#one of my favorite things is to hear others ideas and drawing prompts

[dreamersdwell]

Milk definitely has one of my favorite costumes //^^//

[spotsupstuff]

hi i just wanted to say that your world building and characterization for ur ocs is absolutely amazing like!!!! i’ve been reading through it for god knows how long today and it’s genuinely so impressive how well thought out and detailed every location and relationship and character is. sorry if this is random but yeah i just wanted to put it out there cause it’s so cool <333

aaaaaa thank uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

dw bout bein a lil random, nice words can never hurt!!! i'm glad to hear that all of 'em bufoons are bein enjoyed

[writingquestionsanswered]

how to be more creative?

Three Steps to Being More Creative

Step One: Filling Your Creative Well

You can't create something out of nothing. You need not just the right tools and medium, but also knowledge, ideas, and skills to help you know what to do with those tools and that medium.

Ideas come from the data that's already stored in our brains. That data comes from a variety of places: your day-to-day life, your life experiences, what you hear about others' day-to-day lives and experiences, your experiences with the people and places around you, etc. Any little thing your brain absorbs can become an idea.

So, the number one thing you need to do if you want to be more creative is to fill your head with ideas. I like to call this "filling your creative well," because it's all about filling up your brain with a variety of experiences, stories, and experiences so that you have someplace to draw from when you need ideas.

Guide: Filling Your Creative Well will walk you through how to do that.

Step Two: Learn to Take Creative Risks

Another important part of being more creative is learning to take creative risks. By trying a variety of creative endeavors, even if they're not something you think you'll be good at, and by trying new things in current creative endeavors, you can exercise and expand your creativity. For example, grab a friend or family member and head to one of those "paint and sip" places where they guide you through doing a painting. Alternatively, a lot of craft stores offer free and inexpensive classes that teach you how to do different crafts. You could also go on YouTube and learn how to do something you've never tried before, like origami, crocheting, or calligraphy. Even doing things like building and decorating homes in The Sims, decorating homes or your island in Animal Crossing, or any game where you get to exercise creative choice is a good way to try new things and take creative risks. For writing, try doing some writing prompts or participating in a writing challenge, like a six-word story contest or challenge yourself to turn a favorite song into an actual story (just for fun and personal use.) If you've never written fan-fiction before, try that! Or try writing a story in a genre you've always wanted to write but never have before. Even reading a book, watching a TV show or movie, or playing a game in a new genre can help expand your creative horizons.

Step Three: Let Go of a Need for Perfection

One of the biggest enemies of creativity is a feeling that everything you create needs to be perfect, and this is such an unfortunate thing because most things that require creativity are not things you're ever going to do perfect the first time. So if you can't get past this need to be perfect, you'll never be able to exercise and grow your creativity. So, don't be afraid to paint a bad painting, crochet an uneven scarf, fold a lopsided paper crane, or write a bad story. The point isn't to be perfect or even good. The point is to do it, because even bad art is good practice.

And... if you just wanted to know how to be more creative within a story you're writing, all of the above advice still stands. Fill your creative well, take creative risks, and let go of a need for perfection. ♥

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[captainsophiestark]

The Curse of the Sun and the Moon

Klaus Mikaelson x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2023!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Day 7 Prompt: "Do you recognize this?"

Summary: Klaus' SO is writing their doctoral dissertation on cross-culture myths. Much to their irritation, Klaus knows a thing or two about those.

Word Count: 1,877

Category: Humor, Fluff, maybe a tiny bit of angst?

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"Love? Hello, can you hear me?"

Slowly, I turned my head away from the paper in front of me, still not taking my eyes off the drawings. A hand waved in front of my face too, but I ignored it.

"What do you want, Nik?" I muttered, only half paying attention to him.

"I want to know you haven't gone into a coma," he whined, flopping down into the chair next to me. I cracked the tiniest smile, but didn't let my train of thought wander from the work in front of me.

"I haven't gone into a coma," I repeated. I didn't say anything else after that and neither did Nik for a moment, until he sighed.

"You must understand why I'm concerned when you respond to my questions like you're in a trance."

I sighed, making a last note before finally looking up at Nik with a tired smile.

"I'm sorry, babe. I know I've been pretty wrapped up in all this lately, but I'm writing a doctoral dissertation in folklore and mythology. I've kinda got my hands full, and if I don't put in the hours to get this done right, it's all going to be for nothing."

Nik rolled his eyes dramatically before fixing me with a look.

"You know, if you just became a vampire with me, you wouldn't have to worry about things like school and work anymore."

I narrowed my eyes. "If I ever make the decision to become a vampire with you, all I'm going to do is go back to college for more degrees and studying. I love doing this, even if it makes me want to walk into the ocean sometimes. All eternity is going to do is enable me to throw any kind of practical job application for my studies out the window."

Nik sighed heavily, but he had a smile on his face all the same.

"I probably could've guessed that answer, couldn't I?"

"Probably."

We shared a smile, and then my attention drifted back to the paper in front of me. I stared at it for a few moments, still half-aware of Nik watching me fondly, when an idea struck like lightning.

"Wait, Nik... I just thought of something." I rushed to turn the paper around on my desk so it faced Nik instead of me. "Do you recognize this? I mean, you've been around for a thousand years. Chances are probably decent that you know something about this, right?"

Nik stared at the paper for a minute, then slowly looked up at me, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"What did you say you're doing your dissertation on again?"

"I'm focusing on myths that appear to transcend cultures throughout history. There's a couple examples of stories and legends that exist in basically the same form in cultures that had no contact. This one, usually referred to as something along the lines of 'the curse of and the sun and the moon', is the main one I've decided to focus on. So... any chance you can tell me anything about it?"

Nik's tiny smile turned into a full on grin, a twinkle in his eyes as he looked at me. My heart leapt.

"Oh my gosh, you totally know something! Tell me, I can't wait. I'm gonna have to find some sources other than you if I want to put it in my paper, but-"

"This is mine, love," he said. I stared at him, trying to process what his words meant, but I came up empty-handed.

"What do you mean? Is this copy of the myth yours?"

"In a way."

Nik looked back down at the illustration depicting the curse, this one of Aztec origin. It was my favorite of the versions I'd found, although the same curse had also appeared in Roman scrolls and a half-dozen other cultures from around the world. He ran his finger over the lines of the drawing fondly.

"I drew this."

My mouth dropped open, and I looked quickly between Nik, the drawing, and back again.

"What... what do you mean you drew this? This is an Aztec myth from the 13th century-" I stopped short as my mind finally caught up. "...which I guess you were alive for..."

Nik smiled and kicked back in his chair, ankles crossed and a proud expression on his face. I just stared at him in shock.

"There is no such thing as the Curse of the Sun and the Moon, love," he said. "The real thing is the Hybrid curse, placed on me. A long time ago, Elijah and I planted this myth in cultures all over the world to get every single werewolf and vampire in the world looking for the components I needed to break my own curse. And it worked."

