Let-me-eat-cake - Call Me Cake!

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free resources to write a novel in 2024

hello hello! it's me, rach!

as the new year approaches, many of us set goals and resolutions - myself included. one of my goals for 2024 is to write a novel (I've been procrastinating on this for quite a long time now). i assume that some of you might have the same goal, that's why I'm writing this post today.

over 2023 i've been releasing some freebies for authors just like me, so I thought I could compile my favorites in this post. hope you find this useful :)

1) the writer's workbook

this workbook has over 60 exercises to help you develop characters, scenarios, etc. if you're ever stuck, I'm pretty sure this workbook will be your best friend.

2) author's corner (notion template)

this is the most downloaded freebie in my shop! it is a notion dashboard with everything you need to organize your writing and has some templates included (like scrivener)!!

3) another notion template

this one has two themes you can choose from: cottage-core and dark academia. they're very similar to the previous template, but this one is more recent and I added some new features. feel free to explore both and pick the one you like the most.

4) the author's journal

this is a cute printable with 20 pages that will help you stay on track and manage your social media accounts as a writer who shares their work online. you can also register what you're currently writing and your personal research and resources.

5) plan your book printable

this is a 6-page printable for you to fill out and plan your book easily and effectively.

6) excel sheet to organize tasks & word-count

this is a simple excel sheet, but it is very effective for keeping track of your tasks & word-count of your novels. also, it is 100% customizable to your liking!

that's all for now! feel free to explore my gumroad shop where I have plenty of freebies to grab! also, don't forget to subscribe so that you never miss any opportunity to get a goodie for free :)

hope this post was useful!

have a nice day,

rach

Prompt List #12 - The Language of Plants (2/?)

All Prompt Lists

Bamboo - Good fortune; Loyalty; LUck; Protection; Rendezvous; Steadfastness; Strength; Wishes

Pompom Rose - Gentility

Mexican Fireweed - I declare against you

Begonia ☠ - A fanciful nature; Balance; Be cordial; Beware; Deformed; Deformity; Fanciful; Forewarn; Goodness; Send a warning

Double-flowered Begonia ☠ - Be careful; Cautiousness; Danger; Peaceful friendship; Twice as good

Moon Daisy ☠ - Beauty; Beauty and innocence; Cheer; Childlike playfulness; Contempt for worldly goods; Creativity; Decisions; Do you love me; Faith; Forever-young attitude; Gentleness; Gentleness on behalf of both giver and recipient; Happy-go-lucky; I partake your sentiments; I share your sentiments; I will think of it; I’ll never tell; Innocence; Loyal love; Purity; Simplicity; Simplify; Strength; You have as many virtues as this daisy has petals

Double daisy ☠ - Enjoyment; Participation

Barberry ☠ - Ill temper; Petulance; Satire; Sharpness; Sharpness of temper; Sourness; Sourness of temper

Brazil Nut Tree - Preparing

Beetroot - Blood; Heart; Love

Birch Tree - Adaptability; Dreams; Elegance; Grace; Gracefulness; Growth; Initiation; Meekness; Pioneer Spirit; Renewal; Stability; Purification

Billardiera - Hope for better days

Borage - Abruptness, Bluntness; Bravery; Rudeness

Frankincense Plant - Sanctity

Moonwort - Forgetfulness; Unfortunate

Paper Flower ☠ - Correspondence

Hummingbird Flower - Enthusiasm

Field Daisy - Beauty; I will think of it

Wild Cabbage - Profit; Self-Willed

Mustard Plant - Charity; Indifference

Quaking Grass - Agitation; Frivolity

Bromeliad - Beauty; Charm; Elegance; Success in life; Success in love; Wealth

Bush Violet - Admiration

Angel’s Trumpet - Fame; Separation

Briony ☠ - Grow luxuriantly

English Mandrake ☠ - Grow luxuriantly; Here then gone

Moss - Ennui; Maternal love

Butterfly Bush - Tenacity

Holy Wood - Cleanliness

Flowering Reed - Confide in heaven; Confidence in heaven; Quietness; Rely on God

Boxwood - Constancy; Constancy in friendship; Indifference; Stoicism

Cactus - Ardent love; Bravery; Burns with love; Chastity; Endurance; Lust; My heart dreams come to fruition; Protection; Sex; Warmth; You left me

Elephant Ear ☠ - Great joy and delight

Zebra Plant - A new beginning; Don’t neglect me; Show-off; Turn over a new leaf

Lady’s Purse - I offer you financial assistance; I offer you my fortune

English Marigold - Affection; Constructive loss; Cruelty; Despair; Fidelity; Grace; Grief; Health; Jealousy; Joy; Longevity; Pain; Sacred affection; Trouble

