moonstoneflowers

[moonstoneflowers]

I haven’t been posting any art lately, so here’s a Moonrise Kingdom parody I didn’t feel like finishing.

#ducks #scrooge mcduck #goldie o'gilt #flintheart glomgold

[moonstoneflowers]

You make me feel so young!♥

Happy Valentines Day!~♥～(‘▽^人)

#goldie o'gilt #scrooge mcduck #the otp #ducks #duck universe

[moonstoneflowers]

scrooge/goldie // cleopatra the comic used at the end can be found right here

#duck universe #ducks #scrooge mcduck #goldie o'gilt #glittering goldie #scroldie #the otp

[moonstoneflowers]

patreon commission! angsty goose fun ft. that triple distelfink I design ages ago

#gladstone gander #ducks

[moonstoneflowers]

i drew some dickies cuz i love her

#dickie duck #ducks #she's adorable

[moonstoneflowers]

How to Get to Know Your Characters

@lourek asked:

Okay so it’s me again. I have a problem, cuz I really don’t know my characters?? And I’d like to get to know them. I know this might sound stupid, but do you have a masterpost about best ways to get to know your own characters or would you be willing to make one? I’ve noticed that all those “answer these questions” things are pretty useful. Thank you, I still worship you, good bye

Not a stupid question at all!  This is one of the most challenging and important parts of becoming a writer.  Getting to know someone takes time and effort, and characters are no exception. 

So without further ado, here are my go-to techniques for getting to know a character:

1.  Ask yourself these basic questions:

How old are they mentally/spiritually?  Do they have an old soul, or are they a perpetual kid at heart?  Does their personality not coincide with their physical age? 

What do they care about most in the world?  What would they die for?

What are their interests?  What books, movies, and shows do they read/watch religiously?  What do they geek out over?

What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to them?  Have they told anyone?  If so, who?

On that note, what is one secret they’ve never told anyone?

What was their childhood like?  Was it happy?  Tragic?  Why or why not?

How many relationships do they have?  How have they affected them?

What is their greatest fear?  

What was the best thing that ever happened to them?

What was the worst thing that ever happened to them?

If you had to describe the character in one word, what is the first that comes to mind?

2.  Once that’s done, get nosy.

Empty their pockets, backpack, or purse.  Make a list of everything inside.  What do they always take with them?  Why?

Describe their bedroom.  Is it neat, or messy?  Is it minimalist?  Cluttered?  Are they neat, or messy by nature?  Is there any artwork on the wall, any posters?  Are there lots of books?  A TV?  Stuffed animals?  Be as detailed as you want to be, and think about why your character has these things and what they say about them.  

If they have one, describe their car.  What kind of car do they drive?  How does it correlate with their personality, their career?  Do they keep any photos of loved ones?  Are there lots of fast food containers?

We’ve already touched on this briefly, but think about their books.  Write down at least ten titles on their shelf.  Think about what genres they like, what authors, and why they might enjoy them. 

What kind of movie genres do they like?  What kind of TV shows?  Why do they enjoy them?  Do they have any guilty pleasures that they’d rather anyone not know about?  

Take a look inside their closet.  What kind of clothes do they wear?  What’s their style?  Can they afford the clothes they’d actually like to wear?  Are they preppy?  Is their closet organized, or is it a hot mess?

3.  Get to know the family.

What are their parents like?  Do they have a good relationship?  Are they friends?  Do they just plain suck?  If so, why?

If they don’t have a good relationship with their parents, are there any parental figures that their close with?  What are they like?  

Do they have any siblings?  Are they close?  Are they protective of them, or vice versa?

What is their nationality?  Do they have strong ties to their heritage, or could they care less?

What about their extended family?  Do they have any weird relatives?  (In my opinion, every character should have at least one weird relative.  They are a lot of fun to write.)  

4.   Fill in the details.

Brainstorm random questions about your characters, their likes, dislikes, et cetera.  Here are examples:

What is their favorite food?  

Their favorite beverage?  

Their favorite movie?  

Their favorite book?

Their favorite TV show?

What is their dream job?

Do they keep a journal?

Do they have good handwriting, or is it illegible from excessive note-taking?  

What’s their favorite color?  

What’’s their favorite kind of weather?  Do they like sunny days, or rainy ones?

Can they draw?  Are they artistic in general?

What kind of romantic/sexual partner do they like (if they’re interested in that sort of thing at all)?  Do they have a ‘type?’    

