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unimone · 2 years

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howdy! how would you suggest multiple authors keep a consistent writing style/tone throughout a book? i’m working with two other authors on a fantasy novel, and we’re struggling to keep a cohesive style between chapters. thank you so much!!

Unifying Style When Collaborating

When collaborating with other writers on a story, it's important to keep a consistent style throughout so the reader isn't jarred by style shifts. But unifying style among multiple writers can seem tricky at first...

It helps to start by breaking "style" down into its various parts. What do we even mean when we talk about writing style? Writing style is things like:

how you structure sentences and paragraphs

the typical length of your sentences and paragraphs

the typical length of your chapters

the kinds of words you use and how you use them

the kind of word play you use and how often

the way you use themes, symbolism, and motifs

the themes, symbolism, and motifs you use often

whether you use a lot or a little description

whether your description is more dry or more ornate

use of ellipses, em-dashes, and other punctuation

obscenity use

“heat level” of any romance and sex that might appear

balance of exposition, action, and dialogue

pacing

mood

Many of these things exist on a spectrum, so for example, every writer falls somewhere in the spectrum of short sentences to long sentences. And every writer falls somewhere in the spectrum of dry description to ornate description. And then other things are just hallmarks, like you tend to have slightly more dialogue than action or exposition. Or, you make heavy use of theme, symbolism, and motifs.

So, knowing that, you all need to kind of assess your own writing a bit to get an idea of where you fall with all of that. Then, compare notes and see where the obvious differences are. If two of you tend toward slightly more dialogue than exposition or action, it probably makes sense for the other one to beef up their dialogue a bit. If one of you has really great, vivid description, but the other two are really dry with description, think about what works best for the story and everyone do that. If two of you are writing fade-to-black sex scenes but one of you is going to p*rn town, figure out where you want the story to be, and either get on the same page or have one person write all the sex scenes. Or, if it makes sense for some characters to be fade-to-black and some to be more explicit, work that out and stick to it.

Another thing to consider is things like the overall mood of the story (should it be dark and grim? Lighthearted and funny? Inspiring and hopeful?) And, the overall tone… how does the author (or in this case the author conglomerate) feel about the subject matter being depicted? What is the underlying messaging with the way things are being presented? For example, you don't want one writer romanticizing a bad/harmful thing while the other writers are being careful to portray it authentically and address impact and realities. Also, obviously, you want to all be using the same tense, POV, and POV structure.

You may want to come up with a sort of "style guide" for everyone to follow, to remind them of what symbolism, themes, and motifs should be used, what the overall tone and mood should be, and where to fall on the various style spectrums.

Ultimately, it's not going to be perfect in the first draft, but this is why we edit and revise. After everyone has polished and revised their individual parts, you might want to choose one of you to do a final pass to shore everything up, smooth everything out, and make sure it's as consistent as possible. This is where it would also be important to get third-party feedback, because you need that neutral person (or people) to really get a sense of the overall consistency and where things need to be further tweaked.

Have fun with your collab!

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unimone · 2 years

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Thanks for responding!

"It does show that he is fundamentally different from Glynda, Qrow and Ozpin. Glynda did recommend a minor punishment for Ruby in Episode 1 but it was a matter of being stern and deterring recklessness, not anger like James. Qrow is never once shown to be willing to impart punishment on anyone, let alone be this severe. And Oz...is nothing like this.

Yes this is in part a joke but it still establishes James as the most extreme of Oz's inner circle. After all, their reactions were not the same as they did not share the same view."

I don’t think the situation was as black and white as you imply.

You say that Glynda's recommending a minor punishment for Ruby is deterring recklessness, but I don’t think this is a fair comparison. As I mentioned before, based on the context, Ironwood wasn’t seriously suggesting shooting Qrow. By this logic, Qrow can be just as harsh as Ironwood. When Yang denies breaking Mercury’s leg, Qrow says, "So either you’re lying or you’re crazy." Meanwhile, Ironwood comes across as more sympathetic when he informs RWBY that they’re disqualified. Obviously, Qrow was just joking with his niece. Furthermore, in Volume 3, Chapter 3, Ironwood and everyone else in that room had a right to be angry. Qrow hadn’t been in contact for weeks and drunkenly started a fight.

