taranorma

[taranorma]

It's always so fascinating how I can have a chapter perfectly laid out, planned, accounted for.

And then I start writing it, and the characters go in a completely different direction.

>:V

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #not writing #writing community

[taranorma]

I've posted the first chapter of my WIP to AO3. 🎉

The Victorian Rose

Rating: Explicit

Tags: Original Character(s), Female Protagonist, POV First Person, Paranormal, Dreams, Romance, Eventual Romance, Smut, Masturbation, Ghost Sex

Description: Amelia, desperate for a break from her daily routine of too much work and not enough sleep, books a two-week vacation at a Victorian manor transformed into an “immersive bed and breakfast”, where the staff dress and act as if they are from the 1800s.

On her first night there, she has a vivid dream that she herself is a maid in the manor, being courted behind closed doors by the handsome son of the house’s lord. Imagine her surprise when, the next day, she is exploring the manor and finds the room from her dream… and the gentleman, too, who seems as surprised to see her as she is him.

And then he disappears.

✨

Read The Victorian Rose on AO3

#writeblr #writing community #writers on tumblr #ao3 #paranormal romance

[taranorma]

I try to squeeze his hand. He glances down, so I think it worked, at least on some level. “Have you tried forgiving yourself?”

His eyes dart back up to mine. “How does one do such a thing?”

“I… wish I had an answer to that question.” I shake my head. “I think you just have to do it. Just, have an honest conversation with yourself about it, and let go of the guilt.”

There is a pause, long enough for me to become keenly aware of our position. We’re sitting side-by-side, so close I can feel the cold on my skin through my clothes. My hand is clutched in his own, and our faces are angled toward each other.

If he were alive, I’d probably kiss him right now.

I catch his gaze dipping briefly, and I wonder—is he thinking the same thing as me?

Is it weird that I hope he is?

He clears his throat and withdraws his hand from mine to stand up, tugging on the front of his jacket. “I must consider this.”

Consider what, I want to ask. Her or me?

Then he’s gone, and my heart leaps into my throat.

What if he—figures it out? What if he forgives himself and moves on? What if I don’t get the chance to say goodbye first?

I almost call him back, but I don’t. This isn’t about me. It never was.

#writeblr #writing #paranormal romance #daily writing

[taranorma]

Before I know it, I’m on my knees, rummaging through my suitcase until I find where I’ve buried my phone. My fingers move without me to pull up my contacts list and select Beautiful.

The phone rings.

I try to get my breathing under control when there’s a soft click and a quiet, “Hey?”

“Hey.”

I had hoped a single word wouldn’t betray my current state, but my baby sister knows me too well.

“Hold on. Let me get to the break room.”

Right. It’s the middle of the day. She’s at work, dumbass.

“I’m sorry,” I manage in a weak voice.

There’s a pause. I hear a door shut in the background before Erin says, “Don’t be sorry, just tell me what’s up, okay?”

I bite the inside of my cheek. The pain is a momentary distraction, enough for me to talk without sounding like a total mess.

“I think I’m wasting my life.” My hand trembles, and I bring up the other to hold the phone steady with both of them. “Like, seriously, what am I doing?”

“Whoa, okay.” I know she’s pacing; she always paces when she’s on the phone. “Aren’t you on vacation right now?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you—” She makes a muffled noise, a bit of a grunt. “What happened? Did something happen?”

I can’t tell her. I can’t tell anyone, actually. I don’t think there’s a person I know who would believe me.

“Just doing a lot of… thinking.”

“Thinking’s dangerous,” she says in a tone that is clearly trying to find the right balance between sincerity and levity.

I laugh, an ugly wet sound in the back of my throat. “It’s the worst.”

#writeblr #writing #daily writing

[taranorma]

Writing about a character hating her job. Definitely not just talking through a character. Not self inserting at all.

#not writing #writeblr

[taranorma]

Irritation swells in my chest. “Shit happens! People break up all the time.”

I’m pretty sure he feels the same surge of irritation, because it bleeds into his voice. “It is not the mere act of breaking off our affair that I must pay for. It is that I robbed her of life, while I lived mine: I married, I had a son, I died an old man. I lived and she died.”

