Happy WBW! What Are Superstitions Like In Your Wip(s)? Are Any Of Your Characters Particularly Superstitious

happy WBW! what are superstitions like in your wip(s)? are any of your characters particularly superstitious or particularly skeptical?

Thank you for the ask, @ashen-crest!

I'll answer this one for my medieval dark fantasy WIP, Realms of Loss!

What are superstitions like in your WIP(s)?

There certainly is a lot of superstition in the world of Realms of Loss, the continent of Helvastte, especially since it is basically a land torn by an ages-old war and a dangerous ever-spreading curse brought by the death of the Old Gods, where the survivors battle for power. In a world like that, there are bound to be a lot of myths and stories that get twisted up through time and turn into popular superstitions - some that are true, others that are just myths born out of fear and lack of information.

For example, in the Outer Cities of the citadel of Avillore (one of the main kingdoms bound in the neverending war that tears the land apart), it is a common children's superstition that leaving a window open at night invites evil spirits that will snatch their souls away to eat them.

There are many dangers in the Outer Cities, (which are the abandoned outskirts of villages beyond the protective walls of the Citadels) - the blood plague, hungry beasts from the winter forests, and actual black market merchants dubbed the Soul Traders - so this superstition about closing windows at night was likely born as a cautionary tale told by parents or older siblings wanting to keep the children safe.

Another example of superstition in Helvastte belongs to the people of Sarythea, who believe that, on the eve of the Solstice, one must knock three times on the doorframe of a new house one's been invited to and invoke the names of their Celestial Court of choice, as a way to wish protection upon oneself and the owners of the house for another prosperous year.

While the Celestial Courts and magic do exist in the realms, it is unclear whether following this superstition actually changes anything. It is likely a harmless superstition meant to keep people at ease, and it isn't clear where this habit actually started or why.

Are any of your characters particularly superstitious or particularly skeptical?

Most Superstitious - Viktoras Aeravi, the bastard son of the Watcher Lord of the Far Reach, is one of the most superstitious characters in Realms of Loss, but not in an obsessive way, rather just because tradition is everything to him and one of the pillars where he finds his personal worth. He believes strongly in the power of one's will and that following superstition is a harmless, but important, way to show he belongs in the culture he was born into (a sense of home he feels he lacks due to his bastard birth).

Particularly Skeptical - Gwain Vytris, a thief of the Guild and Adaria Vytris' older brother, has been through many hardships in the Outer Cities and spent most of his life ensuring the continued survival of his younger siblings - but going through all of this at a very young age changed him into a rather jaded, fatalistic and pragmatic person. He believes that both royalty and the Celestial Courts have abandoned them, and that being superstitious is just another way to sugarcoat this fact.

Happy STS, Claire!

What is easier for you in a first draft of a WIP: expressing the emotions/feelings of your characters or describing the setting's details?

Happy STS and thanks for the ask!

So the answer is actually a secret third thing: dialogue. Generally, my Draft Zero reads like a screenplay. Every draft after that sketches more of what is happening around that dialogue. This is partially because just enjoy writing dialogue, but I think it's also because I tend toward hyperphantasia, so I can see where the characters are, what they look like, and every other visual thing around them in my head to be able to write what they're saying. That means that for my own purposes, I don't necessarily need it to be spelled out on the page at that point. (Obviously, the reader does, though!)

Of the two you mentioned, emotions and feelings would definitely come first, or second after dialogue. Descriptions of settings and other details are usually the last thing that gets added (not surprisingly, it's also what I enjoy writing the least). 😂

my first play through and also trying to keep everyone from becoming their worst selves is going well why do you ask

(One of the worst things a good-aligned OC did in one of my WIPs, aside from murder) In Enchanted Illusions (during his backstory) Thaddeus prioritized his revolutionary endeavors over spending time with those closest to him, breaking his promise of being there for his friends, and due to Thaddeus constantly getting in trouble with powerful and dangerous people that absence turned into a mistake that cost his friends' lives - which is also a reason why he is so cautious, so that this would never happen again.

