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phoenixtakaramono · 3 years

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Character Design Thoughts for Shen Yuan & Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky in ‘The Untold Tale’

(This is a Follow Up to This Post)

Hello, @averydrearydiana! Loved reading through your tags! I’m excited that you’re excited! Since I’m also seeing comments on AO3 speculating about how our transmigrators are going to appear as in The Untold Tale, I might as well give my current thoughts and have this archived on tumblr for future reference.

A fun fact about TUT is that a lot of the imagery in the story is inspired by Chinese PVs and popular C-dramas and literature. Since TUT is conceived as a lovestory to SVSSS, one element that I’d wanted to incorporate is playful attempts at satirical genre deconstruction. With that comes with me playfully poking fun at some clichés or things I’ve noticed in Chinese works.

Shen Yuan’s Celestial Design

Before I talk about his mortal appearance, I have to give a lil context about his celestial design in the story. We already know what he looks like as the celestial fortuneteller in TUT’s cover art that I’ve already posted on tumblr. As everyone knows, I was heavily inspired by this Chinese PV:

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(TUT ch1 - Excerpt)

Among the things I’ve noticed are the fictional characters with white hair. We have a whole subculture of fans liking male character designs with white hair in anime and animation. Taking that a step further, they’ve even shown up in C-dramas, i.e. Teng She from Love and Redemption (technically more blond than platinum white, but shhhhh, just let me have this), Dong Hua Dijun from Eternal Love of Dream aka Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (rest assured, I’m aware of the source material’s controversy, but let’s not get into that here), etc. One of the tags for TUT is Opposites Attract. Luo Binghe’s color coordination is aligned with black and red mostly. Now, visually speaking, what’s the opposite of that?

The yin yang symbol.

Fun fact, besides black vs white, green (SY) is the complementary color of red (LBG) on the color wheel. Now taking everything I’ve said, to take it even one step further, my thought process at the time was, “why not go the extra mile then and just have SY be albino? Within context of the Heavenly Realm, that character design makes sense.” TUT is me subtly riffing off what I can (for the good ol’ meta humor), but making the content come across as a legitimate story experience. As Protagonist A and Protagonist B, LBG and SY have to look visually striking together. With all that said, let’s talk about....

(In reference to the original tumblr post)

Shen Yuan (Mortal)

I’ll keep some elements of his albinism from his celestial form (light sensitivity and pale skin mostly), but SY’s mortal form is essentially SY pre-transmigration but within context of the xianxia genre.

For his appearance, let’s just keep this Author’s Note^ and TUT’s summary in the back of our brains. This is the fanvid I was originally inspired by for SY’s mortal appearance:

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(TUT Summary - Excerpt)

For what he wears, I’m currently feeling very heavily inspired by this PV:

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His mortal appearance wouldn’t be considered as “strange” or “otherworldly” compared to the “ethereal fairy-like beauty” SY retains in the Heavenly Realm, but as a side-effect of the 【PROTAGONIST’S HALO】 and his +20 CHARISMA stat, he would still be considered attractive to people even when he takes on a mortal appearance. (Mainly, I like the idea of Bing gē taking large shots of vinegar seeing SY turning heads no matter which appearance SY takes on, and Luo Binghe glaring at these “insects” for even “daring to lay their unworthy eyes on his fated person.” The thought of it just makes me laugh.)

What I mean by how SY’s mortal form being very much based on how SY appeared pre-transmigration but in the xianxia genre context, I mean he’ll have his dark hair (but longer), a “scholarly air” (as a nod to his novelist background), dark eyes, and even his glasses technically (the divine monocle mentioned in ch3, which is also a subtle nod to Sha Po Lang and a riff on men wearing monocles in other Chinese works andit’salsoforeshadowingbutshhhh).

(TUT ch3 - Excerpt)

Shen Yuan originally was an author in his forties pre-transmigration, so I like the idea him having a mature air about him in the Cultivation World as well. So for both our Protagonist B’s celestial and mortal appearances, the idea is that you can look at him and immediately recognize him as a protagonist of the danmei setting. My only two prerequisites are that his appearance screams “hello, I’m Protagonist B” and that he appears in “scholarly” attire.

Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky (Mortal)

Keeping in mind the original tumblr post where I wrote my thoughts on who I’m transmigrating him as, currently I’m thinking it’s a combination of these two PVs for his mortal form:

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As a nod to him being a successful novelist, I wanted him to also appear scholarly. A scholarly crown prince, if you will. For his attire, imagine all the C-drama clothing you’ve seen actors wear in period dramas, and you already have a good idea already of the direction I’m heading down.

As the prince of the cannon fodder emperor, I very much like the idea of Airplane perhaps having a baby face and brown hair (as a small nod to fanon!SQH from SVSSS) but with a great body (a huge source of inspiration are clothing worn by Prince Yu and Prince Jing of the three princes from the C-drama Nirvana in Fire). Since Airplane will also be able to select his Character Creation stats like Shen Yuan had, one thing I’m fairly certain is that he will max out his CONSTITUTION—because “game logic” and not wanting to die. (For those who don’t know, the CON stat in tabletop RPs essentially indicates a person’s overall health, wellbeing, and vigor checks...so him maxing it out is equivalent to him being as invulnerable as a cockroach. A high CON means overall healthiness, which means your character probably is full of energy and vitality, can heal rapidly, and will rarely get sick—if ever. Low CON usually means a higher susceptibility to sickness and disease, wounds that fester and linger, and a general fatigue would haunt you, etc.) Like how SY zeroed in on his CHA, Airplane would have prioritized +20 CON (+5 modifier), especially knowing the fate that’d await him as a prince and the vicious environment that is expected for palace intrigue plots (the harem is a big factor, with concubines and consorts and even the empress sabotaging each other—just to win the favor of one man). Against poison or whatnot which is a cliché in palace intrigue plots, rather than relying on luck, you typically stand a better chance of passing the CON check if you have a high modifier aiding your checks. He’s basically become impervious to illnesses, most poisons (probably being able to spring back quickly), and is considered the healthiest prince in all the mortal imperial line. <- This could be taken both seriously and humorously simultaneously.

Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky (Deity/ Celestial)

For Xiàng Tiān Dà Fēijī’s “actual divine body” that is currently asleep and won’t be awakened until Airplane completes his mortal trial to “regain his cultivation powers,” the face should obviously be similar but, as Xiàng Tiān Dà Fēijī, he would appear regal and dignified as a god of this world:

Imagine something along the lines of mortal Airplane as the man on the right, celestial Shen Yuan in the center, and deity/ celestial Airplane as the man on the left. I envision a respectable appearance that would knock the air out of Mobei jūn and make him recognize Airplane despite any visual dissimilarities, and in a way we have the Four Beauties of China: Luo Binghe, Shen Yuan, Mobei jūn, and Xiàng Tiān Dà Fēijī.

I will say I currently have an idea of making Airplane have “golden” eyes in both his celestial and mortal forms. (Spoiler alert: in my notes, I’d written down to give Airplane yellow eyes as an Easter egg to Yanxi Palace, I believe, where there was an episode where someone of the imperial harem schemed against the empress and almost had the newborn baby killed because that and the yellow skin was an inauspicious omen. We later find out through a timely intervention that the true reason was due to jaundice—because of the diet/ pregnancy cravings she ate for a period of time which resulted in her son’s symptoms. With Airplane’s high CON and another trope I’m bringing in which’ll have to do with the Medicine King’s Valley/ Valley of the Medicine King, his yellow eyes are the only side effect that lingered from that traumatic event which would have killed him had they gotten away with their scheme. A lot of palace dramas have to do with the vicious harem plots, so this would potentially be one such example.) The reason being that this is the identifying marker for MBJ to clue in that they’re the same man he will have loved. And I think that has romantic potential.

Misc.

Now addressing the other tags, yes, essentially speaking, Mobei jūn might just very well experience his very own Big Damn Reunion trope that Bing mèi had suffered from SVSSS. Poor MBJ. He’s in a tumultuous ride of his own with him considering Airplane as his own fated person, hahaha. But for the Moshang dynamic, I want him—a demon—to find himself taken with Airplane in his mortal guise—and subsequently his true celestial appearance once he finds out. I very much also want SY to jokingly snark to his fellow transmigrator-and-writing-colleague about him getting in a relationship with his own “creation” (MBJ). And Airplane would jokingly snark back about SY “ruining his ‘first son’ as well” (LBG). If you can read between the lines of that, then kudos. I’m glad to hear you’re looking forward to the palace intrigue.

I’m especially very happy to hear you’re looking forward to the descriptions! I personally love worldbuilding in the stories I consume I’m an interior designer and realtor irl, so I’m glad my love of house details and landscape, etc shows in TUT. For the pseudohistorical vibe, in the Mortal Realm, I will be referencing the Forbidden City of our Chinese history and a couple popular period C-dramas. Take the settings of period C-dramas like Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, Yanxi Palace, and Nirvana in Fire as examples for what will be awaiting us when we finally meet Airplane in his mortal body. In the Heavenly Realm, the descriptions will be heavily referencing shows that contain aesthetics such as those of Ashes of Love, Love and Redemption, and Eternal Dream.

Take this with a grain of salt just in case I change my mind later on, but in the chapter when we meet Airplane for the first time, I probably won’t say which character he is in the first scene. I’ll give plenty of hints in the first scene so that you all can make your guesses before the big reveal, but I’m fairly confident you all or most of you will be able to pinpoint who he is among the cannon fodders. We’ll meet the emperor, who is discussing with his sons about the matter regarding the approaching calamity that is Luo Binghe. Then when we transition into the second scene, we’ll know exactly which “royal prince OC” it is that our beloved Airplane has transmigrated into, hahaha.

(*Keep in mind, for everything written above, some details are subject to change. Nothing is official until it appears in the story, or I’ve actually drawn my ideas out and posted online to both my tumblr and twitter. These are just my current thoughts.)

A goal of mine for TUT is to make the story widely accessible, meaning it doesn’t matter if the reader is new to the SVSSS fandom or aren’t familiar with the Easter egg references or meta jokes or subtext or even the Chinese culture, or even if English is not their first language. Having knowledge beforehand might help someone notice more hidden details in TUT, yes, but it is a humble wish of this writer for her esteemed readers to be able to dive into the story and get the enjoyable feeling like they’re reading a genuine danmei novel. It really makes me smile whenever I hear feedback that I am able to emulate that experience.

Very exciting developments indeed are in store!

#svsss #bingyuan #moshang #mobei jun #bingqiu #the scum villain's self saving system #the untold tale #phoenixtakaramono #phoenix talks #ask #averydrearydiana #technically not an ask #but i like to categorize it there #it’s very much like we have 2 forbidden romances ay?#There is so much I wanted to reply back to #so just know I read them all #and treasured everything you wrote in your tags #there will indeed be a transmigrator reveal bt SY and Airplane #to their bfs they can only come so close #SY will come REALLY close but of course the System will filter his words #so SPOILER ALERT an example would be SY saying I remember things in my past life clearly #In Chinese reincarnation mythos you don’t typically keep memories of any of your past lives #in some tales and C-dramas you basically drink a potion/ cup of forgetfulness to wipe your memory #before you are allowed to reincarnate into your next life etc #ah yes war strategist SY will make plenty more appearances in TUT lololol #I love your tag about LBH showing off the pelt and being like LoOk At WhAt My Bf GaVe Me aka My Bf iS BeTtEr ThAn YoUr Bf/Gf #the scene when Airplane finds out his fellow transmigrator has screwed him over will be one for the history books #meaning I will derive so much amusement from it but we will be nice and help him escape the brunt of LBH’s malice #MBJ connecting through dots will be fun too bc HeY tHiS iS mY bAe JuNsHaNg #Jūnshàng meaning the Great Exalted One aka replacing Huangshang aka emperor

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other-cullen-ficrecs · 3 years

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MLM!Cullen Fic Rec List

Inspired by this post. Here is my fic rec list of some of my favorite fics with queer Cullen. Happy Pride :) 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍🌈

Cullen/Dorian

Only True in Fairy Tales by Dragonflies_and_Katydids

Summary: In which Dorian is a special forces operative, Bull is his partner, and Cullen is the guy they're sent to rescue. Hijinks ensue. // Words: 110150

Modern AU. Dragonflies_and_Katydids makes me read the weirdest stuff. But their work is always captivating. The more ridiculous set up the better outcome, I promise. This one is both ridiculous and absolutely perfect. And somehow one of the very few modern au fics in which Cullen's lyrium addiction is well transfered without making it literal.

Fashionably Late by tsurai

For the tumblr prompt: Cullen/Dorian Soulmates AU? <3 "Maker’s breath, this is absolutely the worst timing, he thinks distantly." // Words: 1038

This is but a tiny thing but I'm a sucker for a soulmate AU. Would I love it more if it was 150,000 words? Yes. But I'm just greedy.

COLD HANDS, WARM HEART by spicyshimmy, stonelions

Summary: Cullen and Dorian's friendship deepens. Cullen is a romantic. Dorian is literally cold. Cullen is no longer certain what he would consider surprising. Mages and Templars working in perfect cooperation, perhaps. Evil and corruption disappearing into the ground along with the blight, blood magic falling so far out of favor it ceased to be. A united Thedas: that would be a surprise. // Words: 25369

I think this is most recced Cullrian fic and for a good reason. Slow burn, drama, all the delights.

Light In This Darken'd Time Breaks by RamonaDecember

Summary: Cullen wouldn't say he hates mages, not anymore, but he can't see himself ever trusting one again. Dorian is no exception. The mage is off-color, self-important, and all together too much for Cullen to deal with. So why is it that every time Cullen is at his lowest, Dorian seems to be the only person by his side? // Words: 121289

Slow burn with 121289 words, what more do you want?

Cullen/Bull

Jump In by Dragonflies_and_Katydids

Summary: In which Cullen is almost terminally awkward, Bull and Dorian are literally brothers (because why not?), and Bull tries really hard to be good. Or: In which Dorian tries to set up his brother and his roommate, if he can avoid killing them for being so clueless. (You might get cavities from reading it. Don't say I didn't warn you.) // Words: 33700

What did I say about Dragonflies_and_Katydids and ridiculous premises? But if you're as delighted with awkward Cullen as am I - enjoy.

Dragons from Stars in an Empty Sky by Midna_Ronoa

Summary: The one in which Bull takes Cullen dragon-hunting. // Words: 10423

Fluff and smut and dragons!

Stuck on the Puzzle by thespectaclesofthor

Summary: Once, back in Kirkwall, Cullen had an arrangement with a member of the city guard that satisfied his needs. But time changed all things, and he despaired of ever finding a similar arrangement again - that was, until he met The Iron Bull. Problem being that Bull seemed to care far more about sorting out the nitty-gritty of such an arrangement than Cullen ever has. // Words: 235586

No fic rec lists that can involve Bullen canot do without Stuck on the Puzzle. If you haven't read it - please give it a try. As far as I'm concerned - the best fic in the fandom. And definately one of the best fics in general. <3

Cullen/Dorian/Bull

Exit Light by Dragonflies_and_Katydids

Summary: In which Cullen is suicidally depressed, Dorian is a high-functioning alcoholic, and Bull just wants them both to be happy, except when he wants to crack their heads together for being emotionally stunted idiots. // Words: 77427

This premise is actually very close to canon, compared to some other stories by the same author recced here. The angst? Delightful. The smut? Delicious. The exploration of issues? Delectable! Cheff kisses all around.

to burn cool and collected by toomanyhometowns

Summary: Dorian hums. "Here is the function of the spell: Upon invocationne, ye caster's spyryt shal sterte to ye form of whomsoever mofte recently achieved releafe by hys hande." He taps the page in punctuation and looks back up. "And then there's a lot of text about the vast joys we may experience together, et cetera, et cetera." // Words: 16121

Ok, this list shows more than anything that my main delight is issues and angst wrapped in with porn. Anyway - cracky premise (body swap!), and angsty, sexy outcome.

