Certain Scenes Are Going To Have So Much More Meaning (in Cannon) When Byle R Becomes Cannon.

I want to walk through fields of wild growing lightly colored bio-luminescent lavender under starlit skies.

*wistful sigh*

i just want a town name, and now I’m considering historical figures, significant geographical features, and the dieties of the world…

Villain things I want to see more of

Actually funny. Not making jokes at other people's expense, not the butt of the joke, just villains that have absurd senses of humour and top-notch intentional comedic timing,

CHARISMA!!! Please, can we have more charming villains, villains that can sway a crowd, villains that get away with things because their too polite, too well-spoken, too funny to possibly to evil.

Respected. Villains whose villainous deeds have led them to success and made them widely respected members of society. To be clear, this isn't respected person who is secretly evil. No. I mean, the bad things they've done are the reason they're respected.

Let them win. Let them win because their plan succeeded. Not because the protagonists fucked up, not by pure luck. Let them earn their victories.

Supporters! Lots of them. The more powerful your villain is, the more supporters they are going to need. If the evil king is unpopular with everyone he's not going to stay king for long. He needs allies, lots of them, especially if he's a tyrant.

Knows how to play the game. Manipulative villains who say whatever they have to to get their way, chose their allies and enemies carefully, bribe and blackmail, play the victim, the hero, or even the innocent when it suits them. Make it hard for your protagonists to convince anyone they are a villain at all.

Cold Steel. Give me villains that don't get angry easy, that laugh things off, that kill because it's efficient and for no other reason.

Clever and creative. Strategists who always have a trick up their sleeve and problem solvers with personal flare.

Show other characters reacting with fear. Nothing rams home how terrifying a villain is quite like watching other powerful characters fall to their knees--fast--when they walk in the room.

Irredeemable despite their tragic backstories. For the love of god people, tragic backstories do not justify a villain's actions. You can have empathy for what they've endured while still expecting them to take responsibility for what they've become.

Unconventionally attractive. Take this however you want. I, for one, would like to see more tortured bad boys who aren't white and shredded. But also, villains whose attractiveness lies in how they talk, their body language and facial expressions, and their outfits. Why do y'all think smirking is such a popular word??

Love. Let them love their spouses, their children, their friends. Not in an abusive way either. Let them have healthy relationships with their still living wives, daughters, sons, comrades in arms etc.

Kind. Give me villains who tip well, who put their own garbage away even though the servants could do it, who remember their henchmen's names, who are good with kids, who donate to charity and not just for the tax incentives

reminder to everyone that mike can be bi and not have loved el romantically from the start

Creating Fantasy Races: An Introduction

Hey everyone, Abby here with another post! Today we’re talking a bit about world-building, and specifically your world’s intelligent species. Let’s hop right in!

Let’s start with some definitions.

I’ve made a post in the past about creating new species in your world, and here’s what I want to start with. Within the context of this post, I’m defining race as any variation of an intelligent species for ease of language. That in mind, you will want to have your species developed.

Some Basic Questions to Start

There are some aspects that you just have to answer questions for in order to develop. Here are some basics for you to start with:

What is the origin species?

What defines a different race? Skin color, abilities, some physical marker? Something non-physical?

What is most known about this race as a fact?

What is most known about this race as a stereotype?

Are there any common variations within this race?

For Dungeons and Dragons players, think about the Dragonborn race. Different scale colors don’t mean a different race, but they do mark different abilities.

There may be common variations in appearance, like different eye colors or heights, that don’t have any other meaning. Just regular physical variation!

Are there any skills or other characteristics specific to this race?

What distinguishes this race from other races that may exist in your world?

How much interaction is there between different races?

Are there any areas of the world that each race tends to gravitate to?

Are there different expected life spans for each race? If they are different, why?

For example! In the RPG I’m working on, Journey to Valeria, there are two races in the Steerean species: shallow and Reclusive. They share a similar origin species, but different characteristics have created other aspects enough for them to be considered different races. As a result, I’ve developed them as two separate races with their own characteristics.

