The tomb of Martin the Warrior.
reasons to watch rise: this scene between splinter and donnie.
i debated cutting this clip down but i couldn't bring myself to not include the entire thing. donnie's reaction to being lied to by his dad is so raw and splinter actually fuckin apologizing to him without turning his feelings into a joke - this show is a downright masterpiece.
Websites for Critique:
Authonomy It’s been a while since I used this website in particular, but it’s useful for helpful critique and to get your original works out there. If your book get on the top five list at the end of the month Harper Collins will read it for possible publication.
Teen Ink
Figment
Fiction Press
ReviewFuse
and of course… Tumblr
Other Websites:
Write or Die is great if you want to give yourself a certain amount of time to write a set amount of words.
Tip of my Tongue for when you can’t remember the exact word
Character Traits Form
Online Thesaurus where you just type in a word and you get a cluster of different words
Characters
Top 10 Questions for Creating Believable Characters
How to Create a Fictional Character
Describing Clothing and Appearance
The Difference between Ethnicity and Nationality
Describing a Voice
Characters (part 2)
How to write Funeral Directors I’ve read quite a few fanfics where they just have funeral directors slapping clothes on a body and calling it a day. As a former funeral services major I can tell you that’s not the only thing they do.
How to write Drug Dealers
How to write Gamblers
Interview with a Hitman
Terms for royalty
Naming Characters
Behind the Name
Top Baby Names
Looking for a name that means a certain thing?
7 Rules of Picking Names
Most Common Surnames
Medical/Crime/Legal
Coma: Types, Causes, etc
Tips for writing blood loss
Gunshot Wound Care
Examples of Hospital Forms
Common Legal Questions
The Writer’s Forensics Blog
Brain Injury Legal Guide
Types of Surgical Operations
Types of Mental Health Problems
A Day in the Life of a Mental Hospital Patient
Global Black Market Information Because where else would you find out how much money it takes to get a 16 year old girl to kill someone in Mexico?
Crime Scene Science
Examining Mob Mentality
How Street Gangs Work
Other Helpful Stuff
Poisonous Herbs and Plants
The Psychology of Color
The Meaning behind Rose color
Compare Character Heights - I personally love this site so much.
Types of Swords
Color Symbolism
How a handgun works
Blueprints for Houses
The Six Types of Haunting Activities
The Difference Between lay and lie
10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling
5 Easy Tips to Improve Your Writing
How to Write a Eulogy
Types of Crying
Career Masterpost
Avoiding LGBTQ Stereotypes
Tips for Writing Ghost Stories
A Spell to See Spirits
Make Graphics out of Quotes
Superstitions and More
The 12 Common Archetypes
Language of Flowers
Military Sign Language
A Visual Dictionary of Tops
Describing Tiaras
What author do you most write like? (I’ve gotten Stephenie Meyer)
12 Realistic Woman Body Shapes
Japanese honorifics
Dress Up Games I personally like to find games that I can make my OCs with.
Azalea’s Dolls
Doll Divine x
Dress Up Games
Shidabeeda Games
Free Writing Software
Google Docs (automatically saves as you write. 100% recommend)
EverNote
OpenOffice (a free version of Microsoft Office)
Articles
25 Steps To Edit the Unmerciful Suck out of Your Story
10 Rules for Writing First Drafts
10 Things Teenage Writers Should Know About Writing
Create a Plot Outline in 8 Easy Steps
Publishing Agencies to Stay Away From
5 Ways to Make Your Novel Helplessly Addictive
Books:
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing
Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul
Writing Great Books for Young Adults
Inspirational Quotes: x x
And I couldn’t find the original post for these so (pictures under the cut)
Read More
it’s all in my head
(un)spoken
bonded (in your arms)
if the silence was a song
baby, you’re a haunted house
sweetheart
love is buying you your perfect couch
it’s easier for you to let me go
Renegade Dawn
lifeline
let’s get started
I'd Tap That
flesh and blood (you deserve to be loved)
look, my darling, the distance has vanished
adrenaline
so kiss me (kiss me kiss me kiss me)
just like that
Dear Reader
Sweet Nothings (how you doin', baby? ;) )
Like Any Unloved Thing (i don't know if i'm real if i'm not being touched)
there’s something so insane about people who used to love putting “free Palestine” in their bio now deciding they have pearls in need of clutching. how did you think Palestine was going to be freed? did you think that if we all wrote “free Palestine” in our blog titles the world would just say oh you know what, our bad? did you think if Palestinians protested really, really peacefully, that Netanyahu would be moved? did you think that essays about decolonization published in the neoliberal academy would do the trick?
or did you simply expect Palestinians to wait? to wait and watch every day as their loved ones are killed because they step out of line? as the journalists and medics are shot around them? as Israel commits war crimes against them and the world does nothing? raining white phosphorous down on an open-air prison where the exits are controlled, closed, bombed out? as the Sabra and Shatila massacres are forgotten and repeated and forgotten and repeated and forgotten and repeated in an endless cycle?
when you wrote “free Palestine” in your bio, what did you think it meant?
