Hi, I'm Candy! Thanks for dropping by ❤️
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Candy-guts - The Laundry Chair - Tumblr Blog
Story idea: The most wanted woman in town has announced that she’ll only marry the one who can open her front door with the key around her cat’s neck. Many men try to hunt the cat down, chase and trap it, but to no avail, the cat is simply too quick, smart and clever, and always finds a way to evade and avoid them.
You are the first one to figure out the obvious: Do not chase the cat. The cat is befriendable. Get the cat to trust you, to genuinely enjoy your company, and you can hang out with the cat. You may eventually be allowed to touch the cat. The cat will freely let you take the key.
Secondary plot twist: The woman is a shapeshifter. She is the cat.
why you should keep writing your story
because it’s a puzzle no one else will ever arrange the same way as you.
because there are ideas that simply won’t come to you until you write down the wrong words.
because all the bad scenes are the bones of the wonderful scenes.
because someone will love it: someone will read it once, and twice, and thrice; someone will ramble to you about the complexity of it; someone will doodle your characters out of love; someone will find it in exactly what they were looking for with or without knowing it.
because they have things to say, your characters. they’ve told you all those secrets and they have more to tell you, if you will listen.
because you love it even when you don’t; even when it drives you mad or when it accidentally turns into apathy; even when you think you’re doing it all wrong; you love it, and it loves you back.
because you can get a treasure even from things that go wrong; because if a story crumbles down you can build a shinier one on the same spot; because you won’t know where it will take you until it takes you there.
saw this on twitter rn, if you ever feel discouraged about writing fanfiction, read this again
Hogwarts School Uniform
The other day I read a series of posts on the Hogwarts uniform and how book!uniform differs from movie!uniform, which is more canonical and whether there’s been/there should be some retconning to unify the books, films and illustrations from different sources. Since wizarding fashion is one of my favourite subjects (particularly since the word “corsets” was mentioned in HBP), I thought I had to write a post about it. So here it goes.
On tradition and unmuggleness
As much as I like the movie uniforms, the way I see it, they’re irreconcilable with those described in the books, which, both because they’re from the book and because that’s how I see them in my head, I consider canonical. Most people point out as proof of this that in a couple of occasions we are told more or less directly that the basic (I’ll talk more about this later) uniform does not bear any house indicator (see the Penelope Clearwater and Crabbe-and-Goyle’d Ron-and-Harry Cases, both in CoS). This is true. However, what I see as a bigger issue is the fact that the movie!uniform is basically a muggle school uniform with robes instead of a blazer, which, considering how often we see wizards struggling with muggle clothing, doesn’t really add up. And given that school uniforms tend to be on the conservative side of fashion, it would make much more sense to have the Hogwarts uniform resemble traditional wizarding attire.
On openings and trouserslessness
The movie robes are completely open at the front save for one (PoA-onwards) or two (PS-CoS) little clasps, which would take next to no time to do up and undo, so the movie robes would be put on and off like a bathrobe or a coat. However, most (if not all) of the times we see Harry changing into his school robes he’s described as pulling them over his head. To me that implies that the front is not open all the way down, that maybe there’s just a small opening with a few buttons, like a polo shirt. Either that or the robes are open all the way down but fastening and unfastening them is so tedious that students simply never do them up or undo them all the way. In a pre-zipper world, a front opening like that would most probably mean a metric tonne of little buttons, at least (look up some old-timey portraits, particularly of women’s fashion. They took their buttons seriously). No one has time to fiddle with that many buttons, so it would be easier to undo a few of the top ones and pull the robes over your head.
Personally, I think the left-hand version fits the description of “plain black work robes” better. And yes, there’s no indication anywhere in the books that the sleeves are flared or gathered at the top, but they look more wizardy this way, so.
For an even more undeniable piece of evidence that supports the idea of having a closed front, look no further than Snape’s worst memory in OotP. When he gets levicorpused by James, we see his underwear. He’s not wearing trousers. Wh. Why is he not wearing trousers??? Because there’s no risk of accidental exposure of one’s undergarments when there isn’t a massive opening on the front of one’s robes, that’s why. Also, if for some sinister reason he had not been wearing trousers under open-fronted robes, everybody would’ve been able to see his pants already and it wouldn’t have been “funny” when James revealed them.
Moreover, it seems that trousers, even though they are worn in the wizarding world, are neither required nor part of traditional wizarding attire. See the old man at the Quidditch World Cup. Trousers have been adopted to some extent, but they are not considered wizarding clothing per se, but rather a garment borrowed from muggles. So if we go back to the idea that uniforms tend to be conservative, the Hogwarts uniform would have probably been designed to be worn with no clothes underneath other than underwear.
On hats gone with the wind and cloaks
Hats. “One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear.” Day wear. In the films (PS, basically), hats seem to only be worn on special occasions. And I can understand that; On set they’re probably a huge inconvenience as they like to fall off and have to be touched up constantly and may cover something/someone important. Still, canonically, a pointed black hat for day wear is part of the Hogwarts uniform.