Basket Plant ☠ - Beauty

Annual Aster - Afterthought; Beautiful crown; Daintiness; Differences; Elegance; Fidelity; Gained wisdom and good fortune; I will think of it; I will think of thee; I will think of you; Jealousy; Love; Love of variety; Magical; Patience; Symbol of love; Talisman of love; True yet

Heath Heather - Admiration; Attraction; Beauty; Good luck; Healing from within; Increases physical beauty; Luck; Protection from danger; Purity; Refinement; Reveals the inner self; Romance; Solitude; wishes will come true

Rubber Tree ☠ - A monstrosity; Inedible; Purposelessness

Marsh Marigold ☠ - Brilliancy; Childishness; Desire of riches; I wish i was rich; Ingratitude; Wishing for wealth

Sweet Shrub ☠ - Benevolence

Bride’s Gown ☠ - Dead hope; Extinguished hopes; Insinuation

Indian Hyacinth - Play

Camellia - Admiration; Deep longing; Delicate and elegant; Desire; Excellence; Good luck gift to a man; Gratitude; Masculine energy; Passion; Perfect loveliness; Perfection; Pity; Refinement; Riches; Steadfastness; Transience of life

Japanese Camellia - Admiration; Deep longing; Desire; Excellence; Good luck gift to a man; Gratitude; Masculine energy; Passion; Perfect loveliness; Perfection; Pity; Refinement; Riches; Unpretending excellence

Camellia Sinensis - Young sons and daughters

Bellflower - Constancy; Gratitude; I will be ever constant; Indiscretion; Thinking of you; Without pretension

Canterbury Bells - Acknowledgement; Constancy; Constancy in adversity; Gratitude; Obligation; Thinking of you; Warning

Chimney Bellflower - Aspiring; Gratitude; Thinking of you

Bluebell - Gratitude; Grief; Humility; Retirement; Submission; Thinking of you

Ash-Leaved Trumpet Flower ☠ - Separation

Cananga Tree - Wilderness flower

Hemp - Fate; Hardiness; Roughness

Caper Bush - Escapade

Monthly Honeysuckle - Bonds of love; Domestic happiness; Inconstancy; I will not answer hastily; Lasting pleasure; Permanence and steadfastness; Sweet disposition

Shepard’s Purse - I offer you my all

Chili Pepper - Spice in your life

Bittercress - Paternal error

Lady’s Smock - Ardor; Sacred to fairies

Heart Pea - Buoyant; Heartfelt; Lightness; Possessive love; Protected love

Common Thistle - Austerity; Harshness; Independence; Nobility; Retaliation; Sternness

Pawpaw ☠ - Bad health; Good health; Inner peace

Vanilla Leaf - Court case good luck; Eloquence; Good luck in making a positive impression on judge and jury; Good luck in promoting love with marriage; Love affair good luck; Pleasing speech

Hornbeam - A treasure; Extravagance; Ornament

Caraway - Faithfulness

Pecan - Nut of wealth; Southern hospitality

Shagbark Hickory - Holding

Sweet Chestnut - Do me justice; Injustice; Justice; Luxury

Cigar Tree - Beware of the coquette

Cupid’s Dart - Compulsion; Spells

Cattleya Orchid - Mature charms

Cattleya Pumila - Matronly grace

Cedar - Goals; I live but for thee; I live for thee; I live for you; Strength; Think of me; Constancy in love

Lebanon Cedar - Incorruptibility

American Bittersweet ☠ - Honesty; Truth

Woolflower - Affection; Foppery; Love; Partnerships; SIlliness; Singularity

Nettletree - Concert

Cornflower - Celibacy; Delicacy; Elegance; Hope; Hope in love; Love; Patience; Refinement; Single blessedness; Single wretchedness

Sweet Sultan -Felicity; Happiness; Widowhood

Greater Knapweed - Mourning

Feverwort - Delicacy

Aasiatic Pennywort - Enlightenment

Red Valerian - Facility

Cerastium - Ingenuous simplicity; Simplicity

Carob Tree - Affection beyond the grave; Elegance; Love after death; Love beyond the grave

Judas Tree - Betrayal; Betrayed; Unbelief

Night Blooming Jasmine - Gift from God

Iceland Moss - Health

Flowering Quince - Excellence; Fairies’ Fire

Wax Flower - Happiness in marriage

Aegean Wallflower - Adversity; Bliss; Bonds of  Affection; Enduring beauty; Everlasting love; Faithfulness in adversity; Fidelity in adversity; Fidelity in misfortune; Friendship; Lasting beauty; Natural beauty; Misfortune; Promptness

