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fangirleaconmigo · 2 years

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I Can't Believe It's Not Fanon IV

Otherwise known as...

Witcher facts that sound like Geraskier fic writers made them up, but that are, in fact, book canon.

PART FOUR:

Dandelion is the personification of this tweet:

Every self respecting Geraskier fic portrays Jaskier as being Geralt's biggest fan, ready to hype him to the heavens and ensure that everyone else acts appropriately impressed by Geralt.

One could be forgiven for thinking that fic writers are exaggerating this slightly for effect.

So what is it? Is: Dandelion hypes and defends Geralt like he's his specialist boy canon?

It's canon. You'd better believe it.

Dandelion (Jaskier) loves Geralt.

There is no question about that. Though Dandelion is gregarious and has friends wherever he goes, Geralt is by far the object of his most enthusiastic devotion. There's no one else who even comes close.

His love of Geralt is his superpower. Whenever we see him undertaking difficult actions contrary to his nature (passing up bawdy houses and taverns to warn Geralt that he is being pursued Blood Of Elves p 193-195), or committing dangerous, violent, life threatening actions, even though he is about to piss himself from fear--like when he followed Geralt into Brokilon to check on him, even though he was practically catatonic with terror (Time of Contempt 201-210) or ran into a violent homicidal mob armed only with a broom (The Lady of the Lake p 514 but uh don't look it up for context unless you want a major major spoiler)--it is for Geralt. It is always for Geralt.

If there is one thing Dandelion is gonna do, it's go to bat for Geralt.

He curses and threatens people who harm Geralt, even people could kill him in a heartbeat. When Geralt and Dandelion are held captive by Filavandrel, Dandelion curses Toruviel for kicking Geralt:

"Enough of that! Enough for gods' sake!" Dandelion yelled fretfully, wriggling and tumbling in the ropes. "Why are you bullying him you, you stupid whore?..."

When Geralt pleads with Filavandrel to spare Dandelion, Filavandrel says that he can't, because if he spares Dandelion, the poet will just come back to avenge Geralt. At that point, logic and sense would dictate that Dandelion go along with Geralt's plan and lie. (after all, he's very comfortable with lying) But he can't even lie about that. Instead, Dandelion threatens to level the very mountains they are standing on if they kill Geralt.

"You can be sure of that!" Dandelion burst out, pale as death. "You can be sure, you son-of-a-bitch. Kill me too, because I promise otherwise, I'll set the world against you. You'll see what lice from a fur coat can do! We'll finish you off even if we have to level those mountains of yours to the ground! You can be sure of that!"

"How stupid you are, Dandelion," sighed the witcher.

The Last Wish, pp 190-200

But it isn't just dramatic, life threatening moments. What about that meme? What about just forcing people to treat Geralt like the specialist boy that he is? Well folks, he does that too.

Dandelion hypes Geralt up to aldermen, (like he's Geralt's lawyer or agent), making sure they respect his profession:

"It's a profession," explained Dandelion yet again. "A witcher, do you understand? He kills strigas and spectres. He exterminates all sorts of vermin. Professionally. For money. Do you get it, alderman?" --The Last Wish, page 164

Sure, he's explaining. But he's also making sure the alderman knows he's paying Geralt if he wants him to do anything.

He mocks armed knights when he feels they are taking advantage of Geralt. In The Last Wish, a knight named Falwick tries to trap Geralt in a no win situation, saying he must duel a particular man or he will be hanged, but specifies that if he injures the man, he will be charged with a crime. Dandelion butts in to mock him :

"How logical," said Dandelion with an ape like expression. "I see you've studied the philosophers, Sir Knight."

When Geralt threatens to just kill them all and leave, Falwick appeals to his conscience, throwing Blaviken in his face. Again, Dandelion intervenes, spiky and mocking (because god knows the deadly, mutated witcher can't defend himself). First, he says the man is being hypocritical.

"Your argument is charming, Captain, fascinating even," mocked Dandelion. "You're trying to bait a man ambushed in the forest with humanitarianism, calling on his noble feelings. You're asking him, as I understand, to deign not to spill the blood of the brigands who attacked him. He's to take pity on the thugs because the thugs are poor, have got wives, children, and who knows, maybe even mothers."

Notice he's calling them, these "noble" knights and soldiers, thugs. That is a loaded word usually reserved for Geralt. Then he basically says that all his pussy ass soldiers are gonna run for the hills the minute Geralt moves a muscle anyway. Because his witcher is a stone cold badass.

"...But don't you think, Captain Canmer, that your worrying is premature? Because I look at your lancers and see that their knees are shaking at the very thought of fighting Geralt of Rivia, the witcher who dealt with a striga alone with his bare hands."

Now, notice Dandelion is embellishing Geralt's accomplishment a bit here. Geralt had his swords and used his signs when he fought the striga. Why would he, a professional who comes prepared, fight a striga with his bare hands? But you can never accuse Dandelion of failing to hype up his witcher. But he doesn't stop there.

"There won't be any bloodshed here; nobody will be harmed here -- aside from those who might break their legs running away."

So he will always speak up for Geralt. He will always tell you how impressive Geralt is.

But he goes even further than that! He doesn't just reprimand people who would trick, harm, or take advantage of Geralt. Dandelion doesn't even like people to mildly question Geralt. It's hilarious.

He even reprimands their dear friend Zoltan Chivay, who he absolutely adores (seriously, it's very sweet how much he adores him), when the dwarf (very understandably) questions why Geralt wants a ladle and cauldron to deal with a monster.

"Fetch the ladle and cauldron lid from the wagon."

"What?"

"Don't question his authority, Zoltan," Dandelion chipped in.

Baptism of Fire

--p87

I swear to god I cackled when I read that. Geralt is his very special boy and no one is allowed to talk back to Geralt (except him, of course, he gets to talk back to Geralt all he wants).

There are so many more things I could cite. I have more examples of Dandelion mercilessly mocking people on Geralt's behalf here. I haven't even touched on the songs he writes about Geralt that make him a legend.

You just can't capture everything he does to hype Geralt in one post, but if anyone has other great moments of Dandelion hyping Geralt, feel free to add and I'll rb.

But bottom line, Dandelion admires Geralt. He respects him. He loves him. And even though he's perfectly willing to tell him when he's being an idiot, he won't allow anyone else to do so.

That is his specialest boy, and if you don't cheer and clap for him, an egotistical, slutty, nightmare of a poet will fucking blow your whole building up.

Is it any wonder that I adore this friendship, and adore it as a ship? This famous, beloved, bard with noble blood will (metaphorically) scratch your fucking eyes out if you disrespect his mutant friend, who, though though is admired by many, also undeniably belongs to a marginalized, oppressed class.

This poet, who abhors violence, is useless in combat, and who practically shits himself at the sight of blood, will run screaming into a bloody melee armed with only a broom to defend his witcher. I just. How can I not love this???? He is so dumb for thinking Geralt needs him. But yet. Geralt does need him. You know? And it's beautiful.

----

Ok, so here are the posts for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Fanon that I have written or intend to write.

PART ONE: Jaskier (Dandelion) is kidnapped and Geralt goes absolutely terrifyingly batshit homicidal to rescue him.

PART TWO: Geralt can scent lust

PART THREE: Geralt travels with Jaskier for years but has no idea that he is a viscount. When he does find out, it is in public, from a third party, and yes it is hilarious. (Bonus. Ciri finds out this way as well)

Geralt and Dandelion operate as a domestic unit, pooling their money and making financial decisions together. Also, Dandelion bullies racists and Geralt secretly likes it. (I wrote this one a while ago but I think it belongs here.

A shape shifter reads Geralt’s mind, then turns into Jaskier because he knows that’s the best way to protect himself.

Geralt and Jaskier share beds.

Geralt and Jaskier share clothes.

Geralt may play it cool to his face, but he thinks Jaskier has a gorgeous voice.

Jaskier has a voice so beautiful, it can calm a monster.

Geralt drops everything to protect Jaskier, every time, even in the middle of battles when there are other people around to protect.

They also share a kiss in a few of the translations, but not all. It’s a very “y yo también” situation.

If you have any requests, drop me an ask.

#the witcher #geraskier #geralt of rivia #jaskier #gerlion #the witcher books #i can't believe it's not fanon #canon or fanon

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editorauthoranna · 2 years

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SOUTHERN REACH TRILOGY: ANNIHILATION (Book 1) Review

Annihilation

By Jeff VanderMeer

Annihilation! Nope, not the creepy little tune by A Perfect Circle.

. . .

Though now that I think about it, that song fits this book pretty darn well. Why? Annihilation (Book 1 of the Southern Reach Trilogy) is all about will and adaptability! Before you ask: yes, the movie was great. I loved it! It was the movie that made me pick up the book in the first place. Spoiler alert: the entire movie only deals with the events of the first book—I think. Still need to read the next two books—which is really exciting for me, because I found out there’s yet more story to go and maybe I’ll get another movie one of these days. Here’s hoping it goes as well.

Diving into the book itself, my number one favorite thing is the entire main cast is female! Rare enough as that is, this book passes the Bechdel Test too! You won’t read a single conversation between two women about a man unless it actually drives the story forward or offers event context. And even then, Annihilation is subtle. And it’s the good kind. This book drags you through it—I finished it in one sitting of about five hours—but not through adventure and excitement. No, no. It is so undeniably creepy and surreal that you simply must read on. This isn’t an “Oh my god, I have to find out what’s next” book; this is a “What on earth is going on? This is so weird” book. VanderMeer de-familiarizes an entire section of our planet by making the natural just a little . . . not. It’s like looking at the world through a prism. You recognize what you’re seeing, but it’s not quite right.

Along with a strange setting, you get strange characters. From the start, none of the women communicate how you might expect. Social norms and courtesies have been thrown out the window. Their expedition even took their names. You’re left with a psychologist, a biologist, a surveyor, and an anthropologist. And this book does so well just scraping the edge of their stolen humanity. Before they even entered what VanderMeer named “Area X,” they were changed. The time the women spent training to enter the containment zone was a time each woman was subjected to hypnotism and lies about what they might face. You’re aware the narrator, the biologist, is unreliable right out the gate. She isn’t maliciously unreliable though. She’s the type of unreliable that occurs when you have a single voice giving you only the information they’ve been given and no more. No speculation. No critical thinking. No imagining. It makes for a wonderful lens for this type of work. I applaud VanderMeer on his narrator’s personality choice.

Now about Annihilation being all about will and adaptability. The women’s main objective is to figure out what’s going on in Area X without being contaminated—whatever that means, they don’t know—by Area X too. The suspense comes in the form of which woman digs her heels in and starts asking questions. What’s amazing is it’s the—minor spoiler here—environment itself that triggers the asking of questions! Each woman is in a daze until something happens to the biologist. She “wakes up” and begins to think. She begins to imagine. She begins to put pieces of a puzzle together the others can’t because they literally cannot see the truth due to interference that occurred outside of Area X. When I realized that, I began to wonder, just like the biologist did, what the expedition wasn’t told by the forever nameless “superiors” and what did anyone actually know about Area X? Were there any concrete facts known at all?