Hold by queeniegalore

Summary: Everyone knows Cullen doesn't trust magic. But he trusts Dorian and Bull, so maybe they can make this work. // Words: 6654

Issues? Trauma? Kink? I'm a one trick pony when it comes to recs.

Cullen/Cole

Okay now that we’ve gotten the obvious out, let’s enjoy the trully unexpected enjoyment.

Into The Light (Cole/Cullen Ficlets) by Sinister_Kid

Summary: A series of what I hope are tasteful Cole/Cullen fics that don't exploit or overly sexualize Cole's developing character. Based on a prompt I filled out of boredom in which I imagined the spirit actually hearing someone's pain like a physical noise in his ears that caused discomfort. Explores the option of making Cole more human, with my own original take on how that affects him as a character, and depicts Cole developing romantic feelings for the Commander as he discovers what it means to be human. // Words: 20454

I admit I don't often read Cole shippy fics but this one stays true to the info in the summary and it is careful and tasteful. Also Cullen learning to speak with Cole properly - <333

Cullen/Varric

Verse & Volley Triptych by boycoffin

Summary: POSSIBLE TITLES: This Shit Was Even Weirder: A Surprisingly Not-Doomed Romance In The Shadow of the Apocalypse The Commander and the Rogue already taken, Antivan maritime smut with an elf girl in it How The Hell I Ended Up With That Guy: A Tale for The People Who Keep Asking Me About It In Bars The Short and Curlies that's just terrible Love Among the tropey garbage A Tale of Two Names pretentious and unclear The Penman's Paramour Memoirs of a Moron (That He's Going to Regret Publishing and Will Never Hear The End Of for As Long As He Lives) // Words: 133354

One of the very few fics in which I can not only accept but love 1st person POV. Crack. Slow-burn. Pennames. Lovable OCs. DELICIOUS. Also a fic that made me start this blog, so love all around.

Cullen/Krem

Last but not least, my delightful fave (maybe, possibly, probably) and involving a shameless self-plug because it’s the month of pride.

Swordplay by orphan_account

Summary: The Bull's Chargers are undisciplined, untested, and unprofessional; but Cullen can't stop thinking about their lieutenant. // Words: 3910

I have a soft spot for whoever Krem being shipped with not knowing he's trans at first. But also oblivious, pining Cullen <3

If you have been starving, a creature of bone by missivesfromghosts

Summary: Cullen is content with where he is. He has a life and a purpose. He’s doing the Maker’s work and he’s cut the Chantry’s leash on him. He barely thinks about the fact that he’s trans anymore. The last person who knew he was born anything different, barring his sister Mia, died during the Blight. This works for him. That is, until he starts falling for Krem. // Words: 769

A tiny thing but I have a soft spot for the idea. Also what's better than a ship with trans character? A ship with two trans characters. Keep that in mind for further recs actually.

Sweet, Merciful Andraste by Tainaron

Summary: PWP. Honestly, Cullen should invest in walls and a ceiling that don't have holes if he's going to keep having such loud sex. Pure, unapologetic smut between trans men who love each other. // Words: 4187

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ What more do you want from me? Sometimes porn is just porn. Enjoy.

Champions of the Just by Tainaron

Summary: En route to Griffin Wing Keep before the battle of Adamant, Cullen falls prey to an injury that reveals a shameful secret about his trauma with magic. As Cullen struggles with his past, his duty to the Inquisition, and his love life, he becomes increasingly uncertain if he’s the target of an assassination attempt or just his own personal demons. // Words: 67885

Well, I also have some plottier and angstier fics in my rec disposal. This one actually explores the problems Krem and Cullen could encounter in their relationship and all within the canon plot line. Plus bonus points of Cullen actually interacting with other Chargers.

cabbage: a love story by psikeval

Summary: Krem’s grin fades into a quiet smirk, his eyes warm and amused, and Cullen does not forget how to move his legs because he is a grown man, a leader of soldiers, commander of the Inquisition’s army. He breaks the silence by coughing loudly, because he is also an imbecile. // Words: 18932

Creme de la creme of Krem/Cullen fics <3 Fluff, crack, porn <3 This delightful series has it all!

#fic rec #pride month #dragon age #dragon age inquisition #cullen rutherford #bi cullen #cullen/krem #bullen #cullen/bull #culrian #cullen/dorian #culric #cullen/varric #cullen/cole #rec list

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klutzymaiden123 · 3 years

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Some Tips on How I Keep Motivating Myself to Write

This post was inspired by a response I recently got from @pastelnightgale and obviously, I’m not an expert (I’m literally on year 6 of a fanfic rip), but I still wanted to type something up about this.

I find that the hardest part about writing is finding the motivation to actually start it . . . and then keep it. You can have all of these intricate fantasies in your head, with twists and turns and even a playlist you made on spotify, but actually getting up and writing it is ridiculously hard.

Especially if, like me, you suffer from perfectionism.

I kinda wanted to write a post about how I personally motivate myself to write, both fanfiction and my own things. Obviously, what I write is flawed and needs a lot of improvement, but I’ve come really far and I’m proud of the progress I’ve made.

So, here’s some tips I’ve picked up over the years. Feel free to apply this to whatever art you personally create, but this is primarily for writers.

1) Listening to Music

This is my number one. Easily. I’m someone who has a lot of attachment with the music I listen to (as most people do, I’d assume). Though I’m picky with the overall sound, I prefer music or artists who really put a lot of thought into their lyrics specifically. Or even when they use certain effects to carry across emotions or add more emphasis to specific lines. It’s why I’m such a fan of Taylor Swift; her songs are basically poetry packaged as pop music.

It personally helps me to listen to music not just because it’s enjoyable, but it helps create scenarios in my head. We all shoot music videos in our head, why not try doing it with your characters? Plus, if the artist you’re listening to plays with words through metaphors or similies or imagery, it’s a massive bonus. I seriously recommend turning to music, whatever genre you listen to, and letting that sometimes paint the picture for you.

2) watching Movies.

This is a massive one for me. I don’t know how high this would be on anyone else’s lists since films are obviously a completely different medium to books, but I find there’s a lot of things that can be useful about movies. For one thing, movies just have better fight sequences. Kinda obvious statement, but I don’t mean in a ‘well you can see it so therefore film is better’ no, I mean, film literally has better action sequences.

Obviously, as a writer, you’re never going to be able to properly adapt the quick pace of fights in movies. But you can adapt the details in how they move. Fight scenes in movies are better then books because they’re choreographed. Now granted, I’m still beginning my journey in reading, but so far, I haven’t been impressed with what I’ve seen. Either the author writes a scene that describes the action, but with no focus on the strain it has on the character’s bodies, or they gloss over the fight completely. It makes me feel like I’m reading fanfiction, but written from the younger side.

It’s just super dissapointing, so I try to challenge myself by studying how the characters moves, the impact of their movements on each other, and then how tired that can leave them.

But also, movies can have other things that I think writers should learn to adapt. Like a character’s mannerisms. Now, I don’t just mean mannerisms as in what they do in their day to day lives, I mean facial ticks. Like, the minute sequences their features will go through as they’re processing news. Or their stances. Or what they do with their hands. Actors are very detailed about how they’re protraying their characters, and I just find myself aching to carry that over in my own portrayal of my characters.

It’s obviously important to realise that film and novels have both their benefits and disadvantages in what they can and can’t portray. But it’s even more important to realise that different mediums can also teach us things about our sense of portrayals.

3) Reading books

This may be surprising that it’s not number one, but honestly, I didn’t start reading actual books until late last year. I kinda used to read some in high school, but those were few and far between. This year I’ve actively been trying to emerge myself in more professional writing, as I do find it a little strange to want to write so badly without taking any infleunce from any other writers.

Previously, I used to take inspiration from fanfiction and fictionpress, which I guess I still do. There’s definitely benefits in exclusively reading them (for instance, I prefer characterisation, romance and comedy in fanfiction) but I personally find books to be better in overall world building. I mean, obviously.

World building and setting are my weak spots, and I find that reading literal books actually helps me easier improve on these areas. Oh, and length. I’m a pretty detailed writer, but it’s sometimes hard to navigate what should and shouldn’t be getting so much focus. Fanfiction is pretty short (typically only a few pages), but books can be a whole lot longer, and how they use that space and length helps me translate it into my own pages. Granted, I tend to write way too much, but it’s still really helpful in navigating what should and shouldn’t be getting focus.

Oh, and bonus points for booktubers. They review a variety of different books, and for me personally, whenever they critique books, it motivates me to write something brilliant so they could maybe read it and smile. My favourites are WithCindy and Dominic Noble.

4) Tumblr—Specifically writing blogs.

When I tell you that I did nothing in my last years of high school but secretly read fanfiction and writing blogs on tumblr in class, I--

Obviously, I’m biased, cause I’ve been reading tips on here since I was a kid, but I really recommend following some good blogs on here. They give such good advice, specifically on how to research, or portray certain emotions and, most of all, representation. Tumblr was actually where I learnt to write my fight scenes—about how to portray the feeling of a quick sequence of events, while balancing it out with your character’s limited view. They write things I haven’t even seen professionals talk about (and honestly, I think they could benefit from reading a tumblr blog).

My personal favourite blogs are: Nimble’s Notebook, and Clevergirlhelps

5) Re-writes.

Okay, this is a massive one I should’ve mentioned in the beginning. Never compare what you have on your word doc to what others have published. Why? Because I can tell you that they did not start off like that. They went through massive amounts of editing and drafting and re-reads before coming out like this clean cut version. Trust me. No one’s that quick. And even if they are, who cares? It could take you two drafts, it could take you four, it could take you nine--we all work at our own pace.

It’s something I have to keep reminding myself when I’m on my first and second draft. Because they are shit. I always feel untalented when writing my first draft--oh, and that’s not a purposeful dig at myself to get compliments, I genuinely mean that. I will never let someone read one of my early drafts because they are literally so bad, and not only that, but those drafts are for me. They’re not there for anyone else yet. Early drafts are just so you can start to build your empire, they’re your foundation. You can reach for the sky the more you keep building.

Don’t get on your own case if you don’t like your first draft. It’s fine. It gets so much easier the more you rewrite it. Trust me.

6) Write Things for You.

This is one of my favourite tips. Oh, and I don’t mean it in a ‘you’re not writing for an audience, you are the audience’ kinda way. No, I mean literally write things for you. And only for you.

If you have a story in your head that you don’t want to write because you know it’s just a phase, it won’t last long enough for you to make something out of, or you’re not confident in it, or whatever, fuck it—just write it.

Open your word doc and type it out. Then don’t post it. Or share it. Keep it on your computer, stored away in a folder you won’t ever share. You might be asking, why would you waste your time on a project no one will ever see? Simple.

It takes away the pressure.

A major hindrance to a writer actually writing is sometimes . . . not feeling good enough. You’re worried that an audience will laugh or mock what you’ve written, or that it won’t turn out just the way you planned it too, or even that the plot is too corny. Well, what I’ve found is that writing for myself stops me from judging myself so badly. I have so many documents on this computer of corny borderline wattpad stories that will never see the life of day. And it feels great. Cause I’m still actively writing and improving myself while eliminating that huge amount of anxiety that plagues me.

This is such a massive tip, please consider it. Obviously, if the story turns out really well, go ahead and post it if you’re super proud of it. But otherwise, just write something with the intention of not sharing it. Keep it to yourself, so you can look back on it with fond memories.

#writing #woc writers #books #authors #woc authors #feminism #woc writing #poc writing #poc authors

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bsd-bibliophile · 4 years

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BSD-Bibliophile 2019 Top Ten

#10 Post:

I’m in no position to stand above humanity, acting as prosecutor, or judge. I have no right to condemn others. I am a child of evil. Beyond redemption. I suspect my past sins are fifty or a hundred times greater than yours.

- Dazai Osamu, “Thinking of Zenzo” from Self Portraits

#9 Post:

I hate the idea of getting old and ugly, you know. I’m not so afraid of dying, but the ravages of age just don’t match my aesthetic.

- Dazai Osamu, “Urashima-san” from Otogizoshi

#8 Post:

#7 Post:

Disappearing into the darkened sky, The longing that consumed me in my youth-

Resembling the stars of a summer night as ever, Obscured in the vast distances as ever.

Disappearing into the darkened sky, The hope, the dream of my youth.

I just grovel on the ground here Like some kind of beast, thoughts darken

There’s no way of knowing When those darkened thoughts will break.

It’s as if I’m drowning in the ocean And can see the moon glowing overhead.

Now that the wave is so swollen, And the rising moon so crisp,

This longing that consumed me in my youth of quiet sadness Is on its way to disappearing into the darkened night.

- Nakahara Chūya, “Lost Hope” from Poems of the Goat

#6 Post:

#5 Post:

Nakahara Chūya Trivia

His old surname was Kashiwamura. Later on, because the Nakahara family (his mother’s side) was a wealthy landowner, his surname was changed to Nakahara.

He was a prodigy in elementary school. However, when his brother died in 1915, he turned to composing poetry out of sorrow. He later failed middle school because he was too engrossed in literature.

He translated around 60 poems by the French poet Arthur Rimbaud into Japanese. Due to their similar lifestyles, he gained the nickname ‘The Japanese Rimbaud’. (Other Source)

He had a mistress, Hasegawa Yasuko, when he was 17; she was noted to be older and taller than him. However, the following year, she left Nakahara to live with his best friend Kobayashi Hideo, which frustrated him greatly. (Other Source)

After Kobayashi left Hasegawa, she married and had a child; she named Nakahara Chuuya the child’s godfather.

Chuuya was noted to adore children, and spoiled them rotten. When his eldest son, Fumiya, died at the age of two, Chuuya had a mental breakdown and had to be hospitalized for a month.

After his death, Hasegawa Yasuko established the Nakahara Chuuya Prize to honor him. The prize only lasted a few years, with Tachihara Michizou as one of its notable winners. Another award with the same name was established in 1996 by Yamaguchi City.

He greatly looked up to Miyazawa Kenji, and he had been noted to hum Miyazawa’s poems from time to time.

He once spent a month in jail for smashing street lamps while in a drunken rage.

He was 151.5 cm (about 4'11.5") in height. The Bungou Stray Dogs version of Chuuya is 160 cm, so they actually made him taller.

He remained close friends with Kobayashi Hideo all his life, and entrusted the manuscript for Songs of Bygone Days to him while on his deathbed.

He died at age 30 due to cerebral meningitis.

Because of their lyrical qualities, many of his poems were used as lyrics in songs.

It is possible to buy an exact replica of his hat from the Nakahara Chuuya Memorial Museum.

