#leigh bardugo is good too

[lucyfishwife]

Reading a lot of urban fantasy (etc) For Research Purposes, although also because I like the genre, BUT when you read a whole bunch in one gulp you do start to find a lot of lazy common tropes, so offered here without comment (ha ha of COURSE with comment):

1) relentlessly BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. Where’s the surprise that they fall in instalove when she has purple eyes and “surprisingly full breasts for my slender frame”, and his chiselled abs seem to be his only defining feature? Apart from his mighty aubergine emoji. Sex is also great when you’re NOT attempting to force a bollard into a doughnut

2) the toxicity!! Women seriously find men attractive who call them “little one”, like they can’t be bothered to remember their name, and who basically badger them into sex? I have zero problem with Enemies To Lovers, but put some inventiveness into it. “I loathe you!” “And yet you will be mine, little one! I will kill every man who has ever touched you, possibly even your dentist!” Where’s everyone’s self-esteem? Oh right, the men have it all

3) please o merciful Fortuna, let me never again read a book in which “males” and “females” are the default descriptor, like we’re watching a documentary on fruit flies

4) I appreciate that it’s not necessary to always identify with the protagonist, but spare me a heroine who says Eww Boys and Ugh Kissing. We get it. Only his mighty aubergine emoji can reveal the true glories of yadda yadda yadda, penis vincit omnia

5) MATING BONDS. DESTINY WANTS US TO HAVE SEX AND WE ARE POWERLESS AGAINST IT. I had to go away and make some toast at this point to remind myself that there is simple goodness in this world

6) i may also have cleansed my head with six episodes of Girls 5 Eva, and some Chernobyl for balance

Footnote: ON THE PLUS SIDE, Heartbreak Incorporated by Alex de Campi gets five gold stars for foiling stereotype expectations, and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is the best dark academia I’ve read in ages

[heytheredelilacs]

ok last thought before i go to bed but my main struggle with soc is i ship literally everyone with everyone if i think about it long enough, even as duos and trios, pls help

[fortunatelychaoticphantom]

It is 2024, and I just read the Shadow and Bone trilogy for the first time in about a week. I am not okay.

[swanimagines]

I swear I'm canceling Netflix. Fucking money grabbers who demand Stranger Things leveled popularity to renew shows.

Also JUST MY LUCK that when I FINALLY am able to go meet the actors, both shows get cancelled :DDDDDDDD Fuck this shit.

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

A concept for your consideration: Kanej to, one of the most romantic songs ever, Something Good from The Sound of Music

Perhaps I had a wicked childhood

Perhaps I had a miserable youth

But somewhere in my wicked, miserable past

There must have been something good

For here you are

Standing there

Loving me

Whether or not you should

So somewhere in my youth

Or childhood

I must have done something good

[ejga-ostja]

Happy 2024

[kazscrows]

Do it for Leigh and Fred 🫶🪶

[molloytheboy]

This is really good u guys highly recommend got halfway through it today

[allylikethecat]

Update that nobody asked for: We were talking about books on here one night and I said I had started The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo and I have now finished it.

The verdict is that I liked it well enough, it was interesting but overall, I didn't like it nearly as much as Ninth House, HOWEVER the last 100ish pages were incredible and I wish the entire book had been as good as the last 100 pages. It's not one that I'm probably going to read again or am going to be aggressively yelling that people should read, BUT if you like historical fiction / historical fantasy, it could be worth the read. If you're planning on physically buying it, the hardcover edition is also very pretty with the sprayed edges.

[sarakiz]

Leigh Bardugo's shoutout to Isabeau via instagram!

[writers-potion]

Hi! I would like to ask if you could possibly give any tips on how to properly manage to introduce characters ?

Techniques for Character Introduction

There are many things you can consider for an impactful character introduction:

The Point of View of your novel

Whether your character is a POV character or not

The tone of your novel

What your character is like

In-Medias-Res

Immediately show the character in the middle of action.

Character(s) come into the scene running, fighting, laughing - whatever it is.

Good for leaving an impression

Could be an in-medias-res hook in the very opening of your novel, to introduce the main character.

Choose an action that "defines" the character. Perhaps it's something they do repeatedly (going to the gym at 5am every morning) or that shows a key part of their personality (digging through a large pile of laundry because they cannot keep their room clean)

Dialogue - Voice First

The character makes a voice entrance before we "see" them physically appear.

It helps the readers define the relationship between the character being introduced and the character that we've been following.

From Dan Brown's <Digital Fortress>:

"David?" "It's Strathmore," the voice replied. Susan slumped. "Oh," She was unable to hide her disappointment. "Good afternoon, Commander." "Hoping for a younger man?" The voice chuckled. "No, sir," Susan said.

