#when i first started writeblr

[inkskinned]

crows use tools and like to slide down snowy hills. today we saw a goose with a hurt foot who was kept safe by his flock - before taking off, they waited for him to catch up. there are colors only butterflies see. reindeer are matriarchical. cows have best friends and 4 stomachs and like jazz music. i watched a video recently of an octopus making himself a door out of a coconut shell.

i am a little soft, okay. but sometimes i can't talk either. the world is like fractal light to me, and passes through my skin in tendrils. i feel certain small things like a catapult; i skirt around the big things and somehow arrive in crisis without ever realizing i'm in pain.

in 5th grade we read The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-time, which is about a young autistic boy. it is how they introduced us to empathy about neurotypes, which was well-timed: around 10 years old was when i started having my life fully ruined by symptoms. people started noticing.

i wonder if birds can tell if another bird is odd. like the phrase odd duck. i have to believe that all odd ducks are still very much loved by the other normal ducks. i have to believe that, or i will cry.

i remember my 5th grade teacher holding the curious incident up, dazzled by the language written by someone who is neurotypical. my teacher said: "sometimes i want to cut open their mind to know exactly how autistics are thinking. it's just so different! they must see the world so strangely!" later, at 22, in my education classes, we were taught to say a person with autism or a person on the spectrum or neurodivergent. i actually personally kind of like person-first language - it implies the other person is trying to protect me from myself. i know they had to teach themselves that pattern of speech, is all, and it shows they're at least trying. and i was a person first, even if i wasn't good at it.

plants learn information. they must encode data somehow, but where would they store it? when you cut open a sapling, you cannot find the how they think - if they "think" at all. they learn, but do not think. i want to paint that process - i think it would be mostly purple and blue.

the book was not about me, it was about a young boy. his life was patterned into a different set of categories. he did not cry about the tag on his shirt. i remember reading it and saying to myself: i am wrong, and broken, but it isn't in this way. something else is wrong with me instead. later, in that same person-first education class, my teacher would bring up the curious incident and mention that it is now widely panned as being inaccurate and stereotypical. she frowned and said we might not know how a person with autism thinks, but it is unlikely to be expressed in that way. this book was written with the best intentions by a special-ed teacher, but there's some debate as to if somebody who was on the spectrum would be even able to write something like this.

we might not understand it, but crows and ravens have developed their own language. this is also true of whales, dolphins, and many other species. i do not know how a crow thinks, but we do know they can problem solve. (is "thinking" equal to "problem solving"? or is "thinking" data processing? data management?) i do not know how my dog thinks, either, but we "talk" all the same - i know what he is asking for, even if he only asks once.

i am not a dolphin or reindeer or a dog in the nighttime, but i am an odd duck. in the ugly duckling, she grows up and comes home and is beautiful and finds her soulmate. all that ugliness she experienced lives in downy feathers inside of her, staining everything a muted grey. she is beautiful eventually, though, so she is loved. they do not want to cut her open to see how she thinks.

a while ago i got into an argument with a classmate about that weird sia music video about autism. my classmate said she thought it was good to raise awareness. i told her they should have just hired someone else to do it. she said it's not fair to an autistic person to expect them to be able to handle that kind of a thing.

today i saw a goose, and he was limping. i want to be loved like a flock loves a wounded creature: the phrase taken under a wing. which is to say i have always known i am not normal. desperate, mewling - i want to be loved beyond words.

loved beyond thinking.

#spilled ink #writeblr #personal #please don't ask me to talk on my experience on the spectrum lol. i hate how ppl talk to me about it #i really try not to write so specifically about it #bc inevitably someone talks to me like im a child #i think this is the first time i've ever openly identified with it but i've been hinting for years #i might delete this. feels big. #the thing is that being on the spectrum actually IS a spectrum #and if u say ur autistic #inevitably someone makes an assumption about ur needs/symptoms #please do not treat me differently than u usually would. like.... we can tell when you do #and like i mention. i do appreciate the effort. i do truly appreciate the effort. #but it still feels like... #when i was blind. sometimes people kind of did the same-ish thing. #they'd find out i was blind and start talking really loudly? #and while i KNOW they're just trying to help. it would be like. i'd be trying to find #the right way into a building (sometimes only 1 door is unlocked and i couldn't see the signs posted about where to go) #and ppl would be like ''OH UR BLIND? YES SO THIS IS A DOOR. IT OPENS INTO THE BUILDING. IT IS LOCKED NOW." #''A DOOR CAN BE FOUND IN MANY LOCATIONS.'' #and it feels like. when i admit to being autistic #someone comes screeching into my life being like THIS IS A DOOR.