Devil’s Milk ☠ - Deceptive hopes

Goosefoot ☠ - Goodness; Insult

Good King Henry ☠ - Goodness

Jerusalem Oak ☠ - Your love is reciprocated

Ground Holly - Break into small pieces

Devil’s Hand Tree - Warning

Spider Plant - Creation; Destination; Renewal

Flame Pea - You have my love

Chrysanthemum - A heart left to desolation; Abundance; Abundance and loveliness; Abundance and wealth; Cheerfulness; Cheerfulness and rest; Cheerfulness in adversity; Fidelity; Happiness; Loveliness; Optimism; Promotes mental health; Wealth; You’re a wonderful friend.

i'm not seeing any posts about it here yet, but they solved the silas birchtree riddle on reddit and there's some pretty juicy lore! first, entering "paranoid" backwards nets this conspiracy board:

then, from the black letters in the corners of some of the pages people pieced together the code "connect the dots", backwards again, gets a whopping 12 page chapter about the ciphertology cult! it's...something.

so in summary, bill puppeted a guy's corpse, became a cult leader, seemingly married over a hundred people, mass-possessed his followers, tried to get them to build his portal. his lone dissenter was a spinster who made anti-bill chick tracts and started a fire. a waco-style shootout ensued, killing silas' already-rotting corpse a second time in a disturbingly detailed manner. at some point he made some of his followers drink the kool-aid too.

entering the lady's name, emmaline butternubbins, into the computer finally gets you the reward for solving all the riddles: hd wallpapers of various graphics from the book of bill. but frankly this is more interesting and fucked up to me.

(alt text under cut, wip)

[Image 1: A cluttered conspiracy board centered on Bill Cipher. Red string and pins connect various newspaper clippings, photos, drawings and pamphlets.]

[Image 2: A history-book style chapter page. Header "LESSER KNOWN AMERICAN CULTS."

"Have you ever heard of Orchard Lake, Kansas? Chances are you haven't. It was erased from every map, book, and historical record, and the US Government's official position on it is "stop calling us or we'll send a drone to your house." (I learned this the hard way.) But if you drive to the exact latitude and longitude of you'll see bullet casings, faded billboards, and bow ties strewn across the desert sands.

That's because Orchard Lake had another name before it was wiped off the record: BillVille.

CHAPTER 3: BillVille

The First Cult In History That Was Right

FIG A: A tumbillweced

As a historian of esoteric religions, I thought I'd discovered the strangest sects America had yct to offer (see "Chapter 3: Kevin's Gate") but that all changed when I found the following items tucked away in an old trunk in an estate sale on the out- skirts of Bootstrap, Missouri."]

Was kind of liking the beat until the singing actually started....

was clicking through instagram stories and heard genuinely the worst song i think i’ve ever heard. however you imagine these words being put to music they’re actually being scream rapped over drift phonk

More religious trauma based vocaloid songs.

Lose your Head by Vane

Prompt List #11 - The Language of Plants (1/?)

All Prompt Lists

So I have a language of flowers/plants book and I wanted to write some stories with them myself, but I figured they’d make good prompts for people in general or a good reference list. 

This is only a small section of the book, so there will probably be more prompt lists in future on this theme. Some of these will be easier to write with/use than others.

Feel free to use 1 meaning or multiple meanings to create a story or drawing etc.

 Feel free to tag me in it as well as with all my prompt lists. 

Fir Tree - Elevation; Friendship; Height; Honesty; Longevity; Manifestation; Perceptiveness; Progress; Remembrance; Resilience; Time

Chinese Bell Flower/Parlor Maple - Enlightenment; Meditation

Yellow Acacia - Chaste love; Concealed love; Elegance; Endurance of the soul; Friendship; Immortality; Platonic love; Purity; Resurrection; Secret love; Sensitiveness

Gum Acacia - Platonic love

Bear’s Breeches - Art; Artifice; Fine arts; Misery; The Arts

Maple Tree - Longevity; Love; Money

Fernleaf Yarrow - Good health

Arrowroot ☠ - Courage; Healing; Heartache; Love; Psychic Powers; War

Cupid’s Bower - Such worth is rare

English Monkshood ☠ - A deadly foe is near; A foe is near; Beware; Chivalry; Danger is near; Deceit; Fraternal love; Gallantry; Knight; Misanthropy; Poisonous words; Temperance; Treachery