You’re right when you say that Ozpin is "nothing like this," but that could be spun negatively. Ozpin disagreed with Ironwood’s plan under the guise that it would "cause a panic." His solution to the Cinder problem, a guardian, came too late and evidently failed.

Of course, Ironwood’s machines get taken over, and his plan doesn’t hold up either.

My point is that when Ozpin was in charge of Beacon’s defenses, he was just as extreme as Ironwood. He focused too hard on maintaining peace and not causing a panic that he was ineffective.

"That is what makes James Ironwood a villain. Because we've had villain protagonists and heroic antagonists before with variations within. What makes a villain is if the story considers them in wrong or screwing up, which isn't the same as being pure evil. And James Ironwood was fucking up so badly that even the amoral Jacques gets in clean hits against him.

What makes a villain is if the story considers them in wrong or screwing up, which isn't the same as being pure evil."

Thanks for clarifying your point about Jacques Schnee.

If we go by your definition, yes, Ironwood is a villain. I was trying to argue (perhaps poorly) that someone could see Ironwood as morally grey/well-intentioned (especially in Volume 7), and subjectively classify him as an antagonist rather than a "straight-up villain."

was watching random early vol. clips of rwby and suddenly remembered ironwood’s crush on glynda! genuinely so cute and wish we could’ve seen them two interact more. at first it seems like glynda can’t stand him, but then they have that moment together when they talk and you realize that they really are friends and she cares abt him! they didn’t even necessarily have to get together, but it would’ve been great to see more of their friendship. maybe even if glynda got to show up in vol. 8 and “talk ironwood down” or whatever.

it’s just such a shame bc even though ironwood clearly wasn’t perfect in the early volumes, he clearly had such good intentions and was only doing his best. there was a clear intention for his worst aspects to be redeemed later on. but somewhere between his last appearances in vol. 3 and 4 & then his reappearance in vol. 7 there was a clear shift in the way crwby wrote & perceived ironwood, and that showed. he went from being a flawed but well-intentioned man who, even after everything, had a strong connection with his allies (his scene with glynda & the moment when qrow saves him from the grimm during the fall of beacon shows that) to a villain, a military man, a stubborn asshole, etc.

even then, there are so many moments of humanity in vol. 7 with him. his awkwardness, his emotions, him hugging qrow, his interactions with rwbyjnr at the start of the volume… i’m not saying that he was a perfect man. i’m not even saying the idea of him spiraling downwards and no longer allying himself with the heroes was a bad idea (i love a good fallen hero storyline & aspects of his militarism and lack of ability to trust others is apparent his early volumes!) i’m just saying that fully & completely trying to fit him into an irredeemable role just does not fit. he definitely didn’t deserve to be completely written the way that he was by the end

just think abt glynda’s words to him in the early volumes… that he always did what he thought was right/best even despite protest, and how that was admirable, but he needs to learn to trust his allies better. that does not equal a straight up villain in my eyes.

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unimone · 2 years

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I disagree with some of your points.

"Like calling the man who threatened to shoot Qrow for a public scuffle not an asshole."

If you consider the context, Ironwood telling Qrow, "If you were one of my men, I would have you shot" is not a serious threat. Ironwood is irritated. Qrow hasn’t been in contact for weeks, and he just picked a fight, destroyed military property, and wrecked the courtyard. We know that in Volume 3, Qrow and Ironwood are allies, and Qrow clearly trusts him. If he didn’t, he would’ve attacked him in Volume 3, Chapter 11 or blamed him for the Fall of Beacon. Furthermore, if it was an actual threat, why didn’t Qrow, Glynda, Winter, or Ozpin take it seriously? Why aren’t any of them like "Ironwood, wtf"? Instead, Qrow just nonchalantly responds, "If I was one of your men, I’d shoot myself," and drinks away. The rest just carry on with the conversation.

I’m not saying Ironwood’s downfall had no early buildup, but using that scene as your evidence is weak. Not every scene or word Ironwood said secretly foreshadowed his villainy. If that scene was supposed to show us that Ironwood's trigger-happy and makes mountains of anthills, it did a terrible job.

"Or calling a man who got called out by Jacques Schnee of all people not a villain."

