I ADORE THIS!

I ADORE THIS!

Could you reblog this if you enjoy seeing your writer friends ramble about their wips on your dash?

Eve's weird question time: give that one character a gun. You know exactly which one. What would happen? (Refrence to those "the x book would be much shorter if they had just give y a gun)

Either Ellinor, Ansell, or Tanwin because let me tell you something, these three characters are efficient. If they had a gun the war in Agrannor would be over before it started, and they are precise enough to hit the right targets. Isolde would be the next best character to be given a gun, but she would be a bit too enthusiastic about it.

And here is why the rest of the cast SHOULD NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE be allowed near a firearm:

If any other character had a gun in TLW, it would create utter unstoppable chaos, and I am not even exaggerating. Bryn? Too murderous, would kill more people than he should, and then not know how to deal with the aftermath after he runs out of bullets, (the same applies to Orion). Emryc would "fuck around and find out" too much with the gun and end up shooting his own foot or end up losing the weapon, Arammis would do the same. Julyan would take one look at it and go "Oh Hell No. I'm already a loaded gun myself, don't give me something that can make my tendencies worse" and straight up not use it. Raelen/Vall/Azra would get too excited and end up breaking it on accident. Yuna/Sybil would get drunk and then wake up the other day with no gun and precisely no recollection of what she did with it the day before. Morwan would know how to use it, but complain that "her axes are better" and grow bored, and give the gun to Arammis who would be an utter menace with it. Jamie/Seira/Nadinne/Kaden would be too afraid to use it, being sweet cinnamon rolls, and find a way to hide it so no one can use it. Luciya would go on a spree and disappear, return two years later, and refuse to elaborate further. Innara/Myrah/Peregrine/Trystan would be intrigued by it but not use it because it doesn't fit their code of honor. Helios would become friends with the gun and would give it a name, just to spite everyone around him. Lukan would lose it in a bet/while gambling. Nyx would be utterly terrified of it and think it is some form of "Imperial contraption" and destroy it. Cassander/Brenwyn would find it incredibly unamusing and neither of them would be impressed. Nethen is far too vengeful for a gun too, but he wouldn't really use it since it would foil his plans (as in drawing attention to him).

And finally... Cirien would start straight up venting his woes to the gun in some obscure place of the realm, cry, fall asleep, and then proceed to go about his day like none of that happened. Much to the confusion and dread of everyone around him.

hello! what's one or two things about your current/main WIP that you're exceptionally proud of?

Hello, @castaclysmicqueer! Thank you for the Ask!

What's one or two things about your current/main WIP that you're exceptionally proud of?

In my main WIP, a medieval dark fantasy called The Last Wrath, I think that two things I am exceptionally proud of are the character relationships and the little details of the world the story takes place. I am proud that I managed to create complex relationships for my cast, where their interactions can be believable and not forced, and where the audience can feel the emotions they feel. As for the details of the setting, Agrannor - the continent in which the story takes place - is so full of unique cultures and aspects, with many varied traditions, interactions between kingdoms, and the tiny little details of, for example, how the cultures' traditional festivals work, what are the fashion styles, what are the dark secrets of each land, how the kingdom's shape the personality of the characters that live there... etc. I just love writing about it, and I love how well those two things (characters and setting) work together to help the story be cohesive.

As for my minor WIPS:

In ENCHANTED ILLUSIONS: I am exceptionally proud of the world where the story lives and the relationship between mythical creatures and regular humans within a city setting is very compelling to write. Also, I am very proud of the fact that the vampire characters in my story are awkward, polite, weird little 100-year-old teenagers, and not the mean and brooding stereotypes - I just love seeing soft vampires for once!

In OPEN SECRET FILES: I love how the cyberpunk elements work together with the superhero fiction elements of the story. It makes for such an interesting world to write in, and the intrigues that the characters are often involved in feel so new to me due to the mix of futuristic and real-world problems!

