Happy WBW! Tell Us A Little Bit About The Thought Process Behind The First Chapter Of Your WIP. What

Happy WBW! Tell us a little bit about the thought process behind the first chapter of your WIP. What convinced you that that particular scene/moment needed to be the reader's first impression of the story?

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! Thank you for the Ask, @elshells

Tell us a little bit about the thought process behind the first chapter of your WIP. What convinced you that that particular scene/moment needed to be the reader's first impression of the story?

This is a very interesting question. As TLW is a multi-POV story, the points of view are sorted by chapters (one chapter is one POV, sometimes that varies, but it is the recurring rule in TLW). The very first chapter that can be read is in Raelen's POV, as she escapes from the City Watch of Kestrall yet again after stealing an old magic tome from the Royal Archives and flees to the woods - where she makes a harrowing discovery. Not only was she the first Main Character I created for TLW, but I would also say I chose this moment/scene to be the first impression of the reader for plenty of reasons:

It introduces the reader to Raelen's reckless nature, by showing that she is someone who does things before thinking if it means finding the truth or fighting injustice (She was banned from the Archives for standing up to the City Watch two years prior, but chose to sneak in to steal a tome regardless because that was the answers she needed).

It also shows that the City Watch is a bit too obsessive when it comes to suppressing acts of "rebellion", especially when it comes to the Mageborn part of the population. The events that happen during and after the chase serve to show that there is not only something wrong with the City Watch - but also with the city itself.

The scene introduces Raelen's brothers and their relationships with her, as well as how they view her troublemaking tendencies. It also gives small hints about their past (and Raelen's PTSD regarding the actions of the City Watch after she and her siblings moved to Kestrall years ago).

The scene it leads up to introduces a conflict that will be relevant later on in the book: the return of the Secret Court and the growing tensions at the border of the Morosyn Empire. It also makes it abundantly clear that the Secret Court are back to finish their job of killing Raelen and her siblings. And so they're no longer safe.

It is the one moment after which a chain of events led Raelen and her adoptive brother Azra to be thrust into the conflict of their world, as the chain of events it creates serves as a build-up for what happens in the third chapter of their POV (the Siege of Kestrall by the Secret Court and Julyan's kidnapping).

It also serves to set the world/set the scene, for the other POVs to come, as it introduces much of the relevant continental conflict bits that will be expanded upon later on by both this POV and the others.

Happy Blorbo Blursday! If you had to pick only one of your blorbos to survive and get a happy ending, which would you pick?

Happy Blorbo Blursday! Thank you for the Ask, @stesierra!

If you had to pick only one of your blorbos to survive and get a happy ending, which would you pick?

Oh, this is such a mean question, lol. I mean, most of them deserve to survive - even the ones that don't, I still feel bad for some character deaths. Since the cast is too large, I'll pick from the Main Characters. Um, maybe Zephyr? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the other Main Characters, but this sorcerer boy has suffered so much throughout his life that he deserves a happy ending - free of pain, free of curses and worries. But the others still deserve their own happy endings. Julyan is also someone I would say deserves his happy ending - he was tortured by people who wanted to turn him into a weapon when all that he wanted was to see his little sister again and be safe. That boy deserves a happy ending as much as Zephyr. I honestly can't decide.

That is still a very difficult question (:

Calling Writeblr

Hey so I'm planning on finishing the rough draft for Mantis today and I should take a break before tackling developmental/content edits.

SO I want to focus more on writeblr's WIPs and send a bunch of asks and gush over your work!

Some limits:

Personally, I'm comfortable with lemons on the citrus scale but PREFER YA romance

Please no gore. Some of y'all are just...too good with descriptions and I have a weak stomach for realistic violence. Fantasy violence and psychological horror okay!

That's it! Please reblog or otherwise share if you think it will reach more writing blogs for me to obsess over!

Character Ask! 🪲

What aesthetic(s) would you assign your character? Why?

Hello, @gummybugg! I am terribly sorry for the late response, I genuinely did not know a clear answer to this until recently and I wanted to answer it properly! I chose a few characters at random:

RAELEN - Chaotic Cottagecore, Witchy Aesthetic

NADINNE - Soft Girl Aesthetic, Royaltycore Aesthetic

AZRA - Hygge Aesthetic, Vikingcore Aesthetic

KADEN - Bardcore Aesthetic, Indie Aesthetic

TRYSTAN - Light Academia Aesthetic, Preppy Aesthetic

MYRAH - Boho Aesthetic, Artistic Aesthetic

I think I would love to see fanart or cosplay for any of my characters from my WIPs but if I had to choose, then maybe: Elyren Tyrvommira, Tanwin Lyrandeth, and Zephyr Tellian (from The Last Wrath). Riley "Thunderbolt" Lawrence (from Open Secret Files) Valentine Concordium and Clarence Van Sterling (from Enchanted Illusions) and Kaylathell Deimos (Supernova Initiative).

All of the others would of course be very cool! But these characters have some very distinct features that would be very interesting to try and work with, in cosplay or fanart.

If I had to choose one that I would like to cosplay myself, it would probably be Zephyr Tellian. I think I could pull off his look quite well, despite being a girl, and the hair would be very easy to style with some paint and all.

On the fanart point, I am an art student, so I make original "fanart" for all my favorite characters in my WIP (I just haven't posted any of these yet lol)! (:

Next Question: Which one of your OCs would you like to team up with if you ended up in their world? Which one would you NOT want to team up with because it would end in catastrophe?

OKAY!

WRITEBLRS if you're seeing this, you're legally obligated to reblog with an answer, and then a new question for the next person!

Here's the start:

Which of your OCs is most likely to punch somebody in the face?

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.