Go ahead and compare this to some aspects of DnD as well! The game does an awesome job of distinguishing between races and making each one unique, and I find that looking at things in context helps me a lot.

Write out what you think is important.

You, as the creator of this world, are also its master. What things outside of just answering questions do you think is important to know right off the bat? For one of my races, I wrote about camouflage in the environment and some elements of magic because I think those are things important to the development.

These could be topics like:

History

Associated cultures or religions

Temperaments, if applicable

Strengths and weaknesses specific to this race

And anything else that you think is important. As I’m developing the races on Steere, I’m thinking a lot about how different races interact with the world, how they use technology, their general lifestyles, etc.

Usually when you create a fantasy race, your goal is to make this race as well-rounded as possible. Creating an intelligent species, much less several different variations of one, can be very difficult! This is something that will take time and a lot of thought, but it’s vital to the process.

I talked about Journey to Valeria a bit more than I anticipated I would, but what can I say? I’ve been on a kick lately, and I like talking about the things that matter to me. If you’d like, you can follow the project’s blog @journeytovaleria​ to see more updates and development!

If my work helps you or your writing, please consider supporting me by joining my Patreon!

Join my writing community on Discord!

m*leven vs byler parallels

Caring, letters, truth and superheroes:

Mike tells Will he exchanges letters with El cause she’s his gf. Later mike throws El’s letter (about becoming a “superhero”) in the trash. Then Mike explains to Will, that he had a fight with El (and he probably can’t mend his romantic relationship with her). 

during that prior fight: Mike says he “ cares” for El. And El responds that he “CARES” but doesn’t love her- and can’t even say it out loud to her or in his letters . Instead his letters say “from mike” . Even the flowers he got her had a card that says “from mike”. Mike then tries changing the subject (of him not loving her) by saying El is important to him and  a “superhero”. El then says “not anymore” to mike’s offiscation.  El later sends Mike the letter about re-becoming a “superhero” (she signs the letter “from el”- probably symbolically showing their relationship is probably over). Which is why mike then throws the superhero letter into the trash.

Mike wonders why he couldn’t say he loved El to her face (before she left). Will says to Mike it’s hard to “say how you really feel” about  people you “CARE” about because they may not like  the “TRUTH”. On one hand it could reflect Will’s fear. But it also reflects Mike’s fear of admitting to El he doesn’t romantically love her-because It’s something she wouldn’t like.

After mike threw out el’s letter , Mike states the “TRUTH” is he misses Will and was worrying too much about El.

Brenner later tells EL “superheroes’ are stuff of fairytales and the “TRUTH” is not that simple, and she cannot hide from the “truth” any longer (even if it freightens her). Aka - (symboliically) the “truth” El doesn’t want to face is that Mike doesn’t “love” her romantically and her trying to become a “superhero” again won’t change that “truth”. which was earlier  illustrated by Mike throwing out her “superhero” letter . In s3 -4: we see mike/EL dating eachother but both are called out for lying to one another (their whole romance is the antithesis of “truth”-but instead lies.)

lumax and byler

Will asks if mike is angry at him, cause he stopped “talking” to him. Then Will mentions how mike and El share letters (and mike barely talks to him). But Lucas says he’d rather “talk” to Max and doesn’t want a letter (paralleling how Mike threw El’s letter away so he could “talk” to Will). Mike literally throws the letter in the trash like a basketball (to parallel lucas further).

 Both pairings had a falling out between seasons. lucas says to max “it’s like you’re not even here anymore”. And Mike says “I don’t know maybe I feel I lost you”. Max/Will take the blame for the fallingout. But Lucas/mike correct them and take responsibility.

After this Lucas says  he didn’t loose Max ,but he just wasn’t using his eyes to see what was infront of him. dustin: the world is full of the most obvious things that no one by anychance ever observes. Lucas to max : “But i SEE YOU NOW” .  cough oh look at byler staring at eachother.

