#linkedsoul

[b4kuch1n]

HAPPY YEAR OF THE CAT!!!

happy year of the cat!! 🐱🐈🐱🐈🐱🐈🐱🐈🐱🐈🐱🐈

#ask #linkedsoul #bakuspeech #hi it's lunar 1st! I ate well! a 2hr car ride but otherwise preddy good #now Im gonna get some work done. I should at least finish blocking out the base colors for this one #and then! sleep! and maybe light gambling #tho I have no hope of winning against this crowd... #hope ur lunar new year's goin well too!! hope ur eating good food and having good time. #have a good rest of the day! and the one after too!

[finnlongman]

Very random question fueled by the hype about your incoming Laeg paper (also other random question but... Pacific Rim/Iron Widow style reimagining of Laeg and Cu Chulainn when??) but do you have any tips/templates on writing an academic article for publication?

I have never actually seen Pacific Rim, though the concept appeals to me greatly; I have however read Iron Widow and... yes, I am 100% here for this concept. Would love to see someone write that fic.

And... honestly, I don't have too much advice to give on that front. I guess a few generic tips:

Read recently published articles in your field to get a sense of length, style, tone etc. These may vary by journal, so look for one that seems to suit the kind of thing you'd be going for.

It might help to seek out other postgraduate articles, eg in the proceedings of student-run conferences, to get a sense of what other scholars at a similar level are doing. It's hard to always be comparing yourself to the big names in the field – give yourself a break!

An article needs to contribute knowledge to the field, whereas a student essay can just evaluate the knowledge that's already there. So if you're adapting work that you did as a student, consider whether it has something to add that nobody's said yet.

For me, in recent years this has meant working with texts and characters nobody cares about. Before, when I was working more on Cú Chulainn, it was about introducing theoretical frameworks that are under-utilised in my field. You can pick a big topic in the field and go argue with somebody famous, but that's a tough way to start; better to choose a small corner that nobody's looked at in a while and say, "Hey, actually this is interesting." You might even convince them.

In Celtic Studies, editions and translations are useful, so this can be a good place to start, if you have skills in that area: they serve a purpose to other scholars and provide a foundation for future work, which means they're worth publishing. In other fields, there are probably other things that are useful. If you don't already have an article in mind, figure out what would be useful to yourself and others in your field, as it might help you get a foot in the door.

As far as I can tell: Undergrad is when you think, "Huh, odd how nobody's done that." Masters is when you think, "Okay but somebody really needs to do that." PhD is when you go, "Ugh, FINE, I guess I'm doing that." Articles can be this, but on a smaller scale. What is it that you wish somebody else had done or pointed out or emphasised before? That sounds like a niche that needs filling.

Pick your journals carefully. I have very little experience of How To Pick The Right Journal, but you might want to think about things like "is it published online/open access?" or "how complicated are the submission guidelines?" or even "do I get a good vibe from the editor or are they kind of a creep at conferences?"

Conference proceedings are a less intimidating way to tackle a first publication, because you're invited to submit after presenting at the conference, so you already know they're interested. This does mean presenting at a conference, though, but postgrad conferences especially can be very friendly, so it doesn't have to be a huge intimidating big deal.

A well structured article is more convincing than an article that talks in circles for eight pages before getting to the point. Topic sentences are your friend. Make sure the reader knows where each paragraph is going and how one related to the next. Include translations of quotations because no one likes That Guy who randomly sticks bits of Latin in the middle.

"Witty pun or quote: a well-used article title structure" is a legitimate approach to titling.

If you're currently a student, ask your supervisor if they'll read over your article. They might have suggestions for where you could send it, and they'll probably have useful comments.

I don't know if any of that's at all useful. I would say I'm very far from an expert on this front! My articles so far have been:

Adapted from a section of my undergraduate dissertation, but substantially expanded with new theoretical approaches and extra monsters; presented first in greatly abbreviated form at a conference (trans Cú Chulainn article)

More or less directly lifted from a chapter of my MA thesis, just with added introductory material and a few tweaks to make it stand alone; presented first at a conference (Láeg article)

An expanded version of a coursework project consisting of an edition, translation and commentary on a fragmentary text (7 Maines article)

All of them, as you can see, were adapted from work I'd done before, and two were given as conference papers to start with. So I don't have a lot of experience with starting from scratch.

A couple of years back I was googling and I did find a PDF designed for postgrad students that was all about adapting coursework into publications – I think it was from the University of Glasgow. I wouldn't have it to hand and I'm on mobile at present, but perhaps if you Google, you might be able to find something similar, and it might have more helpful advice than me!

