Gypsumcoyote - Tastes... Mossy - Tumblr Blog

I'm absolutely in LOVE with @birdologist's take on tieflings. I honestly thought I was the only one who drew them with big, round ears and big tails. It depends on my mood whether I draw them with hooves or peets >:]

IN THE HEAT OF THE SUMMER ☀

Spent a long time on this art resource/reference masterpost! Finally starting to edit to add more. This will be REGULARLY updated so it’s gonna get huge. If you have a request for resources for me to find OR have a resource you want me to add, just send me an ask :D

General Anatomy/Human stuff:

body quick tips

painting/drawing straight hair

how to draw eyes

arm squish/bend tip

chest/pecks with raised arms tip

long hair how to

male torso anatomy (back)

learn manga male anatomy (torso & arm)

male torso anatomy (front)

head and hair tips (scroll  a bit, it’s in one of the images!)

how to draw noses

ears tilty tip

arm tips

two tips for drawing women’s hair

drawing teeth

anatomy tips

random hair and mouth ref anime

leg muscle anatomy ref

arm muscles anatomy ref

knees reference

arm ref study

quick arm tut tip

how to draw arm

shoulders n sleeves

Poses:

umbrella poses

random female poses

random anatomy pose thing

chibi sleeping in hands pose

laying poses

elf (?) with staff poses

holding phone half bod

peeny wolf pose set

perspective pose sheet

anatomy poses 

crossed arms ref sheet

holding baby poses

Hands:

how to draw hands 1

hand refs & tutorial 2

hand tutorial 3

hand tutorial 4

36 hands

how to draw hands in 10 minutes

hands ref 2

hand gestures and simplifying the hand

arm & hand ref

500 hands

Diversity:

stop drawing natives red

wheelchair tutorial

drawing fat people

vitiligo notes for artists

darkskin palms

epicanthic folds

biracial characters

do’s and don’ts of thick lips

Animals/Creatures:

how to draw falcon beaks

canine studies (broken down into parts)

feline tiger ref

Insect wing venation

Musculature of a T-Rex

Pony bodies tutorial

Hyena Nose tutorial

horse reference

drawing horns

Flesh tutorial

bird tips

wing basics

making mythical creatures look realistic

pony heads tutorial 

dragon designing tutorial pt 3/3

pony wings tutorial

hedgie bodies

Furry/Anthro:

dogquest’s pixel tutorial

furry portrait tutorial

furry pants tutorial

how to draw paws/pawhands

fur direction reference

anthro tips

muzzle shapes

furry styles

anthro expressions

f2u chibi-ish furry base

furry / cartoon head tutorial

f2u furry base/pose w three different ears

drawing humans! for animal artists

Backgrounds:

how to draw debris

fire tutorial

night sky tutorial

materials study with notes

tree tutorial

water tutorial

tangents??

ocean painting

clouds tutorial

bubbles

painty background studies tips

peony tutorial

lakeside tutorial

quick flowers for the lazy

mistletoe vs holly

Perspective:

foreshortening coil technique

foreshortening tutorial

Webcomic:

medibang comic panel tutorial

how i make webcomics/webtoons

how to color comics

the art of lettering comics

comic/doujinshi paneling

in depth webcomic tutorial

Coloring:

The colorpicking problem

72 Color Combinations

How ViPOP uses color

Hair coloring tutorial by rosuuri

Gurochii moe quick eye tutorial

Anime eye tutorial

Mermaid tail tutorial

Grayscale to Color painting tutorial

chibi eye walkthrough

skin tone tutorial 1

curly hair tutorial

color palette

coloring tutorial

light, it gets everywhere

comfort color

skin coloring tutorial

holographic tutorial

dappled lighting effect

cute/bright coloring tutorial 

pattern trick

arcana character coloring tut

Expressions/ Meme / style:

small body language study

expressions reference

how to cute

Platonic cuddles meme

expression reference : nervous

flustered expression meme

drawing expressions tutorial/key

Pixel Art:

Pixel icon tutorial

Ice cream

Moving clouds tutorial

50x50 pixel doll tutorial

pixelin’s pixel process

pixel expression ref

pixel eye blinking tutorial

how to pixel liquids

Clothing / Accessories:

Shoes

Fancy color tip / ref

Chainmail

short reference

learn manga basic pleated skirt tutorial

learn manga basic frills

random clothing refs

chainmail brush

clothing ref masterpost

pinstripes tips

cloth texture tips

how to clothing folds

Misc:

Sketchfab 3d Models

Mikeymegamega on YT for anime/ecchi/etc

Gentei_sozai on twitter for chibi poses

S0zalsan on twitter for random poses

mecha basics

75 tutorials

Obvious art tips you might have forgotten

Mosaic effect

how to draw a cute chibi

fighting artblock

cute pikachu base

painting a face tutorial

volume commissions mini tutorial

arcana characters tutorial reference

notes from the “animators survival kit”

concept art tutorial

another art resource masterpost

MS paint tips and tricks

Reference table for drawing CONSISTENT faces

@hanari0716 on twitter for HELLA references

animation guide for beginners

Brushes:

Foliage brushes

cityscape brushes

ghibli brushes

clip studio paint assets

PS brush pack

I wanted to create a sort of brief guide to lunar sway and aspect personality traits, because I know a lot of people have trouble figuring out where to place their characters! 

This guide cannot tell you what personality to give your characters entirely, but it can give you some general rules that apply to each category to help you work out what you want out of your characters- whether you want them to start that way or whether you think they should develop into that category. 

I won’t cover titles here (if you want some more information about all of that you can head over to classpeculation) because that’d get too cluttered and we still don’t have TONS of canon information on that. 

Now let’s get started!

Keep reading

Let me just— *yoinks your hermitcanons and makes them my own*

But seriously, I'm gonna use some of these for my fics. They're cute and funny and I'll make sure to credit you if you'd like.

Random Hermitcraft Headcanons

Every single smp knows about hermitcraft

X can shapeshift into any living thing except people under 4'6 and above 7'6

For the first few seasons, new hermits just randomly appeared and were like "oh okay guess im here now"

Mumbo joined hermitcraft at 14 years

Tfc is 60k years old

Jevin is made of 2 layers, an inner "core" of oobleck and an outer layer of slime

Scar is actually 6'4

Grian can lift any other hermit with 1 hand

The only hermits to cut their hair are Grian, Joe, and Bdubs cause they don't know how and theyre scared of Bdubs

Bdubs is half feral cat

Iskall is a third human, third guardian, third slime

Ren has written fanfiction of some of the other hermits, they haven't said anything yet

Mumbo cosplays the other hermits and has a cosplay tiktok account with over 100k, over half of the hermits follow it, no one knows its mumbo

No hermit is fully human

Cub acts like a teen despite being in his 40s

Mumbo was emo before hermitcraft and have the emo clothes and accessories to Cub

Mumbos hair is naturally brown, and he dyes it with ink sacks. For the first month of season 8, his hair was brown

Iskall is a tetris god

Gem can do a triple backflip

Scars big hat is 6 feet tall, making him 11'2 in his wheelchair

Pearl knows Japanese, Arabic, French, and Spanish

Pearl is half raven

From mcc, theyve adopted everyone they teamed with and they live with the person they teamed with most (Hbomb with Ren, Joel with Cub and Grian, TapL with Pearl, ect.)

Jevin jiggles in front of people to cheer them up

People use Jevin as a stress ball

Scar is a fourth cat

Grian knows exactly how to scare every other hermit

Hermits give therapy to the DSMP

Grian grew wings as soon as he joined hermitcraft. It was painful

Etho does the among us sound effects perfectly

Etho and Tango have a weekly anime group meeting with InTheLittleWood and Philza

Keralis has dry skin

Jevin goes into a bucket when stressed

GUYS- THIS IDEA

A study on the feet, toes, and legs of a species in my book. Feel free to use this as reference for animal feet/paws/legs! :]

This chair is for the Gays only and yall know it

I'm so glad I found this. I've been looking for a ref for feet that look like this for a species I made for a book I'm writing and I finally found something similar to their feet!

