#garrettext

[garrettwrites]

I encourage everyone to write stories set in their "not common setting" countries/cities. I've been letting go of my typical french/italian/english/USAnian places and aesthetics and cultures and... writing comes so much easier and richer.

I can describe in great detail our summer festivities, the taste of wine and beer as you dance to folksongs and pimba, the touch of the moon since the festivities take place at night to shield the skin from the summer sun. I can describe the dances, laughter, the crude songs, the people keeping tradition and wearing historical folk clothes. The stories, the sayings, the touch of madness. The groups of young adults and teenagers taking a break to smoke, the old men and women who fight all the time laughing over a plate of roasted pork. The children with stars in their eyes, too young to remember previous parties, looking at the lights as their ribs vibrate with music. In regular days, the cafés with families and friends paying only for one coffee and staying two hours. The beer. The exasperated voices of those too tired to get mad. The bite of older, cynical individuals. The kindness of an old lady who stops you on the street for a twenty minute chat despite you not knowing each other.

It's so much real. Much truer. Much intoxicating.

Write stories set in your home. It hits different. This is for a vampire story, you would not expect the two to merge, but they do.

#writeblr #writing advice #garrett.text #garrettext

[garrettwrites]

Update: I've started re-writing from scratch the almost 40k words I had on my vampire story WIP (goal is between 70k to 90k... Hope I don't go overboard, as I usually do). Sometimes you just need to start over, especially when you find yourself hitting a wall because the reasoning behind the characters' actions makes no sense.

For instance, I was never able to fully work out why the vampire and the vampire hunter started working together. The original version gave them a shared goal, but it deviated from the plot too much, while also leaving me quite unsatisfied and unmotivated. It also made their eventual progress to romance not flow how I wanted it to.

The solution was taking a five month break to explore the side characters and develop them in a completely different direction than what I was originally going to, get rid of people who didn't matter, and fully work out the city and which factions lived there, as well as which played major roles. Which I started over from zero. Because good god, I grew past the things my younger self thought were cool.

Now I am finally able to give them a good reason to work together. They do it NOT because they want to in order to achieve a goal, but because they need to.

I'm also happy with how I worked out the hunters' relationships with the vampires. I might make a post later on it (spoiler free of course, I do wanna publish this three years from now when I'm finally free from certain money related inconveniences).

Oh, and there's a werewolf now. Her pack is the vampires. Just because I can (and also because she's good for the plot and the characters' relationships).

#garrettext #blood hunt - og work #new tag for this bad boy #writeblr

[garrettwrites]

Follow me on Twitter for more vampire nonsense

#writeblr #vampires #writing #vampire aesthetic #Twitter #Vampire lore #Modern vampires #Vampire prompts #garrettext

[garrettwrites]

Can villains just be evil? No justification?

The answer is yes, but not in the way you think.

You can absolutely have an antagonist that is just a complete piece of garbage. A manipulative bastard, a person who craves violence, a destructive force of nature, or someone who acts so wild you can't even predict their next action no matter how hard you try. They don't need a tragic backstory, or to have been treated badly in order to be what we consider "morally screwed".

In fact, I believe giving your villain a sob story for purely justification means doesn't work. The reason why is very simple: your villain can have their backstory reflect on why they behave like they do, if they were created with such story in mind. If the backstory is there as an afterthought to try to justify their actions, it falls flat. No, giving a flashback of the villain's parents not letting them visit their friends isn't an instant "oh poor character A, they weren't socialized as a kid! Makes perfect sense they now wanna ruin relationships!".

However, this doesn't mean they would be just empty vessels for the author to put all evil in the world inside of them. There should still be a logical conclusion as to why they behave like that, or at least something that remotely makes sense.

For example, let's assume your villain had a normal childhood. Not the best, their parents still argued with them from time to time like all parents do, maybe their grades weren't top of the class but they still were good enough to get them a scholarship later on, maybe they had a pet turtle that they liked, and a stable group of friends.

Yet your villain slowly grew up hating stability. Despite their outer appearance and actions, they were perpetually bored. They craved something more. One day they get the chance to unleash just a small, momentary chaos inside their workspace, and suddenly, they feel joy and entertainment for the first time in a while.

They get addicted. Walking outside the norm and triggering chaotic situations breaks away from the slow spin their world did up until then. Small pranks become bigger and bigger, until your character is out there burning the world down for fun, no matter if innocents get hurt or killed.

