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hayatheauthor · 1 year

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How To Accurately Describe Pain In Writing

Pain can be an interesting emotion to write about. It gives authors the liberty to merge their character’s emotions and surroundings to create beautiful metaphors and graphic descriptions that draw their readers in and convey their character’s struggles. However, if done wrongly reading your descriptions of pain can feel like a chore to your readers. Unsure how to accurately describe pain in your writing? Here are some tips to help you get started.

Use The Five Senses

As humans, we possess five senses that dictate our reactions to the world around us. When writing, it is important to use these five senses rather than just relying on what your character can see. Talk about the sound, the smell, the taste, and even the feeling.

If your character just got burnt, talk about the sound of sizzling flesh and the slight numbness they feel. Mention the terrible smell of burnt flesh, and make your character feel dizzy with fear as their eyes finally land on the horrific wound.

Internal bleeding makes people spit blood and taste iron and partially healed wounds feel itchy and irritant.

There is so much more to pain than what you see, and simply talking about your character’s wounds isn’t nearly enough to make your readers wince in second-hand pain. In fact, they are more likely to skim your passages in boredom.

Show your readers what your character is experiencing, and then go on to describe their reaction to this situation.

Build It Up, Then Break It Down

Pain doesn’t just suddenly come from nowhere. It starts with something small, blossoms, and then spreads. Your character won’t just suddenly get a third-degree burn the size of a baseball by leaning against a hot steel wall for the briefest of seconds. It starts with a light reddish-brown mark, then darkens, maybe even blisters.

You can’t go from 0 to 100 in one sentence. You need to build it up and show your readers how your character’s pain was found. Then, break it down.

Pain doesn’t come from nowhere, but it doesn’t suddenly disappear either. Show us how your character’s wound heals. Does the wound mark from where they hurt their knee turn into an ugly brown shade for a couple of weeks? Do their burns gradually fade from red to pink, or turn darker?

It’s important to show your readers the aftermath of your character’s pain. A character who just had a bullet pulled out of their shoulder with a hot knife can’t suddenly just jump up and start firing at the enemy with perfect aim.

You don’t need to overdo it and constantly mention their wounds during the healing stage, but something as simple as ‘her bandages uncomfortably scratched at her back every time she lifted her hand to eat’ or ‘his fingers subconsciously shifted to run over the remains of his burn mark even as his eyes remained trained on the blackboard’ will suffice.

How Does This Affect Your Character?

Physical pain aside, wounds can also have an effect on your character’s dynamics with others as well as your plot.

It’s important to take into account how they got this wound, how the other characters might react to it, and internalised conflict caused by it. Maybe your character injured their fingers during a game of volleyball and now they’re staring at their final exam paper with tears of frustration brimming their waterline because it hurts too much to write.

Maybe your protagonist suffered a small burn while sneaking out to go to their friend’s house and their parent or mentor saw it. Or maybe your protagonist won against the antagonist but suffered a grave injury to their legs and now cannot fight during the next confrontation, resulting in a chaotic outbreak at their headquarters.

Think about the internal as well as the external damage your character’s wounds can cause, and then use that as a plot device to further your book.

Do Your Research

It’s very important to accurately portray your character’s level of pain and consider whether or not they would realistically incur such injuries from such a wound. When writing about a character’s wound or pain consider doing some research about that type of wound.

Here are some things you need to check when researching the wound type:

How much blood would they loose with this type of wound?

What are the side effects?

Could this be fatal?

How long will it take to heal?

How long does it take for a wound to get to that extent? (for example, if you’re writing about a third-degree burn, research what it takes for a burn to be considered third-degree).

What are the major veins, arteries, and other important body parts in that part of the character’s body? For example, if your character is supposed to be injured on their arm but it’s not supposed to be serious, you need to consider whether the wound could realistically have ruptured their radial artery, resulting in death.

Will there be any scarring? What about any long-lasting wound marks?

You could also take a look at historical events similar to the one you’re writing. For example, if you’re writing about an assassination attempt consider researching the most historically renowned assassination techniques.

It’s also a good idea to ask your families and friends about their experiences with the type of wound you’re writing about (so long as it’s not a sensitive topic). Maybe you have a cousin who suffered a third-degree burn once or a classmate who has a scar from a graphic wound across their arm.

I hope this blog on how to accurately describe pain in writing will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and marketing tools for authors every Monday and Thursday.

Want to learn more about me and my writing journey? Visit my social media pages under the handle @hayatheauthor where I post content about my WIP The Traitor’s Throne and life as a teenage author.

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serpentarius · 4 months

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ao3 writers I love you and see you and I know it can be demoralizing when the fic you’ve worked so hard on doesn’t get nearly enough reception as you’d hoped. Whether that’s in the form of hits or kudos or bookmarks or comments. I know it’s frustrating, but just know… there’s often no rhyme or reason to it. no discernible algorithm at play here.

please remind yourself that low numbers are NOT an inherent reflection on the quality of your work. I’ve read incredible, downright masterful stories that have just a few kudos and a handful of bookmarks; and I’ve read extremely popular fics that I simply don’t vibe with. And everything in between. There are so many factors involved—how big the fandom is, how popular the ship is, what kind of tags are included, how other people filter and search for fics, etc. etc... the list TRULY goes on. all this to say, the stats absolutely shouldn't be the thing that keeps you from writing.

be kind to yourself. keep creating, if that's something you want to do and have the energy for. please don't get discouraged. your art matters and is worth so much more than you might think.

if you see this, I’d love for you to drop some of your favourite fics you’ve written in the comments or reblogs ♥️

#ao3 #writers on tumblr #my ramblings #writing #writer struggles #ao3 writers #fanfic writers #if you see this please drop the works you're proudest of <3 #or even wips or even ones you don't love that much!#share the love #fic recs #writing community #fic writers

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2old0voldy0moldy7 · 1 year

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I really need one history where Constantine is just chilling with the JL and Danny Pahntom just comes from nowhere and says he owns Constantine soul.

Constantine is like: Ya go to the end of the line you don't want a war with all the demons i sold my soul to.

Then Danny just says: I own 100% of your soul the demons were paying Taxes with your soul.

Then Constantine realises he's fucked up.

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battyaboutbooksreviews · 6 months

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Read Palestine Week

🇵🇸 Good morning, my beautiful bookish bats. Can I start by saying a huge THANK YOU for sharing my Queer Palestinian Book post? Seriously, thank you so much. Let's keep that momentum by observing Read Palestine Week (Nov 29 - Dec 5). I've compiled a list of books to help you, along with a list of upcoming events and resources you can use this week and beyond.

🇵🇸 A collective of over 350 global publishers and individuals issued a public statement expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people. Publishers for Palestine have organized an international #ReadPalestine week, starting today (International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People).

🇵🇸 These publishers have made many resources and e-books available for free (with more to come). A few include award-winning fiction and poetry by Palestinian and Palestinian diaspora authors. You'll also find non-fiction books about Palestinian history, politics, arts, culture, and “books about organizing, resistance, and solidarity for a Free Palestine.” You can visit publishersforpalestine.org to download some of the books they have available.