What are the common theories about the universe? (Fate, free will, what’s out there? Gods?)
How much does this society know about its world? (how much is explored versus not, are they fully aware of their history or are there things they haven’t discovered yet? What’s beyond their scope?)
What sort of religions or communities exist?
What foods do they eat, what wouldn’t be as normalized?
What traditions do they have? Festivals, celebrations, holidays, etc.
How does the average person spend a Sunday?
Is there a skill that’s expected for people to know? (ex. where I live most people know how to ride a bike) Is there something that would be odd in this society to know?
Do people drive or do they transit or do they walk? How do people get around?
How do people communicate with each other? (Phones, letters, birds, etc.)
What’s something that makes your setting unique or fit specifically for your story?
Good luck!
almost all of my videos on tiktok got muted and i can’t fix it UGHHH
@holymurdock @echosluvr
@kaulayauwrites said:
what is, in your opinion, the best way to world build? how can you avoid writing a bland, archetypal universe or copying an already existing one? sorry if I’m not being clear, haha, and thanks so much!
Hey there, thanks so much for your ask! I honestly love talking about the world-building process, so I’m really glad you sent this; let’s dive right in!
In my opinion, there isn’t a best way to world-build. The “best” process depends on what is needed and what you’ll actually need to know for your writing. What follows isn’t necessarily what I would call the best way, but it’s a good way to cover your bases and opens up a lot of options for going in-depth with details. (It’ll be a bit of a long list, but definitely worth it in the long run.)
For each country you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:
Name
Capital and major cities, and locations
Border shape
3 most common landforms
Historical sites or places that mean a great deal to the people living there
General economic scheme (ex. capitalist, Communist, Socialist, etc)
Most important laws
Major differences from the character’s homeland
Military setup (different branches, enlistment age, etc)
Climate
Relations with surrounding countries
Societal norms (gender roles, public & professional behavior, etc)
Stance on LGBT+ rights, and treatment of LGBT+ people
Most and least respected professions
Common religions
Stereotypes about this country (any and all)
Common pastimes and hobbies
Popularity of sports, movies, and other forms of entertainment
Genres of music (and possibly stereotypes of people who listen to them)
Language(s) spoken
Beauty standards and the commercialization of them
Commercialization that feeds off of the peoples’ insecurities
For each city you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:
The “aesthetic” (think of it the way NYC’s aesthetic is taxis, skyscrapers, and nightlife)
Public opinion of street performers
Any recreational centers and common activities
Popularity of a town counsel or the idea of opening to the public for improvement ideas
How well-known the city is by everyone around it, or how much of a tourist attraction it might be
State of educational buildings
Percentage of unemployment versus those who are actively searching for jobs, and how this affects the city’s reputation
3+ popular businesses, maybe food or clothing stores
The way business is generally conducted
Opportunities for nightlife (etc. bars, night clubs, etc)
Usual daytime attire, usual nighttime attire
Any sort of tradition (ex. sharing dreams in the morning, praying before meals, etc)
Stance on more advanced technology
Treatment of different age groups
Again, cliches and stereotypes that might exist of people who live there
Most common architectural style (ex. modern, Victorian, etc)
Commonly seen colors
Any inflation that might exist, local economic troubles
People’s opinion on the government as a whole (then in-depth, if you want)
As you can see, these two lists are very open-ended. I can’t go too far in-depth with world-building ideas and explaining, because it’s all up to you to create this world. Every single item on this list here can be expanded into tons of different things, but if your goal is just to cover your bases and explore needed details then I think this would be a good place to start.
This can be pretty tough, honestly. There’s (almost) always a world themed around something out there that’s probably more well-known, famous even. Let’s start with everyone’s favorite wizarding world, that of the Harry Potter books. Your world can be as interesting and different as it gets but because it includes wizards, someone out there is always going to relate it to Harry Potter. So how can we avoid this?
There’s one proven way to this this, especially if you don’t want to change your world. Accentuate any and all differences that would set your story apart from a more well-known world. Maybe our wizards’ spells depend on a material transaction, or they won’t work. Maybe there’s some sort of wizarding god who must be pleased to cast a successful spell. Not so much like HP anymore, huh?
Just remember, there’s a huge difference between world-building through details and world-building through exposition. Both are acceptable, but both have their own appropriate time to be utilized. Take a break from telling the reader flat-out how this thing works, and instead reveal it through the world’s details. Not only does this help treat your readers like the competent individuals they are, it also immerses them so much in the world that there isn’t much of a chance to compare your world to others.
Tl;dr—World-building isn’t really something that can be explained for you by someone else. There are certainly questions that exist to help you, but following a guide that works for someone else might not work for you. Explore the details! (And let the reader explore them, too!)