Nik finished his explanation with a smirk, but I didn't react. I just kept staring at him, my brain going through the equivalent of a computer's blue screen of death. This could not be possible.

"Hold on a second," I said, holding up a hand to stop my own swirling thoughts before looking at Nik again. "Let me get this straight. You drew this ancient Aztec drawing I have on my desk right now?"

"Yes."

"And you created the Roman scrolls I found that kick-started this project?"

"I did."

"And you completely made up the myth of the Curse and the Sun of the Moon, then did the ancient equivalent of editing it into a bunch of wikipedia articles to make everyone believe it was real, all so other werewolves and vampires would do the work of finding things you needed for you?"

"That's right."

"So this curse, this myth that permeates a dozen different, separate cultures, the cornerstone of my dissertation... is just a lie you made up a long time ago, that nobody ever disproved because you're just so fucking old you could create mythology at the same time that these ancient cultures actually existed?"

"Exactly."

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly. Then, my eyes snapped open, and I snatched up a scroll from the top of my desk and hucked it at my boyfriend.

"Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME NIK?" I cried, shooting out of my seat. Nik looked a little shocked, partly because the scroll had hit him smack in the face and then partly because I never got this kind of mad at him. "You can't just fake historical documents to serve your own purposes!"

"Technically, I didn't fake any historical documents. I made them at the same time in history that they're supposed to be from."

"DOESN'T COUNT! My whole dissertation is about examining the phenomena of cultures that had no interactions somehow telling the same stories. There's all kind of examples of it, but this was going to be my ace in the hole, and now I can't use it!"

"Sure you can," Nik said, at last standing from the chair. He was smart enough not to walk towards me, but I hurled a pillow from my chair at him anyway.

"No, I can't! What am I gonna say? Oh, well you see, all these different cultures had the same mythology without talking to each other because my boyfriend is a motherfucker who lied through his teeth to manipulate people, and he's old enough that he completely got away with it!"

Nik shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

"ARGH! I can't believe you- Oh my God."

"What?"

"The stupid fucking vampire myth was going to be another example supporting my dissertation. But that's gone now too. 'Oh, why do all these cultures have the same mythology about a curse and blood-drinking creatures who stalk the night?' Well that's simple, professors! It's because my boyfriend, one of those blood-drinkers, just kept showing up to plant a bullshit story and got other myths written about him in the process!"

"I'm still not seeing the problem, love, that sounds like an excellent presentation."

"NIKLAUS MIKAELSON! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

I rushed to close the distance between us, smacking him in the chest and then continuing to whack him in the shoulders, arms, and chest again.

"You. Can't. Just. Make. Up. Mythology. That. Influences. History. Forever. For KICKS!" I shouted, punctuating each word with a hit. Nik just watched me, not moving even half an inch from the force of my shoves, watching me rage with a small smile on his face.

"I've never seen you like this before, love," he said, his voice silky and low. It only made me want to hit him more. "I quite like it."

"UGH!" I shouted, turning away from Nik all the same. I stared at the desk, my mind finally getting into the later stages of processing. I'd have to completely ditch all this work. "Nik, this is the worst thing you've ever done. And I've dated you long enough to know about the bad things you've done. Holy shit, I'm going to have to ditch so much of this work. I'm going to have to completely change my topic, all because you're fucking ancient and a good artist and a better liar."

After a second, I felt Nik's arms slowly, gently wrap around me from behind. He rested his chin on my shoulder, nuzzling into my hair. Part of me still wanted to hit him, but not enough of me to actually do it.

"I'm sorry, love," he said, voice low and sweet. "Tell me what I can do to make it better."

I huffed a sigh through my nose. "You can tell me where Elijah is. He's a part of this too, I need to kill him next."

Nik chuckled, pulling me tighter to him. I relaxed a little bit into him.

"How about we start with a movie marathon of your choice, all of your favorite junk food, and I dagger any of my siblings who try to disturb you while you're working next week?"

I paused, thinking, dragging out the moment with a little hum. Nik kissed my cheek, slowly moving further along and down towards my neck, and after another minute I sighed.

"Fine. I guess we can start with relaxation and peace. But I am not getting over this any time soon. And I'm still going to attack Elijah the next time I see him."

"It's a deal."

"Of all the things I thought might be a challenge about dating a vampire, I never could've predicted 'destroys my doctoral dissertation by secretly being the subject of my dissertation'."

Nik snorted a little laugh in my ear. "And I never would've thought this would be the closest we came to a deal-braker for you, what with all the murdering I've done."

"I might not be able to claim the high ground on that front much longer."

I twisted around to look pointedly at Nik, but he just smiled right back at me. Wisely, he used his vampire speed to whisk me out of the room before I could look at my ruined dissertation again. This situation was absolutely, completely ridiculous, and I knew I'd probably still be processing for the next few decades. But I loved Nik and the rest of these stupid, lying, ridiculous, ancient vampires, and I'd keep loving them no matter what. Even if I wanted to kill them, sometimes, too.

****************

TVD/TO Taglist: @elenavampire21

[0ne-eyed-ghost]

YOU'RE SUCH A BACKSTABBER!!!! OH GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU'RE SUCH A SHIT-TALKER!!!!!!!!!!! RUN YOUR MOUTH MORE THAN ANYONE I'VE EVER KNOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! dayy 16 :] wdym i forgot 15 IM WORKING ON IT!!!!! harmonia's difficult 2 draw :boom: I KICK IT TO THE WINDD ill keep workin on it later, will prooobably be finished if i get motivation. we'll see ANYWAY BACKSTAB!!! oh nooo poor hear- SHUT UP!! SHUT UP HE DESERVES THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET ME TORTURE MY FAVORITES!!!!!!!!!!! anyway! this ones right before uhm. heart gets his other ring :grin: shadows r hard to like....... make prominent on paper HOPEFULLY it conveys the idea well enough !!!! gosh i love the close up of soul so much i cooked a bit too hard :pray: SURPRSINGLY I DIDNT SMUDGE IT TOO BADLY ??? i was expecting more graphite all over my hands but that was not the case........ i was tempted to color the lines for the other two but soul takes up the MOST of this page and its so aggressively him in my eyes. so. he gets priority in the color . :grin: shout out to kesha's backstabber i saw this prompt n instantly though of that song but. erm! no room for lyrics only comic panel!!!!!! scatters ive got things 2 be workin on :sweat_drops:

[birdies-aus]

Okie dokie sending it here because idk why I'm nervous I just is lol but okay okay

Hot nights and Wally a walking furnace and Kori and alien I headcanon also overheats hence her outfits showing a bit more skin, and in the middle poor Dick is suffering but will not leave Bec he literally can't Wally is a octopus of a cuddler in his sleep he's trapped lol

Catboy Dickie Bec like, it so cute and Kori being a cat girl both just ugh!! So the braiding each other hair and adding bells and bows and Wally feeling left out being so sad so they do it to him.

