Happy STS - Do You Have Any Decisions In A Story That Could Make It Diverge Wildly In A Different Direction?

happy STS - do you have any decisions in a story that could make it diverge wildly in a different direction? Have you ever thought about an alternate universe with that?

Happy STS!! Answering late again haha

Honestly, I’m not too creative in this lens haha. I have a couple stories that I write with a friend where I like to talk about potential diverging paths and alternative universes, but when it comes to my own stories…often times I feel like I put so much into characters’ driving motivations or fatal flaws that it feels like they really would only choose one option even if more are given. But it also doesn’t help that I rarely actually get to plotting out scenes/plot points out in my stories; can’t change what doesn’t exist :p

However, there’s kind of that line of thought going on with my current story Slips of the Stars, but with the opposite outcome. Because Slips believes that they’re in a story being reread over and over, they believe that any decisions that they, or anyone else, makes is inconsequential, as it always comes to the predetermined ending with minimal changes.

[image description: a digital drawing of a dark skin person with glasses and braids, with two braids in the front sticking up oddly, looking towards the right of the screen, holding a juice box. They are wearing a green sweater and have pink ombré highlights in their hair. They look visually unimpressed. The background is a light desaturated orange color with white strips on the top and bottom of the drawing.]

(There are decisions that have significant, lasting effects, but until Slips finds them…they’re just very bored watching the same thing happen over and over no matter what happens beforehand.)

shoutout to the mutuals that i am scared to talk to bc they are really cool. love you guys

Slide descriptions

Slide 1: a quest of cards and calamity

a fantabulous comic sans wip intro

Slide 2: what is going on here? (plot/premise)

magic disappears when the old gods are banished

5 spunky teens have one friend in common

said friend sends them on a continent trotting quest to retrieve a gadget that was busted in a mechanical mishap

it’s safe for them to go because the mechanical mishap gave them powers in a now magicless world

found family building shenanigans ensue as they journey to retrieve the oh so special doohickey

lots of fireside chats to unpack baggage™ , banter over playing cards, long road trip with new friends (i swear i will incorporate as much playing card motifs as i can if just for the color scheme and vibes)

Slide 3: who? (characters pt. 1)

Magnolia Buqeño (maggie)

token cis, she/her

used to have shitty divination, now can fix a broken bone with a bandaid

says i told you so then kicks your shins and doesn’t mention her crippling pain

has a girlfriend :D

has been coddled all her life and she hates it (first hemophilia, then her parents died)

adopted daughter of the village chief/mayor

hates alex

knows everything about history - it’s her jam (and escapism)

Alex Redigere

nonbinary, they/them

used to be snow white, now they shatter anything like a two year old breaks an antique vase

you stub your toe and they apologize to you

used to be cursed to with bad luck but didn’t know so they assumed they messed up everything because they’re a terrible person and never made friends

is kinda responsible for the death of maggie’s parents (and feels super guilty)

needs a hug

Slide 4: who’s who? (characters pt. 2)

Cuckoo Kotodori

genderfluid, she/they (pronouns by bandana - worn over hair is she, worn around forehead is they)

used to make imaginary worlds, now makes pocket pocket dimensions

will lie, cheat, and steal for fun and chaos

ran away to the circus as a child but was kicked out because too much stuff disappeared while there

kinda friends with maggie cos she brings her trinkets sometimes

terrible at working with people, great at laughing off emotions

Bendis Kahoari (ben or bennie)

transmasc, he/they

used to be a gardner, now has an indestrctible bonk stick

*customer service voice* do i need to fight you?

independent business owner - runs an inherited apothecary and a black market stall

has a beautiful garden he can still maintain but now he has to actually learn how to grow certain plants because he can’t cheat with magic

would have been a bard in another life

takes no bull from anyone, very loyal

a Good Boi

Slide 5: who’s who’s who? (side characters)

Elestial Kuzgun

genderqueer, ey/em (any)

artificer, never had and never will have any special skills

no thoughts, head empty except for a million physics and engineering

just so sweet, so pure, understands no societal conventions (doesn’t do nicknames)

just so dorky and lovable

Stella Rammo

cis, she/her

used to play with fire sparks, now she can’t do anything

art is love, art is life

maggie’s girlfriend :D

loves nature, not people

does death defying stunts for a good view to paint

always covered in paint, always sweet

Slide 6: what in the world? (worldbuilding)

wow yeah there’s actually a world (continent) and not just a tiny village and endless stretches of road

tech is powered by magic and is the equivalent to early 1800s 1st industrial revolution

continent is broken up into 6 ½ regions with corresponding ethnicities

cities/towns are classified by how much magic they used to rely on and use (no longer relevant except in how much they’ve fallen apart)

(least) hearts, clubs, spades, diamonds (most)

4 corrupt gods (growth, family, battle, light) were banished but there is a movement trying to bring them back

heroes that originally banished them are trying to keep them gone

conflict over gods’ place in the world is backdrop to found family fun/sad times

Slide 7: are you asking for vibes (incorrect quotes)

Cuckoo: I am literally evil incarnate.

