pigeonworks

[pigeonworks]

traits turned sour

honest - insensitive

persuasive - manipulative

caring - overprotective

confidence - arrogance

fearless - cocky

loyalty - an excuse

devotion - obsession

agreeable - lazy

perfectionism - insatisfaction

reserved - aloof

cautious - skeptical

self loved - selfish

available - distractible

emotional - dramatic

humble - attention-seeking

diligent - imposing

dutiful - submissive

assertive - bossy

strategic - calculated

truthful - cruel

[pigeonworks]

ᴛɪᴘꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀꜱ [ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ]

don't let your skill in writing deter you. publishers look for the storyline, not always excellent writing. many of the greatest books came from mediocre writers—and also excellent and terrible ones.

keep writing even when it sucks. you don't know how to write this battle scene yet? skip ahead. write [battle scene here] and continue. in the end, you'll still have a book—and you can fill in the blanks later.

find your motivation. whether it's constantly updating That One Friend or posting your progress, motivation is key.

write everything down. everything. you had the perfect plot appear to you in a dream? scribble down everything you can remember as so as you can. I like to keep cue cards on my nightstand just in case.

play with words. titles, sentences, whatever. a lot of it will probably change either way, so this is the perfect opportunity to try out a new turn of phrase—or move along on one you're not quite sure clicks yet.

explain why, don't tell me. if something is the most beautiful thing a character's ever laid eyes on, describe it—don't just say "it's beautiful".

ask for critique. you will always be partial to your writing. getting others to read it will almost always provide feedback to help you write even better.

stick to the book—until they snap. write a character who is disciplined, courteous, and kind. make every interaction to reinforce the reader's view as such. but when they're left alone, when their closest friend betrays them, when the world falls to their feet...make them finally break.

magic. has. limits. there is no "infinite well" for everyone to draw from, nor "infinite spells" that have been discovered. magic has a price. magic has a limit. it takes a toll on the user—otherwise why can't they simply snap their fingers and make everything go their way?

read, read, read. reading is the source of inspiration.

first drafts suck. and that's putting it gently. ignoring all the typos, unfinished sentences, and blatant breaking of each and every grammar rules, there's still a lot of terrible. the point of drafts is to progress and make it better: it's the sketch beneath an oil painting. it's okay to say it's not great—but that won't mean the ideas and inspiration are not there. first drafts suck, and that's how you get better.

write every day. get into the habit—one sentence more, or one hundred pages, both will train you to improve.

more is the key to improvement. more writing, more reading, more feedback, and you can only get better. writing is a skill, not a talent, and it's something that grows with you.

follow the rules but also scrap them completely. as barbossa wisely says in PotC, "the code is more what you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules". none of this is by the book, as ironic as that may be.

write for yourself. I cannot stress this enough. if what you do is not something you enjoy, it will only get harder. push yourself, but know your limits. know when you need to take a break, and when you need to try again. write for yourself, and you will put out your best work.

[pigeonworks]

Injury prompts:

CW for mention of injury, blood and death

Bandaging them up while you both tell each other about your day

Using your hand to lift up their face to check for any injury, when you notice how pretty their eyes are, causing you to blush

Scolding them for their reckless actions, while they look at you, smiling softly

Trying to hide your injury from them, but failing miserably once you faint right in front of them

Hugging them tightly, telling them how worried you were

Staying the night in case they need your help, being asked to sleep on the bed instead of the couch/floor

Helping them wash off the blood from their body

Carrying your wounded enemy on your back, taking them home to treat their injuries

Noticing some not-so-recent scars on their back while applying some ointment, asking them where they got it from

Dragging them to the nearest clinic since they're too stubborn to go get themselves healed

‎‎‎

Dialogue:

"Stay still, I don't want to hurt you"

"Drink this. It'll help you heal faster"

"Go to sleep, you need rest"

"This might hurt a little..."

"Where does it hurt the most?"

"Is it a deep cut?"

"How long have you been hiding this?"

"You moron... Why are you so careless!?"

"Relax, it doesn't hurt that mu- Ow!"

"I have a perfectly reasonable explanation for this"

"I don't know it was just... there when I woke up" || "...That's the best excuse you can come up with?"

"I promise I'm fine... I just need some rest that's all"

"I'm glad you're alright"

"I... thought I lost you..."

"Never do that again. Please"

"I'd hate to be a burden..." || "It's alright, (Name). I don't mind taking care of you"

"...Who did this to you?" || "Let it go (Name), it doesn't matter-" || "Yes, it does. Who did this to you?"

"You saved me...? And bandaged me up? Am I dreaming?" || "Yeah, well, I wasn't going to let you die just like that..."

"Are you okay!? Are you hurt!? A-" || "Calm down, it's just a scratch"

"Don't even try to get up" || "Watch me!" *stumbles and falls on the ground*

(X)

[pigeonworks]

Spellbound (We Are Entranced)

A Max Mayfield Character Study Throughout Season 4

Getting up in the morning was hard. It'd been that way for almost a year now. Max would wake up and wish she hadn't. She'd like to sleep forever. It was peaceful there; you know, if you don't count the nightmares.

Yet, her alarm clock still drew her out of bed. Every. Single. Morning.

Dressing in a dirty shirt she'd worn twice this week and a jacket on top, Max headed down the hallway into the living room. At least, that's the best word for it. A shitty trailer is more accurate.

Beer bottles littered the space, but she didn't pick them up. Not this morning; Max didn't have the energy.