In this scenario, nothing tragic happened to them. They were just bored, and found joy in morally questionable actions. This would work if you want an unpredictable villain that can't be "saved" by making them see their past doesn't reflect them, since they aren't bad because their past was horrible, they're bad for shits and giggles. Yes, it makes them borderline irredeemable, but you don't need to redeem all your antagonists. And if you want to, making such a character turn for the good requires more skill and thought than most do, which would be a fun work in on itself.

Many villains can follow this formula. A villain kills because they enjoy seeing life drain out of their victims. A villain is a greedy boss of a billion dollar company because they love the luxury few can afford. A villain is monstrous because they decided being human just wasn't that fun.

You don't need a tragic reason or a plot twist for your antagonist to be bad. You just need to convince the reader their motives, morals or ambitions are so strong they push "good, acceptable" behaviour aside to have their way.

#writeblr #writing #villains #writing villains #writing advice #antagonist #antagonists #garrettext

[garrettwrites]

More vampire stuff. This time vampire jobs, since you all loved my last post so much.

CONTINUATION IN NOTES

#writeblr #vampires #writing #garrettext #vampire aesthetic #vampire lore #vampire prompts #vampire jobs #modern vampires

[garrettwrites]

While sure vampires wouldn't need to kill you still can't get around the fact that no matter what they would need to hurt people to live like sure they may not be a murderer but they're still an abuser or a blood thief or a serial rapist or an animal abuser

Personally I'd like to see vampires that carry that guilt but cope with different ways within the same story like maybe one will go into denial ("But they liked it!") or self-hatred ("I'm a monster") or detachment ("Humans are just food")

Sorry!! I didn't see this ask!

For me personally, I generally like to go with the "Blood Banks are available" option. My main character still drinks straight from humans, but blood banks are good because they open paths for 2 different ideas (which can happen in the same universe too):

There are humans or human like creatures that willingly donate blood to vampires. I follow this idea both on my vampire x vampire hunter story (where werewolves and witches share blood in return of favors, and some select humans who are aware of vampires do the same as long as they get turned after x years), and on another one which is set in a fantasy universe (where humans and the small number of vampires existent have good relationships that benefit one another)

The Vampire Blood Banks have blood that was stolen from actual, non-vampire related blood banks. In this idea, vampire doctors/nurses may work in hospitals and smuggle them in, or have other creatures work for them in these regards (which also happens in my vampire x hunter story).

However, not all settings can have this idea. Either because the setting is historical and doesn't allow it, or because the worldbuilding goes against it (either by the nature of the vampires in question, or by the fact humans can't even dream of them being real, or any other worldbuilding reason).

Furthermore, even if banks are available, not all vampires would go to them. Maybe they're only available to the higher ups. Maybe the vampires in question can't hold their urges long enough to reach the blood bags/bottles. Maybe they like to drink while the liquid is still hot and straight from the source.

In these scenarios, what you mentioned falls in line with how I go about it. The only difference being: with age, many stop feeling guilty at all.

Some would view humans like cattle. Yes, the cow is cute, but at the end of the day you gotta kill it to eat. The young children may be sad that their big cow friend died and is now on their plate, maybe even refuse to eat, but as they grow most of them start to accept it. I imagine vampires would work the same way: weird at first, since they once were human. But after months, years, maybe decades... Food is food, no matter how cute it is.

Some, like my character Adriel, would simply pretend the humans enjoyed it weather they died in the process or not: "but they were clearly into it", "they asked for me to bite, they just didn't know how it would affect them", "they said they fantasized about it". This sort of denial or acceptance could be emphasized even more depending on whether the vampire needs to kill or not in order to drink.

Some, like my main character for the romance story (Fen) , would simply accept their monstrosity. Regardless of whether the human liked it or not, they still drank. They still made them falter to blood loss. Maybe it even cost their lives. But "it is what it is", and if being a monster is the price for immortality, they pay it willingly.

"Vegetarianism" on itself may not even work in a story, if human blood is the required one. Animals may lack what it needs to sustain them. A vampire may kill an entire family of sheep before they realize they're still starving, before succumbing to their nature and drinking from the old farmer next.

However, let's assume they can survive on animal blood. How different are they from human drinking vampires, really? Is the sheep not as alive as the farmer? Other vampires may call them hypocrites. Especially because one human may satisfy them for a week, while the vegetarian needs to kill 10 chickens or more in the same time frame. That technically is 10 lives, while the human drinking vampire only takes 1.