#answered #linkedsoul #academia

[sarseemd]

One of my original characters: Riggle Trivedi! He's usually a pretty chill poltergeist but sometimes he reaches his limit

#ghost #original character #linkedsouls #riggletrivedi

[byjillianmaria]

Heads Up 7 Up

Tagged by @cwritesfiction!!

Here are seven sentences from To Consume!

TW: Body horror, horror in general really, Alya is having a No Good Very Bad Day

She scrambles to her feet, but the living room is unfamiliar, the furniture all out of sorts. She hasn’t spent much time in here, since they’ve moved in. The coffee table isn’t where it was back in  Iowa, and she stumbles over it, goes tumbling down. She lands hard on her back, the wind knocked out of her. Matthias looms over her. She can’t see his expression—her vision is blurring, warping. As the room spins, she can’t see his lips or his nose or his forehead but only a mass of eyes caught in folds of skin, undulating across the surface of his face. All of them are staring at her.

Taggingggg @eggletine @linkedsoul @rokokokokolores

[yvesdot]

I'm still working on the end to my Dracula Daily annotations, but for anyone else who's looking for "what's next" to read, and to celebrate all the people who read the darn thing and made the community, I thought we could do a little thread of writers on Tumblr with published vampire things! So reblog with links to your vampire writing, and I'll keep this original post updated to include everyone.

I'll go first: I have the published book Something's Not Right, which includes multiple vampires; the free short story Something Weird I Heard About Rebecca for the LGBT vampire BLOOD&BREATH zine, about vampires and gender and sexuality; and two pieces of flash fiction on Patreon.

Please add on so we can all read more vampires! Marginalized authors especially welcome.

First addition is @thebibliosphere's Hunger Pangs, which is eternally on my list: a polyamorous vampire romance with both an explicit and fade-to-black edition available to read!

Yah Yah Scholfield @fluoresensitive has a free short story available online titled Lavenders. It looks gay as all get-out and, I'll be honest, I'm saving it for a rainy day because 1) I know I will adore it, and 2) when I finish reading it there won't be any more Yah Yah vampwriting left! Just LOOK at those influences & opening lines.

Scaevola @scaevolawrites has been featured in the zine WHAT MUSIC THEY MAKE, for pieces inspired by Dracula!

Amatullah Bourdon @butchniqabi wrote Immortals Chat at the End of the World, which is exactly what it sounds like-- immortals in a chatroom at the end of the world. Beautiful and affecting.

@linkedsoul recommends How to Bite your Neighbor and Win a Wager by @brynwrites: "an incredibly fun and endearing mlm romance novel with just the right touches of spicy (literally at some point) and angsty, and a vampire characterisation (vampirism as marginality and especially disability, which is not something i’d ever seen before) which is super interesting to me as an occasional vampire lore nerd :P"

Aimee Cozza has a blog for her vampwritings here: @marked-for-life

@lilyhargrave and their partner have House Draculesti: "a Dracula-media inspired web serial full of drama and all sorts of queerness, free to read! Just finished the second part, many more to come."

#txt #important writing updates #dracula daily #dracula

[cwritesfiction]

Heads Up Seven Up

Tagged by @words-after-midnight to share 7 (ish) lines!

How about some Dungeons and Dragons? (From It's in the Cards)

“Roll persuasion,” Jacen told them. “And don’t blow it,” Max added. “Don’t worry,” Elliott said, “the only thing I’m about to blow is—holy shit! Another 20! I swear, I’m not bullshitting, you know that’s bad luck. I want to kiss this nerd!” “Then congratulations,” Jacen said flatly. “You’re making out.”

Interested? @byjillianmaria @kaylinalexanderbooks @linkedsoul

#writeblr #it's in the cards

[feytouched]

thank you @bittersweetish for tagging me, this was fun! 🕊️

the rules

take this quiz

do this picrew

tag others: @angefairy @mothprincess @twilit-tragedy @thornvines @chandajaan @veroraine @jovoy @linkedsoul @mercuriian @yvain if you feel like it, no pressure! 🤍

post your results

this quiz @ me: aren't you tired of being nice. don't you just wanna go apeshit (i got the lovable puppy on a first attempt and disagreed intensely with it so i retook it and tbh i still don't think it's that accurate but o well.)

#tag game #ką sako lapė

[gwen-tolios]

Support Your Tumblr Lore Artists!