Grabbing two Tylenol, she placed them in her mouth before swallowing them down with some water from the sink.

Her mother was nowhere in sight, and when Max checked the bedroom, she found it empty. Lord knows where she was at seven in the morning.

She was probably drunk. She'd been that way recently. Ever since Neil left, that is.

Grabbing her red bookbag, Max made her way out the door. She wasn't hungry enough for breakfast. She was never hungry.

Max watched as Eddie Munson sped away in his van, rock music blaring. Too bad she couldn't drive. Instead, Max had to take the bus. At least she had her Walkman and Kate Bush to keep her sane.

Hopping off the crowded bus, Max rolled her eyes as someone called her name. She didn't want to have a conversation this early in the morning.

"Max! Max!" Taking off her headphones and turning around, she realized the voice was of Ms. Kelly. "Where were you yesterday?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I forgot it was Thursday," Max mumbled.

"Well, I'd like to see you today. Come straight after lunch, okay?"

Nodding, Max walked away, placing her headphones back on her ears.

The assembly was... painful. Not only cringey (specifically Jason's speech) but also very... personal.

Entering the gym, Max wandered toward Mike and Dustin. She instantly huffed as she overheard Dustin and Mike arguing about who has a better girlfriend. Of course they were.

"Look, I'm not saying that my girlfriend is better than yours." Yes, you are, Max thought. "It's just that Suzie's, like, a certified genius."

"You do realize El has saved the world twice, right?" Mike countered.

"And yet you still have a C in Spanish."

The music stopped, and over the microphone, someone screamed, "Let's hear it for our Tigers!"

The crowd cheered, but all Max could pay attention to was Lucas. He stared directly at her as he ran into the middle of the court, and she glanced away. It hurt too much to look at him, even when he waved at her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Max saw him frown.

She hated it.

If Max was going to be honest, she totally zoned out. That was until Billy was brought up.

"Think of Jack. Think of Melissa. Think of Heather. Think of Billy ."

He did not just bring up Billy. Max caught Lucas's sympathetic eyes, and she turned away from his gaze. She couldn't do this.

Max decided to zone off once again. She needed to ignore everything. Before she got hurt again. She paid attention when Dustin and Mike somehow didn't know how a tournament works. How do they not know this basic information? They really are nerds.

After lunch, Max made her way to Ms. Kelly. In the hallway, she caught a glimpse of none other than head cheerleader Chrissy Cuningham heading out of her office. That's... weird. Why was she there? Not only that, but she looked... uncomfortable, upset.

Sitting in a chair across her desk, Max listened to her Walkman. It was the last thing keeping her grounded. Music did that for her.

Ms. Kelly's muffled voice came from outside the music. "Can you remove your headphones, please?"

Taking them off her head and clicking the button, Max responded with, "Sorry."

"A 'C in English and a 'C- in Spanish," she said, clearing her throat.

"Yeah."

"Well that's not normal for you," Ms. Kelly said sadly.

"If you say so...."

"How's your mom holding up?"

Max stared at the floor. "She's fine...." She paused. "I mean, she hates the new place, which is, like, yeah, it's terrible, but... she's fine."

Max wanted anything but to be here. She'd instead be forced to go to Hellfire than have to talk about her emotions. Nevertheless, here she was. She was sharing her feelings and talking about her family life. God, she would give anything in the world to leave.

"Is she still drinking?"

Max swallowed hard. "Like, yeah, a little, but... Well, she's working two jobs. So it's not easy."

"Must not be easy for you either with your stepdad gone."

"It's kind of better, honestly."

"Better how?"

"He was an asshole. So there's less... assholery."

"Are you sleeping better?" the woman asked gently.

"Yeah, fine," she lied.

"So no more headaches?"

Max shook her head.

"Nightmares?"

Max flashed back to the one she had last night; Billy being impaled by the mindflayer, its tentacle deep inside his chest. She remembered her screams as she called his name.

"Nope."

Ms. Kelly looked at the floor. She knew. She knew Max was lying.

"Max. What you've been through, what you're still going through, it's a lot for anyone," she said as Max fumbled with her headphone cord. "And it's okay to not be okay. But I can only help you if you're truthful, if you open up to me."

"Yeah, I... I know. I'm- I'm being open."

Ms. Kelly sighed.

"I'm being open," Max repeated, though her face said otherwise. Jesus, why did she have to be such a bad liar?

She was so relieved when Ms. Kelly finally excused her.

Exiting the office, Max didn't even notice Lucas until he called her name.

"Max, hey."

Goddamnit. She wasn't in the mood to try and hold a conversation with him. "Are you stalking me or something?"

"Oh, no, I- I just wanted to give you this." He handed Max a piece of paper.

"What is this?"

"A ticket to the game."

Max turned her head towards him and rolled her eyes. Then, marching away, she became frustrated as he followed.

"Listen, I know you never want to go to my games, but this one is kind of a big deal," Lucas continued.

"A big deal?" Max scoffed. "Lucas, you really care about this?" she questioned, still walking.

"Yeah- I- I do. Maybe you should find something you care about too."

Max paused. What did he just say? She stopped, spun around, and glared.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Max saw his face turn to ' oh shit' and paused.

"You're just... It's- it's like you're not even here anymore," Lucas responded hesitantly. He looked so nervous. God, all she did was make things worse for other people. "It's... it's like you're a ghost or something."

Looking away, Max felt a wave of guilt and anger wash over her. "A ghost? Really?"

"Max, I know something's wrong," he said.

"...Yeah, right... Yeah, something must be wrong with me because I broke up with you."

