swapstories101

[swapstories101]

The Robot Apocalypse came. Cities are empty, you stayed since you’re almost out of insulin and will die soon anyway. The robots find you and while processing you one of them sees your insulin pump and asks if you want to apply for dual citizenship, since the pump technically makes you a cyborg.

#Just so we're clear- this story actually made me cry when I was supposed to be having a conversation with my spouse about bbq #it's so good

[swapstories101]

You are a guard in a fantasy world. You notice a man in elegant armor kick a chicken in the streets. In your lawful rage, you manage to kill this man in the name of justice. To your dismay, you realize you just killed The Chosen One. You just doomed the world.

#why is this so gooood?

[swapstories101]

Why does the third of the three brothers, who shares his food with the old woman in the wood, go on to become king of the country? Why does James Bond manage to disarm the nuclear bomb a few seconds before it goes off rather than, as it were, a few seconds afterwards? Because a universe where that did not happen would be a dark and hostile place. Let there be goblin hordes, let there be terrible environmental threats, let there be giant mutated slugs if you really must, but let there also be hope. It may be a grim, thin hope, an Arthurian sword at sunset, but let us know that we do not live in vain.

Terry Pratchett, “Let There Be Dragons” (A Slip of the Keyboard)

#advice #writing advice #all of this #this is the best

[swapstories101]

Let’s say your matrilineal line is fairly consistent and everyone has their daughter at 25. So four women in your matrilineal line are born every hundred years. In a thousand years, that’s only 40 women. Like the math is so simple and yet ? You don’t think about it. So in 2000 years, 80 women. So basically, 0 AD started roughly about 80 mothers ago. That’s it.

#idk #prompt #prompts #I guess #generations

[swapstories101]

Unfinished June Story - 2018

An unfinished monthly short story from last year.

The prompt was “write a story about family.”

Jocelyn was the one who made it most like a home. They hadn’t expected that of her, of course, and it was startling because she hadn’t even been a part of the family yet when they picked the house. They picked it for a whole list of reasons. Of course they knew it wasn’t perfect and it never would be- the dining room was too small and there wasn’t pantry space for everything, but there were two extra bedrooms and a little garden space. The living room wasn’t big enough for everyone to sit together comfortably, but there was a fence around the back yard for the dogs. It wasn’t so much the choosing of the house that was an issue. Rather, Maisie had summer school and Jay had camp, so their things didn’t get unpacked very quickly. As Maisie’s primary guardian, Allison had been helping them, but she soon got sick. Hailey’s work hours were so hectic that she hardly had time to unpack her own things. That left Jack and Lisa to unpack most of the house. A few months after the move, all the necessities were in place but the decor had fallen so far behind that boxes of everyone’s favorite framed pictures went

#unfinished #prompt #prompts #story per month 2018 #story per month #mine

[swapstories101]

Submarine Story

Found this in an old folder. Think I wanted to add some more, but it is a bit late by now.

I’m trying to write a story a week according to these prompts. This is my short story for week 13, based on the following prompt:

“A story that takes place entirely within a vehicle.”

Sarah  pressed her forehead against the window and closed her eyes, holding onto a big gulp of breath for for as long as she could. Sometimes, right when it started to hurt too much, right before her body made her let go, she could see the little shimmers of blue and green that reminded her of those iridescent scales she almost thought she’d seen last week. Back then, they were still on track and could see the sky fine. Then they had found these weird rocks which weren’t like anything on the map, and they had been so many birds that they’d bustled Sarah down into her room and hadn’t let her back up to the deck for the last four days.

Yesterday, they’d gone a bit deeper. It was still shallow enough for light to illuminate the plants and animals that surrounded them, but Sarah could see that the seaweed was closer now, and the sun farther away. Jake had refused to answer her questions when he brought her dinner yesterday, and seemed so upset that she hadn’t bothered to ask today.

Sarah shifted uncomfortably. She’d opted for underwear today, rather than boxers, because this made her more comfortable and looked better with her dress, but girls’ underwear never quite fit right. Today felt... important, though, and she felt the need to look nice for whatever events lay ahead.