What would their ideal date be (even just with friends)?  Do they like generic dinner and movie-type stuff, or do they favor museums and plays? 

What would their ideal afternoon look like?

Do they prefer TV or books?

Are they introverted or extroverted?  Do they hate social gatherings, or thrive on them?  Do they relish in alone time?

Coffee or tea?

Cats or dogs? 

Do they eat breakfast?  If so, what?

What’s their opinion on pineapple pizza? 

5.  Fill out some character sheets.

Simple character sheets are a great way to fill in the gaps and get to know your character.  Though there are quite a few floating around on my favorite blogs, but here are a few examples:

There’s a “lazy person’s” character sheet here.

There’s a “how to create a memorable character” sheet here.

And there’s a “no effort” character sheet here.

Of course, the only way to truly get to know your character is to write about them.  You never know how they’ll develop until you get going, and once you do, they’ll never cease to surprise you.  Characters truly do gain lives of their own, so don’t give up and keep writing. 

And in the meantime, I hope this helps!  <3

#characterization #writing

[moonstoneflowers]

Untitled (1):

for @moonieswriting

“You be careful with that television. It’s one of those fancy, smart tvs,” golden red hair glistened under the summer sun, and sandals skidded sharply on the concrete as she directed the men carrying the box inside the door, “now, you can put it in the living room, Rob!”

Leola moved hurriedly behind the men like a hungry cat. Her hair fell in ringlets, not a strand of grey could be found, and she chewed her bottom lip. The two men pushed through the open door, never losing their grip on the television box, and stepped into the living room where her husband sat in the easy chair near the window.

“What do you think?” She walked behind the chair. Her nails dug into the smooth fabric, “It looks nice right, and Little Lee is here to set it up for us, aren’t you sweetie?”

“Yeah, sure, I know how they work,” the men crouched against the wall where the former television used to stand only a few days ago. A vacant space it had been, and now, it was suddenly filled.

Her mother’s salary didn’t pay for this. Her father’s salary certainly didn’t pay for this. Leola watched the men put the television box down, and she sat on the sofa, starting at the white cardboard box. Her fingers tapped her knees quietly, thinking of what wires and programs would soon be available. Her mother was picky with shows. Her father was even pickier. Television wasn’t something they didn’t often watch together, but she felt the aesthetic of having a fancy new television appealed to them.

“Alright, you two,” Leola chirped excitedly, “I’ve got my checkbook right here, I’ll go write them down.”

Her mother disappeared into the kitchen where the two work men followed. It wasn’t a fair description to call them two men when they were in fact her older cousins, but she hadn’t seen them in years. Left in the room with her father, she reclined on the sofa uncomfortably.

The walls had been repainted. The carpet with its vague, indescribable stains was completely removed, and in its place were polished mahogany floors where light reflected brilliantly. A new chandelier lined with gold and crystal illuminated its far away glow from the kitchen, and Leola’s head fell on the armrest, eyes closing as she imagined her mother’s soft bounces as she wrote the checks to her nephews.

“Dad, how did you afford this?”

“Momma got a raise,” his grumbled response was as close to the truth as she was ever going to get. He rose quietly from his chair and reached for the box cutter on the coffee table in the middle of the room.

“Daddy, I can do that.”

“No.” Like his movements, his voice carried the quiet threat of violence, “I’ll do it. You sit there and get ready for the other stuff.”

Leola did as she was told. Her head lied on the armrest, watching her father’s burly hands tear the cardboard apart. Fluid hands stroke down, tore roughly at the center, and the grunts breathed in between made her heart sink for some reason or another. Her mother’s chirps continued in the background, and she heard her cousins’ laughter at their good, kind aunt.

“Don’t lie about, Lee.” Sandals couldn’t make a sound on the polished floor, “We’re going to need you to do this soon once your father gets all of it out.”

“Yeah.” She moved her hand from her eyes and stared, “Dad said you got a raise, congratulations.”

Her mother blinked. Her pretty, green freckled eyes were kissed with grey under the right light, and her thick eyelashes, all true and not glued, fluttered innocently. She laughed, breathed like a guff of air was shooting straight through her, and she took a seat on the sofa beside her, slipping her lap underneath her feet.

“I did get a raise.” She winked, “A good raise, and we’re going to work on the kitchen next. The renovations I’ve always wanted, y’know Rob.”