Annihilation is a mere 195 pages. All VanderMeer really did in this book was set me up with a million questions that I won’t voice for fear of major spoilers. Annihilation will keep you on your toes for the whole ride. Grab your snacks and water bottle because you won’t get up until you’re finished.

Count on the next post being about Book 2 of the Southern Reach Trilogy: Authority!

~Anna

#book review #environmental horror #fiction #supernatural #paranormal #jeff vandermeer #annihilation #southern reach trilogy #books #writing

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arnoldjaime13 · 9 months

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Blog Tour- REFLECTIONS ON THE BOULEVARD by @authorlambrosio With An Excerpt & #Giveaway!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the REFLECTIONS ON THE BOULEVARD by L.J. Ambrosio Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: REFLECTIONS ON THE BOULEVARD (Reflections of Michael Trilogy #2)

Author: L.J. Ambrosio

Pub. Date: April 27, 2023

Publisher: Film Valor

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 195

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/REFLECTIONS-ON-THE-BOULEVARD

Michael's story continues from "A Reservoir Man" (2022) where we find him teaching at a university ready to retire. He unexpectedly meets a young man named Ron who becomes his protege and journeys in a haphazard adventure with him throughout America and Europe in Michael's final journey in life, each twist and turn of the road bringing unexpected adventures. The journey taken is one of joy, friendship and discovery.

Grab book 1, A RESERVOIR MAN now!

Excerpt:

“How long will the trip last? I thought I would be in Transcendental amazement by now.”

Michael was a little shocked. “Ron, we have only been driving for 2 hours.”

Michael explained to him that they would drive US 80 until they reached the borders of Nebraska and Wyoming, so he had to settle in. The corn fields were right down the road. Passing the corn fields, Ron observed how peaceful everything was. Michael suggested they pull over and park the car for a while.

While just sitting in the car, Ron saw two figures in the field, a man, and a woman. They suddenly disappeared among the corn and, from above, you could see the corn stalks shake violently. Ron chuckled.

“Oh God, looks like those people are doing it! It almost looks like he is doing it to the corn stalk!”

Michael tried to change the subject, “Look at those birds” he said, quickly. Ron was still caught up in his imagination. A few moments passed as Michael tried to rest his eyes and prepare for the next stretch of road. Suddenly he heard Ron crinkling a wrapper to a candy bar, which jarred him back to the moment. Michael sat listening to Ron crunch; he nearly threw it out the window.

“Can you not chew so loud, Ron?” “Sorry. I love these things.” A moment passed; the corn stalks were calm now.

About L.J. Ambrosio:

Louis J. Ambrosio ran one of the most nurturing bi-coastal talent agencies in Los Angeles and New York. He started his career as a theatrical producer, running two major regional theaters for eight seasons. Ambrosio taught at 7 Universities. Ambrosio also distinguished himself as an award-winning film producer and novelist over the course of his impressive career.

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a 20 Amazon Gift Card, International.

1 winner will receive a finished copy of REFLECTIONS ON THE BOULEVARD, US Only.

Ends August 8th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/24/2023

Rockstar Book Tours

Excerpt/IG Post

7/24/2023

Jaime's Book World

Excerpt/IG Post

7/25/2023

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt/IG Post

7/25/2023

The Book Junkie Reads . . .

Excerpt/IG Post

7/26/2023

Sadie's Spotlight

Excerpt/IG Post

7/26/2023

A Dream Within A Dream

Excerpt/IG Post

7/27/2023

Cara North

Excerpt

7/27/2023

Rajiv's Reviews

Review/IG Post

7/28/2023

@secretrhs05

IG Review

7/28/2023

The Momma Spot

Review

Week Two:

7/31/2023

Nerdophiles

Review

7/31/2023

Fire and Ice

Review/IG Post

8/1/2023

@enjoyingbooksagain

IG Review

8/1/2023

OneMoreExclamation

Review/IG Post

8/2/2023

@allyluvsbooksalatte

IG Review

8/2/2023

Review Thick And Thin

Review/IG Post

8/3/2023

Country Mamas With Kids

Review/IG Post

8/3/2023

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post

8/4/2023

@froggyreadteach

IG Review

8/4/2023

Brandi Danielle Davis

IG Review/TikTok Post

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13tinysocks · 3 years

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Creepypasta X Reader Fic Recs

25 fics under the cut. Some are done, some aren’t. These range from nostalgia trips to good reads, guilty pleasures, self promos. I haven’t read each of these, some just caught my eye or need some more love.

Various types of X reader’s with different love interests. Lengths range from 72 pages to 1,416 pages. Each one is linked for convenience!

Organized by character/group first and then by alphabetical order. Poly fics at the bottom.

Feel free to add on your favs or even self promo!

Content warning: NSFW, suicide mentions, violence, stalking, you name it.

Don’t add fics with noncon or Offender Man.

Hoodie/Brian:

Keep Quiet Soulmate au

This fic isn’t finished and likely never will be. It’s about 200 pages and a pretty fun read!

https://www.quotev.com/story/12133971/Keep-Quiet-Hoodie-x-Reader-SoulmateAU-ON-HOLD

Something Amiss Completed

You’ve definitely heard of this one if you’re in the X Reader loop. Wildly popular, super fun, witty, and thrilling this 427-pager’s gonna keep you entertained awhile!

https://www.quotev.com/story/12961622/Something-Amiss-Hoodie-x-Reader

We Decide Our Destiny Soulmate au

Comin’ in at 215 pages (so far) we got a great read for when ya don’t know what to do with ya life (/pos)

https://www.quotev.com/story/13108570/We-Decide-Our-Destiny-Hoodie-x-Reader-SoulmateAU

Eyeless Jack:

365 Days

You got a year left to live. In that time are you gonna fall for the one, the only man-eating heart throb?

https://www.quotev.com/story/13423775/365-DaysEJ-x-Female-Reader

Chains Completed

One of the OG cpp x reader fics. I don’t even gotta say anything, know your 246 pages of history.

https://www.quotev.com/story/5032576/Chains-Eyeless-Jack-x-Reader

Creep Completed

219 pages of pure nostalgia right here baby!

https://www.quotev.com/story/6540114/Dark-Eyes-Eyeless-Jack-x-Reader

Eunoia

This 102 page thriller is for those attracted to the thrill of (being) the hunt.

https://www.quotev.com/story/12825705/eunoia-Eyeless-Jack-x-Reader

Killers and Demons and Ghosts, Oh my!

Another popular one! 492 pages, very interesting ride that literally everybody I know is in love with. Total page turner.

https://www.quotev.com/story/12844389/Killers-and-Demons-and-Ghosts-Oh-My

Jane The Killer:

Preternatural

Up and at ‘em lab rat! Keep your secrets close to your chest in this 204 page lesbian banger.

https://www.quotev.com/story/13172515/Preternatural-Jane-the-Killer-x-Female-Reader

Jeff The Killer:

A True Smile

This one’s for my edgy gays. Fuckin’ finally don’t see a lotta guy (Y/n)’s around. 327 pages.

https://www.quotev.com/story/13412707/A-True-Smile-Jeff-the-Killer-x-Male-Reader

Tim/Masky:

Hitchhiker

This 834 page monster of a fic will suck you into it’s drama faster than you can pick up some smelly stranger.

https://www.quotev.com/story/6218577/Hitchhiker-Masky-x-Reader

Hometown

Put on your thinking cap investigator, you’ve got a lotta work to do and coffee to drink. 322 pages.

https://www.quotev.com/story/12349915/Hometown-Masky-X-Reader-

Text me Completed (?)

Talk about kiss me through the telephone. 183 pages.

https://www.quotev.com/story/11897488/Text-me-Masky-x-Psychologist-Reader

(Ticci) Toby Rogers:

Playing Favorites Complete - Dark

Guilty pleasure fic for me. Not a romance, it’s a thriller about escaping a fucked up teenager. 232 pages.

https://www.quotev.com/story/11666769/%E1%B4%98%CA%9F%E1%B4%80%CA%8F%C9%AA%C9%B4%C9%A2-%D2%93%E1%B4%80%E1%B4%A0%E1%B4%8F%CA%80%C9%AA%E1%B4%9B%E1%B4%87s-Ticci-Toby-X-Reader

Various (Pick one ending/One shots)

Bloody Mary One shots

127 pages of tooth rotting fluff, gay shit, and angst!

https://www.quotev.com/story/12721045/Bloody-Mary-Creepypasta-oneshots-HIATUS

Project: Outsiders Completed

Alright cracked out art kids, lets kick some ass. 304 pages.

https://www.quotev.com/story/11061531/Project-Outsiders/1

Project: Inkheart (Book 2 to Project: outsiders)

Art kid kicks ass 2: Electric Bungaloo. 195 pages.

https://www.quotev.com/story/11710253/Project-Inkheart

Morally Gray

This 487 page (turner) takes me way back to classic cpp x readers. Except without all the 2012 madness. If you know, you know. Good fun.

https://www.quotev.com/story/9399402/Morally-Grey-Creepypasta-x-reader/18

Poly! (99% Proxies AKA Tim, Brian & Toby):

A Midnight’s Curse

A cabin in the woods style vaycay sounds relaxing. Being hunted down for hours, doesn’t. 269 pages, likely to never be completed. Fun read nonetheless.

https://www.quotev.com/story/9664809/A-Midnights-Curse-YandereProxies-x-Reader/1

Destitute Dark

Trying to get your life together in early adulthood is hard. Shaking off an obsessed trio of killers is harder. 72 pages.

https://www.quotev.com/story/13665696/Destitute-Proxies-x-Reader/1

Hooded Husbands Complete

151 pages of X Reader history right here. Definite nostalgia read for anyone around the fandom in 2015.

https://www.quotev.com/story/6211171/Hooded-Husbands

Lost My Mind Tonight (Tim & Brian only)

The only thing you wanna lose is those evil shits off your tail. You better run, fast. 143 Pages.

https://www.quotev.com/story/12208091/Los%E1%A5%B1-M%E1%83%A7-M%CE%B9%E1%A5%92d-To%E1%A5%92%CE%B9ght-Prox%CE%B9%E1%A5%B1s

Spill Your Guts Completed - Dark

Had to get some self promo in here somewhere. 1,416 pages of murder, sex, and a lot of regret.

https://www.quotev.com/story/12710266/Spill-Your-Guts-Proxies-X-Reader/1

The Hunt Is on (Clockwork/Natalie, Jane The Killer & Eyeless Jack)

A second coming of age tale about letting go of the past and embracing the present, terrifying as it may be. Spill Your Gut’s spiritual successor comin’ in at 965 pages so far.

https://www.quotev.com/story/12945584/The-Hunt-Is-On/1

You’ll Catch Your Death Dark

How far are you willing to go for revenge? Make a callout post? Pummel them? Key someone’s car?