POETRY 🌙 Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear by Mosab Abu Toha 🌙 Affiliation by Mira Mattar 🌙 Enemy of the Sun by Samih al-Qasim 🌙 I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti 🌙 A Mountainous Journey by Fadwa Tuqan 🌙 So What by Taha Muhammad Ali 🌙 The Butterfly’s Burden by Mahmoud Darwish 🌙 To All the Yellow Flowers by Raya Tuffaha

FICTION 🌙 Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury 🌙 Speak, Bird, Speak Again: Palestinian Arab Folktales 🌙 Men in the Sun by Ghassan Kanafani 🌙 Morning in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa 🌙 Gaze Writes Back by Young Writers in Gaze 🌙 Palestine +100:Stories from a Century after the Nakba 🌙 Wild Thorns by Sahar Khalifeh 🌙 Out of Time by Samira Azzam

🌙 The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher 🌙 You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat 🌙 A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum 🌙 Salt Houses by Hala Alyan 🌙 A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar 🌙 Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa 🌙 Minor Detail by Adania Shibli 🌙 The Woman From Tantoura by Radwa Ashour

NON-FICTION 🌙 Blood Brothers by Elias Chacour 🌙 Strangers in the House: Coming of Age in Occupied Palestine by Raja Shehadeh 🌙 Palestinian Art, 1850–2005 by Kamal Boullata 🌙 Palestine by Joe Sacco 🌙 The Hour of Sunlight: One Palestinian’s Journey from Prisoner to Peacemaker by Sami Al Jundi & Jen Marlowe 🌙 Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History by Nur Masalha 🌙 Justice for Some: Law and the Question of Palestine by Noura Erakat 🌙 The Words of My Father: Love and Pain in Palestine by Yousef Khalil Bashir

🌙 Traditional Palestinian Costume: Origins and Evolution by Hanan Karaman Munayyer 🌙 Mountain against the Sea: Essays on Palestinian Society and Culture by Salim Tamari 🌙 This Is Not a Border: Reportage and Reflection from the Palestine Festival of Literature 🌙 We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A Palestinian Memoir, by Raja Shehadeh 🌙 Les échos de la mémoire. Une enfance palestinienne à Jérusalem, by Issa J. Boullata 🌙 A Party For Thaera: Palestinian Women Write Life In Prison 🌙 Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, 🌙 Voices of the Nakba: A Living History of Palestine

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smoshpvnk · 4 months

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smosh fics appreciation post 📚✨

( will keep updating this! also, send me fics! )

last updated: mar 24, 2024

fluff recs 🧸

spommy ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

he said baby (that’s what he called me) — @jovenshires

we can leave the christmas lights up ‘til january — @jovenshires

everywhere i go (leads me to you) — @lilac-hecox

shaymien ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

right where you left me — @jovenshires

start of something new — @shaynetopps

the more i get of you (the stranger it feels) — @sardinespooks

dog tired in puppy love — @tommybowefuneralattendee

car lights — @slutfors8n

take away (everything) — @thimblees

i don’t wanna be your friend (i wanna kiss your lips) — @punk-gremlin

i fall in love (just a little more) — @picassowithapencil (amangela)

paint night — @punk-gremlin (ianthony)

nobody gets me (you do) — @punk-gremlin (shaymanda)

the other way around — @tommybowefuneralattendee (tommien)

i had a fever until i met you — @feral-teeth (courtgela)

chaptered ⏰

‘till apathy do us part — anon (action, lil ianthony)

i can feel you in my blood — @santaslittleslut (action, lil ianthony)

come over (again) — @punk-gremlin (ianthony)

donut galaxy — @funeralroast (action/shaymien)

cough syrup — @quyinn (shaymien)

angst recs 🩹

the kintsugi kid — @kileykao (ianthony)

seeker — chutea (ianthony)

somewhere only we know — @kileykao (shaymien)

angel dust — @shaynetopps (shaymien)

summer sun for you forever — @lilac-hecox (jackmien)

everywhere i go (leads me to you) — @lilac-hecox (spommy)

i want you to hold me (please never let go) — @legalespeon (spommy)

running and she’s running again — @lilac-hecox (amangela)

smut recs 🌶️

shaymien ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

kiss and make up — @watchthequeenconquer

and i watched a change in you — @wispmother

the sum of your broken parts — @quyinn

make me — @bluebirdrules

protecting what’s mine — @bluebirdrules

do not open before christmas — @tommybowefuneralattendee

off the cuff — pixenpixels

say so — amongtheshallows

fellowship of shame — @notthatalex (nintendogs augustus/chosen)

shaynse ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

that peanut’s looking real good — orphaned

i can drive you to football practice — orphaned

shayne x [person b] ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

perfect fit — @lilac-hecox (shaymanda)

no body, no crime — @lilac-hecox (shaynthony)

anything you want — @howtomflirts (shaynthony)

forgive my lying eyes — @tommybowefuneralattendee (shayncer)

just dive right in (third time’s a charm) — @tommybowefuneralattendee (shayncer)

what happens on the games stage, stays on the games stage (i hope) — @gay-nonderogatory (shrevor)

show and tell — @punk-gremlin (polysmosh)

it’s fine, it’s okay (i’ll die anyway) — @jaxthejester (antmien)

my crush with eyeliner — @blondeforyou (spommy)

miscellaneous / AU ✏️🌎

loveless — @ashesember (shayne character study)

i’ve been having revelations — @ifearimlosingtheroom (courtmangela)

a field of yellow flowers — @unknownteapot (amangela)

womanhood — @ancientvamp (baf legacy)

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apolline-lucy · 10 months

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i am beyond thrilled to share the cover of my debut novel, THE SILVER BIRDS 🐦‍⬛🖤 it will be released September 26, 2023!

On a cursed island where birds steal hearts and blades of grass cut sharper than knives, two young women driven by revenge take on solving a series of mysterious deaths.

•flawless art and design by @ouijacine who did a phenomenal job bringing my characters to life✨

•the book is already on Goodreads and StoryGraph, if you’d like to add it to your tbr 🥺

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gargoyleandgremlinpress · 9 months

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My final Fanfic Writers' Appreciation Day package has been delivered! Ten Prides in Portland by Leiascully and Simple Machines by coffeesuperhero continue the Leverage OT3 theme I've got going on this year. The fic aren't necessarily a series, but are thematically connected, and also the authors are married to each other. (It happens! My wife and I met writing Due South and Hard Core Logo fanfic lo these many years ago!)

There are some similar things I adore about both these fics. I love the sort of playing with structure in both of them, and watching the characters evolve, and also, seeing the queer community in all of its heartfelt messy occasionally infuriating glory. I also adore the thoughtful Eliot character exploration.