Although "villain" and "antagonist" are used interchangeably, they are not the same. The word "villain" has the connotation that the character is inherently evil, while "antagonist" doesn’t. Someone can believe that Ironwood isn’t a straight-up villain without denying his role in the story as an antagonist. Furthermore, how does Jacques Schnee's calling out Ironwood solidify his villain status?

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unimone · 2 years

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I feel like I was subconsciously channeling Fern Gully with this one.

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unimone · 2 years

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Crescent City Worldbuilding Questions

The Four Houses:

The four houses of Midgard are the House of Sky and Breath, the House of Many Waters, the House of Earth and Blood, and the House of Flame and Shadow. The members of these houses are based on species, and each has a corresponding god (or gods).

I think this element of the series should’ve been expanded on or scrapped entirely. As it stands now, the houses have no major effect on the world or the characters besides being a fun sorting gimmick. Furthermore, characters like Jesiba Roga can switch alignments with no serious consequences.

The house system also raises many questions. Are the gods of Crescent City real or did the Asteri fabricate them? If they are real, why are they not doing anything about the Asteri? Have they been captured or killed? Do they just not care? If it's a religious thing, why were the houses decreed by the Imperial Senate?

In Chapter 57, we learn that HOEAB priestesses offered Ember and Randall asylum and protection when Bryce was a baby. Why doesn’t the HOEAB intervene more to improve the treatment of humans? If the Asteri want to wipe out the humans, why would they assign them a house? They created the four houses, and it’s not like they haven’t removed a race from their house before (ex. sprites).

What does it mean to be loyal to your house? Is it the same as being loyal to your ruler (ex. the Ocean Queen) or your god? Is it being loyal to your fantasy race and the other creatures grouped with it?

Humans share the blessing of Cthona with shifters, fauns, witches, and otters in the HOEAB. Is there less animosity between these groups because they share a house/goddess? Do the other Vanir look down on the ones in HOEAB for being grouped with the humans? What does it mean to have a god’s blessing or be their vessel? Are there any special perks or powers? Do creatures aligned with a certain god have a better chance of speaking with them or getting their prayers answered?

Witches vs. Sorcerers and Other Confusion:

It’s stated that Jesiba Roga was a witch and a member of HOEAB before she became a sorceress. What’s the difference between a witch and a sorceress? Is a sorceress just a witch that has defected? Do witches and sorceresses have a difference in strength or magical abilities?

Speaking of magical abilities, what are the limits of magic in Crescent City? Does it have limits? How about risks?

Where do witches originate from? Why are they in HOEAB? Did they cross with the Asteri and the rest of the Vanir? Are they a mix of humans and Vanir? Are witches the same as they were in Throne of Glass lore?

This is a bit of a nitpick, but Hypaxia is described as being half-necromancer on her father’s side. In this world, are necromancers their own distinct race, like witches, or is the ability to raise the dead just genetic?

Vanir Appearances:

This is a point that I’ve seen brought up by others, but I’d like to take a stab at it myself.

Why do most of the Vanir—even the Asteri—take on human appearances? Was it a disguise to ingratiate themselves with the humans before colonizing Midgard and it just stuck? Did Vanir try to look like humans because they thought it was cool, making it a fashion trend? Or, do Vanir have human-like characteristics because they share a similar origin?

Why does Rigelus, an Asteri, use the body of a lanky Fae teen? Why can’t they use their true forms? Would it be too powerful, thus killing whoever sees it? Are they arrogant, believing their underlings don’t deserve to see it? Have the gods placed restrictions on Asteri appearing on Midgard in an attempt to mitigate their damage? Also, do Asteri hosts need to meet certain criteria, or can anyone do it? If it could be anyone, why choose a body that strains to contain your power?

#anti sjm #anti hoeab #anti hosab

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unimone · 2 years

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Manual Wheelchair Tutorial by Fade31415

So... I technically drew this 3 years ago but forgot to post it. I think I was going to clean up the end and make a nice recap, but I ran out of steam and then just left it as a wip for years. I got reminded of it because I was talking to a friend about how to draw wheelchairs today.

This covers most of what I view as the most common errors when it comes to drawing characters who use manual wheelchairs. I hope it helps you a lot.