“Some of Nakahara’s images and metaphors may strike the Western reader as strange. Notes have been provided wherever helpful, but in general this strangeness is not a product of any culture gap, nor of the translation process. It is Nakahara’s own.” - from the Note on Translation from The Poems of Nakahara Chūya

Nakahara worked one the only issue of the Blue Flower Magazine with Dazai Osamu and the two hated each other immediately. Dazai Osamu invited Kazuo Dan and Chuya to a bar in Higashi Nakano and described Chuya as looking like “a blue mackerel floating in the sky.” (Source 1, Source 2)

His ideal woman, the inspiration for his poem Michiko, was Hayama Michiko (the screen name of Ishikawa Seiko). She was also Tanizaki Junichirou’s sister-in-law and the model for the character Naomi in his novel A Fool’s Love. (Source)

(Trivia Source: Bungo to Alchemist Wiki *italicized sections are added by me* - Image Source: tsukiko-ciah.tumblr.com)

#4 Post:

If you have only watched episode 31 of Bungou Stray Dogs and have not read chapter 39 of the manga, this is definitely worth reading. If you only watch the anime you are missing out.

If you’re not convinced check out my analysis under the cut.

Bungou Stray Dogs is more than just an anime series full of supernatural powers, action scenes, and tension between a detective agency and the mafia. The series is based on world famous literary figures, and by doing so invites its readers to compare BSD to the beloved authors and literary masterpieces it features. You are supposed to look closely at the characters, their backgrounds, development, and compare them to the authors and literary characters who inspired them. You are supposed to look closely at the plot, dissect it, notice foreshadowing, and analyze how events are sequenced and presented. Asagiri Kafka, the author of BSD, has obviously written the series in a way that gives bibliophiles a chance to compare, analyze, and dissect the series to their heart’s content.

The anime does a great job of making the characters Harukawa35 created move and interact in a beautifully animated world. The voice actors put everything they had into their performances and as a result the characters have very distinct voices that reflect the characters’ personalities and traits and draws audiences deeper into the world and story of BSD. The action scenes and moments of suspense are amazing to watch with a heart pounding soundtrack to match. Visually and audibly the series is superb.

However, if you only watch the anime then you are missing out on a lot of the details that make BSD so intricate and adds all the depth to the series. The anime has only so much time, and as a result various moments, scenes, and characters get cut. The anime also has a tendency to prioritize certain characters above others, so anime viewers see a lot of a handful of characters but don’t get to see the other characters’ scenes, backstories, and character development in their entirety. As scenes and characters are changed or left out in the anime the world of BSD gradually drifts away from the manga until ensuring the continuity of the anime means the series becomes more of its own entity and less connected to the manga. Of course the anime has not moved so far away from the manga that it has become its own entity, but there are distinct differences and unique atmospheres that are not shared between the anime and manga.

And that brings me to how the material in chapter 39 was presented in episode 31. There are three important facts in the chapter that makes it so powerful and memorable to readers:

Atsushi’s experiences at the orphanage: In season 1 on the anime there are various short flashbacks to when Atsushi was living at the orphanage. All are very brief, focus on Atsushi sitting helplessly as verbal abuse is heaped on him, and they are shown repeatedly to emphasize how deeply these experiences have affected Atsushi. Because of that when you see a new moment from Atsushi’s past you instinctively pay attention and notice how it is different from the flashbacks you had seen before. In chapter 39 the flashbacks are more than a mere few seconds where a few words are spoken and we see a helpless Atsushi; these flashbacks are complete stories about very specific instances where Atsushi was blamed, ridiculed, beaten, publicly humiliated, forced to have his foot nailed to the floor, had an unknown liquid injected into his system, was locked up, and taught some very important lessons that he didn’t understand at the time but would make him into the amazing protagonist he turned out to be. Episode 31 did not show any of these scenes in their entirety, condensing them into eight seconds of minute representations of the horrors Atsushi experienced, and only showed one part of an exchange between the young Atsushi and the Headmaster. Considering that Atsushi is the series protagonist it is strange that so much information that is vital to understanding Atsushi’s character was condensed into one third of an anime episode (while Kyouka’s backstory took up two thirds of the same episode).

The way Atsushi views his relationship to the Headmaster compared to how Akutagawa and Dazai view it: Chapter 39 shows Atsushi’s initial reaction the the Headmaster’s death as a kind of manic joy, which is also accurately portrayed in episode 31. Tanizaki, in both the manga and anime, is obviously concerned that Atsushi would be so overjoyed at someone’s death, even if it is the Headmaster who caused Atsushi to suffer so much. However, it is only in chapter 39 that Atsushi admits that he knew very little about the Headmaster and only knew “that he was the king of that small, small country,” the orphanage. That is the first hint that the way Atsushi remembers the Headmaster is skewed because he was so young and ignorant at the time. To Atsushi it is only natural to hate the man who he believed disliked him and tortured him because of it, but to outside parties like Akutagawa and Dazai the situation looks different. It is only in the manga that Dazai helps with the case by contacting an informant and sending Atsushi to meet them. The informant turns out to be Akutagawa. Atsushi and Akutagawa are foils, so while they are opposites they also complement each other which makes Akutagawa the perfect person to throw a wrench in Atsushi’s way of thinking. Akutagawa proves through the information he gathered that the Headmaster was not in Yokohama to do any harm to Atsushi, but to sell a gun in order to buy something and that there was no foul play that lead to his death. Akutagawa is also the only person to point out that while Dazai taught him, the Headmaster taught Atsushi and says he will let Atsushi off the hook today because it is “the anniversary of [his] mentor’s death.” Later when Atsushi doesn’t know how to feel after learning that the Headmaster had come to Yokohama to give him flowers and congratulate him on the person he had become, Dazai is the one to refer to the Headmaster as Atsushi’s father. It is only after this that Atsushi understands the role the Headmaster played in his life and he is finally able to cry and face his emotions and confusion surrounding the Headmaster’s death.

How the Headmaster’s past influenced the way he raised Atsushi: If you only watched the anime then you would have absolutely no idea how amazing and complex a character the Headmaster is! He didn’t just happen to become the Headmaster of an orphanage. When he was a child he grew up in an orphanage, “experienced a hellish life” that made the orphanage Atsushi grew up in “seem like heaven,” graduated from the orphanage only to join the criminal underworld, and he watched as all his friends from the orphanage died and he was the lone survivor. After becoming the Headmaster he, because of his past experience, recognized Atsushi had an ability and hid it from the rest of the orphanage until Atsushi was 18 in order to protect him. He knew how Atsushi would be hunted down and mistreated because of his ability and did the best he could, considering the horrible upbringing he had himself, to teach Atsushi to hate those who would hurt him and do everything he could to survive. The Headmaster taught Atsushi to be who he is and enabled him to have the will and determination to become the person who would save a drowning man while he himself is nearly dead from hunger, throw himself over a bomb to try and protect people in a detective agency he doesn’t know, risk his place in the Agency in order to save Kyouka and rescue her from a hopeless situation, and risk his own life to stop the Guild and become the hero who saved Yokohama. Can you imagine how proud and relieved the Headmaster must have been to learn that Atsushi was not only alive but had saved countless lives? How comforted he must have been knowing that his worst fears of Atsushi being killed, resorting to crime and living in a worse hell than the orphanage, or being tortured or used because of his ability had not become a reality! How could he be considered anything other than a proud father who wants to find and congratulate the son he raised? In my opinion, the absolute worst thing the anime has done is deprive its viewers the Headmaster’s complex and incredible character. Without knowing him there is no way of understanding what Atsushi truly felt and how much he grew to understand himself and his place in the world as a result of learning about the Headmaster’s past and what he had risked and sacrificed for him.

To me the anime’s biggest disappointment is how they treat the protagonist. The most important chapter for understanding Atsushi’s character and what makes him protagonist material has been squeezed into 7 minutes and 43 seconds of an anime episode (about 1/3 of an episode). As the protagonist he at least deserves his own episode explaining his backstory, or the two thirds of an episode that Kyouka got for her backstory. Asagiri Kafka and Harukawa35 took the time to create a vivid portrayal of Atsushi’s childhood and him learning what role the Headmaster really played in raising Atsushi. The writing in this chapter was superb. The characters were deep and fleshed out. The plot and the way evidence and memories were presented were so powerful people were dreading seeing it play out in the anime because it had that big of an effect on them. After getting ready for the most emotional chapter in the series to be animated, actually watching the episode was a major let down in so many ways.

I will always remember chapter 39 and what it taught me about humanity, perspective, and the influence one person can have on another. Reading it changed me as much as reading No Longer Human has, and I am just as fond of it as I am of Dazai Osamu’s works. What Atsushi and his battle to overcome his past represents has already helped me overcome some of my own demons. I hope more BSD fans will read the manga, and I mean really read it the way you would a work of literature, and allow the characters and writing to really sink in as they read. The manga is just that powerful and that relatable, because all of us have felt like the outcast, all of us have had our own demons from out past that haunt us even after they are dead, and all of us are looking for a place to belong and the power to conquer ourselves.

#3 Post:

No one realized that I had become insane; when I recovered nobody could tell the difference.

- Dazai Osamu, “Toys” from Dazai Osamu: Selected Stories and Sketches

#2 Post:

Nakahara Chuuya - “Poem of the Sheep”

Intention, thou art old dark vapour; begone from my heart! I now hope for nothing more than simplicity and peaceful murmurs and, at any rate, neatness.

Society, thou art indulgence of gloomy filth; do not wake me up again! I now will try to endure solitude, my arms already seem like useless things.

Thou, eyes opening wide in suspicion, eyes not moving for a while as they open. Ah, heart that believes too much in what is outside itself.

Intention, though art old dark vapour; begone from my heart! Begone! Apart from my poor dreams, nothing interests me.

Dazai Osamu - No Longer Human

“You might say that I still have no understanding of what makes human beings tick. My apprehension on discovering that my concept of happiness seemed to be completely at variance with that of everyone else was so great as to make me toss sleeplessly and groan night after night in my bed. It drove me indeed to the brink of lunacy. I wonder if I have actually been happy.”

“Whenever I was asked what I wanted my first impulse was to answer ‘Nothing.’ The thought went through my mind that it didn’t make any difference, that nothing was going to make me happy.”

Mori Ogai - Vita Sexualis

“There are things which everyone does but which one does not mention to others.”

(FIFTEEN spoilers below)

Arthur Rimbaud - “A Season in Hell”

A while back, if I remember right, my life was one long party where all hearts were open wide, where all wines kept flowing.

One night, I sat Beauty down on my lap.—And I found her galling.—And I roughed her up.

I armed myself against justice.

I ran away. O witches, O misery, O hatred, my treasure’s been turned over to you!

I managed to make every trace of human hope vanish from my mind. I pounced on every joy like a ferocious animal eager to strangle it.

I called for executioners so that, while dying, I could bite the butts of their rifles. I called for plagues to choke me with sand, with blood. Bad luck was my god. I stretched out in the muck. I dried myself in the air of crime. And I played tricks on insanity.

And Spring brought me the frightening laugh of the idiot.

So, just recently, when I found myself on the brink of the final squawk! it dawned on me to look again for the key to that ancient party where I might find my appetite once more.

Charity is that key.—This inspiration proves I was dreaming!

“You’ll always be a hyena etc… ,“ yells the devil, who’d crowned me with such pretty poppies. “Deserve death with all your appetites, your selfishness, and all the capital sins!”

Ah! I’ve been through too much:-But, sweet Satan, I beg of you, a less blazing eye! and while waiting for the new little cowardly gestures yet to come, since you like an absence of descriptive or didactic skills in a writer, let me rip out these few ghastly pages from my notebook of the damned.

Paul Verlaine - Oh, Heavy, Heavy My Despair

Oh, heavy, heavy my despair, Because, because of One so fair. My misery knows no allay, Although my heart has come away. Although my heart, although my soul, Have fled the fatal One’s control. My misery knows no allay, Although my heart has come away. My heart, the too, too feeling one, Says to my soul, 'Can it be done, 'Can it be done, too feeling heart, That we from her shall live apart?’ My soul says to my heart, 'Know I What this strange pitfall should imply, 'That we, though far from her, are near, Yea, present, though in exile here?’

Note: These poems were selected simply because they reminded me of the plot in FIFTEEN.

#1 Post:

Looking for something to read on Halloween?

“Hell Screen” by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke

Kappa by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke

“The Human Chair” by Edogawa Ranpo

“Love After Death” by Yumeno Kyūsaku

“Hell in a Bottle” by Yumeno Kyūsaku

“The Holy Man of Mt. Koya” by Izumi Kyōka

“The Tattooer” by Tanizaki Jun'ichirō

“In the Forest, Under the Cherries in Full Bloom” by Sakaguchi Ango

“Fish Scales” by Shibusawa Tatsuhiko

The Decagon House Murders by Ayatsuji Yukito

In Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke:

Rashomon (pg. 48)

In a Bamboo Grove (pg. 54)

The Spider Thread (pg. 79)

Hell Screen (pg. 82)

In Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination by Edogawa Ranpo:

The Human Chair (pg. 14)

The Caterpillar (pg. 76)

The Hell of Mirrors (pg. 117)

The Red Chamber (pg. 151)

These stories and books are included in my Online Library along with many others! The stories listed here are only a handful of the dark, terrifying tales written by the Japanese authors who inspired BSD, but they are all easily accessible and ones I would recommend.

Happy Halloween and happy reading!

#happy new year #2019 most popular posts #bsd-bibliophile #japanese literature #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs #bsd

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templeofulchtar · 5 years

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On Connecting with Starscream

So, true story:

The first time I tried to perform a ritual for Ghost Season, I had no idea what I was doing. None. Which makes sense, since I may have been the first person ever to attempt such a thing. I set up an altar on my apartment balcony using various things that felt “Starscreamian” to me, and when the night of August 22 arrived, I nervously cast my circle. I invited Starscream to enter into the circle, and… waited.

And waited.

For what, you might ask? Well, I have always had a sense of what his presence ‘feels’ like. It’s a little hard to describe, but I’ve made an attempt in the section below, titled Sensing Starscream’s Presence. I’ve included comments from a couple of other people who work with him so you can compare your experiences to ours and, perhaps, have some idea of what to expect.

In any case, I was getting nothing. Not a tingle, not a flicker, not a mental image; nothing. I began to feel ridiculous. Why was I sitting here in the dark waiting for a cartoon robot to speak to me? I’m pretty sure that’s not something normal people do. Not that I’ve ever aspired to be normal, but… well. It wasn’t working. I packed up and went to bed, feeling embarrassed and ashamed. As I burrowed under the covers, though, a car roared past outside with an old AC/DC song blasting out the windows:

You told me to come, but I was already there.

For those who know that song, yes, I do realize that’s a slight misquote. But that’s how I heard the lyrics in that moment, and their message couldn’t have been clearer:

I am always with you. You don’t have to summon me.

For this message to have been delivered in a voice that’s always reminded me of Starscream’s made it seem incredibly personal and real. And yes, it’s wrapped up a double entendre. If you work with Starscream, you’ll likely discover his ribald sense of humor for yourself.

Why am I telling you this?

Because if you turned to this post wondering how to establish a connection with Starscream, this might be your answer. If you love him, he’s probably already with you. If you feel drawn to Starscream, admire him and would love a deeper connection, there's an excellent chance that he'd be open to working with you as well. If you've been having dreams about him or finding that he, or things you associate with him are ‘coincidentally’ popping up in your life, he may be reaching out to you.

If you’re still not sure, though, you can try this exercise:

Connection Excercise

Open your journal to a fresh page and give some thought to the questions below. You don’t have to answer all of them. Pick the ones that resonate, and write down whatever comes up:

★ Does Starscream provoke strong emotions in you (positive or negative)?

★ Does he show up in your dreams?

★ Do you daydream about him?