How about gambling your entire life? 470 pages.

https://www.quotev.com/story/13010513/Youll-Catch-Your-Death/1

#creepypasta x reader #eyeless jack #ticci toby #tim wright #Brian Thomas #jeff the killer #toby rogers #natalie ouellette #creepypasta #god please dont add recruited #or my imaginary monster or pure forgivness #yandere fics are fine but theyre on thin fucking ice #i havent read all of these so lmk if theres anyting wrong w em

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writingdotcoffee · 3 years

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#198: Can You Write a Story Right Now?

How long do you need to finish a story? A year? Three months? Two weeks? One day? It depends on how long it is, right? A book will take way longer than short fiction.

But what if length didn’t matter? You have to finish a story. It doesn’t matter how long. How much time do you need? Can you do it in an hour? What about 15 minutes?

When you do something for a long time, you develop a set of assumptions around the process. You get used to doing things in a certain way. Over time, these calcify into a set of personal rules that you're unwilling to break. It happens to me all the time.

Write a story you say? I can certainly do that, but, I'll need to think about it first. Then I'll write an outline and start drafting. A few days later, I'll come back and do a few rounds of edits. If everything goes well, there will be a story.

One of the most prevalent assumptions writers have is that creating stories is a lot of work and takes a long time. Often, that’s true. But does it always have to be the case?

Here’s a challenge. Can you finish a story right now? If you’re out of ideas, start with a prompt. If you don’t have much time, make the story as short as it needs to be to finish it in time (6-word stories count).

These are the rules:

It doesn’t have to have an arc, three acts or anything like that.

It doesn’t have to be good.

You don’t have to publish it.

You don’t have to like it.

It just has to exist.

All right. How did it go? Was it fun? Was it hard to do?

The real question is, could you do an exercise like this every day? How good a storyteller/writer would you be if you wrote 365 tiny stories like this every year?

The best way to improve as a writer is to write a lot of different stories. This is exactly how you do it. Sometimes they can be longer. Sometimes they’ll be short. What matters is that you’re exercising your creative muscles and putting words on the page.

Over time, you might find yourself returning to the same character over and over again. Or maybe you’ll combine a few stories into one, and an idea for a novel will be born.

And in case you’re curious, here’s my draft:

Morrison shifted uncomfortably in his recliner.

“Have you been drinking today, Mr Morrison?” his therapist asked.

“Of course not.”

The therapist stared at him the way she always did.

“Fine. I had one beer when I woke up.”

The therapist raised her eyebrow. “One? When you woke up?”

“Just one.”

She kept staring.

“I don’t have to tell you.”

“You’re right. You don’t,” she said. “I booked you for a mandatory screening on 34th Street at 1 PM. Your probation officer has been notified.”

Now, it was Morrison's turn to be quiet.

“Tell me, Mr Morrison, why today?”

He knew she wasn't real — just an avatar with an AI pulling the strings — but he still hated her.

“After 822 days,” she said. “your probation was due to expire next week.”

Morrison clenched his fists. “Let me out of here. Now.”

“I can’t, I’m afraid.”

“It's an emergency! Let me out.”

Her image disappeared, replaced by the blue glow inside the mental health pod he was lying in as it executed the emergency evacuation procedure. The cover unlocked, then opened. Outside, four others queued for their turn.

Morrison stumbled out into the rain, his ankle monitor buzzing. He had no idea where he would go, but it sure wasn't going to be the 34th.

Want More?

My email subscribers receive a notification when I publish these posts along with a few things I found interesting or helpful on the literary internet every week. Click the link below to join the club.

(I won’t spam you or pass your email to a third party. You can unsubscribe at any time.)

Past Editions

#197: Whatever You’re Doing Can Be Fixed, June 2021

#196: The Shiny Object Syndrome, May 2021

#195: Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?, May 2021

#194: Your Inner Critic is Wrong, May 2021

#193: Overnight Success… 10 Years in the Making, May 2021

#writing #writers #write #writing tips #writing advice #amwriting #writing life #writeblr #writing update #personal udpate #me

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unforth · 2 years

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Advanced warning that I'm not doing any year end memes cause I just don't have the bandwidth right now, so apologies to the folks I know already tagged me. BUT, I do annual resolutions in the Profound Bond Discord, and here's my status update from last year, and my goals for this year, in case anyone is actually curious.

End of year:

Personal Goals for 2021

I’d like to start running again: I did a little over the summer, and I've done yoga on and off all year, which is small progress but still progress?

Maybe try to lose a little weight: I lost 10 lbs! 30 to go to be where I want to be. I'm pleased with my progress tho.

I also want to try to finish my “deal with fatigue” goal from 2020: I got my ADHD diagnosis in May and say my PCP in June. She prescribed Concerta, which YES basically fixes my fatigue issues and it's so fucking nice to not be tired all the time of my fucking God guys.

Community Goals for 2021

Answering comments: basically a failure. Oh well.

Continue to support my friends’ creative efforts, maintain my side blogs and encourage others to create: among other things, I ran a challenge in May that resulted in over 100 fics being written! I ran two kink memes (the other just opened a few days ago), I ran 7 or 8 art blogs to support artists, and generally...fuck yeah done and done.

Creative Goals for 2021

Keep up my “post once a week": HAHAHAHAAAAA No. Not even counting blogging. Oh well.

Finish my two outstanding commission WIP (ideally by the end of January): noooooope.

Finish editing and finally fucking publish The Long Road: nope

Manage 15k words a month and 500k words for the year: extremely nope (I've had a really rough fall yall, sigh.)

Make my Super Secret Project a reality: ABSOLUTE SUCCESS. I started my own business, a book publisher called Duck Prints Press that works with fanfiction authors and artists to publish their original work! I considered this my most important 2021 goal and succeeding at it makes me extremely happy. Our first Kickstarter in July - August raised $25000 dollars, we got the book to backers in early November, and early reviews are very positive. Our next KS was supposed to launch today but my health didn't allow it, but we're gonna strive for mid-month instead. I'm very unhappy with how a lot of my personal 2021 went, specifically my writing, the rest I can live with, but knowing I actually did something this big, and still am, makes up for a lot.

So, mixed, I sacrificed a lot of my personal creative goals to make the business a success and ya know, I'm basically okay with it.

Onward to 2022:

Personal Goals

Get My Back Fixed: this is what fucked up my fall. I'm already working on this; I have an MRI in two days. So, odds my failing to at least make progress on this goal are zero. Here's hoping they can actually do something for me.

Keep losing weight: I got myself down from 195 to 183 last year. If I can end next year in the low 170s I'll call that a win; my actual goal is 150 to 155 but if I can do even 10 lb a year I'm fine with that, I can wait.

Exercise: considering they're gonna make me do PT for my back I think this one won't be a problem. Doesn't have to be running or a lot but if I can manage 10 minutes of something active three times a week I'll take it.

Study Chinese: I've been studying daily since September. I want to keep that up all year, and finish or at make significant progress on the book I'm translating (Sha Po Lang, it's 1400 pages, it's taken me 6 weeks to get half way through page 4, so finishing is...ambitious. but I'm trying to get up to a page a week which will help...)

Community Goals

Encourage Others to Create: really just keep doing what I'm doing. And I want to run May Trope Mayhem again. And I love my art side blogs, seeing so much art brightens my day. If possible I'd like to be a little more engaged/active in making the Kink Memes I run a success.

Keep Up the Destiel Archive: this was a goal last year too I just didn't list it for some reason. Just. Regular progress. I don't have a firm definition of that, and don't care, as long as I do SOMETHING that's enough.

Duck Prints Press: moving this to Community since my efforts mostly benefit others (I haven't taken a pay check...it's been a year...we'll get there...). Publish 4 anthologies and at least one novel by our authors. (The anthologies shouldn't be a problem...the novel might be...not for lack of content, I just need time to edit.)

Creative Goals

Ready for my crazy goal? This is my crazy goal. Post every day: I know. And if I don't keep it up 365 that's okay as long as I start strong. I have GOT to start working on my personal creative stuff again. Not doing so is killing me. Anything. A drabble. A sentence. Idc. I must write.

Work on WIP: any of them. I just want fewer wip at the end of 2022 as I have at the start.

Make Progress on The Long Road: again. Anything. Forward motion.

Post One Art Piece a Month: I was managing this through the fall so...even just a doodle, as long as I'm arting.

Fibercraft: any, but ideally the cosplay I want to do.

#unforth rambles

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thecreaturecodex · 4 years

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Grigori

“Uatu” © Felipe Sobreiro, accessed at his deviantArt page here

[Commissioned by @thetygre. The Immortal’s Handbook is a weird relic of the d20 boom, a phenomenally ambitious book written and illustrated by a single individual, Craig Cochran. It attempted to unify D&D planar cosmology with accounts of Christian angelology and Jewish apocrypha, as well as provide statistics for literally planet-destroying creatures. It’s based off the Epic Level Handbook rules, and mechanically it is perhaps the ultimate example of that book’s “just make the numbers higher” philosophy. The neutronium golem, for example, is a living neutron star with a CR of 9721. What makes it that CR instead of, say, CR 9720, is perhaps known only to Mr. Cochran

These grigori are one of the few monsters of lower CR in the book, as part of its Book of Enoch fanfiction feel. The commissioner requested that I tie them into Pathfinder’s Weird Cosmology, with the Material Plane being the laboratory of competing groups of Ancient Aliens. I stripped off the original’s sorcerer casting, as well as its ability to steal XP from characters. The former to replace with more thematic class abilities in PFRPG, and the latter because that’s just a dick move.

Note that a watcher archon drawing on the same tropes already appears in the Codex. If you’re intending to use both creatures, maybe strip the mention of the name “grigori” from the archon. Or don’t--perhaps confusion over the two creatures has arisen in your game world.]

Grigori CR 14 N Outsider (native) This being is a bald giant with opalescent skin and a swollen head. It appears maimed—its eye sockets are empty holes, and the stumps of wings grow from its shoulders. Despite this, it seems calm and collected, even serene.

The grigori are also known as watchers, and are often mistaken for angels. They roam the world observing events, interfering only under the rarest of circumstances. They are attracted to areas of mythic potential, the deeds of great heroes and villains, and unique or extremely rare creatures. Few mortals have conversed with a watcher, instead catching merely a glimpse of the maimed giant at a distance before it disappears. Those who manage to talk to them find them great repositories of information, but often distracted and sad.

Grigori prefer to avoid combat except in the most dire of circumstances. They know that their appearances are alarming, and if they must approach a mortal, often do so under cloak of invisibility or with a calm emotions spell at the ready. If pressed into battle, they are reactive opponents, waiting until their enemies have acted before reacting—such delays grant them great defensive insights, and they can focus their superior intellects on offensive strikes as well. Those that a watcher touches with hostile intent are struck blind, but a foe that surrenders and behaves honorably may find its sight restored by the creature after negotiations finish.