Little squishy beans~ >:]

For no reason at all, may we please have a post dedicated to your bard bois footers? They're really interesting to look at.

Some grabby Tief feet

A Mituna comm I did a while back. Hope you're having a good day. Drink some water :]

A Few Tips All Writers Should Remember:

·Write to your comfort level. Meaning: give yourself a break when you need it and push yourself when you’re feeling motivated.

·Seek out sources of motivation. There are very few times when motivation hits me out of nowhere. Read a good book. Watch a good movie. Write down your goals.

·Find your space. Coffee shop. Library. Your room with the music blasting and the TV playing your favorite show. Find whatever gets you in the right headspace.

·Your first draft is just the first draft. Too many writers stress out about the first draft and they forget it’s just the first step in completing your novel. You can add to it, build from it, or toss it away completely.

·You will be rejected. Even if you write the next big hit, you’ll be rejected. Read the reviews for some of your favorite books—I guarantee someone HATED it. Not everyone will like your work, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.

·Write advice isn’t for everyone. There’s no one-size-fits-all plan for writers. Pick and choose advice that works for you, ignore what doesn’t. Not everything will relate directly to you and your style of writing.

·It’s okay to stay in. Want a night to yourself so you can write? Don’t be afraid to cancel your plans and focus on your writing hobby. You don’t have to feel guilty about wanting to work on your writing.

·Let ideas settle. It’s tempting to jump right in to a new writing idea, but let things settle for a bit. Brainstorm. See what comes next. An idea needs to have legs and it needs to take your story somewhere. Let it grow.

·Outlines aren’t set in stone. Be flexible with your outlines. Plan if you need to, but allow yourself to explore new ideas. Let your story go in an unexpected direction.

-Kris Noel

On Writing for Yourself and Not for Notes

AKA How to Enjoy Writing for the Sake of it

Get off social media! I know it’s tempting to blabber on about a WIP to get those hella cool notes, but doing so only reinforces that writing’s only fun if it gets you attention. We all need that boost now and again, but too much of it will whittle away your self-reliance. Close your laptop, leave your phone in a different room, and sit down with a notebook if possible and if you need to. You’ll get to know what enthralls you personally about your story.

Don’t write for an audience for now. Tumblr likes to do this thing where it says “blah blah blah X is problematic in media” and while it’s well-intentioned, internalizing too much of this can make you feel like you’re trying to write through a maze and constantly failing at it. Forget about your audience–you can flag and catch problematic stuff in edits after tossing it to the betas.

Remember what made thirteen-year-old you lose their mind? Yeah, write that. Once you’ve let go of writing for an audience, you won’t worry about being “cringey” anymore, and that’s when things start to get real good and real fun. You don’t have to show your writing to anyone, or even tell them you wrote it, so just go buckwild! Trust me, it’s so liberating.

Your inner critic is useful–but not now. Shut that bitch up! Your job when drafting is to make something. If you did that, you win, so your critic’s opinion is worth squat here. However, if you try to fight her {I always envision mine as some bitchy middle-aged woman lol} she’s just gonna get louder. So tell yourself you can be as critical of your writing as you want during edits. You’re not working for perfect, or even good right now. You’re working for existing.

Remember that this is a process. Companies like tumblr are investing a BUNCH of cash into getting you to stay glued to their platforms, and if you’re a creator this might manifest in your feeling like you need to live your creative life online. You don’t. But retraining your brain isn’t easy. Remember that divorcing yourself from the validation of online noise takes work and time and a lot of discomfort and redirecting, especially for folks like me who thrive on routine. And don’t discipline. Redirect. Negativity has no right to be in your creative space ♥️

OHMYGOOOOOOD!!! This is so good like holy FUCK I gotta start a story about this RIGHT NOW!

okay but imagine this... dream smp but college au. or avatar au. or fantasy au--

OKAY HEAR ME OUT: multiple kingdoms set in a fantasy realm ALFKWLFKS—

Be prepared cause this might be long, but here’s how it would go:

Dianoia: Dream’s kingdom; prides itself on its knowledge of magic paired with elite strategy -> very powerful and controls a handful of other regions in the land, so they’re quite feared by many. Dream always wears his facemask into battles or intense meetings, but will take it off for banquets, balls, etc. just to be more charismatic. Turns often to his trusted comrades Sapnap and George whenever the kingdom must make a diplomatic decision. Punz (military captain), Callahan (head scholar) and Hbomb (main technology whiz) are also well-involved with maintaining the prowess of the kingdom. Purpled is a noble with very good relations to the king’s court, so he gets to kinda do his own thing in return for helping out the empire if he’s asked.

Antarctic Empire: dual rulers Phil and Technoblade, BECAUSE YOU KNOW HOW IT BE -> an absolute fucking unit when it comes to producing the most modern artillery, lots of advancements in transportation, (trident travel, polar bears, etc. - a whole bunch of ice-related modes of movement within the kingdom because it’s very efficient and there’s plenty available - as well as good air tech as a nod to Technoplane and Phil’s expertise with elytras). Techno is being taught by his father how to rule properly, but it’s evident he’s got a good touch when it comes to learning to be a good king. Despite his icy exterior (one that contrasts his father’s usual jovial nature), subjects of the kingdom are very fond of the heir. Phil also has two other sons :3 I wonder...

Maluterra (aka Badlands) -> BBH, Skeppy, Antfrost, and Sam. Bad is ringleader, but each main member plays integral roles in the maintaining of the lands. Very well known for their Robin Hood type strategies. They’re pretty rogue and non-traditional in comparison to other established empires, but because of the strong threat they pose if they were to ally with another kingdom, they are often recognized and invited to take part in diplomatic discussion with the powerhouses. Negotiation is occasionally difficult if BBH has his mind set on something. Most of their territory is in woody forest areas, where the sun only reaches certain parts of the ground floor because of the overarching treeline. While at first intimidating, every member is quite warm-hearted as long as you don’t cross them. The structures and places in which they live are very redstone-technical as a result of Sam’s contributions.

Southern Grove -> Eret’s kingdom, which is a very strong specialist in magic and the understanding of natural properties. Located in an enchanted forest area, a ways off from Maluterra boundaries. In order to learn more about magic and its abilities, Dianoia finds much interest in the smaller region. Eret has made it known that they are not a fan of the attention whenever the larger kingdom gets a bit too...overbearing. Home to some enchanted creatures and mayhaps an infamous red haired dryad named Sally who are often very sweet and helpful if you lose your way in the forest. Niki is also a member and is basically like an adopted sister to Eret, and he brings her along to events all the time as she’s very charismatic. People often regard her as the Lady of the Grove due to her vast knowledge of the place and its people.

L’manburg (duh) -> a fledgling city-state that’s fallen under the eye of Dianoia, established by the younger two sons of the Antarctic Empire, Wilbur and Tommy. Located on the outskirts of the Southern Grove, teetering on the edge of territory dominated by Dianoia. On Tommy’s sixteenth birthday, he was permitted to travel outside of the AE to choose what he wanted to focus on as he neared adulthood, and eventually decided to join up on Wilbur’s own journey. When he reached territory near the Grove, he finds that Wilbur had started a family with one of the dryads some years prior, but for reasons his brother doesn’t discuss he lost his lover and is left with a child. When they officially establish L’manburg as their own “kingdom”, Dianoia makes claim that they’re still part of their empire’s territory and therefore a subject. There are a few power struggles concerning the status of L’manburg.