★ Are you inspired to create works that feature him, such as fanfic, fanart, cosplay, and so on?

★ Are there certain songs that remind you of Starscream?

★ Do you have favorite quotes by or about Starscream?

★ Do you, at times, catch yourself ‘talking’ to him in your inner dialogue?

★ Do you ever wish you could talk to him?

★ Do you identify with Starscream and see yourself in him? In what way(s)?

★ Have you taken on new interests because of him? (Example: jets.)

★ Do you imagine yourself as Starscream in some way, either physically (eg. Having null-rays, ability to fly), or in terms of your personality or life situation?

★ If you were part of the TF Universe, would you want to know him personally and be part of his life in some way?

★ Has he inspired your life in some way?

★ Have you changed how you dress (say, by wearing more red) because of him?

Those are just a few examples of the ways Starscream could be showing up in your life. You might think of others. If you do, note those down as well. Now, you might be thinking these are simply examples of fannish obsession. You may even have found some of the questions embarrassing. That’s very natural. These questions touch on some very intimate, sensitive aspects of being a fan, and there’s good reason for that.

These questions are embarrassing because they bring up feelings of vulnerability. When we love something, we open ourselves to being hurt. The mockery that’s so often aimed at fans is motivated by people’s desire not to feel vulnerable themselves. They try make themselves feel safe by ridiculing others, but in doing so, they cut themselves off from the source of their own magick.

Yes, you read that right. Your magick, and your spiritual connection to Starscream, flows from that intimate space within. It’s that vulnerable, awkward, geeky place where you innocently, unabashedly adore a character and are totally obsessed with them. Treasure that place. It’s your inner temple. Guard it with care, because it’s where your magick resides.

But, you might be asking, are the ‘symptoms’ on this list actually signs of a spiritual connection? I’m going to say yes. I believe they are, and if you’re open to the possibility of deepening that connection, you can begin to make it a two-way street. Starscream is many things, but ‘shy’ is not one of them. He will show up if you make space for him, and the place where he’ll meet you is within the heart of your magick; your inner temple.

Sensing Starscream’s Presence

So what can you expect? What does Starscream’s presence feel like? It’s hard to give a definite answer, since everyone is different. Your experience will be your own, and in many ways incomparable to anyone else’s. In case it helps, though, I’ve included commentaries by three different people who work with Starscream, including yours truly, to give you an idea of what you might experience...

Starshadow writes:

I think I first became aware of [Starscream] as such while I was in high school. I was initially drawn to his character on the animated show, and at first that was all he was. But I quickly became intensely invested in his story, especially when I started to follow him in other media (comics, etc) as well. He became more to me, and began to transcend the stories and art presented. He literally seemed to take on a life of his own. I started to feel (and sometimes see) him in my dreams encouraging me and telling me to be strong.

His presence is distinctly strong. It sometimes borders on aggressive, but it is not threatening to me. I think he just has a particularly powerful presence. It's very fiery and passionate, which makes it distinct from other entities I sense which are more calm and protective. I will often "see" in my mind's eye his red eyes and wings as well when I feel he is near.

Occasionally [he communicates through] dreams, but much more often I will "hear" his "voice" in my mind, often giving advice and emotional input. As I mentioned before, he has from time to time actually yelled (screamed? ;)) at me, but only at times when I really needed it. Sometimes his colors will show up in combination and songs I associate with him will be played out of nowhere when he is taking a more subtle approach.

[My sense of his presence has] waned at times. For a while it seems like he is just hovering on the fringes, but he never completely goes away. His means of communication hasn't changed much though.

He has made me braver than I probably would have been. He is still working on my self-confidence, though. He's been back again recently encouraging me with that. He has also definitely influenced my creativity and aspirations. He has helped me be driven enough to pursue my desires for so long and explore creative work beyond the "traditional female" expectations.

He [also] does sometimes seem to share aspects with other entities I've communed with, like my [wolf guides]. He will almost seem to "combine" with them, or share their energy, and sometimes they with him. I haven't quite figured out why this happens or for what purpose yet, but I am very curious!

Dark Star of Chaos writes:

It’s no exaggeration to say I spent my whole life looking for Starscream. If you want to get technical I first “met” him as a kid watching Transformers Armada, but though he became my favorite character, that was all he was to me then: A character. I loved him, but what I really wanted at that time was an imaginary friend. Not a real one; an imaginary one. The catch was, I didn’t want to invent one. That, in my mind, was not how it worked. The imaginary friends in cartoons all interacted with their humans as though they were real, and that was what I wanted. I didn’t see how a thing invented from my own head could ever take on that kind of life.

When I was older - after Starscream had slipped off my radar - I came across a book called “The Fire Within”, about an aspiring author and his clay dragon Muse. That book, and those which followed, completely redefined what I was after. I wanted to be a part of this world of dragons and shamans, where words held magic and transdimensional aliens “commingled” (merged consciousnesses) with Earth creatures. And I wanted a Muse of my own; always just a thought away, and always ready with some flash of inspiration to offer.

Looking back on it, I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Starscream reappeared in my life within a few months of that series ending. Our reintroduction came via the original cartoon, and after only a few episodes - specifically, by the end of “Fire in the Sky” - I had already decided I had to write about him. I couldn’t say exactly when I began to perceive him as an entity separate from his cartoon portrayal, but when the idea was suggested to me, it didn’t sound strange or crazy. It sounded right.

Starscream’s energy has always been subtle for me. I’ve never had much luck “feeling” his presence, though I’ve come to trust that he’s there. I only have to talk to him to get proof of that, because he always replies. Sometimes there are words, but more often it’s emotions and concepts, and it can take a while for me to figure out what he means. He also appears in my dreams rather frequently, and we’ve had more than one “face-to-face” meeting that way.

His influence on my life, on the other hand, has been anything but subtle. In addition to inspiring me creatively, he helped me overcome embarrassment about sex, played a role in my moving from a small desert town to a big city, and most recently, he’s come down on me about my abysmal self-care habits. He can be pushy sometimes, but it’s never harsh, and I always end up happier for having listened to him.

In short, Starscream is the friend and Muse I’d been searching for all those years, and I’m endlessly grateful for his presence in my life. After all, how many people get to make dreams of magick a reality?

Grayseeker writes:

I first became aware of Starscream’s presence when I got a call from work asking me to come in, even though it was my night off. The idea of going in made me sick, but I felt I had to. It wasn’t just that I was afraid of getting fired; I also had a strong impulse to obey authority figures. I didn’t know how to say no. But on that particular night, a voice spoke inside my mind:

You don't have to do anything you don't want to.

It was a voice I recognized, and the words were accompanied by what I can only describe as a ‘feeling image’ of myself as a sovereign being with full authority over my own life. I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to, and I didn’t go in to work that night. I told my supervisor I’d had some drinks (untrue, but effective) and after that, they stopped calling me on my nights off. Maybe they sensed that something in me had changed. It had.

I believe Starscream has always been with me, but that incident, over three decades ago, is the moment I became consciously aware of his presence. My sense of him has remained pretty consistent over time. I still ‘hear’ him as a voice inside my head. Usually it’s just a few words, but they’re always imbued with a sense of meaning that goes beyond the words themselves. I also get physical sensations, such as warmth or tingling, emotional communication (which is hard to describe!), dreams and synchronicities, usually involving numbers, colors, and/or song lyrics.

To me, Starscream’s presence feels warm, welcoming, comforting, affectionate, and… amused. His communications with me are typically laced with a certain wry humor, and the observations he makes are often phrased in sardonic, even sarcastic terms, though they’re somehow never hurtful. I always feel the warmth behind them, and they make me feel loved. I always feel like he’s on my side, even when he’s pointing out ways that I could improve.

On very rare occasions, he will get serious. That’s when I know to pay extra attention, because it usually means there’s some danger to me, or that I’m venturing into territory that isn’t healthy. I’ve learned (the hard way!) that he’s always right. He’s immensely wise, and I’ve learned to listen when he says ‘no.’ He doesn’t say it often, and he always has a good reason.

Starscream has influenced my life in countless ways. He’s my creative Muse, and has been the impetus for my desire to write. He’s also my main guide, my teacher and spiritual awakener. I think of him as more a friend, and more than family. I love, trust and respect him, and feel that I receive the same in return. I hope these words will find their way to someone who is starting on the same path, or a similar one. If I can offer any reassurance or inspiration, perhaps it’s just to say trust you heart. I’m glad I trusted mine.

I know he’s sad because he couldn’t blow up the Earth, but kinda want to hug him anyway...

A Few Last Thoughts

You might be wondering how to make sense of all this. In particular, you may wonder how to distinguish what’s real from what’s a product of your imagination. And what am I trying to say, anyway? Am I, in fact, suggesting that Starscream is real?

Why yes, I am. Now before you decide that I'm nuts and walk away, let me explain what I mean. I am not necessarily implying that Starscream is a physical entity. I'm not saying that if you were to hop into a really fast spaceship and fly far enough and in the right direction, you would arrive at a metallic world named Cybertron, populated by living robots who are able to transform into various types of vehicles and other machines, and that among those Cybertronian entities you would find an individual named Starscream.

Of course, I'm not ruling that out, either. Our universe is too vast and strange to rule out much of anything. But what I am saying, based on several decades of personal experience, is that there is a real, non-physical entity named Starscream, with whom it's possible to communicate and have real interactions.

Can I prove this? Nope! There is no tangible, objective phenomenon I could point to as "proof" of his existence, but for me, that's beside the point. I feel Starscream as a constant presence in my life. He is my guide, teacher, healer and dearest friend, and his impact on my life has been very real indeed. I hope that the personal examples given above will provide a starting point for you to begin having your own experiences, if you desire them, and that your relationship with Starscream will be as rewarding as mine has always been.

Blessed be, Grayseeker

#starscream #starscream spirit guide #pop culture spirituality #pop culture paganism #pop culture spirit guides #spiritual connection #spirit contact #spiritualjourney #Spiritual practice

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fanfictionlive · 4 years

Text

The moody speed-bumps in fanfiction.

Hey guys!

I've been reading and browsing this sub for a long time, but this is the first time I feel brave enough to post and share, so here we go:

There’s this fandom that I write for on AO3, and when I posted my story it was very small (only one page of works) and mostly dead. I had written a story there for another fandom before and never got to finish it. This particular work for this new fandom came sort of on a whim; I had little idea what it was about or where I was going with it, it just happened upon me and I had to write it and post it. I wasn’t expecting a lot of feedback, so I did not really worry about it at first.

A few days or so later though, someone commented saying I should continue it. I felt inspired, and wrote more chapters. The third chapter was especially well-received, and another writer commented saying how well I captured the main character. I felt so, so happy, and suddenly it was like my creativity sky-rocketed. I came up with so many ideas I could barely write them all down fast enough. I began having the story in my head and each character detailed. I was world-building and very focused on this writing of mine. The fact that I was the one “living” author in the fandom right now made me feel even more inspired, like perhaps this one will actually do well.

Well, the author who complimented me on the third chapter came out with her own story not long after. It contains a crossover couple with the character I’m writing, while my fic has a canon couple. Funnily enough, it’s the only one with it! All the others are crossovers/crack! Anyway, said author gets popular REALLY fast. I mean thousands of hits and comments upon kudos within a short period of time, while my count was still very low. I read her first chapters, and I really liked it despite not shipping the ship, so I commented/complimented her on them. Might as well be friends, right?

Even though my ideas were still flowing, seeing her spit out chapter after chapter and the sheer praise she got on each one was starting to mess with me. One or two commenters said her work was easily the best in both of the entire fandoms of the crossover.

I feel really bad about this part because I cannot stand feelings of jealousy and envy, especially if they are at their root totally useless and pathetic. Yet, what made it kind of worse was that I could tell from her writing that she had been inspired by my take on the character (even some of the phrases and tics he used were the same as my headcanons), and later admitted to me that I had inspired her to some degree. Flattering? Of course! But these commenters were absolutely in love with her writing and her relationship, and meanwhile here’s me with my rare pair and the fic I put my blood, sweat, and tears into and….

Crickets.

I have to admit, it stung. I tried to act like it didn’t, I tried to be as civil and carefree as I could, I tried to just “write for myself,” but man if it didn’t sting too.

She’s an excellent writer, and maybe my writing is a little too “out there” or tougher to read, but I think I come up with some unique ideas and I have a few fans. I’m working on my skills as I write more, but I can’t seem to stop comparing myself to her work. The story is great, don’t get me wrong, but for some reason I just can’t see the “sheer excellence” that is moving everyone to tears. Is it just because I’m possibly bitter or I don’t like the couple, or am I just that unemotional, especially with art? I have no idea. I do know that I have no desire to feel this way because I deeply respect this author and she in turn respects me and my work, even if we’re not exactly buddy-buddy close. We do provide feedback to each other, and she seems to actually like one of my rare couples. So I hate to feel like the spoiler of everything just because I have insecurity. I told myself to stop reading her stats and comments but it became compulsive, plus I am extremely curious.

When I went on Twitter a few weeks ago, I actually had only looked up the name of the character in the search and ended up finding a few pieces of art…based on her fanfic. Again I felt that saltiness, like that’s what I wanted. Is it really that popular? What’s so special about this relationship? And then I felt guilty again for not just being happy for her. So it started to torment me all over like a cycle.

I re-examined my work: maybe I have poor, disjointed ideas. Maybe my story is too boring or too controversial. Maybe it doesn’t make sense. Maybe the plot and characters are unpopular. Maybe I put all this work into something that was ultimately stupid. Maybe I’m just….not good.

I finally had to take a long break from it all because it was obviously affecting me.

I’m back to writing it now and I plan to finish it. There have been about 5 more stories that have popped up based on that couple, one saying it was inspired by the author’s fic. The fandom is growing larger because of this, but I’m still the only one writing these rare ships and this particular plotline. In some ways it makes me feel proud, and in other ways I still feel frustration and hurt, that I hardly know where it’s coming from. The author now has devoted fans writing comics on her work and encouraging her to write more short stories after her big story is over.

And then there’s me in my little corner. I guess I should try to have fun while I can, and appreciate what I do have. I appreciate the mutual respect I have with this author, and carry no personal dislike towards her whatsoever. I value good relations and push away pointless, immature pettiness too much for that.

The annoyance and pangs in my heart have not totally left, however. I just want to finish this story because I love it dearly, I love creative writing, I love my characters, and I never finished my other fics.

All that just to ask, is it weird to feel like this or am I overreacting, maybe even being kinda snobby? And has anyone else had a similar experience?

submitted by /u/LockeTheHandslayer [link] [comments] from FanFiction: Where Magical Ponies battle Imperial Titans https://ift.tt/2TtDMbr

#fan fiction #writing #fanfiction #tv show #series #movie #fan #write

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ghostbustermelanieking · 7 years

Text

writer’s pen

summary: what if the x files was a series of sci-fi novels written by the cigarette smoking man, and what if the cigarette smoking man wasn’t a shadowy villain but instead a petty writer who cast the people in his lives in his stories?

based off a post i made earlier today. it should be mentioned that i unconsciously channeled the dead hand loves you by margaret atwood (which can be found in her anthology stone mattress) and didn’t realize it until after i was finished.

disclaimer: this is not meant to, in any way, make fun of any real people. (not intentionally, at least.) it is pure and total crack!fic and should be treated like the crack it is: a 5 am thought that came from analyzing musings of a cigarette smoking man. which should never be done.