The grigori are an ancient race, a relic of the beginnings of creation. The elohim crafted them from quintessence and deposited them on the worlds of the Material Plane, where they served as reporters and correspondents. Each watcher observed a particular species or culture, sending missives on their uninterrupted development to the elohim. The annunaki, however, interfered; these strange beings were more interested in uplifting civilizations than allowing them to develop normally, and through slow and subtle persuasion convinced a contingent of grigori to interbreed with mortals, to donate their magical power into a bloodline. The descendents of these unions are now known as the nephilim. Offended and horrified by the disruption to their experiment, the elohim killed the offending grigori and maimed the rest, taking their eyes, wings and mythic power as a reminder of the consequences of interference. The elohim did not bother to create replacements, and the line of the grigori has been winnowed by violence and fate over the course of the ensuing millennia. Most of the grigori in existence are still loyal to the elohim, but a few renegades do exist—some are malefactors of the greatest rank, whereas others actively assist the forces of good.

Grigori CR 14 XP 38,400 N Large outsider (native) Init +4; special (see patient insight); Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., Perception +24, true seeing Defense AC 29, touch 19, flat-footed 25 (-1 size, +4 natural, +10 natural, +6 insight) hp 195 (17d10+102); fast healing 5 Fort +22, Ref +17, Will +22 DR 10/epic; Immune ability damage, ability drain, blindness, cold, energy drain, petrifaction; Resist acid 10, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 25 Defensive Abilities karmic link, patient insight, sightless vision Offense Speed 40 ft., air walk Melee 2 slams +22 (2d6+6 plus blindness) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks studied combatant (+8 or +7d6, 7 rounds) Spell-like Abilities CL 14th, concentration +20 (+24 casting defensively) Constant—air walk, tongues At will—analyze aura, calm emotions (DC 18), clairaudience/clairvoyance, detect thoughts (DC 18), greater dispel magic, sanctuary (DC 17), sending 3/day—arcane eye, invisibility, teleport 1/day—discern location, find the path, greater scrying (DC 23), heal, vision Statistics Str 22, Dex 19, Con 22, Int 25, Wis 23, Cha 22 Base Atk +17; CMB +24; CMD 39 Feats Alertness, Combat Expertise, Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Skill Focus (Knowledge: history) (B), Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack Skills Diplomacy +20, Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, engineering, geography, local, nature, nobility, planes, religion) +21, Knowledge (history) +27, Linguistics +21, Perception +24, Spellcraft +21, Sense Motive +24, Stealth +14, Use Magic Device +20 Languages Aklo, Common, Draconic, Giant, 11 others, tongues SQ area of expertise, no breath Ecology Environment any Organization solitary or council (2-12) Treasure standard Special Abilities Area of Expertise (Ex) A grigori treats all Knowledge skills as class skills, and gains Skill Focus in one Knowledge skill of its choice as a bonus feat. Blindness (Su) A creature struck by a grigori’s slam attack must succeed a DC 24 Fortitude save or be rendered permanently blind. Karmic Link (Su) A grigori can cause creatures within 60 feet that harm it to take the damage they dealt. This does not take an action on the grigori’s part, but costs it an attack of opportunity. A creature can resist this with a successful DC 24 Will save. This damage ignores all forms of damage reduction or immunity, and the save DC is Charisma based. Patient Insight (Su) If a grigori delays its action until the end of a turn, it gains an insight bonus to Armor Class and saving throws equal to its Wisdom modifier. These bonuses are included in its statistics above. Sightless Vision (Su) Although a grigori’s eyes do not work, its entire body functions as an eye. This grants it all-around vision and true seeing as supernatural abilities, and it is immune to blindness effects. A grigori is treated as being completely blind in the area of an antimagic field, and cannot avert its gaze for the purposes of gaze attacks. Studied Combatant (Ex) A grigori gains the studied combat and studied strike abilities of an investigator with a class level equal to its Hit Dice. Grigori hit dice stack with investigator levels for the purposes of studied combat and studied strike bonuses.

#grigori #watcher #commissions #pathfinder 1e #Marvel Comics

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theparanormalperiodical · 4 years

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The Real Story Behind The Babadook (2014), And 17 Weirdest Bogeymen From Around The World That Might Be Hiding Under Your Bed Right Now

Strange times we live in.

It’s a Saturday night, and I’m hauled up at home eating a vegetarian lasagne whilst my mother asks me for the 37th time why I’ve decided to give up meat, when really, if there was no global pandemic, I’d be hauled up at home eating a vegetarian lasagne whilst my mother asks me for the 37th time why I’ve decided to give up meat.

It really is a strange time we live in.

But, in my attempt to protect the vulnerable groups in society and halt the spread of the latest Twitter hashtag in its tracks, I decided to catch up on the horror films hadn’t found the time to press play on just yet.

So, a bucket of popcorn and some mild trauma later, I could finally join in the conversation about The Babadook.

6 years too late.

Nevertheless! Once I’d emotionally recovered, I finally had my Sex And The City moment. No, not the ones with feminism that would make Emilline Pankhurst perform the equivalent of a Viennese Waltz in her grave - the one where Carrie sits in her NYC apartment and thinks about men at her computer.

“I couldn’t help but wonder: could the Babadook be based on a true story? ”

Unfortunately, I discovered that the Babadook is based on the concept of the boogeyman, an urban legend that has a greater global reach than Covid-19.

So, to distract you from the global pandemic with the threat of a creature lurking under your bed and waiting to snatch an ankle, I thought I’d let you in on the reality behind this queer icon.

First, let’s talk ‘bout The Babadook.

It was one of the biggest hits of the 2010s, combining the classic trope of creepy children with the classic colour palette of depression. Our story follows a single mother and her son who begins to be visited by an imaginary creature fresh from the pages of a children’s book.

With spiky talon-like hands, a cloaked figure, a jaw crammed full of teeth, a face paler than that time you bought that foundation on a whim in TK Maxx - all crowned with a dusty hat - the Babadook the child was seeing certainly had a sense of style.

The child, Sam, begins to create intricate traps and weapons designed to stop the Babadook, all the while the book predicts the mother’s rather dark future. It becomes clear that the Bababook is preying on the mother and essentially possessing her, a diagnosis that is confirmed when the mother attempts to kill Sam.

She then regurgitates a black inky substance evocative of ectoplasm, and is released from its grip.

The film ends on the happy family feeding the Babadook as it lives in their basement.

This indie horror - once it had finished polishing the 5 awards on it’s mantelpiece - might have woven a intricate plot deviating from the simple basis of international man of mystery James Bond The Boogeyman, but the basis still sticks out more than that wardrobe in the corner of your bedroom you’re now highly conscious of.

Simply put, the Babadook matches the basic concept of the boogeyman:

There’s some weird, dark creature that knicks kids and eats ‘em if they wander alone or don’t go to bed or misbehave. Just like Krampus, the bogeyman is a legend propagated by parents to convince kids to stay in line.

That being said, the mythical creature isn’t the only inspo behind this cinema-hit.

Specifically, the brains behind the film, Jennifer Kent, claimed it was about a deep-rooted fear we all have: that of going mad. On top of this, it seeks to show parenting from a real perspective.

The film focuses on a single mother as she faces one of the most difficult challenges in life: she loses her husband whilst going to give birth to her son, and then has to raise him alone. But that is not all.

Kent also spoke of a real encounter with the bogeyman.

Basics, her bestie’s son was being plagued by an imaginary monster, so she pretended to talk to it to calm his concerns. Sure, this tale might not have kickstarted the real terror engaged with in this movie, but it invited us into the reality behind the bogeyman.

But beyond this, the movie also detracts from the Babadook, and instead looks for the primal instincts in the mother - it looks for the bogeyman within us all.

That’s right - the real horror that was inside us all along.

Yawn.

But the thing is, it also brings up hell of a lot of paranormal activity that is remarkably accurate to theories of the supernatural.

Let’s start with the introduction of the Babadook.

He arrives in the form of a creepy children’s book no one’s seen or heard of. Armed with a chilling nursery rhyme and an aesthetic last seen in 2007, the Babadook follows the basic principles of a basic haunting: ghost does spooky stuff, ghost spooks humans, humans invite it in following the consent laws of the universe by interacting with it, ghost spooky powers intensify.

This begins with the book itself. Although the film doesn’t consider if he is a paranormal being aligning with the concept of demons and spirits (etc.), this book follows the concept of haunted objects.

By opening the book and reading it - or, interacting with it - they invite in the Babadook. And when she tries to destroy it, it crops up again, fully intact and conveniently lying on her doorstep.

No ‘sorry we missed you card’ needed.

This closely follows the theory of the haunted object, something more on-trend than tutting at empty shelves in the grocery store. Haunted objects have a habit of failing to be destroyed, and by engaging with them, such as not asking permission for taking a picture of a haunted doll, you enter communication with them.

From there, you’ve basically consented to a full possession. The object is a vessel for a spirit or a demon until a new, better, breathing vessel can be found.

You can find out more about this here.

I can’t find anything about haunted books specifically online, but as a variety of haunted objects exist, from bunk beds to boxes, I’m sure there’s potential for it.

Next is the eventual possession of the mother.

One of the most dramatic moments we witness is when the mother coughs up this black bile which represents the removal of the Babadook. This bears a striking resemblance to ectoplasm, a white liquid often released by those experiencing intense paranormal activity.

When mediums experience a trance-like state, they supposedly release a fabric-like or thick substance that darkens as physic energy is intensified. It allows those in the supernatural realm to interact with the physical realm, and for spirits to represent themselves to the audience of a seance.

This film was one of the first to explore the potential paranormal explanations behind the bogeyman, and give some basis to a beast that has haunted communities since the beginning of time.

Speaking of the beast…

Who is the bogeyman?

It’s sometime in the 1500s.

We are in the middle of a small country called England, struggling to make ends meet between the near constant famine, the anxiety of being cursed by a witch, or some war with [insert european nation that may or may not exist anymore].

Either way, when we aren’t trying to spell everything with an ‘e’ at the end, we are being taunted by hobgoblins.

These pesky beasts made their name in tormenting Englishmen, playing pranks on them or simply just being foul.

Hobgoblins are the OG bogeymen, or are the first we can trace back to recorded sources. But they were no means the last. And they were by no means the only ones in the world.

As a simple definition, the bogeyman is a mythical creature that makes sure kids are staying in line, and was made up by parents. The thing is, the bogeyman features in every culture that has ever been created.

And given the realm of the paranormal explored so far on this blog, perhaps your local Babadook isn’t so out of the question.

The bogeyman has always claimed a rather vague existence, representing a non-specific terror that has even extended to just ‘being the devil’ in some cases. The origins of the name are no different: ‘bogge’ comes from middle english, meaning ‘something frightening’ or ‘scarecrow’.

It has even been interpreted to mean ‘goat’ which can be traced to relations to the devil.

Appearance wise, the bogeyman has several broad features that stretch across cultures. Standard features include sharp teeth, talon or claw-like hands, hooves for feet, and even bug-like features. The Babadook might have shared in a few of these #basic-bogeyman traits, but it’s not all about looks.