I love the tumblr lore post in all its reblog chains and have followed so, so many links. And some of those artists and writers have things you can buy! Here's a list of things you can get from users who have enriched the Tumblr community. Please add more links if you find them!

Valor Anthology - featuring work from @mishacakes who created Bride of the Rose Beast

Other Ever Afters - a collection of works from @melgillman including Ranger in the King's Forest and HSTHETE

While the fabulous @dycefic/@elidyce doesn't have a book that I could find, they do have a Patreon.

Fae Deals & Other Tales - a collection of works from @gwen-tolios who wrote the tooth fairy story

A Caffeinated Collection of Curious Accounts - a collection of works from @caffeinewitchcraft who wrote 100-point child and Narrative Town

Dark Cheer: Cryptids Emerging - a cryptid anthology with a story by @laurasimonsdaughter who wrote about the haunted house helping a pair of siblings and @thefishermansfavour

Spellbound - While @linkedsoul is better known for the fae-focused Stories of Qelt, they also have a witch romance!

We Don't Have A Compass - a poem collection by @ridinkedskin, who wrote top 10 superhero

CUTTINGS - art book with comics, featuring @aidosaur Girl With The Skeleton Hand

#tumblr lore #support artists #tumblr writers #tumblr authors #tumblr creators #book recs

[flintbian]

10 songs, 10 people

Tagged by the wonderful @nightspires. Thanks for the tag!

Rules: put your music on shuffle and list the first 10 songs that come up, then tag ten other people.

1) Crimson Faces - Blackbriar

2) Achilles Heel - Dynazty

3) Upsidedown - Lacuna Coil

4) See You In Hell - Ad Infinitum

5) Bye Bye Blue Skies - Darkhaus

6) Call Me Little Sunshine - Ghost

7) Uprising - Muse

8) Eternal Rains - Ad Infinitum

9) Comanche - In This Moment

10) I'm Not Afraid - Emigrate and Cardinal Copia

Tagging: @bisexualspace @letsoulswander @linkedsoul @ferretly @dead-ghost-walking @daisybrien @bees-b @tiofrean @skatzaa @disc0inferno

#oh man this is the best outcome ive ever gotten on one of these things this playlist SLAPS #highly highly recommend everything on here 🤘 #some of my favorite songs in general on here #but lmao jen our music taste is radically different (you may like the gothic metal though) #as always only do if you want! #if you want to be tagged but werent dm me or just say i tagged you 😊 #tag games #p

[batgurl1989]

Writing a Sex Scene:

I am in no way the authority in writing sex scenes, but I have done a tonne of reading of articles and narrowed it down to these points and thought it might be helpful for others.

1) Read a tonne of sex scenes. Figure out what feels off about them. What you like about them. What words take you right out of the moment.

2) Make sure it helps the plot. Not just there so you can say you added a sex scene and therefore your book fits into the most well loved genre (romance or erotica).

3) Depending on your book's Point Of View (POA), writing a sex scene is more about the feelings involved with the act, not just the act itself. It's less mechanical. People don't want to read about how sex works; we've been learning that since elementary school. They want to know why the characters are doing it, how they feel about it as much as how the act feels to them. So make it hot, but add an emotional element. No two set of characters will have sex the same. Let the reader into their minds.

4) Don't be modest. Sex isn't. At least not in romance novels. Don't make it too vague, otherwise the readers won't respond to it.

5) Know your genre, and write accordingly. Historical romance will have less description; it doesn't need 5000 words written about the act. Erotica lays it all out, and can last for chapters.

6) Build tension. In romance novels, sex is always built up to. It changes for each set characters that get there. Depends on the trope you use. Enemies to lovers… that first time will almost be angry and explosive, but can end up changing everything.

7) Keep the sex realistic. Even if your characters aren't human, keep it realistic. Readers don't want to have to think about if the mechanics work (personal note: especially if there is a height difference). Remember: sex can be messy, clumsy, and not perfect.

8) Use the right euphemisms. But don't use silly ones. More on that later.

9) Don't overdo the sex scenes. In my personal opinion, the first sex scene should be the most detailed, and maybe one more. All others can be referenced, like "As I chopped the vegetables for dinner, my mind was still reeling from the day. We went to the market to replenish our ever depleting fridge, enjoying the sun and ocean breeze. Blah blah blah (description of the remembered day) He pulled me down a side alley and had to cover my mouth as he made my world shatter." Or whatever.