Yuri times, cute little picnic dates??? In cute dresses??? And they're having fun??? Pog

Butch Kori and femme fem Dick, idk what to do more than I like it, and vise versa too if you enjoy differents

Only au of mine I'll add is Mei Dick and Kori are besties in it and still talk after Dick sold his soul to Lucifer, they still have frequent hangouts in a field of flowers even tho it doesn't exist anymore on earth, that's not a prompt tho just thought I tell ya because I'm rambling ahhhhhh

Protect the bird ^

And one angst prompt that been a fic in the making,,, Wally coming back from the mind trip of the speed force having to tell himself he's still here, and when the panic attack is coming on he called Dick to talk but.... He's off planet and he's about to lose it needing to talk to someone to tell him he's not on the speed force this ain't a trick.

And last idea, this is an au of mine but works with vampire king or reg vampire, Dick refusing to drink blood because he doesn't want to hurt his love ones but his two favorite gingers are trying to make him drink something because he needs to feed!!!

Okie dokie I go idk why I was nervous idk brain is being weird but uh yeah

Have a cookie 🍪 for putting up with this lol

out of all of these ideas my hands have given u butch4femme yuri dickkori doodle sluggy.. i used my friends ipad 4 this and on a sidenote i rlly hate using procreate lol

ANYWYAS ON TO THE ITHER THINGS YOUVE DROPPED FOR ME (i might doodle things 4 u more later just god my hands have not been working recently lol)

ill do a read more so i dont annoy anyone with long posts

i lobe the idea of both wally and kori running warm which is really nice for dick who gets cold easily- unless its in the summer somewhere where it gets like 100° but he still would never give up being able to cuddle his favorite people no matter how warm it gets trust trust meeee

Wally just pouts at catboy n catgirl dick n kori n then hes pulled into thwir little self care pile and he gets a little make over two- WHICH THE AFTER MATH WILL DEFINITELY BE SOMETHING I DRAW ACTUALLYYYYTT that sounds so cuute itll be its own post ill tag u in tho

okok but like my yuri cowgirl au but kori kidnaps her girls sometimes to take them out on a picnic date outside of town n sometimes it turns into a little-

williows never to be trusted with horse riding/steering bc she trues to go as fast as possible (without hurtting or straining the horse ofc) btw

Its a very common sight to see kori or willow dragging robin somewhere after catching her in rope btw its do silly in my head- its how they make sure shes taking care of herself and not getting caught up in mystery shenanigans

Aahhh kori n dick in ur mei au making flowercrowns togetherr hehe

kori n wally being over protective over their favorite birdd ♡♡♡♡

CRYINNGGF AT U FOR THE ANGST yk dick would panic when he gets home and hears a worrying voicemail from wallyyyyy sluggy pleaseee

ALSOOOO thats my favorite trooe in vampires but BUT ALAOSOOOO if wallys still a speedster hes like the best canidate for dick to drink blood from bc the guy would be able to replenish his blood quicker than a normal human meaning dick would be ablw to actually be full sometimes which would be very niceeeee-

[oftlunarialmoon]

5 Imaginary Play Prompts for Age Regressors / Agere - How to Play Pretend (Agere)

Ciao lovelies! Today I have another Agere post for you all! Sorry that it’s been so long since the last one, but I think you will really like this! Have you ever had trouble deciding what to do with your toys when you’re regressed? Do you feel kind of annoyed because it’s hard to pick a game or prompt to go off for pretend play? Well, I’ve got 5 pretend-play prompts for age regressors to talk to you all about today! Let’s get into this and learn how to play pretend, agere edition!

Imaginative play is a super important and fun part of life. As children, imagination shapes your problem solving skills and provides tons of entertainment. But as we get older physically, even if we’re still children on the inside, getting that inspiration back can be very very tricky. Society is somewhat built to suppress imagination in “adults,” so it’s not uncommon to feel like you’ve “lost your imagination” as you get older. What I’ve found that helps me when I want to begin a session of imaginary play, is something to begin with, like a prompt! In this post, I’ve listed and described 5 of my favorite imaginary play prompts that can be used with toys, stuffies, or even just in journaling or drawing! These prompts are the ones I use most often and I enjoy the most. There’s no ranking here, just five ideas in a random order. I really hope these can help those of you who are looking for a place to start when you’re wanting to voluntarily regress!

Idea 1: Game Show!

This first idea is something I find super fun, and it’s easy to customize it to whatever you prefer. The idea is essentially, set up a game show for your stuffies, dolls, toys, etc, whatever you want to do! You can be the game show host, or choose a toy to be the host and announcer. When picking the contestants, try to give them fun back-stories to affect the game! 

I like using this idea in various ways. Sometimes it’s similar to “Total Drama Island”. Sometimes I frame it as a task oriented game show like “Wheel of Fortune” or “Jeopardy!” Other times, I set it up like a cooking show, similar to things like “Great British Bake Off” or “Chopped”. 

You can also have fun with this by imagining the prizes or even crafting them! Sometimes I like to draw and cut out prizes like huge fake checks (like the ones on TV), or award badges. Other times, I like using a treasure chest as a “grand cash prize!” Adding my own touch to these things is really enjoyable and adds to the experience overall.

My last tip for this prompt is, the more outlandish and wild you make the contestants, the more fun you’ll have! Don’t be afraid to make certain characters fall into reality tv tropes, those sort of things are totally fun in this type of game. 

If you’ve used a prompt like this before, comment below how you set up your game show! I would totally love to hear more ideas.

Idea 2: Deserted Island / Shipwrecked

Okay, so this next idea is something I like doing with smaller toys, so I can give them a big island to explore. I usually pick like 3-5 “characters” who get stranded on a deserted island together and have to figure out survival. Sometimes I have items they brought with them, but not always. This is a fun idea if you like camping or outdoorsy type stuff. It can totally be played outside, but that’s not required. 

A tip for playing this inside: use blankets/towels to add different “zones” of play. For example, I like to use my orange Umaru blanket for sand type things, and blue towels or sheets for the ocean. This is helpful if it’s harder for you to visualize environments like that.

Some other ways to add to this prompt, I suggest having a variety of character types to play with. Not everyone can be amazing at survival stuff, and everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Giving everyone a different special skill can really help with that too. It’s fun to flesh out team dynamics in that way! It’s kind of like one-person-DnD.

It’s perfectly okay to use pre-established stories too! Sometimes I like to act out scenes from Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous with this prompt, or even have similar concepts to Jurassic Park 3. (I’m a huge Jurassic Park/World nerd, I know, lol!) There’s nothing wrong with using existing stories as a starting point or as a “script” of sorts. Imagination comes in all forms, and using inspiration is perfectly normal!

If you’ve played something like this before during your regression, (or childhood!), please comment below, I’d really like to hear the types of stories you use with your toys as well! I’m a huge fan of sharing concepts and ideas as a community, so hearing from you is always my favorite thing, and totally makes my day!

Idea 3: Detectives

This is one of my fave tropes/concepts in media, when a show has an episode where they have to solve a mystery! It’s super fun to watch and even more fun to act out. The way I like to play this one is usually pretty simple, but then escalates over the storyline. 

