you want to punish those who have wronged you?” An assassin known as the Crimson Ghost makes their way through the corrupt city-state of Ashton completing a job given to them by the Black Rose. What is a seemingly normal job though turns into something far more complicated when they stumble upon the fractions of an abandoned notebook from the past. A past the Republic is trying to desperately hide and bury no matter what. On the other side of the world in the Republic’s capital Eshar, plainly referred to as “The Prodigy” or “machine” by his superiors,  Eric Coalwood has built a life upon the ashes of his family, striving to meet the high expectations set before him by his mentor General Wolfheart. However, his life falls out of its normal day to day routine when the unexpected is asked of him. Command a task force made up of the Republic’s most wanted or his life is over. Eric doesn’t need reasons for why he must do what he has to, all he needs are orders and the Republic is more than happy to give them. Either way the clock is ticking for both the Crimson Ghost and the Republic’s prodigy and with time running out they both have two options. Either get over their different beliefs concerning the Republic or allow the world to once again succumb to war but this time nobody is going to survive it. “Legends are slippery things. For the glory that coats them hides the pain, suffering and death that created them.”

The Trouville Files: Dystopian, Thriller, Post-Apocalypse, and Science Fiction.

Not my biggest priority but definitely one of them considering the plot of this story. I mainly use this wip as a reference for Renegade because it’s actually the prequel to it. Also, it’s great to use as writing practice when I’m plagued with writer’s block for Renegade or frustrated with a plot hole. So this is my double-edged sword that does a lot of good.

“Death in these black days is neither kind nor quick.” The year is 2153, the world we know is nothing more than a wasteland strewn with the dead and a sky being choked by their ashes, not glorious and thriving but desolate and starving. The Red Death, a pandemic with a steady progression and a gruesome countdown to the demise of those infected. No one outruns it or survives it. “United we stand, divided we fall.” The Allied Nations, a totalitarian superpower, promised a united people but all they gave this world was more death and destruction. The Red Death isn’t the only thing slowly killing humanity anymore, we are in the form of the War of Broken Pacts. The spark of revolution is lit, but if it will remain so is a question asked by everyone. Does it stand a chance against the iron-fisted government holding the people in shackles? “Rebel with a cause.” Genius Medical Officer for The People’s Republic, Cyprus Ramiro works day and night in search of a cure for the Red Death exterminating hundreds, at least before this war kills him first. But he is also a man on the run and the rebellion can only shelter him for so long. “Duty over pain.” Cunning Spy and Soldier, Orion Ultor is ordered by the Allied Nations to infiltrate and gather information on the ever-growing People’s Republic. In bold letters is Search and Destroy; make a ruin of the rebellion and ensure the Allied Nations remains as it should -- unquestionably in power. No matter the cost unless he wants to suffer the consequences again. “If we fall we shall rise from the ashes like a phoenix.” They should have never met, battlefields don't make good friends. It wasn't fate, it wasn't destiny, only war throwing people together.  The Allied Nations is trying to stamp out something they fear, but can they before the Red Plague? Or will humanity find itself extinct.

Beyond his point is where I house my stray dogs/ideas

Hiraeth: Paranormal, Horror, Mystery, and Thriller.

Scooby-doo who?

Hiraeth means a homesickness for a home which you cannot return. That is how Arcane feels like she’ll never be home no matter how hard she tries to connect with her family. The closest she feels to being home is with her friends and in the worn leather seats of the van they all pitched in to buy. It all started out as a way to pass time and for all of them to escape their families because to be honest parents never understand, but it all turned sideways when a simple “ghost hunting trip” stirred something that was meant to remain buried. The truth never remains buried though, not really, somehow it will always creep back in ugly and twisted. Arcane has never felt “at home” but she’ll do whatever it takes to keep what she considers her family safe.

Sweet Dreams: Historical Fiction, Thriller, and Romance.

A literal dream turned into story plot and no I’m not kidding.

The Red String of Fate, The Lovers, and War. These are the three elements intertwined within the plot of Sweet Dreams but before anyone makes any assumptions this isn’t some chummy rom-com. There will be tears and heart strings may get yanked clean out because the angst is real. War and love never mix well, it leaves a sour taste in ones mouth and makes the mind question things it shouldn’t. Like is the woman in his dreams the same woman he sees in all his dreams? Constantly he somehow ends up spotting that same ruby red lipstick, honey golden eyes, and brunette hair laying in perfect curls. She’s everywhere except in his actual life. They say you and your soulmate share dreams, living proof of how intertwined souls are. She doesn’t believe in love or the idea of souls, not with the monsters roaming around the countryside and battlefield carrying assault rifles. Society tells her where her place is, but she disagrees and rather create her own destiny.

The Prophet: Paranormal, Thriller, Post-Apocalypse, and Science Fiction.  

A short story I can’t seem to let go or it doesn’t want to let me go, but either way, this story has the makings for something great. It also at times seems strikingly similar to Good Omens, so don’t be surprised.