Image description is in alt text, but there is a back up image description under the cut in case that does not work for some reason

[image description: a 4 picture long wheelchair tutorial. the background is white and the text, when it appears, is black and in calibri. each step will be labeled with "Step #" and a description of the drawing next to it, and "text" and then the text that is written to explain it to follow.

Step one text: So, you want to draw a character who uses a manual wheelchair? Awesome! I can't approve more. Drawing characters who use wheelchairs is a bit different than drawing standing characters, because of obvious posing differences. But to start, you need to know what parts of a wheelchair you will draw. So, without further ado, here are 3 wheelchairs!

Step one image: a simplified drawing of a chubby woman sitting in a quickie GPV manual wheelchair and resting her hand on the handrim of one of the wheels. this is labeled "the artist"

step two: next there is a lineart drawing of three wheelchairs. one is a tilite TR series 3. this is an ultralight wheelchair with a bucket seat (the back is lower than the front), a big cushion and a short backrest that kind of contours to the back of the person who would sit in it. the caster wheels (front wheels) are very small and the footrest is just two little metal bars. next image is a quickie GPV. this is also an ultralight wheelchair with a low back, but its caster wheels are slightly larger, the back has regular upholstery (it does not look like it was made to conform to the back of the person who sits there) and the frame is boxier -- there is no bar underneath the seat where the wheels would attach, rather each wheel is attached to the side of the chair. the next wheelchair is an invacare tracer. it is how most people imagine wheelchairs when they hear 'wheelchair'. it has no cushion and it has a high backrest with handles. it has high armrests that would be comfortable to rest your elbows on if you were just sitting. the wheels are not bicycle wheels like the previous two but are rather plastic. it has big footrests and big caster wheels.

text: the wheelchairs on the left are the ultralight, sporty kind. I have one of them (the quickie). the one on the right is a more standard one you might find in hospitals or as the public wheelchair in grocery stores or the mall.

step three: first is text to accompany the tilite. "This wheelchair has a really thick cushion - it's pressure relieving, which you need if you use your chair ufll tiem and especially if you have a spinal cord injury. This wc has the smallest caster (front) wheels. They are hte most handy for turning in small circles." next there is text to accompany the quickie gpv: "This one has the one I use -- it isn't pressure relieving, but is still useful." next is text to accompany the invacare: "this wheelchair has no cushion - you do not want to sit on it for long. This one has the biggest caster wheels - they are useful for not 'tripping' when your front wheel gets caught on an obstacle.”

step four text: like with all complex drawings, you want to break it into simple shapes first. I normally have a box underneath the seat, a rectangle for the backrest, and a trapezoidal thing for hte area from the box to the footrest. these are the most important shapes, because your character will rest on them and they will move with your character.

step four image: the lineart of each wheelchair has been put on reduced opacity, so we can see the square representing the backrest of each seat (the square is the smallest for the tilite and biggest for the invacare), the box for each seat and area underneath it, and the trapezoid for the footrests. the next step labels the images of these simplified shapes as the lineart is removed. "Note the proportions of each set of shapes is not the same - just like how you wouldn't draw all your characters with the same proportions on their faces!"

step 5: we see the same shapes to form the wheelchair, but now with blue circles drawn where the back wheels would be.

text: next shape is the wheels - two circles

step six: next we see the wheels and shapes have been reduced in opacity and the basic structure of everything about each wheelchair: footrests, caster wheels, upholstery details, axles has been drawn on in orange.

text: the next stage is everything else that's structure - front wheels, handlebars, cushions, footrests.

Step seven: we see the lineart on top of the lowered opacity sketch.

text: you can then do detailing like axles, spokes, upholstery, etc and lines

step eight: next we see three drawings of different characters. there is patience, a skinny white woman sitting in a blue invacare wheelchair. kelley, a slightly chubby black woman wearing a stripey dress sitting in a red quickie gpv wheelchair and doing a wheelie while smiling. then luke, a white man with short blond hair wearing khaki pants. he is sitting in a tilite chair.