Usually, I first pick out what type of mystery is being solved. Murder Mysteries can be good (more on that in Idea 4,) but I also like heists, conspiracies, ancient magic, stuff like that! After picking the type of mystery, I like picking 2 characters to be a “watson and holmes” type duo. Sometimes I bring in more characters to work with them, like random experts that are relevant to the type of mystery, key witnesses, etc. 

One of my absolute favorite things to do in this scenario is adding in obstacles/roadblocks, the more absurd, the better. Art museum was robbed of their most valuable statue? 2 detectives begin the case, but the art museum’s cameras were off that day. Taking witness statements? Only two people saw the suspects, but neither person can see well without glasses, and neither were wearing them. Got a clue leading to an address? Turns out to be an ambush trap, and our detectives find out that this mystery is only the beginning to something bigger! Things like that really add to the story, and you can make them as crazy as you want, because you are the author of the story, so you can just invent any solutions to them that you want. It’s such an enjoyable thing to do. 

A tip for this prompt, I enjoy modeling my detective characters off of Sherlock Holmes and Watson from the books, which means getting to give them funny voices and make them interact in fun ways. But you can make your detectives have any personality you want! Are you more of a fan of CSI? You can make serious policemen! Prefer something like Supernatural? Make them slightly snarky and quippy like Sam and Dean! It’s your story, so the tone is 100% up to you!

Similar to this prompt, you could also use the next idea, which is….

Idea 4: “Among Us” Style Mystery / Murder Mystery

This is something I remember playing very often as a bio kid, and now, as well. Starting with about 8-10 characters, who are somehow trapped within a house, ship, etc. Someone is murdered and nobody knows who did it. People keep disappearing or dying until the suspect is found, and nobody leaves until they know who was guilty. You can set this up to be similar to something like “Clue,” or even more similar to “Among Us.” 

A tip I like for this prompt: select a character who is not guilty, but everyone thinks they are. Have them be super suspicious and mysterious, only to dramatically reveal that they are innocent. 

Another fun tip: if you want a horror movie style thing (think like slasher films), select a character to fill the “final girl” trope (doesn’t have to be female though). This is the last person left alive who must face off against the killer in a dramatic final battle. 

I like adding plot twists to these, because it adds so much fun to the story. Here are some of the plot twists I like to add to these stories:

Someone has an evil twin, they are killed secretly and the twin replaces them until the very end.

Someone in the group is working with the killer.

Someone in the group witnesses a murder, but cannot speak and is in shock. They reveal the killer at the very end.

The first person to die was of natural causes, everyone after that was just everyone turning on eachother.

Nobody in the group is actually the killer, and the house is haunted, and a ghost is causing the deaths.

Nobody actually dies, it’s all an elaborate prank on the sole “survivor” and this isn’t revealed until the end.

Someone in the group disappears and is assumed dead, but reappears at the end to defeat the killer.

These sorts of stories are super fun to make overly-dramatic, and also super fun to give all the characters funny voices or weird reactions to events!

And now…. For the last prompt!

Idea 5: Exploring a New Planet 

Maybe I’m a huge nerd, but I grew up enjoying Star Trek TNG and Voyager. My dad and I would watch whole seasons from DvD box sets we had while we ate flash boiled broccoli in the summer (because it was finally in-season!). My favorite characters were Data (from TNG), and Seven of Nine (from Voyager). A big part of my enjoyment of the show was when they would discover new planets or new life forms! 

When I use this prompt, I typically use Star Trek as a basis for things like the space ship name, crew ranks, protocols, etc. I love having characters fight over the validity of the Prime Directive, and have intense moral debates. But that’s just me kind of being a dork. LOL.

To play this prompt, I suggest setting up an area you want to be the new planet. Laying down a blanket or towel in a fun color to be the surface of the planet, then use anything and everything to establish buildings, farms, etc. Make the planet anything you want!

Next, pick your explorers, I usually default to a group of 4-6. Select a mission leader, a science person, and if you want, a galactic ambassador! 

Now, the explorers can visit the planet, being amazed by each new thing they see. You can have them make “audio logs” of their findings and take “readings” of new life forms! You can even have your explorers meet aliens and learn about new cultures and beliefs.

For extra fun, I like to have a scene or two with my explorers trying the new culture’s food. I use Monster High food props for this, mostly, but sometimes I also like to use playdough or floam to sculpt new foods for them.

You can make their adventure as perilous or as interesting as you want! Your explorers can encounter dangerous new weather patterns or plants, or they can have an enjoyable trip meeting new aliens, it’s totally up to you!

Thanks for all the support from you lovelies! We have a pretty awesome community, and it’s all because of you! Thank you for keeping OFT’s online spaces positive, uplifting, and supportive.

And, thank you again for reading! And most importantly, please remember to stay awesome and love yourself! You are amazing just as you are, and you deserve so much love and support. I hope you all give yourselves the love and kindness that you show others.

See you in my next post, video, or whatever comes next!

[thatonecrookedsmile]

"Are you worthy to walk with angels?"

-Bow-

-----

Isn't that the question.

A little late. Partly because this took a while to finish. And partly because I lost a bit of motivation halfway through. But there was no way I wasn't going to finish this, especially considering the occasion. I originally considered this prompt with the Ink Demon in mind, but by this point I had already done a prompt with the Ink Demon before so I decided to do it with another character. In this case, Alice.

Since BATIM Chapter 3's anniversary was coming up (and it did), I thought doing this prompt as the anniversary drawing would be a good idea, since I didn't have much ideas of ​​what to do for the ocassion.

So getting to the first point: happy (belated) anniversary BATIM Chapter 3! To make it short: Even though it's not my favorite chapter of the game nowadays, I still do enjoy it, and I have fond moments from it since this was my first chapter that I had to follow the development until launch (since I started following Bendy around the time CH2 had released). Even though the middle of the chapter can be a bit slow, so to speak, CH3 still has some really cool moments, and introduced a lot of cool stuff at the same time. So yeah, while it's not my favorite chapter, I still really like Rise and Fall at the end of the day.

And of course,happy (belated) birthday, MAlice Angel! Definitely one of the most interesting characters in the series,for sure. Looking forward to seeing and hearing more from her in the near future! You'll always be famous,queen.

Also happy anniversary to Thomas, Shawn, Grant, Allison, the Butcher Gang, the Swollen Searchers, the Fedora Searcher and the Projectionist too. (And by extension, Joey,for having his first audio log introduced via this chapter.)

For the second point, I guess you can consider this drawing here as my last post for this year's Ink Demonth. I don't think I've ever announced my departure before in past events, but I usually stop doing stuff related to the event after the end of September, so this was to be expected. And it's better than just stopping posting for the event all of a sudden without saying anything. So yeah, a "farewell" might be in order.

