#i want to draw valerie more… i keep saying this about every character that pops up

[braisedhoney]

May I request Hunter's moon for my favorite hunter, Valerie :D

oh absolutely!! this palette fits her so well. i went with the original suit that vlad gave her. i’m kind of a sucker for the original simple design, it’s a good one. i should do a second one with the other suit (and a more dynamic pose lol)

(original color palette meme here!)

[missvalerietanner]

tagged by @jmhwriterblog​ and yeah, ‘course I’m gonna do writing stuff ;p

Rules: Answer the questions and then tag as many writers as there are questions answered (or as many as you can) to spread the positivity! Even if these questions are not explicitly brought up in the novel, they are still good to keep in mind when writing.

FIRST LOOK

(using The Seven Kings, ‘cause that’s what I’m wrapped up in right now)

1. Describe your novel in 1-2 sentences (elevator pitch)

The brutal assassination of a king sparks the partnership between a hated half-breed hungry for revenge and a well-educated prince whose father arranged said assassination. 

2. How long do you plan for your novel to be? (Is it a novella, single book, book series, etc.)

Editing the first book right now. Still need to finish its ending. And I was so excited, I might have already started to write the sequel... ‘bout two solid chapters in so far. AND there’s enough happening that it’d probably be a trilogy. 

3. What is your novel’s aesthetic?

I... suck at this question every time I see it.

I guess... I’mma have to go with redemption. 

4. What other stories inspire your novel?

Legend of Zelda for sure, mainly inspiration for the diverse kingdoms and people. And then, I dunno, there’s probably a little bit of every fantasy movie and book I’ve ever seen/read tucked in this story somewhere. 

5. Share 3+ images that give a feel for your novel

clicky - takes you to WeHeartIt

MAIN CHARACTER

6. Who is your protagonist?

Valerie Tanner and Eli Orphesis (named him during my Greek obsession)

7. Who is their closest ally?

They gain several throughout the story, but the main two are Roderick, a rancher and old friend of Valerie’s (practically a second father to her), and Elyn, one of the queen’s handmaidens who joins them on their journey. Oh and then Aaron pops up later, and he’s an old ally of Valerie’s as well. 

8. Who is their enemy?

Mainly: Darrean Orphesis (yep, Eli’s dad)

9. What do they want more than anything?

Valerie wants revenge for Garrett’s death, and Eli wants to forge a path to his own future, a future not doomed to exist in the shadow of his father.

10. Why can’t they have it?

Valerie: gaining revenge changes nothing; Garrett’s still dead, and she’s still an outsider

Eli: he has to grow up and learn who he is without his father’s title protecting him, and there are a LOT of tough lessons on the road ahead for my boy. 

11. What do they wrongly believe about themselves?

Valerie believes she’s completely alone and useless. She believes her life is worth little, and that spending her life in service to better people/better men is the best she can do.

Eli ... is pretty arrogant, so his are kinda negative. He believes he’s untouchable, that he’s immune to certain feelings (like pity and loss). He thinks he has all the answers.

12. Draw your protagonist! (Or share a description)

Valerie: 28, 5′8″ (172 CM), weighs 135 pounds (yes, I did), lean and muscular, smaller-than-average bust size, wavy brown hair that ends between her shoulder blades, deep/dark brown eyes, Caucasian, Ossa tattoo on her upper left arm (all black ink), muscular stomach, narrow hips, fit legs, covered in old/faded scars from battle and/or training, wears: black trousers that fit tight, knee-high boots, a fit undershirt to keep the girls pinned down and covered (;p), and a loose white overshirt to keep her cool. 

Eli: ~26, 6′2″ (188 CM - people of his race are tall as fuck), blue skin (similar to Oxford blue but a hair lighter), black hair that is a bit shorter than shoulder-length and he keeps it in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck (sexy!), bright golden eyes, muscular and well-built, hands lack callouses (only trained, never fought), no scars or wounds, wears proper royal clothes like a prince should (tunic, trousers, knee-high boots, waistcoat, the works)

PLOT POINTS

13. What is the internal conflict?

Learning to accept help, realizing that people are more than their pasts or their titles and especially their race

14. What is the external conflict?

A power-hungry king and his massive army of well-trained, well-armed soldiers who are all purebloods, so they all have magical abilities.

15. What is the worst thing that could happen to your protagonist?

For Valerie, losing the people she loves who she tries to protect. She’s watched so many die. She tends to be pretty self-sacrificing because she’d rather jump in harm’s way and die if it means saving someone else. (She has some self-esteem issues as well, so wanting to be someone’s shield makes her feel useful, and therefore, good. She also values others’ lives over her own.)

