Latest Posts by pfm019 - Page 7

really into knights and mixed media recently

Writing Notes: Emotions (Anger)

Anger manifests differently in different people. But here are a few notes to help with writing when your characters feel and/or show anger.

Angry: Other Words to Use

HIGH furious, raging, irate, hateful, incensed, hostile, outraged, indignant, exasperated MODERATE aggravated, irritated, irked, upset, annoyed, offended, sulky, ticked off, fuming, sullen, provoked LOW perturbed, hassled, bothered, fuss, fret, displeased, peeved

Signs of Anger

Eyebrows may be lowered and pulled closer together

Eyelids may become squinted or raised (or the eyes may bulge if they are enraged)

Lips may tighten or curl inwards

The corners of the mouth may point downwards

The jaw may be tense and might jut forward slightly

Vertical wrinkles may appear between the eyebrows

The nostrils may flare outwards

Increased heart rate

Sweating

Trembling

Rapid breathing

Flushed face

Restless movements

Anger: Some Quotes

When anger rises, think of the consequences. (Confucius)

The best answer to anger is silence. (German Proverb)

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. (Buddha)

Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean. (Maya Angelou)

The best fighter is never angry. (Lao Tzu)

Usually when people are sad, they don't do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change. (Malcolm X)

Anger is just anger. It isn't good. It isn't bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It's like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice. (Jim Butcher)

Anger at lies lasts forever. Anger at truth can't last. (Greg Evans)

Anger makes dull men witty, but it keeps them poor. (Elizabeth I)

Anger is a brief madness. (Horace)

Anger: Phrases & Idioms

Nurse a Grudge Against Someone

Throw a Fit

Dish It Out

Have a Bone to Pick

Have a Chip on One’s Shoulder

Grit One's Teeth

Have a Low Boiling Point

Let Off or Blow off Steam

Sources: 1 2 3 4

If these writing notes helped with your poem/story, please tag me. Or leave a link in the replies. I'd love to read them!

Barry's Photography, Duel courtois 1453

My Sexuality is very much women in Armor, so Fem Crowley as an Angel only felt right.

Gothic architecture. 💗

Writing Notes: Self-Editing

Take a Break Before Editing

One of the most effective self-editing techniques is to distance yourself from your writing before diving into the editing process. After completing your draft, give yourself some time away from the text – a few hours, a day, or even longer if possible. This break provides a fresh perspective, allowing you to approach your work with a more critical eye.

Read Aloud

Engage your auditory senses by reading your work aloud. This not only helps identify grammatical errors and awkward phrasing but also allows you to assess the overall flow and rhythm of your writing. Awkward sentences are more apparent when heard.

Focus on One Element at a Time

To avoid feeling overwhelmed during the self-editing process, concentrate on specific elements in each round. Start by checking for grammatical errors and punctuation, then move on to sentence structure, coherence, and finally, style. This systematic approach ensures a thorough examination of your writing.

Add Dimensions

After you are finished with your first draft, flip to the beginning and start anew. As you write and edit more of your story, you may add different aspects to a character that might need to be mentioned in a section you already edited. You might add a part of the plot that should be alluded to earlier in your book.

Fill in the Gaps

Re-reading your first draft might reveal plot holes that will be addressed via revisions. It may expose logical inconsistencies that must be buttressed with enhanced detail. If you, as the author, know a lot of details about a character’s backstory, make sure your reader does as well.

Mend Character Arcs

Audiences want engaging plots, but they also want detailed characters who undergo change during the events of a story. Use a second draft to make sure that your main character and key supporting characters follow consistent character arcs that take them on a journey over the course of the story. If your story is told through first person point of view (POV), this will be even more important as it will also affect the story’s narration.

Track the Pacing of your Story

Find ways to space out your story points so that every section of your novel is equally compelling and nothing feels shoehorned in.

Clean up Cosmetic Errors

When some first time writers think of the editing process, they mainly think of corrections to grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation. These elements are certainly important but such edits tend to come toward the end of the process. Obviously no book will go out for hard copy publication without proofreading for typos and grammatical errors, but in the early rounds of revising, direct most of your energy toward story and character. If you consider yourself a good writer who simply isn’t strong on elements like spelling, grammar, and punctuation, consider hiring an outside proofreader to help you with this part of the writing process.

Inject Variety

The best novels and short stories contain ample variety, no matter how long or short the entire manuscript may be. Look for ways to inject variety into your sentence structure, your narrative events, your dialogue, and your descriptive language. You never want a reader to feel like s/he’s already read a carbon copy of a certain scene from a few chapters back.

Check for Consistency

Consistency is key to maintaining a professional and polished tone in your writing. Ensure that your language, formatting, and style choices remain consistent throughout your piece. Inconsistencies can distract the reader and diminish the overall impact of your work.

Eliminate Redundancies

Effective communication is concise and to the point. During the self-editing phase, be vigilant in identifying and eliminating redundancies. Repetitive phrases and unnecessary words can dilute your message and hinder clarity.