text: once you get your wheelchair basics, you need to find out which kind your character uses. here are three characters who each use one of the example WCs. patience uses the invacare. she needs one with a better cushion, but circumstance prevents it. Notice the chair is a bit wider than her hips - it's not custom fitted. Also notice she has to turn her elbows out awkwardly to move. the high armrests prevent a smooth push. her wheelchair has big caster wheels and far-back back wheels. it is made for stability and difficult to turn,but also difficult to knock over. Her chair indicates a lack of resources or temporary injury, and is primarily a transport chair

kelley uses a wheelchair like mine - it is fairly sporty, but has a box-y frame underneath. this makes it heaver than if it didn't.she has a mediocre cushion - it protects her, but only some. her back wheels are further underneath her body than Patience's, which makes it possible to do the wheelie (demonstrated here). her wheelchair is supposed to look line one you'd use full time, but it is a little old.

luke has a spinal cord injury. he has a very thick pressure relieving cushion for medical reasons. his chair is also ultralight, with no boxyness under the frame. his chair is the newest and lightest - it indicates his wealth/resources, but also that he needs to use on full time.

step nine: just a drawing of me sitting in my wheelchair holding my hands up to show fingerless wheelchair gloves. we're looking at me from above.

text: when you're choosing what wheelchair to give your character, think of both their disability and their resources and go from there. questions to ask yourself: is it made specifically for them or is it mass-produced or a hand-me-down (if it's custom, the seat will not be too wide or narrow in comparison to their body and their feet will rest on the footplate naturally). do they want more stability (further back back wheels, big caster wheels) or maneuverability (the inverse). do they need a pressure relieving cushion? how long are they using their wheelchair per day? how long have they needed a wheelchair? Do they have health insurance? do they have access to a lot of spending money? How much can they spend on their wheelchair? are they athletic etc etc

posing steps:

step one: a sketch of two people standing up. one just shows the outline of a person's body, with legs that are ind of triangle shaped, the other shows a sketched pelvis and rib cage to go along with the bones of the legs and arm. text: step one: Most people have this sketch anatomy they put before drawing their characters for real. I kind of scribble around like on the left, but some people use skeletons on the right.

step two: there are now too sketched pictures of people in wheelchairs. one shows lightly traced human form (arms articulated, curve for a stomach, legs that are kind of triangle shaped and pointing down) sitting in a wheelchair that is just the sketch of footrests and wheels. the other sketch shows the sketch of a body with a circle for hips and an oval for a rib cage and the person doing a wheelie (lifting the front end of the wheelchair off the ground and leaning back). their wheelchair is also sketched out and defined by a circle for their wheels and 2 lines, 1 of the seat and 1 for the backrest. text: you need one of those for your wheelchair character. important: they should have both the person's main anatomy features (Usually upper body and at least hips) and the wheelchair's. for me, these are the back wheels, footrest, and seat. why simplify to just those features? Take a look at this incredibly quickly drawn wheelchair.

step three: there is a lineart drawing of a manual wheelchair with slightly cambered (angled towards the seat) wheels, a backrest, and a footrest. the frame is light and there are no handlebars. there are labels pointing to different parts of the wheelchair: Backrest, handrims, wheel, axle, seat, footrest, and caster wheels (the ones in front). text: there are a lot of parts, and not all of them are essential to your pose. trying to draw the whole thing straight out of the gate will frustrate you.'

step four text: take a character in heavy armor: if you draw her pose without taking her armor into account, her armor will clip through her body. if you draw a wheelchair using character without keeping her wheelchair in mind from the beginning, the pose won't make sense.

step four image: next we see two lineart drawings of different characters. one is a bulky woman wearing plate armor. her hand is on her hip and she is trying to scratch her back with the other hand. there is the label "shoudlerpad clips through face" and "thumb clips through chestplate." the next drawing shows a woman in a wheelchair with one foot rested on her knee and her arms rested back, such that they would be rested on the back of a regular chair, but the back of her wheelchair is not wide enough for them to actually be resting on anything. the text here reads "elbows not resting on anything" and "foot not on footplate"

step five: there are two images, one is lineart on top of a 3d modelled apartment with sketchup, the other is a colored in version of that lineart with the background also colored in and no longer a 3d modelled screencap two characters, one old woman wearing a green jacket and one younger woman wearing a white shirt and blue undershirt, are sitting on a couch. the old woman is leaning forward and the young woman is resting her arm on the couch. behind the young woman is a bookshelf.

step five text: you may say you'll just draw the chair first and then the person, but while that works for regular furniture, it doesn't work as well for most manual wcs. take this comic panel with characters on a couch for example - I 3d modeled the room and then drew the characters on the furniture. it works because you don't move furniture in most poses - you rest on it. but your wheelchair needs to move with you, especially if it's an ultralight one.