For Eli... Failure’s a big one for him. He’s probably afraid to die, but I’d say failing and letting down those around him is worse. His mother went to great lengths to make sure he was cultured and well-educated, so with all his knowledge, if he fails, yeah, that’d probably be what would crush him more than anything. 

16. What secret will be revealed that changes the course of the story?

Probably the reveal of Eli’s power. He was never trained as a child like he should’ve been (for reasons!), and so since he’s a pureblood, his powers developed on their own. He’s powerful but uncontrolled, so his abilities start leaking out, so to speak, on their own.

The reveal of what his power actually is, is a good moment. It’s subtle, but as each of the other characters begin to realize just how much power he wields, they also start to realize how REAL everything is becoming: like the war, their chances of survival, etc.  

17. Do you know how it ends?

Yes. I know the jist. I know what I’m aiming for. How I get there, I dunno, and what’s said or done when we get there, I dunno. 

I know which port I want to dock in. Just not what it looks like. 

;p

(I swear I am not drinking.)

BITS AND BOBS

18. What is the theme?

Hmm... unity for sure, redemption’s a big one, some focus on equality, but I’d say mostly it’s about people finding their place in the world by following their own intuitions rather than falling into the role provided for them or forced upon them. 

[cue Disney music]

19. What is a reoccurring symbol?

Valerie has a tattoo on her upper left arm that marks her as a member of Ossa, so basically an outsider. After what happens in the opening chapters, she keeps the tattoo hidden whenever possible. But its meaning causes some tension with... basically everyone she meets. 

...there’s probably others, but I can’t think of any that don’t require a lot of explaining... and I was pretty vague on the tattoo for reasons.

20. Where is the story set? (Share a description)

In the country of Nubrya (hate the name, can’t find one yet to replace it). It’s the border country on a massive continent and is encircled by three (possibly four or five... haven’t finished plotting the map) other countries to its east, west, and north. The south of Nubrya is open to the water. Its eastern edge rises into steep cliffs overlooking coves dug into the mountain side to house the nation’s ships during the winter. The western border levels off into desert. The north is rocky terrain, isolated, and sitting on a raised plateau, so every step from the heart of Nubrya upward is a hike. And to the northeast, there is a massive mountain range, upon which one of the Seven Kingdoms sits. And to the east/southeast (before the cliffs) are the farms and vineyards of the country.

Every type of landscape and temperature zone and climate is represented. 

21. Do you have any images or scenes in your mind already?

Since the first book’s finished except for a few scenes and the final fight leading up to the already-written ending, most of the scenes are already down on paper. The second book, however, oh, boy! I have SO much planned and cannot wait for the willingness to write it down. XD

22. What excited you about this story?

I originally wrote this story back in high school. As you can tell by my username, I’ve kept the characters with me through the years. :] Recently (meaning last year, I think), I got to thinking about the original story from high school (titled: “The Unknown Soldier,” I think), and I missed it. So I dug out the original copy, started reading it, and by about, oh I dunno, page 2, I was ready to hang myself ‘cause the writing was THAT BAD.

But the plot was a good one. The characters were half-developed, but they had the potential to be so much better. So I remolded them, fleshed them out, added a ton more characters, revamped the settings, added MORE settings, dumped in a whole bunch of emotional turmoil, updated some names, increased the stakes tenfold, added more magical/fantasy elements, and landed these characters in a MUCH better story. 

A lot about the story excites me, but to know I revitalized an old story, pried it off the gurney, and zapped it back to life--a life better than the one it had before--that excites me. :]

23. Tell us about your usual writing method!

Frantic. Messy.

I write scenes as they come to me. Stitch them together later with transitions, and edit to fix any time lapses or to plug in missing information. I do outline, but they look like this:

Guy does this thing. it’s cool, but not too cool. Then girl finds out. And note for later: the girl’s really a guy. OH! And remember by scene five to put in a live rooster or else the whole chicken joke won’t make ANY SENSE. End with badass scene with knives. RESEARCH: knives.

Hey, I just made that up on the spot. Welcome to my brain.

But that’s the basic idea behind what my outlines look like. XD Except, I do usually write my outlines in ALL CAPS and important items are bolded or highlighted. But that’s a minor detail.

Rooster.

...

Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

NOW GO WRITE! (or tag yourself and do this. T’was fun.)

[what-even-is-thiss]

Gender bender au

[newsbiteswithjennysok]

July 30, 2019

1. It's been a good year for Brie Larsen. The ups weren't without some downs though, calling off her engagement to musician Alex Greenwald in January.