In the distance, something caught the light, and Sarah leaned forward. She had to be sure. Yes, there were the bright blues and greens that she had seen several days ago, the soft browns and- yes. As Sarah watched, a hand appeared on the other side of the window, and she jumped. She put her pale, small hand up against the window, and she jumped. She put her pale, small hand up against the elegant one on the other side of the glass, and soon a face appeared to match those long fingers and smooth river-stone nails. The face was smooth as well, little rivulet creases coursing down around the eyes and sinking into little tidepool shadows around the forehead and the corners of the mouth.

The eyes were like a cat’s eyes, one slitted pupil surrounded by flecks.

Sarah watched the hair (white puffs of the tiniest curls she could imagine) swish to one side, then the other as the face through the window turned one way, then the next.

The purple lips opened, and no bubbles came out, as if maybe this being had never seen air at all. The lips shaped words, but Sarah couldn’t hear her, and couldn’t make out the shapes on those lips well enough to recognize the words. She frowned.

“What did you say?”

The face on the other side of the glass froze for a moment, then began to speak again, frantically. Here and there, Sarah could make out a muffled sound, but never a word. The hand smashed against the glass once, twice, three times, and corresponding frustration washed over the creature’s facial features. Frowning, Sarah decided to help. After all, she desperately wanted to know what this majestic creature was trying to tell her.

The submarine wasn’t really fit to submerge, and Sarah had overheard some of the debate, when they set out, about whether it was even suitable for a surface-level voyage. They had sunk a little deeper throughout the day, and Sarah remembered that the conversation back on land had been all about the windows breaking. Maybe now...

Grabbing her little reading chair from its spot in the corner of the room, Sarah pulled it quickly over to the window. On the other side of the glass, the creature silently watched as Sarah hoisted the chair up over her head, then darted away in fear as Sarah threw the chair hard against the window. Sarah rushed to the window. A few yards away,her brown and blue friend was shimmering nervously, inching tentatively back. Knowing that the chair would scare the creature just as much the second time, Sarah threw it against the window again, this time getting a little more force behind it.

The window cracked.

It cracked like a spiderweb, and Sarah let the chair lie where it fell, opting instead to hit the window with her fists once, twice, three times, trying to open up a space to talk. The creature came closer and watched. When Sarah pulled back in pain from a sliver of glass in her hand, the creature on the other side pushed clear through the glass.

Sarah jumped a little bit, but then ran forward. The creature appeared to be gone but she couldn’t quite see through the water rushing in. She spun around as the door banged open behind her. It was Jake.

“Sarah, what the hell?” he exclaimed, shocked for a moment in the doorway. For a few seconds, Sarah just stood, watching the water soak into her blankets, her books, and her dress.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

Then Jake scooped her up and carried her out of the room, with no protests from Sarah.

“There was a- there was a...” she started, but she couldn’t describe the shimmer-blue scales in any way that excused the water still rushing around Jake’s shoes as they rushed through the hallway. He didn’t respond to her attempted statement; rather, he put her down on the steps at the other end of the hall and rushed back toward her room. Without Jake there, the sound of water in the dark hall was overwhelming. Sarah poked her toe into the water as it crept up the steps in inches, and suddenly it seemed that she could hear hundreds of voices singing the strangest song she’d ever heard.

And the ship went down and the ship went down and the ship-

She pulled her foot away from the water again, and the only sounds she could hear were the rushing of water, and Jake struggling with something in her room.

Sarah put her feet solidly in the water. The sound washed over her, loud and close.

And the ship went down and the ship went down and the ship went down (come home!)

And the ship went down and the ship went down and the ship went down (come play with me!)

And the ship went down and the ship went down and the ship went down (we’re hungry!)

And the ship went down and the ship went down and the ship went down (to the bottom) to the bottom of the sea.

#mine #52 weeks #52 weeks 2016

[swapstories101]

The hero shows up at the villain’s doorstep one night. They’re shivering, bleeding, scared. There’s also a slightly dazed look in their eyes– they were drugged. They look like they were assaulted. Looking up at the villain, swaying slightly as they’re close to passing out, they mumble “…didn’t know where else to go…” then collapse into the villain’s arms.