Using his hands, the cardboard yielded, and he threw the pieces to the side. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and the yellowish tint of his skin turned pink in the rush, “We can get a new sink for the bathroom,” he mumbled, “we need it.”

She looked at her mother, then her father, and finally, looked at them at the same time. They were consciously handsome people, now having reached middle age, but there was always something forced about their attractiveness. She couldn’t identify it then, certainly not now, but she felt it imposed on her.

“I’m glad.” Leola nodded and walked to the other side of the television, “It’s good that you’re able to afford these things. You’ve worked for it, both of you.”

Maybe her parents breathed sighs of relief, maybe they were just satisfied to maintain balance, “Thank you, sweetheart, now, you two can work on that while I call Lili. She’s on her way to Texas for some concert.”

“You think you can call the cable company?” Her father asked as she hooked the wires together, “I want to make sure we get the right thing.”

This could be an offering, and if it was, Leola knew she didn’t want to take it, “I called this week. Someone should be here today. It’s close to four anyways.”

He nodded stiffly, a brief smile on his face, “Good girl, always thinking ahead,” he walked away from her, holding the boxcutter in his hand.

Pieces of cardboard littered the floor, and Leola sighed, going to the kitchen to grab a trash bag.

#leola wynters #rob wynters #big leola #mywriting #moonieswriting

[moonstoneflowers]

um. i know some people are shiftin away from making white characters or changing their white characters to nonwhite characters?? but what needs to go on too is that after you do that, you need to take a look at the character and think abt if theres anything that would look racist or generally bad on them that wouldnt on a white character .. like a black character being hypersexualized or aggressive is different and horribly racist in comparison to that going on with a white character .. you cant just change the faceclaim and think its chill you got some work to do 🗣

#characterization #writing #resources

[moonstoneflowers]

So, about medieval warfare and magic. You said you had a lot to say about integrating magic to a medieval worlds and militaries.

Yes, I do. It’s one of the more irritating things I see in traditional high fantasy.  The people of the world don’t take into account the magic that exists in their world. If magic can be learned, it will become a part of the power structure of the world, finding uses in everything from war to statecraft to even the smallest aspects of life. When medieval armies act in the same fashion as their historical counterparts, without incorporating the differences, it’s a huge red flag that the worldbuilding was not done to my satisfaction, and, even if I elect to continue reading, I’m going to spend all my time picking out the logical errors and complaining rather than enjoying the novel.

So, with that being said, how can a writer include magic into their world in a wholly organic fashion? This requires thinking long and hard about what magic is in your universe, how it works (and how it doesn’t), what it can do, and how common it is. I’ll preface this by saying that these are simply my opinions and things I find appealing in a good setting. You may not like them, and you may even think the things I’m complaining about are things that you enjoy. That’s fine.

Anyway, let’s go examine what we need to do, and provide some examples, so your worlds can be as seamless as possible.

Keep reading

#worldbuilding #resources

[moonstoneflowers]

lost in the books, @blackcreatiives

credits x x x x x x x x x x x x

#resources #black girl magic

[moonstoneflowers]

@blackcreatiives

Plus size black women been slaying. 

#body reference #resources

[moonstoneflowers]

@blackcreatiives

When stunning photography brings the clothing you’ve made to life

@alerojasmine

https://www.alerojasmine.com

https://www.instagram.com/alerojasmine/?hl=en

📷 @shoot1st Model: @iam_queenroe

#photography #hair #body reference

[moonstoneflowers]

@blackcreatiives

A Study of Hair Texture in Ancient Egypt

[image description: Model Domestic figure, Middle Kingdom. via Met Museum, the overlaying texts says “A Study of Hair Texture in Ancient Egypt”]

It is generally accepted now that ancient Egyptians were indigenous Africans. Seeing them with black African ancestry, however, seems to be tougher for people to acknowledge by both scholars and the general public alike. Even Egyptologist Stuart Tyson Smith argues that “Egyptologists have been strangely reluctant to admit that the ancient Egyptians were rather dark-skinned Africans…” (191). Through a closer observation of ancient Egyptian art we can find that many ancient Egyptians shared physical traits to black Africans, not just in skin colors but in hair texture as well.

Black Africans do not have a homogeneous appearance in anyway, so instead I use the term “black African” as a way to describe a generality of resemblances across multiple ethnic groups.