But it appears she's moved on as she was spotted Tuesday locking lips with a handsome mystery man.

The new couple then took their romantic outing to a theater in Malibu, where Larson had a bouquet in hand from the market.

Larson got engaged to 39 year old Greenwald in 2016 after several years of dating.

In January, a source close to the couple told People: 'They have taken a step back from their engagement for the time being but they remain close.'

2. According to Entertainment Tonight, Cabello, 22, and Mendes, 20, are a definitely a thing and they've 'really fallen for each other.'

The 'Never Be The Same' hitmaker has sparked speculation that she and her 'Senorita' collaborator are dating after they started spending more time together following her split from 32-year-old love guru Matthew Hussey last month.

And, although they were initially claiming they were just friends, she and Shawn are reportedly 'committed to working on a relationship.'

'Shawn and Camila originally were just enjoying spending time together and having a summer fling. Camila had just got out of a relationship and Shawn was in the middle of a massive tour,' a source told ET.

'However, Shawn and Camila have really fallen for one another.'

3. Tanoai Reed spent nearly 20 years as Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's stunt double.

He's stood-in on The Scorpion King, Fast & Furious franchise, Hercules and more.

The Hawaiian, 45, has broken bones, torn ligaments and severe muscle damage.

Reed, 6ft 3in and 260lb, has to mirror Johnson's exercise routine and diet.

The pair's favorite cheat foods are pizza and doughnuts and share food spots.

Johnson even bought him a new truck last year in an emotional video.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's stunt double of nearly 20 years has revealed their exercises routines, diets and the favorite unhealthy snacks they both indulge in.

In between films, Reed recommends taking long periods without exercising specific areas in order to let muscles and other injuries heal.

He keeps his physique in check with stretching and yoga to ensure the muscles remain loose.

Each routine changes every couple of months, he told the site, and for every sessions they spend up to 1 hour 30 minutes training one specific body part.

'You’re not going to get more results from staying in the gym,' Reed told the site.

'You’ve got to work out the muscles, then rest and recuperate. That’s when you make your gains, is the rest time.'

Johnson has a chef preparing his meals for a new role, 'weighing out to the ounce,' counting his macros and ensuring he eats every two hours.

Meanwhile Reed who does not have access to the same facilities, often uses 16-hour intermittent fasting, where he will only eat for eight hours of the day.

He also revealed that while they work hard they play hard too, with both of them sharing a strong passion for their two favorite unhealthy snacks.

Reed said: 'Dwayne and I share a love for donuts. He’ll actually get donuts from certain places and send them to me, or bring a box to set from somewhere else.

'Pizza too. We’ll always share our newfound pizza and donut spots with each other.'

4. Tarek El Moussa was 'spotted kissing' reality star Heather Rae Young, 31, in Redondo Beach this weekend, who looks shockingly similar to his ex-wife Christina Anstead.

The 36-year-old home renovation expert looked cozy with his new lady love, a former Playboy Playmate with golden blonde hair and a deep tan.

5. Jason Momoa is fine with a little flab. The hunky matinee idol was photographed shirtless earlier this month on vacation with wife Lisa Bonet in Italy as online users commented on his fuller appearance.

'Oh, that's alright,' the laid-back Hawaiian native, 39, told TMZ on Tuesday. 'No, not at all,' he added when asked if the negative attention bothered him.

And the carefree answer came after the handsome hunk was reunited with his Game Of Thrones costar Emilia Clarke at his surprise 40th birthday party on Saturday.

6. Hannah Brown got engaged to Jed Wyatt on the season finale of The Bachelorette on Tuesday, but quickly dumped him after feeling betrayed.

The 24-year-old former beauty queen after getting engaged to Jed, 25, learned that he lied to her about having a girlfriend immediately prior to the taping of the show.

'I am not with Jed anymore,' she told host Chris Harrison, 48, as she filmed the show's follow-up After The Final Rose in a Los Angeles studio.

To truly close the book on the relationship, she then asked his competition, fan favorite Tyler Cameron, 26, out on a date.

The revelation that Nashville singer/songwriter Jed had been dating someone right before he met her had totally devastated Hannah, and made her wonder whether he had simply used her to promote his career.

7. The backlash against Quentin Tarantino‘s latest film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” has gained a new voice: Bruce Lee’s daughter.

Shannon Lee spoke out to The Wrap in an interview published Monday, saying she was disappointed with the way Tarantino portrayed her father in the film.