And do the vampires need to kill? Can't they just drink a bit from different people? If so, you can probably drink without even killing anyone. The vegetarian, however, will probably need to kill their prey.

And this is not even getting into the sexual aspect that many stories and lore may portray. If lust and feeding are connected directly, whether sexual acts happen or not, this will also impact all of the above.

I will leave this here cause I already wrote too much, but getting into specifics with vampires is always fun!

I know you sent me another question but I'll see when I can answer it!

#writeblr #vampires #writing #Vampire lore #garrettext #Ask box stuff

[garrettwrites]

Honestly, if you are writing monsters, supernatural creatures or beings that aren't human... Write them as they are.

Let's talk about vampires first, since I'm currently writing a vampire story due to quarantine making me self indulge. In Blood Hunt, my main character is unapologetically a monster - it's not that he's not relatable to humans, because he is in fact more human than vampire hunters (he is curious, adventurous, lives his undead state to its fullest, appreciates the small things like poorly made pottery or small forgotten pieces of art).

However, he isn't human. He drinks blood from an alive body whenever he can. He categorizes humans he does not know by blood type, diets and diseases. He manipulates specific humans with the sole intent of biting. He looks at others like we look at a fresh piece of fruit or meat at the market. He's stronger, faster and since he doesn't abide by human laws, he has no regrets when he punches someone straight in the stomach and makes them need a doctor because oh, this person annoyed me and insulted my sire, they deserve no less than a broken rib or a claw to the throat.

It's not like he isn't partly human or has no morals - he doesn't kill, he is sad he can't keep pets because most are scared of him, he is shocked the first time he enters a supermarket in 2020 because none of that was available when he was young... But he embraces the monster inside.

The higher vampires don't, to the point they are a caricature of themselves. They pretend they are so above, that they don't need to dirty their skin by sipping straight from a human while keeping human donors. By pretending to be a vampire from stories, they deny the monster inside to the point they are neither monstrous or human. Only a blood sucking thing that is bored to their core.

Let's talk about another creature I also write about (this time, since I was 10) - the Fae (or faeries/fairy). They abide by entire different laws. They have a bloodlust, they are easily crossed, they are petty and picky and on a realm so different they probably look at us like we look at cats or dogs - cute, interesting, but so less smart. They can't lie, yet they don't even need to twist their words around each other because hey, this is a fae too, why bother.

They don't love the way humans do. They don't really hate the way humans do. They don't even look human - more like mixes of bugs, animals and plants when in their true forms while looking vaguely humanoid. Why would they care about looking law abiding to us either? Oh, I can't steal from you? Too bad, you accepted my cup of tea three years ago so I am entitled to your new shoes. You crossed my sister? Too bad, you can't speak anymore. You decided to take your friends chance at dancing in this recital because "she doesn't deserve the spot"? Well, you shall dance for us forever. They blow stuff out of proportion because their proportions are their own.

This applies to shapeshiters, witches, mermaids, banshees, orcs, literally anyone else. Even elves, who are sort of human looking, should feel other.

And don't get me started on intercourse. Please, if you are writing R18 stuff in your story, don't write it in the human way. If I wanted regular sexual content I wouldn't read a supernatural piece. Be creative. Vampires have no blood circulation so they don't get hard, werewolves probably have different genitalia and like to mark, the fae can barely reproduce so I doubt they even fuck the same way, etc.

But hey, that's my take on it. If you wanna drop how you write a certain species, please let me know because I love different approaches to non-human beings!

#writeblr #writing #vampires #werewolves #Fae #Faeries #Prompts #Lore #Writing vampires #Writing fairies #Monsters #Writing monsters #garrettext

[garrettwrites]

I'm re-reading the 25k words I have on Blood Hunt because I completely hate where the plot is going and need to re-write it and...

Gods, I truly am indulging in this modern vampire character I always wanted to write. Here are somethings about him I wish more vampires had nowadays:

Vampires who aren't ashamed of what they are. I wish more stories dropped the "oh I'm a monster" struggle, especially modern stories where blood banks exist. Your vampire doesn't need to kill unless they want to

Vampires who feel alive. Not because their heart beats, but because immortality showed them a world beyond of what they would ever see if they were mortal. Vampires who are so in tune with the simple things of life and the emotions surrounding them that, out of everyone in the room, they are the ones who feel the most bubbly and present.

Vampires who see their existence as a gift rather than a curse. Who see their powers as a fair trade for their diet. Who worship the fact they got centuries ahead of them to explore the world.