[writerfae]

Why do I even worry about having to write fight scenes? I’ll just do it like Stephenie Meyer did in Twilight and just let Aiden faint before the action happens

#sometimes I wonder why I even worry so much about writing a bad story when certain books exist (quite successfully so) #in other words I just finished the first twilight audiobook and I hated it. I’m gonna start the next one immediately #it’s fun to hate-consume something once in a while I think and nothing is better to release work related stress #then to yell wtf Bella every five minutes while doing chores and stuff #writer speaks #writeblr

[riveriafalll]

Haha, funny story

You know that awkward moment you get so fixated on a chapter, and the words are just going, and then you check your word count at the end and you’ve accidentally written 8038 words over the course of two days?

Just me?

#though to be fair when I first started this wip I hyperfixated on it for three days straight and wrote 21k #which was really fun but I did forget to eat for most of it #writeblr #my wips #writerscommunity #writing #fanfic

[gailynovelry]

We have a brilliant idea for rewriting the summaries that we hate. That idea is called "what if we just completely ignored the old summaries and opened up a blank document to write entirely new ones instead of struggling to rewrite the old ones for the billionth time."

#writeblr #i hope this idea bears fruit because FUCK #our summaries are the only piece of Heralds of Rhimn that we cannot stand to look at #everything else is getting so good with our writing and design alterations! it's just those summaries that make me wanna gag! #it just reads like we're trying to sell you a mediocre 2010's YA and we've realized that oh #it's just the core of those particular summaries #that we need to throw out #the books themselves are so much their own thing but when we first started work on those summaries we WERE #doing research into YA market stuff including how summaries are structured in that sphere #the bones are bad! we are not inherently bad at summaries! our summaries for other things pan out really well actually! #its just that the YA-market-appeal fear drove us with the HoR summaries specifically #i am going to think about this in the shower now. magically willing the shower to fix me. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[theshalesky]

look at them.

they haven't learnt how to make statues yet.

they don't have time for it. all their energy is being used to survive in their cruel world where the ground has been burnt centuries ago.

and yet they venerate their gods with a passionate devotion, crawling on their knees in front of the plain wood altars.

despite everything, they're convinced their gods exist. of course they are, they're right. their gods really do exist, and they know that because the gods have shaped their world as it is now and given them the powers that allow them to survive. so of course they're convinced they exist, it couldn't be otherwise.

really? looking at their story, we know their gods exist and ours might not. but they don't have more knowledge about their gods that we have about ours. we, too, have scriptures that tell us how god created and changed the world and how the abilities that make us human come from him.

are we any different from them? are they any different from us? neither of us know the things that we're worshipping.

#okay listen #these are just worldbuilding ramblings #and also an introduction to the story i'll start writing soon #christians please don't get mad at me #writeblr #writing #writers on tumblr #worldbuilding #writing ramblings #religion #fictional religion #yeah the world i'm creating makes me think about religion quite a lot #because i thought “oh their gods gave them powers so they know the gods are real - i have to consider that when writing religious trauma” #but... do they? #also sorry if any of this is phrased weirdly i should probably have mentioned in my intro that english is not my first language

[cwritesfiction]

Hey! I've never seen QueryTracker before, have you posted about it before or would you be willing to explain it now?

So, I have posted about QueryTracker before, but they've updated their website since then so some of the screenshots are probably out of date. So! New post!

The tl;dr of QueryTracker is it's a way keep track of the queries you send to literary agents. It can also be a way to find agents, but I personally found other methods more useful. It's free to use, but some features are paywalled. A yearly membership is only $25 so I did opt to pay this query round.