“He comes across as an arrogant a–hole who was full of hot air,” Shannon said of her father’s portrayal in the film, which she saw Sunday.

In it, Bruce (played by Mike Moh) trades insults with Brad Pitt‘s stuntman character Cliff Booth, and the pair eventually engage in a best-of-three brawl, which ends in a draw before being interrupted.]

“I can understand all the reasoning behind what is portrayed in the movie,” Shannon said. “I understand that the two characters are antiheroes and this is sort of like a rage fantasy of what would happen … I understand they want to make the Brad Pitt character this super bad-ass who could beat up Bruce Lee.”

8. Goop director of brand partnerships and Instagram influencer Marissa Fuchs, whose “surprise” engagement — complete with a pitch deck sent to brands — went viral, has “been exiled” following the arguably tacky stunt, according to a source.

Page Six heard fashionistas tittering in the Hamptons this weekend that Fuchs — who goes by the handle @fashionambitionist on the social platform, where she has 184,000 followers — had tried to attend a party hosted by H&M at Crow’s Nest on Thursday in Montauk, LI.

“She wasn’t invited and was turned away,” says a source. “She’s been exiled.”

But a source close to Fuchs insists she was at the spot with pals for dinner, and spontaneously decided to go down to the lake — where the bash was held — to have a drink with a view.

“It was a private event, and she asked to go in for one drink and the guard told her, ‘If I let in one person, [I] have to let in 20.’”

A rep for H&M told us “This was a very intimate private dinner with a set capacity. We always welcome new friends to the brand and would love to include her in future events.”

Fuchs gained international attention back in June when she was sent on a multi-day scavenger hunt to find the spot where her then-boyfriend, Gabriel Grossman, planned to propose to her.

It was later revealed that the proposal had been pitched to brands to have their products involved months before Grossman surprised Fuchs by popping the question.

9. It’s a big news day for Real Housewives of Atlanta exes! Earlier today we shared the news that Phaedra Parks’ ex-husband Apollo Nida has been re-released from federal prison in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Kenya Moore’s troubled ex Matt Jordan has seemingly balanced the karma jail scales by getting arrested in Arizona after allegedly punching his girlfriend in the face in a Denny’s parking lot.

Matt (full name Matthew Jordan) was arrested in Pinal County, Arizona on Saturday and booked on multiple charges that include aggravated assault, theft, and threats/intimidation with damage to property. He was also charged with trespassing from an outstanding warrant in nearby Maricopa County from an incident in early April.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, the altercation was between Matt and his girlfriend Valerie Bell. Valerie alleges that “Matt punched her in the face at a Denny’s parking lot in the early hours of Saturday morning — this in the presence of a second woman, who says she witnessed it go down.” It’s important to note that Matt is a trained boxer.

10. Numerous 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days fans were shocked to find out that Season 2 star Ricky Reyes was still married when he ventured to Colombia to date Melissa and then Ximena — the latter of which he eventually proposed to. And it may shock fans to know that even after all of Ricky’s ridiculous antics on screen, he and his wife Natalia are still legally married. However, it appears that won’t be the case for very long as Natalia officially filed for divorce last month, which included a protective order preventing Ricky from seeing their young daughter Kira.

According to online records, initially posted by 90 Day Fiance social media mogul John Yates, Natalia filed for divorce on June 17. The filing included the temporary protective order, which was signed by a judge on June 28.

In the filing, it is revealed that Ricky must have been accused of “family violence,” which he denies. The motion also states that Ricky was unaware of the initial court hearing, a claim that appears to be corroborated by the fact that Ricky was not officially served until mid-July. (Ricky’s filing states that he was served on July 16, while Travis County court records indicate that service was executed on July 19.)

Ricky denies that he was responsible for any sort of “family violence” in the motion, but he has suggested many times over the past four months that he’s done things he regrets — including his appearance on 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days. Back in March, everything seemed to be going well for Ricky after he quit drinking and smoking and began to focus on his health.

However, just a day after posting a positive update about his progress, Ricky checked himself into a mental health facility. “Officially lost it, my will and strength,” Ricky wrote the day he checked in. “Will be gone for [a] couple of days…I’m upset at myself for losing composure…Need to make finer adjustments…Bye.” The post was accompanied by a cover of the Trent Reznor song “Hurt.”

Ricky would later issue apologies to his wife Natalie and his former fiancée Ximena, although neither appeared to be very receptive to his contrition. “Delete that photo,” Ximena responded in the comments of his post. “I’m getting tired of your immaturity and desire to be noticed and appreciated and no one believes in your lies loser.”