Lucas shook his head. "No. That... that's not what I meant."

Max had heard enough. "Lucas, look, people just change, okay? That's it. I've changed. It's that simple." She was so annoyed. So sick of him trying to fix her or something.

Before she entered the bathroom door, Max handed Lucas the ticket back. "Good luck."

She didn't wait to see Lucas's face. As Max hurried in, she quickly pulled out her bottle of Tylenol. She desperately needed them—needed something to calm her.

Max popped down two of them. Suddenly she heard the awful sound of vomit from a stall behind her. Turning around, Max saw a cheerleader's skirt.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah- yes... I'm... I'm fine." Chrissy? Chrissy Cunningham?

"Okay, um... you're sure?"

"Please, just go away." The girl sounded awful. Still, there wasn't anything Max could do for the cheerleader. She wasn't about to snitch on her.

Sighing, Max left the dull restroom, hoping Chrissy was okay.

Max was so glad to leave school. So relieved it was Spring Break.

Earlier that day, Dustin had tried to convince her to play D'n'D with him. Hell no.

As Max climbed onto the bus, she clicked on her Walkman, and Running Up That Hill blasted through it. She found it almost therapeutic—an escape.

It blocked out the obnoxious teens who screamed and yelled in the back, which always seemed to leave her deaf.

Her mom still wasn't back once Max entered her trailer, giving her more time to herself.

Walking into her room, she plopped onto the bed and sighed. Everything seemed so bleak. The single window in Max's room offered little sunlight, leaving her in darkness. It was fitting, though. It's kind of what her world felt like at the moment. cold. Empty.

How was she going to make it through this year? Max didn't think she would. Surely something would prevent her at some point. Things weren't looking up for her. They never were.

If Max could take some more pills, she would. But she'd overdosed at school once. Max couldn't walk in a straight line, and her words slurred together. She wasn't sure how she managed not to pass out that day. No one found out about it. Thank god.

Max must've stayed on her bed for hours because the next thing she knew, it was night. Checking her clock, she realized it was eight. Lucas should be done playing his basketball game right now.

Max really didn't want to, but it felt wrong not to listen to the radio and hear the outcome. So she sat up and tuned in. Instantly, she listened to the announcer.

" After a tragic year for our town, the Tigers have brought home the conference title for the first time in twenty-two years. " Another man continued, saying, " And what a great game it was, Allen, ending with a dramatic buzzer-beater from benchwarmer Lucas Sinclair! "

Lucas?

Max couldn't listen to the rest. She wasn't about to listen to people talking about him. Turning it off, she sighed, hanging her head.

Outside, a dog started barking. The owners never fed it, so Max had decided to take on that responsibility.

"Alright, alright, I hear you."

Standing up, Max made her way out of her bedroom.

Her mom was passed out on the couch, and Max wondered when she'd arrived. How'd she not notice the sound of the front door opening? Not only that, but how didn't she hear the TV? Whatever.

Cleaning up the empty beer bottles and fetching some chicken, Max strode out the door to the dog.

A second later, Eddie's van sped into the trailer park and halted in front of his house.

He drives like he's being chased or something.

Suddenly, Max spotted none other than Chrissy Cunningham hop out the door and follow Eddie into his trailer.

It took Max a second to fully realize why she was with him, but it all made sense once she did. First, the vomiting went to Ms. Kelly, and now to his house. Chrissy was going through something, so she probably resorted to drugs.

The dog barked once more, so Max continued to feed it. Chrissy and Eddie were none of her business.

When Max finally ran out of chicken, she walked back into her trailer.

That's when something... weird happened.

The lights and TV started to go crazy, and even though she knew it was most likely a coincidence, she couldn't help but wonder... No, it couldn't be. Max didn't want to believe it.

Max heard a scream. Eddie's scream. Sprinting towards the window, she saw him slam open the front door and book it into his van.

She knew he always sped, but this was different. He looked terrified. His driving was more erratic than it usually was too.

Deep down, Max knew something was wrong. She just knew it. Still, it was none of her business. After all, she tended to overthink stuff.

As she slept, nightmares plagued her mind. It'd been nonstop for the past few days. Not only that, but these were different than the usual ones she'd been gifted with after Billy died. These were so realistic, downright terrifying.

Max knew something was wrong.

#stranger things #season 4 #fanfic #max mayfield #lucas sinclair #steve harrington #robin buckley #dustin henderson #nancy wheeler #whumpblr #stranger things angst #vecna #trance #possession #steve harrington fluff #steve stranger things

[pigeonworks]

Role of whump in a story

It's not just about the self-indulgent whumperflies 😉

Obstacles

To heighten the stakes

Something to solve

To break a strong/proud character

To bring characters closer

To make characters rely on each other more

To make them open up

To show a relationship

To show the depth of kidness

To showcase moral principles

To deepen a relationship

To showcase unconditional love and caring

To show who would be reliable in a crisis

Explore characters in critical stressful situations

To see how people cope with pain / different defence and coping mechanisms

To show character strength with how they deal and work themselves up again

To see what characters would notice

To show how much would the others care

Different ways of comfort

Panic reactions

Ways of worrying

[pigeonworks]

Head injuries & passing out!!!