Now, do not quote me on this, but I am positive that in one of the books there is a description of a windy day where students grab the brims of their hats so that they don’t get blown off. That’s the one and only time in the whole series (that I can remember) where the uniform hats are said to be brimmed. It makes sense, though, as traditional witch hats do have a brim. Modest brims seem adequate for uniforms. (I do think it is strange to make students wear hats indoors, but oh well.)
(Edit: ‘ “Maybe I’ll skive off Divination,” he said glumly as they stood again in the courtyard after lunch, the wind whipping at the hems of robes and brims of hats.’ - OotP, chapter 17)
Then there’s the winter cloaks. Again, plain and black, this time with silver clasps. No crest, no house colours. And there’s also the protective dragonskin gloves, which seem to be used both as protective gloves for Potions/Care of Magical Creatures/Herbology and as regular winter gloves.
On house pride (or the lack thereof)
So far we have established that the uniform consists basically of plain black garments: a set of black robes (closed front), a black cloak, a black hat. Hence, by default, there is no way to tell what house a student belongs to just by their attire. Or is there? Here’s where the “basic uniform” I mentioned before comes into play.
It is true that the robes, hats and cloaks are plain black when bought. And yet, there are many points in the story when Harry seems to simply know what house some students belong to, even when he clearly doesn’t know them. We get constant references to “a gorup of first year Ravenclaws” or “a Hufflepuff girl”, and since the story is told from Harry’s point of view rather than an omniscient narrator’s, there must be a way for Harry to tell apart people from different houses without knowing them personally. So how can we reconcile the ideas that some people’s house is recognisable at first sight while other people’s isn’t? It’s quite simple: CUSTOMISATION.
Bagdes, scarves, appliques, ribbons, hat ornaments, buttons, socks, belts, and a long etc, to show your house pride. Just as we can get jumpers and hoodies and caps and whatnot with the name and colours of our uni or specific college, kids in the wizarding world are probably able to buy (and make) house merchandise. These items would be available at Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, and parents would send them to their children once they’ve been sorted or the kids themselves would be able to get them via owl order.
Some students may only wear a small badge on their chest. Others a scarf+turtleneck undershirt+bandana+animal-shaped hat bauble combo. I love to imagine some kids wearing ridiculously tacky things, like red-and-gold neck ruffles or bee-striped boots. And those kids who are not as inclined to show off their house? They can just wear their basic black uniform.
Three Ways to Pull from Within to be Authentic and Real in Your Writing
Writers are often told to write what they know, but what does that actually mean? NaNo participant Najla gives tips on how to to be authentic in your writing. I used pull in the title of this post because that’s what it felt like for me as a new writer to reach inside, yank out my pulsating heart, trudge up deep memories and conversations that I packed away, and be real in my writing.
What is being “real” in writing?
It can mean a lot of things to different people but for me, it means finding those raw, honest moments in my life that only I know and immersing those hidden things in my writing.
Keep reading
I always find it interesting in Severitus fanfics when Harry is unable to read Snape's expressions. With the exception of that one time in Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry has always been able to read Snape's expressions and interpret them accurately.
Seriously though, the kid is very perceptive. In the first book, he notices all sorts of things, including that the teachers' smiles become more forced when Dumbledore brings up the Hogwarts song (I wonder, was Snape one of those teachers?). In prisoner of Azkaban, Harry actually notices that Snape looks at Lupin more often than is normal, and is able to tell that Lupin is doing quick thinking.
sirius black and severus snape are just different fonts of the same bastard
“studio ghibli romances be like “what if we didn’t kiss, but instead both spiritually matured as people because we met each other.”
“I’ve become skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and a girl appear in the same feature, a romance must insue. Rather, I want to portray a slightly different relationship, one where the two mentally inspire eachother to live-if I am able to, then perhaps I’ll be closer to portraying a true expression of love.” -hayao miyazaki
October Prompts 🎃
Word prompts to use for doodling or writing
ruffled hair
apple scent
full of colors
walks in the forest
autumnal
falling leaves
chestnuts
umbrellas
ravens
Oktoberfest
pumpkin spice
cornfields
black cat
spooky
first wine
flying kites
whispers
picking apples
ghosts
sweater weather
acorns
pile of leaves
harvest
fog
Jack-o-lanterns
campfire
witches
samhain
stormy days
seance
trick-or-treat
Happy Halloween oh wonderful one! Would you perhaps have any prompts for liminal spaces where everything seems creepier than it is? Thanks!
Happy Halloween!
Here are some ideas for liminal spaces for you.
Liminal Spaces
Places that don't really feel like reality
train stations at night
empty diners
underground carparks
the days between Christmas and New Year
airports before the last flight of the night
toilets in a club with the loud music in the distance
school hallways on the weekend
waterparks in winter
playgrounds at night
streets where all the houses look the same
graveyards in the early morning mist
empty bowling alleys
the freeway at night
motel rooms
abandoned factories
cinema halls after the movie is over
shopping malls right after opening, with music playing and everything bright, but still no shoppers around
train stations at dawn with the sun starting to rise
gas stations at night
pedestrian tunnels
Hope you enjoy these ideas!