In SUPERNOVA INITIATIVE: I am exceptionally proud of the fact that I am being able to make this story feel like, you know, an actual space adventure! There are many planets for the characters to explore, intergalactic secrets, etc... it's so cool to write about! Also, I love the humanoid alien species I created for this WIP, it makes me very proud of it!

Happy WBW! What does your world sound like? If I closed my eyes, what would I hear?

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! Thank you for the Ask @writernopal!

This is such a delightfully beautiful question! It's something very interesting to consider!

I would say it would vary a lot depending on where you were in the continent of Agrannor. I will try to show the full picture of what it would sound like in some specific important places of the story.

In the Kingdom of Kestrall - you would hear the winter wind whooshing through the mighty mountaintops around you, carrying delicate freckles of snow and ice that ring like delicate little bells against the glass windows of the stone buildings. You would hear distant flapping of wings, and maybe even the melodic shriek of a passing dragon far away in the sky above, and you'd hear your steps as you walk forward in the rough cobblestone streets. Somewhere you hear the rhythmic clanking and ringing of hammer against anvil echoing from a nearby forge, and you swear you can hear the sizzling as molten metal is dipped into freezing water to solidify. There are people talking faintly in the street, murmurs you can't quite make out but seem vivid, there are children laughing somewhere near the market, where vendors call out their wares, and you hear the distinct and determined sound of an armored soldier of the City Watch walking past you.

In the Forests of the Riven Pass - you'd hear the eerie whistling of dead leaves on petrified branches surrounding you, the strange nothingness of it all setting a frozen chill down your spine. In the distance, you hear strange, unnatural sounds - some sound like someone weeping, others like a deep bellowing roar, and others like the moans of the undead - which make your skin crawl. The mists around you fizzle against the dryness of the ground and the trees seem to creak on the wind. The shrill cry of a distant owl makes you jump and promptly open your eyes. You know you can't stay in this forest for long.

In a rebel tavern - There is the sound of lively conversation surrounding you rather loudly, different tones and accents mixing joyously as people gather around wooden oak tables or next to scattered fireplaces that crackle with warmth. You hear someone cheering on a table to your left and the sound of a drink being poured for someone next to you. A vibrant song begins as a bard climbs atop a nearby chair, their proud lyrics speaking of freedom and falling empires. You hear a group gathered around a drinking game, and boisterous laughter as the rounds continue. Someone sits down on the chair across from you and you hear the clinking of coins as they pay for their meal. You hear cups and plates being set on the tables. The music grows a bit, and you hear the distinct notes from the lute. You hear makeshift armor clinking against the wood as people move around.

In the Hall of Lore, inside the Liranthian Academies - You hear your footsteps on the pressed wood floor, stopping by a table overflowing with books. There is a pleasing sense of quiet that seems to permeate every inch around you as you breathe in the minty morning air, flowing into the tall room through the many open windows. As you pick up a book from a nearby shelf and begin to flip through it, you can distinctly hear every sound the pages make as the coarse paper moves from one side to another. Somewhere near you, you hear the telltale scratching of someone scribbling notes with a feathered quill and ink. A morning bird flutes by one of the open windows before flying back down onto the trees below the tower. As you walk to the center of the room, where the scholar's tables are gathered, you hear the sizzling of new potions that bubble within their crystal containers with a hiss and the insistent sound of someone anxiously tapping their foot on the floor as they focus on their confusing studies.

In the aftermath of the Fall of Eldon - You hear flames crackling brutally around you, burning down remains of what used to be beautiful buildings. Ash flows in the cold wind with a huff, and the distinct smell of blood hits your nose as you step on a fallen blade. Horses whiny in the distance, along with their riders bellowing out orders to the victorious army. You swiftly step to the side as a riderless horse races past you and into the burnt woods ahead. The distinct and chilling sound of metal against bone echoes behind you as a soldier decapitates a prisoner. You head to the woods and leave the remains of the battlefield behind.