Some realistic aspects of whump you’re probably glossing over/conveying incorrectly Part 2

just some realistic medical accuracies that will bolster your whump writing, and the category is...

the dazed and confused:

a person can experience a lapse in consciousness or lucidity when they receive a traumatic head injury or their bodies are put under severe stress by something like an extreme condition or nasty illness. both symptoms can occur from many different injuries/ailments ranging from blunt force head trauma, drug use, inadequate sleep, malnourishment, physical exhaustion... the option are really endless and not much is out of the realm of possibility in regards to being medically accurate.

a rapid increase in blood pressure is the nervous system’s vasovagal syncope response, also commonly referred to as passing tf out. fainting itself isn’t inherently harmful or dangerous if whumpee gets themselves to the ground before its lights out. pretty much unless the whumpee is in a hostile environment where they don’t have access to food, water, or medical supplies to care for their wounds or sickness, they will be ok and should come to rather quickly!

if the whumpee is exhausted, whether it is because they have physically exhausted themselves by working too hard, not taking the time to properly recover after a fight, disregarding healthy sleeping and eating habits, ignoring a cold or viral bug because they think they can just tough it out etc. they can function in a haze for a pretty solid amount of time before their blood pressure will eventually plummet where the blood vessels relax to reduce resistance in the flow and all of the blood in their body races to their head at once to try and quell whatever is wrong. this will probably come at a breaking point or at the mention of exerting themselves intensely once more. they might be faced with a flight of stairs, or the alarms are going off for another mission, or their superior won’t end the meeting and they didn’t succeed in grabbing a seat before they were all taken. before this they would’ve been sluggish in their movements and sick or tired-looking. they would probably have to ask someone to repeat themselves because their brain is lagging and they can’t grasp whatever’s been said on the first go. they also would experience moments of lightheadedness that would stop them in their tracks and have them searching for purchase on a nearby wall or table as they ride out the blood rush in their ears that is similar to what you might get from standing up too quickly, except this would happen randomly. they might not have a large appetite that day and be uncharacteristically thirsty. there will be moments the whumpee or caregiver finds them swaying unsteadily where they’d be urged to sit down before they collapse. the whumpee would be grumpy about this but they’d listen because at this point they are aware they could very well pass out. too many moments like these and they actually do.

the textbook first aid response is to raise their feet above their heart by either lifting them or elevating them on a higher surface, this gets blood flowing on a path of least resistance to the brian and will help them recover quicker. they should stay on the ground or move into the recovery position on their side until they feel better, then they should move into a sitting position and acclimate to that before trying to stand. they will probably be weak and shakey after this and should go rest and eat something before turning in for the night.

if the whumpee has a head injury, passing out is very dangerous and a type of triage would be to keep them awake until they are evaluated properly. concussions occur when the brain quite literally rattles around in the head a tad too aggressively. this can be caused by violent shaking or what might even be considered a minor blow. think two football players clonking helmets and how when their bodies are thrown back by the force, their brains would be jolted forward in their skulls. this can result in pretty sever concussions that impede cognitive functions without drawing a drop of blood, occurring even within the confines of reinforced protective gear. confusion and disorientation as well as an unpleasant or throbbing pressure would be the first symptoms to present themselves with this type of blunt head injury. memory loss and an overall altered perception of reality could be documented for the first stage of recovery, short term events would be lost on the whumpee and they might find themselves suddenly having no clue what day it is or where they are. they would be sensitive to light and noise and any sort of intense movement depending on the severity of the concussion. and any increase in such would make them dizzy, nauseated, or even lightheaded.

the window of danger for falling asleep or fainting after getting concussed usually passes after the 24 hour mark post injury. the caregiver would likely have to wait up all night shaking awake a lethargic and possibly incoherent whumpee, maybe even taking shifts with others until they don’t think the whumpee would be at risk of not waking up. this type of injury might take months to fully heal from and is very inconvenient and uncomfortable for the whumpee leaving space for a lot of additional hurt and beautiful moments of fussing over/comforting.

head injuries that result in wounds will bleed a horrifying amount for even the tiniest of cuts, the same goes for facial wounds. this is because they are like a million blood vessels up there to get more blood to the brain. so if you have a heavily bleeding head wound... the blood flowing there will be leaving a lot quicker than the body can replenish it and can delve into a dangerous amount of blood loss pretty quickly. any blow to the head will jar you temporarily and leave you virtually incapacitated even if you don’t fall down or lose consciousness. think being paralyzed in sudden and excruciating pain after hitting your funny bone, it passes quickly, but for a solid minute you’re definitely seeing red. a whumpee that gets their head split open can keep fighting on adrenaline as long as they aren’t rendered unconscious right off the bat, but the longer they rely on energy reserves, the more blood they are going to have lost and the harder they’ll crash once they’re safe or the fight is over. the whumpee along with whoever is around them after they receive this hit might think they are relatively okay since they didn’t collapse on impact, but crashing will look like stumbling back to the mode of transport, not being able to stand up after they finish the bad guy off, staring off at nothing while a wave of malaise washes over them once they look at the blood that comes away from the wet spot on the side of their head, etc.

shock is also a silent killer and plays large part in the dazed and confused bit of a flesh wound like this. any type of wound that bleeds for more than a minute will be accompanied by an assortment of shock symptoms like trembling, becoming cold, sudden weakness, incoherence, all to varying severities that coincide with the amount of blood loss sustained, so once again the longer the whumpee pushes or avoids treatment the worse it will be. immediate triage would be to have the whumpee sit and keep them warm with body heat or a blanket as well as keep steady pressure on the wound, additionally it would be ideal to get a bit of sugar in them and have them sip water to calm them down and keep their mind level. remaining clam and warm is really the most important aspects of staving off the worse symptoms of shock like slowed heart rate and shallowed breathing, which isn’t passing out exactly, more like their body slowly shutting down. a whumpee with this type of injury also wouldn’t really pass out in the dramatic way you think of if they didn’t on initial impact, it’d look more like their legs giving out in the middle of their stride, their weight slowly increasing in a friend’s arms during a congratulatory hug, or rushing for the nearest seat after getting a head rush and suddenly very woozy.