10) Change up the type of sex. Readers today are more willing to read about more than just bed sex or missionary or even vaginal sex.

Wording is everything! Notes:

Anatomical words are out. Too medical (penis, vagina)

Stay regional neutral. What is acceptable here isn't across the ocean: pussy here is fanny in the UK as an example

for her: core, wetness, folds, inside, intimate place, most sensitive area

for him: “him” (=”she touched him” – ie his penis), hardness, length

Hardcore (fine for erotica, but too much for romance):

Dick, cock, prick

Cunt, pussy

Clit

Cum, spunk, juices

Medical (instant mood killer):

Penis, erection, glans

Vulva, vagina, labia

Clitoris

Semen, ejaculate

Outdated (flowery and cliche):

Mandhood, rod, shaft, phallus, organ

Silken loins, quim, womanhood

Pearl

Jism, seed

Words I use (Subtler terms):

Length, hardness, length

Core, wetness, inside, folds, entrance

Nub, button

Wetness, fluid

For more words, tumblr is a great resource. This link helped me immensely:

https://www.tumblr.com/linkedsoul/162599877357/words-and-phrases-to-include-in-your-sex-scenes?source=share

#writing #writing sex scenes #writing resources

[pathologising]

I hope you feel better soon girl

If it's any comfort you aren't alone I ALSO feel like garbage right now and the vodka is not going to fix me but it's going to make it easier to cry

Not us being twinsies...#linkedsouls

[hihopelessromantics]

4, 23 and/or 41 for the ask game :)

Question 23: What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

Mermaids. Worldbuilding, society, interesting verbal and body language, fairy tale connotations, varied character design, relationships with other fantasy creatures, creativity-provoking magic system, and potential for Themes, both dark and wholesome, they have it all. I've always been too shy/embarrassed to write aus like that down... but I've seen so many people on here freely enjoying the mermaid things since I realized what MerMay is... maybe this is the month! Also, if you like mermaids, friendship themes, and language, The Waterfire Saga might be a treat for you. That's the series that opened my eyes to the possibilities of the genre.

Question 41: Link a fic that made you think, “Wow, I want to write like that.”

Well, for this fandom, yours have been a great inspiration to me, as well as @7-ratsinatrenchcoat's, but the Original that made me appreciate fanfiction as an art form to the extent I do now is "Scaring Darkness Away" by Linkedsoul. Main theme is darkness, and healing from it. It's my top favorite spinoff of the RPG game that got me into character-based storytelling and psychological horror, Satsuriku no Tenshi. This weird thematically complicated little game absolutely enchanted me when I found the youtube playthroughs for it online. I started reading this fic when I was 13 and did not know to read the tags, and also had zero contact with fandom spaces outside of Pinterest. It was just me and this fic and the daydream universe I made for it for 2+ years. It is unfinished but as I've said (somewhere) I will wait forever and am very content with my experience in the meantime. Stumbling across this did a Lot for my understanding of how interactions between characters can have an impression on the reader and just angst and character writing in general. Not sure what you or anyone would think of it, but I thought it was a wonderful read.

Kay so I went back to look for it and now it's only available to registered AO3 users so guess I'm finally trying again to get an account on there. Never got a response the last time. I'll get back to you on that later. God if it's been deleted I'm going to be emotionally wrecked

Question 4: What detail in [insert fic] are you really proud of?

Ooo, so many. I only have posted a few things, and I would dig for something I could ramble on about, but I'm short on time so for now I'm going to have to go with this line:

"FOOLS. DO YOU REALLY INTEND TO KILL ME? when the dust settles here, you will all be dead, and the Holy War will begin anew!"

"When the dust settles, I’ll be making love to your son on my golden throne, and you’ll be a scorned, forgotten memory."

Possibly the most nsfw line I've ever written 😅 buuuut I love it so much, it requires almost zero context for the desired effect (I think). Plus I just think it hits well. And I can see a badass Elizabeth saying this in the heat of the moment and then her REACTION afterward after realizing what she just said in public... if she's flustered, so funny, and if she totally stands by it and Meliodas gets a little flustered or is in too deep to do anything but stare with lovey-dovey eyes, even better.

That was fun~ see you next time hopefully!

#ask game #:D

[radley-writes]

Ten writeblrs you recommend, go!

Eeeee, good question! I went way over ten because I have 0 self control lmao

@gingerly-writing, obviously - her ideas are :chef's kiss: and I am crouched like a little gremlin in the corner of her discord with both hands held out for a finished manuscript to read. GIB ECO HEIST <3

@cwritesfiction - I love their style! Everything I've read of theirs has been super-fun! Come here for all your urban magic and fun contemporary dorkiness needs!