I considered doing, in addition to the one above, one more prompt to end my contribution for this year. Maybe I'll do it and post it this month. Maybe around the time of CH5's anniversary? Idk. I have ideas for other things this month, so I don't know if I'll do that. If I do? Consider that post an epilogue in a way. But if not? Then consider this my last contribution to this year's event. Which I don't mind. At least I'll end it on a pretty good note.

Congratulations to everyone else who participated in the event and managed to finish it all. I'm not fitted for this kind of event, but I always try to do as much as I can. See you all next year!

Have a good one folks, and once again happy (belated) anniversary to both Alice and BATIM CH3 overall. And happy start of October too!

Let the spooky season begin.

[macabrecravings]

Ohhhhhh... Very optional. And, naturally, something that could have multitudinous answers, so multiple could absolutely be given. But ALSO...

Given that they're talking again/have made up, enough that they could get away with it, what do you think the first non-"book criminal" thing Sydney would write on Kylar would be? Would Sydney change how they write book criminal on them, even, like they do for PC? Or would they not write on Kylar at all, maybe!

(BONUS: ADORE YOUR WRITING!! The thought you put into Sydneyposts and both your understanding of him and how he'd articulate things absolutely fucks to read :} your ocs seem really cool too... well wishes)

I HAVE!!! SO MANY THOUGHTS about Sydney (& Kylar) bodywriting <3 This got LONG but I'm genuinely rotating this so hard, thank you for prompting me.

— When they're closer, I imagine the normal "Book Criminal >:(" would become “Book Criminal :(“ with a sad face. Reason being...? Well, he's disappointed that Kylar's still destructing school property, even after all of his lecturing

— It's really fun to picture Sydney writing "Interesting" on Kylar, like he does to the PC when he's intrigued by them/getting closer to them. Interesting is... definitely one way to describe him, for sure. Kylar scrunches his face at it, trying to decipher what he means by it. Gets all grumpy and huffy, tries to glare at him but he just kinda looks like a wet cat LMFAO.

— Playing off of another canon Sydlar scene, I'm going to go ahead and take his "Kylar >:(" and make it "Kylar :)" [The original scene happens while Sydney & Kylar are fighting over PC and taking turns writing on them, but in this scenario I imagine it like most of his other PC bodywriting scenes.] - "Hey, can I write something on you?" - "Ah? Uh... y-yeah, I guess...?" - **Kylar :)** Kylar stares at it, confused. Why'd he... label him?

— Putting aside the fact that Sydney is super organized & clean, I loooveee the idea of him being a doodler. Hence why he draws little hearts and faces on people. Unlike Kylar, he refrains from drawing on school assignments & library books, but he still finds it enjoyable!! So, hear me out. Little stars, hearts, swirls, dotting the back of Kylar's hand and up his arm after he sits at the same table as him :)

Bonus points if Kylar rolls the sleeves of his school uniform/jacket down over them and forgets about them until that evening when he heads home. When he sees them again, the little red doodles are all smudged and he's kinda like, "Ah. Right." Maybe daydreams about it a little bit before he washes it off.

— Bit of a mushier, more self-indulgent one here but ummm...! Sydney writing nice little quips / little motivational phrases on Kylar's arms. Supportive little phrases to boost his confidence and keep him going throughout the day when things are rough. He rolls his eyes at the gesture, thinks it's dumb. But... at the same time, they’re validating. Having genuinely supportive reminders on his skin that contrast his scars? Ough...

(P.S. That means THE WORLD to me...!!!! My absolute favorite part of writing is characterization & I genuinely put so much thought into taking canonical bases and fleshing them out / expanding them while trying to keep it in the general realm of possibility!!! A lot of the time w/ the roleplay account, it's like taking a shot in the dark and running off of pure vibes so I looveeee that y'all enjoy what I do w/ it :))

Also. I'm so obsessed with my OCs, I can't wrap my head around the fact that people enjoy them as much as I do but I wouldn't change it for the world ;w; Characterizing and fleshing them out is a blast too, I'm not limited by anything really,,,, I find myself going "ugh I wish ____ would do *this* and I've got to be like. "I mean... who's stopping you...?" </3 Be free!!! Do whatever you want forever!! <3)

[ruvastuon]

Writeblr Intro

I haven’t gotten around to writing an intro until now, and i’ll try my best to not ramble too much.

Ruvastion/Ruvastuon are both fine to call me, but if you want to play around with the names to make them easier to type, that's okay with me, too.

I am a 22yo introvert, and my hobbies include writing, drawing, gaming, knitting/crochet, DND, walking, and making bread.

(Guava taking a nap)

I have been writing since I was young but suffered from the curse of never finishing any of my projects.

Last year, I was really frustrated with myself for having only two actual results of my writing efforts over the years (both of which were unedited short pieces that exist where I can not reach them. (One I had written in a note book that I lost, and the other was on a web novel account that I lost access to, due to my former self being really bad at writing things down correctly))

Anyway… One of my brothers had a conversation with me about trying to write some fan-fiction to jump start my writing which is how I stumbled across a little site called AO3 and to my surprise I was actually able to get some stuff written and even posted.

I struggle with interacting online and tend to procrastinate heavily if there isn’t some type of deadline that is in one way or another enforceable. I was sick of being held back by my anxiety about even commenting or liking things that I enjoy, so I made this account to try and push myself through exposure therapy.

I’ve really enjoyed interacting with people here more than I thought I would, but as I am rather new to social media interactions in general, I apologize in advance if I get something wrong.

For my original work, I tend to write more dark fantasy than anything, but I like to experiment around with ideas that I find interesting, so no genre is completely off the table.

My main original WIP right now is very much a work in progress, and doesn’t have a proper title yet, so I just call it ‘Bloodmage’. I’ve already posted snippets from it for Flashfictionfriday prompts, and it is an alternate universe 1940s post-war dark comedy that leans heavily into magic/cryptids.

I’m having fun with it.

I have written fics for: Valorant, Resident evil 8, Vampyr, Darkest Dungeon, and Warframe. As stated before they help me get my brain in writing mode and I would recommend at least trying to make a short fic about some fandom you enjoy if you struggle with a similar problem to mine (It might not work, but it’s worth a shot)

I like talking about people’s ideas and absolutely love when people make original monsters/different takes on existing monsters. They can be so fun to imagine and fascinating to think about. If you would like to share one, I would love to hear about them, but if you just want to gush about a character that you are having fun with, feel free to do so.

I am okay with being tagged in games or posts, but it might take me a bit to reply.

My all-time favorite book series is LOTR/the Hobbit, but I also really enjoyed Exile’s Honor by Mercedes Lackey.

I love cats, but dogs are also fun to be around. (The cars featured in this post are some of mine.)

Okay, scatterbrained rant over. Good luck with your projects. I hope you have a great day!

(Front: Tubbles, back: Gondor)

[sokoneedsagun]

In short, because no one asked for this

My thoughts on A.I and specifically A.I art:

Since the genuine start of human conception we’ve created things, whether it be tools, art, whichever, we’ve created things. You can say that A.I is no different, that it’s just the next step in human creation; but the fundamental difference between creating A.I and everything that was made before it is the motive behind it.