“Did you?”

There is a pause. He doesn’t reply, just stares at me with a hardened gaze, his mouth pulled into a thin line.

So I continue, “Because it sounds to me like you had a pretty lonely life, just you and your books.”

“You would know of such things,” he cuts in with a low, dangerous edge to his tone. One hand lifts to gesture at me—at the book I’m holding. “I believe you and I have this in common.”

“I’m not—”

One of his eyebrows lifts in challenge.

My mouth snaps shut.

I feel pinned down and seen in a way I don’t want to be. I don’t like the sharpness of his eyes as they wait for my response, the slight lift at the corner of his mouth because he already knows he’s right.

“Fuck you,” I spit out as I push myself upright, stumbling a bit from not getting my legs uncrossed fast enough.

#writeblr #writing #paranormal romance #daily writing

[taranorma]

Head's Up Seven Up

thank you @romances-not-tragedies for the tag :)

rules: post a random snippet of your current WIP.

I tried to find the most spoiler free snippet haha

Walking downtown with Jace became a normal thing whenever we had a day off. It seemed like no matter how much energy he expended the night before on stage, he was up and ready to go usually by nine in the morning. I'd admire him for his stamina if it didn't mean waking me up early and then walking all damn day. It may be enjoyable while it's happening, but damn do I hurt the next day.

No amount of time on tour will change the fact that I’m so out of shape it’s not funny.

Which leads us to the reason why I’m struggling not to sound like I’m dying at the sheer amount of stairs he has me climbing right now.

“How can you be this energetic?” I pant, three steps behind. I can tell he’s trying not to leave me behind, which only adds to my embarrassment.

He turns to meet my eyes, a sheepish grin on his face. “I think the better question is, how are you not? We’re in New York City, baby! I perform at Madison Square tomorrow!”

No matter how tired I am, I can’t help but smile at the pure excitement coating his voice.

“Yeah, I guess that is pretty awesome.”

“Awesome? It’s amazing.” The sheer amount of joy in his laugh makes me want to bottle it up to save for a rainy day. He’s so happy it warms my insides and I can’t help but want to one day make him laugh like that.

I don’t realize I’ve stopped until he walks the few steps down to me and says, “we can sit for a while.”

“You sure? If you want to keep moving we can,” I wipe away the sweat coating my temple.

“Nah, we don’t have to be anywhere any time soon.” He plops down on the step.

I join him, involuntarily groaning as my legs give out. “I feel like I just ran a marathon.”

I lean my head against his right shoulder and he moves closer, wrapping an arm around my back. A comfortable silence settles over us as we sit on the concrete steps, watching people walk by in either direction, not paying us any mind. Everybody’s in their own world here.

Jace seems content to not say anything, so I don’t risk breaking the moment. His thumb rubs idle circles against the side of my leg and I can’t help but feel like I could stay like this forever. Everything feels so natural between us.

I'm tagging: @katwritesshit @kbwritesstuff @taranorma @fortunatetragedy + an open tag for those that wanna play :)

happy writing!

#other writers #writeblr #ooooh #good snippet!!

[taranorma]

Find the Word

Thank you to @taranorma for the tag game!

My words are strong, teeth, torn, and growl.

Your words: crackle, breeze, merry, and fish

((Please mention me if you grab this!))

The WIP I'm featuring here is tentatively titled Sanmin Flight. I'll be posting about it soon, but a quick synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Tohru Higa is a girl on a mission: to save her older brother Sei from his illness. To do so, she builds a plane and plans to fly it into the annual typhoon to find the fabled Ryujin, the sea dragon whose palace lies on the seabed. But her flight is everything but straight, the stormy skies both unforgiving and revealing in their turbulence.

Strong

(The closest I have is "brave.")

"Come on. You're obsessed with that radio. You've heard Radio-sensei talk about the tsunamis on the other side. The water gets so high you might not fly high enough!" Tohru turns, wide-eyed at Nika's reedy voice. Brave, fiery Nika? Worried? Afraid? Nika's brown hands crumple the hem of her cotton top as she glares daggers at the plane.