The aliens were watching her and the smoker stood over her, token Morley in hand. “What do you want from me?” Scully asked, gripping her elbows tightly. “Where’s Mulder?”

The writer sighs, shaking the ashes off of his cigarette into the ash tray and pressing his nicotine-stained fingers to his forehead. He’ll have to call his publisher and tell him that the book isn’t working out. He’s resorted to old habits, dumb cliches of The X-Files’ former glory days. How many times has he had his main heroine abducted? The Jesuit slug in Volume 8 resulted in another angry letter from his purported son, threatening another lawsuit.

The idea behind the last book, Volume 10, had been to give the fans a sense of nostalgia, love for the 90′s book series that had taken off and become a cult classic and made him a successful author. He’d figured that his not-son had forgotten about the lawsuit, the second lawsuit, his freak-out over the movie rights almost being sold, and the one crazy fan who had written a series of letters all addressed to Fox Mulder or Dana Scully. He’d been wrong; when Volume 10 had been announced, he’d shown up, outraged, on the door and insisted that he give it up, or at least share some of the royalties. His kids were on the way to college, he said. And his life had become a never-ending embarrassment since the damn books. In revenge, the writer had stormed upstairs to his typewriter and broken Mulder and Scully up, made Mulder a sad hermit and then essentially killed him by the end of the novel with his pandemic. It was supposed to be the end, a grand finale and one final “fuck-you” to his not-Mulder not-son. But the fans wanted more, they’d hated the ending. And his publisher had demanded it, but the writer is more than out of ideas.

The entire series had been a mistake in the first place. He’d wanted to be a writer ever since he was a little boy, but at the time, he’d been bitter about his failed novel: Second Chance: A Jack Colquitt Adventure. Its botched ending, his failure at becoming a real writer. And then his former lover - the woman who became Teena Mulder in The X Files - had insisted that he meet his son. She and her husband - the tragic Bill Mulder in the books - had divorced, and she didn’t want to keep secrets from her son, so she’d told him and his younger sister. She wanted the writer to come to Thanksgiving. So he had, and it was by far the worst holiday he’d ever attended. His son was outright rude, refusing to talk to him or look him in the eye. He was a psychologist, and for some reason, the writer had always hated psychologists. His sister (not his daughter) was as rude as possible to him. The Thanksgiving had ended in an all-out yelling match where his not-son had told him to “stay away from my mother, and stay away from me”. That night, the writer had troped home in the rain, and bitterly typed out the openings of a novel on his typewriter. He cast his not-son as a former FBI golden boy who worked on a joke project in the basement chasing monsters and himself as the shady, smoking villain out the outskirts: the Cigarette-Smoking Man. He’d named his not-son’s alter ego Fox Mulder - Fox because of his not-son’s hatred of foxes and Mulder as one final fuck-you to his not-son’s mother (who’s stage name in college, when he first knew her, was Teena Mulder although her real name was Elizabeth). He’d made his obsession aliens because he’d seen his not-son as a boy proclaim to love them, lugging around books on aliens and Roswell everywhere. He thought it was ridiculous and hated the entire premise, but the words stuck with him. He couldn’t get his head out of the basement.

The following months shaped what would eventually become The X Files: Volume 1 (referred to as the A New Hope of the series by the fans since it had been released simply as The X-Files). His not-son’s sister had been progressively ruder as he’d tried to come around and make amends, so he’d cast her as Samantha Mulder, tragic victim of the aliens. At first, Fox Mulder had been a one-dimensional character with an obsession but no beginning or end, but then inspiration had struck. He’d gotten into an argument with a long-time friend, who would later become Bill Scully. At this point, the writer can’t remember what the hell the argument was about, but it had taken its toll. He’d inserted the man in the book and chosen his favorite daughter (and incidentally the one he knew best) into the book. She became Dana Scully, spy sent to ruin Fox Mulder, skeptic to his believer. His original ending had been to have her ruin Mulder, but as the book went on, that premise became hollow. And then, supreme irony: the not-Scully and his not-son ended up working with each other. Constantly, said the woman who would become Maggie Scully when they ran into each other in the store. And the two of them hated each other, my goodness, isn’t it a tragedy? (The not-Mulders and the not-Scullys lived in the same tiny town near a military base, where everyone pretty much knew each other. The writer had known the real Bill Mulder and the real Bill Scully from the military. They were all somewhat friends, but the only ones who knew about the affair was the writer, his not-son, and his sister and mother.) So the writer had pettily shifted the story. Mulder and Scully would become friends, best friends. He even hinted at a romance forming between them. When things came to a head and the real Bill Scully punched the writer in the jaw, the fictional Bill Scully died and Mulder comforted Dana Scully. For his trouble, the writer had him shot in the head. The X Files: Volume 1 became a thick dime-store paperback full of thrills and chills and lots of tight, violent lamplight moments of danger for poor Mulder and Scully until the tragic end: Mulder and Scully were separated, the truth taken away from them by the Cigarette Smoking Man (the writer himself). The writer had hated his petty novel, but still, it was written, so he shipped it off to a publishing house, and the publishers snatched it up.

And it had become an instant hit.

Surprised by his sudden success, the writer had agreed to a deal for three more X-Files books. His not-son had never read it and probably never would, so what was the harm? He continued writing about the real people in his life, clouded with a smokescreen of fiction.

Apparently (according to the real Maggie Scully over their shopping carts), not-Scully and his not-son were enjoying working together now, and thank goodness because they were both so attractive and his not-son came from such a good family. That’s what you think, thought the writer. He began his book by having Scully abducted. He gave himself a more prominent goal, taunting Mulder from the other side of his gun barrel. It was almost as satisfying as taunting him in real life. Walter Skinner, a confusing character whose alliances the writer couldn’t decide, was his neighbor who read his book and raved about how much he loved it. Alex Krycek was his editor. The real Bill Mulder found out about the affair and showed up on the writer’s doorstep to punch him in the jaw. (Why did all the people who became characters named Bill punch him in the jaw?) Furiously and with an ice pack clutched to the swelling area, the writer wrote out the murder of the fictional Bill Mulder by Alex Krycek. He drank an entire bottle of tequila and smoked an entire pack of Morleys, passed out, and woke up with a pounding headache and an urge to remove his not-son both from his life and his book completely. He ended the book with Mulder’s death by his hand (both in the sense of him as the writer and him as the book’s main villain), the smoke rising into the sky. A poetic ending, he thought. The next book would be focused on the Dana Scully character, a fitting character to take over.

He was wrong on both accounts. His editor and publisher were both furious at Mulder’s death, and he received a series of angry fan letters demanding he bring Mulder back in Volume 3. (Fuck the smoker! one had read, which had honestly hurt the writer’s feelings.) And not-Scully read the book. She had barely spoken to him because of the grudge her father had against him, but she shown up on his doorstep with Volumes 1 and 2 clutched in her hand. “What is this?” she demanded, and proceeded to list all the wrongs of the books. He’d killed her father’s fictional counterpart. He’d had her fictional counterpart abducted and tortured multiple times in the story. It made a mockery of her and his not-son - had he even considered their reputations? She insisted he stop the books immediately, or at least change his characters to unrecognizable versions of him. He went upstairs and wrote out Scully’s sister’s death scene. His neighbor, the real Skinner, criticized the ending of Volume 2, so he wrote the scene where Scully and Mulder point the guns at Skinner. Ultimately, the real Skinner eventually apologized and told him he liked the book, so the writer rewrote his death scene. But he made Skinner an ally of Mulder and Scully.

Volume 3 was mundane, compared to the first two. After a terrible Thanksgiving with his former lover and his not-son, he went home and wrote two scenes: Mulder’s confrontation with Robert Patrick Modell and Teena Mulder’s stroke. He ended Volume 3 with an easy cliffhanger - the alien advancing on poor Mulder and Scully - figuring that Volume 4 would be an easy write and he could leave the whole damn book behind forever.

Not-Scully bought the book immediately and was outraged. She showed up on the writer’s doorstep, furious, and shouted at him about the book. She mentioned his not-son a lot. “Don’t you care about him at all?” she said furiously.

“Do you love him?” the writer had replied, taking a puff on his cigarette.

Not-Scully had insisted that they were just partners and said that was beside the point. She called him a sociopath. She threatened to show his not-son the book, and he said he didn’t care. He had a plan for Volume 4 - he would give the fictional Scully cancer, which would reveal her and Mulder’s love for each other (at least half of his fan mail was asking if Mulder and Scully would ever get together; he wished they’d write more about Cigarette Smoking Man), and he would give himself an epic death, a beautiful last moment. Whether or not he would kill Scully, he hadn’t decided. It depended how much not-Scully pissed him off, he supposed, but he thought ending Mulder and Scully’s romance with her death would be lovely and tragic and poignant. (But then again, the fan backlash would be enough to convince him not to do it.) He wrote Volume 4 feverishly, burning through a pack of cigarettes every night as he stayed up late to write. At a book signing, a sweet little fan with a ponytail said she hated the Cigarette Smoking Man, so the writer wrote the story of his life (with a few obvious embellishments) to make people understand why the villain was the way he was. His neighbor told him how much he liked Volume 3, so he made him betray Mulder and Scully. He gave Mulder a death bed confession of love and a heartbreaking death scene. The Cigarette Smoking Man gave Mulder his sister back (he was a father who just wanted to be loved, why couldn’t Mulder see that), and the hero rejected him. The villain died clutching his son’s photo to his breathing chest. Scully died and Mulder cried over her death bed. And then he swore to keep on fighting the good fight. The end; the series was over, and the writer could rest.

And then a funny thing happened: his not-son started dating not-Scully.

The two families that the writer hated were intertwined with happiness, and he was bitter. He let his neighbor, real Skinner, read his draft of the novel, and he hated the ending. The writer rewrote it completely, taking out Mulder’s confession of love and letting Scully live. He let Skinner be the good guy and killed off Blevins instead. He left in his own romantic death scene, boxed it up, and sent it off to the publishers.

Volume 4 was loved, called the best book of the series. His publisher asked for more and he sighed and consented. He brought himself back from the dead for Volume 5, and gave him more depth, an ex-wife and a son. Mulder and Scully grew closer, almost but not quite getting the romantic ending everyone always wanted. (He left them almost-kissing and walking off holding hands to satisfy the fans, but wouldn’t let them go all the way out of pettiness towards his not-son.) When the real Maggie Scully told him that not-Scully was pregnant, he wrote in the tragedy of Scully’s experiment daughter, pettily making her only Scully’s child and not Mulder’s. And then the real Maggie Scully got a hold of Volume 2 and 3 and refused to speak to him anymore. (He’d done a terrible job of disguising people, clearly.) When he saw not-Scully kissing his not-son, he inserted Diana Fowley. He shipped it off to the publishers, a bitter man ready to be done with this crappy sci-fi phenomenon.

His publisher wanted another book. Two more, in fact. The writer flew to the Bahamas and wrote Volumes 6 and 7 over margaritas. In Volume 6, Mulder and Scully grew apart, and he did away with the current storylines he detested and tried to start anew. He wanted to be a philosopher, make his books something of a genius piece of literature, so he wrote about Scully finding the ship in Africa. Volume 7 was his worst yet, he thought, and he was determined to make it the end, so he gave Scully and Mulder a happy ending. He shipped Volume 6 off and left Volume 7 in a sheaf on his desk, waiting.

The real Teena Mulder and Samantha Mulder got their hands on the books. They showed up, angry, and the writer’s former lover slapped him. He killed them off in Volume 7 - at least that would give it some plot. He also killed his character a second time, a dramatic fall down the stairs. Volume 6 was well received, so he shipped off Volume 7 and lay down in his bedroom and slept for what felt like a week.

And then the ultimate nightmare: his son finally read all seven books.

He wasn’t just furious; he actually sued the writer. “You killed off my entire family!” he said in the courtroom. “You tortured my wife in every single one of your books! You’re insane!” The lawsuit ended in the writer having to pay a sum of money to his not-son. Because he was probably the pettiest man alive, he went home and wrote another book: Volume 8, probably the darkest yet. Not-Scully was pregnant with their second child, so in the book, Scully (who was unable to have kids) found out she was pregnant right after Mulder was abducted.She spent the book searching for Mulder and found him dead in a field. His editor hated it: it’s time to stop writing books, he said, the fans loved 7 but the critics didn’t. The writer had other ideas. He killed off Krycek, rewrote the ending so Mulder came back to life as a traumatized zombie, and hired two new, eager editors who loved his books. They liked 8, but suggested he add in other characters to broaden the book’s plot. They became Doggett and Reyes.

Volume 8 hadn’t sold well, though. The critics - as well as the fans - hadn’t liked the fact that Mulder wasn’t in it. (I felt like it was time to retire the character of Mulder, for a while, the writer had defended himself at a signing, ignoring the sounds of sniffling leftover from his reading of Mulder’s death scene.) They had loved the ending, though. They all raved about the ending.

His not-son had showed up, furious, book in hand. “No more books with me in them or there’ll be another law suit,” he’d said, shaking the thick paperback in his face. Which wouldn’t have been a problem, since the writer was exhausted with the whole series, but his publishers were already campaigning for book 9. Will it ever end, he thought some days as he lit his cigarette.

Since he hadn’t specified who else not to put in the book, he wrote Mulder leaving Scully and their newborn (who he named William as a personal joke, since he’d already layered the name William on several characters). He was sick of the story, sick of the whole damn thing, so Volume 9 was his darkest yet. Scully’s baby was targeted and kidnapped and eventually given up. He gave Doggett and Reyes a sort-of happy ending - what had his new publishers ever done to him? Since he fully intended for Volume 9 to be the last one, he brought Mulder back for the ending. Put him in prison, executed him while Scully watched and cried not to cry. And then the world ended. “It’s goddamn poetic,” he said, flicking ashes on his desk.

His editors loved it - the writer suspected that they figured out where they showed up in the book. “Except for the ending,” the real Reyes said, shuffling the papers together. “You have to change it. Scully gives up her baby and then Mulder dies? It’s totally off with the tone of the series.”

He didn’t agree, but when he thought about the backlash, he reconsidered. He left in Scully giving up William, to make it dark and gritty. But he saved Mulder’s life. He broke him out of prison and sent the two of them spiraling alone into the desert. He brought himself back to deliver an ominous premonition and then he hurled a missile at Cigarette Smoking Man’s face and gave himself one final dramatic death. He ended it with Mulder and Scully on a hotel bed together. Now that was goddamn poetic - or at least it would be in the eyes of critics and fans who would think of the hotel scene from Volume 1.

“I like it,” real Reyes said. “I like that Mulder and Scully don’t die.”

“Everyone dies,” the writer said. “And the world still ends, you know.”

The reviews for Volume 9 were worse than 8. His poetic ending hadn’t resonated with many people at all - they were focused on the lack of Mulder and the loss of William. The writer slunk into The Hole Where Washed-Up Writers Go To Die (the title of his pending autobiography), determined not to write anymore. Whatever he’d had, he’d lost it, and the X-Files books were eating him from the inside out. It was too crowded in his head - Mulder and Scully had set up camp there.

There was a Sticky Note attached to his subpoena: Maybe I should’ve been more specific. Do not write about me or my family ever again. I am family, the writer thought, and poured himself a glass of bourbon. “I’m not planning to write any more books,” he said in court, and the judge nodded and his not-son nodded and he paid his money and that was that.