First off, Ten Prides in Portland! What it says on the tin. Ten years post-series at a certain brewpub in Portland, as Elliott finds queer community and figures himself out. This book is the reason I now have rainbow ribbon for bookmarks. As you can see, I went so very literal with this one. Homemade book cloth, acrylic paint, and cardstock endpapers printed with a map of Portland.

I had way too much fun with the layout on this one! It was an easy theme to lean into.

Eliot navigates a relationship with two people he loves, runs a restaurant, and figures himself out. I love the character dynamics, the cast of queer characters, and the way the second fic in the series is structured around brewpub menu items. The titles are from the iconic Mary Oliver poem Wild Geese, which is where the bird theme comes from. I used a really lovely fancy liquid mirror silver paint for the geese on the cover, which is gorgeous in person but hard to photograph.

More geese! Some menu formatting! Also, a food-themed illustration at the beginning of each chapter to match the menu item. (Thank you, stock images on The Noun Project.) This was another fun one to play with.

Not pictured here for either book: the insurmountable printer issue I was having where any page with an illustration turned out extra-dark, and the flip side was correspondingly lighter. BUT. I'm still pretty pleased with how they both turned out, happy to have both of these on my shelf, and even happier to send them off in a set together to the authors' hands.

Happy slightly belated FFWAD, Leiascully and Coffeesuperhero!

#fanbinding #ficbinding #ffwad 2023 #fanfic writers appreciation day #renegade loves fic #leverage fic #leverage ot3 #eliot/parker/hardison #operation: give queer characters queer community #ten prides in portland #leiascully #simple machines series #coffeesuperhero #just another really elaborate fic rec

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astrobei · 1 year

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every byler creator who has ever felt unappreciated or has never seen their work on a rec list or has stayed awake for hours working on something for it to get no interaction or has had their work passed up in favor of the big fandom favorites or has never been taken a chance on or has ever come last in a poll they didn’t ask to be on or has felt self conscious about posting or about calling themselves a creator if what they’re posting is not a magnum opus or has created something for themselves and still hoped deep down that people would love it: get behind me. i’ll protect u

#i’m five foot three and terrified of confrontation but i’ll go down swinging #andi would like me to add that she and i are standing on top of each other in a trench coat fighting for u all #thea is also wearing a trench coat but it’s just her and tutter in there #u all better fear thea’s fully developed frontal lobe and streamlined leadership experience (her words)#but seriously guys like #maybe i’m taking fandom too seriously or whatever but i know how scary it can be to put urself out there #especially in fandom spaces where the whole point is u want to enjoy urself and be accepted and not be judged #i’d be lying if i said that luck and timing wasn’t a huge part of why ppl enjoy my fics #and i’m flattered that my name shows up in rec lists a lot but. there are so so so many talented writers that go unnoticed when ppl fixate #on the same 5-6 names #and i know bc i’ve been them for other fandoms!#especially in this community there is such a big issue with putting big creators up on a pedestal #expecting them to be perfect and to keep churning out high quality stuff for free on demand #twt is something else too . like i’m not even talking abt that rn #and people always saying stuff like #‘atp i refuse to read fics unless they’re by _ or _ or _’#just know that even if u are not one of these names u are so so valued and appreciated #get behind me fr #ok Bye <3333333 #🫂#byler #/astro posts

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amandacanwrite · 3 months

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The Violet Thread of Fate || Part Four: A Bath, A Temptation

Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Join Taglist

POV || 3rd Person Alternating Between Gale and Elinna (tav)

Scenario|| Elinna Inklynn is an orphan with an uncanny ability to mess up even the simplest of spells. It's not her fault; she hasn't ever had access to a proper teacher. But she has had access to books, and she's read about a certain gentleman wizard in Waterdeep that may just be willing to help her.

She books passage on a ship from the Moonshae Islands and sails to Waterdeep, only to be rejected by Gale Dekarios. He doesn't take on apprentices.

But their paths become inextricably intertwined when an enormous Nautiloid targets the City of Splendors.

Word Count || About 5,300 Words

Warnings || Age gap (about ten years, both adults) description of pining for someone's body (Gale pining for Elinna.) Mentions of abuse and neglect.

A/N || I hope you all like this installment of Violet Thread of Fate! Apologies for what seems like a relatively low-stakes set of chapters, I am trying to do some set up for bring Halsin, Astarion and The Fox into the narrative, but I needed to get Elinna and Gale just a smiiiidgen more established for it to go the way I'd like it to!

Taglist || @verba-writing @softvampirewhump @horizonstride @thoughts-of-bear @mymybirdie @tiedyedghoulette @drabblesandimagines @madwomansapologist @hijirikaww @tryingtowritestuff24 @laserlope @auroraesmeraldarose @puckprimrose @dont-try-pesticide @cherifrog @circusofthelastdays @nourangul @crucibelle @fan-aaa-tic

A Bath

It was a cold breeze that woke Elinna.

It slipped in from under the old wooden door; through the window, if it could be called that. It was just an opening in the decrepit masonry of the castle where she’d been left to rest.

It took her a moment for her to realize that the lumpy hay mattress and the damp, threadbare blanket on top of her were not her lumpy mattress and damp blanket from The Nest. For a moment she thought meeting Gale and winding up on the nautiloid was a dream; albeit a long winded one.

But when she rolled over in the bed and pulled the blanket tighter around her to fight off the bitter cold of the coastal breeze, she opened her eyes for a moment. There in the moon-gray dark of the night she found a room she was not at all familiar with.

She scanned the room in a half-awoken state, not thinking any real thoughts–more like bursts of impulse between the undulating waves of sleep that threatened to take her away in their churn.

She saw the usual desk. The privacy drape. The almost melted candle. Her waistcoat had been taken off and neatly folded, set on the writing desk. Her bloodied boots sat in a pile not far away from there; her gloves tossed down with them, also bloodied.. This room wasn’t her room…so what…ah–that’s right.

She’d been so exhausted she didn’t feel herself drift off to sleep. Gale had been carrying her on his back. Where was he?

Another breeze blew into the room and set her teeth to chattering. Gods above, how was it colder here than at The Nest?

She rose to her bare feet, keeping the blanket tight around her as she shuffled over to the desk.

She knew very few spells, of course. And most of them, she only knew with very little command–but there was one she was decent at, because she used it nearly every day. She could produce a flame.

Nothing terribly impressive, mind you–but it was more convenient than having to ask the ArchLibrarian for matches; more convenient than having him ask her why she was going through so many of them and finding out that she’d been sneaking books into her room to read while the others slept.

She breathed into her cold hands before shaking them, encouraging her blood flow into her fingertips. After giving her hands a few moments to catch up with the rest of her, she focused on the fingertips of her dominant hand, she took a deep breath and plucked at the same little flicker of magic she always used for this little party trick. She snapped her fingers, and sure enough, a single flame engulfed the farthest knuckle of her index finger, as if her two middle fingers had been a flint struck by her thumb.

She lowered that finger to the wick of the single candle in the room before shaking the flame off her fingertip the same way one might do with a matchstick.