Aarderidge -> That’s right bitches, Tubbo is a prince who’s been living as an orphaned child after the tragic passing of his father a few years prior. Since he is 16 and not of due age to currently take the throne into his hands completely, he’s permitted his father’s former consultants to assist him with leadership until he turns 18. While not the most prosperous kingdom, they are still a respected region because of their strong and friendly bonds with other leaders. They’re quite skilled at archery and horseback, and have very well thought out strategies whenever a rare conflict arises. Unlike a large percentage of the population and quite contrasted to what he’s known of his family’s heritage, Tubbo has magic abilities that allows him to manipulate plants and other organisms - which not many are aware of - and this additionally helps him form connections with animals. May or may not have some healing abilities he’s attempting to harness as well, but only very close comrades know about that. He’s incredibly intelligent despite having a happy-go-lucky aura about him, and it makes him very beloved by the people. Karl is an appointed noble who’s very good friends with Tubbo and who often visits the boy.

End Kingdom -> Not too much is actually known about this place, except for the fact that their people were mostly decimated in a disaster situation some time prior. There’s a living tale that a dragon used to protect the land, but its unclear if that rumor is true. Currently unkown how to access the old kingdom that is now in ruins. There’s a figure that lives amidst the inhabitants of the Southern Grove, who the region’s leaders secretly care for, with unassuming eyes that are never seen outside when it rains. Wonder what that’s about.

I’ve been thinking about this AU for a FAT MINUTE (and maybe been daydreaming myself as a daughter of the Antarctic Empire king dskjfdsk) and it’s only gotten more intricate every time I consider it. I kinda love it ngl, so I mean if anyone wants to like...talk about it with me...i mean 👉👈 Also, if anyone knows where the FUCK to put Quackity in all of this, I’d really like to hear it because I’m a bit stumped.

In Which Diversity Isn't a Myth

Ok. I’m tired of the typical vampire, werewolf and fairy.I’m also tired of the occidental-centrism in mythology. Hence, this list. 

I tried to included as many cultural variants as I could find and think of. (Unfortunately, I was restricted by language. Some Russian creatures looked very interesting but I don’t speak Russian…) Please, add creatures from your culture when reblogguing (if not already present). It took me a while to gather all those sites but I know it could be more expansive. I intend on periodically editing this list. 

Of note: I did not include specific legendary creatures (Merlin, Pegasus, ect), gods/goddesses/deities and heroes.

Dragons

The Chinese Dragon

The Japanese Dragon

The Korean Dragon

The Vietnamese Dragon

The Greek Dragon

The Indian Dragon

The Polish Dragon

The Austrian Dragon

The British Dragon

The Ancient Dragon (Egypt, Babylon and Sumer)

The Spanish Basque Dragon

Of the Cockatrice (creature with the body of a dragon)

Alphabetical List of Dragons Across Myths (Great way to start)

Little creatures (without wings)

The Legend of the Leprechauns, The Leprechaun

Chanaque /Alux (the equivalent of leprechauns in Aztec/Mayan folklore)

Elves

Elves in Mythology and Fantasy

Elves in Germanic Mythology

Kabeiroi or Cabeiri (Dwarf-like minor gods in Greek mythology)

Norse Dwarves

The Myth of Loki and the Dwarves

Ten Types of Goblins

Goblins

Tengu: Japanese Goblins

Gnomes 

More on Gnomes

Pooka: an Irish phantom

Creatures with wings (except dragons)

Fairies

All sorts of Cultural Fairies

Fairies in Old French Mythology 

A Fairy List

Bendith Y Mamau (Welsh fairies)

Welsh Fairies

Peri (Persian fairies)

Yü Nü (Chinese fairies)

The Celtic Pixie

Angels in Judaism

Angels in Christianity

Hierarchy of Angels

Angels in Islam

Irish Sylph

Garuda (Bird-like creature in Hindu and Buddhist myths)

Bean Nighe (a Scottish fairy; the equivalent of a banshee in Celtic mythology)

Harpies

Spirited Creatures

Druids

Jinn (Genies in Arabic folklore)

Types of Djinns

Aisha Qandisha and Djinn in Moroccan Folklore

Oni (demons in Japanese folklore)

Nymphs

Spirits in Asturian Mythology

Valkyries

Lesovik

Boggarts: The British Poltergeist

Phantom black dogs (the Grim)

Demons in Babylonian and Assyrian Mythology (list)

Demons in the Americas (list)

European Demons (list)