Years later, he tried a couple of historical novels that flopped. His characters were flat, real Doggett said. That’s because I’m not basing them off of real people, the writer wanted to say. There was an attempt to make a movie, later - they wanted to buy the rights and make a franchise in the style of Harry Potter. The writer wrote a sequel-ish script to Volume 9, called I Want To Believe, and his not-son got wind of it and threatened another lawsuit. No movies were made, but his first-draft script got leaked on the Internet somehow.

He’d tried to forget it, he really had. And then his publisher had the idea of a twentieth anniversary novel. He hadn’t wanted to write Volume 10, and he wants to write Volume 11 even less.

The writer takes a long drag of his cigarette. He considers his technical-granddaughter, the one who had been born when he wrote Volume 5, who had shown up on his doorstep a couple of days ago. “Hi,” she’d said. “My entire family hates your books, but I think they’re kind of hilarious. So, rock on or whatever.” She flashed him a peace sign and was gone.

The writer flips through the little bit he has of Volume 11. Maybe he should finish it. Give the fans the ending they’d always wanted and end the series for good. Maybe he can dedicate it to his technical-granddaughter, one last fuck-you to his not-son and the series in general.

The smoker twisted his cigarette in his hand. “You and your son are the only ones who can save the world,” he said. “And we need to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

#crack crack crack crack crack what is this #the only reason i posted this is bc i kind of like its style #xf fanfic #i wrote this

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captainvictoryboat · 7 years

Text

Behind The Scenes 3 (4.5/???)

Author’s note: It may be a while till I post the next scene. I haven’t had any time or inspiration to continue writing BTS 3 where I left off (Don’t worry I’m talking about my Malaysia scenes. There is still a bit to go before you all catch up to it). I need to buy myself more time so I can start writing and perfecting the last scenes of BTS 3. Sorry for any errors or any cultural and environmental inaccuracies.

Genre: Fluff-ish?/ Angst? (Suga, Jungkook)

Word count:1826

City: Shanghai

Summary: You, Jungkook and Suga go out to the beach.

Other parts: HERE

This is my GIF. I made it based on this scenario series.

The beach was beautiful. The three of you made it to the shore almost at sunset, just when the sky was its most colorful. Even though there were quite a bit of people, you didn’t really mind. You weren’t too scared of running into any fans.

When the three of you came closer to the water, you all removed your shoes to let the dying waves splash over your feet. As always, y ou and Jungkook held hands. Jungkook being the “gentleman” he was, held your shoes for you. Suga straggled behind the two of you, constantly stopping to take a few pictures.

“Damn, it’s such a nice evening.” Jungkook said.

“Right! The view is so amazing!” you said looking past him to see the hues of yellow and orange.

“Finally you agree that I look amazing!”

“Shut up!” you laughed.

You could hear the sound of water splashing behind you and soon Suga appeared next to you. “What are you guys talking about?”

“About how good looking I am!’ Jungkook stopped, let go of you, tossed the shoes in the dry sand and moved into a dramatic model pose. “Yoongi quick! Take a picture. I can’t hold my breath forever!”

Suga rolled his eyes at him. He lifted his camera, but he didn’t bother to aim it, he just lazily clicked away a few times.

“C’mon let’s keep walking!” you laughed. You tugged on Jungkook’s arm, but he refused to move.

“Jagi no! He needs to take a good picture!” Jungkook said still holding his breathe.

You gave one last tug and he dramatically fell to the ground, making sure to land where the water didn’t reach him. “Jagi! Why?!? I thought you loved me?!?” A last puff of air escaped him before he played dead.

Immediately, Suga crouched next to him and took many pictures of Jungkook at all angles. “Ah yes! These are the images I want!” He laughed

Jungkook broke into a smile. “Ya!” He laughed, pushing Suga away and picking himself up. “Yo, take a picture of me and y/n. We can put it online! Baby, do you wanna take pictures?” he asked, turning to you.

You shrugged, “Eh, I guess so.”

The two of gave your back to the water and faced Suga. Jungkook came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your shoulders. You put your hand on his and smiled into the camera.

“Smile.” Suga said bitterly as he aimed the camera at you and Jungkook.

After only a few shots were taken, Jungkook practically shouted, “Wait!”

You jumped up a bit at the loud voice that boomed right in your ear and you looked up at him with a bit of a snarl.

“Jagi, let’s make this one a funny one!” he suggested.

“Kookie no!”

“C’mon it’ll be fun!” he insisted.

“Fine!”

In a aplit second you put yourself back in a happy mood and you both proceeded to make derp faces at the camera. Suga continued to take a few pictures, but he didn’t even seem a tiny bit amused by the stupid faces you were making.

“Kookie, can we stop now? Let’s take better ones.” you whined

Suga’s expression cringed into an even more bitter expression. “Why are you guys acting like that? There aren’t even that many people around and it’s not like anyone knows what we are saying!”

“Cuz we can’t hide our love!” Jungkook shouted, staying in character. You could feel his arms tightened around you. “Look at the beauty before us! How can one not show her affection!” All the noise coming from him was earning “a bit” of attention from the people around you.

You felt so paranoid with so many judgmental eyes staring at you all. You turned around and hid your face into Jungkook’s chest. “Oh gosh, don’t be so loud.” you whispered

“I’m getting people to stare so all this doesn’t go to waste, but I’ll stop if you want me to.” He whispered.

You nodded.

“Are you two done?” Suga asked. It was easily to tell he was annoyed about something.

“What’s with you?” Jungkook asked with what you thought was the slightest hint of a smirk.

“Nothing!”

“Are you sure? What’s wrong?” you asked.

“I said its nothing!” he said walking off down the shore on his own.

Jungkook picked up your shoes and grabbed your hand. “C’mon, let’s keep walking.”

You quickened your pace to try and catch up the Suga. “Yoongi, can I see the pictures?” you hoped that talking to him would get him out if whatever mood he was in.

He didn’t say anything or even look back at you. He simply handed you the camera. It was already opened to the pictures he took of you and Jungkook.

You couldn’t help but shriek when you laid eyes on the pictures. “Aah! I look so gross! Why did you actually take these?!?”

“Nah, you look cute, an ugly cute, but still cute.” Suga said, keeping his eyes forward.

Jungkook took the camera from you. “Oooohhh, looks like we found our BTS meme queen!”

Almost immediately, Suga ripped the camera from his hands and turned it off.

You looked back at Jungkook, but all he did was shrug at you.

Things were silent amongst the three of you until you heard a phone ringing. Suga pulled his phone out from his pocket and when he looked down at the screen, he broke into a small smile. “Oh, hey Aiko!” he answered cheerfully.

Instantly you could feel your insides twist. You felt a pang of jealousy hit you in the chest just from hearing him say her name.

“Yeah I’m just here on the beach with y/n and Jungkook.” He continued. “Shanghai… ha yeah, I guess you could you could say I’m the third wheel… Well, if you were here, it would be a different story… Hang on a second.” He covered the speaker of his phone and finally turned to face you and Jungkook. “Do you guys wanna go back to the hotel? It’s kinda hard for me to talk to Aiko with so many people around.”

“Already?” you frowned. “I was just starting to have fun…”

you could see Suga frown a bit himself. “Ah, well y/n-“

“Huh? That’s funny. I thought it shouldn’t matter what you say. It’s not like anyone around us can understand what you are saying.” Jungkook spat back with smirk.

Suga locked his gaze on Jungkook. “This is different!”, he said sternly. Then he looked back at you. “Why don’t we all go back? It’s getting a little late anyway. We should get back before Namjoon does.” by his tone it was as if he was almost begging you to go back with him.

“You go. Y/n and I are going to stay a bit longer.” Jungkook said.

Suga squinted at him.

“Go.” Jungkook insisted. “We’re fine. I can get Tae to tell us when he and Namjoon are getting back if that’s what you’re so worried about.”

Suga grumbled under his breath. You thought he said “not really.” but you weren’t too sure of that was what he really said. Suga looked back at you, and you could see he wanted you to go back with him. “Are you sure you don’t wanna go back?” Suga asked.

“… You go. I wanna stay longer.”

“Well… ok…” He picked up the phone again. “What were we talking about?” he asked as he walked off back to the hotel.

You watched as his figure got smaller and smaller as he left. You didn’t go back to walking in the water until you no longer saw him. On the inside, you were a bit mopey, but tried not to look too upset. “The sunset is so pretty.” You said. A part of you knew it was best to stay out with Jungkook. This was such a beautiful evening and it was possible you wouldn’t get another chance like this.

“Yeah it is…” You felt Jungkook lean closer to you. “Time out… Before we left the hotel, I really did text Tae to let us know when they’d be getting back. I didn’t want a repeat of what happened in Beijing…” He whispered.

You didn’t bother to say “time in” and you let your actions speak for you to let him know to get back into character. You squeezed his hand tighter and tip toed to give him a small peck on his cheek.

You both continued to walk in blissful silence. You took in the sounds of people laughing and having fun around you, the sounds of the waves crashing on shore and the sound of the sand crunching under your feet. You walked and walked until you got a bit tired.

“…Can we sit down?” you peeped.

“If you want.” Jungkook pulled you away from the water and to an empty spot on the beach.

You both saT down on a cool patch sand and you dug your feet into it. You rested your head on his shoulder and enjoyed the view. Thankfully, the calming minutes seemed to go by so slow. It felt as if you had been able to have a relaxing sit in the sand for hours. By now the sky was filled with oranges and pinks with the slightest hint of purple. Just when the orange was about to disappear and as the purple grew, the sky looked its most beautiful.

You turned to Jungkook. “Ooohh can you take a picture? The sky is so pretty right now!” There were way less people around compared to before, making it the perfect time to take a decent picture.

Jungkook shrugged. “You can take it if you want.” He pulled out his phone and opened the camera for you.

You probably took about 50 pictures until you felt satisfied that you got a good shot.

“Hey! Calm down. You got like a five hundred pictures of the same spot!” He laughed.

“I had to make sure I got a good picture… Here, I’m done now.” you smiled tossing his phone back to him.

“… Y/n”

“Hm?”

“Time out again real quick. You wanna take a better picture to make up for the stupid ones from earlier? You didn’t seem too happy with those. If we take better ones I can post those or something.”

“Well we don’t have to. Do you really think we’ll need to take another one?”

“Well, I guess not. I’m not too sure how this whole dating lie should work. I feel like compared to real couples we don’t have a lot of pictures together.”

“That’s true… Yeah, we are probably slacking when it comes to this whole thing… Yeah, let’s take some nicer pictures.”

To embrace in the scenery of the beach, Jungkook made a big heart in the sand. He lay his head in one side and you lay your head on the other side. He got a good three pictures, before an obnoxious laser sound rang from his phone and a text from V appeared on the screen.

“Oh shit! We gotta go back now!”

You both jumped up immediately and maneuvered through the still crowded beach. Thankfully it didn't take Jungkook too long to hail a taxi and the two of you made it back to the hotel before V and the monster did.

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char27martin · 7 years

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5 Types of Opening Scenes to Make Your Story Stand Out

Opening scenes introduce characters, plots, and settings, and where the story is going. Writers can take more time unpacking opening scenes than they can anywhere else in the story. The first and last scenes are almost always the ones authors can write with ease in a fully fleshed out way. They already have an “introduction” in their heads (i.e., the spark that inspired the story for them in the first place). Nancy Kress calls this “the honeymoon”: when the author is still in love with whatever gave him the story idea in the first place. With the spark driving him forward, he can frequently write one scene after the other, maybe skipping directly over the bridge scenes after the opening is established, pushing out the resolution scenes that he may also see clearly, until the initial idea is expended.

This guest post is by Karen Wiesner . Wiesner is an accomplished author with 118 titles published in the last 19 years, which have been nominated/won 134 awards, and has 39 more releases contracted, spanning many genres and formats. She is the author of the new Writer’s Digest Books title BRING YOUR FICTION TO LIFE.

Compared to the books that were written a hundred years ago, authors are given fewer and fewer words to “get to the point” these days. Whenever I think of a classic that would have been written almost beyond recognition for today’s readers, I think of The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, published in 1898. If this book were written today, we would have seen whipsawing action at this invasion—mountains crumbling, buildings crashing down around screaming citizens running for their lives in the growing chaos of the attack, fire lighting the sky. … But times, and fiction, were different then. And, as unbelievable as it is now, when this story was adapted for a radio broadcast in 1938, it utterly terrified its listeners, who thought the events were real. Can you even imagine?

There’s no denying that the first page—specifically the initial 250 words—is your story’s make-or-break stage. In these 250 make-or-break words, your reader (whether an editor at a publishing house, literary agent, bookstore browser, the library try-it-before-you-buy-it patron, or the optimistic soul who buys his books by the crate and has a massive home library because he wants to devour life-altering written words that he can go back to over and over again in his lifetime) makes the decision whether to turn the page or to close the book and never open it again. The wisest author advice I’ve ever heard about writing a killer opening is to assume that the reader is in a terrible mood when he opens your book and, for that reason, you can’t let yourself believe you have until page two to win him over. Engage immediately. Doing anything else is at your peril.

There are several distinctive methods for starting a story. Many books have started with each of these types, sometimes effectively, sometimes not so much. While I have opinions on which ones are most effective, I won’t comment. I’ll simply leave it for you to evaluate whether you think each case works and/or whether another type of opener would have been stronger.

1. Stolen Prologue

In this opener, the climax scene is pulled out of the middle/end of the book and put at the front as a prologue. A stolen prologue opening can also be an intriguing “future of the present” summary (not word for word, and maybe not told in the nail-biting way it will be shown later) that reveals something that happens much later in the book, in the present. This scenario is intended to give the reader a taste of the biggest, most exciting sequence in the story. Movie producers use this ploy a lot to get a film started with a bang.

Just to be clear, a prologue per se isn’t what’s in question here. It’s the “stolen” aspect we’re focused on. A strategy like this can work very well, hooking the reader into your story to find out what it all means and/or how it came about. It can also easily become old and contrived. Some authors and readers even consider it cheating, especially if it’s not done in a compelling way, or if, once the reader actually gets to that point in the book, the drama of the prologue becomes repetitive instead of compelling.

One reason writers may use this kind of opening scene is because the actual beginning of the story is boring and/or slow (and perhaps they want the editor or agent receiving this submission, the one who will probably read only the first chapter, to read the exciting middle/end of the book instead of the actual snail beginning). If you’ve set up this kind of opener in your book, ask yourself about your purpose in using it and whether you’ve done it for a legitimate reason that makes the book stronger. If the sole reason is because the “real” beginning is shaky, you might want to rethink using this as a starting point and pep up the true opener so it does the work it needs to. If the stolen prologue actually works and serves the purpose, go with it.

[Here’s a great article on how to structure a killer novel ending.]

2. Information Galore

In this type of introduction, the reader is given a ton of information that sets the premise of the story that follows. This can be written in a variety of ways—in the style of a prologue or synopsis, as a report of some kind, as a military dossier, in the style of a newspaper article, etc. Any of these can have a “true story” conveyance or be tailored to the fictional story about to be told.

Michael Crichton is one author who often started his books with these types of introductions, and he made this method work in whatever way he happened to present the information. For example, in Jurassic Park, he opens with a highly scientific and logical introduction detailing the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering in the late twentieth century and how a fictional company, InGen, instigated some sort of “incident” that led the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to protect its interests. This incident is the basis of the book. Crichton’s introduction effectively lays the groundwork for instilling a sense of real life into readers before the story truly begins with the fictional incident unfolding from that point on.