Teeth

Her brother Sei lies awake, heaving. He eyes the storm clouds gathering outside. Tohru sets the tray at his side and, with a grunt, crosses her legs, spindly and unwieldy. Sei lets out a long breath through his teeth, a whistle that deflates him enough he can fold himself upright. He scratches the mess of his hair, feathered like Tohru's but in need of a trim.

Torn

She can hear the grasses whispering together with the distant roar of the waves, as she squats over the engine of her biplane. Pride swells her--she built the plane herself, after all, scavenging metal torn from the old trucks the elders left rusting on their lots.

Growl

(The closest I have is "grumble.")

A radio crackles alive next to her as another gust blows past. Tohru smears grime across her cheek and settles back on her haunches. If nothing else, the wind at least cooled her brow, sticky from the sweltering humidity. Her stomach grumbles. She turns the dial of her pocket radio while thinking about the lunch she packed.

#other writers #thank you for sharing!!

[taranorma]

This crossed my dashboard RIGHT as I was teetering on whether or not to write some wholly self-indulgent chapters.

Tumblr hath spoken.

WRITE IT!!! WRITE THAT SELF INDULGENT SHIT!!!

#not writing #writeblr

[taranorma]

“You booked this trip for the rose garden, right?”

I nod.

“So why do I never see you out there?”

I blink and open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. [Loretta] waits, patiently, while I try to find my words.

Because—of William.

“Because I’ve been wrapped up in some guy,” I admit. “God, what the fuck? I don’t think I’ve even thought about the roses once.”

“Maybe now’s a good time to get wrapped up in yourself.” She bumps her elbow to mine. “He’s not going anywhere, right?”

That makes my heart stutter.

He kind of is. Or, rather, I am.

Whatever’s going on between us, whatever this confusing mess is, it’s over after next week. I’ll go home, and he’ll stay here.

With a small furrow of her brow, Loretta asks, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s—complicated,” I groan.

#writeblr #writing #daily writing #paranormal romance

[taranorma]

Male fictional characters that make me go, "My man!"

Thank you @cssnder for the tag, this is a fun one!! All right, let's get weird about some fictional men, and expose myself a little in the process. 😂

1. Edward Teach / Blackbeard from Our Flag Means Death

His eyes. His hair. His arms. His tummy. I desire to see this man on his knees (not with me, but I digress).

2. Suri from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

He plays two personas in this movie, but I love him as Suri. My soft sweet potato. I want him to take care of me when I'm not feeling well.

3. Arn from Arn: The Knight Templar (specifically the mini-series and not the movie)

A man devoted to the woman he loves, stopping at nothing to return to her side? I'll have more of that, yes, please.

4. Westley from The Princess Bride

I'm so down for him, as basic as that may make me, but. God. As you wish.

This isn't a writing game, so I'm trying to tag folk that I think might have fun with this, please ignore me if my judgment is off: @bookish-karina @coarsely @rabidweezul @ladyred-ms

If I tagged you and you’d rather not be tagged, just drop a note in my inbox and I’ll not do so again! If I didn’t tag you and you wish you were tagged, let me know and I’ll remember to tag you in the future!

#tag games #not writing

[taranorma]

Find The Word Tag

Alrighty, so thank you @bookish-karina @taranorma and @drchenquill for tagging me in Find The Word tag games!

My words: loathe, swoon, knife, tattoo, strong, teeth, torn, growl, tired, thinking, tainted, timeless

Whew that's a lot of words. It will be beneath the cut. And will be all of my WIPs, not just one. I will warn that two of the snippets below the cut is violent and there is blood and death. They will be marked.

I will tag @winterandwords @rivenantiqnerd @leave-a-message19 @toribookworm22 @xenascribbles @foyle-fumbles and an open tag!

Your Words: Creep, tied, upper, kiss

Warning, it is long beneath the cut lol

Loathe:

I do not have this word in any of my WIPs, which surprised me!