[pigeonworks]

Showing when writing: Emotions [part 1]

Embarrassment

blushing

fidgeting

sweating

hiding their face in their hands

wide eyes

crossing their arms around their body

stutters

stammering

shifting their weight from side to side

exaggerated movements

nervous quirks appear such as picking at their nails, playing with their hair, and rocking on their heels.

avoiding eye contact

glancing or staring at random objects

stiff smiles

scratching the back of their head or neck.

subject changing

forced laughter

Anticipation

big smiles

wetting their lips

energized

constant movement

grinning

can't concentrate

clumsiness

fidgeting

questions

Awe

frozen

wide eyes

slack jaw

harsh or erratic breathing

grinning

staring

Surprise/shock

gasping

open mouth

slack jaw

wide eyes

covering their mouth with their hands

raised eyebrows

frozen

staring

stepping back

stutters or stammers

Triumph

Tilting back head and yelling out

fist pumping in the air

Jumping

Roaring

Whooping

laughter

bright smiles

grinning

Anger/Threatening

Shaking fist

Pointing

crossed arms

glares

frowning

scowling

Stabbing with finger

Slamming fist against something

Veins throbbing

Jutting out their chin

Clenched fist

Clenched jaw

flushed face

Eyebrows lowered or furrowed

squinting

Teeth bared

Wide stance

Tight-lipped smile

Rapid breathing

Sweating

aggressive stance

Flared nostrils

Puffed chest

loud voice

Nervous

lip biting

biting nails

blinking

tears

stepping back

awkward laughter

clumsiness

dry lips

dry mouth

fidgeting

darting eyes

wrapping their arms around themselves

repeatedly folding and unfolding their arms

clutching at themselves, their hip/shoulder/stomach

drawn in/furrowed brows

avoiding eye contact

jittery

pitched voice

no appetite or nervous eating so a bigger appetite

pacing

toying with things

restless

bouncing leg

rubbing at their face

scratching

sweating trembling

if you want to support, take a look at my story - Thoraway villain

[pigeonworks]

“I know you from the news” starters

“Hey, you’re that - guy/woman/person, right?”

“Can I ask you a question? About what happened.”

“Were you scared?”

“I looked you up.”

“I didn’t know what to think about you. I thought I’d better meet you in person.”

“You’re good at what you do. I’ve seen it.”

“You’re a [job position], right?”

“I looked you up. I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t realize you were, like … a real person.”

“An ‘invasion of privacy’? How?”

“Wow, you were different on TV.”

“Well, you did it in public, though. It’s legal to film people in public.”

“Is the media still following you?”

“What did you do after they stopped reporting about it?”

“Someone said you were on the news?”

“Did you do it on purpose?”

“So your life story’s just… published everywhere.”

“That must be lonely.”

“I didn’t watch it.”

“You were/weren’t overreacting.”

“Would you like my opinion?”

“Your life story isn’t news.”

“I don’t want to pretend I didn’t see it, because I did.”

“How do you like to deal with it? Should I pretend I don’t know?”

“So I found this footage…”

“It just popped up in my feed. I didn’t realise what it was until it was too late.”

“It looked like you really hated the attention.”

“I needed to know what happened so I could feel safe.”

“Did you realize it would be that big when you did it?”

“Don’t you miss it/him/her/them?”

[pigeonworks]

Bruises and Bruising

WORDS

“Where did you get those?”

“Is that…. somebody’s hand?”

“Is that… a bootprint?”

“It’ll look worse before it looks better.”

“Come on. Let’s get it wrapped up.”

“Do you want some painkillers?”

“Let me guess, I should ‘see the other guy’?”

“How’d you get a black eye?”

“I know you don’t do it on purpose, but I wish you’d stop coming home bruised.”

“I like the new look. It suits you.”

“Ouch, that looks like it hurts.”

“Talk to me.”

“You shouldn’t end up with bruises because you disagree with them. You know that, right?”

“Will you tell me how it happened?”

“Come and sit with me.”

ACTIONS

(send ‘+reverse’ to reverse the roles, or specify which muse is which!)

[sit] – sender comes and sits next to a bruised receiver. no words, just warmth.

[care] – sender provides physical care for receiver’s bruises (ice pack, wrapping them up, etc)

[shower] – sender takes one look at a bruised and bloody receiver, and goes to run them a shower. hot showers fix everything.

[offer] – sender has something they know receiver will want, and because receiver has had a bad enough day as it is, sender gives it to them. it’s the little things.

[stay] – sender offers receiver a place to stay, so that – wherever they got these bruises – they don’t have to go back.

[concussion] – sender checks receiver for a concussion, because it’s very possible receiver has one.

[home] – sender has no physical way of helping receiver out of this situation, but they offer out their hand anyway. just to hold onto (and to not let go).