In the royal court of the Morosyn Empire during a banquet - There is stern instrumental music being played faintly in the background to the rhythm of the royal hymns but slower, and you hear a servant walk past you carrying a tray of desserts to the royal table. Somewhere next to you, you hear hushed whispers of nobles trading secrets in their seats, tense, as if the Emperor could hear whatever it is they're talking about, despite the man's attention being drawn to the person next to him, an advisor discussing battle plans. In one of the seats, a clueless duke asks a question to his courtesan - about a gossip going on in court - and they answer him. The sounds of a normal banquet continued normally around you until you suddenly hear the crowd go utterly silent as the Emperor stands up to make an announcement.

In the seaside marketplace of Vellamere - You hear the ocean gently lapping against the small colorful stone walls that separate the city from the beach, and all around you hear different vendors calling out the prices of their wares, as new shipments arrive swiftly from the harbor below, where a ship has been moored to the pier. A woman with a heavy accent describes the quality of her silken headpieces, while a man with a shrill voice talks about the fine pearl necklaces that have just arrived in stock from the Storm Archipelago. Nearby, a food salesman fries huge chunks of large Kraken tentacles in sticks, in an almost overflowing pot, and children run by you with laughter as they see the snacks being prepared. You hear two ladies talking to each other with sweet voices, their newly fashioned dresses flowing gently in the ocean breeze. You hear wooden crates being unloaded from lavish ships, and sailors calling out to one another as they maneuver the shipment. Beneath the bridges up ahead and the ships just around the pier beside you, you hear a splash as a giant grouper-like fish pokes its vast head out of the water, before submerging down the murky blue sea.

Happy WBW! Do plate tectonics exist in your world? What did the world look like three hundred million years ago?

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! Thank you for the ask, @stesierra

This is a very complicated question, as I haven't thought of the world of The Last Wrath so far into the past - but it is a very interesting question and I love it!

I guess that Agrannor would have looked quite different. The pieces of the continent would be rather more separate, larger strips of water (be it bigger lakes or actual stretches of sea) cutting through it. The Storm Archipelago would likely have larger islands since they hadn't split up into the minor islands and the shape they have in the book, and the Mountains of Kestrall would surely be at least a bit smaller due to the fact that they haven't formed fully yet.

Happy STS! 💜💌 What role does symbolism play in your WIPs, if any? What symbols relate to certain characters, events, or emotions? How do you decide what symbols to use, or what these symbols mean? Are they intentional, or do you notice them after they've appeared in the story? :) - @liv-is

Happy Storyteller Saturday! Thank you for the lovely Ask, @girlfriend-champion!

Questions - What role does symbolism play in your WIPs, if any? What symbols relate to certain characters, events, or emotions? How do you decide what symbols to use, or what these symbols mean? Are they intentional, or do you notice them after they've appeared in the story?

What role does symbolism play in your WIPs, if any?

I guess that symbolism does play a large role in quite a lot when it comes to The Last Wrath. It is rather important to the story, I would say, and it usually helps establish a sense of what certain groups of characters represent and why, while avoiding too much exposition where it is not needed. It also happens to be something very cool to write!

2. What symbols relate to certain characters, events, or emotions?

FOR CHARACTERS:

If I were to give a clear example of the use of symbols in my work, there are the Gilded Vipers, who basically are Ellinor's closest friends and an elite team of assassins. I choose the symbolism of "Vipers" for their moniker because they slowly became known throughout the Morosyn Empire for their meticulous and incredibly swift attacks, with a tendency to be deadly and unpredictable - much like a viper's strike. They also are known for "slithering away unseen" into the shadows once the damage is done.

Animal symbology is quite present in The Last Wrath - for a variety of reasons.

Another example of this would be the "White Raven", a nickname that was given to Cassander Fynn by his peers due to his secretive and mysterious nature, as well as for his vengeful tendencies (Ravens are often associated with mystery and secrecy on their own, and the White Ravens are much more elusive. Plus, ravens are also known to hold grudges for what can be a lifetime, hence vengeful). Ansell Kallik - Princess Ellinor's bodyguard and second in command of the Gilded Vipers - is associated with the symbols of an Owl. Also, he is often associated with the figure of a "wraith" or a haunting, by his enemies, for his deadly reputation in battle. Peregrine has the symbol of a fox etched onto the chest plate of his armor.