Here's why people use it:

1. It helps you keep track of who - and which agencies - you've queried. You could theoretically also do this on a spreadsheet, but QueryTracker will provide details for you, including the agent's name, agency, links to their website and query method, and whether or not they're open to queries.

2. Many agents only accept queries through QueryManager, which is basically the agent/publisher side of QueryTracker. If you're logged into your QueryTracker account when you send a query through QueryManager, the site will automatically track the query for you. For example, if your query is rejected, you don't need to manually go into QueryTracker and mark it as rejected. (You don't need to have a QueryTracker account to send a query via QueryManager.)

3. It can sometimes give you insight into where agents are in their reading process. If you pay for a premium membership, you can see more data, like a timeline of when queries were sent and which were already answered. (Full disclosure, the view of this timeline changed with the update in a way I found harder to use.) Premium members can also see things like an agent's request rate and when their last reply and request were. It's not information you need to know, but it helped me keep realistic expectations.

If anyone else wants to add anything, please share!

#querying #writeblr #the first time i queried i started with a manual spreadsheet #but it was a huge pain to update it constantly when agents opened/closed or if they changed agencies

[avocado-frog]

Happy STS!

THANKYOU FOR THE REMINDER AAAAAAAAAAAA.....

<3

Anyways....Your characters but it's the middle ages. What roles do they have in the society? Are they royalty or something else? How does your story change?

YOU'RE WELCOME THANKS FOR THE ASK

Anyways: one time I wrote the worldbuilding for an entire medieval au. The tangled hyperfixation was bad, and it came with a medieval/renaissance era one as like. a double package. i cannot spell either of those words

Okay so there are three "villages" since in the current version there are three major states that the story takes place in. The first one is by the ocean, it's the richest and most modern. The second one is where the actual kingdom is, and the third is poor people village, and the kids are sort of just scattered around

As for the characters, I think Logan would be a baker or like a merchant or something.

Leo's off being an assassin. She was with Dylan and Elliot for a year or so, but left

Cass is a medic, but works with Logan sometimes. She takes care of Ryan

Kai and Marcy are royalty, not many notes for them

Lily works for the castle, takes care of Sam sometimes

Jaxon both keeps the goofy spelling of his name and gets to do alchemy. I think he sorta just wanders around

Dylan gets into hunting, and lives in the woods with Elliot

Ryan lives with Cass, he wants to do fishing. Sam lives with Lily and sometimes Jaxon when he's around, someone gave him a sword (he should not have that) and Elliot's a thief like Leo

#pretend it isnt sunday #i have so much lore for something that ive only wrote maybe 2000 words of #elliot dylan and leo are left really close to their original versions by the way and they live rent free #jaxon is the only one who has met everyone at one point. he's just the guy Everyone Knows #when the actual plot starts and the kids all meet up for the first time and they see him they all have this collective moment of recognitio #the story stays relatively the same but with a few changes to match the rest of the world #and also the characters are split up into smaller groups #jaxon is everywhere #writing #isaac says things related to his writing again #writeblr #original work #medieval au

[justsome-di]

I gotta take advantage of this

If you like the romance between Carlos and Cecil, you would like the romance between Alex and Damián. You should check out Nobody Ends Up Dead in a Bathtub, Everyone Keeps Their Organs.

It’s very much “wow this man came into my life and changed it forever for the good, I immediately fell in love” but Alex and Damián are normal humans in New York City and also there’s more mental illness upfront and center

#writeblr #writblr #fun fact: i started rewriting neud around the same time i started relistening to wtnv #not that neud is just watered wtnv fanfiction #it's not #but you know when you read or listen to something when you're young and impressionable #and that just stays with you for the rest of your life #it's that #it's the first ever healthy gay romance i saw in mainstream media influencing how i write my healthy gay romances #i just sprinkle in my own touches

[sm-writes-chaos]

*People wondering how I can make really descriptive sentences seemingly out of nowhere*