Not to mention Will getting the courage to eventually show the painting to mike… is almost a loose parallel to the letters. So for byler the painting may spur a “talk” about the “truth” of their feelings. A piece of paper can only mean so much. But if the painting said “love Will” that would be a nice touch too.

It seems like mike and Will are almost contrasting. Mike can’t say he loves El even in letters. And Will seems like he’s about to confess any minute to mike (and his painting may symbolize his romantic love for mike).

Also another very obvious byler hint:

They fight in an arcade (cough a place they used to hangout together). Will says “what about us?” Which initially alarms Mike. Then when Will brings up how they haven’t been talking ,but mike sends el letters . Mike uses the excuse that she’s his girlfriend. And again Will says “and us?” . And mike quickly states they’re “friends”. Will is this close to calling out their relationship. I swear. And Mike protested too much. XD

Also don’t get me started on how robin mentions a movie (dr zhigiago) and says its about “doomed love” - and then we see the m*leven fight. The film has a subplot about 2 siblings having the same love interest. Heck Yuri even yells about his brother taking his wife. Like ok. Suspish. And no I don’t think the “doomed love ” is the queer ship -like it usually is.

why? well robin mentions vickie and not being able to confess. Then right after robin shows the “doomed love” video to Steve. But Steve said earlier to robin. She doesn’t have to worry about confessing to Vickie cause she’s clearly queer like robin. So does Will have nothing to worry about cause mike’s also lgbt?hmm

My opinion:

Mike is still processing his complex feelings but … my oblivious son will eventually get there eventually. Honestly wouldn’t surprise me if Will confessing to mike is what makes mike finally realize his feelings for Will.

also “cool” parallel.

An aye-write Guide to Writing About Food!

Let’s get one thing straight. I love food. I love eating it, I love reading about it, and I especially like writing about it. Food is a massively useful tool you can utilise in your writing - whether it’s for description, plot points, or in a symbolic/allegorical sense - and it can really help ground a reader and get them invested in your characters and your world. 

I’m sure we all have some positive food memories from our favourite childhood books! The Turkish Delight from The Chronicles of Narnia, the huge feasts from the Harry Potters, literally everything from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But other than adding flavour - if you’ll pardon the pun - to your work, why should we bother adding references to food at all? 

Here’s a few:

Sense of reality

Humanises characters (most things need to eat!)

Character development

Reveal backstories

Illuminate relationships between characters

Bringing characters together (around a table, peace offering, as thanks) 

Can capture an era of history 

Gives a good sense of character’s health/mental state/personality 

Metaphorical (Please sir, I want some more - Oliver Twist)

Evoke characters’ memories 

.-.-.  

Food As Symbolism

Using food as symbolism is a particular favourite thing to do in my own writing, but to use a much more well known example, let’s look at Edmund and the Turkish Delight from The Chronicles of Narnia. The sweet is described as being “sweet and light to the very centre”. Many think the sweet was bewitched so that Edmund would want to eat it forever, thereby getting him to agree to anything The White Witch wanted in exchange for more. So it’s a symbol for Edmund’s mistakes and how his desires are so strong that he is willing to hurt others to fulfil them. The fact that the Turkish Delight leaves Edmund feeling sick afterwards is also indicative of his feelings. In the same way you may feel regretful after eating something too sweet, Edmund also regrets his decision to endanger his family.

Where else does food serve as a symbol? It becomes a symbol of resistance and wanting more when Oliver Twist asks for more gruel in the infamous scene in the Charles Dickens novel. The thin gruel personifies the extreme poverty and the horrible reality for those in the workhouse.

And Irish novel Angela’s Ashes has a scene in which Young Frank fawns over the possibility of getting an egg to eat after his father’s wages come in. Eggs were a rare luxury for a poor Irish-Catholic family at the time, and the fact that Frank ultimately does not get his egg (as his father squanders his wages) represents their dire financial situation, hopeless future, and lower social class.