#superhero #superheroes #villain #villains #ya

[swapstories101]

Just in case this needs to be said:

It’s the first draft. Use the word “suddenly.” Put as many dialogue tags and adverbs as you want. Say “he saw” “she remembered” “she felt” “they wondered” as many times as you need to. Put the em dash there, put in too many commas, use semi-colons with reckless abandon. Type in [whatever] instead of thinking up a title for something. Just write it. If you worry too much about the particulars, about all the advice posts you’ve seen saying whatever you’re doing is wrong or not good enough, you won’t get anything done. It will slow you down as you go back and try to reword what you just wrote to make it better, proper. The first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be done. And when you get to the end, you’ll find that all those “mistakes” are just clues for your future self to put together to make it all better.

Putting in adverbs and certain dialogue tags are a note for you as to who is saying something and how they’re saying it. When you’re editing, you can make sure it shows through the story instead. The word “suddenly” is a reminder to make things more abrupt. The first draft is just you mapping out where you want to go and how you want to get there. Don’t waste time trying to get it 100% right now, because then it will never get done. Don’t think too much– just write. Save the thinking for editing later.

#first draft #blahblahblah #advice

[swapstories101]

LET ME TELL Y’ALL ABOUT THIS WRITING APP

Fighter’s Block is the best writing app I’ve come across in a long time.

You type in the amount of words you want to write and as you write, your mini lil avatar fights a monster. Each word you write acts a hit towards your monster, and once you’ve hit your word count the monster is defeated!!!

How cute!!!!

Work quick though as how long you spent not writing decreases your avatar’s health. It’s a productive fight to the death against the clock!

Best things about this app:

You can PAUSE it!!!! Need go get a cup of tea? Need to sneeze? You can!!!!!

Settings are adjustable! You can change the monster’s speed and the attacks!

You can change the theme and font!

You can level up!!!!! The number of words you write equals your EXP. You can unlock one avatar thus far, but I believe there may be more in the future!

You can minimise the fight above if it serves as a distraction, and only show the decreasing green bar.

Best of all: If you don’t hit the target word count in time, YOUR WORK DOES NOT DISAPPEAR. In the past I’ve lost so much work because I wasn’t typing fast enough, or sneezed.I cannot express enough how thankful I am that it presents a challenge where the consequence is a knock of pride and not a fit of rage.

Honestly, I urge all writers out there to give this app a go. It’s my new favourite thing. 

#I still like fighter's block #lol ya #tools #fighter's block

[swapstories101]

Limits of the Human Body

Body Heat = 107.6 F

Cold Water = 40 F

Hot Air = 300 F

High Altitude = 15,000 ft

Starvation = 45 days

Diving Depth = 282 ft

Lack of Oxygen = 11 minutes

Blood Loss = 40%

Dehydration = 7 days

#reference #death reference #hmm

[swapstories101]

writing tip: don’t tell us your character’s backstory. don’t tell us what your character is thinking. don’t tell us what your character is doing. don’t tell us anything. the reader should simply look at a blank page and be suddenly overcome with emotion.

#relateable

[swapstories101]

Surviving a Desert

Only move at dusk and dawn. 

Cover yourself. The sun is an old and angry thing. 

Try not to leave tracks. 

Not all that is visible is real. 

Not all that is real is visible. 

When you start hearing the voices of the dead, settle down and do not move. They will pass you by. 

Do not approach caravans. 

Dreams had in the desert are either prophetic or real. Decide wisely which to believe. 

There are no wolves here. You will hear them anyway. 

Never rest in the bottom of a dune valley. 

Do not speak to anything that has not proven itself to be human. 

When the sand shakes, run. 

Cover your mouth. The sand will coat your lungs. 

Seeing things in the day is not a problem. Seeing things at night should be.  

Never play the flute. 

Always carry a sack of sugar for hungry things. 

You are meat. Do not forget this fact. 

If there is something in your periphery, do not look at it. It wants you to. 

Dig yourself into the ground in a sandstorm. The wind will take you away. 

The flames are not real. 

The shadows are not real. 