Swoon:

Don't have this either. I don't think I've ever used the word swoon in any of my stories. I just don't write like that. Heh

Knife: From At The End of a Warm Gun

Alexandra's attention fixated on the grip of her revolver with her knife in hand, not even a consideration for her to loot the dead right now. As she crossed out another set of tally marks—it made ten kills for her at just the age of seventeen—Mr. Thompson approached her with an exuberant smile, gripped her wide shoulder. “Great work, young lady!” He said and shook hands for a moment. “Come with me back to the crossin’? I believe ya need a proper reward. Mr. Granger, get this piece of shit back in one piece, ‘kay? Alive, sir.”

Tattoo: From The Last of the Orc

“So, what now?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Do we continue to flee, always seeking refuge? I would rather face death. There is no shame in standing beside our kin, even in death. Rather die than keep running.” “You still might.” Eithne adjusted her forest-green and earthy-brown half tunic, ensured it concealed her bindings. Skin tattooed with a vibrant green dye set in geometric designs. An intricate eye designed just above the middle of her breasts stood as the centerpiece—the eye of the crow.

Strong: From Of Axe & Arrows

Mighty waves, larger than the grand longhouse, lifted the longship high in a terrifying moment. The warriors gasped as they reached the crest. Their eyes widened at the sight below—a sheer cliff-like drop. Thor’s furious roar echoed through the air, thundering louder than the relentless rain and howling wind. As the boat teetered precariously on the edge, the suspense stretched on for an eternity. Then, just as suddenly as it came, the wave crashed back into the ocean, propelling itself forward. The sturdy wood and expert construction of Fáfnir’s vessel held strong as they descended with a resounding thud. The impact left them in a heap, battered and beaten, but the brave drengr survived.

Teeth: From The Last of the Orc

Eithne’s voice, filled with venom, called out to the creature while she bared her teeth in a snarl. Resolve burned in her eyes, a resolute stubbornness fueled the young warrior. Though her words seemed to have no effect on the demon, it slowed for just a moment. A thunderous roar erupted from the depths of her being, broke through the air, as she lunged forward with a powerful swing of her sword. The clash of weapons echoed, filled the surrounding space with its discordant melody. Undeterred, she pivoted, her body moved with fluid grace, and unleashed an upward swing.

TW: Violence TW: Death TW: Blood

Torn: From Haven Bay 01: An Antiques Dealer

When he stooped again, she extracted a long, thin knife hidden inside her jacket. Leapt over the counter, she plunged the blade deep into his back with a single, determined motion, torn through his skin with ease. A thud echoed through the air as he collapsed, his breath escaped like a fading bellow. Overwhelmed by a surge of emotions, she drove the knife into his back. Over and over, the sickening sound of each stab intensified until the man’s breathing and moans of pain stopped. Then wiped her hands off on the man’s jacket, trembled from the nerves and adrenaline that still flowed through her. She stood up, her fingers combed through her damp hair, slicked it back once again. She had a plan and needed to stick to it. Yet, like a trapped animal, Tegan stood frozen as the resounding click of the grandfather clock’s hand echoed in the room, mimicked a metronome. Her eyes darted towards the front door, peered through the curtain which shielded the rain-splattered window. The pitter-patter of raindrops persisted outside, created a soothing melody, in contrast to what had just occurred. Tegan crossed the room, the icy touch of the doorknob sent a shiver down her spine. As she peered outside, confirmed that only rain, not a single soul, ventured near.

TW: Violence TW: Death

Growl: From Of Axe & Arrows

His audacity, however, would cost him dear. Astrid and Helga wasted no time, their fury unleashed. With a primal ferocity, they avenged Teagen; their swords and axes tore through the young man’s flesh, limb from limb. The sickening sound of flesh being rent apart mixed with the guttural growls from the twins—they ripped him to shreds like hungry dogs.

Tired: From Haven Bay 01: An Antiques Dealer

While the atmosphere carried a faint scent of age and wisdom, blended with that distinctive aroma of well-preserved history. As Tegan explored further, her tired brown eyes scanned over a dazzling array of baubles, trinkets, and items that were decades, maybe even hundreds, of years old. All the sheer abundance of treasures, both mundane and cherished, filled every nook and cranny, created an atmosphere of enchanting abundance, each a piece of history.