.-.-.

How Can Food Show Help Us Develop Our Characters? 

A character’s choice of food will be influenced by many factors, including but not limited to, geographical, climatic, historical, religious, cultural, political as well as personal taste, fashion, economic status, society and familial influence.

A poor person will eat very differently from a rich person. Someone watching their figure will be more conscious of their food choices. Someone from a multicultural family will have been exposed to different cooking techniques and dishes and may have a wider frame of reference. Someone who is gluten intolerant, dairy-free, vegetarian, etc. will also be very careful about what they consume.

A great exercise I like to do if I’m struggling to learn about my characters is to make them a meal plan! Setting out a character’s food choices and food preferences might help you unlock some new information about them or help you deepen your understanding of them.

For example, look at these examples of meal plans. 

Breakfast: Weetabix, skimmed milk, red berries. Lunch: Baked potato with small amount of low-fat cheese and side salad. Dinner: Gnocchi and tomato bake (small portion). Dessert: Small pot low fat strawberry yoghurt. Snacks: Apple and cinnamon cookie. Bag of pre-cut apples.

Breakfast: None. Lunch: Microwaved meal. Dinner: Breaded chicken and fries. Dessert: None. Snacks: Peppermint chocolate. Blueberry muffin. Salted potato chips/crisps (two bags). Small bag of Skittles (sour).

Straight away you can start piecing together your impressions of these characters just from their food choices and without knowing anything about the kind of person they are! 

.-.-.

My Food Worldbuilding and Character Questions 

If you’re worldbuilding, food is going to be a pretty important aspect of your characters lives and the way of life in general for your world. Here are some questions I use when I’m considering how food impacts the characters and the world that I’m trying to create. 

Do your characters eat and drink? If so, how important is it to your plot?

Is food generally safe or dangerous? 

Do your characters have allergies? 

Are there rituals/rules around consuming food/drink? 

Is food and drink a thing of joy or a thing of necessity?

Are there any festivals/cultural traditions around food?

What does food reveal about the culture, relationships, and status of your character and their family/friends?

What food or drink is in your characters’ homes?

What is your character’s relationship with food?

What important memories does your character associate with cooking/food/eating?

