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sorry theres not a single person on this website id pay to follow idc if we’ve been mutuals for six years, if you put up a paywall we’re done

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Rb if you pinky promise not to join Tumblr+ and won’t hide your content behind a paywall

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controversial writing tip

open a document and start writing

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me: yes i know gay villains are a dangerous trope

me when villains are straight: this is boring. who cares

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Happy Asexual Awareness Week! Here are some canon a-spec ladies of lit.

Felicity Montague: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. Author confirmation.

Ling Chan: The Diviners.

Sandrilene Fa Toran: Circle of Magic. Author confirmation.

Nancy: Every Heart a Doorway.

Keladry of Mindelan: Protector of the Small. Author confirmation on aro rep. Author confirmation on ace rep.

Natalie Oscott: The Tropic of Serpents.

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If you're reading this...

go write three sentences on your current writing project.

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would you like a nice glass of

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Victorian Slang for Steampunk Characters

Whether your character is a thief, sailor, noble, engineer, or average citizen in the 19th century, dialogue can be the quickest (and the funnest!) way to paint their personality and circumstances. 

Here is short list of resources I’ve found to be the most helpful, plus a compilation of 108 Victorian slang terms that happen to be my favorites.

Victorian Slang Resources

Passing English of the Victorian era: a Dictionary of Heterodox English, Slang and Phrase (1909) is a book of slang from all levels of society, categorized by origin and dates of use.

Vocabulum, or the Rogue’s Lexicon (1859) is a book of slang published in the Victorian era itself, specializing in the slang of criminals and miscreants of all sorts. 

An online list of 19th century American and Civil War era vocabulary, particularly helpful for military slang and for characters with an American background. 

And a list of equally delightful slang from the Edwardian era, technically not Victorian but with reasonable room for overlap—and besides, who’s going to do as much research as you? 

Now for my favorite slang terms, most of them compiled from Passing English. You’ll find some bias toward a roguish vocabulary, since my steampunk novella Aliferous is centered around air pirates!

108 Victorian Slang Terms

Above-board – Frank, open. From sailors’ lingo. Not between decks or in the hold, but above all the boards in the ship.

Ah, dear me!  – ejaculation of sorrow

Alexandra Limp (approx. 1872) – An affected manner of walking seen for several years amongst women. Said to have been imitated from the temporary mode in which     the then Princess of Wales walked after some trouble with a knee. (See Buxton Limp, Grecian Bend, Roman Fall.)

All his buttons on (approx. 1880 on) – Sharp, alive, active, not to be deceived. He is eighty-three years of age, but as we say hereabouts, has all his buttons on.

All a treat – Perfection of enjoyment, sometimes used satirically to depict mild catastrophe.

All over red (approx. 1840 on) – Dangerous, to be avoided.

Anti-Tox (approx. 1885) – A drug to sober a drunken person. Tox is, of course, the abbreviation of intoxication.

Balloon-juice (1883) – Soda-water; presumably suggested by its gassy nature. It’s as good as a bottle of balloon-juice after a night’s hard boozing.

Keep reading

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Writer problem no.1: Don’t use the word “said,” 5498 times.

Writer problem no.2: Also don’t sound like a walking thesaurus.

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The 8 Point Story Arc

1. Stasis

This is the status quo, what life is like for your character before the story really begins. This could last several chapters, or be implied rather than shown if your story begins in media res. Example: Harry Potter’s life with the Dursleys. 

2. Trigger

Synonymous with the inciting incident, this is something that happens to the character that kick starts their journey. The trigger could be bad or good, which could affect the nature of the Quest. Example: Percy Jackson is attacked by a monster on a school field trip, and he finds out that he’s a demi-god. 

3. Quest

The protagonist has a quest, and sets out on it. This takes up the middle portion of the story. I think the best example is any of the Percy Jackson books, in which Percy Jackson literally goes on a “Quest” starting about 25% into the book. 

4. Surprise

This could be interpreted two ways, either as multiple events that happen throughout the course of middle section, or one event that changes the hero’s quest, or both. In the first interpretation, this would be either good or bad turns of fortune, conflicts, obstacles, and revelations that move the middle portion along. In the second interpretation, this could be something big that clarifies the true nature of the conflict, or lifts a veil for the protagonist, which would likely happen about halfway or two thirds into the novel. You can, of course, have both. 

5. Critical Choice

The protagonist’s true character is revealed when they are given a choice. This a monumental moment in a character arc. Their decision reflects the growth that they have made along the journey; they wouldn’t have made the same decision during the stasis. This is often between a good but hard choice, and a bad but easy choice. For instance, the choice between betraying a friend to be one of the cool kids, and the choice to stand up for a friend against terrifying bullies. 