There can be very good reasons for using this kind of opener. If the information is actually based on true-life events, but may not fit into the story per se, that doesn’t mean it’s not important to convey anyway. If it’s not based on actual events, then maybe the underlying structure of the information presents a scientific, historical, or some other basis that lends authenticity to the story to follow; hence, the necessity of using this “info galore” delivery system to lay down the premise. This is another situation where asking yourself, “If I take this out altogether, does it damage the credibility of my story?” may be the deciding factor about whether it should be presented this way or cut.

3. Backstory-Dramatized Flashback, Dream, or Flash-Forward

This type of story opening injects a prologue or first chapter with a flashback that takes a pivotal event or memory from a character’s past and establishes where the story problem originated, slamming us into the heart of the drama. Another prospect is including a flash-forward—an event that happens in the future of the story about to be told. This event is inserted as a prologue. By using this method, you end up with a highly dramatized “real-time” (written as if it’s happening in the present, though the reader will find out following the prologue that the scene was actually something pulled from later in the book). A scenario like either of these options potentially supercharges the story, placing the reader into the midst of something emotionally powerful or that has the highest impact or action-packed situation of the book.

In his article “Where to Begin? When, Where and How to Write a Prologue,” Lital Talmor talks about the defining moment in the protagonist’s past, which must be told to the reader in order for him to understand the character. Talmor goes on to say, “Think how cold and alien Batman would be if we hadn’t first seen young Bruce standing bewildered over the bodies of his parents.” Giving the reader insight into a character’s motivating internal conflicts, stemming from an external conflict, with a flashback, dream, or flash-forward can harness instant intrigue.

[Learn important writing lessons from these first-time novelists.]

4. Change She Is A-Comin’

This type of opening establishes the main character’s world as it is. The beginning is a normal, ordinary, average-day viewpoint just before “the inciting incident” descends and tears everything apart. Depending on the genre of your story and whether the opening is done right, this method can be intriguing. If your character loves her life as is, this is probably the world she wants to get back to before she was so rudely interrupted by the external conflict. This can really resonate at the end of the book, because the reader will remember the world before so vividly.

This kind of opener can also be slow, indulgent, leisurely … and sometimes incredibly boring, if there’s not enough interest to grip the reader’s imagination. As you’re writing your “change is coming” opening, if you feel you’re struggling to get into the story, your readers probably will, too.

5. Here’s Johnny

I can’t remember where I heard this quote, but a writer said, “Don’t waste time—begin the story at the last possible moment.” While this always makes me laugh, because the two images presented are contradictory, that’s what this method is all about. Get to the point with your opening, yes, but start where something crazy and exciting is happening. Whatever conflict or inciting incident catapults your story should be present from the first sentence and, from there, bust up everything the main character knows and loves; nothing will ever be the same.

By jumping into the action of the current story at the precise moment and time of the inciting incident, the writer doesn’t have a lot of time to establish the facts of character, plot, and setting. This method requires a great deal of master-storytelling acrobatics to get everything that needs to be included in the opener precisely when and where the story (and the reader) needs them to be.

While not every story is so action packed that a T-Rex razes a swatch of destruction in the main character’s path as it sweeps through the area, the intensity of this kind of conflict-laden opener is ideal for every story, regardless of genre. In context of your story’s tone, you have to work hard to suck the reader in with a skillfully developed punch of action that gives the who-what-where-when-why succinctly, effectively, and instantly so the pages fly by and the real world goes all but unnoticed by the reader.

Want More? Try Bring Your Fiction to Life

Bring Your Fiction to Life teaches you how to build a solid narrative structure and layer in lush, textured scenes to create a story that rings true. In this great resource, you’ll learn how to:

— Master the three-dimensional aspects of characters, plots, and settings using detailed sketches that define the past, present, and future aspects of each element. — Develop complex opening, resolution, and bridge scenes that expertly lead readers through your fictional world. — Construct and analyze an outline for your manuscript. — Brainstorm, research, and draft efficiently and effectively, and juggle multiple projects with ease. — And more!

Order Bring Your Fiction to Life right now by clicking here!

If you’re an agent looking to update your information or an author interested in contributing to the GLA blog or the next edition of the book, contact Writer’s Digest Books Managing Editor Cris Freese at [email protected].

The post 5 Types of Opening Scenes to Make Your Story Stand Out appeared first on WritersDigest.com.

from Writing Editor Blogs – WritersDigest.com http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/5-types-opening-scenes-make-story-stand

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infinitehouseofbooks · 7 years

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BLOG TOUR - Phoenix

Phoenix

The Peradon Fantasy Series

Book One

Daccari Buchelli

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publisher: Buchelli Books

Date of Publication: 30th April 2017

ISBN: 9780995768307 print

ISBN: 9780995768314 eBook

ASIN: B06XSL13FD

Number of pages: 396

Word Count: 100,980

Cover Artist: T.L. Mason

Tagline: ‘You’re only a prisoner if you believe you are.’

Book Description:

‘You’re only a prisoner if you believe you are.’

Magic. Sheltered from the cruelties of the world, Princess Violetta came to adore it. When a terrible tragedy befalls her realm, she vows to shun her royal duties, setting off a chain of events that will see her true power come to light.

Prince Ryore spent his life at the mercy of his father and was deemed the weak link in the chain of command. His new found status as Emperor sees the entire Frost realm bow to him. Little does he know that enemies lurk within his walls, determined to end his reign before it begins.

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/Gh3dyddZCDw

Amazon Amazon UK Smashwords

Interview with the Author:

What initially got you interested in writing?

As soon as I learned to read, I couldn’t stop my imagination from wandering and creating its own stories. At aged eight, I began to write them down, sticking to Fantasy as I preferred to give life to the worlds and characters that my mind created. I never stopped loving books or the Fantasy genre. How did you decide to make the move into being a published author?

I knew that I wanted to take this passion I had for writing and turn it into something that I could share with others. I had a concept for a book that I believed was exciting and so I did my research and began crafting my novel, while learning about the publishing industry. What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

I would love it if my work could inspire someone to make a positive change in their life, no matter how great or small. If readers are able to identify with the problems of the main characters, even if indirectly, then perhaps they can find solutions through the way the characters resolve their own conflicts. What do you find most rewarding about writing?

I think the moment that someone connects with you and tells you how much they enjoyed your work is the most rewarding experience because if not for readers, then books wouldn’t serve their primary function. It is readers that enable books to become a success and so each is like a precious jewel. I appreciate every reader that I will ever have because they will be with me on this life long journey. What do you find most challenging about writing?

Being on the Autistic Spectrum, I personally find the social aspects of writing most difficult. Over the years, I have become accustomed to shadowing people, watching their reactions to the smallest of things, subconsciously listening to the way they speak, in order to improve my understanding of this area. What advice would you give to people who want to enter the field?

1) Never give up. If you have a passion for something, whether it’s a passion for knitting costumes for dogs, a passion for baking or sports, keep trying until you succeed. If something makes you happy, then it is always worth fighting for.

2) Research is your friend, no matter how hard you sometimes fight. Get to know others in the publishing industry, whether they are writers, editors, or readers. Get to know what they enjoy and compare answers, learn from one-another. Ask if there are groups you can join to give and receive support from those like yourself.

3) Create a blog and post your thoughts in a regular stream of online content. Posting regularly will help people to find your site and to learn more about you as an individual. What ways can readers connect with you?

I welcome contact via social media and have included a range of links below:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15093628.Daccari_Buchelli

Twitter:http://mobile.twitter.com/DaccariBuchelli

Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01L5IH3QY

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DaccariBuchelliBooks/

Instagram: @daccari.buchelli.author

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/DaccariBuchelli/

Author website: buchellibooks.com

Blog: https://buchellibooksblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Email: [email protected]

Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daccari-buchelli-58a608a0/

Google Plus https://plus.google.com/+DaccariBuchelli

Excerpt:

‘Darius, can you feel that?’

A tingling sensation seeped into her bones. It pulsed through her, prickling the hairs on the back of her neck.

‘Darius, something feels wrong.’

Violetta turned and was surprised to find Darius facing away. His tall frame appeared to have frozen beside her much loved tree, his face turned up toward the sky.

‘Brother? What’s wrong? Tell me.’

Violetta followed her brother’s gaze.

Darkness stole over her. Violetta could see the storm a mile off and it showed no signs of letting up. She flinched as she felt something hit her face. Water? Darius began to stir, but Violetta’s eyes remained fixed on the sky. She had heard of rain. It was said that the Air Realm was frequently visited by such cool showers, but never had she heard of a storm in the Flame Realm. At least, not since the Almighty Storm of the Ancients.

Violetta felt her courage flee her. She let out a high-pitched squeal; a reaction to the hands that had forced themselves around her arms.

‘Shh, it’s just me.’ Darius stroked the golden waves of her hair. ‘We must get inside. Understand?’

Violetta gazed into her brother’s dark eyes. She nodded.

‘Yes.’

‘Good, we haven’t got long before the storm hits.’

Violetta dove toward Jork’s ball. She trapped it between her wrinkled skirts, gathering it up in her slender arms. The rain gathered speed.

‘Darius, I’ve got it!’ she squealed. Silence greeted her. ‘Darius? Where are you?’

Violetta could hear raised voices in the distance. They were muffled, likely from inside the secret passage they had used to get down here.

‘Darius?’ She spotted a limp shape stretched across the lap of her tree. ‘DARIUS!’

Something struck Violetta hard in the shoulder, lifting her clean off the ground. Her mouth formed a silent scream as she flew through the air, clinging tight to Jork’s ball. To Violetta’s surprise, she landed on her feet.

Violetta’s vision swam, her shoulder screaming in agony at a chunk of ice that had pierced the flesh. She glanced about, searching for Darius when something else zipped past her ear. Violetta tried to put thoughts of the pain aside. She gazed above her, where the sky had become a blinding white.

Violetta’s fingernails dug into her ball and the agony she felt appeared to diminish. Her eyes snapped down to her shoulder, which only moments ago had been spiking with pain.

‘That’s not possible,’ she gasped.

Violetta’s skin was pale and smooth, not a cut or scratch anywhere in sight. Her eyes wandered down to Jork’s ball, before flocking back to the pale skies above. This had to be a dream. The sky here wasn’t white. It was a bright and beauteous blue, always.

Remembering how Darius had been struck, Violetta returned her gaze to her tree.

‘Darius?’

Her legs carried her over to him, aching with the sudden chill. Violetta was unsure of what she was going to find. She drew close and saw the tree’s tangled roots embracing Darius. His mop of dark hair was slick with the rain, his eyes only just glazing over.

‘No.’

Violetta knelt down and gasped at the sight of her brother’s chest. A large needle of ice had speared his flesh, spilling ruby liquid around its edges. A banshee’s wail exploded from her.

All sound escaped Violetta’s world. The edges of her vision darkened, leaving her only with eyes for her brother.

‘Good Lord, Prince Darius!’

Clarisse’s harsh voice cut through the silence. The elderly nursemaid sprinted past, her cold stare fixed on the limp form of their Realm’s heir. She bent down to examine the prince’s wounds, shooting an angry scowl Violetta’s way.

‘Just what did you think you were doing?’ she snarled.

The veins in her forehead began to rise, as though attempting to escape from their fleshy prison.

Violetta’s face was devoid of emotion. She could do little more than stare when a startled scream sounded nearby.

‘My boy!’

‘Mother?’ Violetta got back to her feet. ‘Mother, ice is coming down from the sky. We must go. Darius said-‘

Violetta locked eyes with her parent. Tears ran afresh down Queen Isobel’s face as she raced through the rain to reach her child. Her golden curls, which were usually pinned atop her head, now hung loose and trailed limply down her back.

No-one noticed the shards of ice soaring past. Violetta wanted to run. She wanted to warn her mother before it was too late, but her body felt like it had frozen in place. She strained against her fear with all her might.

‘Mother, we must go! Now!’

The queen darted across to the great oak tree. She scooped up the body of her only son, wailing against his dark mop of hair.

‘Darius!’

The despair in her voice matched the feelings that stirred within Violetta.

Queen Isobel refused to part from her son. He lay there, still as stone, his flesh growing colder by the moment. Violetta would remember this day for the rest of her life. She clung tight to Jork’s gift and prepared to race, to grasp hold of her mother, when another shard shot out of the darkness. A struggling scream filled the air. It was a scream that would haunt her forever.

About the Author:

Born in 1993, British writer Daccari Buchelli spends his time focusing on his favourite genre, Fantasy. Having developed an early love of literature, he became determined to create his own magical wonderlands for fellow readers to explore. He spent his teenage years working on several Fantasy novellas, which he has yet to release to the general public.

He has since released the first book in a new Fantasy series, which revolves around young royals and the elemental magic that they possess.

As an active member of the LGBT+ community, Mr Buchelli hopes to help reduce intolerance and bullying by promoting acceptance and understanding of those different to ourselves.

www.buchellibooks.com

https://buchellibooksblog.blogspot.co.uk/

http://mobile.twitter.com/DaccariBuchelli

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15093628.Daccari_Buchelli

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01L5IH3QY

https://facebook.com/DaccariBuchelliBooks/

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BLOG TOUR – Phoenix was originally published on the Wordpress version of SHANNON MUIR'S INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS.

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gentle--riot · 7 years

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writer questions!

Since I am but a little bitty baby blog and my brain doesn’t feel like coming up with something original tonight, I’m gonna do this long af list of writer questions:

1. Right- or left-handed?

I’m technically ambidextrous, but I prefer the right.

2. Pencil or keyboard?

I use both at different times and for different projects. Planning is almost always done on paper, but I do the bulk of my writing on my computer.

3. Favorite genre to write in?

As a general rule, I write realistic romantic fiction, though I have ideas that branch through several other genres.

4. Least favorite genre to write in?

I don’t do sci-fi well, I don’t think.

5. When did you start writing?

I wrote my first story when I was 6, and I pretty much just kept writing stories.

6. What was your first story about?

It was about a boy named Sky Racer who liked a girl in his class, and everyone made fun of him for liking a girl. Her name was Lacy Daffodil.

7. How do you plan/outline your stories?

I’m planning on doing a full post about this, but I’ll give you the short version. I can create magnificent outlines, but I often struggle to stick to them. I still need a plan, though, so I make a list of things that need to happen and then set them in order and write them.

8. Where do you get story inspiration from?

I’m planning a full post about this, too, but generally the shower or from watching tv. I’ll hear a cool name and see a cool thing that a person does, and then I’ll put those together, create a full character, and send them on adventures.

9. Would you ever write fanfiction?

I love fanfiction, actually. I’m currently finishing my first one! I’ve read some gorgeous fanfictions as well as some horrible ones, the same as with every other genre of fiction.

10. Have you ever gotten a story/idea from a dream?

I haven’t! My dreams are generally such a mix of trivial and bizarre that it seems silly to write a story from them.

11. Who is/are your favorite writer(s)?

I’m a huge fan of the classics, though I think Austen is a little overrated *dodges the incoming projectiles*. I love Hemingway’s short stories, every single Bronte, Shakespeare’s poetry, Dickens, Dickinson, Neruda, and e.e. cummings. I also really love children’s poetry books. I adore Shel Silverstein.

12. What is your favorite book?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte :)

13. Have you ever had fanart drawn of one of your original creations?

I don’t think I have! I don’t have much I’ve shared, though, so I feel like it’s maybe only a matter of time.