In these few lines, we already know (1) Strathmore is Susan's boss, (2) quite high-ranking in some military/governmental/secret agency (commander??) (3) is male (4) has a sense of humor (5) seems to be quite friendly with his employees, etc.

By using phone conversations, you can also show how the POV/main character truly feels about the character on the phone - there's no need to make appearances. Perhaps they frown, or attempt to throw their phone on the wall in frustration while the other talks.

Via Another Character

This is where characters in the story talk about the characters even before they are introduced.

Often used with villains/characters with popularity in the story world.

Example: "You've heard of Joe, of course."/ "I'm sorry, who?" /"The president of Book Club? Red hair, freckles?"

Simple Intro with direct characterization

Sometimes, just writing a brief description about the character can be effective, especially if you have some backstory that really, really need to be there before the readers start following the character.

Here's a passage from Leigh Bardugo's <The Familiar>:

"Dona Valentina had been raised by two cold, distracted parents who felt little towards her beyond a vague sense of disappointment in her tepid beauty and the unlikelihood that she would make a good match. She hadn't. Don Marius Ordono possessed a dwindling fortune..."

The key here: provide interesting detail. There's no fun in saying, "Dona Valentina wasn't too pretty, so she had to marry Don Marius Ordono with little wealth." An image of a girl neglected by her parents and bartered for wealth is much more captivating.

Slow & Mysterious Setup

This one is harder to execute than the others on this list, but when done properly, it can produce a beautiful effect where the readers know who you're talking about without you ever having to name them.

An excellent example of this is how Marcus Zusak introduces Death (with capital D, who's the narrator of the story):

"I could introduce myself properly, but it's not really necessary. You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables."

"Your soul will be in my arms." "I will carry you gently away."

Death continues to talk about his "job" like the above until it becomes enough for the reader to catch on.

Drop enough hints for your readers to recognize the character

Works best with an archetypal character - devil, vampire, demon, angels...some figure with distinct features that even when described mysteriously, will be noticeable.

Showing Attitude - For POV characters

Present a peculiar line of thought or show some attitude that makes the character immediately interesting.

This works wonderfully with POV characters - by giving the reader a crucial piece of the POV character's mindset to set the overall tone of the novel.

From Rick Riordan's <Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief>:

"Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood. If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advise is: close this book right now."

Percy (the POV character) goes on a bit like this before we get his name, etc. in the subsequent section.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

💎If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! Also, join my Tumblr writing community for some more fun.

💎Before you ask, check out my masterpost part 1 and part 2 

[true-bluesargent]

MET LEIGH BARDUGO!!!! absolutely insane scenes

just realised that IM MEETING LEIGH BARDUGO. TOMORROW. this is wild what do i wear how do i act

[thatwritergirlsblog]

Advice for Creating a Magic System

As a fantasy author, I thought I'd share my 5 tips for creating a captivating magic system.

1. Are you writing low fantasy or high fantasy?

Firstly, it's good to know from the get-go whether you're creating a magic system for a low fantasy or high fantasy story.

Low fantasy doesn't necessarily mean there are less fantastical elements or that the story has to take place in a version of the real world. Low fantasy simply indicates that the fantasy elements/magic is not commonplace in that world. Magic and other fantasy elements exist, but only a privy few know about it.

Examples of low fantasy stories include Harry Potter by She Who Shall Not be Named, the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and my book To Wear A Crown.

High fantasy, on the other hand, indicates that the fantastical elements and magic are known about and commonplace in that world. The people of the world know that magic exists, that there are fantastical beings, other races etc.

Examples of high fantasy stories include Eragon by Christopher Paolini, Crescent City by Sarah J Maas, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien, and Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.

2. Hard magic systems vs soft magic systems

The next thing that's vital to decide is whether you're creating a hard or soft magic system.

A hard magic system has built-in limitations. There are certain things that magic can do and that's it. Examples of stories with hard magic systems include Avatar: The Last Airbender and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

A soft magic system doesn't have inherent limitations in relation to what it can achieve. Examples of soft magic systems include Eragon, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.

3. What can magic do?

Now that you know whether you're writing low or high fantasy, and whether you're working with a hard or soft magic system, it's time to create some magic!

This is the part where I can't give you too much guidance, because it's all about your creativity.

What do you want magic to look like in your story? What do you want magic to be able to achieve? How big of a role do you want magic to play in the story and your characters' lives?