When you create a piece of art or you write a book the point isn’t to instantly have whatever you wanted to create. People spend years on a painting, they learn how to make each individual stroke look exactly how they want it to. They spend years of their life learning and creating to be able to put something into the world.

Now imagine you just did that, you just spent years learning how to paint so you can make your art, and a company without your permission feeds it to their A.I. And years of your life are gone now, because what’s the point in making art if a robot can replicate it in seconds. But in just that idea therein lies the problem. It’s replication, not creation.

A.I needs to be fed these art pieces to create your prompt, something that couldn’t be done without someone dedicating their life to it first. Does it take time? Yes. But just the fact that it takes time is what makes it meaningful. Because you get to look at your years of work and see the finished product, something you truly love, and understand that even with each setback, you did that.

You made that art. You’ve done what hundreds upon thousands of other people have done before you, you created something. And A.I will never be able to understand that feeling, it will never be able to have a sense of accomplishment when looking at its actions.

And maybe all of that’s not enough for you so let’s look at it from a different angle, music. We’ve been making music for thousands of decades, every person I know has a favorite song, or album, singer, band, what have you. Humans create music because you should feel something from it.

Wether it’s a song you like that just makes you excited, something you listen to when you’re sad, something that makes you feel anything. That’s why we make music. An A.I will never be able to understand those feelings, it will never understand how to create something with a genuine human emotion behind it because it’s not human.

And it’s such a scary thought that not everyone can understand that, that they don’t understand why we need artists. Art is a fundamental part of humanity. It makes up who we are. So hearing that some people think a soulless A.I drawing is the next step of evolution is a revolting thought.

[ichigoporky]

How did Ichi's writing begin? — ✍

When I was smaller (like, smaller than now!), I had this super cool typewriter that my mom's boss gave us as a gift! I think my mom still keeps it somewhere, along with all my old stuffed animals and tons of other stuff that brings back memories!

With that typewriter, I started writing so much stuff! I wrote jokes that I'd take to school and tell my friends, short stories, I even transcribed things I heard on TV, and I wrote my very own novel!

My novel was called “The Lost Princess”, and yeah, you guessed it, it was about a princess who... well, she got lost. Looking back, Ichi from back then wasn't the best at coming up with fancy titles, hehe!

Before I had the typewriter, I had lots of diaries. I'd always be drawing and writing in them, filling up every single page. On my birthdays, I'd always get new notebooks to write in, even from my friends at school. One time, I got two notebooks that were exactly the same from two different friends! They didn't plan it or anything, it was just a big coincidence! But I kept writing in both of them, even though I sometimes mixed them up.

I've always loved writing, everywhere I could, even on walls, although my parents weren't too happy about that, haha!

But you know what? It's all part of the fun! Writing is amazing, whether it's with a fancy typewriter, a stack of notebooks, or even just a piece of paper and a pencil!

So, if you've ever thought about giving writing a try, why not go for it now? Whether it's jokes, stories, poems, or even your very own novel too, the world is waiting to hear your voice! So grab your pen, or your keyboard, and let your imagination run wild! Who knows? Maybe one day, you'll look back and be very happy reading all the thoughts you wrote, just like I'm doing now!

5 things you can do after reading this — 📜

Grab a notebook and write down any ideas or thoughts.

Write a short story or poem based on this prompt: A day in the life of a small fairy.

Rewrite the ending of your favorite movie, book or show.

Write a cute letter to a friend or family member.

Start reading a new book that interests you!

[once-in-a-blood-moon]

Soulmate Barbatos+drawing 🥺

Barbatos - Drawing

Barbatos x GN! reader

Prompt: Whatever you draw on your skin shows up on the other's.

AN: The thought of little drawings on Barbs hands is so cute, I approve. Here you go, hope you enjoy Anon! :)

Warnings: None

You stared out the window as you tuned out the lecture that was in session. Applied potions wasn’t your best class, so even if you paid attention you’d still be in the dark about what was going on. Perhaps you could get Satan to tutor you in exchange for a day at the cat cafe…

Your eyes sweep over to the professor- who’s scribbling along the board not unlike that of a human realm doctor and talking animatedly about another experiment…or equation... You’re not sure. 

Sighing internally, you look to the blank notebook in front of you and begin to draw cross-hatches in the top corner of the page.

Your little distraction lasted about a minute before the corner was filled and no more lines could fit in either direction. Pursing your lips, your eyes drift over to your sedentary hand, and with a shrug you drag the pen across your skin. 

Your space is limited, so you opt for minimal drawings. Along the top of your pointer finger you draw circles, your middle- squares, your ring- hearts, and your pinky- diamonds. You finish the outline of a cat’s head when you hear someone clear their throat beside you. 

Looking up you meet the irritated eyes of your professor. He glances at your inked hand in disapproval. 

“If you’re going to waste time, you’re not going to do it in my class. Take your things and promptly go to Lord Diavolo’s office.” After reprimanding you, he walked back to the chalkboard resuming his lesson. 

You roll your eyes as you pack up your things and leave the classroom to make your way through the hallways. Navigating to the familiar door, you knock a few times before hearing a muffled, ‘come in.’ Upon entering, you’re not only met with Diavolo but Barbatos as well. 

Diavolo happily greets you as you take a seat in front of his grand desk. 

“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but shouldn’t you be in class right now?” He asks. 

“Yeah, I got kicked out for not paying attention…” You dare to look at both men as you admit your fault.

Diavolo hums in understanding. “I see. What were you doing instead?” 

Embarrassed, you show him the hand you doodled on. The young prince begins to laugh excitedly as the demon butler softly gasps. 

“What wonderful art! It looks just like the art that’s on your hand, Barbatos.” 

You furrow your brows as your eyes snap to Barbatos for an explanation. He sighs as he slides his glove off, displaying the geometrics running along his fingers and the unfinished cat on the back of his hand. 

“I noticed the curious drawings as I was removing my cotton gloves in favor of using rubber gloves to wash the young lord’s favorite tea mug.” 

“But… how did my drawings get on you?” You asked bewildered.

“Ah!” An idea struck Diavolo, picking up one of his pens he continued. “Barbatos, why don’t you draw something on your hand and we’ll see if it shows up on theirs.” With the pen held out to him, Barbatos took hold of it. 

“It certainly couldn’t hurt to try.” He surmised. 

Clicking the pen, he brought the end of it to the hand that was littered in doodles. Marking his skin with the ink, he finished the blank cat outline silently. 

Meanwhile, you watched the back of your hand as three little whiskers appeared on either side of the cat’s face. Two small dots for the eyes and a nose and mouth formed soon after. 

The pen clicked once more, indicating the end of Diavolo’s little experiment as Barbatos handed him his pen back. 

“Well?” Diavolo asked eagerly. As demon prince, this was the most thrilling thing he’d witnessed in the last millenia. 

Showing both men the now completed cat doodle, Diavolo clapped his hands joyously at the turn of events as Barbatos continued to eye your hand. 