How does his personality fair?

The bogeyman can pick between three personality types: something that punishes misbehaving children; one that is just violent for the hell of it which includes stealing kids, and eating them and/or taking them back to hell; or one that protects the innocent.

“So what you’re saying is, this is a vague looking creature with a vague personality with vague ambitions that is made up by parents who are tired of their kids interrupting their vague post-marital sex?”

Okay, fine, the bogeyman bears little resemblance to the basic concept of the bogeyman. But this is what makes him the international man of mystery. It’s the regional divergences between each nation’s own Babadook that makes this creature quite so peculiar.

You see, I assumed the bogeyman would be a universal concept draped in more black clothes than a kid that was in the throes of that scene where Edward leaves Bella.

Turns out that there’s actually a band of bogeymen which can be specified by their not-so-casual racism and genitalia.

But as the 195 countries dotted across the globe have fostered their own child-eating monster, I thought I’d cut to the chase and fill you in on the world’s weirdest bogeymen.

*Rolls up sleeves of Team Edward hoodie*

The Sack Man

Making his cinematic debut in The Nightmare Before Christmas, the Sack Man is the international symbol for the bogeyman. Whether he himself is draped in sack-like materials, or is lugging one around with him, Hombre Del Saco uses his luggage to capture and carry naughty children away to, uh, somewhere.

Most popular in Latin countries and Eastern Europe, the Sack Man is the most well travelled bogeyman on this list.

Babaroga

The original inspiration behind the Babadook - note the similar name - Babaroga is a resident of Serbia and its neighbouring countries. However, the mood board for the Babadook’s inspiration stopped there.

Babaroga literally translates to “old woman with horns”.

And this pensioner spends her time finding children, putting them in a sack (how original), bringing them to her cave, and eating them. Or, to shake things up, she pulls childrens through small holes in the ceiling.

El Coco

When he’s not featuring in lovable Disney hits, El Coco is snatching kids that don’t get to sleep when they should. With nursery rhymes detailing the legend - a chilling similarity to the Babadook - spanish-language countries across the globe are versed in reportedly seeing a coconut-like face hiding under their beds.

With a brown hairy face and body, and glowing red eyes to match, this famous humanoid might be closer than you think.

“Que viene el Coco y te comerá”

- A line from the traditional Spanish nursery rhyme.

The Mamma

Pakistan gets its fair share of attention on the news cycle, but aside from the war going on, no one has ever noted the rather peculiar beast haunting the nation’s young women.

The Mamma isn’t the mothering being the name suggests, but is a large ape that lives in the mountains and only comes to the civilised world when in need of a young girl. Once he’s kidnapped ‘em and taken ‘em back to his cave, he licks their hands and feet so they can’t escape.

I have a strong feeling that what happens next to these innocent women isn’t as silly as someone licking your feet.

La Tulievieja

Bringing together the award-winning aesthetic of The Ring and the naseau-inducing aesthetic of Cats, La Tulievieja is Panama’s warning for naughty children. Legend has it she is a spirit cursed by God for drowning her child.

The thing is, God’s curse was, uh, confused. Her monstrous form consists of acne scarring, long hair, claws for hands, a cat’s body and a farmyard animal’s hooved feet. On top of that, she also looks like the child she drowned.

Yep, confused.

The Jersey Devil

Most countries suffer from multiple bogeymen - here in the UK, for example, we have 12 varieties - and America is no different. The Jersey Devil is actually one of 4 variants, and, like La Tulievieja, is also confused.

Fresh from the jaws of New Jersey, this beast has a horse’s head, bat wings, hooves, and a snake’s tail. First spotted in the 18th century and then again in 1909, it is believed that this legend was actually manufactured as a real estate hoax to coax residents into lowering their selling prices.

You might be able to deny the existence of this beast, but the Cipelahq (a large owl), the Long Black Being that makes a habit of slithering round like a snake, and Bloody Bones (a dancing skeleton and a separate skull) have yet to be disproven.

The Copperpenis Owl

Hungary has 3 different bogeyman, and most fit the description of the international beast: there’s one with a sack, there’s one which is just a-bit-beasty, and then there’s the giant owl with a penis made of copper.

I personally feel a Babadook with rose gold genitalia circa 2013 might have detracted from the overall feel of the film.

Ijiraq and the Qalupalik

Iniut communities also follow beliefs in the bogeyman, and probably focus on them more than others because if you wander off in the Arctic you will either get mauled by a bear and die, or freeze.

And then you’ll die.

They actually have 2 resident bogeymen. There’s the Ijiraq, a shapeshifter that kidnaps kids. You know, pretty basic bitch stuff. And then there’s the Qalupalik who is slightly more spooky.

This is a mermaid laden with green skin, long fingernails, and ratty hair that carry babies away in amauti (pouches or sacks for carrying kids) and bring them to live in their underwater world.

Butzemann

Remember when I mentioned that thing about casual racism? It’s a bit of grey area, ironically.

Germany’s very own bogeyman is known as The Black Man.

(You can see my point.)

That being said, this probably doesn’t actually refer to the colour of his skin as most Germans during the Middle Ages hadn’t actually seen anyone from the African continent. Instead, his outdated nickname was actually down to his preference for dark corners.

The closet, under the bed, in forests during the early hours... If it’s spooky, you’ll find him here.

Babau

Germany isn’t the only country with politically incorrect bogeyman. Italy has its very own Black Man, a mysterious figure which often features as a black man (gasp) or a black ghost. Only this entity has no legs.

The Marabbecca on the other hand is specific to Sicily, and mirrors the mythology of the Inuits.

Don’t play too close to the water, kids, or a Marabbecca will swim up and drag you to your watery grave!

The Kropeman

Our final iconic bogeyman isn’t like the other girls, even if his fellow Luxembourgian monsters are. There’s yet another Black Man, and there’s something about an uncle, but it's the Kropeman which has me sleeping with the lights on.

Under the streets of this small country roams a man with a long hook.

When he’s not busy dodging rats in the sewers, he’s grabbing kids by their nose via the hook, and dragging ‘em down into the storm drains.

So - which one is hiding in your closet?

(Aside from the queerness your inner 14 year old hasn’t fully unleashed yet like a big bisexual dragon spewing flames of gender-neutralness.)

(Don’t worry, I’m fine.)

Are you a whore for horror? Passionate about the paranormal? Do you want to see a new real ghost story every day? Then you have to follow this blog.

Read this post next!

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bionicallywriting · 5 years

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The Three Phases of Dramione

When I read these works, I feel like the fanon itself is evolving. The very early works, in the 2006-2011 range were mostly comprised of very young writers. As someone noted, there was a dearth of material after Goblet of Fire, which spawned fanfic like crazy. Most were unfinished.

The ones that were finished seemed to be mostly comprised of angst and most depicted a vulnerable, weak Hermione set against a ruthless, even cruel Draco. Most speculated about the coming war, so were endlessly tragic. A classic example is The Fallout, which, though well-written, could have done with some major editing to cut out perhaps five hundred pages of the everyday descriptions that failed to add to the plot. Hermione, in this version, is cut out from the Golden Trio to fight and she fails miserably at this. Even though this technically has a “happy ending,” it feels like ash because it. Is. So. Tragic.*

*Don't get me wrong. This writer is very talented, but this work was needlessly verbose. I say this from the standpoint of someone who regularly DNFs books, so the fact that I even skipped to the end to find out what happened already means something.

The second period is 2011-2016, give or take a year or two. This is the period after all the canon came out and happy endings started to fill the fandom. Draco saw a revival of his snarkiness. Hermione often got one over on him. Draco is often depicted as having been in love with Hermione all along. The biggest indicator of this high point of fanon is the depiction of Ron Weasley in their relationship--he is almost always a cheater and seen as an emasculated and sore loser.

(Since fanfics take a few years to finish, when I note the years, this is supposed to be when the fic is started.) The most classic example is one that falls before this time period, but the writing style most depicts this period--the Politician's Wife. Now, this work is really ahead of its time, because it was written in 2006, before the series ended, but the author guessed correctly on a majority of points--so close to the actual ending that you really have to give her major kudos. Key points of this fic that reflect the period--first person narrative, written by an author who's clearly older, plot takes place post-Hogwarts, Ron is a cheater, snarky Draco + humorous tone, and very realistic depictions of relationships, although this one does slightly reside on the greyish morality boundary. Whereas the Draco of the earliest period would have cheated on Hermione purposefully just because he could, in this one, he's slightly more vulnerable.

This period makes me sad because when I go back to see the roster of authors, so many are gone from the fandom. They graduated college or graduate school and started working and moved on. You know these writers as well as I do: worksofstone, riptey, drcjsnider, to name but a few. If they haven't left, they've joined a few fests and lurk a bit but are no longer working on long fics. Very sad.

Alright. The third period. The current period of 2017+. How exciting. The biggest, biggest trend I see for this period is the gradual demonization of Dumbledore (or has this been happening for a while?) and the backlash of the emasculated Ron. In recent years, Ron has regained some much needed favor and is no longer Wizarding Britain's most hated individual.

I don't know if it seems that the smut has been increasingly on the rise as well. Where some earlier works could gain favor just by being finished or by being there, now there's an increasing demand for smut-based Dramione. Now, I don't think I'm a prude, but just as someone who's been reading romance novels since the second grade (yeah I was wandering in the wrong section at the library), I've just read too much literary porn to be invested in just another sex scene. I think porn scenes are less well-written than when they first came into popularity in the mainstream fiction world (circa 80s) when they were then still seen as very, very risque. Because they were seen that way, the sex scenes of books of that era seem to be better than any of the ones now, and I mean just in published books. I read a Harlequin Presents book the other day by a writer who's been going at it for maybe thirty years now, and her recent stuff is filled to the brim with really unnecessary pwp. In fact, in an unprecedented move, a Harlequin Presents romance was split into two books, where one would have sufficed, since the second book was only 150 pages (most HPs clock in at 195) and had three bedroom scenes, each of which lasted some fifteen pages. Basically, the two books could have been condensed into one by cutting out completely unmemorable sex scenes.

I guess what I'm saying is just that the porn content seems to be on the rise. That or, over time, the ones containing smut garnered more readership than those without, so by comparison, it seems as if those rated M+ are more popular. The term lemon has even been replaced with smut, just because, I guess. If you like that sort of thing, it's cool. I mean, it's at least a bit educational, isn't it? I mean, that's really how you went about learning of such things before there was internet.

Only, just as a long-time reader, I can maybe detail like three scenes I've remembered in the course of my entire life of reading romance just because the dynamics and character development leading up to the first scene was so well done, either between the two people or the tension between them. What I mean is, sure, there are readers combing content for smut. But can you honestly tell me that every single smut scene you've read have been essential for the characters? Have they been so meaningful that you remember that scene as essential to their development?

That, to me, is what defines a good sex scene. Not just the requisite action movie bedroom kiss/take off shirt in the dark scene that's so generic that I can't help but roll my eyes EVERY time I see it.