Do you want different classes of magic wielders, each with mastery over their own element? Do you want magic to be a flexible tool that can be used to achieve almost anything? Do you want your magic to be limited to telepathic actions or creating portals? Do you want different people to have power over different aspects of nature or different magical disciplines?

Can wielders use magic without any tools, or do they need spells, runes or rituals?

The possibilities are endless, but it's important to establish exactly what magic is capable of in your world.

4. How does it work and where does it come from?

Now we know what the magic can do. Next up is why it can do those things. Where does the power of the magic come from and how do wielders command it?

Does the power/force of magic come from within the wielder? Does it draw from inner life force and energy? Does it draw on energy from another realm or dimension? Does it pull from the surrounding natural elements? Does the power come from a deity or from demonic forces?

Identify the source/origin of the magic.

From there, elaborate on how it works. How does a wielder access the source of the magic? Is it through strength of will, incantations, selling their soul etc.?

For example, let's say that the power of your world's magic comes from the cosmic energy of another dimension. In order for wielders to access that energy, they draw specific sigils on their skin and these sigils act as portals to that world. Once the sigil is complete, the cosmic power flows into the wielder and they can now command it.

5. The limitations

Very importantly, you have to be clear on the limitations of your magic system. Fantasy magic systems often fall flat because they don't have clear confines.

If you're writing a hard magic system, this step is a bit easier, since there are inherent restrictions on what magic can do. With soft magic systems, you have to decide just how much magic is capable of.

But whether you're writing a hard or soft magic system, you need to consider the cost of using magic.

Does the use of magic drain the wielder's energy? Does each instance of using magic darken the wielder's soul or deteriorate their body further? Does using magic damage the natural world around the wielder or drain others of their life force?

Magic without a cost, limitations or consequences just isn't as captivating.

Reblog if you liked these tips. Comment with your own advice. Follow me for similar content.

[justanotherfanaccount]

I have seen too many posts hating on the second season and honestly guys

yeah it was different from the books

but we KNEW THAT GOING IN

Leigh bardugo literally told us to think of it like a high-budget fanfiction

and if the author of the books is okay with it! we should be too!!

let's look at the good parts!

the actors are phenomenal!

they changed the storyline enough that I WAS QUESTIONING WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN NEXT which is SUPER COOL since I already read the books it was like getting to read them for the first time ALL OVER AGAIN

the kanej scenes... point blank. they were so beautifully done and the scene in the church in episode 8 was WORD FOR WORD

honestly though I was disappointed originally that wesper wasn't a slow burn...it was SUPER CUTE they had great chemistry and I was happy with it!!

let's not forget the change in the darklings ending!! it was so heartbreaking!! I was over here hoping she WOULDN'T kill the man!!

the add-in with the sword!?!?! extraordinary!! and we got to see all those cool hallucinations AND jesper learn to love his blessing (I know some people thought it was too fast and I get that but...they were pretty sure they weren't gonna get a 3rd season)

I could add SO MUCH MORE like honestly feel free to repost this with other moments because I honestly thought the show was AMAZING

it was not the book. point blank.

if you want the original storyline...it still exists in the book. so separate the two. think of it as it's own thing and you'll see how incredible this season truly was.

[stromuprisahat]

“Are you worried about Nina being out there?” Inej asked. “No.” “She’s very good at this, you know. She’s a natural actress.” “I’m aware,” he said grimly. “She can be anything to anyone.” “She’s best when she’s Nina.” “And who is that?” “I suspect you know better than any of us.” He crossed his huge arms. “She’s brave,” he said grudgingly. “And funny.” “Foolish. Every last thing needn’t be a joke.” “Bold,” Inej said. “Loud.” “So why do your eyes keep searching the crowd for her?” “They do not,” Matthias protested. She had to laugh at the ferocity of his scowl. He drew a finger through a pile of crumbs. “Nina is everything you say. It’s too much.” “Mmm,” Inej murmured, taking a sip from her mug. “Maybe you’re just not enough.”

Six of Crows- Chapter 21 (Leigh Bardugo)

Every last thing needn't be a joke is criticism of rather appealing quality to me as "Laughing Beast" Czech.

Matthias is struggling with wanting a woman that's everything his ideal shouldn't be. Not only as Grisha, but personality-wise.

Maybe you're just not enough. is a pretty good point, and what I appreciate about Matthias- he'll take it as an impulse to change.

[sprnklersplashes]

I finished hell bent by leigh bardugo last night and I did enjoy it and while I don't want to compare it too much to six of crows I did appreciate the continuation of the idea that being a quote-unquote good person is privilege that not everyone is afforded and a lot of the people who pride themselves on being "good people" have simply never been in the position where they had to be anything else