Cuckoo: I’m not actually, I just enjoy being evil.

Cuckoo: Which I think actually makes it even more evil because I’m making a conscious effort.

Alex: *falls down the stairs*

Ben: Are you okay?

Maggie: Stop falling down the stairs!

Cuckoo: How’d the ground taste?

Ben: I never tell people off the bat that I'm gay. I wait. I wait until they say some homophobic shit and then I laugh and am like "you know I'm gay right?" and watch the look of terror on their face.

Cuckoo:

Cuckoo: I like you

Stella: *is wearing silk pants* How does this look?

Maggie: Like its slips on and off really easily.

Stella:

Maggie: No, I didn't mean it like that-

Ben: We know what you meant

Alex: Pros and cons of dating me.

Alex: Pros. You'll be the cute one.

Alex: Cons. Holy shit, where do I begin-

Elestial: *sees Maggie and Stella together*

Elestial: They're cute. I would put them on a boat.

Alex: You mean... you ship them?

Maggie: I’m sad.

Ben: Don’t be sad, because sad backwards is das.

Ben: And das not good.

This was an absolute blast to make and i’m so glad it’s finally out in the world. I will gladly talk about this all day and can’t wait to share more.

Picrew i used 

(general) Taglist: (i think i had one at some point but its been so long so i think i lost some people) @enchanted-lightning-aes​ @pagesofcursive​

let me know if you want to be added to this taglist

🍲 for your newest wip?

Gladly! I have the perfect thing

🍲 Soup: share a snippet where a character does something kind.

"Cuckoo," Maggie said, fixing them with a glare as Cuckoo sprawled out on her carpet. "What are you doing here?"

Cuckoo blew their hair out of their face. "Oh, y'know. The usual."

Maggie raised an eyebrow.

"I found-"

"Stole?"

"Found a new trinket I thought you'd like," Cuckoo corrected.

Maggie was unimpressed. "And you're delivering this so late because?"

"I saw your lights on. And I didn't see you outside watching your girlfriend painting the sunset," Cuckoo stated, as if it was obvious.

"That's not creepy at all."

Cuckoo sighed. "Oh, come on," they wheeled. "You know I'm in the area all the time. I figured..." they rolled over and sat up, pushing their fingers against Maggie's hip which was not taking any of her weight. Maggie winced. "I was right, obviously. They were coddling you and you need cheering up."

They yanked her hand down, pulling themself to their knees, and dropped a silver locket unceremoniously into her palm.

ask game found here!

i made a uquiz to find out what kind of gf you are

AAA that’s so cute!!!! I love them so much

🥶 and 🧤 for the winter prompts!

🥶 Ice: what’s been the most difficult scene for you to write?

OH man, literally anything romantic. I just, like...stare at my screen blankly, feeling warm and fuzzy with no words in my brain.

As you can imagine, this becomes difficult for the romance scenes in my fantasy romance books.

🧤Gloves: share a snippet you’re particularly proud of!

Here, have a cute little moment between Emry and Aspen in The Stray Spirit:

After [Cal] left, Emry stared at his blank letter for a while. Paced around. Sipped some cold tea. Then finally settled on pulling out his lute and riffing on a few pieces. There wasn’t much point in practicing now, but there was some comfort to be found in weaving his favorite chords together. Aspen sat cross-legged on the table, holding a cold cup of coffee with both hands. Though they said nothing, Emry could tell they were holding in a question. They were watching him too intently, their lips pressed into a line. “Yes, Aspen?”

Aspen set down the cup. “Now that I’m not going back to my grove, could you teach me how to play the lute?”

“No.”

“No?”

Emry grinned. “Because you’ll learn far too quickly and put me out of a job.”

“I won’t! I won’t, I swear—”

“I’m kidding.” He nudged the spirit’s knee. “Of course, I’ll teach you how to play. You do live inside this thing, after all. Here, want to start now?”