step six image: there is a flat color drawing of barbara gordon in her wheelchair. she is wearing a black sportsbra and black shorts. in the first image we see she is doing tricks in her chair, zooming through the air (as if she has just launched herself off the ground in a skater park or somethign) while her left hand is resting on a structure and her right hand is heading towards the right handrim. the next image shows her right hand planted on the ground and her chair and body above her, such that she is briefly doing a one-handed handstand, but the motion line indicates that she is moving and this will not last. her left arm is near the handrim of her left wheel.

text: take exercise Oracle - she is doing tricks. Her WC is an extension of her body. That is crucial to getting natural looking manual wheelchair users after posing.

step seven: we see a lineart drawing of paula from young justice. she is sitting in a standard manual wheelchair with high armrests (goes up to the bottom of her ribs probably) and a high backrest (goes up to just below her shoulderblades). she is setting her hand on the armrest, leaning forward, and holding her other hand out.

text: of course, there are exceptions - if you have a clunky WC, it is harder to move with your body. Take Paula from young Justice - here, i drew her resting her hand on her armrest, because she has a clunker wheelchair. her pose is already mostly static - she's sitting down - and she poses around that.

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unimone · 2 years

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Le baiser | Do NOT repost or use without permission.

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unimone · 2 years

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This is the coolest desk I’ve ever seen.

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unimone · 2 years

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Bryce’s Characterization and Alternatives

Bryce’s characterization in HOEAB and HOSAB comes across as unconvincing. SJM wants her to be half-human, so Bryce is easily sympathetic but doesn’t consider all the ways this would affect her. (For example, the text focuses more on people judging and insulting her for being a party girl than being half-human.)

In this post, I’ll try to propose a few adjustments that could reconcile different elements of Bryce’s character.

#1: Bryce's Human Side

(This scenario involves making Bryce's personality match her background.)

Bryce loves Danika and the Pack of Devils, but she feels powerless whenever she's insulted, looked down upon, or even threatened by Vanir, and they have to step in to rescue her. She tries to hide her feelings of inferiority and resentment, but Danika notices. This is why Danika tattoos Luna’s Horn on Bryce. She wants to wait until the means (synth) to activate it are more developed before telling Bryce. (To make it seem less morally questionable, you could make Danika just as drunk as Bryce was when they got the tattoos and structure the events so that Danika tries to tell Bryce before her death but runs out of time.)

Although Bryce could still be outgoing and fun-loving around her friends, around other Vanir she's timid. This would be a major departure from canon (this Bryce would never tell Hunt to take a hike over the intercom). Furthermore, Bryce is sympathetic to the rebels. So when Bryce finds out that Danika was working with them, she's shocked but less freaked out than she is in canon. More emphasis would be placed on Vanir underestimating Bryce because she's half-human and less because she's a party girl.

Ideally, Bryce would also only get magic from the tattoo and not from the Drop. It would be activated using synth and be dangerous without an antidote afterward, so Bryce would have to be wise about when to use it. She would still be immortal, but the Starborn power would go to Ruhn or another family member. (This scenario can work with Bryce becoming Starborn, but it's easier to have high stakes with an underdog than with an overpowered character. Also, SJM has done the "average protagonist gets overpowered later on" trope in ACOTAR and TOG already.)

#2: The Autumn King Raises Bryce

This scenario, like #1, focuses on Bryce’s background, but this time it’s the opposite. Ember reaches her breaking point after she’s already given birth to Bryce. She tries to escape with her baby, but Einar (the Autumn King) catches her. Einar suspects that Bryce will inherit the Starborn powers. Thus, he allows her to leave, but only if she leaves Bryce behind. Heartbroken, Ember agrees.

Despite being half-human, Bryce is raised as a Fae princess and has all of the privileges that come with it. She may meet Danika earlier than in canon due to their both having high-ranking Vanir as parents. This scenario justifies Bryce’s sassy (and sometimes insulting) attitude towards high-ranking Vanir in canon. As the Autumn Princess, she has the status and power to back herself up. Her sheltered upbringing also explains why she’s so unsympathetic to the rebels.