Middle-East and Asia Demons (list)

Judeo-Christian Demons (list)

Nephilim, more on Nephilim

Mahaha (a demon in Inuit mythology)

Flying Head (a demon in Iroquois mythology)

Ghosts

Toyol (a dead baby ghost in Malay folklore)

Malay Ghosts

Yuki-onna (a ghost in Japanese folklore)

The Pontianak (a ghost in Malay mythology)

Funayurei (a ghost in Japanese folklore)

Zagaz (ghosts in Moroccan folklore)

Japanese Ghosts

Mexican Ghosts

Horse-like mythical creatures

Chinese Unicorns

Unicorns

The Kelpie (Could have also fitted in the sea creatures category)

The Centaur

The Female Centaur

Hippocamps (sea horses in Greek mythology)

Horse-like creatures (a list)

Karkadann, more on the Karkadann (a persian unicorn)

Ceffyl Dwfr (fairy-like water horse creatures in Cymric mythology)

Undead creatures

The Melanesian Vampire 

The Ewe Myth : Vampires

The Germanic Alp

The Indonesian Vampire

Asanbosam and Sasabonsam (Vampires from West Africa)

The Aswang: The Filipino Vampire

Folklore Vampires Versus Literary Vampires

Callicantzaros: The Greek Vampire

Vampires in Malaysia

Loogaroo/Socouyant: The Haitian Vampire

Incubi and Sucubi Across Cultures

Varacolaci: The Romanian Vampire

Brahmaparusha: The Indian Vampire

Genesis of the Word “Vampire”

The Ghoul in Middle East Mythology

Slavic Vampires

Vampires A-Z

The Medical Truth Behind the Vampire Myths

Zombies in Haitian Culture

Shape-shifters and half-human creatures (except mermaids) 

Satyrs (half-man, half-goat)

Sirens in Greek Mythology (half-woman and half-bird creatures)

The Original Werewolf in Greek Mythology

Werewolves Across Cultures

Werewolf Syndrome: A Medical Explanation to the Myth

Nagas Across Cultures

The Kumiho (half fox and half woman creatures)

The Sphinx

Criosphinx

Scorpion Men (warriors from Babylonian mythology)

Pooka: an Irish changelings

Domovoi (a shape-shifter in Russian folklore)

Aatxe (Basque mythology; red bull that can shift in a human)

Yech (Native American folklore)

Ijiraat (shapeshifters in Inuit mythology)

Sea creatures

Selkies (Norse mermaids)

Mermaids in many cultures

More about mermaids

Mermen

The Kraken (a sea monster)

Nuckelavee (a Scottish elf who mainly lives in the sea)

Lamiak (sea nymphs in Basque mythology)

Bunyip (sea monster in Aboriginal mythology)

Apkallu/abgal (Sumerian mermen)

An assemblage of myths and legends on water and water creatures

Slavic Water Creatures

The Encantado (water spirits in Ancient Amazon River mythology)

Zin (water spirit in Nigerian folklore)

Qallupilluk (sea creatures in Inuit mythology)

Monsters That Don’t Fit in Any Other Category

Aigamuxa, more details on Aigamuxa

Amphisabaena

Abere

Bonnacon

Myrmidons (ant warriors)

Troll, More on Trolls

Golems 

Golems in Judaism

Giants: The Mystery and the Myth (50 min long documentary)

Inupasugjuk (giants in Inuit mythology)

Fomorians (an Irish divine race of giants)

The Minotaur

The Manticore, The Manticore and The Leucrouta

The Ogre

The Orthus (two-headed serpent-tailed dog)

The Windigo

The Windigo Psychosis

Rakshasa (humanoids in Hindu and Buddhist mythology)

Yakshas (warriors in Hindu mythology)

Taqriaqsuit (“Shadow people” in Inuit mythology)