Never close your tent flap all the way. It is impolite. 

Never let your lantern go out. 

The ancient have no love for the young. 

Do not drink water offered to you. 

Do not watch the dancers. They will trick you. 

There should be no clouds. If there are, move until they disappear. 

Travel alone. You will invariably lose your companions. 

Someone will cry out for help. Do not follow the voice. 

The murmurs of veiled ones are to be disregarded.

More guides

How to Befriend the Monster Under Your Bed

Rules For Ghost Hunting and Such For People Who Do Not Normally See Them  

#desert #prompt #prompts #setting #settings

[swapstories101]

tips for writing more

As someone with adhd I have a lot of trouble being productive and staying focused. This year i’ve developed a few techniques that have really helped me write more!

Write for a set amount of time Every day I write for one hour. Sometimes I don’t write much, other times I write a lot. What’s important is that I have one hour every day to sit down and do it. Making it a habit is important! Also, the fact that I have a set end point helps me to focus. 

Have a writing space I never seem to be able to focus as well when i’m writing from bed. Now what I do is I have a table in the living room, and I go there to write. That’s what I do there, and when I sit down at that table, it puts me in the mindset to write. 

Have writing music I have playlists for certain stories! Personally I have to listen to ones that are soft and mostly instrumental. When I listen to the playlist, I know it’s time to write!

Have a writing candle This one might be a personal thing, but I like to have a scent associated with a task. 

anyone else have specific things they do that help them focus or be productive?

#writing #I'm back in my 'I never write but here's a writing blog' frame of mind lol

[swapstories101]

Some ideas for bad things that are white/light:

lightning, very hot fire

snow storms, ice, frost on crops

some types of fungus/mold

corpses, ghosts, bones, a diseased person

clothing, skin tone, hair, etc. of a bad person

fur, teeth, eyes of an attacking animal/monster

bleached out deserts, dead trees, lifeless places

poison

Some ideas for good things that are black/dark:

rich earth/soil

chocolate, truffles, wine, cooked meat

friendly animals/pets/creatures

a character’s favorite vehicle, technology, coat, etc.

a pleasant night

hair, skin tone, clothing, etc. of a good person

undisturbed water of a lake

the case/container of something important

valued wood, furniture, art

velvet

Think to burn, to infect, to bleach vs. to enrich, to protect, to be of substance.

#woot #reblogging this again because it's been a minute and I think about this post a lot #race #light and dark #advice #details #color #n2s

[swapstories101]

You have the power to give life to anything, as long as it resembles something living that already exists. Origami animals, drawings, toys, etc. One day, you find an old painting of a god, and accidentally bring it to life.

#prompt #prompts #magic

[swapstories101]

Repeat after me, kids: 

Fanfiction is not now nor ever will be a waste of time, uncreative, or automatically inferior to canon. 

It is an invaluable tool that enriches fandom and allows authors to build their creative chops in a setting that encourages feedback and communal discussion. 

In some cases, fandoms with disappointing canon material can be kept alive solely through the work of dedicated fan-authors, fan-artists, and other content creators.

Do not let anyone suggest that fan-work is without value. 

#fanfic #fanfics #fanfiction #fanfiction appreciation post

[swapstories101]

Lesser known forms of shipping:

Authorship – shipping a writer with their own OC

Censorship – the ship that dare not speak its name

Championship – shipping whoever’s left

Courtship – shipping of legal practitioners

Dictatorship – shipping of author-approved couples

Flagship – shipping of sovereign nations

Hardship – shipping two characters specifically because they cause each other to suffer

Horsemanship – self-explanatory

Internship – a ship that someone’s not getting paid enough for

Membership – shipping of individual body parts

Mothership – shipping a character as another character’s mother

Ownership – shipping a character with their pet

Partisanship – shipping of polearms (see also: bipartisanship)

Partnership – shipping of FBI agents

Readership – shipping a character with yourself

Relationship – shipping based on mathematical proximity

Rulership – shipping of units of measurement

Showmanship – shipping of P T Barnum

Spaceship – shipping of celestial bodies

Township – shipping of communities

#shipping #both accurate and relevant... lol