Verify Facts and Information

If your writing incorporates facts, figures, or data, double-check the accuracy of your information. Providing accurate and up-to-date information enhances your credibility as a writer. Cross-referencing your sources during the self-editing process ensures the reliability of your content.

Consider Your Audience

Keep your target audience in mind during the self-editing process. Ensure that your language, tone, and examples are tailored to resonate with your intended readership. This step is crucial for creating a connection with your audience and enhancing the overall impact of your writing.

Utilise Editing Tools

Take advantage of the various editing tools available to writers. Spell and grammar checkers, and style guides can serve as valuable companions during the self-editing journey. However, remember that these tools are aids, not substitutes, for your critical evaluation.

Seek Feedback

Engage with others to gain fresh perspectives on your writing. Peer reviews or feedback from mentors can offer valuable insights that you might have overlooked. Embrace constructive criticism and use it to refine your work further.

Be Ruthless with Revisions

Effective self-editing requires a degree of ruthlessness. Don’t be afraid to cut or rewrite sections that do not contribute to the overall strength of your piece. Trim excess words, tighten sentences, and ensure that every element serves a purpose.

Sources: 1 2 3 4

can't wait for biden to resign from the campaign this sunday, july 21 2024

at duty’s end

Joust ⚔

I don’t like knights in the “glorifying a military police force as symbols of power, wealth, and tradition” way. I like knights in the “cult of chivalry and psychological fallout of raising sons to die like their fathers for a king they’ll never meet” way but also in a “swords and armor symbolic of the heaviness and impermanence of manhood” way.

I have Tumblr.... Wow, almost forgot

it must be said that i simply love to watch a character destroy all their relationships in an attempt to get what they think they want only to achieve their goals and be lonelier and more depressed than ever. and to realize they can never go back and are trapped at the top of the hill playing their part. its the dream you never wake up from!!

Writing advice from my uni teachers:

If your dialog feels flat, rewrite the scene pretending the characters cannot at any cost say exactly what they mean. No one says “I’m mad” but they can say it in 100 other ways.

Wrote a chapter but you dislike it? Rewrite it again from memory. That way you’re only remembering the main parts and can fill in extra details. My teacher who was a playwright literally writes every single script twice because of this.

Don’t overuse metaphors, or they lose their potency. Limit yourself.

Before you write your novel, write a page of anything from your characters POV so you can get their voice right. Do this for every main character introduced.

love as religion

jorge luis borges // ron padgett // richard siken // halsey // lana del rey // caitlyn siehl // hozier // katherine philips

Herrenchiemsee New Palace, Chiemsee lake, Bavaria, Germany

Buda Castle, Budapest, Hungary,

Photo: Nemzeti Hauszmann Program

Château de Versailles by michaelthecanadian.

The East wing at Buckingham Palace, London, United Kingdom,

Originally built by Edward Blore between 1847 and 1849 to "provide space for Queen Victoria's growing family", the wing encloses what was previously a U-shaped courtyard, according to the Royal Collection Trust.

After five years of restoration work by the trust's curators and conservators, involving the temporary removal of over 3,500 artworks and other objects, the wing has opened to the public as part of the palace's State Rooms tours that take place every summer.

Credit: Royal Collection Trust/His Majesty King Charles III 2024/ Peter Smith

Arrow slit. Pembroke castle.

(Photo: B P Clark)

“she adores pretty things, and witty words”

[Video - Dequitem]

Medieval Writing Prompts - Slice of Life Pt. 1

Recently I realized something: Most fanfiction prompts will assume that a fanfic is set in a semi-modern world. Those prompt lists will usually involve stuff referencing modern technology or modern society. Which sucks for someone like me, who writes mostly historical settings.

So, I asked some friends whether they would be interested in something like this: Fanfiction prompts for historical settings. I will start with medieval - but if the interest is there, I will do other historical settings, too!

Full list under the cut!

Herbal Garden

Visiting the Black Smith

Tending tot he Chickens

Butter Churning

Bath Houses

Fresh Ale

Visiting the Market

Travelling Minstrels

Clear River Water

Time of Sowing

Medieval Europeans, despite their reputation as a filthy society, also bathed pretty regularly, often in public baths that were located near bakeries (so that they could use the waste heat from the ovens to warm up the water. Here’s a European bath depicted by Albrecht Durer (apparently you could chug a beer while bathing — very efficient!):

{Buy me a coffee} {WHF} {Medium} {Looking Through the Past}

worldhistory.substack.com

Splish, Splash, Scrape, and Steam

Bathing, from ancient times to today

Practicing writing fight scenes. The gem of creation calls to me.

The sun beamed down on me on this autumns day, it was unusually hot, which made me and many others uncomfortable.

We knew the day would come that those soldiers from the west would come and take what they think is theirs.