When studied as individuals, not all ancient Egyptians would be perceived as black Africans in the way expected in contemporary Western society, the same goes for many modern North Africans. Although not every ancient Egyptian would be considered black, the civilization did have visible black Africans throughout their entire history.

Discoveries from Pre-dynastic Egypt

Long-teeth vertical combs, resembling afro combs, have been found [Gallery]

A toupee made out of sheep’s or goat’s wool (Tassie 1066).

Palettes depicting men with tight curls and round hairstyles. [Gallery]

Female figurines with dreadlocks [Gallery]

[image description: The ‘Donkey comb’ and five flat-topped combs, via link]

Afros of the Middle Kingdom

Afros became fashionable among men of non-royalty. [Gallery]

Hair during the New Kingdom

Egypt occupies Nubia, causing both cultures to merge (Redford).

Egypt adopts Nubian hairdressing creating the Nubian wig [Gallery]

We also see the use of the round wig. [Gallery]

Long corkscrew curls are worn, sometimes with the ends made into miniature dreadlocks [Gallery]

Woolly Hair in Achaemenid Egypt

[image description: an artistic depiction of Herodotus, known as the “father of history and travel writing.” Photo via The Telegraph)

The ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, described the hair of the ancient Egyptians, as woolly using the term (οὐλότριχες), ulotrichous which means woolly or crisp hair. The root word, οὐλό, also has been used by Greeks to also describe the hair of Ethiopians, or black Africans (Snowden 6).

In Later Periods

Depictions of ancient Egyptians with crisp hair can still be seen even after the Ptolemaic dynasty. [Gallery]

[image description: Alabaster cameo portrait bust of an Egyptian woman from the Roman period, wearing a stola. via British Museum]

The Cultural Norm for Hair

Ancient Egyptians with straight hair did exist, as shown in their art.

[image description: A Fresco Scene of two grape farmers, from the tomb of Nakht via post]

According to Egyptologist Joan Fletcher, during wig constructions, the type of hair they used for the wigs in every case was “Caucasian” hair rather than afro-textured hair except that of Maiherpri’s (495). The use of the term Caucasian hair is vague, Fletcher might have meant that the hair did not resembled afro-textured hair. It is suggested by another Egyptologist, Geoffrey Tassie, that the hair could have been gathered from foreign captives, or through trading (1066). If Fletcher is correct about the type of hair used for almost all wigs, then the texture of the “Caucasian” hair seemed to have been frequently altered to contemporary fashions, such as curly wigs.

[image description: (from left to right) lady Istemkhebs’ short curly wig, duplex wig, Ahmose-Hentempet’s short curly wig. Located in the Cairo Musuem. via Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-western Cultures]

These alterations to the hair actually bear resemblance to afro-textured hair and aesthetics found in other black African cultures. We can even see many of these similar alterations and styles in modern-day black Africans that inhabit Northeast Africa, such the Afar.

[image description: A comparison I made of hairstyles between ancient Egyptians and Afar men. via post]

Throughout their history, ancient Egyptians made tools and hairstyles that would have unlikely to come into existence if they did not anything in common with black Africans. Even to this day black Northeast Africans wear similar hairstyles to the Egyptians of long ago.

Further Reading

The Social and Ritual Contextualisation of Ancient Egyptian Hair and Hairstyles from the Protodynastic to the End of the Old Kingdom  by Geoffrey John Tassie (Highly Recommeded)

Curating Kemet: Fear of a Black Land? by Sally-Ann Ashton

Egyptian hair combs in the Fitzwilliam Museum by Sally-Ann Ashton

Hair and the Construction of Identity in Ancient Egypt by Gay Robins

Bibliography

Bridge, Sarah. “The Ethiopian Tribes Who Use BUTTER to Style Their Hair: Incredible Photos Reveal the Elaborate Curled Creations of the Afar People, and the Hamer Who Mix Ghee with Red Ochre to Spectacular Effect.” Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.

Fletcher, Joann. “Hair.” Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology. By Ian Shaw. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2000. 495-96. Print.

knowledgeequalsblackpower.”Maiherpri, Buried at Thebes, Valley of the Kings, New Kingdom 18th Dynasty, 1427-1392 BC” Tumblr. 10 Jan. 2012. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.

Martin, Frank. “The Egyptian Ethnicity Controversy and the Sociology of Knowledge”.Journal of Black Studies 14.3 (1984) 296+300-306. Print.      

Redford, Donald B. From Slave to Pharaoh: The Black Experience of Ancient Egypt. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins UP, 2004. Print.