@byjillianmaria - I loooooooved There's Magic Between Us and have it on my faves shelf! And I had the privilege of beta-reading a different project by her feat. a certain two Greek gods that stayed on my mind for a very long time.

@brynwrites - Their concepts are so incredibly whacky and imaginative and cool. Their writing style is so vivid and descriptive, and I often feel like I'm watching a film in my mind's eye when reading their work!

@linkedsoul - Their Lunar New Love story is lovely, and their poetry is just. Soul-chewing. I don't know how else to describe it, but it tears open my chest in the best possible way!

@fluoresensitive - If you haven't read faer work, you really should. Faer writing made me feel things I have not felt before!

@lowslore - Great fun and I love their mind!!!

@bebewrites - Night Veil is such a cool idea and I want more!

@concerningwolves - Fascinating fantasy - plus they're just an all-round awesome person!

@toboldlywrite - Cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi goodness!

@avi-why - Rad queer concepts that catch a fistful of my heartstrings and pull.

@goose-books - Their writing is DELICIOUS, their concepts JUICY, and I will read literally anything they create.

@incandescent-creativity - Their comic sans WIP powerpoint idea is a gift to the community... as she is herself! I want FLOAT!!

@cactusprincewrites - I've been gobbling up his short stories recently! Go check them out!

@asablehart - Just some of the most beautiful, haunting dark gothic writing and art I've ever had the privilege of feasting my eyes on!

PLUS TOO MANY OTHERS TO ENNUMERATE <3 I haven't been huuuuugely active in the writing community on tumblr for a while - my shitty health turn plus the pandemic blues really nuked both my creativity and my socialising spoons. I'm slowly rebuilding, and trying to get to know a few more of the fresh faces in the community - so if you're not on this list but think you should be.... this is your call to shoot me an ask and tell me about your fave WIP ;)

P.S. - if I got anyone’s pronouns wrong, just lmk and I apologise!

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #follow these folks!

[sarseemd]

"I'm very happy with the hands in this piece. I just stuck my hands up and kept guessimate-checked my sketch as I went along. This piece was meant to portray a feeling of unease, and zeroing in on where the girl feels something brushing against her neck.

    To my old watchers, if you're seeing this, these characters will look familiar. That's because these are Riggle and Maude from one my original stories, Linked Souls. Riggle isn't normally a threatening ghost. Heck, for a poltergeist he's a jokester more than a true haunt. Alas I had to mold him to fit for the sake of this piece. It's not the nicest work of my portfolio, but I still had fun with it."                     -Sarsee

#tw: eyestrain #original characters #riggletrivedi #maudecauldwell #linkedsouls #ghost #poltergeist #unease

[byjillianmaria]

find the vibe tag

@sarandipitywrites tagged me for this one - thank you! i just reblogged their snippet, or find it here.

my vibe to find is "the realization that things can't be the way they were before." I actually just wrote a section like this for To Consume, so I'm happy to share that!

tagging @cwritesfiction @musefictions @rokokokokolores @linkedsoul @kathrynabbott @raiswanson and anyone else to find the vibe: "the moment a character realizes they've made a mistake"

Anyway, here's an excerpt from To Consume!

Alya is a little worried that her mother will scold her for associating with Kass. But the universe, for once, is kind. Not only is she not scolded, she’s informed that her parents will be going out of town for the weekend, to tie up some loose ends in Iowa. The solitude is a relief. Alya wakes late, near lunchtime, and takes her time in the shower. She puts on her favorite yellow sweater and thick socks. She pads down the stairs and dusts off the record player her parents have been neglecting in the living room, pulls Tapestry from its sleeve and drops the needle. Carole King’s soulful voice fills the room, spilling into the kitchen as Alya goes to make lunch. It’s easy. Peaceful. But Alya finds that peace difficult to shoulder, like a coat she’s outgrown. Once, she would have fit into this afternoon perfectly, would have danced her way into the kitchen and sang along about the sky tumbling down. She does not sing now.

[after-witch]

have you ever read this beautiful fae short story by @linkedsoul ? i read it recently and it was so so lovely i feel like you would love it ✨️

https://www.tumblr.com/linkedsoul/175150473752/ayellowbirds-monstersdownthepath?source=share

No I haven't! Thank you for sharing it, I'll add it to my reading list!!