For centuries, we’ve protected this abandoned kingdom of the east. It’s ruins is our home, it has been for so long…I grew up here and so many others. Like my friends.

But we’ve been told that the soldiers of the west would come back…I didn’t believe it until I saw a scout wearing armour that was the colour of sliver, glistening in the sun.

I knew then we would be in danger.

I’ve told my fellow dwellers that our home was to be attacked soon and to be ready, they were coming for something priceless.

Something dangerous that shouldn’t fall into their hands.

One hundred years ago, when the kingdom of the east was only slowly being accepted by nature again, a shining light was coming from the ruined castle.

When we investigated, it was beautiful.

The heart of the Sea.

We swore to protect the precious gem, not many of us questioning why it was in the kingdom of the east’s clutches before it the fall but I believe they wanted it because it connected them to our long forgotten creators.

Where we hoped one day, they would return to us.

If we held onto the gems of creations, like the heart of the Sea we could possibly summon them, but this precious gem in the hands of the west? It would be catastrophic.

The sun still beams brightly…I’m not used to all this sun. Non of us are.

We’re used to the shadows.

I await at the gate. The entrance to the centre of the castle where lies the heart of the Sea. I must be on my guard or those who came to claim it will cut me into nothing but pieces.

So I await at my post until I see them.

A solider? No, a knight.

Whose armour shines a luminous blue and whose helmet is adorned with horns the colour of gold.

And whose sword is sharper then any sword I’ve ever seen.

I pull out my own sword. I throw my cloak aside.

Thus my fate maybe sealed…or theirs.

I charged towards them my sword aiming for their abdomen, they dodge to my right and I swing the sword to my right.

Somehow they dash away from my strike and try to aim for my head, if I was only a few more seconds late I would’ve had a sword in my head but I was able to lunge forward and catch myself before turning quickly.

I throw my sword at them and they dodge, looking at the sword and I’m able to strike them with my dagger. Piercing their chainmail, it caught them off guard and they stagger, I try aim for the eye holes of their helmet but I end up collapsing on top of them.

We fumble for but a moment but I grip onto my dagger as I’m able to stab their eye.

They scream and immediately push me off, I’m without my dagger and I try and catch myself but I fall onto my whole being, it leaves me winded and I look to them.

They get up, they tower over me, I expect them to remove the dagger, it jutting out of their helm but no, they only walk to my direction with a thousand yard stare.

I shuffle back, trying to get some distance but no, their walking is my running speed.

Their sword is by their side as they get to my feet and I feel fear.

This is my end.

Their sword pointed at me, right where my heart is. “Your last words, Dweller?” That last word was filled with disgust at my mere name. At my people’s name.

“!niw reven lliw uoy!” I throw my last bit of dust at the solider and I hear a blood curdling scream.

Their sword clatters onto the cobble stone as I hear their cries, clawing at their eyes, they get on their knees and I see sizzling.

They’re screaming is empty, nothing comes out anymore, they must’ve inhaled the dust. They hold their throat and almost collapse on me but I was able to scurry away before a loud clatter.

I see minor twitching…then nothing,

Dead.

I get up, I’m shaking at what I’ve done.

But I knew it had to be done.

I try to ignore the smell of sizzling flesh and head into the ruined castle, picking up my sword and my cloak, wrapping it around me once more.

Hoping that it can cover me from what I have done.

I open the large metal doors and close them quickly before rushing to the center of the castle.

The Princess’s chambers.

Centuries ago, a war happened between all three kingdoms, North, South and West to try and get the heart of the Sea from the East.

But the princess hid the gem in her room, where she invoked an ancient spell.

A spell that simply made them all disappear.

The kings and queens, the generals and soldiers, anyone who was at the territory of the kingdom of the east were gone. Just like that.

No one dared investigated what happened, a spell that simply made everyone disappear like they never existed scared the other kingdoms into backing off, believing the heart of the Sea was gone with the princess that invoked the ancient spell.

But no, one hundred years ago, the gem shone a brilliant light and came back to life.

I make my way past the halls, the walls covered in moss and vines, tapestries strewn around the place, some old and worn, others torn and shredded from all the time that has passed, I make my way through the long hall and open the doors to the princess’s chamber.

Where in the middle, glows the light of the heart of the Sea. Spinning in mid air, it’s making these beautiful noises reminding me of crashing waves.

I’m unsure what to do, the others must have defeated the other soldiers by now…I should go get them and see what is going on but when I turn to leave I feel this pull…like it’s calling me.

I turn and it’s shining this light that can counter the sun in beauty, I can’t help but step closer.

Before I knew it I was holding it in my hand, I feel the energy surge through my entire body. I feel lighter then air, I hear the ocean waves and I can hear it singing to me.

Telling me…

To find them.

Thus…my journey begins.

kelvingrove museum ⚔️

Frank Bernard Dicksee (1853-1928), Chivalry, 1885, oil on canvas, Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Armor from the late medieval and early modern era, World Museum, Vienna.