However, this scenario would also be a major departure from canon and would have ramifications for her relationships with other characters like Ruhn, Einar, Ember, Randall, and others.

#3: The Asteri are Even Nastier

In this scenario, the Asteri keep a tight grip on the flow of information coming into and out of Lunathion. This includes printing propaganda and silencing anyone who stands in their way. Bryce and co. would not be able to insult/undermine high-authority officials the way they do in HOEAB and HOSAB. The Archangels and other high-ranking Vanir have more knowledge than the general populous, but even they are left out of the loop on the Asteri's true goals. Bryce and many others don't know how terrible the Asteri are, and some even revere them. Not much is known about the treatment of humans in other territories, and the rebellion is demonized in the papers. Things like slavery tattoos would have to be ditched or kept secret.

Over the years, Danika has grown disillusioned with the Asteri and decides to help the rebellion. Danika is the one who releases Philip on a technicality. Behind the scenes, with the help of old friends (the Pack of Devils) and new allies (Sofie and the rebels), Danika begins to unravel a major conspiracy. She keeps this from Bryce because she doesn't want to put her in danger. Danika and the Pack of Devils are found out by the Asteri and dealt with. Philip is arrested again and blamed for their deaths. Sofie and the rest of Ophion's/Keres' whereabouts are unknown.

Throughout the story, Bryce and co. find out more and more about Danika and the Asteri. We also learn a bit about Jesiba Roga and the contents of the library. The Asteri can't execute Bryce and Hunt without enraging the locals and the Autumn King (he makes it public that she’s his daughter). In the end, when the Asteri give Bryce and co. the deal, they take it. They know they can't trust the Asteri, and Bryce still resents them for their hand in Danika’s murder. However, they need time to track down Sofie and the rest of Ophion/Keres, find out more, build up their strength, and take down the Asteri.

#4: Bryce is a Private Investigator

(Warning: this one is very self-indulgent.)

Although HOSAB seemed like it would be about Bryce and Hunt taking a stand against the Asteri for the sake of humans (see this article), in reality, she's driven by finding out more about Danika, just like in HOEAB. In addition to being repetitive, it also retroactively weakens the emotional core of HOEAB by revealing Danika kept even more secrets from her "best friend." Since SJM wanted to keep the mystery-solving element from Book 1, why not have Bryce be a detective?

Bryce and Danika, like canon, meet in college and become best friends. However, after college, Bryce gets a job at a private detective agency, and the two often collaborate. When Danika dies, Bryce can’t officially take up the case because of her boss. The boss suspects something fishy is going on behind the scenes and doesn’t want to risk getting involved. Despite this, Bryce works herself ragged trying to find the culprit in her spare time. Bryce gets very close to finding a key clue, causing her to attract Micah’s attention. He pulls some strings and gets Bryce's boss to fire her. Philip is arrested soon after and Jesiba Roga eventually hires Bryce.

At the end of Book 1, Bryce can either get rehired by her ex-boss or form her own agency with Hunt, Ruhn, Fury, and the others. Like #3, Bryce and co. are all local heroes, and the Asteri and Archangels have taken a hit to their reputation. Backed into a corner, the Asteri give Bryce and Hunt a similar deal as canon. This gives Bryce two possible motivations for HOSAB: Bryce can become more sympathetic to the rebel cause and decide to help, or Tharion can request she formally take on the Sofie and Emile case.

#anti sjm #anti hoeab #anti hosab

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unimone · 2 years

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This could be the most important post I’ve ever shared. Please Share it with anyone who is or might be going through this terrible disease.

https://twitter.com/ItsMa____/status/1345432772538724355?s=19

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unimone · 2 years

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Hiya, I was wondering what you do to get that subtle texture to your digital art? I've got no clue what I'm doing, and your art is always such an inspiration, so I figured I'd ask. (Lovely work by the way, wishing you the best! 💕💕💕)

occasionally when i think a painting needs some jazzing up i'll do this

mess around with the opacity til you have something you like

its quick and dirty but it mostly does the job

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unimone · 2 years

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A historical moment

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unimone · 3 years

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LETS TALK ABOUT SPARRING

I’ve read a lot of fics, have seen many shows, and have watched many movies that are completely inaccurate when it comes to sparring. NOW, i know it’s fiction, and I greatly enjoy it nonetheless, but I would like to share a few things with you, as a person who trains in Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). There are a few general things in this, as well as stuff more focused to a certain european weapon. (this is all Historical European stuff, obviously if you’re writing for a different region, this probably won’t apply that much.)