- Jana
Random Names
Part VII
A list of random names that I’ve come across to give you some variety for your next characters.
Gülcan (f)
Lars (m)
Aris (m)
Greta (f)
Renate (f)
Tilda (f)
Roberto (m)
Lola (f)
Bobby/Bobbi (f/m)
Leonhard (m)
Erin (f)
Cleo/Kleo (f)
Leona (f)
Wilhelma (f)
Parisa (f)
Mika (m)
Hosna (f)
Iordanis (m)
Kamala (f)
Fernando (m)
Markéta (f)
Paris (m/f)
Gordon (m)
Rosamund (f)
Alejandro (m)
Justus (m)
Felicity (f)
Jolina (f)
Georgina (f)
Lennox (f/m)
More names!
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Letters
Letters
They found the letters hidden away in the attic.
It was a beautifully written letter and she couldn't help herself but tear up a little bit.
There it was. “Class Reunion”. In golden letters, like that was a reason to be excited.
The letter in their hand felt like it weighed a ton. Their hands were shaking because they knew: no matter if good or bad, opening the letter would change their life.
"I assume that you got my letter."
The letters were faded and it was hard to read anything at all.
It was a very unusual love letter, but the writer was also a very unusual person when it came to love.
"I was afraid I wouldn't find the words, so I wrote you a letter."
One Word Prompt Lists
December Prompts 🌟
Word prompts to use for doodling or writing
starry night
baking
hot chocolate
scarf
music
snowflakes
joy
sweets
fuzzy socks
sleigh ride
stars
mulled wine
candles
books
ornaments
snowball fight
miracle
christmas market
apron
coming home
wrapping paper
christmas tree
fairy lights
secrets
family
cookies
reunions
snowman
wishes
silence
fireworks
January Prompts 🎉
Word prompts to use for doodling or writing
Happy New Year
new beginnings
resolutions
cold
snow storm
midnight
hangover
celebration
hiking
paper planes
drinks
bath bomb
motivation
healthy
snow angel
goals
icicles
train ride
habits
warm soup
declutter
snow globe
priorities
ice skating
games
fresh
movie night
progress
confetti
dreams
journaling
Writers' Resolutions
A bunch of resolutions for writers and people who want to try writing this year. It's in no way something you must do, these are just ideas how you can set out to improve your writing in the new year.
Try something new
Try to write something you have never written before.
Write something silly, write something serious, write in a different genre, try to write characters that you haven't explored yet.
Write consistently
Writing consistently will not only give you exercise to become a better writer, it can also keep your voice as a writer consistent.
If you have a first draft, write it down quickly and without big breaks inbetween.
Don't wait for inspiration
Waiting for inspiration to come can take forever. So don't wait for inspiration: search for it.
Make writing into a habit that comes natural to you every day, look up writing prompts, read a book you like, get yourself into the mood to write and do it!
Do your research
As a writer, you need to know about a lot of different things.
You can do research by reading books, listening to podcasts, watching movies, talking to other people, etc.
Take this year to learn something new and then tell your reader all about it.
Edit that draft
We all have that one story we wrote a while ago and then stopped at the first draft.
Take it and reread it and then rewrite it. You have a new perspective on it now and maybe this will be the year you turn your idea into a book.
Set yourself a goal
This explicitly doesn't have to be a goal about how many words or pages you write.
Your goal can be to finish something, to edit something, to write a few sentences every day, to share more of your writing or to publish something.
Don't compare
Try not to compare your writing with that of someone else.
Writing is about finding your own voice and telling a story that only you can tell. Also: other people's accomplishes don't diminish your own!
Write!
Whatever the outcome of your writing may be and whatever you want to do with it, if you want to publish it, if you want to share it with friends, or if you want to keep it to yourself: just start writing!
Do what you love to do.
To all my lovely writers, I wish you a great year, may everything work out in your favour!
- Jana
Hi Jana!
I was thinking: do you have any prompts about objects being haunted but, like, in a 'usefull' way? As in, the ghost haunting the object helps the bearer. It's for a story I'm writing, based around this central idea.
Hope it's not too specific or out of your comfort zone, if so you can even leave this ask be.
Hope life is kind with you, bye!
Hi :)
Life's good, I hope it's the same for you.
Haunted Objects
a jukebox that always plays the right song for the situation
a piece of string that curls around the owner's wrist to remind them of something
glasses that make the wearer see ghosts/in the dark
a pen that writes down the owner's thoughts
a water fountain that never stops flowing
a TV that only shows happy things
a clock that can turn back time
an amulett that vibrates when danger is near
a car that self-drives
shoes that help the wearer fly
a phone that texts back, so the owner don't have to
a fridge that's never empty
a typewriter that types on their own
I hope you can do something with this! :)
- Jana