I would probably say this to directors as well as writers: make your sex scenes count. If done well, even a handshake can feel just as earthshattering. I think you all know what I mean.

#meta #dramione #writing #fanfiction

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slytheriffic · 6 years

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Half-Blood Prince Reread - Things I Noticed

Alright so basically, the entire time I was rereading HBP I wrote down in my notes things I thought were interesting/funny/intriguing/etc. This is just a unified list. Some of them are based on ships (I marked those so you can skip the ones you don’t like) but some of it is just random notes. Also, this is stuff I’m noticing for the first time but I’m sure others may have noted it before. Also also, I started this about a third into my reread so it starts a bit late.

Anything marked with a * is about Drarry, anything marked ^ is about Wolfstar.

page 195 Professor Trelawney says: “Two of spades: conflict. Seven of spades: an ill omen. Ten of spades: violence. Knave of spades: a dark young man, possibly trouble, one who dislikes the questioner-” Obviously we don’t know who the “questioner” is, but I think this is a direct prediction for what happens on the Astronomy tower. If the “questioner” is referring to Trelawney herself, it’s even more interesting as Draco attacks her that night when she happens upon him in the moment he completes the Vanishing Cabinet.

Page 219: The entire exchange between Hermione, Harry, and Ron. Hermione is explaining how Harry is now attractive and Ron is just so desperate to prove himself worthy. I actually wrote “poor ron :(” in my notes. Key quote: “’And it doesn’t hurt that you’ve grown about a foot over the summer either,’ Hermione finished, ignoring Ron. ‘I’m tall,’ said Ron in consequentially.”

Page 232: Harry and Hermione’s exchange about confunding McLaggen. He won’t stop teasing her and it’s one of my favorite interactions between the two. Key Quote “’[Harry said] I mean, you’re a prefect, aren’t you?’ ‘Oh, be quiet,’ she snapped, as he smirked.”

*Page 256-257: A quote from my notes- “Harry shut UP about Malfoy lol”. Hermione and Ron collectively tuning him out when he goes off about Draco is one of my absolute favorite things. They are so done with his bullshit.

Page 278: The foreshadowing! Harry comments, after exiting a memory about Tom, that Marvolo’s ring is gone from Dumbledore’s desk, but he thought Dumbledore may have collected the mouth organ from the most recent memory. Dumbledore replies, “Very astute, Harry, but the mouth organ was only ever a mouth organ.” Cause, you know, the ring was a part of Voldemort’s soul.

*Page 294: Malfoy turns up ill and Harry is very concerned suspicious.

Page 313: Another quote from my notes: “How positively Slytherin of you, Hermione!” as she rubs it in Ron’s face that she’s going with McLaggen to the Slug Club party. And says it’s because she prefers good quidditch players. Way to hit someone where it hurts.

*Page 321: Harry is noticing an almost suspicious amount about Malfoy’s appearance. “It was the first time he had seen Malfoy close up for ages; he now saw that Malfoy had dark shadows under his eyes and a distinctly grayish tinge to his skin.” Again, he’s very concerned suspicious.

*Page 412: Malfoy has a lot of puns about Harry+Quidditch at the ready. Either he’s incredibly good at wordplay....or he thought these up before hand. Key Quote: “...sneered Malfoy, ‘You’d better hurry up, they’ll be waiting for ‘the Chosen Captain’- ‘the Boy Who Scored’- whatever they call you these days.”

*Page 416: Harry is so dramatic I don’t know why Drarry fic always makes Draco the dramatic one. Harry was just knocked off his broom by a bludger, and when told he would have to remain in the hospital wing overnight he says: “I don’t want to stay here overnight. I want to find McLaggen and kill him.”

^Page 466: Tonks starts to cry at the mention of Sirius. I would write this off as grief for Sirius’ death, if every other thing she does that was written off as grief wasn’t later attributed to her feelings for Remus not being Reciprocated. However, if Wolfstar was canon....it’s possible that Sirius was part of the reason those feelings were not being acted on by Remus. And his death would remind her of that. Obviously not canon, but just a thought I had.

Page 474: Quote from the book- “...none of the swagger that he had on the Hogwarts Express.” Quote from my notes- “Malfoy has no swagger lol”

Page 508: Dumbledore describing how Lucius is possibly quite glad to be in Azkaban considering how he had failed the Dark Lord. We all knew Draco was chosen as punishment for his father, but really can you imagine the things he saw done to his father? This is no baseless fear of the far-off Dark Lord, this is a man who has beaten down his father and taken over his home. He was just so scared.

Page 532: When Harry serves detention with Snape, he is made to write over old discplinary records. Snape specifically gives Harry the boxes from his father’s school days, making him read and write about Sirius not even a year after his death. Just for shits and giggles I guess.

*No page number here, just think it’s funny that the two chapters that have anything about Harry and Ginny getting together are named for his interactions with Malfoy. (Sectumsempra and The Seer Overheard)

Just in general, The Lightning Struck Tower: Quote from my notes: “HOW could you read this as anything other than a terrified child doing something because he is terrified.” Key Quotes: Draco Malfoy did nothing but stare at Albus Dumbledore, who, incredibly, smiled (585). “Yeah,” Said Malfoy, who bizarrely seemed to draw courage and comfort from Dumbledore’s praise.”Yeah, it was!” (587). “I haven’t got any options!” said Malfoy, and he was suddenly as white as Dumbledore. “I’ve got to do it! He’ll kill me! He’ll kill my whole family!” (591). I could go on but. Those are the ones that really got me. Obligingly, I’ll add: Harry thought he saw it drop by a fraction- (592).

Page 627: Just a lighthearted moment with Professor Sprout, a true Hufflepuff. “I am sure Dumbledore would have wanted the school to remain open,” said Professor Sprout. “I feel that if a single pupil wants to come, then the school ought to remain open for that pupil.”

*Page 640: “Harry had not spared Malfoy much thought. His animosity was all for Snape, but he had not forgotten the fear in Malfoy’s voice on that tower top, nor the fact that he had lowered his wand before the other Death Eaters arrived. Harry did not believe Malfoy would have killed Dumbledore.” This is one of my favorite Drarry quotes, because it just goes to show that Harry never blamed Draco. He saw how scared he was. He understood that he did not want to do this, but thought he had to to protect his family. Also, I know it’s pretty common in fics but Draco blaming himself and Harry never blaming him. Just. unf. The Angst.

Page 646: Ginny’s quote, that just about sums up Harry’s entire existence, so perfectly: “It’s for some stupid, noble reason, isn’t it?”

#so this is somewhat for myself #i just like notes with quotes and having them idk #there is....a lot about drarry woops #sorry not sorry #theres some good little notes about other stuff too tho i promise #and i marked the darry so you can skip it if you feel so inclined #reread notes #not rp #ooc #hp reread #drarry

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theyanwrites · 6 years

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23:11; A Review

TITLE: 23:11

AUTHOR: Pilosopotasya

GENRE: Humor

CHAPTERS: 112 (Day 001- Day 365)

DATE FINISHED: December 2014 | Published on July 2016

AVAILABLE ON: Wattpad and Bookstores nationwide (195 php)

DESCRIPTION: A writer. A weird stranger. A lot of little conversation. An online understanding. Every night. 23:11.

Online love story is a trend. Kaliwa't kanan na ang mga nababasa ko sa mga confession page na nagsisimula ang love story online. Madami na akong kaibigan na nagkakaroon ng love life via online understanding. At noong 2015 din - naging movie ang isang hit text serye na sinama pa sa taunang Metro Manila Film Festival. But what's with 23:11? Ano nga bang pinagkaiba nito sa ibang text or chat serye? Or in general term, an epistolary?

Way back 2014, matapos kong pagsawaan ang mga cliché teen fiction na nagkalat sa wattpad at sakto namang nagpapansin ito sa most reads, I gave it a shot. First time ko ring makabasa noon ng story ni Pilosopotasya and I didn't expect ganoon siya kagaling at ka-creative.

Jhing Blanco, a writer, is nocturnal. Ugali n’yang mag-update ng story sa wattpad tuwing gabi. Pero nagbago ang lahat ng biglang mag-friend request ang random stranger na may pangalang Sir Dirham, kasabay ang pangungulit nito sa inbox niya. Thinking it was just a prank at isang makulit na dummy account na walang magawa sa buhay, hindi n’ya ito pinansin. But after a week of non-stop messages every night, at exactly 23:11, napuno na siya at pinatulan ang kakulitan ng estranghero.

Chats full of randomness and wittiness ang bumubuo sa gabi nilang dalawa at ang virtual world ang tanging nagkokonekta sa kanila.

Because this is an epistolary, simula hanggang wakas puro chat convo lang nila ang makikita. No narration.

This story tackles love, not just romantically but also love for yourself and others. It speaks how powerful virtual world is and there's really someone whom you can call your own person. Someone na hindi ka huhusgahan, na iintindihin ka kahit hindi naman nila nararanasan ang hinanakit mo sa buhay. It also talks about dream and adult life with a less angst.

MY REVIEW

COVER

Una nating binibigyan ng pansin ang cover ng isang libro. And as for the cover of 23:11, maganda ito dahil clearly, may konting pasilip na kung tungkol saan ang kwento. Hindi na-overpower ng title, author, at tag line ang kabuuan. Consistent na oks para sa akin ang cover niya kahit published na ito.

SETTING + CREATIVITY OF THE AUTHOR

Gusto ko ‘yong setting nila every 23:11. Kasi ito ‘yong time kung saan madalas, vulnerable ang mga tao. Eto ‘yong oras na nagiging sarili lang natin ang nararamdaman dahil sarili lang natin ang kasama. And because they are there for each other every night, naramdaman nila ang isa't isa.

Creative ito in a way na tuwing 23:11, lahat tayo nagwi-wish, pero sina Jhing at Sir Dirham, nag-uusap, nagkukwentuhan tungkol sa randomness, nagkukulitan, at nagsusungitan. They are each other’s daily dose of 23:11. Imbes na mag-wish tuloy ako tuwing ganoong oras, sila na lang naaalala ko (at low key nagtatanong kung kailan ako makakahanap ng Sir Dirham, joke).

JHING AND SIR DIRHAM; THEIR CHEMISTRY AND PERSONALITY

I love how Sir Dirham and Jhing are created. They are human. They aren't ideal pero ang sarap nila basahin. May sarili silang buhay na hindi dinidikta ng author. Sobrang random ng pagkakakilala nila pero as the story goes on, maniniwala ka na lang na - sina fate at destiny, sama mo pa si serendipity at kismet, made them meet and conspires for them to be together.

I love Sir Dirham. (NOTE: This is not his real name~ alamin n’yo bilis!) Sobrang jolly ng personality n’ya. Isa siyang human na tinubuan ng positivity. Kahit na hindi ganoon kaganda ang buhay n’ya, kahit stressed siya sa trabaho at personal na buhay, nakakapagbigay pa rin siya ng kasiyahan. And that happiness isn't forced, genuine pa rin siya.

