delphicwrites

[delphicwrites]

i've been making some stickers and putting them on redbubble.... if you like pixel art and you like flowers then check it out!

each flower is also available individually if you like just one

#art #pixel art #flowers #rose #hyacinth #sunflower #cactus #i'm not naming the rest #redbubble #design #digital art #inkscape

[delphicwrites]

My collection of clothing references for writing. 

[delphicwrites]

The ultimate power move in a vampire/fairy rivalry would be the fairy inviting the vampire over for tea. The vampire has natural dominion over anyone who invites them into their home, the fairy has natural dominion over anyone who violates the laws of hospitality, and neither can refuse the appointment without showing weakness, so it’d just be a constant headgame of the vampire trying to manoueuvre the fairy into a position where the obligations of hospitality allow the vampire to eat them, and the fairy trying to trick the vampire into doing something that would allow the fairy to declare them a poor guest.

#writing prompt #inspiration

[delphicwrites]

Trapped in a library, you decide to read some books to pass the time. As you continue to read, you are mortified that every book has a warning followed by the same words. “She’s watching us, read book 8.5.11.16. for further instructions.

#writing prompt

[delphicwrites]

wip: enchanted creek

genre: fairytale retelling/drama

character: Phelan Singh (The Big Bad Wolf)

“Oh, Grandma. What big eyes you’ve got.”

“All the better to look you over, dearie.”

#wip: enchanted creek #writing #books #inspiration #writer #my wips #writblr #write away #my writing #fairytale #disney #big bad wolf #once upon a time

[delphicwrites]

When you were a kid, you and your friends made a ‘secret society’, with passcodes, names, and even a silly logo you drew yourself. That was years ago, eventually you lost contact with those friends, but one day you receive a letter in the mail, and it has that symbol embossed on it.

#writing prompt

[delphicwrites]

“Congratulations on defeating The Dark Lord…” Your mentor and all of your allies suddenly turn their weapons on you, “…but you were meant to be a martyr. Forgive us.”

#writing prompt

[delphicwrites]

so I’m looking at short story publishers (fantasy)

Tor, cream of the crop. 25 cents a word. Stories can be read for free (YES). Slowish response time at ~3 months. Prefer under 12k, absolute maximum is 17.5k. Don’t bother if it’s not highly professional quality. SFWA qualifying.

Crossed Genres. 6 cents a word. Different theme each month (this month’s is “failure”). Submissions must combine either sci-fi or fantasy with the theme. Response time 1 month. 1k-6k, no exceptions. SFWA qualifying.

Long Hidden, anthology from CG. 6 cents a word. 2k-8k, no exceptions. Must take place before 1935. Protagonist(s) must be under 18 and marginalized in their time and place. Must be sci-fi/fantasy/horror. Deadline 30 April. Response by 1 October.

Queers Destroy Science Fiction. Sci-fi only right now, author must identify as queer (gay, lesbian, bi, ace, pan, trans, genderfluid, etc, just not cishet). 7.5k max. Deadline 15 February. Responses by 1 March. You can submit one flash fiction and one short story at the same time. (My network blocks the Lightspeed site for some reason, so I can’t get all the submission details. >_>) Probably SFWA qualifying?

Women in Practical Armor. 6 cents a word. 2k-5k. Must be about 1) a female warrior who 2) is already empowered and 3) wears sensible armour. Deadline 1 April. Response within three months.

Fiction Vortex. $10 per story, with $20 and $30 for editor’s and readers’ choice stories (hoping to improve). Speculative fiction only. Imaginative but non-florid stories. 7.5k maximum, preference for 5k and under. (I kind of want to support them on general principle.)

Urban Fantasy Magazine. 6 cents a word. 8k max, under 4k preferred. Must be urban fantasy (aka, the modern world, doesn’t need to be a literal city). 

Nightmare. 6 cents a word. 1.5-7.5k, preference for under 5k. Horror and dark fantasy. Response time up to two weeks. SFWA and HWA qualifying.

Apex Magazine. 6 cents a word. 7.5k max, no exceptions. Dark sci-fi/fantasy/horror. SFWA qualifying.

Asimov’s Science Fiction. 8-10 cents a word. 20k max, 1k minimum. Sci-fi; borderline fantasy is ok, but not S&S. Prefer character focused. Response time 5 weeks; query at 3 months. SFWA qualifying, ofc.

Buzzy Mag. 10 cents a word. 10k max. Should be acceptable for anyone 15+. Response time 6-8 weeks. SFWA qualifying.

Strange Horizons. 8 cents a word. Speculative fiction. 10k max, prefers under 5k. Response time 40 days. Particularly interested in diverse perspectives, nuanced approahces to political issues, and hypertexts. SFWA qualifying. 

Fantasy and Science Fiction. 7-12 cents a word. Speculative fiction, preference for character focus, would like more science-fiction or humour. 25k maximum. Prefers Courier. Response time 15 days.

Scigentasy. 3 cents a word. .5-5k. Science-fiction and fantasy, progressive/feminist emphasis. Fantastic Stories of the Imagination. 15 cents a word. 3k maximum. Any sci-fi/fantasy, they like a literary bent. (psst, steinbecks!) They also like to see both traditional and experimental approaches. Response time two weeks. 