*Me who as a child watching movies would think how this scene would be described as a book*: yeah i have no idea

#I think I trained myself #but yeah mostly when I watched movies that were adapted from books I would always wonder how a scene would be described in the book #at first it seemed impossible but then I started being able to see how you could describe it #idk when I started and stopped doing it #but that might be the reason why I'm super descriptive (sometimes too much lol) #writer thoughts #writeblr #writing #writer #writer things

[did-i-do-this-write]

Guys, I think the experiment is working

#/gen #a few people asked when I first started it #I feel more confident in this answer now then I did back then lol #writing #writeblr #the great motivation experiment

[tourneyofashvara]

finished draft two of muir-tràigh 🎉

#wip update #technically draft 3 if you're counting the first first draft i wrote and decided to scrap #not quite sure im happy with the ending yet though #and there are some continuity things i need to fix #but im looking forward to the next draft #when i can start polishing things #my wips #muir-tràigh #writing #writeblr

[that-floating-ghost-key]

guess who started actually writing Typed Awakening :D :D anyways, here's the first draft of the first chapter ^^ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -Chapter 1-

Practically no one was in the cafe this early. The decorative lights on the ceiling creaked slightly as they swayed, being the only noise in the silence. Despite the emptiness, however, a barista was happily working alone, cleaning a cup.

 The door chime rings,

“Morning! Welcome to the Sip & Chill cafe! I can take your order when you're ready, but take your time and glance up at the menu if needed.” the barista chirped merrily, seeming stuck cleaning the same cup a few times over as they mindlessly followed a hidden script. The Stranger chuckled,

“Bit early to be so chipper, isn't it?” they comment, looking up through the brim of their hat. The barista blinks idly at them, not a thought behind their eyes. “... Right… background character… I'll just have a shot of espresso” The Stranger sighs, sitting down as their trenchcoat slightly swoops behind them. They glance to the side, idly looking out the window as a guy with a white and gold hero's uniform swoops down nearby, landing, and sneaking into an alley. “Must be a story scene… shit… glad I stepped in here,” they mutter to theirself, idly glancing up at the barista as they had started working on the order.

“It's sad when background characters don't get much development,” The Stranger spoke idly, “just makes ya wonder what you would be like if you just got a bit more development… if you got to be more of a person.” the barista just continued working, an absent look in their eyes before they lightly set down The Strangers order.

“If you need anything else, let me know!” the barista chirped out again… before once again getting stuck in a loop of cleaning one particular cup. 

The Stranger snorted, “What a way with words you have,” they muttered sarcastically, sipping their espresso. “Though, not too bad with coffee, at least your author gave you that.” 

a distant explosion boomed from the alley across the way as The Stranger downed the rest of their drink, dropping down some money before getting up. “that's probably my cue to leave… shame,” he glanced at the barista again “Take care, maybe I'll run into ya again,”

the door chime rang halfway before the sound fizzled out. the air was silent for a few moments after that but seemed to shimmer with clarity.

Avery blinked a few times, glancing down at the cup they were cleaning as their face scrunched up in confusion. They set the cup down on the deep oak counter next to its clean siblings, hesitating for a moment as they pulled their hands away and looked up again. Avery swore that the now-empty cafe normally had a line of drink orders and full seats of people trying to take advantage of the free wifi. Then again… if it has been empty, have they ever really paid attention to it like this..?

 Avery shook their head and started to walk to the back room, maybe they could find some batteries for the door chime-

a sudden POP startled Avery just as they let the backroom door close behind them, their heart jolting slightly as they turned around and looked back out into the cafe. one of the large decorative lights above Avery's workstation had crashed to the ground, the cheap chain used to fasten it to the ceiling had finally given away.

“Jeez… thank goodness I stepped away, that could have really-” Avery had walked over near where the light had fallen, before pausing. looking up at the other lights, Avery couldn't help but notice that the chains were… fine. it was just this one light that had fallen… and in the one space that they were supposed to be.