6. Climax

The result of the critical choice, and the highest point of tension in the story. Think, Harry Potter facing Voldemort for the final time at the end of the Deathly Hallows. Who will win? Who will lose? 

7. Reversal

Things begin to change in the protagonist’s favour and they defeat the final obstacle. Example: Cinderella putting on the glass slipper and proving that she was the girl at the ball. A new status is achieved.

8. Resolution

The ending of the story, in which a new stasis is achieved. This could be several chapters or a few pages in the case of a cliff hanger. Loose plot threads are tied up, and a readers are given a sense of closure. 

How to use the 8 Point Story Arc

This story structure has its pros and cons. One pro is that you have a lot of wiggle room with these story beats, and it is a time honoured story structure. The issue, on the other hand, is that they’re also quite vague, which you may not want. Everyone interprets these points differently. 

In many ways this story structure works best for short stories, because short stories don’t have a long middle, and the two beats ‘Quest’ and ‘Surprise,’ may be all that you need. But in a novel, ‘Quest’ and ‘Surprise’ may seem rather insubstantial for the middle portion of the novel, which most people struggle the most with anyway. 

You can also use this structure on multiple levels, using it to plan your entire book, but also using it to plan chapters and scenes within your book. 

If you’d like to read more about the 8-Point Story Arc, read about it in Nigel Watts’ book, Writing a Novel and Getting Published.

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basic things you should know about your main characters

how is their relationship with their family

what are their beliefs, if they have any

what is their motivation (preferably something unrelated to their love interest/romantic feelings, bc people care about other things, too, kthx)

who were they raised to be vs. who they became/are becoming

what are their plans for the future, if they have any

how do they feel about themselves and how it affects their behaviour (i mean. you can’t tell me a character is shy then have them do things shy people wouldn’t do, like?????)

how do they feel about things they cannot control? 

and last but not least: 

WHY IS THIS CHARACTER THE PROTAGONIST

LBR DO THEY EVEN MATTER

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Hey everyone,

I’m writing an article on Asexuality. If anyone has any questions on Asexuality they’d like answered let me know by putting them in the tags or by putting them in my asks.

#c.d. gray #article research #send me your questions #asexuality #asexual #asexual representation

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If you could have anything delivered to you right now. What would it be?

Salmon Sashimi, but that could just be because I’m starving.

#asks #c.d. gray answers

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The Wish

So much work to do; haven't done any of it. Procrastinating is all I accomplish. Seems impossible, convince me to give a shit. Motivation served on a silver dish. These dreams, though unattainable, will be worth it. Strength and determination; my dreams; my greatest wish. Existential crisis and what I've been through. Despite all these struggles, how do I continue?

-C.D. Gray  ©  

#spilled ink #spilled thoughts #spilled words #spilled poetry #spilled poems #poems on tumblr #dead poets society #poets corner #poets society #poets on tumblr #new poets society #queer poets on tumblr #Octava Rima #The Wish #C.D. Gray #poemblr #writeblr #publish date #May 24 2018

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There will be no new poem this week; I’ve been dealing with somethings. Regular posting will resume in a week or two.

#update

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Stuck

Can't leave here; stuck and trapped. When will I escape? How can this be?

-C.D. Gray  ©

#spilled ink #spilled thoughts #spilled words #spilled poetry #spilled poems #poem #poetry #dead poets society #poets corner #poets society #poets on tumblr #queer poets on tumblr #quinzaine #Stuck #C.D. Gray #publish date #May 17 2018 #writeblr #poemblr

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Hey. Please take a moment to read, this is really important.

Four friends and I recently created an app that helps the LGBT+ community, teens with mental illness, teens in countries that censor internet content, and anyone else who needs support to find an anonymous, safe, and close community.

We have finished the beta for our app and plan to release it in June during Pride Month.

But, we need your help to make this app possible. You can sign up for it here.

If we don’t enough sign ups, then we won’t get the funding to keep our app safe for our users. The organization that wants to fund us needs validation that there are enough people in need of our app.

We need the funding to hire moderators that will go through reported posts and keep our content safe for the LGBT+ and mental health community.

We have just started collecting sign ups, but not nearly enough to make our app a reality.

Please, sign up for our app. No matter your sexuality, gender, preference, race, or anything of that matter.

We really need your help to make this possible. You can sign up here. It only takes an email, no name is necessary.

This app’s existence is dependent on your support. If we can’t get enough sign ups, then we will won’t be able to release our app and will have to abandon our hopes for this safe space online.