I like how fucked up Jhing is. Hindi siya damsel in distress pero si Sir Dirham ang naging Knight in Shining Positivity niya. Every girl has a Jhing side. ‘Yong dahil sa negativity sa buhay, you built walls. And every girl deserves to have someone like Sir Dirham, the one who would crack walls open, not just for him to enter but to help the girl see what she's missing.

FAVORITES

I like how Sir Dirham asked Jhing, "May nangyari ba sayo ngayong araw?" It is a genuine concern. Na kahit wala namang ka-eventful na nangyari sa buhay mo, may isang tao pa ring gustong malaman kung okay ka. It isn't a curiousity na gusto n’ya lang chikahin si Jhing, but it is more of a care na gusto niyang ma-feel ni Jhing na may pake siya, na may pake rin ang taong nasa paligid n’ya.

From day 001 to day 365, ang favorite part ko ay ang ending (365) kahit nashookt ako. Hindi kasi talaga ako fan ng online love story. Ang contradicting ko no? Hindi ko bet ang online love story yet mahal ko ang 23:11. But anyway, dahil kasi sa ending, mas lalong naging makatotohanan ang lahat. Nagkaroon ng panibagong pinto for new chapters. Para mas makilala pa natin sila.

I also love the emojis and codes. It makes the story more entertaining and creative.

WATTPAD VS BOOK

I've read this story both in wattpad and book. At ganoon pa rin ang tama nito sa akin. Same feeling, bruh. Pero mas recommended syempre kung babasahin niyo ito sa libro mismo, dahil sa mga cute na illustration nito sa loob with more kawaii emojis!

Mas chat style din syempre ang book. Bukod kasi sa layout nito, ang way ng pagtsa-chat nina Jhing, mas mukhang chat talaga dahil hindi ganoon kabuo ang mga salita. Which is kapag nagtsa-chat ka naman talaga, mas nagiging informal ang mga salitang ginagamit mo.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

23:11 taught me to value time. Na kapag mahalaga sayo ang isang tao, kahit sobrang busy, sobrang stressed ng life mo, you make time pa rin.

You also wait. You develop your feelings. Ang maganda rin sa 23:11 kahit trip lang yung pag-message kay Jhing, pinakita pa rin ‘yong development. Hindi ka mapapatanong ng "Uy, bakit biglang nagkagustuhan na? Wait ambilis naman!!" kasi you also fell in love.

This story made me realize that, there is something more than the dialogues and the chats. There is something deep in simple words. There is something magical in time.

23:11 is indeed the book I wished for.

Rating: 📕📕📕📕📕

#nocturnalreaderreviews #humorreviewsbyd #epistolaryreviewbyd #reviewsbyd #wattpadreviewsbyd #bookreviewsbyd #literaturangpilipinas #guiltyreviewer

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daisy-chain-gardens · 6 years

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MY SUN AND MY MOON AND ALL OF MY STARS

A/N: Hey guys, so this is something a bit different and I’m not sure where it came from but I actually love it. Let me know what you think :)