It was hardly enough light for human eyes, but Elinna didn’t need much. She’d been lucky to pick up darkvision from her half-drow lineage; an appreciated perk despite how much she hated the violet tinge of her scars and freckles.

She caught a glimpse of those old scars on the inside of her arm and wondered idly if Gale had seen them. Wondered if he’d made any judgements of her based off of them.

The doorknob jangled and turned and Gale appeared in the doorway. Elinna looked over at him and was surprised at the flood of relief that filled her lungs. She hadn’t realized she was worried that he’d left her there and gone off on his own, but that was the only explanation she had for the shift in her sense of ease.

He was holding two tin plates with porridge, boiled fish, and roasted carrots piled in small, tidy quantities. They met eyes and Gale’s eye’s flicked about her.

“Oh–you’re awake,” Gale said, voice a bit choked with something she couldn’t identify.. “Are you feeling better?”

“Is your…hair wet?” she asked him.

He was newly dressed in a similar robe to before, but this one was slightly different. It had a shorter length with a more open panel in the front. He was wearing some more sturdy leather boots as well, and he had a new multi-layered belt with a knife and short sword holstered to it. He carried two small packs over one shoulder, which he dropped onto the ground near the desk.

“Oh, ah, yes,” he said, hurrying over to the writing desk to set down the plates. The scent of lavender and bay leaf rolled off of his warmer body with him in such close proximity. “I went to refresh myself and see if I couldn’t conjure a few comforts to get us through the night. While searching, I happened to find a natural hot spring.”

“You’re kidding!” she said, feeling a swell of relief all over again. Not only would she get to have a bath but a warm bath? What a treat. “You have to show me where it is! I’m dying for a hot bath.”

“It’s not far–just a hop and a skip behind the–”

A click sounded from the door and they both looked toward it. Gale’s brow tensed before he walked back over to the door, testing the knob. A willowy voice came through the door a moment later.

“Seeing as supper has been served and your lodgings are in order, we will be locking the door to prevent any unfortunate mishaps through the night,” it said.

“Absolutely not–we’re guests, not prisoners!” Gale shouted through the door. “Unlock this door right now.”

There was no answer.

“Open the door!” Gale demanded again.

“Don’t bother,” Elinna sighed. “He’s probably already gone–don’t you have a spell that could unlock it?”

“Under other circumstances, but I’m afraid my capacity to reach into the weave is utterly tapped out until I get a proper night of sleep,” he said a bit sourly. “How did you ever put up with conditions like this?” Gale griped, turning to her, his brow still furrowed. “I’ve never met such learned men who were so…so…asinine.”

Elinna shrugged and leaned against the edge of the desk, her ample hips displacing one of the unfortunate looking plates. “You get used to it, I guess,” she said. “They never locked us in when I was at The Nest, but we also never really got visitors…maybe it’s standard protocol.”

“You’d think they had Karsus’s Grimoire locked up in their archives,” he said, smearing a hand down his face and pinching the bridge of his nose.

While Gale had his conniption, Elinna was realizing with no shortage of disappointment that her hopes for a hot bath were all but dashed. Unless…

“Hey Gale…” She said as looked over toward the bath with a little pout. “I know you said you’re tapped out…but do you think you have the energy for a little cantrip?”

“Probably,” he said, looking skeptically at the plate of food and pushing the boiled fish with one of the wooden utensils given to them. “Why do you ask?”

“Well…do you think you could conjure up some hot water for me to take a bath?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, what?” Gale said as he blinked, his brows shooting up. “With me in the room?”

“Please,” she begged gently. “I feel so disgusting. If I have to sleep like this while you’re sitting in here looking all sparkly and smelling nice, I’m going to feel even worse.”

“Absolutely not,” he said. “Elinna, you shouldn’t take baths with strange men you just met. Er–rather–with them nearby.”

“You’re not strange! You’re Gale Dekarios! And there are drapes for privacy,” she said insistently. “It’s not like I’ll be putting on a show for you or something.”

“A Drape! Singular! And it’s holding onto its sorry, threadbare life by a thread!”

“Gale, what else am I supposed to do?” she asked. “I’m still covered in blood and sweat–I need a bath.”

“You can wait until tomorrow,” he said. “We’ll have our very bland supper–get some sleep, and–”

He met her eyes again and she wasn’t sure what he saw there, but whatever it was it seemed to pull on his heart strings. He rubbed the back of his neck before using the same hand to smear down his face.

“Fine,” he said. “I got my chance to clean up, it seems only fair that you get yours. I can only imagine how wrong it feels with myself being properly tidied up and you still…well… I must emphasize, however, that this falls squarely outside of the usual confines of propriety.”

Elinna beamed and nodded eagerly, thankfully.

“Duly noted,” Elinna said. “I promise I won’t tell your mother.”

He leveled her a deadpan look. “Don’t patronize me,” he said. “It’s not about being afraid of my mother it’s–”

“I’m just teasing you,” Elinna said. “Don’t worry, Gale. I trust you to be a gentleman. And besides that–I’m pretty sure that you don’t see me as…well– I just mean–it’s not as if I’m trying to seduce you. If I thought at all that I was a temptation to you, I promise, I would wait until tomorrow.”

“Of course,” he agreed quickly.

“I’ll be quick,” she said. “I promise.”

Gale heaved a sigh and picked up the other plate, handing it over to her.

“Let’s eat this unfortunate meal and then I’ll get your bath ready,” he said. “It looks utterly inedible, but we’ll need whatever strength we can get for the journey tomorrow.”

She smiled and nodded, taking a bite of the familiar mush on her plate.

A Temptation

Gale had always been told that hunger was the best seasoning–he supposed that didn’t apply to the fare served at The Scribe’s Guild. Yet he choked down every bite of those roasted carrots; that boiled fish–in hopes of prolonging the inevitable.

If I thought at all that I was a temptation to you, I promise, I would wait until tomorrow.

Why hadn’t he spoken up then? Why hadn’t he argued with her further?

Well, likely because, in order for him to object to what she’d said, he would have to admit his own embarrassing thoughts of attraction to the young woman. Admit that he had been having plenty of improprietous thoughts about her as he had her hoisted up on his back–when his hand had supported the softness of her waist.

He told himself it was a strategic move. That he needed her in order to safeguard against what might be catastrophic down the road. The true resurrection in his possession would do little good without someone available to cast it, after all. He needed an ally and he wouldn't risk losing one because he was touch starved and lonesome and…er… long deprived.

He told himself that the sooner she bathed, the sooner she would be properly dressed. The less he would have to remind himself to look away from the delicate skin of her chest and the way the neckline of her muslin dress fell off her shoulders despite the number of times she pushed her sleeves back up where it was meant to sit.

Now that he thought about it–very little of her clothing seemed to fit properly. Her waistcoat fit well enough, but her dress was oddly loose; she seemed to swim in it.

He was glad he’d been able to find something for her to wear, hoped that they fit properly and that she didn’t mind wearing Mystra’s colors–and slightly outdated fashions. Then again, he doubted The Nest cared much about the current trends in women’s clothing.