#writing #writeblr #first chapter #first draft #let me know what you think! #any thoughts are appreciated ^^ #🗝️'s original posts #may do a thing where i post the first chapter on my WIPs when I start a new draft #but who knows? #im really proud of this though ^^ #^^ #:D

[faytelumos]

For the ask game, Shryth for #1! (also your blog is so organized I love it <3)

Ah, thank you! I tried really hard to make it tidy. :3

I named Shryth thirteen years ago, so my memory on her is a little foggy, but! I wanted a name that a bird could easily say, and a name that sounded like it belonged to a tough person.

I don't remember at what point I decided her name meant "strength" but that may have had something to do with it, too.

#ask game #writeblr #writers on Tumblr #OCs #OC ask game #can I ax you something? #oc: Shryth #thank you for the ask! #also Shryth's name has gone through the third most change of any other characters #with Hhamath being in second place and Ræs being in first #Shryth's name I believe I originally spelled as Shrieth and pronounced it like Shrīth #but when my parents read it and pronounced it Shreeth I eventually started saying it that way too #but after a few years I think I changed it back to Shrīth #then recently I looked at the language inventory and determined that I had to adjust the spelling #because I only use ''ie'' in the entire language in Shryth's name #so I had to pick between ''Shreeth'' and ''Shryth'' #and I finally decided that even though I didn't like the way Shryth looked on the page it was better for a reader than Shreeth #and now I do like Shryth so it's all worked out I suppose XD

[melodicwriter]

When you write certain characters so much that writing them feels like home🥹

#I’m so emotional tonight #I remember when I started writing them #and it was so out of my wheelhouse #and I felt so awkward and intimidated #and now it’s like second nature #and I think you can really see my growth if you look at my first fic in the fandom to now #so emotional about my growth oh my god #they’re home to me #writeblr #writing #writer #fic writer #fic writing #fandom

[silhouettecrow]

365 Days of Writing Prompts: Day 320

Adjective: Cunning

Noun: Whiskey

Definitions for those who need/want them:

Cunning: having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion; ingenious; (North American) attractive or quaint

Whiskey: a spirit distilled from malted grain, especially barley or rye; a code word representing the letter W, used in radio communication

#i accidentally fell asleep again #big surprise #but i was pretty tired cos i had a rather eventful day #i finished this is how you lose the time war (it was pretty good and i would recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi and queer novels) #i also finished an art piece (and im about to start another one so im proud of myself for feeling motivated enough to make them) #my girlfriend and i played a game of magic the gathering and i even played just dance for the first time in a bit #so it was a fun day #anyway i think there is a lot to work with in this prompt and i always like that #for me tho i couldnt help but think of doctot sleep when i spun this prompt #specifically i thought of how alcoholism is so complex #and to an alcoholic it can feel like the alcohol itself is tempting or mocking them if they try to quit drinking #so i think i want to use this prompt to explore that #thanks for reading #writing #writer #creative writing #writing prompt #writeblr #trying to be a writeblr at least #*doctor sleep (oops)

[world-of-fire-and-flight]

Trick or Treat? 🦇

The wheel chose treat!

The first chapter of Fire & Flight was initially supposed to be from Nyla's POV but then I wrote Cedric's chapters (aka the Virtue Chapters™️) and after a lot of consideration, I realized that Charity needed to come before 1. The Girl with Silver Hair, and so the opening paragraph of Fire & Flight is:

(CW: blood reference, reference to past violence, reference to murder)

“Go on then, kill me!” The challenge echoed in Cedric’s mind as he battled against the nightmare’s hold. Blankets bound his limbs together, twisting around him like the strongest rope. The last thing he saw was a blinding flash of scarlet energy and silver hair splayed across the courtyard’s pavers. Her lips were speckled with crimson.

#THANKS FOR THE ASK! #ask game #my writing #writeblr #writeblr events #writeblr ask games #writeblr games #writeblr trick or treat #trick or treat ask game #Fire & Flight #Heirs of Tenebris #fun facts about my writing #lemme tell y'all that the OG opening from Nyla's POV was ROUGH #i'm not sure if i've really deep dived into that story here but i'll find the first draft of F&F #when i share the whole “how it started” story😊