Read it on AO3 here

~~~

“Do you ever think the moon gets lonely?”

The sound of Betty’s voice forced Jughead to look up from his computer where the small black line at the end of a half-finished sentence had been blinking at him tauntingly.

“What?” He asked confused, a goofy smile playing on his lips as he watched Betty pick at the tassels on the throw blanket they always kept draped over the couch but never seemed to use.

“Do you ever think the moon gets lonely,” she repeated as if it was a perfectly sane question.

“Well what do you think Betts?” He asked back softly, trying to stop himself from laughing as he watched her in her drug-induced haze.

“I think it does,” she said quietly, almost as if she was sharing one of her deepest secrets. “Polly used to tell me this story about how the sun and the moon were once great lovers who annoyed one of the gods. The god got so angry at them that he banished them to opposite sides of the earth, forcing them to always be a world apart.”

Jughead closed his laptop quietly, setting it down on the coffee table and pulling Betty’s feet into his lap, his fingers drawing patterns on her bare calf, careful not to bump her cast.

“I always wonder if the moon gets lonely. I don’t think the sun would because it’s full of light. It gets to watch people live and laugh and be, but the moon … well it’s all alone. It leaves people in the dark and forces them into a place they can’t see, a place they need to rely on some other source of light to live, to laugh, to be.” Betty looked up from the tassel and saw Jughead watching her intently, his fingers still absent-mindedly tracing invisible shapes on her skin.

“I used to think we were like that; destined to be together but forced apart, always loving but always separate. Almost as if there was something bigger, something god-like that didn’t want us together…” Betty trailed off but kept staring straight ahead, almost as if she was staring through him, her eyes glued to those three moles on his cheek, thinking to herself that they looked almost like a constellation.

“I don’t know, it’s stupid,” she mumbled as she shuffled around on the couch, sitting beside Jughead and letting her head fall onto his shoulder. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, wrapping his arms around her.

“It’s not stupid baby. I like hearing about what runs through your mind at 2am,” he replied through a chuckle.

“Well I have a lot more where that came from, especially with this messin … medssssin … med-i-cine they gave me for my foot,” Betty managed to fumble out as her eyes started to flutter closed.

“You know what I think Betts?” Jughead asked, realising that she was starting to fall asleep. As much as he would love to keep her awake and hear her fumble over more words, it was probably time for her to go to bed. She nodded sleepily, urging him to go on as he gently slipped an arm under her knees and lifted her up, placing his other hand securely on her back as her arms wrapped around his neck.

“I never had Polly to tell me bedtime stories about the sun and the moon but I did spend more time than I care to admit looking up at the stars. I used to feel the same way you did, although I will admit I didn’t do so quite as poetically.” He walked through their apartment, careful not to bump her foot on anything, before opening the door to their room and placing her down on the bed, her eyes still fluttering open and shut.

“I used to think that there was this force of some sort, fate maybe, that was determined to keep us apart, determined to drive some huge invisible wedge between us. But then I would sneak out into this one part of the trailer park that didn’t feel like a trailer park and I’d lie on my back and just look up at the sky, taking in the stars and the moon and the planets that were spread out in the infinite darkness.” Jughead kept talking as he pulled back the covers and tucked Betty into the blankets, thankful he’d had the foresight to help her into her pyjamas earlier. He walked over to the dresser and grabbed his pyjamas from his side of the dresser, slowly getting changed.

“And I would find something incredibly comforting in the familiarity of it all. Something comforting about the never ending blackness and the way it made me feel so incredibly small. For once I liked feeling insignificant, feeling alone. Because my next thought would make me feel safe again.” He threw his clothes in the direction of the laundry hamper and climbed under the covers beside her. His arm found its usual place resting across her stomach as his leg slipped between hers, grateful that her broken leg was hanging off the bed, just like it did every night.

He was well aware that she’d fallen asleep, the drugs that the doctor had given her that afternoon after she’d fallen off her bike had finally flooded her system, pulling her into a dreamless sleep. He couldn’t seem to stop, the words flowing out of him in a constant stream, no end in sight and Jughead wasn’t sure if he wanted there to be.

“My next thought we be how the universe is such an immense place; filled with solar systems and stars and planets. And then we have our planet, with 7.6 billion people from 195 countries and somehow we ended up in the same small town in the middle of nowhere. Somehow you fell in love with me and I fell in love with you. That thought would bring me so much comfort and make me feel safe, even when I was looking up at something so infinite and limitless.” Betty’s soft snoring filled the spaces between his words, making it seem like he was speaking to the same lazy rhythm.

He rolled onto his side and looked at her, the lovesick smile he’d worn so many times over the years falling onto his lips. She looked so beautiful when she was asleep; her hair splayed out across the pillow in every which way, her chest rising and falling under the blankets, her eyes shut tight and a hint of a smile still playing on her lips as the semi-permanent crease on her forehead completely disappeared.

“You probably don’t remember but a couple of years ago you read this poetry book called ‘Become.’ by Emery Allen. I gave you so much crap about it. One day I had finished my book by the time and I didn’t have another one with me. You’d fallen asleep with that book open on your chest so I was going to put it on the bedside table so you didn’t destroy it with all the tossing and turning you do when you sleep. I know I have no respect for modern poetry but come on, it’s still a book,” he said with a chuckle, the memory playing over in his head as he reached across and brushed an unruly strand of hair out of her face.

“I was just going to close it and then put it away but I found myself reading the page you’d fallen asleep on. You know, I can still remember that poem, even after the thousands, if not millions, of other words that had passed in front of my eyes since that night. So Betts, you’d better savour this moment because me reciting poetry to you is a one time thing, okay? I know that you’re asleep but I’m not repeating this because we both know you’d mock me relentlessly if you were awake. Here we go.” Jughead took a deep breath, closing his eyes to shield himself from the embarrassment he knew would never come, Betty’s heavy breathing assuring him of that.

“I feel like a part of my soul has loved you since the beginning of everything. Maybe we’re from the same star.”

“I swear my heart actually stopped for a second when I read that, because, well that’s exactly how I feel. Somehow the two of us have managed to be alive at the same point in time, on the same planet, in the same country in the same tiny town. And if all of that has come together just for us, is it really that strange to believe that we are from the same star, that we had the same beginning and we’ve somehow found our way back to each other? I mean what other explanation could there be for us to have found something so perf- so natural?” Jughead sighed and ran his free hand through his unruly hair, his mind racing as his mouth tried to catch up with the millions of thoughts running through his head.

“Because something this good was never supposed to happen to someone like me. You were never supposed to happen to someone like me. And as cliche as it sounds, I would thank the stars and the heavens and all the moons you have on offer if it means I get to keep you for the rest of my days. You probably know this because I’m not the best at hiding it but you are my sun, and my moon, and all of my stars bound into this mortal form that everyone knows you are more than deserving of. You make me live, and laugh, and be.” Betty rolled over beside him, her head falling between their two pillows and her cast moving to trap his leg, giving him no chance for escape. He sighed deeply. Only Betty would subconsciously ruin his speech about how much he loves her by making him lose feeling to his leg with her giant purple cast.

“That’s probably the awake part of your brain telling me to shut up before I make a complete fool out of myself. Although I did quote Emery Allen so I don’t think I can embarrass myself more further.” Betty stirred once more, her head falling even further so it rested against his chest. He managed to slide his leg out from under her purple monstrosity, enveloping her small frame in his arms. Jughead placed a gentle kiss on the crown of her head, loving the way her hair softly tickled his upper lip.

“I love you Betts. And if you ever forget that, just remember that I recited poetry to you without a knife to my throat. If that doesn’t prove I love you then I don’t know what will.” That same smile he’d been wearing the whole night stayed glued to his lips, even as his eyes drooped closed and his dreams became filled with his sun and his moon and all of his stars.

#bughead one shot #bughead fanfiction #betty cooper #jughead jones #bughead fluff

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writingdotcoffee · 3 years

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#195: Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?

Writers usually hate answering this question. When you get an idea, you often don’t fully understand where it came from. Sometimes, you combine two existing ideas into one. Sometimes, an idea just appears in your head. There’s no reliable way of reproducing that. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything to have more ideas.

Most people get enough ideas already, but they lose most of them because they don’t have a system in place to develop them and work on the best ones.

Inspiration comes in bursts. I have weeks when I see new ideas everywhere. It’s insane. But I also have weeks when I can turn my brain inside out and not find a single one. The key is to take advantage of those periods and write down as many ideas as you can so that you can get back to them later.

In most cases, your ideas won’t be fully formed. The entire plot of a novel doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. It does start with an idea, but you have to develop it.

Often, you’ll hear writers say that they had the idea for their book in their head for ten years before they wrote it. Very likely, it wasn’t the exact same idea. They may have had the original spark of inspiration a decade ago, but the idea evolved from there. It took them ten years of mulling it over and working on other projects before they felt ready to work on it.

This process happens naturally, but you can make it more predictable too. Each writer approaches this differently. My approach evolved from the 3-bucket system by Jeff Goins. I call it the Idea Pipeline.

It’s pretty straightforward. You have four lists.

List #1: Raw Ideas

The first list is where you put your raw ideas as you discover them. It might be in the notes app on your phone or a stack of post-it notes on your desk. You add to it any time inspiration strikes. If it doesn’t strike for a long time, and you’re running short, you can spend time brainstorming and add whatever you come up with to this list.

List #2: Outlines

The second list has your outlines. Every once in a while, you go through the list of raw ideas, pick the one you like the most and develop them into an outline. You may do some research and take notes.

I use the word outline in the broadest possible sense here. An outline might be a bunch of scribbles on a post-it note. It might also be a 5-page structured document with all the research you did. Everybody is different, and there are no rules for what constitutes an outline. It’s whatever you need it to be to write the first draft.

List #3: First Drafts

The third list has your drafts. You create these drafts as a part of your regular writing routine. Maybe you like to write 500 words every morning. Your stories are usually 2,000 words long. So every four days, you’ll come back to your outlines, pick the one you like the most and write the words for it. That way, you can keep going without having to stop to do more thinking and interrupt your writing flow.

Of course, there will be dead ends. There will also be times where you find out that you’ll need to do more thinking. But when it happens, you can always go back to another idea and return to the current one later. The point is that you always have something ready to write.

List #4: Finished Pieces

Finally, you take each first draft, do more editing and prepare the story for publication or querying. That’s it!

The process isn’t too different when working on a book. I’d break the story down into chapters and do all the outlining at the same time. Then I’d have a long list of outlined chapters to work on.

So, where do I get my ideas from? I sincerely haven’t a clue. But when I do get one, I make sure to put it on a list. If I like it later, I’ll develop it and turn it into a story. Set up a process like that, and I’m pretty sure that soon, you’ll have more ideas than you can finish.

Want More?

(I won’t spam you or pass your email to a third party. You can unsubscribe at any time.)

Past Editions

#194: Your Inner Critic is Wrong, May 2021

#193: Overnight Success… 10 Years in the Making, May 20201

#192: Why Write?, April 2021

#191: The Best Writing Quotes From the Past Year, April 2021

#190: Writing and Snow, April 2021

#writing #writers #write #writing tips #writing advice #amwriting #writing life #quote #quotes #writeblr

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michellescanadianlitblog · 3 years

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Week #17 Blog

Title: The Saturday Night Ghost Club

Author: Craig Davidson

Pages Read: 150-206

Word Count: 395

Summary: Jake and Billy were sitting on the curb, when a BB bullet hit Jake in the neck. He finds out Percy Elkins shot at them. Out of hate, he picks up a brick and throws it at Percy’s window. They eventually go home, but soon Mr. Elkins shows up at Jake’s house, where Jake’s dad stands up for his son, and starts fighting Mr. Elkin. Uncle C asked Jake to meet him for the Club, but it was just the two of them. Jake’s parents show up and bring him home, to explain Uncle C’s life story. The stories that Uncle C told Jake and the club were based on his trauma. Jake’s parents and Lex never told him the truth because they wanted to protect his mind.

Critical Analysis: Now finishing Craig Davidson’s, “The Saturday Night Ghost Club” the theme of the overall novel is love. Throughout the book, Davidson has given the reader subtle hints that Jake had a liking towards Dove, until this section when it was finally revealed. “I'd never fall for anyone as hard as I fell for Dove Yellowbird. You always fall hardest the first time, don't you?” (The Saturday Night Ghost Club, page 177-178) The reveal of Jake’s feelings shows how much he cares for Dove. However, the most prominent factor is what is revealed at the end. “I love my brother, Jake. I keep his secret because to do anything else might wreck him. Your father helps me keep it because he loves me.” (The Saturday Night Ghost Club, page 195-196) Everyone who loves Uncle C, is keeping his past away from him because they care about him. Throughout the whole book, love has been an emerging theme.

Personal Response: The ending to “The Saturday Night Ghost Club” was an ending that I could not have predicted. Craig Davidson wrote Uncle C’s backstory to be very interesting. It tied the book together and connected the stories that were told. Overall, I have enjoyed reading the novel by Craig Davidson. Other than the plotline, he is great at using imagery to paint a picture. He does a great job adding details to the book, to make vibrant scenes. I would recommend this book to any one who is interested in hearing paranormal stories. Reading the tales from Uncle C were still interesting despite knowing they are fiction.

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virgiltheanxious · 6 years

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Written In Stone (Analogical)

Title: Written in Stone (Alternatively: Evan Writes About Real Life)

Pairing: Analogical… kinda.

Warning: pining, no happy ending.

Word Count: 1, 195

Summary: Virgil likes Logan, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

Notes: If you suffer a lot in real life and couldn’t resist writing it into a story clap your hands (Clap clap)

also logan is a little bit out of character but thats because this isn’t really about logan and anxiety lmao

Virgil smiled and laughed with Roman and Patton about how the only thing in the school’s vending machines that was fifty cents was animal crackers. He looked up as the bell rang and felt his smile waiver a bit. Regardless, he grabbed his bags and began walking towards the academic wing with his friends. He mentioned how he was worried about the second semester, his fifth period changing his lunch schedule into one in the middle of the normal two, and gym as well. He waved goodbye to Patton as he ran off to his own separate class, and walked into Honors English with Roman. He moved to sit in his normal seat, which was kind of across of roman, but to the side a bit. It was odd because he was good friends with Roman but rarely sat with him in the two classes they had together.

Dropping his bag on the floor as he sat down, he unzipped it and brought out his binder and book. He also hadn’t finished his soda, so he put that at the edge of his desk and with his ever-perfectionist mind lined it up with the corner as best he could. He pulled out the bag of chips that he had stuffed in his pockets and continued to eat them as he waited for class to start. He looked nowhere particular, but when Logan came in sooner than he usually did, Virgil looked up at him. He watched as the other man walked around the circle of chairs and took the seat next to him. He didn’t say anything but waved at Logan, which was responded with a wave back. As his teacher walked over to begin the class he remembered he had something to show her. He called her over and pulled out an old notebook.

“You asked how I knew those terms, and it was because a couple years ago my class made these notebooks just filled with terms,” he said as he flipped through the book. He stopped at the persuasion techniques page. “We didn’t take notes, but we did briefly talk about it and I remembered that.”

“Yeah, I was just wondering because those are terms that are the base of next year, so you’re ahead of the game now,” she responded.

Virgil smiled and turned to Logan, who had begun talking. “Even I don’t know those terms, yet.”

“Ha, Logan, I can one-up you in something!” Virgil let out, making both his teacher and Logan laugh. Virgil smiled more and looked straight ahead, knowing that if he were to look at Logan as he smiled he would start thinking about all the romantic possibilities, and wouldn’t be able to stop. He’d also probably start shaking because he shouldn’t be thinking like that.

‘Logan is straight,’ he reminded himself silently, putting his notebook back in his bag. ‘He is off limits. He won’t fall for you. He would be grossed out by your feelings if he knew.’

He payed attention as his teacher explained about a writing assignment that they needed to finish for the end of the semester. He could keep focused for enough time, luckily. After Virgil got his own computer, he sat back down in his seat. He booted up his Chromebook and logged in to google. He did everything the teacher asked as she further explained the assignment.

When they were left to do his own thing, he knew he was about to be distracted by Logan. He sighed as he turned on his music and put in one earbud. They exchanged small talk together before they both decided to actually get work done. Virgil got so far as creating his cover page and making titles for he three paragraphs of his essay before he was distracted.

He mostly was distracted by making sure he wasn’t distracted by Logan. He could keep his mind off the other man for a few minutes before he thought about him again. Without turning his head, he looked at where he was typing his essay and gazed dreamily at his hands.

He really wanted to hold hands with him. Really badly. He imagined holding hands and having a conversation with Logan as they walked down the hall to one of their classes and smiled slightly. The thought both calmed him down and stressed him out. He couldn’t think like that, it would only make his feelings worsen.

So he shook his head and pulled out the short story he was working with. He thought about what to write and began making a bullet point list of points to make in his last paragraph before he skipped back up to his first paragraph, the summary, and began typing. Managing to type two sentences before he had to stop and think, Virgil was proud of himself.

He stopped and messed with his bangs, combing a hand through them and adjusting them to keep them out of his eyes. He then stared at a wall, trying to think of what to write before he figured it out. He started typing quickly, wanting to write down the summary in the best words he had thought of before losing the idea. He typed swiftly, integrating quotes and everything. As he was typing one of the last few parts, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Logan seemed to be facing his direction. He finished typing the last sentence and then looked up.

For a moment, he refused to look at Logan before he caved and glanced at him. Logan moved his head and looked ahead, not looking Virgil in the eyes. Virgil frowned, thinking maybe he knew but then thought, no, Logan was too dense. Logan wouldn’t figure it out even if he had actually read the messages that were on his phone the other day.

Virgil sighed and looked back at his computer screen.

This bothered him. He knew that Logan was straight- he was outright told one of the first few days they met. So Logan was off limits.

Virgil breathed in and took a quick glance at Logan and thought about Logan hugging him. He thought about burying his head in Logan’s neck as he laughed at something stupid. He thought about holding Logan’s hand. Then he thought about the fact that he put on chapstick just in case Logan made a move and kissed him.

He really wanted Logan to kiss him.

He looked at Logan and smiled behind his hand.

He looked back at Logan’s hand once more, noticing that he had stopped typing and was resting them on the keys. He was desperate to hold those hands. He really wanted to get some form of contact with him, but knew that since they weren’t sharing a table it would be too out of the ordinary. He looked back at his computer and typed another sentence slowly. Without moving his head, he looked at Logan’s face and admired it for a moment, regardless of the fact it hurt his eyes to look that way.

He knew Logan didn’t like him, but he wished that they could be together.

#this is lowkey about my crush and me #analogical #anxiety sanders #virgil sanders #my crush just messaged me too oof #logan sanders #logic sanders #sanders sides #fic #written by evan

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