[pigeonworks]

physical intimacy prompts

holding hands during a stressful situation

smiling in-between kisses

touching foreheads

cheek kisses

slow dancing

intertwining fingers

comparing hand sizes

resting your head on your partner's lap

piggy back rides

standing on your tip toes to reach your partner's lips

kissing your partner's wounds

forehead kisses

falling asleep on your partner's shoulder

bridal carries

spooning

rolling over in bed, switching positions during a kiss

embracing your partner

intertwining fingers when making love

nudging into the crook of your partner's neck

being carried/tucked into bed, after having fallen asleep on the couch waiting for your partner to come home

saying ''i love you'' in-between kisses

nose boops

back rubs

tracing fingers down your partner's chest

hand on chest during a casual conversation

bumping into each other

hugs that last longer than they should

showering together

hands around the waist

straddling your partner's thighs

helping your partner undress

playing with your partner's hair

falling asleep to your partner's heartbeat

resting a hand on your partner's back

squeezing each other's hands

sitting in your partner's lap

cupping your partner's face

tickling

spooning/scooting closer to your partner in bed

linking arms with each other

exploring each other's lips

caressing your partner's face

brushing your lips together, lingering for a moment

jumping into your partner's arms

wrapping legs around your partner

tucking a strand of hair behind your partner's ear

pulling your partner into your lap

hugging from behind

lifting your partner off the ground

holding hands across the table

holding hands under the table

bear hugs

caressing your partner's hand

laying a hand on your partner's thigh

literally sharing a sweater

feeling each other's pulse

glancing at each other's lips

falling asleep while cuddling on the couch

climbing back into bed, onto your partner's body to wake them up

[pigeonworks]

soft prompts to make you yearn

resting your head gently on their shoulder

them running their fingers through your hair

them gently tilting your chin

and looking into your eyes

so that your eyes lock in a deep gaze

placing a soft kiss on their forehead

interlocking your fingers while holding hands

back hugs back hugs back hugs

embracing them from a sudden hug from behind

and whispering in their ears, “i love you,”

soft kisses on both cheeks and tip of the nose.

cupping your face in their hands and them telling you, “you. you are the one i love.”

[pigeonworks]

Ways I show romantic feelings between characters (before the confession!)

I'm not big on writing romance, but when I do, I love to show the events and feelings leading up to the big emotional release. Here are a few of the ways I hint at those feelings!

Stealing glances when the other isn't looking

Wondering what the other character might think of a certain outfit/mannerism/activity

Talking about the other character to their friends

Feeling uptight/overly stiff in front of the other character (only in certain scenarios!)

Alternatively (and more commonly), feeling overly at-ease while with the other character

Accidental touches, and then thinking about it for hours or days after

Picking up mannerisms from the other character without realizing it

Wanting to spend an unusual amount of time with the other character

Consuming a piece of media and relating certain characters/scenes to the other character Feel free to add on with other ideas!

[pigeonworks]

Soft touch prompts

Those types of touches that are feather-like and make you feel tingly in a good way. Touches like:

Face

The soft caress of your lips after the very first kiss.

Caress to the cheek after a moment together.

Gentle wipe of your spilled tears after heavy arguments, a simple gesture that shows you how sorry they are for making you shed sad tears instead of happy ones.

Gentle wipe of dirt on your cheek after enjoying your food too much.

Chin lift to make you look directly at their eyes that just make you follow aimlessly and without much force really. (bonus if they kiss afterward)

When they hold your face in their hands and just look into your eyes and just hold the other softly.

When they lightly wipe the blood off your lip from bitting it too often and softly "kiss it better"

Helping you gently put your earring on and tuck a hair behind your ear to inspect how the accessory looks beautiful on you with or without them.

Helping you put your necklace on and sneak a quick kiss on your neck before complimenting you.

Softly pulling your hair back after being food poisoned.

Worriedly inspecting your temperature after noticing your lack of mood and giving you a chaste kiss on the forehead.

Hands/Arms

Soft hand touches with a light comforting squeeze that instantly assures you they're there.

Softly massaging your hands when you ask them politely.

Loosely holding your hand while you watch and walk around on your date.

Cradling your cut finger after an incident with the knife and tending to your wound with a kiss afterward.

Caressing the back of your hand absentmindedly.

Softly toying with your ring and wondering when they'll get to replace it with a wedding ring.

Softly running their hands on your arms and feeling how cold to the touch your skin is before wrapping you in a hug to share their warmth.

Softly pulling your wrist to pull you closer to them.

softly intertwining your fingers together to hold your hand or twirl you in the middle of the night dance session.

Edit: holy heck guys!!! Thank you all so much for the notes and reblogs!!! I didn't expect this to get this much attention!!! Love you guys!!! 🥰🥰🥰

[pigeonworks]

DESCRIBING THE PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OF CHARACTERS:

Body

descriptors; ample, athletic, barrel-chested, beefy, blocky, bony, brawny, buff, burly, chubby, chiseled, coltish, curvy, fat, fit, herculean, hulking, lanky, lean, long, long-legged, lush, medium build, muscular, narrow, overweight, plump, pot-bellied, pudgy, round, skeletal, skinny, slender, slim, stocky, strong, stout, strong, taut, toned, wide.

Eyebrows

descriptors; bushy, dark, faint, furry, long, plucked, raised, seductive, shaved, short, sleek, sparse, thin, unruly.

shape; arched, diagonal, peaked, round, s-shaped, straight.

Ears

shape; attached lobe, broad lobe, narrow, pointed, round, square, sticking-out.