“So, what do you think this means?” You asked. Your question wasn’t directed specifically, just someone please explain what is going on…

“Perhaps you both are connected to each other somehow.” Diavolo proposed, pausing for dramatic effect as a childlike grin plastered itself on his face. “Perhaps, you two are… soulmates?” 

You glanced at Barbatos, who hadn’t taken his focus off you since you showed your hand. 

“I know! Why don’t both of you go to the library and look into this strange phenomenon together?” The young prince rose from his chair with a smirk. 

He walked over to your seat pulling you up, and guided both you and his trusted butler to the door. Barbatos promptly opened it, gesturing for you to exit first. Thanking him, you walk out of the office with Barbatos following directly after. 

He then turned to Diavolo who stood in the doorway with his own smug smirk. “As you wish, my lord. Though I expect all your work to be finished when I return.” 

Diavolo made a pained expression as he grumbled and closed the door without saying anything more. You giggled at the prince’s antics as Barbatos suggests you two get going.

The walk to the library by his side is pleasant. Light, easy conversation taking up any space that settles between you and soft smiles directed your way- you think that you’d be more than pleased to find that your soul is connected to his.

[sadmushroomgoblin]

okay I wanna see how you write a fic based off one of my favorite obscure songs

"Tear me apart, my eyes wide open staring into yours as I cry / Crush my heart, was my life worth a second of your time? / I see you in the waiting room / I see you praying "don't leave" / I see you in Saint Mary's womb / I see you kiss goodnight / Maybe you're just like one of us"

Thank you!!!! I hope you enjoy!

(And please feel free to use this idea for prompt gathering too)

A Second Of Your Time

He stares, unseeing, the beeps and chirps of the terran Medbay all passing by unnoticed. His consciousness flits between this world and another. In between, the Network. It's poisoned by his own hand and that poison is eating him alive.

The Medbay is illuminated by the scalding golden light of the Charon's mycelium core and yet the light no longer hurts. He's only partially here.

The only thing keeping him here, preventing him from fleeing this fragile and vulnerable form all together, is the hand that finds his in the small hours when noone is watching.

Paul knows his lover's touch even with his mind scattered across reality. It draws him back, keeps the poison at bay.

When Hugh's fingers that have brought such pain to others brush gently against his forehead, the hissing and burning retreats and cool safety washes over him. It's a dangerous and addictive feeling, one foreign to him.

Theyre terrans, this secret love cannot be the cure. Hugh cannot be seen to care beyond the remit the Emperor assigned to him. Still, caught between worlds, Paul hears his whispered prayers and curses against the universe.

They tangle with the words of another Hugh, one who he recognises from the mind of another Paul, one who died and now resides in the network too. One who skirts around the edges of Paul's vision like a ghost.

He can't imagine loving that Hugh. His Hugh is hungry, sharp, a monster like him with teeth dripping blood. He's not afraid to cup his Hugh's face and leave blood smeared there because Hugh's hands have left similar marks on his own skin.

They're both monsters. They yearn for the gnashing of teeth and claws. They done know how to be anything other than monsters and yet this other ghostly Hugh is the opposite.

Paul might fear him. He avoids the other Hugh as much as the other Hugh avoids him, running towards the poison rather than face that version.

[hotroadkill]

saw this and wanted to make my own post real quick bc i’ve gotten some questions abt my art before & now that i feel a bit more secure in my style i thought i’d give a few tips to anyone who wanted that :)

first i have to address how the submission is phrased: i'm sorry & i know no one wants to hear this but “keep practicing” is not a platitude that is always going to be the best advice 😭 the real question is:

how do you make practice fun?

1. challenge yourself in a way you find enjoyable/fulfilling :)

i liked doing things like art prompts from inktobers, and to draw comics of the stories i wrote, but mostly the answer for me was “set random number goal, meet random number goal, inject the validation from completed goal directly into my bloodstream, repeat.”

i worked on things kind of systematically, which just made my brain happy; i spent one summer when i was 14 doing nothing but drawing 10 full bodies a day, all with references of course. did the same throughout the fall with hands, then eyes, then expressions, then clothes, etc etc. it always had to be 10 diff angles and positions.

i did a repeat of this 10-drawings-of-10-angles rule throughout quarantine in 2020. failed all my online classes cuz i was drawing 6-10 hours every day and ignoring my homework but still passed the year in the end 💀 i got the idea from yumeii-art; it's been over 7 years since, so idk if i remember right, but she had given a similar rule of thumb as a response to someone's question about drawing without a reference, i think.

is this the Best path? probably not, idk. and it definitely lead to awkward phases where i was much better at drawing bodies than faces, for example — but it worked for me. i liked breaking things down like that, it felt more manageable.

the other number goal was. in 9th grade i saw this post:

and i was like. y’know what? yeah. i keep feeling bad abt my art, how about i put that feeling on pause until after i’ve filled 14 sketch book. i hope this user knows i owe all my achievements to the phrase “fill 14 sketch book” powering me through years of depression and art block.

so i did fill 14 sketch book!

i met that goal between ages 14 and 19. obv this doesnt include the doodles on my homework, on other random surfaces, or the ~150 digital artworks i’d done in that time, so maybe it was more like 16 sketch book? but that doesnt matter, i had 14 labeled & organized sketchbooks that were full, and i did feel better about my art by then. this was my anime training montage. this was 90% of my improvement. this was the best art advice i’d ever gotten.

so i guess what made art the most fun to me was numbers? which sounds lame but i guess since i’m competitive & love competing against myself the most, it just worked for me.

comparisons, with 2016 on the left and 2020 on the right:

(the new sketches are still rough and lack some detail ofc but i have terrible ADHD and always found it hard to sit down and keep working on a sketch once it was “done enough” — for some reason i dont rlly have the same impatience with digital art & have less of a problem completing pieces on my ipad now) (the point is. 14 sketch book level complete. 1000% worth it)

then my 2021-2024 improvement, when i had bought my own ipad and again spent most days drawing instead of doing my schoolwork (i.. did end up failing that first year of uni):

2. try out different mediums aimlessly!

what i mean is just go ham with some charcoal or whatever you have on hand, without the determination to Make It Good. i can’t say if this helped my actual art get better but what it did do was keep the joy of it alive & i had fun which lead to more practice & therefore improvement. color pencils weirdly were my favorite. hell, my school had us do a project with linoleum printing (is that how u spell it idk) and it gave me months’ worth of art inspo.

i also recently got a gift card for a stationery store and got some nice markers and those also gave me a ton of motivation. markers r good

3. if u do digital art, find ur fave brush; it will be ur familiar ur trusted companion ur lover in a past life

for lineart i mostly use the IGB office pack, favorite ballpoint. you’ll have to buy & download it online tho i think it was like $7? but yea it was worth it. (i did a lot of work with the gesinski ink brush in past years but i think it’s a bit too “sharp” now)

but also go crazy try them all it’s fun!