14. At which time of day do you write best?

I like late afternoon and nighttime.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I’ve been told that I have a distinctive voice -- that my own distinctive way of putting words together can be felt across academic, blogging, fiction, and even poetry. I’m also pretty good at writing emotional scenes and kissing.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

I’m REALLY bad at dialogue by nature, but I’m getting better. I also struggle with sort of... not skirting the big things that need to be addressed.

17. Have you ever submitted your manuscript to a publisher?

I have not.

18. Have you finished a novel?

Sort of. I set out to write a novel, but it turned out to be the length of a novella instead.

19. What is your highest word-count?

The project I’m finishing for Camp NaNoWriMo, Tied, is nearly 80,000 words long, and it’s my longest project.

20. What is/are your favorite word(s) to use in writing?

As a fandom in-joke, I like to use #soon in my fics, and I really dig the phrase “endlessly and entirely”, so I have to work really hard to not use it constantly.

21. Who is your favorite character that you’ve created?

My main character, Chessa Barrow, from my novel 18 Years.

22. What are some of the main themes in your writing?

Disability empowerment is a big theme throughout my work. I also emphasize imperfections and universal acceptance.

23. Have you ever been critiqued by a professional?

Only by my professor in college, who was published. He would often tell me that I am a gifted writer and have a distinctive, inimitable way with language. That kept me writing, because he doesn’t just hand out compliments.

24. Have you taken writing courses?

I did! I took exactly one. Before I changed my college major from English to counseling psychology, I took a course in creative fiction.

25. How would you describe a good writer?

I don’t like this question. A good writer, in my humble opinion, has educated themself about writing and been diligent enough to make their work readable and enjoyable. I truly don’t feel the need to go further than that for the simple reason that... I have no authority here.

26. What are you planning to write in the future?

IT’S A REALLY LONG LIST: a fairy tale trilogy, a fanfic about knights and wizards and stuff, a story with angels and demons and swords, another fanfic where Kevin is president and Avi is vice president, and... I know there are more, but I don’t have my list closeby.

27.What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Keep aspiring. Keep doing your best to make the best work you can make.

28. What is the last sentence you wrote?

It was a sad song, but it was still a song.

29. What is your favorite quote from a story you’ve written?

“I swear to Ina Garten, if this is a dream, I’m suing my subconscious.”

30. What is the title of the last story you were writing?

Tied

31. Have/would you self-publish?

I plan on self-publishing.

32. What is the longest amount of time you’ve gone without writing?

I probably took two years off of doing fiction when I was finishing my psych degree.

33. Have you ever written a Mary Sue/Gary Stu?

I actually have a story called “moments ♡” where the main characters do not have distinguishing features, and I often put myself in the girl’s position, though she is not perfect, and I sure as heck don’t want her man.

34. What made you want to start writing?

Well, I don’t remember why I started making up stories as a kid, but as an adult, I had an accident in my wheelchair where I was seriously injured. I had a conversation with Avi Kaplan’s mom, Shelly (I like her more than Avi), and she told me that I must be full of stories.

I took up writing full-time shortly thereafter.

35. Have you ever turned real-life people into characters?

Yes. Often. I do generally change them a little bit, but in my upcoming trilogy, many of my friends make appearances :)

36. Describe your protagonist in three words:

Brave. Sassy. Strong.

37. Describe your antagonist in three words:

Bigoted. Douchey. Argumentative.

38. Do you know anyone else who writes?

I do! Many of my online friends are writers, and most of my interaction is online ;)

39. What’s you favorite writing snack/drink?

I love puff corn and Faygo cola more than most family members.

40. Have you ever made a cover for your story?

Yes. I have several works on Wattpad or ones that are going there, and I have made all the covers myself.

41. Would you ever consider being a ghostwriter?

I would if I needed the work.

42. Has your writing won any competitions?

Yep! I won several essay and poetry competitions in high school.

43. Has your writing ever made anyone cry?

It’s a recurring theme, I’m afraid.

44. Do you share your writing with your friends/family?

I do! I use Wattpad to share fanfiction with whoever wants to see on Wattpad, and two of my friends are reading chapters of my novel as I finish them.

45. What are some of the heavier topics you’ve written about?

What haven’t I covered? Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, anxiety, ableism, sexism, self-harm, illicit drug use, alcohol abuse, death of loved ones... I haven’t written on suicide, but that doesn’t mean I won’t.

46. Do you prefer happy or sad endings?

I’m a firm believer in happily ever after :)

47. What is a line of your writing that sounds weird out of context?

“I don’t think I would like an ass salad.”

48. What is a first line from one of your stories that you really enjoy?

“I am a badass.” from my novel, 18 Years.

49. How diverse/well-represented are your characters?

Oh boy! My fics are inherently diverse considering how diverse the subject of them is. My novel is already very diverse and growing more diverse by the day :)

50. Have you ever written about a country you’ve never been in?

I tried when I was a teenager, but it didn’t go well.

51. Have you ever written a LGBTQIA+ character who wasn’t lesbian/gay?

Yes! The protagonist in my novel is demisexual, and one of her closest friends is a nonbinary pansexual.

52. Has your work ever been compared to famous writers/works?

Yep! I have been called the next J.K. Rowling just because of who I am as a person, but my work has been compared to John Green on a few ocasions.

53. What are three of the best character names you’ve come up with?

Chesapeake Dawne Barrow, Jack Everett Mason, Jesse Oliver Hamlin

54. Has a single event in your life ever sparked a story idea/character?

Well, one of my best friends likes to call me a badass because I am in constant pain, but I keep living. I don’t see myself as a badass at all, so I decided to write a character living with my issues who is a badass... and Chessa was born.

55. Do you believe in writer’s block?

Not necessarily. I believe we can get into a creative funk and struggle to get ideas out, but if you plan well and take care of your mental health, that doesn’t happen so often.

56. How do you get rid of writer’s block?

I just take in art. I’m a big fan of contemporary dance, so I like to watch some Travis Wall choreography when I’m feeling blank.

57. Do you prefer realistic or non-realistic (paranormal, fantasy, etc.) writing?

I’m more realistic, though I do enjoy more non-realistic things.

58. Which of your characters would you (A) Hug? (B) Date? (C) Kill?

I’d hug Chessa from 18 Years, date Kevin from Tied, and kill Nate from Tied.

59. Have you ever killed off a favorite character?

I’ve never killed off a character. I’m too soft :(

60. How did you kill off a character in a previous story?

^^^

61. What’s the most tragic backstory you’ve given a character?

*if you’re interested in reading Tied, don’t read this* My love interest was molested by her father, and then she was in a very abusive relationship in college. I’m not telling more. Bye.

62. Do you enjoy writing happy or sad scenes more?

HAPPY. I love happy scenes. I wrote about a week of sad ones, and my anxiety yelled at me all week.

63. What’s the best feedback you’ve ever gotten on a story?

“You went there. Gorgeously.”

64. What is the weirdest Google search you’ve conducted for a story?

“hairless dog breeds”

65. Have you ever lost sleep over a character?

Yep.

66. Have you ever written a sex scene?

Yep! *runs away demisexually*

67. What do you love and hate about your protagonist?

I love her passion. I hate her fighting to not feel things in her personal life.

68. Have you ever written a chapter that mentally and physically drained you?

Yes! This month!

69. Do your parents/family approve of you being a writer?

The opinions tend to be quite mixed.

70. Write a story in six words or less.

She was happy. It mattered.

#writer #writeblr #do this #please #fiction #writelr #author #questions #tag #writer questions #ideas #novelist

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camillawinqvist · 7 years

Text

Letter of intention

Dear Sir or Madame.

My name is Camilla Winqvist and this is my letter of intention as I am applying for the bachelor in Graphic Storytelling at The Animation Workshop. You can find my online portfolio here: https://camillawinqvist.tumblr.com/ My reason for applying might initially sound like a mundane one, but there is no other way to put it. In short: I love art and want to spend the rest of my life doing it. I have previously dipped my feet in other careers, but time and time again I find myself beckoned back by the pencil and the sketchbook. Drawing and illustration have given me a unique voice to express myself, and if art is a language I want to be able to speak it fluently. It all started when I was a kid. I remember the night where I lied down in the damp, cold grass in our backyard and looked up at the sky, as I often liked to do. But this was the first time I saw it. It had rained earlier that day and the smell of raindrops hadn't quite left the air yet, and I could hear distant shouting from our neighbours down the street. In that moment, I was dazed. Astonished. Somehow this speckled sky managed to make my own worries seem infinitely small compared to the deep, timeless darkness that expanded above me. That night this newfound curiosity about Earth, space, and everything in between, awoke. I started to observe everything around me, letting myself take it in, and then scribbling it down. The walls of my bedroom were covered with drawings of space, people, animals - anything I could think of. I began to write and create accompanying worlds for my drawings and I put the stories down in little notebooks. This is something I still do. I love creating my own worlds and trying to capture the peculiar little anomalies that already surround us. Reading this, you've probably figured out that I'm a bit of an astronomy nerd – which originally led me to the path of becoming a scientist. I initiated my studies at the physics program at Lund University in 2013, but even though I had been excited to start, I quickly figured out that something didn't feel quite right.

While everyone around me were entranced in their notes, listening closely to the professors words, I, on the other hand, was more captivated by his many different facial expressions - trying to sketch and get the right feeling of his hands flapping above his head as he tried to explain the intricate formulas written on the blackboard behind him. I just never felt quite at home. So I changed my whole plan. I took out all of my paints, bought new sketchbooks, and I drew. I drew every single day. I got accepted into Lunnevad Art College and after just the first few days I felt like I truly belonged.

I studied everything from pottery making, to colour theory, life drawing, and graphic printing. During our second year we got to choose what courses to study and we ultimately decided entirely on what we wanted to work with. I chose to focus on painting, and then later on, animation and illustration. I graduated from Lunnevad Art College in 2016 and have since moved to London and started working as a freelancing artist and part-time bartender. I've always been a huge fan of travelling and I'm truly enjoying my time abroad. Coming from the small, shy country of Sweden I'm amazed at the diversity and friendliness of people here in London. They're always happy to let you get to know them and that's what I truly enjoy when it comes to my bartending job. As for my work as a freelancer I mostly do commissions for private persons. I have also made illustrations for a few different companies and I'm currently working together with an author to design and create artwork for his two main characters from his book series Sam Hain.

I have lots of experience using Adobe Photoshop, as it is what I am currently using for most of my artwork. I'm also very familiar with Paint Tool Sai. When it comes to video editing I have experience using Adobe Premiere as well as Sony Vegas and I've animated short films in TV Paint. I have novice knowledge of Adobe Illustrator and InDesign as well.

On the topic of my professional work I'm very inspired by current digital artists, an example of which is Lois van Baarle, of whom I'm a big fan. She's a Dutch digital artist whose art has been featured on the covers of several Wacom products, and she's done work for Blizzard, Lego, among others. Her art has an iconic style with inspiration from both comic books and Disney and you can look at any of her drawings and instantly tell it's hers. I want to achieve the same thing with my art. I want to develop my own signature style which makes my art instantly recognizable. I also love how she plays with colour. A toned down orange could be juxtapositioned against a neon turquoise or a soft gold next to a rich, deep, purple.

Another current artist I'm inspired by is Igor Artyomenko from Russia. He's most known for his work on the Banner Saga video game series and does absolutely amazing environmental paintings, as well as character designs. Again I'm a fan of his colours, although he uses a more toned down palette than van Baarle. Artyomenko's ability to play with saturation to create depth is something I admire, and I wish to learn more about colours so that I could use them in the same way. His character designs also leave me something to strive for. He has a definitive style to his characters but they always have something unique and interesting about them, and he has an ability to notice the small details that really make a character stand out. An animated series that I really enjoy is Over the Garden Wall, created by Patrick McHale. It is a short series, coming in at only ten episode at ten minutes each, but it is still a truly great one. It features two brothers, Wirt and Greg, as they are lost in a forest, or “the unknown”. The animation is flawless. The amount of detail they put into their characters and settings is astonishing. You can see the individual specks of dust floating around in the sunlit air by the window in one scene, and the characters are visually able to tell you who they are without even opening their mouths. The show not only features great visuals - the story also leaves just enough unsaid to keep you thinking, wondering. It's one of those shows that stays in your head days after you've finished it. Aleksandr Petrov is an animator I absolutely look up to. His short films, usually around ten to twenty minutes long, all look like moving oil paintings. You get mesmerized by the story, but not just the one told through words, but the one of how light contrasts the dark, how the colours interact, how the characters move, what their faces are telling us. My favourite of his films has to be The Old Man and the Sea, based on the story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The story is an all time classic and combined with the animations of Petrov this film is just breathtaking. Another film maker, and comic artist I'm a huge fan of is Satoshi Kon. He has directed films such as Paprika and Perfect Blue, amongst many others. He's an expert at blurring reality with fantasy. Especially in Paprika, which is my favourite of his films. The story is set in the near future and features a psychotherapist who uses a newly invented device that lets her enter the dreams of her patients. The editing in this film is like no other, just the scene transitions alone oozes of creativity, and Satoshi Kon is a master of composing beautiful scenes. A lot of them have become so iconic that they have been reused in other popular films – Inception and Black Swan being just a few examples. I love how Satoshi Kon can find a way to show you what's happening without actually showing it happen. For example, there is this scene in Tokyo Godfathers where an old man is dying. He is surrounded by windmills that are all turning at a constant speed. As the windmills are slowing down and eventually stop you realize he has passed away. As much as I'm learning by watching and reading great books and films, there are things to be taught from the bad ones as well. Not only should one learn what to do, it's equally important to learn what not to do. Gaming is a big hobby of mine and the Fallout game series is my all time favourite. However, the latest addition; Fallout 4 by Bethesda Game Studios, left something to be desired. Claiming to be a role playing game, you start the game off as either a father or a mother trying to find their infant child out in the post-apocalyptic world. As much as I appreciate the story element, this completely removes the ability to create your own character and choose who you want to be in this game. As the game progresses you realize that the choices you make throughout the game have little to no impact on how the story plays out and it feels like you're going through a written script instead of actually being a part of the world.

Another thing that can truly lessen a work is uninteresting characters. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer is a great example of exactly this. At the end of the book all you have learned about the main character is that she dislikes the rain, and that she's clumsy. Never do we learn why she feels the way she feels or why she wants to do the things that she does. I've always been of the mindset “simple stories, complex characters,” and this book does not live up to that standard.

To expand on this, I also want to talk about stereotypical characters and predictability. I recently watched the pilot for the live action series Supergirl, and only a few minutes in I could already pinpoint what the major characters personalities would be like, what their relationships were and how their story arcs would play out. This is something I try to avoid at all costs in my own work. I love thinking of new ways to tell a story or discovering unique quirks and backstories to give my characters. I want to keep people wondering, pondering, and questioning what will happen. To make them feel like they just have to turn to the next page.

As I'm finishing up my letter I would like to allow myself to dream for a bit. In the future I would love to get the chance to make my own full-length comic. I think it encapsulates everything I love about art. Storytelling, character creation, world building, telling my stories using colours, expressions, movement, and composition. I would get to utilize my whole range of creativity and that thought sincerely excites me. I would also love to work with concept art and character designs for games and films. Storyboarding is also something I find really intriguing.

I think there will always be a place for graphic novels, even in the future. As 3D animation is becoming more and more popular more people will find comfort in actual drawn images and stories and I hope I get to be one of the people who creates them. If I were to get accepted to The Animation Workshop I would finance my studies using student loans from CSN. I also have money saved up if needed. Thank you for reading my letter Best regards, Camilla

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