When they were finally finished eating, Gale begrudgingly prepared a hot bath for Elinna, the act simple, really–even with the majority of his energy spent. It was a simple enough process and, if he was honest, seeing her face brighten when it was done was almost enough to make it worth the discomfort of feeling like a rakish cad. He conjured some light in the room to make it look more like a lodging and less like they were thieves sneaking around by candlelight.

She was practically buzzing with excitement to get in, so he leaned over and handed her the smaller of the two packs he’d put together.

“I put a change of clothes in here, I think it should fit, but let me know if it doesn’t,” he said.

“Oh! You…just have women’s clothes laying around?” she asked.

He gave her a withering look. “It sounds awful when you say it like that. No, not just lying around. It’s an old gift from…a friend. It’s one of the old cleric robes that followers of Mystra used to wear.”

“Really?” Elinna said, green eyes widening.

“Don’t get too excited,” he said. “Any imbued magic is, unfortunately, long gone. But it should be a little nicer than the leathers and canvases you’ve been wearing. They don’t seem well suited for travel…”

A lie, of course. Aside from Elinna’s boots, her clothing was more than suitable enough for traveling. But the longer he’d thought about the scars on the delicate skin of her wrist and forearm, the more his stomach churned at the idea of her putting those garments back on.

He wasn’t sure why it bothered him so much, but it did. It still did–even while she was dressed down to her tan dress and leather trousers; even as she barely looked like she belonged to the strange order that was putting them up for the night.

He was still trying to figure it out as she hurried behind the privacy curtain and started to undress.

He wouldn’t have known she was undressing–except the lighting he’d created in the room was just placed well enough that her shadow cast against the threadbare drape as she pulled her muslin dress up and over her head. The light caught the softness of her waist, the gentle, sloping curve of her breast before it peaked at her nipple.

He forced himself to tear his eyes away from her. He would just need to distract himself.

He told himself it wasn’t Elinna in particular that was pulling this silly desire out of him; that if could have been any member of the fairer sex that had this effect on him. Elinna just happened to be the convenient, ever present option.

He insisted that had to be the case as he heard the quiet slosh of Elinna stepping into the hot water and heaving out a comforted sigh. He took a book out of his pack to distract himself from imagining what she looked like flushed across her shoulders and her chest from the hot bath water. He glared down at his book about foraging in the wild as he tried not to wonder if the comforted sounds she made in the bath would be the same if she were touched in just the right places.

“So–shall we get to know each other better?” Elinna asked from her bath.

Gale nearly jumped out of his skin, teeth grinding.

“Elinna, don’t speak to me while you’re bathing,” he said, his tone clipped.

“Why not?” she asked him.

He heaved a sigh while bunting the heel of his hand against his forehead. Mystra grant him strength. “Elinna, I don’t want to be an ass, but are you so far removed from civilization that you can’t glean why it’s not appropriate for a bathing woman to be holding casual conversation with a man?”

There was a moment of silence, the sound of water being poured, the faint trickle of movement in the tub. “I mean–not that far removed, no,” she said. “I used to sing in the taverns back in Moonshae. Plenty a drunken man has told me what parts of me he wanted to see and well…they weren't my eyes, let me just say that.”

“So then why the play at naivety?” Gale asked, resisting the urge to turn toward her. “You clearly know why it could be a problem to talk to a man while you’re nude. The…intimacy of it.”

“I suppose I just…thought you were above such things,” she said. “I just thought that our unique circumstances lent themselves to bending the rules of propriety just a bit.”

Gale sighed. She was right–he should be able to act with a little more decorum than the drunks at the taverns. He should be able to extract a more distilled version of his maturity and be able to speak to a young woman without thinking so much about the shape of her body and what it would be like to feel it under his hands.

“Gale?” she asked. “Are you angry?”

“No,” he said, turning a page in the book he was reading without really seeing it. “Sorry, it’s just been a while since I’ve had such constant company. Most of the time it was just me and my tressym, Tara. She was stimulating company to be sure, but it’s been a while since I’ve had more human companionship. I admit I’m not used to it.”

“I’ve never really had it,” she said. “I guess that’s why I’m so keen to fill the silence. It’s hard not to be excited to have a friend.”

“A friend…” he said, repeating that word again. It was the second time she’d called him that since they’d met.

“Oh–” she said, her voice getting smaller. “I suppose that is a bit presumptive…I’ve done it a couple times already, too. I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize,” Gale said. “If I’m honest–I just feel a bit guilty because I’ve hardly been a good friend to you. It doesn’t feel like I’ve earned the title.”

“You’ve been a splendid friend–perhaps not at our first meeting, but every moment since,” she said. “You tried your best to keep me safe from the Nautiloid even though you barely knew me. And then you offered to accompany me to try and figure out what to do about these parasites…”

“To be fair, you’ve been a great help to me, as well,” he said. “You helped me out of that pocket realm and found this place; got us room and board for the night.”

“That’s what friends do,” Elinna said easily.

“Elinna,” he said. “Since we’re friends…can I ask you a personal question?”

“Sure,” she said.

“Those scars on the inside of your wrist–”

There was an abrupt sound of something heavy plunking into the water, like she’d dropped her hands into the tub to hide the scars he’d mentioned.

“I don’t have to ask about them if you’d rather not talk about it,” he said. “I’m not trying to pry, or to bring up something painful…”

“No, it’s okay. I suppose it’s only fair that I be honest about it if we’re going to be traveling together,” she said. “Mm–what’s your question about them?”

“Did your caretakers at The Nest do that to you?” he asked.

“Tney did,” she said. “A long time ago, the ArchLibrarian at The Nest wasn’t very kind. When I was six and he was teaching me how to read, he used it as a method to deter me from failing.”

“Hells,” Gale said under his breath. “I can only imagine how well that worked…”

He heard her laugh a little and for some reason it hurt his heart. “Not terribly well,” she admitted. “But I needed to learn to read in order to be able to return the archives to their homes on the shelves. That was when I started sneaking literature into my room at night, so I could practice reading on my own.”

“Did the punishments stop after that?” Gale asked.

“Well–that particular ArchLibrarian died and a new one took over,” she said. “So the caning stopped, but other punishments took its place. Sometimes I’d be sent to bed without supper, or if I really made an error I’d be tasked with handling the rats and spiders in the cellars. It only took one bout of paralysis for me to do everything I could to avoid that particular punishment.”

“How did you make it out of there with all of the…earnest fervor you have? If I was in such a situation, I feel like I would have disappeared within myself.”

“You see my overcoat out there?” Elinna asked.

“Yes.”

“If you open the breast pocket there’s a little locket inside.”

Gale hesitated for a moment, feeling odd about rifling through her things, but he finally carefully looked through the folds of canvas and leather until he found the piece of jewelry.