Myrah is often associated with the image of wild, untamed, feral nature, namely plants, vines, and moss.

More thematic/subtle symbolism is also present often in my works.

For example, Nethen Fahris is usually associated with tarnished gold - which serves to foreshadow the fact that, while he pretends to be on the side of the Empire, his intentions are not quite what they seem, hence the tarnishing/mockery of the Imperial color gold. The Secret Court is often represented by a sharp and cold winter wind, a harbinger of a storm or blizzard yet to come. Their emblematic colors are often blood red, sheer white, and iron gray, the red being the main color while the others compliment it - especially in the Fortress of Vadronia. The Secret Court is also associated with ash and embers, a reference to the fact that their form of magic consumes everything in its wake - especially since corrupted magic often presents itself in the story as something that looks a lot like dark ash and sizzling embers - which is made very clear by the fact that their current leader is known as the Ash Queen. The Guild of Assassins is almost always associated with very intricate masks (often literal and figurative, as people's masks are not limited to physical ones, but mental/emotional ones as well in Agrannor)

Celestial bodies (and moments) are usually associated with some of the characters. Julyan is strongly associated with the symbol of the sun. Raelen is vaguely associated with the symbol of dawn. Vallerius is associated with the night and moon. Elyren is literally referred to as "The Shooting Star of Zynlataell". Darian Caelestis' surname directly translates into the word celestial and is directly associated with the figure of the Sky.

For examples of events associated with symbolism:

Raelen's memories of an event in her early past are once described as "a comforting firelight's warmth being overtaken by a biting winter chill, and hopelessness that was only held back by the smallest of flames". (It refers to the moment when she and her older brother had lost their parents and were forced to flee from everything they'd ever known to survive the assassins sent for them.)

Oryon associates the betrayal he suffered in his past with drowning in an endless murky sea and wishing for it to finish him off - which while it is actually a very clear representation of what happened to him too, as after he was betrayed he was thrown overboard from his ship and left to drown, it also serves as a metaphor for his feelings, and how a part of him died (drowned) that day and he became a new person still haunted by it. The color blue and light grey are also often associated with this character, for this very reason.

It is offhandedly implied that the last time Tanwin and Darian had peacefully seen each other, before the invasion of Ergyre by the Morosyn Empire, they were talking under a tree that could very well be the Agrannorian version of a Weeping Willow. Those trees are almost always associated with grief and loss in some sort, and in this context, it is tied to the fact that they would never see each other for years after the next day, and when they meet again, they are not the same people they used to be (it is not an outright death, but it is still a loss. A loss of their friendship, and of the people they used to be). Willows are also associated with a new life, and that has multiple meanings in this scenario.

As Seira travels to a place with great importance to her past - which she had completely forgotten - the place is said to almost "rise from the early morning mist" (Which implies the fact that she now sees the truth). She also sees herself reflected in the broken shield of an important statue of an ancient figure in Agrannor (which I can't tell you now without spoiling the reveal in the book), a foreshadowing of her true origins as the shield is dull to her companion, and yet to her it reflects her image.

(I won't elaborate much on what this means for spoiler reasons but) Nyx never writes the ending to any of his songs, and usually leaves it unfinished - his friends usually try to write it, but it never comes out right. A neverending song, or a song whose story was cut short, fits his arc quite well.

Some of the villains are direct counterpoints to the good character's journeys and personalities, being a haunting reminder of what they could become under the wrong circumstances.

Morwan has twin battle axes with delicate pink roses carved and painted onto the blades. She is now a feared mercenary, but she never let's go nor forgets the lady she wished she could have been (and that she was) before she was scorned, and keeps her alive in those details in her current warrior's life.

How do you decide what symbols to use, or what these symbols mean? Are they intentional, or do you notice them after they've appeared in the story?

While most of it was intentional, some just simply come to me while developing the characters and their plots. In these cases, a vibe or aesthetic will come to mind, and I will trim down the options until I achieve the symbolism I want.