There’s no anti-christ in this story, he already has a book about himself so let’s not make another one besides there are other stories that need to be told. Such as, have you ever heard of modern day prophets and I’m not talking about those people with cardboard signs saying “the end is near!” or giant churches with people preaching about the end times. No, I’m talking about a kid with messy hair and dark circles under their eyes because sleep is no longer a choice due to migraines that plague them every night. Migraines that bring weird cryptic messages that make one question their own sanity. And what happens when strange people start asking about said migraines and messages?

Virago: Fantasy, Thriller, Historical Fiction, and Romance.

I’m not a huge fantasy reader, for some reason I can’t stay invested in them, but here I am with a fantasy story in my wips. It has mages, knights, assasination plots, and one super badass general who takes zero shit from her king. That’s right women empowerment, my dudes! I don’t really have much of a synopsis inline or a plot because this is only of those wips I let rattle around in my brain from time to time. But I will say it does give me that LOTR vibe but also Game of Thrones.  

Don’t be surprised if you see my stray doggos from time to time because I will admit I love to play around with storyboards. Even if I don’t have a fully planned out plot put together for it.

And that concludes this what was supposed to be short Writeblr Intro. I hope I have peaked some of your guys’ interests because the community definitely got a hold of minee. Feel free to send me a message about anything I mentioned (even if it’s just fandom shit I don’t care) and don’t be shy. I’m a huge introvert but somehow love talking, so don’t worry it won’t be awkward and odds are I’m equally nervous about conversation lol. Also, feel free to add me to any taglist and reblog/like if you’re active and would like more Writeblr mutuals!

Happy Writing,

Writings-from-the-Hart

[itsjayjensen]

10 (+8) Questions Tag

Tagged by @authordai Took me forever to do it because I’ve been super busy

1. Pen Name - Yay or Nay and why?

I actually use a pen name. J.L. is my first and middle initial and Jensen is a made up last name. Mostly because my last name would feel pretentious to put on a book (My real last name is Read)

2. What 3 books are must reads in your opinion?

The Dark Half and The Outsider by Stephen King and The Savior’s Champion by Jenna Moreci.

3. Do you add Easter Eggs aka hidden references into your stories?

I don’t think I did but honestly I use references for everything that I don’t even notice 

4. Where do you see yourself in five years - in regards of writing?

My novella or a book of short stories published (Whichever I can put together first, I’m working on both my novella and my short stories, which is why it’s taking me forever to edit)

5. Name your favorite character of all time (all the other books)

George Stark from The Dark Half by Stephen King. High toned son of a bitch

6. Name your favorite character of all time (your books)

Justice from Infection is my favorite because she’s such a strong woman. I love her.

7. Are there any skills (aside from writing) that you learned because of/for your WIP?

I don’t think so? I mean I learned a lot but I don’t think I learned any skills.

8. How would you want to see your writing published?

I want to be traditionally published just because I don’t have the assets or anything to self publish and for it to actually sell but honestly if I ever do get said assets, I wouldn’t be against self publishing.

9. What is one thing other writers can learn from you?

Probably nothing important, just that I’m pretty dark with my writing lol

10. Do you have any uncommon sources of inspiration?

A lot of my inspiration comes from very common sources. Infection came from an episode of The Walking Dead that sparked my curiosity.

Extras

11. Describe the main character(s) of your story. Do you think you would be friends with them?

Caroline- Smart, skeptical. I would probably be friends with her I would just have to get used to her.

Alex- he has a very negative view on the world so I would definitely be friends with him

Bethany- She keeps to herself and doesn’t make friends, so I would not be friends with her.

Justice- Mother of three, also very skeptical. I’d def be friends with her.

David- Doctor, literally the nicest person you’ll ever meet, will do anything to avoid drama. I’d probably be friends with him

12. The weirdest thing you ever researched for a wip?

"How long does it take one to choke on their own vomit?” 

13.  What is more important to you, character or plot?

I personally think they go hand in hand.

14.  Plotter or pantser (or plantser)?

Plantser- I outline the bare necessities and then add on as I go

15.  Share a piece of writing advice that has really helped you! :)

Very simple quote my creative writing teacher in high school shared: “The first draft of anything is shit.”- Earnest Hemmingway

16.  Writing prompts, yay or nay?

It depends. I’ve had writing prompts that I absolutely hated but my most beloved short story, Donny, came from a creative writing prompt my senior year and it won a writing competition. It just depends on if I can actually picture a story happening or not.

17.  The weirdest thing that has inspired you?

My tattoo artist- I based a character off him. Haven’t used said character in any of my writing, but I have him planned out for when I need him

Oh and also my sophomore year in creative writing my teacher told us to just write something random and then said “I’ll collect your souls at the end of the semester” and I wrote a story about his big ass beard collecting souls and someone shaving his face and setting them free. He loved it. 

18.  If you had to write outside your genre what would you write?

I really love fantasy so maybe that