4. in my opinion it’s fine to do redraws of ur fave artist’s work now and then — as long as u keep it to urself and dont take credit for it

i’ve had ppl ask to use my art as a ref and my answer is always Not Sure Why You’d Want To Bc It’s Not All That, But Yes Of Course. as u can see most of my 2021 work was redrawing panels of the “gangsta.” manga; it didn’t even end up influencing my style much, my style was already based on all the manga shit i drew at 13, but it was the only thing i was motivated enough to draw at the time, and it was valuable practice.

art teachers still stress that the best reference is to draw from life & yeah thats true maybe but idc sometimes ur just not feeling that! so mix it up, whatever works. obviously respect it if an artist says not to reference their work and don’t only reference ur art from one artist but generally i think it’s harmless.

especially when there’s a specific thing an artist does very well that’s hard to find other examples of; personally i was fighting for my life trying to find how to best translate references of dynamic movement into art of dynamic movement. and i think the bnha mangaka does this wonderfully so i often referenced thise action panels as practice. and i think it helped loosen up my art style. (and… i was extremely ridiculously mentally ill about hawks so that…. contributed…. my fave ask to date is still the person who clocked hawks as my old fave character based purely on how i draw eyes 😭😭)

tracing is a diff conversation and my advice there is it is not actually helpful and it's. idk it feels very Against Artist Code. sometimes, and i havent done it in a couple years, but if a piece REALLY isnt working i've done the thing where u trace the general movement of a pose then go from there but i've never posted completed works where i used that method bc it felt wrong. but yeah that's a separate thing that i don't wanna go too deep into

5. another fun thing that motivated me to practice was doing speedpaints!

if you draw on procreate, it's probably set up automatically already. i don't have the storage to record everything, but when i do have it on, the knowledge that i'll have a speedpaint of the finished piece pushes me to put the last necessary touches on it. (if you'd like to see some of my speedpaints i have a few on my instagram)

some more technical advice:

1. flip your canvas flip your canvas flip your goddamn canvas i KNOW it hurts i KNOW it’s like ripping off a bandaid that’s superglued to ur skin i know but YOU HAVE TO FLIP YOUR CANVAS

(when i didn’t have an ipad i’d do this by taking a picture of the drawing on my phone and flipping the image in the photo app)

IT IS THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD AND IM NOT ASHAMED TO ADMIT I’VE RAGE QUIT SOME PIECES OVER SEEING THE CANVAS FLIPPED BUT LOOK AT THIS ART BEFORE AND AFTER I’D FLIPPED IT AND FIXED HOW WONKY IT WAS: desaturated so tht the colors dont distract so much

like it's the BEST and honestly often the ONLY way you're going to catch things that were off/out of proportion/etc. flipping your canvas gives your brain a "new eye" and it's invaluable.

2. until you have color theory figured out…. i honestly depend on adding layers and setting them to color dodge, divide, multiply, overlay, etc…. i am cheating, perhaps, but it works

3. this is how i draw front-facing noses because it's what a czech woman in an extremely bad mood taught me in a cramped overheated stuffy classroom in germany when i was 12

it was our only meeting but she changed my life. i do not know how common this method is but it's possibly the only thing i can concretely give you a tutorial for. after a few times you won't need to do step 1 anymore

anddd i think that's all the advice i have that wouldn't be a repeat of every other art advice thing you've seen. i do know it boils down to "keep practicing" but again you won't get around that, and i just hope that concretely showing what's motivated me might help motivate someone else.

as an ending note, please take this sentence that motivated me just as much as the 14 sketch book rule: (via graveweaver, author of the webtoon "i'm the grim reaper")

[serickswrites]

Hey!

You reblogged that post asking for people to ask about your writing process and I'm trying to get to know people better, so tell me about your writing process! Your ocs! Your favorite little bit you wrote recently!

Hello, friend! (I'm answering this out of order because it made me smile!)

Thank you for the questions!!!! So exciting!!

My writing process is a little higgly piggly at times in that sometimes I just have a fully formed vision completely in my head and will not stop writing it until its completed. Other times I get bits and pieces. I draw a lot of inspiration from music. Sometimes I'll see/read something and wonder how I would write it and that makes something happen. Other times prompts save my life. I love, love, love prompts/requests/asks because some of my best inspiration comes from those. I will say with most things I write I know the ending and the beginning and have to work backwards. So for those of you who are like why the mcd, it hit out of nowhere, for me it started with the death and I worked backwards. Which really sucks sometimes because I will grow to love and adore characters that I have brutally murdered lol. I hurt my own feelings just as much as others lol.

As for my ocs, well I have quite a few floating around in my head. In 'Make Me Your Villain', Liam is my precious cinnamon roll, but I love Nova and her drive. Henry or Jude are the most fun to write though. In 'Lonely Place of Longing', I originally wasn't going to have anything written from Dylan's perspective when I envisioned the story (still from the end first), but as I wrote the penultimate chapter, I had more and more of his voice in my head so I had to try it. Then I realized I needed to write more of his voice because he had a lot to say. He's definitely one of my more tragic characters I've written and posted on here--though things do look up for him with Halle and that is just so lovely to write--(not my most tragic as the main character in my giant WIP probably wins on that one, but he's a pretty close second). Giant WIP was a frenzied writing project (I did for Nano in 2021? I think?) that I was feeling a little burnt out by (wrote 60k works in 30 days and plotted the remaining chapters that needed to be written) but still wanted to keep writing every day and write ideas that didn't fit into the narrative, so I started this blog! I would say Mal is my favorite character to write in that (she's one of my two narrators), but honestly I adore writing my two villains, Leo and Oliver, are so deliciously evil, I love writing them more.

Here's a little excerpt from giant WIP that I wrote last week that I'm actually really proud of (not because the writing is great) because I connected the dots on something that I was stumped on how I could connect them (this is why pantsing and working backwards are hard, folks).

She heard a shuffled scrape. Slowly she turned her head and saw grim reaper carrying Danielle away. Grim reaper? Not a grim reaper, Mal. Get your shit together. Pay attention. Who was that? Who was here with us. Who took her away? That wasn’t Leo. Leo didn’t move her away. There was someone there. He was there sometimes. When we were alone with Danielle. We were never alone. Who was that? The grim reaper—man—had dark brown hair, a hood hid his eyes, his features, but he was lean, so painfully lean. Of course we thought he was a grim reaper this man is so skinny. Not as tall as he looks, his leanness is deceiving.

Her eyes were barely tracking his movements. The haze was dragging her back under. No, no, no. Shitshitshitshit. Stay awake. Come on! Focus. Who was that? Was there anything else? Come on, Mal. Come on. She could hear Leo’s voice calling from somewhere else in the apartment. A name. What was his name. COME ON. WHAT WAS HIS NAME.

Thank you so much for the questions! And for anyone reading this, please always ask. If you aren't sure if I want to answer, you can always ask it and I can always just not answer it. If you're shy, you can PM or Anon ask, that's all good! I love interacting with people and talking about writing :D

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