Beneath Ceaseless Skies. 6 cents a word. 10k maximum. Fantasy in secondary worlds only (it can be Earth, but drastically different—alternate history or whatever). Character focus, prefer styles that are lush yet clear, limited first or third person narration. Response time usually 2-4 weeks, can be 5-7 weeks. SFWA qualifying.

Clarkesworld. 10 cents a word up to 4000, 7 afterwards. 1-8k, preferred is 4k. Science-fiction and fantasy. Needs to be well-written and convenient to read on-screen. Appreciates rigour. No talking cats. Response time 2 days. SFWA qualifying.

Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show. 6 cents a word. Any length. Science-fiction and fantasy (along with fantastic horror). Good world-building and characterization. Clear straightforward prose. Response time three months. Yes, OSC is editor-in-chief. SFWA qualifying.

Interzone. Sub-pro rates if anything (but highly respected). 10k max. Short cover letter. Science-fiction and fantasy.

#writing tool

[delphicwrites]

Thought I’d try something new with the Patreon prompts I write this month. 

Given I am a big fan of the ~ spooky vibes ~ I have planned ahead, for a theme for each day’s prompt.

Feel free to join me in writing about these things too! 

My Patreon story masterlist is here, for anyone curious what stories are there. As always, there will be a Birthday Special, because for the last decade I have always aimed to post something on my birthday to celebrate the occasion!

EDIT: I have just realised I have included werewolf x 2!! :O I suppose one will be a trick and one will be a treat….;) 

#writing prompts

[delphicwrites]

the way you can resent your parents but also sympathise with and ache for them… so sick

#wip: delphic falls

[delphicwrites]

the only real good ship dynamic: tragic hero x person with genre awareness

[delphicwrites]

To All Writers of Everything Ever

I need to rant about this:

Also known as the best writing program ever! It’s a full-screen writing program!

So you open it up, and it looks like this:

You’re thinking, “Ok, so what? It’s a screen with a picture. Whoopdie do.” But it get’s better! It’s customizable!

See that “appearance”? Click it.

You can also use custom fonts that you have installed!

See that “music”? Click it.

If you drag your own music into the folder, like so:

You get this!:

But wait! It gets better!

See “typing sounds”? You can change those too!

Perhaps the best is - YOU CAN USE ANY PICTURE FOR THE BACKGROUND. It will automatically fade it for you!

Seriously, guys, this tool is wonderful. You can use it for:

Research papers

Novel writing

Play writing

Short stories

Homework assignments

Ranting about your friends when they piss you off

Writing your shopping list

It auto-saves. It exports to .rtf. Hotkeys from Word for italicize, underlining, and bold work. You can print RIGHT FROM THERE.

And the seriously best thing ever?

It fits on a flash drive. The entire thing with added music is maybe 131MBs.

The bestest thing ever.

It’s free.

#woah #not writing

[delphicwrites]

y’all really recommend books like: title, there are gay characters, enemies to lovers, young adult, written by poc

not once do i ever see a summary

#big fucking mood #books #not writing

[delphicwrites]

“some people don’t deserve redemption” redemption isn’t something that’s deserved, it’s something someone does. it’s making the choice to change the way you live your life, to be better, to do good things instead of bad things and try to make up for the bad things. and everyone can and should do that, at any time, no matter what they’ve done. we can’t change the past, but we can choose what kind of person to be now and in the future. we have the responsibility to do so. it is so completely not about “deserving.”

#character arcs

[delphicwrites]

wip: enchanted creek

genre: fairy tale retelling/drama

character: Morrigan Gethin (The Evil Queen)

“Go on, have a bite.”

#wip: enchanted creek #books #writing #inspiration #writer #my wips #writblr #my writing #the evil queen #snow white #once upon a time #fairytale #fairytale retelling

[delphicwrites]

Mahdieh Farhadkiaei on Instagram

#art #not writing

[delphicwrites]

How do I write a good corruption arc with a window for redemption?

Corruption Arc with Redemption

The first thing you’ll want to do is visualize that arc against whatever structure you’re using. Most stories follow a three-act structure, with the first and third act being slightly shorter than the second act. Having said that, you’ve essentially got the first act to corrupt the character, the second act to show the character being corrupt, and the third act to redeem them.

Breaking it down like that makes it easier to focus on each section. So, starting with the corruption, what happens to corrupt this character? Consider who they are and what it would take for that to be corrupted. Also: does their corruption relate to the inciting incident? Can it?

Although they’ll be corrupted through most of the second act, you’ll want to think about what events or moments will be able to seep into that corruption and start to make them realize they’ve gone off the rails. You’ll want to give the reader some inkling that they understand the problem and want to do better, even if that desire is ultimately outweighed by their corruption. 

Finally, early on in the third act you’ll want to build them up to the “showdown moment,” or the moment when the goodness inside them breaks through and makes them do the right thing. If you can tie this in with the story’s climax, all the better. Having the character sacrifice something very important to them is a great way to redeem them. It could be a goal, an object, or even their own safety or life. Whatever works best with your story.

Good luck!

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