Sweet Cane ☠ - Affection; Aflutter; Aphrodisiac; Delusion; Fitness; Lamentation; Love; Lust

Fairy Candle ☠ - Rough

Desert-Rose ☠ - Death; Delusion; Fictional; Illusion

Maidenhair Fern- Discretion; Secrecy; Secret bond of love

Blood Drops - Painful recollections; Recollection of life’s pleasure; Sad memories; Sorrowful recollections

Hollowroot - Weakness

Red Chestnut ☠ - Good luck charm

Common Horse Chestnut ☠ - Luxury

Dog’s Parsley ☠- Foolishness; Gullibility; Silliness; To burn

African Pepper - Judge

Lily of the Nile ☠ - Love; Love letters

Buku - Good Fragrance

American Agave ☠ - Security

Flossflower ☠ - Delay

Common agrimony - Gratitude; Thankfulness

Common Corn Cockle ☠ - Gentility

Bugleweed - Cheers the heart; Lovable

Common Hollyhock - Ambition; Ambition of a scholar; Fecundity; Fruitfulness; Liberality

Lady’s Mantel - Soft

Aloeroot ☠ - Complete; Powerful

Indian Walnut ☠- Enlightenment

Buttercup flower ☠ - Heavenly Chief

Flowering Onion - Strength; You’re elegant; You’re perfect; You’re perfect and elegant

Broadleaf - Lingering presence

Bulb Onion - Emotional Release; Multi-layered protection      

Shallot - Unrequited love

Garlic - Courage; Get well; Strength

Chives - Usefulness; Why are you crying?

Chinese Leek - Courage; Strength

Alder ☠ - Giving; Nurturing

Aloe Vera - Bitterness; Dejection; Grief; Integrity; Luck; Most effective healer; Religious superstition; Small talk; Sorrow; Superstition; Wisdom

Field Meadow Foxtail - Fun; Sly; Sport; Sporting

Lemon Beebrush - Attraction; Attracts the opposite sex; Love; Sexual attraction; Sexual attractiveness

Shell Ginger - Comforting; Diversity; Pleasant; Safe; Strength; Unlimited wealth; Warming; Wealth

Blue Ginger - Aromatic

Peruvian Lily ☠ - Powerful bond

Common Marshmallow - Dying for love; Unmarried

Sweet Alyssum - Worth beyond beauty

Maile - Fragrance of love

Amaranth - Endless love; Fidelity; Immortality; Never fading flower; Unwithering

Foxtail Amaranth - Desertion; Hopeless; Hopeless not heartless

Flower of Immortality/Floramon - In waiting; Love

Amaryllis ☠ - Artistic endeavours; Beautiful but timid; Innocence; Pastoral poetry; Pride; Radiant beauty; Scholastic achievement; Shy; Sparkling; Splendid beauty; Success won after a struggle; Timidity; True beauty; Writing

Bitterweed - Courage; Immortal; Love is reciprocated; Love returned; Mutual love; Your love is given back; Your love is reciprocated

Blue False Indigo ☠ - Formless; Shapeless; To immerse; Without form; Without shape

Corpse Flower - Decomposition

Butterfly Orchid - Domestic quiet; Gaiety

Cashew Apple Tree - Reward

Poor Man’s Weather Glass - Appointment; Assignation; Change; Faithlessness; Rendezvous

Pineapple - Chastity; Joy; Perfection; You are perfect

White Mustard Flower - Resurrection

Common Bugloss - Falsehood

Garden Anemone ☠ - Abandonment; Abiding love; Anticipation; Being Forsaken; Estrangement; Every gardener’s pride; Expectation; Fading youth; Healing; Health; Illness; Love; Refusal; sIckness; Sincere; Stauch love; Suffering and death; Withered hopes        

Crown Anemone ☠ - Forsaken; Immortal love; Sickness; Withered hopes

Thimbleweed ☠ - Abandonment; Desertion; Forsaken; Love; Sickness; Serenity

Soya - Good luck; Cheer

Norwegian Angelica - Inspiration; Inspire me; Symbol of good magic; Symbol of poetic inspiration

Summer Snapdragon - Presumption

Christmas Orchid ☠ - Atonement; Guidance; Hope; Idleness; Purity; Reconciliation; Royalty

Kangaroo Paw - Unusual

Chamomile - All who know you will love you; Attracts wealth; Energy in action; Energy in adversity; Energy in times of adversity; Ingenuity; Initiative; Love in adversity; Patience; Sleep; Sleepy; Wisdom