Thinking: From Haven Bay 02: Cara and the Will-o-the-Wisp

Then, with all the sneaky skills she could muster, Cara stepped up to the window. That’s when she saw a faint light in the treeline. Not like one with a flashlight or their camera. This seemed a lot more erratic than that. Bounced up and down, as if jumping, yet far too high for that to be an actual person. “Weird,” she whispered to herself. Just as quick as it showed up, the light disappeared. Thinking that was enough excitement, Cara climbed back onto her bed, but what looked like a shadow scurried across the floor. Disappeared through her door. When, with the inquisitiveness of her age, Cara got back up and opened the door with a not-so-subtle creyeak.

Tainted:

No tainted I could find!

Timeless: From Haven Bay 01: An Antiques Dealer

In the dimly-lit shop, the soft glow of the lights, especially the flickering lamp that stood on top of the tallest shelf, gave the large former living space a mysterious ambiance. Which set it apart from the bright shops nearby. The walls, painted in dark browns, adorned with a captivating collection of paintings, each exuding a sense of timeless beauty. A magnificent suit of armor stood as a center of pride beside shelves that groaned under the weight of countless books and tomes, their pages whispered stories of the past.

Tag list <3

@cljordan-imperium @ashirisu @leahnardo-da-veggie @olivescales3 @erraticprocrastinator

@pb-dot @illarian-rambling @ryns-ramblings @stonesandswords @sender-paulson

@roach-pizza @bodoramzap @leave-a-message19 @veradragonjedi @ibuprofen-exe

If you want to join my tag list please click here and interact with the post. It lets you stay up-to-date with my snippets, tag games, anything to do with my stories. :3 If you want to be taken off the list, send me a DM! I'll be more than happy to do so. Thanks!

#other writers #writeblr #thank you for sharing!!

[taranorma]

thank you for the tag @taranorma :) please feel free to tag me in future games!

my words: strong, teeth, torn, and growl

your words: loathe, swoon, knife, tattoo

strong:

I have a strong urge to touch him, to kiss him, but I fight against it. It would never work out, so why make it hurt in the long run?

teeth:

My teeth chatter from the cold, and I can't help but wonder if it was a good idea to get out of the warm car so soon.

torn:

I'm torn in my decision. Should I give him my heart... or should I protect it in the barred cage I've kept it in for this long?

growl:

As if he knows I’m holding back, he grabs my left hand and loops it up behind his head. I refuse to move my hand, though, and he growls in frustration.

I'm tagging @frostedlemonwriter @fortunatetragedy @leahnardo-da-veggie @velsfaestories + an open tag if you'd like to join in on the fun!

if I tagged you and you don't want me to tag you in other games, please feel free to let me know and I'll make sure I respect your wishes :)

#writeblr #other writers #thank you for sharing!! #love the snippets!!

[taranorma]

Find The Word Tag 4: On Stranger Tides

This tag comes from @kaylinalexanderbooks (thanks a lot)! I've been in a tag game dry spell lately, and it's time I start actually responding. Have some Atomancers!

My words for this one are: intense, devote, sign, and bare.

Yours are: deep, surface, escalate, and resolve.

Intense:

Then rigid jets of fire erupted from the base of the obelisk, blasting like upside-down rockets, with flames several meters long. The sudden shockwave threw Lia to the ground, and Lioko exclaimed her name in concern. The heat was more intense than a shadowless noon. The incessant, rumbling burn was more deafening than that sunken munitions ship which exploded just outside the cove—though this time it was continuous.

Devote:

“Could I ask why you’re bringing this up now?” Dad inquired right back. “It’s as if you’re suddenly not accepting of the future job you’ve willfully trained for since last year.” Lia took a breath, and answered, “I don’t think I want to ‘accept that future job’ anymore. I never did.” Her pulse became pressured enough to feel in her fingertips. “Lio’ and I’ve just discovered actual magic. And we haven’t even scratched its surface.” “So, you want to devote a good amount of your time to studying and reviving it?” Lia nodded rigidly.