Vampires who mingle freely with humans, not because they want to bite but because humans are fun and quick yet vile and harsh and oh, were they once like that too? Is this what humanity feels like? Nice.

Vampires who drink and drink and have types of blood they prefer, types of people they prefer to drink from. Vampires who actually pick and choose what they eat because hey, they have taste.

Vampires in weird fashion because they gotta hide from the sun so yes, Becky, I am wearing a turtleneck, gloves and a large hat in the middle of summer, bye.

Vampires are, in a way, sexual. But with no blood or heartbeat... Please, more stories where the male vampire can't have and erection yet still makes do.

Talking about that, more stories where drinking and sex are related. It's called blood lust for a reason, let's stop pretending it isn't meant to be erotic at times.

Just... Vampires being vampires, but in a modern time. None of that human vs of oh, drinking is bad, oh I'm a monster. For us they may be monsters, but for them? They are the bestand they live their deaths the best they can.

#writeblr #garrettext #vampires #writing #writers on tumblr #vampire tropes #vampire lore

[garrettwrites]

Hunter - Vampire Hunter

"I don't know what I am. Vampire, witch, a mix of both, a mix of nothing - it's all meaningless to me, it's all the same to them. All that matters, all that I really am, is a hunter. Your pretty words and empty promises won't change that. Your life may be plagued with fortune and bubbling with joy, but people like me don't get to pick and choose what we become."

WIP of one of my main characters from "Blood Hunt". He is the only survivor of an experiment where they mixed vampire venom with witch blood. He lost all of his magic in the process, but in return, he doesn't have the sun weakness vampires do and can eat regular food, all the while having watered down vampiric powers. Thus, he is a valuable tool for the hunters, someone who can keep up with his prey even if they try to escape. Needless to say, he will undergo plenty of development for this enemies to lovers book.

Also. I know. Original character name. Leave me be, I called him hunter so many times the name stuck. It's not even his real name anyway.

#writeblr #vampires #writing #aesthetic #vampire aesthetic #modern vampires #Vampire hunter #Witch #Hybrid #writers on tumblr #Wip #garrettext #Blood hunt: hunter

[garrettwrites]

Writing Vampires is Fun

 I think the most interesting, yet nerve wreaking part of writing vampire characters is building the lore around them. Because let’s be real, everyone has a different take on vampires nowadays, and finding the balance between relatively original and outright ridiculous can be hard sometimes.

 The questions that should be asked are: what are their weaknesses? What are their strengths? How harmful is sunlight, really? Does the moon reflecting the sun harm them? Is it direct or indirect sunlight that burns them (as in, can they walk outside during a cloudy day or not)? Or is it just UV light? What else kills them? Do they have blood in their veins or not? Do their hearts beat or are they literally walking corpses? Do they require sleep? Does animal blood sustain them? How long can they go without blood in their system? Are there different types of vampires, and if so, how different are they? Can they cry, bleed, have an erection, produce saliva? Are their bites just literal bites or do they inject something in the human to make them collaborate? How do they suck blood (do they have hollow teeth, do they absorb anything that passes their fangs, or do they use the teeth to pry open the skin and then literally suck down)? How is a vampire made? Is it reversible? 

 And then comes the psychological aspect of it: how does immortality affect them? Does turning change their personality? Can vampires feel love, hate, lust, sadness, etc? How does their mind shift if they don’t drink blood, if it shifts at all? Is drinking too much an addiction or a choice? Can they form strong bonds with other vampires, or is it all a game to them? Can they control themselves around humans? Are humans just cattle to them, or do they enjoy their company? Do they have hobbies, hold a job, go to school?

 And, if you have werewolves, witches, or any other creature in your story, you can even wonder what the history with said species is.

 I’m really loving building up this world and the characters from it. My main character Stephen (or Fen for short) is really into his immortal, walking corpse state, so writing all of this down is both an headache and a fun way to develop him further.

#writeblr #writing #writing vampires #vampire characters #vampires #garrettext

[garrettwrites]

Writing needs to be a bit self-indulging in my opinion. If you don’t love your story, characters, setting - how can a reader love it? How can someone connect to something that was made just to be made instead of being cherished? 

 Yes, following plot lines and making it cohesive and “professional” is good. But on a first draft, or when you want to get your feelings out? It’s good to indulge. You may be writing for others to feel connected and emotional about your words, but writing is an art and art is soulless if the artist doesn’t put his heart into it.

#writeblr #writing #garrettext