Eyes

colour; albino, blue (azure, baby blue, caribbean blue, cobalt, ice blue, light blue, midnight, ocean blue, sky blue, steel blue, storm blue,) brown (amber, dark brown, chestnut, chocolate, ebony, gold, hazel, honey, light brown, mocha, pale gold, sable, sepia, teakwood, topaz, whiskey,) gray (concrete gray, marble, misty gray, raincloud, satin gray, smoky, sterling, sugar gray), green (aquamarine, emerald, evergreen, forest green, jade green, leaf green, olive, moss green, sea green, teal, vale).

descriptors; bedroom, bright, cat-like, dull, glittering, red-rimmed, sharp, small, squinty, sunken, sparkling, teary.

positioning/shape; almond, close-set, cross, deep-set, downturned, heavy-lidded, hooded, monolid, round, slanted, upturned, wide-set.

Face

descriptors; angular, cat-like, hallow, sculpted, sharp, wolfish.

shape; chubby, diamond, heart-shaped, long, narrow, oblong, oval, rectangle, round, square, thin, triangle.

Facial Hair

beard; chin curtain, classic, circle, ducktail, dutch, french fork, garibaldi, goatee, hipster, neckbeard, old dutch, spade, stubble, verdi, winter.

clean-shaven

moustache; anchor, brush, english, fu manchu, handlebar, hooked, horseshoe, imperial, lampshade, mistletoe, pencil, toothbrush, walrus.

sideburns; chin strap, mutton chops.

Hair

colour; blonde (ash blonde, golden blonde, beige, honey, platinum blonde, reddish blonde, strawberry-blonde, sunflower blonde,) brown (amber, butterscotch, caramel, champagne, cool brown, golden brown, chocolate, cinnamon, mahogany,) red (apricot, auburn, copper, ginger, titain-haired,), black (expresso, inky-black, jet black, raven, soft black) grey (charcoal gray, salt-and-pepper, silver, steel gray,), white (bleached, snow-white).

descriptors; bedhead, dull, dry, fine, full, layered, limp, messy, neat, oily, shaggy, shinny, slick, smooth, spiky, tangled, thick, thin, thinning, tousled, wispy, wild, windblown.

length; ankle length, bald, buzzed, collar length, ear length, floor length, hip length, mid-back length, neck length, shaved, shoulder length, waist length.

type; beach waves, bushy, curly, frizzy, natural, permed, puffy, ringlets, spiral, straight, thick, thin, wavy.

Hands; calloused, clammy, delicate, elegant, large, plump, rough, small, smooth, square, sturdy, strong.

Fingernails; acrylic, bitten, chipped, curved, claw-like, dirty, fake, grimy, long, manicured, painted, peeling, pointed, ragged, short, uneven.

Fingers; arthritic, cold, elegant, fat, greasy, knobby, slender, stubby.

Lips/Mouth

colour (lipstick); brown (caramel, coffee, nude, nutmeg,) pink (deep rose, fuchsia, magenta, pale peach, raspberry, rose, ) purple (black cherry, plum, violet, wine,) red (deep red, ruby.)

descriptors; chapped, cracked, dry, full, glossy, lush, narrow, pierced, scabby, small, soft, split, swollen, thin, uneven, wide, wrinkled.

shape; bottom-heavy, bow-turned, cupid’s bow, downturned, oval, pouty, rosebud, sharp, top-heavy.

Nose

descriptors; broad, broken, crooked, dainty, droopy, hooked, long, narrow, pointed, raised, round, short, strong, stubby, thin, turned-up, wide.

shape; button, flared, grecian, hawk, roman.

Skin

descriptors; blemished, bruised, chalky, clear, dewy, dimpled, dirty, dry, flaky, flawless, freckled, glowing, hairy, itchy, lined, oily, pimply, rashy, rough, sagging, satiny, scarred, scratched, smooth, splotchy, spotted, tattooed, uneven, wrinkly.

complexion; black, bronzed, brown, dark, fair, ivory, light, medium, olive, pale, peach, porcelain, rosy, tan, white.

[pigeonworks]

traits to describe your MC:

clumsy

self-centred

hopeful

disagreeable

broken

pissed

amused

kind

confident

loving

gentle

snarky

daunted

careful

rough

loud

quiet

confused

exhausted

low-key an a*hole

absolutely done

reluctant

energetic

hardworking

lazy

chatty

stubborn

loyal

gullible

generous

respectful

frank

honest

deceiving

affectionate

arrogant

[pigeonworks]

Resources for Writing Injuries

Patreon || Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress

–

Head Injuries

General Information | More

Hematoma

Hemorrhage

Concussion

Edema

Skull Fracture

Diffuse Axonal Injury

Neck

General Information

Neck sprain

Herniated Disk

Pinched Nerve

Cervical Fracture

Broken Neck

Chest (Thoracic)

General Information

Aortic disruption

Blunt cardiac injury

Cardiac tamponade

Flail chest

Hemothorax

Pneumothorax (traumatic pneumothorax, open pneumothorax, and tension pneumothorax)

Pulmonary contusion

Broken Ribs

Broken Collarbone

Keep reading

[pigeonworks]

Character Types for Your Next Story

Great ideas for characters will come and go, but there are always concrete character types that you can count on to carry a plot.

Check out the most common types to see if they're what you need to make your next story come to life.

The Protagonist

This is your main character. They're the central focus of the story, the person who resolves the main conflict, or the individual who grows with or from the story's theme.

You can also have multiple protagonists! 3rd-person POV stories/books often have at least two main characters because switching between their points of view furthers the plot, adds tension, or develops their world for the reader.

Examples: Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit; Claire Randall in Outlander

The Antagonist

This is your main character's opposition. They'll be the force against which your protagonist clashes to experience the conflict that results in their growth. Sometimes the antagonist functions as an obstacle for the protagonist to overcome. Other times, they're a lesson the main character needs to learn by the end of the story.