Smith, Stuart Tyson. “From Slave to Pharaoh.” (2008) Faculty Publications. Paper 127. 190-2. Print. http://digitalcommons.ric.edu/facultypublications/127

Snowden, Frank M. Blacks in Antiquity; Ethiopians in the Greco-Roman Experience. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP, 1970. Print.

Tassie, G. J. “Hair in Egypt.”, “Hair in Egypt: People and Technology Used in Creating Egyptian Hairstyles and Wigs”,”Hairstyling Technology and Techniques Used in Ancient Egypt”. Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-western Cultures: With 107 Tables. ed. Helaine Selin. Berlin: Springer, 2008. 1060-1076. Print.

TRUTHTEACHER2007. Ancient Egyptian Afro Wigs. Youtube. 22 Apr. 2010. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.

#royals ROYALS #resources #ancient egypt #hair

[moonstoneflowers]

“And girls need cold anger. They need the cold simmer, the ceaseless grudge, the talent to avoid forgiveness, the side stepping of compromise. They need to know when they say something that they will never back down, ever, ever.”

- Gregory Maguire, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (via flannelgan)

#( undaunted queens ) #quotes #gregory maguire

[moonstoneflowers]

@blackcreatiives

#photography #leila #leila moon #she's so pretty

[moonstoneflowers]

Character “About” Sheet: adjust as needed

QUOTE

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

BASIC

NAME:  NICKNAMES:  AGE:  BIRTHDAY:  SPECIES:  GENDER:  PRONOUNS: 

FAMILY

MOTHER:  FATHER:  PARENTS:  FAMILY:  SIBLINGS: 

PHYSIAL ATTRIBUTES

FACE CLAIM:  RACE/ETHNICITY:  NATIONALITY:  HEIGHT:  WEIGHT:  BUILD:  HAIR:  FACIAL HAIR:  HAIR COLOR:  EYE COLOR:  SKIN COLOR:  DOMINANT HAND:  ANOMALIES:  SCENT:  ACCENT:  PHYSICAL DISABILITIES:  LEARNING DISABILITIES:  ALLERGIES:  DISORDERS:  FASHION:  NERVOUS TICS:  QUIRKS: 

LIFESTYLE

HOME ADDRESS:  RESIDES:  BORN:  RAISED:  VEHICLE:  PHONE:  LAPTOP/COMPUTER:  PETS: 

HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION:  COLLEGE EDUCATION:  MAJOR:  MINOR:  CAREER:  EXPERIENCE:  EMPLOYER:  YEARLY SALARY:  BADGE NUMBER:  TRAINED IN:  OTHER: 

POLITICAL AFFILIATION:  RELIGION:  BELIEFS:  MISDEMEANORS:  FELONIES:  TICKETS AND/OR VIOLATIONS:  DRUGS:  SMOKES:  ALCOHOL:  DIET: 

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION:  SEXUAL ORIENTATION:  MARTIAL STATUS:  CHILDREN:  AVAILABILITY:  LOOKING FOR: 

LANGUAGES: 

PHOBIAS:  HOBBIES:  TRAITS:  SOCIAL MEDIA: 

FAVOURITE

LOCATION:  SPORTS TEAM:  GAME:  MUSIC:  SHOWS:  MOVIES:  RADIO STATION:  FOOD:  BEVERAGE:  COLOR: 

CHARACTER

MORAL ALIGNMENT:  MBTI:  MBTI ROLE:  ENNEAGRAM:  ENNEAGRAM ROLE:  TEMPERAMENT:  WESTERN ZODIAC:  CHINESE ZODIAC:  PRIMAL SIGN:  HOGWARTS HOUSE:  ILVERYMORNY HOUSE:  TAROT CARD:  TV TROPES:  SONG: ( that represents them )

IDEOLOGIES: Thinks barbecue chips are a crime against humanity.

#characterization #resources

[moonstoneflowers]

most fanfic writers on tumblr: Alright here’s a link to my story on AO3. It’s exactly 2,481 words long, falls under the romance/hurt/comfort/adventure genre, includes the pairings AxB and CxD. Warning for swears and underage drinking. Here is a 2-4 sentence summary of the plot without spoiling too much information. Rated T

me: *posting my story straight to tumblr with literally just a title and nothing to even hint at what genre/pairing/length/fandom it is* lol have fun! 

#i am both