Sign:

“In our defense,” Kalena contended. “We didn’t fire a single shot. I told them not to.” “You still just brought those out cause you were itching to use them,” snapped Miilo. “Just… wave a sign around that says ‘armed and dangerous’, why don’t you?” “Uhmmm… this is exactly what I was talking aboooouuut…” Lioko murmured. For once, Lia got the feeling that maybe her brother was right.

Bare: no instances of 'bare' alone, but here's one of barely–

Ultimately, despite Mom and Dad’s concerns having scared [Lia] and probably also Lioko just a little bit, their search barely felt like a search at all. In fact, Hydrogen was plain to see in the village square, telling a story to a bunch of children that were gathered around. And by the looks of it, they loved it—both Hydrogen and the children.

Passing this one on to @ivaspinoza, @theeccentricraven, @taranorma, @goodluckclove, @moonandris, and anyone else who might be interested!

#other writers #writeblr #thank you for tagging me!! #and thank you for sharing your writing!!

[taranorma]

Find the Word Tag 4: On Stranger Tides

My first tag game! (I hope I do it right.) Thank you @rjcopeseethemald 🤍

My words are: deep, surface, escalate, and resolve

Your words are: strong, teeth, torn, and growl

I'm sad to find that, in my current WIP, the only word present from my list is "deep", so I'll share the instances of it that I have so far.

1.

I get out of the car and stop to take a deep breath in. I really wanted to be overwhelmed with the smell of them, but I just get a vague mix of the surrounding woods and wet earth. With only a little disappointment, I grab my suitcase and drag it behind me as I march closer to my prize.

2.

How deep does the immersive rabbit hole go? Do they dress me? Is someone going to bathe me? No, they won’t—right? Of course not… right?

3.

Standing there is a large man in a deep burgundy coat, with shiny gold buttons and a white waistcoat underneath, frills at his cuffs and collar. His dark brown hair is short but noticeably curly, and his jaw is framed by lusciously thick muttonchops.

4.

He laughs, the sound low and deep. “Forgive me, but it was exceedingly charming.”

5.

“Mm, did I mention he’s got a deep voice, too?” I toss back the last of my wine and slouch in my seat, one leg crossed over the other. “And he’s kind of a poet.”

6.

It no longer hurt the way it once did. There was a loneliness that ached deep in my chest, but there was also—a sort of bittersweet joy.

I'm tagging @frostedlemonwriter @andagii-writes @bookish-karina @awitchblade @xenascribbles @tinywater 🤍

If I tagged you and you'd rather not be tagged, just drop a note in my inbox and I'll not do so again! If I didn't tag you and you wish you were tagged, let me know and I'll remember to tag you in the future!

#tag game #writeblr

[taranorma]

The wind stirs. I sit still and just let it move around me, just watch how it plays with the leaves and the blooms. They rustle and jostle and dance, rose bushes in all directions, and for the first time since I got here, I feel peace.

There’s no work. No bills. No laundry to do. I don’t have to worry about anything except being right here.

I breathe in.

I breathe out.

A butterfly drifts by, and I watch it move effortlessly through the air. It lands on one of the roses and sits there, opening and closing its wings slowly.

I wonder if it’s aware of me. I wonder if it sees me, or if it is only focused on what’s in front of it.

Then it takes flight again, twirls into the air and out of sight.

I breathe in, and I breathe out.

#writing #writeblr #paranormal romance #daily writing

[taranorma]

“It seems a sensible proposition,” he says. “I would like to read, and I am now aware that you wish to read as part of your leisure time. It would please me greatly to share your company in the library.”

“Oh.” Don’t overthink it. Don’t try to read between the lines. Don’t get suddenly excited. “Sure.”

His smile brightens, and my heart stutters. “Wonderful. May I escort you?”

“Sure,” I repeat, because I’m very smart and good at words.

#writing #writeblr #paranormal romance #daily writing #me too girl me too