Buffalo Grass - Peace; Poor but happy; Spirituality

French Parsley - Serenity; Sincerity

Snapdragon - Creativity; Deception; Force of will; Gracious lady; Indiscretion; Never; Presumption

Flamingo Flower ☠ - Abundance; Adoration; Happiness; Hospitality; Love; Lusty love; Romance; sensuality; Sex; Sexuality

Celery - Banquet; Entertainment; Feast; Festivity; Lasting Pleasures; Merriment; Rejoicing; Useful Knowledge

Indian Hemp ☠ - Deceit; Falsehood; Inspiration

Baby Sunrose - A serenade

Agar ☠ - Spirit of life

Lion’s Herb ☠ - Courage; Deserted love; Desertion; Folly; Foolishness; Love; Strength; Wisdom

Star Pine ☠ - Various Leaved

Madrona - Only love; The only do I love; True love; You are the only one I love

Cane Apple - Esteem and love; Esteemed love

Cape Dandelion - Omen; Presage; Sign

Burdock - Falsehood; Importunity; Touch me not

Crowberry ☠ - Grape of the bear

Palm Tree - Fertility; Peace; Spiritual; The Tropics; Victory and success; Vacations; Victorious

Sandwort - Sand-loving

Silverweed - Naivete; Simplicity

Dragon Root - Ardor

Friar’s Cowl - Ardor; Deceit; Ferocity

Sea Pinks - Sympathy; Sympathy for the Fallen

Horseradish - Bitterness of enslavement

Southern Wormwood ☠ - Absence; Aphrodisiac; Bantering; Constancy; Fidelity; Jest; Jesting; Lustful bed partner; Pain; Seduction

Grand Wormwood ☠ - Absence; Adultery; Bitterness; Destruction; Do not be discouraged; Exile; Idolatry; Love; Poverty; Separation; Torment of love; Unpleasant  

Dragon Wort - Horror; Lasting Commitment; Lasting interest; Lasting involvement; Permanence; Shocking Occurrence; Terror

Mugwort ☠ - Awareness of our spiritual path; Dignity; Good luck; Happiness; Tranquillity

Wild Arum ☠ - Ardor; Zeal

Spanish Cane - Chanter; Clarification; Communication; Complaisance; Imprudence; Music; Musical; Pipes; Purpose; Rendezvous; Song; Traveling; Woodwind

Milkweed ☠ - Hope in Misery

Blood Flower ☠ - An attack against love for love; Call to duty; Difficult lessons learned; Leave me

Butterfly Weed ☠ - Heartache cure; Let me go; Love

Asparagus Fern ☠ - Fascination

Garden Asparagus ☠ - Fascination

Yellow Asphodel - Languor; Regret

Asphodel - For the dead; I will be faithful unto death; My regrets follow you to the grave; Regret; Regrets beyond the grave; Remembered beyond the tomb; The Underworld; Unending regret

Aster - Afterthought; Daintiness; Elegance; Faith; Farewell; Fidelity; Hope; I partake your sentiments; Light; Like a star; Love; Power; Symbol of love; Talisman of love; Variety; Valor; Wisdom

Astilbe/False Spirea - I’ll still be waiting

Chinese Astilbe - Dull; Without brightness

Astragalus ☠ - Your presence softens my pain

Wild Liquorice ☠ - I declare against you

Belladonna ☠ - Falsehood; Hush; Loneliness; Silence; Warning

Golden Alyssum -  Tranquility

Autumn Leaves - Melancholy

Oat - Music; Musical; The witching soul of music

Nimtree - Complete; Freedom; Imperishable; Life; Noble; Perfect; The cure; To life; To Live

Azalea ☠ - Fragile; Fragile passion; Fragility; Modest; Passion; Patient; Romance; Take care; Take care of yourself for me; Temperance; Temporary passion; Womanhood

A very fancy lady!

Character desgin process. Right is the newer drawing. I'm still not happy with the design yet.

Did you know that candles can explode?

Things I learned about candles and candle holders yesterday:

Water only makes candle fire worse because of the candle wax

Glass candle holders cannot handle extreme changes in temperature so if you....I dunno, pour cold water on a glass candle holder that's gotten so hot the flames have almost reached the overhead light fixtures...the glass candle holder is going to explode

Candle wax is extremely hard to get out of cloth

Unintentional science experiments are the most terrifying science experiments.

I forgot I have to be active here so here’s my Twitter tutorial on how to draw folds I made a while back to help a friend!