It was a lovely, delicate little thing. It was about the size of a gold piece and fastened to a velvet choker that was worn threadbare in some places. It had been handled a lot, almost like someone had rubbed their thumb against the plush fabric habitually. The pendant was a dark metal with almost a violet sheen to it. There was a thin sliver of a crescent moon on it with a couple sitting on it as if it were a hammock, cradling a child between them.

Elinna’s name was written in Drowic on the seam of the locket.

“It’s imbued with drow magic,” Gale said.

“Mhmn,” she responded. “Powerful stuff, too. I’ve never been able to find someone to open it. That locket is the last thing my mother gave me before leaving me on the steps of The Nest.”

“Why not just find a wizard to do it for you?” Gale asked.

“I tried to,” she said. “But the last one I spoke to told me it may have some sort of bond with my blood–that I’d have to be the one to open it.”

Gale examined the piece a little closer, feeling out the weave and the threads of magic, following their winding paths.

Whomever Elinna had spoken to had spoken true, the threads all coalesced on her. Any wizard worth his salt would know that trying to manipulate that magic might destroy the item all together.

“Do you think your mother was a wizard?” Gale asked.

“I don’t know,” Elinna said. “I think I’ve just always hoped that if I could get it open, I could find where I really belong.”

The orb in Gale’s chest reached out for the thrumming weave in Elinna’s locket. He rubbed his free hand over his chest where the bundle of magic growled for the item, as if a bit of petting could soothe the burning hunger there.

Not this one, he told the netherese shred of magic in his chest, just a bit longer and I’ll get you something we can use.

“So that’s why you came looking for a teacher,” he said. “And why you wouldn’t settle for someone who could teach you simple folk magic or healing magic.”

“Yes,” she said. “And why I was hesitant about your offer to introduce me to another teacher…but…well beggars, choosers.”

Gale heard her take in a deep breath and then a small splash as Elinna dipped beneath the surface of the water. While she soaked out of earshot, he carefully put the locket beneath layers of fabric, careful not to leave it out for the sun to get to it and hurt the magic sourced from the underdark.

He was having a hard time not getting distracted by this girl. This was always his plight; he was always far too empathetic to deal with stories like Elinna’s. He was a bleeding heart for people who were unlucky and downtrodden–people who were alone in life and had no one to encourage them.

Gale had the sudden wish to take her back to Waterdeep–to introduce her to his mother who somehow always had extra love to spare. It wouldn’t have been the first time his mother made up for a lack of love in one of his friends’ lives, but Elinna perhaps deserved it more than anyone else.

He heard Elinna resurface and heave out a sigh before starting to get out of the tub.

“Done already?” he asked.

“I promised I would go quick,” she said. “Besides, it feels strange to talk to you without looking at you.”

He focused down on his book as he listened to the faint shift and twinkle of the clothes he’d fetched for her. He heard the faint little grunt as she dressed, the sound of belts being unbuckled and buckled once more, and then she came around the privacy drape, newly clothed.

Her amber hair fell in damp ribbons down past her waist, her face was faintly flushed with the warmth from the bath. She looked comfortable and at ease in her new clothes, though he somewhat regretted the reminder of Mystra on the tapered ends of her skirt and the collar of the leather padding.

“Feel better?” he asked.

“Oh, so much better,” she said with a soft breath. “The clothes are a bit tight but…I also don’t have many clothes that properly fit me. Does it look okay?”

She turned this way and that.

The truth was, she looked fetching in it. The greens and tans of the Scribe’s Guild livery may have done more for the verdant quality of her eyes, but the pale violets and ashen chainmail of the cleric’s robes made the color of her coppery hair all the more vibrant, and paired nicely with the almost mauve quality to her freckles.

He chose not to think of the ways the openings of the skirt cleared a path all the way up to her thigh, and thought even less on how well the lines of her violet trousers followed the full curve of said thigh.

“It fits you like a glove,” Gale finally said. “Nothing looks too tight from where I’m sitting.

She smiled at him and heaved a happy breath. “Thank you again for giving me something new to wear,” she said. “It feels good to be clean again. I was worried I’d be stuck in blood stained clothes.”

“Happy to help,” he said with a pressed smile. “When I have a bit more energy, I’ll get some more comfortable lounging clothes for you to wear so you don’t have to sleep in armor.”

“It’s not so bad,” she said. “At least, I can put up with it for now–probably better to be safe than sorry anyway.”

“You should never underestimate the importance of a good night’s rest,” Gale said.

“Speaking of which, you should probably get to bed, don’t you think?” she suggested.

“Me?” he asked. “No, I meant you.”

“I’ve already gotten some sleep, I’ll remind you–you on the other hand, have not,” she said. “And besides, there’s only one bed.”

“I’ll sleep on a bedroll on the floor,” he said. “You take the bed.”

“I’m not tired,” she said.

“First of all, yes you are, I can see it in your face. Second of all, this is likely the last full night of sleep we’ll get for a while, considering soon enough we will have to take turns keeping watch. So you take the bed.”

“I think I may be able to out-last you,” she said.

“Do not,” Gale said. “Make this a competition.”

“Why? Afraid you’ll lose?” she teased.

“Afraid neither of us will get the sleep we need because I’m terribly competitive. My mother won’t even look at a lanceboard anymore,” he said.

She laughed and the sound brushed up against some long forgotten impulse in the back of his mind–one he’d put away a long time ago.

“Okay, fine,” she said. “I’ll take the bed, but I still haven’t gotten much of a chance to get to know you better–you already have a full catalog of my childhood and all of the piteous stories that go along with it.”

She walked over to the bed and sat back down on it.

“Lie down and I promise to tell you all about my childhood–though I’m afraid it’s not nearly as tragic as yours….it may feel more like I’m bragging, actually,” Gale said.

“Hmm,” she said. “I think I can put up with a bit of bragging. I like listening to you talk.”

She laid herself down on the bed and turned onto her side to look at him, folding her arm under her head to use as a makeshift pillow. “Regale me,” she said. “No pun intended.”

He barked a soft laugh. “Careful with telling a man like me that you enjoy listening to me talk,” he said. “I’ll take far too much advantage of something like that.”

“I do, though,” she said. “After a life spent in a library, you can’t blame me for enjoying the simple pleasure of a good conversation.”

“Well–there will be no shortage of good conversation with me,” he said. “The only thing I’m better at than magic is talking–gratuitously.”

She chuckled and his heart fluttered a little as she looked at him with sleepy eyes. He got started talking before he let his mind drift to the last time a woman looked at him like that and what activities may have preceded or followed that look..

He told her about his youth–about how he was such a gifted young wizard that he’d caught the attention of Elminster, and then Mystra herself. He left out the part about taking Mystra as a lover. He skipped his inevitable folly and luckily, by the time he got to that part of his story, Elinna had already started gently dozing off between sounds of acknowledgement in regards to what he was saying.

With time, her quiet mhmn’s and uh-huh’s ceased and he was almost certain that she was crossing the threshold into a proper, restful sleep.