You can create multiple antagonists for one protagonist or multipel antagonist for a cast of protagonists. It depends on the story you have in mind and what POV you'll be using.

Examples: The White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Pennywise in It

The Central (Major) Characters

Central characters are what you would call the individual protagonists who make up your cast of characters. They all grow throughout your plot and are essential to the backbone of your story.

Examples: the seven demigods in the Prophecy of Seven in The Heroes of Olympus series; the multigenerational protagonists in Homegoing

The Secondary (Minor) Characters

Secondary characters are often called sidekicks or companions. They're part of your protagonist's life and is along for the ride with them. Although your plot might not be the same without them (if they're a love interest, family member, or another person close to your protagonist), they primary exist to develop the protagonist.

Examples: Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Holmes series; Cinna in The Hunger Games series

The Static Characters

Writers need static characters to essentially remain the same for plot purposes. These characters are typically unaffected by what's happening in the protagonist's life because they're one or two steps removed from it.

Alternatively, your static character can also be antagonist. They're actively involved in your protagonist's life, but they don't undergo any inner changes that result in character growth.

Examples: Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter series (she remains unchanged because she has to be a constant source of conflict); Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (he remains unchanged because he represents morality and reason to Scout)

The Dynamic Characters

Dynamic characters change throughout a story. They're most often the protagonist or one of the main cast of characters because they are actively involved in the plot.

These could be your protagonist, antagonist, or any other character that undergoes some time of fundamental change.

Examples: Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol; Celaena Sardothien in Throne of Glass

The Flat Characters

Flat characters experience no change throughout a story. They may arrive at the end with a different opinion or goal, but they're almost identical to who they were at the beginning of the story.

Don't assume flat characters are boring or unnecessary! They always represent something for the protagonist or the reader. They can also be the antagonist!

Examples: Marmee in Little Women (she's a role model for her daughters and remains their true north throughout the book); Suzy Nakamura in American Born Chinese (she helps Wei-Chen face his complicated feelings about feeling like an outcast for his race by being vocal about hers, but that remains her sole purpose in the plot.)

The Round Characters

When someone talks about a round character, they don't mean the character's physical appearance. Instead, this phrase refers to a protagonist or antagonist's internal depth.

Round characters have complex personalities. They may contradict themselves sometimes or the people they love the most. These characters typically have full backstories and embody the phrase, "they contain multitudes."

Examples: Amy Dunne in Gone Girl; Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice

The Stock Characters

Stock characters are flat characters that resemble a stereotype easily recognized by readers. They're your geek teenager with oversized glasses or the best friend who is only there to be the punchline.

Sometimes these characters are written so well that readers don't mind the stereotype. It depends on their relationship with other characters in your story and if they only embody the stereotype up front. Successful stock characters eventually reveal the depth of their hearts or undergo developments that push beyond the limits of their stereotype.

Examples: Rapunzel (the damsel in distress); Alaska Young in Looking for Alaska (the manic pixie dream girl)

The Anti-Hero

Readers love anti-heroes because they're protagonists who start off as the worst version of themselves and grow into the best they can be. There are always external and internal obstacles for them to overcome, which may or may not clash.

They can also start off as versions of themselves that are inherently good, then become more like an antagonist but for the right reasons. Readers may still cheer them on and hope they revert to their previous good ways or read your story to watch your anti-hero follow their worst instincts until the world crumbles around them.

Examples: Dexter Morgan in the Dexter series; Patrick Bateman in American Psycho

The Foil

Typically, the foil in any story is someone who's opposite of the protagonist. They encourage the main character to grow throughout the plot by holding reverse opinions, world views, or values.

Examples: God and Satan in Paradise Lost; Lennie and George in Of Mice and Men

The Symbolic Character

Characters can be great by themselves, but many times they will represent something the author is trying to talk about through their work. A symbolic character is the representation of an aspect of society, an idea, or theme.

Examples: the raven in The Raven (symbolizes the narrator's grief and the presence of death in general); Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia series (symbolizes God/Jesus)

The Deuteragonist

Deuteragonists are also called the secondary characters. They're the closest characters to the protagonist throughout their journey. They give the story more depth, either through their close relationship with the protagonist or by working against them as or alongside the antagonist.

Examples: Edward Cullen in the Twilight series; Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio

The Tertiary

You'll rarely see a tertiary character more than a few times in a story. They're background characters that most often create minor conflict on the protagonist's journey with their primary conflict. Tertiary characters add depth to a story's world, but aren't essential to the plot.

However, tertiary characters are important! Without them, there would be no nosy server at your protagonist's favorite coffee shop or supportive librarian at your main character's library.

Examples: Parvati and Padma Patil in Harry Potter; Madame Stahl in Anna Karenina

The Love Interest

Ah, the love interest. They are the secondary integral part of any romantic plot line and may challenge the protagonist to grow through introducing new experiences or points of view.

Examples: Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games series; Will Traynor in Me Before You

The Confidante

Characters who are confidants are literary devices that help the protagonist reveal their secrets, state of mind, intentions, flaws, and feelings while all of those things are actively changing throughout a story. They can also represent real-life relationships by maintaining a healthy friendship or a manipulative friend.

Examples: Horatio in Hamlet; Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings series

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Many of these character types merge to create stories with more depth. Defining your existing or future characters with these terms could help you figure out their role in the plot and how to make your story stronger by flexing the purposes of each type.