References on Folklore and Mythology Across the Globe

Creatures of Irish Folklore 

Folklore and Fairytales

An Overview of Persian Folklore

Filipino Folklore

Myths, Creatures and Folklore

Alaska Folklore

Spanish (Spain) Mythology

Mythical Archive

Mythology Dictionary

List of Medieval and Ancient Monsters

Native American Animals of Myth and Legends

Native American Myths

Bestiary of Ancient Greek Mythology

Mythology, Legend, Folklore and Ghosts

Angels and Demons

List of Sea Creatures

Yoruba Mythology

Ghosts Around the World, Ghosts From A to Z

Strange (Fantastic) Animals of Ancient Egypt

Egyptian Mythology

Creatures from West Africa

On the Legendary Creatures of Africa

Myths, Creatures and Folklore

References on writing a myth or mythical creatures

Writing a MYTHology in your novel?

How to Write a Myth

10 Steps to Creating Realistic Fantasy Creatures

Creating Fantasy Creatures or Alien Species

Legendary Creature Generator

Book Recommendations With Underrated Mythical Creatures

(I have stumbled upon web sites that believed some of these mythical creatures exist today… Especially dragons, in fact. I just had to share the love and scepticism.)

World-building: Creating a political system

1. Know on which real-life system(s) it’s based

Is it a bureaucracy, monarchy, democracy etc? Maybe it’s a combination.

Research different political systems and I promise that great ideas will come to you.

Plus, once you’ve decided which model your system is based on, it’s a good idea to make sure you understand the ins-and-outs of that model.

Hand-in-hand with this is understanding the way the economical sphere is structured in your world. Does the country have a feudal, capitalist, communist or socialist system? Once you know, you can do enough research to understand how the economy would influence your characters’ lives and how trade would occur.

2. Draft a mini Constitution

Does your country/kingdom have something like a Constitution? You should know which values are entrenched in it, which rights your people have and how governmental power is structured.

I’m not saying you should go ahead and create a 300 page Constitution, but having a rough outline of what it would contain can really help you to understand the political system. 

Examples of things you can include in your Constitution: Parliamentary system, hierarchies of government, legal system, voting procedures, entrenched rights, age restrictions on holding certain positions etc. (Look up a few Constitutions and you’ll get the general idea)

Even if your world doesn’t have a true Constitution, it will probably have some type of document setting out how the power structures work. Or perhaps it’s just unspoken or there’s a custodian of the laws. Whatever is applicable to your world, you need to understand how the politics work well enough to draft a mini Constitution.

3. Is there separation of powers?

Does your world have a legislature, executive and judiciary? Are there other organs of state with specific powers. Does the power of the law and the State rest with a single person? Is there an artisan council that decides on specific aspects?

Basically: does all the governmental powers vest in one person (with a few advisers) or is there separation in functions and personnel between the different branches of government?

Knowing this will help you understand who can make which decisions.

Having no separation of powers can also be a great way to create a dystopian government and introduce conflict.

Separation of powers is also definitely something you should include in your Constitution.

4. Determine the role of religion

Historically (and even today), religious institutions and leaders had great influence on the politics of the world. Therefore, it’s important to know how much control high-ranking religious officials have in your world.

Maybe the “church” is the political authority. Maybe you have a completely secular state. Maybe religion isn’t supposed to play a big role, but your world leader is prone to seeking spiritual guidance. Figure it out.

This is also a great source of political conflict/corruption if you’re looking for a way to structure a dystopian world.

5. Does the true power lie with your leader?

Is the King/President/Whoever Leads truly the one pulling the strings? Or are they merely a figure head playing a ceremonial role?

Oftentimes, the real decision-makers aren’t the public faces. And this will play a huge role in the political decisions made in your world. It’s once again also a good source of conflict/abuse of power.

This could also impact who the ultimate villain/hero is in your story. So, it’s a pretty important thing to know.

I hope that this helped spark some ideas in terms of creating a political system. If you have any questions about this topic (or any aspect of creative writing), my inbox and asks are always open.

Reblog if this was at all useful. Comment with your own tips. Follow me for similar content.

Hello, kiddies. Here's some fanart.

Two versions of Foolish and a Awsomedude head with a funky word in Minecraft font. >:]

Here's some Nep art for you guys, enjoy! >:]