He swapped from talking about himself to reading out of the foraging book to fill the quiet room so that she didn’t automatically wake in the new silence that took the place of his prattling. When her breaths became slow and steady, though, he set the book aside and got his bedroll ready for the floor.

He’d be feeling the ache in his bones the next day, of course, but it was only what could be considered right for their sleeping arrangements. An older man shouldn’t share a bed with a young woman–least of all one he’d spent the better part of a day trying not to have improper thoughts about.

He dropped his concentration on his light evocations and sent a little gust of air to blow out the candle that more resembled a pool of melted tallow. His bedroll was close enough to the bed that he could hear Elinna’s rhythmic inhalations and exhalations. He looked outside as the moon hovered. Far away, he could hear the hush of waves crashing on the shore and for a moment he almost felt like he was back at home.

He closed his eyes and let himself imagine that he was laid in bed with Tara curled up next to him and the promise of a warm cup of tea in the very near future.

He couldn’t decide, however, if he was quite as homesick as he should be.

As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn’t help but admit to himself that it was nice to have the warm presence of another person near him. He couldn’t help but admit that he had missed the closeness of another body–the camaraderie of a shared experience, however terrible this one had turned out to be.

Maybe he could try taking on an apprentice again afterall.

#writing community #writers on tumblr #writing #writeblr #authors #my writing #vtf #violet thread of fate #gale x tav #fic recs #gale x tav fic #gale/tav #gale dekarios #gale fic #baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate astarion #baldur's gate iii #baldurs gate tav

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tightjeansjavi · 5 months

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Ohhh fic and writers recs?? I really enjoyed Mothman Fever by beskarandblasters, a really cool take on a different version of Joel!

Hi Nonnie! Thank you for submitting this and I will forsure add Mothman Fever to Kel’s section on the list 🤍

Happy New Year!

#community writer recs #community fic recs #end of the year fic recs #mailbox #mail received

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willow-lark · 11 months

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lark's recently-read byler fic recs

thought people could use some uplifting 💕🫶 please remember to hype up your favorite fics and art and other creative work & remember there's always something new to enjoy!! browse the tag or ao3 page & give someone's work a some love!! xoxo

If Time Runs Out by @rainypebble07 (T, ongoing, 14k+) - BYLER PIRATE AU!!! 🏴‍☠️ i literally just discovered this one today and i'm actually obsessed. i have never seen any other pirate aus (🤨) n i just wanna say u guys are missing out on the concept and on this fic bc i'm so invested. i'm so excited to see where this fic goes. royal mike x pirate mike is SO GOOD.

how to get your crush to believe you love him: a guide by mike wheeler by @newlesbianprideflag (T, 3/4, 11k+) - mike goes across the country to visit will at college in an attempt to confess his feelings to him. will, who has a boyfriend already and would like to think himself very over mike, thank you, is not impressed. this one deconstructs a lot of popular/fanon tropes and is really great so far!!

california show your teeth by @fireflywitch (T, 8/19, 63k+) - ok this one mayyybe only has background byler but i'm reccing it anyway bc it's one of my FAVORITE regularly updating fics maybe EVER. in early 1985, chief hopper and his average, normal family move from lenora hills, california to hawkins, indiana--the latter of which has had multiple tragedies over the past few years, to which the new chief's family may or may not be linked. LIKE WHATTTT 👀 go read it RN. masterpiece

All Good Dogs by @hellfiremike (T, 1/1, 3.8k) - this one actually made me cry. featuring: an EXCELLENT character study of will byers, a heartfelt examination of canon and what comes after, and chester the dog getting the attention he deserves and never got in canon 😭

kiss me (try to fix it) by birthofv3nus (T, 1/1, 4k) - will has kissed every member of the party except for mike, who is, understandably, taking this news *SO* well and is not jealous about it at *ALL.* but maybe his situation is not quite as dire as he believes it to be....ugh this one was such a fun read, and you know i loveee party dynamics!!

drank my poison all alone by silverluminoqity (T, 1/1, 4k) - mike is going through it, and, though vecna seems to have been vanquished, maybe he's not so completely gone as everyone thinks.... this is an excellent exploration of both mike's guilt as well as his evolution as a character, and how he views himself. super in-character and super good!!

high tide came and brought you in (and i could go on and on) by silverluminoqity (T, 1/1, 8k) - MOTEL FIC MOTEL FIC MOTEL FIC 🥳 or, mike and will have yet another heart to heart, and some things are revealed. this fic is just so completely heartfelt and UGH i was MELTING the ENTIRE TIME, holy SHIT. probably in my top 3 motel fics EVER tbh.

Chasing Heartlines by @cherryisgone (T, 1/2, 6k+) - i was so excited to read the first chapter of the sequel to maybe one of the best byler fantasy aus ever!! knight mike pining after prince will is something that can actually be so personal to me. i love a good mike-won't-shut-up-about-will fic. the attention to detail in this fic is actually INSANE.

#byler #byler fic recs #byler fic rec #will byers #mike wheeler #stranger things #fic recs #posts of lark #tbh i feel like this is exactly how i ought to operate my tumblr #pop on every once in a while to rec fics and then whoosh away again into the unknown #*bangs on ceiling which is the floor of byler tumblr's apartment*#READ FICS YOU COWARDS THERE'S SO MUCH GOOD SHIT OUT HERE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE MISSING OUT ON #COMMUNITIES DON'T WORK UNLESS THEY'RE RECIPROCAL #SO GO SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION FOR A NEW WRITER TODAY. OR FOR A WRITER YOU'VE NEVER SPOKEN TO BEFORE #go tell them how much they mean to you!!#anyways. love u all 💕

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serpentarii · 1 year

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looking for fantasy writeblrs !

heyyyy, so my dash has been kinda dead lately and most of the taglists i’m on have gone inactive, so if any of the following applies to your wips, please reblog/reply ! boosts and recs are also welcome ❤️‍🔥

dark fantasy and/or adult fantasy

no romance arcs (or romance is not the primary focus of the novel or the main relationship)

myth, fairy tale, and folklore retellings

in-depth and unique worldbuilding

second-world low fantasy

standalones !!

#writeblr #writeblr community #writers on tumblr #writerly #fantasy writeblr #writeblr search #writeblr recs

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reds-writings · 15 days

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hi red!! i've read all what you have written and it so so so so good but im insatiable. i was wondering if you had some recs? i'm certain you must have such a good taste in fics!

sorry to be so late to this ask! here's a list of some rust fics i adore!

the idler wheel is wiser than the driver of the screw - @sil-te-plait-tue-moi

THEE rust x reader fics of all fics if you ask me. she also has connecting drabbles with this work that you should check out as well! best characterization of rust i've come across.

something in the night (series) - @nyheartbreak

love the main oc in this (want to protect her with my life)!! the dynamic between her and rust is heartbreakingly beautiful and i can't wait to read more from this series.

the creeping woods (series) - am7f on ao3

first rust fic i read and loved!! such a good storyline and an amazing oc x rust dynamic. gets you in the feels!

dead flag blues (series) - @barbie-nightmare-house

lost dogs (series) - @madsmilfelsen

these ones i'm both in the middle of/just started but let me just say the writing has got me hook, line, and SINKER. the details and the grit in the writing that comes from the nature of the show is just MWAH. compelling stuff i must say.