SPARRING

-you don’t practice with real sharp swords. Never. It’s incredibly dangerous, especially since sparring is trying to practice your killing/injuring skills. In older times, you would use wood, maybe wrapped in leather or canvas to practice. Today, you use weighted nylon swords/weapons, and you usually wear a mask while doing so. Steel is and was an option, but the blade will be completely dull, and the tip will be bent over itself.

-It’s practically impossible to knock someone off their feet while sparring, unless you are hooking your foot or weapon behind their leg. It’s hard to push back and cause someone to fall, since they can just retreat back a bit.

-YOU. DON’T. SPEND. HOURS. SPARRING. ESPECIALLY WITHOUT A BREAK. It’s exhausting, the most people usually go is 10 minutes before they have a break. During Training, you only spar for about 2-5 minutes before stopping and having a rest.

-You try your hardest never to cross your feet. It’s dangerous and it unbalances you. Your opponent can take advantage of you easily.

-Usually, you want to strike your opponent with the last ¼ of your blade, basically just the tip and a little below. That’s the sharpest point, and you get the most force behind it.

-Swords aren’t super heavy. Stop the giant, huge, I-can-barely-lift-this trope. Longswords are usually 3lbs. It’s not heavy when you pick it up. However, it gets heavy when you’re holding it up above your head for a while. Swords were not made to be heavy, especially since you would have to hold them up in battle for sometimes hours.

-It’s incredibly hard to engage in witty banter and such. You are constantly moving and trying to strike your opponent. Since it’s fiction, you can do what you want, but just know that trying to have a conversation while sparring is like trying to have one while running. It tires you out even more, and usually just comes out breathless and wheezy.

-Swords are not lightsabers. You cannot try and hurt someone with just any part of your blade. It will just annoy your opponent. Now, for sparring, you will want to focus on hitting your opponent with the edge of your blade, and you won’t really ever be trying to hit someone with the flat of your blade.

-In sparring, you will get hit. And get bruises. I count five from just 2 days ago. (Also reminder that bruises don’t form for 1-3 days.) If you happened to get a hard thrust to the ribs, they will probably fracture. It happens. I haven’t had it personally, but those who’ve trained longer have. The worst injury I’ve gotten is a bruise on my chest that didn’t fade for nearly a month.

-Grip!!! You don’t clutch your sword super tight. No. It limits movement. My instructor taught me to hold firmly with the thumb, pointer, and middle finger, and use the other two as more guiding fingers. You swing your sword with your wrist, not a big giant arm movement. That is tiring and slow.

I will be focusing on using a one handed sword in this next bit, specifically a Scottish Regimental Broadsword. A basic sword to build off of.

-FOOTWORK. It’s not a super complicated series of perfectly planned out steps. It just isn’t. With Regimental Broadsword (which is what I will focus on, since it’s what I’ve trained with most), you have to have a good base (rear-weighted stance, front foot pointed at your opponent, back foot turned sideways), and then once you have that, you just have to move around and try not to get hit.

-Slipping. (Continuation of footwork). With a rear-weighted stance, the goal is to be able to move the front foot anywhere. You should actually be able to keep your front foot an inch off the ground without having to adjust your back foot. Slipping is when this comes in handy. If your opponent takes a swing at your front leg, you should be able to just slip it back to go next to your other foot, and swing your sword up to get your opponents head. Slipping is really important.

-Advance and Retreat (other continuation of footwork). While moving forward or back, you always want to feel the ground with a heel-toe movement, so you can tell if there are rocks or branches and such. Advancing, you want to move your front leg first. Retreating, your back leg.

-Traversing (last continuation of footwork)(maybe). Transversing is basically advancing in on your opponent in a circular motion. You’re trying to get close and personal. Reminder to not cross your feet. You will loose balance and probably end up getting whacked with a sword. Traversing is a spiral motion sort of. Your opponent can avoid getting trapped If they do it as well.

I will probably come back and add more soon, because there’s more I know, but can’t remember at the moment.

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