Resources For Describing Emotion

Emotions

Without Making Your Character Feel Too Self Aware

Showing Emotion Without Telling About It

Emotions Associated With Body Language

Telling Readers What The Character Doesn’t Want To Show

Hiding Emotions

Expressing Cardinal Emotions: Masculine vs. Feminine

Writing Extreme Emotion Without Melodrama

Specific Emotions

Conveying Shock

Conveying Embarrassment

Conveying Disappointment

Conveying Love/Attraction

Conveying Annoyance

Conveying Relief

Conveying Uncertainty

Conveying Impatience

Conveying Shame

Conveying Resentment

Conveying Panic

Conveying Guilt

Conveying Desperation

Conveying Sarcasm & Verbal Disrespect

Conveying Confusion

Conveying Stubbornness

Conveying Frustration

Conveying Indifference

Conveying Indignation

Conveying Confidence & Pride

Conveying Smugness

Conveying Enthusiasm

Conveying Curiosity

Conveying Hopefulness

Conveying Unease

Conveying Reluctance

Conveying Worry

Conveying Humility & Meekness

Conveying Happiness & Joy

Conveying Amusement

Conveying Disgust

Conveying Resignation

Conveying Jealousy

Conveying Anticipation

Conveying Contentment

Conveying Defeat

Conveying Excitement

Conveying Fear

Conveying Hatred

Conveying Hurt

Conveying Being Overwhelmed

Conveying Sadness & Grief

Conveying Satisfaction

Conveying Somberness

Conveying Sympathy & Empathy

Conveying Wariness

Conveying Defensiveness

Conveying Desire

Conveying Doubt

Conveying Energy

Conveying Exhaustion

Conveying Hunger

Conveying Loneliness

Conveying Physical Pain

Emotional Wounds

A Role Model Who Disappoints

A Sibling’s Betrayal

A Speech Impediment

Becoming a Caregiver at an Early Age

Being Bullied

Being Fired or Laid Off

Being Held Captive

Being Mugged

Being Publicly Humiliated

Being Raised by Neglectful Parents

Being Raised by Overprotective Parents

Being So Beautiful It’s All People See

Being the Victim of a Vicious Rumor

Being Stalked

Being Trapped in a Collapsed Building

Being Unfairly Blamed For The Death of Another

Childhood Sexual Abuse (by a family member or known person)

Discovering One’s Parent is a Monster

Discovering One’s Sibling was Abused

Experiencing a Miscarriage or Stillbirth

Failing At School

Failing To Do The Right Thing

Financial Ruin Due To A Spouse’s Irresponsibility

Finding Out One’s Child Was Abused

Finding Out One Was Adopted

Getting Lost In a Natural Environment

Growing Up In A Cult

Growing Up in a Dangerous Neighborhood

Growing Up In Foster Care

Growing Up In The Public Eye

Growing Up In The Shadow of a Successful Sibling

Growing Up with a Sibling Who Has a Chronic Disability or Illness

Having Parents Who Favored One Child Over Another

Having To Kill Another Person To Survive

Infertility

Infidelity (emotional or physical)

Losing a Limb

Losing a Loved One To A Random Act of Violence

Making a Very Public Mistake

Overly Critical or Strict Parents

Physical Disfigurement

Rejection By One’s Peers

Telling The Truth But Not Being Believed

The Death of a Child On One’s Watch

Victimization via Identity Theft

Watching A Loved One Die

Wrongful Imprisonment

Spending Time In Jail

Suffering From a Learning Disability

Motivation

Achieving Spiritual Enlightenment

Avoiding Certain Death

Avoiding Financial Ruin

Beating a Diagnosis or Condition

Being Acknowledged and Appreciated by Family

Being a Leader of Others

Being the Best At Something

Caring for an Aging Parent

Carrying on a Legacy

Catching The Bad Guy or Girl

Coming To Grips With Mental Illness

Discovering One’s True Self

Escaping a Dangerous Life one Doesn’t Want

Escaping a Killer

Escaping a Widespread Disaster

Escaping Confinement

Escaping Homelessness

Escaping Invaders

Finding Friendship or Companionship

Finding a Lifelong Partner

Having a Child

Helping a Loved One See They Are Hurting Themselves and Others

Obtaining Shelter From The Elements

Overcoming Abuse and Learning To Trust

Overcoming Addiction

Protecting One’s Home or Property

Pursuing Justice For Oneself or Others

Realizing a Dream

Reconciling with an Estranged Family Member

Rescuing a Loved One From a Captor

Restoring A Name or Reputation

Righting a Deep Wrong

Seeking Out One’s Biological Roots

Stopping an Event From Happening

Trying Again When One Has Previously Failed

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Law of assumption is literally so crazy! We are extremely powerful. We can change how many days/weeks there are in a month, how many months there are in a year, how many hours there are in a day, the name of the earth and how many planets there are in this galaxy. We can even create a planet with our own name! We can literally create humans that live on existing planets that are not earth. The possibilities are endless! And what's crazy is that we can achieve all this in a year or instantly depending on what our assumptions are! Our assumptions is constantly creating reality, we are in control of everything! We keep persisting in the assumption there's 24 hours in a day therefore there is but we can persist in 25 hours and that will manifest because your desire is inevitable. You keep persisting that there are 12 fixed months in a year but you can also decide to persist that there are 15 months in a year and that will manifest. Isn't it crazy!? We (most of us) probably don't question or doubt this assumption of ours and we keep persisting in it.

Moral of whatever this is: You are limitless and your assumptions are constantly creating reality! Stop questioning or doubting about your desire and keep on persisting! It will manifest because your desires are inevitable!

Sorry for the typos