@steph-speaks has some stellar headcanons you should check out too!! and keep an eye out for @inknopewetrust 's upcoming fic (snippet here) ♥️

#reds-writings #red speaks #fic recs #rust cohle x oc #rust cohle x reader #true detective season 1 #anon ask #true detective imagine #rust cohle imagine #writer blog #fic rec #the talent in the td community is unmatched

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morallyinept · 6 months

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As much as I enjoy writing, one of the things I enjoy most of all about being in this fandom, is reading all the incredible works by all of YOU.

So, in the spirit of sharing, and singing your praise from the rooftops, once a week I'm going to feature a writer whose work is just incredible, who makes me smile, and who you should totally check out. 🖤

Please ensure you follow them (if you're not already) and re-blog their work. I am pretty sure you're going to love it, and them!

Please check out my Pedro Character Fav Fic Recs List for more incredible writers and their stories too.

So without further ado, here is this week's Writer Wow! ⭐️

⭐️ @nerdieforpedro ⭐️

Nerdie's sense of humour has me laughing constantly, and she is such a ray of sunshine and I am proud to call her a friend as well as a fellow mutual. I love reading her works, so original and fun and her kindness and support of others knows no bounds. She is an absolute gem!

Some of my personal favourites from Nerdie's writing are:

⭐️ I'm Your Fool, Sugar (Check out the full Sugar Series) - Joel Miller

⭐️ Pleasure Principle Series - Dave York

⭐️ His Place Of Peace - Dieter Bravo

⭐️ Sard'ika Session Sessions Series - Din Djarin

Please also check out Nerdie's full Masterlist for more amazing stories!

☝🏻Give Nerdie a follow so you don't miss out on her future stories. You won't be disappointed.

Check out previous Writer Wows here

🖤

#pedro pascal #joel miller #din djarin #jett's writer wow #pedro pascal characters #dieter bravo #dave york #writing community #fanfic writers #just showing some love #jett's fic recs #fic recs

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hayatheauthor · 1 year

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How To Immerse Your Readers With Indirect Characterisation

If you are a writer you’ve probably come across the term ‘show, don’t tell’. This is a popular piece of advice passed down from one writer to the next, however, some writers have wrongly presumed this applies solely to one’s description.

Much like description, your characterisation can directly impact your reader’s immersion and understanding of your characters. While direct characterisation tells your reader about your character, indirect characterisation unveils their true personality. Unsure how to correctly characterise your characters? Here are some tips on how to immerse your readers with indirect characterisation!

What Is Direct And Indirect Characterisation?

In its simplest form, characterisation is the creation or construction of a fictional character. A bit of brainstorming and OC forms can make this feel easy enough, however, many writers fail to realise how important characterisation is during the writing process.

Characterisation comes in two different forms—direct and indirect characterisation.

Direct Characterisation

Direct characterisation is when the author tells the readers what a character is like. It is often concise and lacks insight into the character’s personality. It is generally used when initially describing a character or during fast-paced scenes that require minimal character description.

An example of a direct characterisation would be saying “she was kind” or “he was a very rude person”. Both of these descriptions accomplish the task of accurately describing your character’s persona, however, they are boring and sound akin to a fact rather than a description.

Indirect Characterisation

Indirect characterisation is when an author reveals details about a character without explicitly stating them. It is often used across literature to paint a clear picture of your character’s persona while also immersing the readers.

Rather than simply stating a character is kind or rude, an indirect description would portray their characteristics using descriptive language. While “she was kind” sounds like a sufficient description, something akin to “her hands delicately cupped the flower buds before her, her a touch a testament to her kind heart” is more likely to immerse your reader.

Why Does The Type Of Characterisation Matter?

The way you characterise your character can directly impact your reader’s perception of them. While direct characterisation tells your readers about your character’s personality, indirect characterisation gives them insight into how this impacts your character’s daily life, personal dynamics, and opinion of themselves and those around them.

This isn’t to say direct characterisation is necessarily wrong or bad, in fact, I can think of several instances when direct characterisation would be more useful than indirect. But similarly, there are several instances when indirect characterisation would be more useful than direct.

How To Use Indirect Characterisation

Now that you know what indirect characterisation is, here are some techniques on how to implement indirect characterisation in your writing.

Dialogue

Writers often fail to realise how significant a piece of dialogue can be. The way your character speaks is a direct reflection of their personality. Small factors such as their tone, pronunciation, voice and word choice help portray your character’s persona. An extroverted and excitable teenager might talk with their hands and use a lot of slang, whereas a poised butler would make a conscious effort to speak in a soft and formal tone.

An example of indirect characterisation in dialogue would be: “Sam!” the way her arm waved above her head as she called his name drew a bout of unwanted attention, but that didn’t stop her from continuing with her calls. “They’re selling those colourful cookies you love, come on the queue is pouring out the doors.”

I could have simply stated the character was loud and extroverted before writing out the dialogue, but the above indirect characterisation allows me to showcase her personality without boring the readers.

Use Actions

A person’s personality directly impacts the way they carry themselves. A happy-go-lucky character might hum a light tune as they skip through the halls of their workplace while a quiet introvert would train their gaze on the floor and only speak when spoken to.

Tying your character’s personality into their persona is an easy way to implement indirect characterisation into your writing. Take the time to sit down and consider how a person with your character’s personality would react around others (you can accomplish this by observing people around you who have a similar personality). Once you have an understanding of their persona, figure out ways to implement these little quirks into your writing.

Appearance

Portraying a character’s appearance is probably the most underrated form of indirect characterisation. The way a person carries themselves, their taste in fashion, and other such physical attributes are a direct reflection of their personality.

A confident person might be comfortable showing a lot more skin than an insecure one, a traditional person would maintain a simpler and modest outlook while a modern character would be comfortable with unconventional outfits.

This can also vary depending on the situation your character is in. Maybe a fun-loving character fond of long loose skirts is seen in a soldier’s garb when it’s time for a fight, or a motherly figure with long unruly hair could have a habit of pulling back her curls into a tight updo before scolding her underlings.

Blending Direct And Indirect Characterisation

Implementing indirect characterisation in your writing is important, however, if you are aiming for an immersive piece of writing that will draw your readers in, you need to blend direct and indirect characterisations together.

A fast chapter portraying a fight scene might start off with direct characterisation but tie into the occasional indirect characterisation that details their combat skills. A slower chapter describing your character’s journey through a foreign building could begin with winding indirect characterisations but switch to direct ones once you move onto the heart of the chapter.

When switching between direct and indirect characterisation, it’s important to take your current scene into account and consider whether or not you should prioritise your character or plot.

I hope this blog on how to immerse your readers with indirect characterisation will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.

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