Besides murder, what’s the worst thing your OC has done to another person?

Alone, bound and pain for the OC(s) of your choice?

~ @tabswrites

(The OC Ask Game)

Thank you for the Ask, @tabswrites!

✨Spoilers for Realms of Loss and Enchanted Illusions Below the Cut✨

Alone: (OC - Adaria Vytris, WIP Realms of Loss)

How does your OC deal with loneliness?

This is a perfect question for my OC, Adaria Vytris, from Realms of Loss, whose worst fear is, coincidentally, ending up completely alone.

As such, she does not deal very well with loneliness, and despite being an awkward introvert with the social skills of a little gremlin, she still 100% prefers to be around other people - even if they're just close by and she's the weird one lurking on the edge of the room. When she's completely alone, Adaria usually keeps herself busy in some way, anything to avoid feeling that empty void of loneliness that creeps up in the back of her mind when she's not busy protecting other people or just talking.

Have they ever been completely alone before?

Yes, Adaria has been completely alone before, a few years before the main story, when she ended up separated from all her older siblings because of the ongoing wars of the continent and thought they were all dead. It was really traumatic for her and is by far the worst time of her entire life.

How do they act when there's no one around to see them?

Very nervous. Usually, she has a very aggressive/blunt persona when she's around people, as she takes up a "protector" role in her friendship group and mimics her older brother's jaded challenging behavior towards all authority figures because it's all she's known (and because their kingdom literally lives in a very oppressive absolutist/theocratic monarchy-style government, so it's obvious she resents following rules).

She rarely ever shows the more vulnerable side of her personality to others, because she finds solace in being the shield that keeps them safe. When that role is taken from her for some reason and she's left completely alone, especially if against her will, her anxieties creep up on the back of her mind and she starts to question her worth - because she fears not being able to make it in the world by herself. She's at her most vulnerable when she's alone, much different from her assertive self she takes up in the company of others.

Bound: (OC - Julia Kyllians, WIP Enchanted Illusions)

Has your OC ever been imprisoned or captured? What happened?

At the beginning of the book, it is implied that Julia's just been released from jail, having been wrongfully imprisoned two years before due to lies spread by her young father's corrupt employer as a way to silence her - after she found out the millionaire wanted to illegally prolong her father's contract. This is the inciting incident for her character arc, which leads her to join Thaddeus Lockhill's revolutionary movement in hopes of clearing her name and breaking that contract.

How did they get out?

It is unclear at the start of the book whether she was actually released, bailed out (which is highly unlikely), or if she broke out of prison (whether by herself or with some help).

Did the experience leave any scars?

Mostly emotional ones - which lead to a deep desire for justice and the tiniest bit of wishing for revenge.

Pain: (OC - Teivel, WIP Realms of Loss)

What's the worst pain your OC has ever felt?

Teivel is a young Izuhyn being held prisoner of war in the Fortress of Avillore. Aside from the emotional pain and trauma of being forcibly locked in a filthy, freezing dungeon in an unknown, enemy country, after being ripped from everyone and everything he knew and loved, while having his magic constantly suppressed, he's also spent the past years before the main story of the book (before being freed by Lucian Dhaeras) being experimented on by Avillorian alchemists and interrogated for information about his people. Which, in a medieval-ish world without a great grasp of human rights - especially when it comes to someone dubbed "the enemy" - can only mean horrifyingly painful things. He's been through pretty much every torture that would cause him pain but not kill him.

Do they have a high pain tolerance?

After everything he's been put through, it's safe to say that he kind of has to have developed a high pain tolerance, or he would've gone utterly batshit insane by now.

WRITER ASK GAME - Fantasy

PIRATE - Pick one! Pirates or Royals?

KINGDOM - How many named places are there in your WIP? How much have you developed them?

PHOENIX - Have you invented any fantasy creatures?

PRINCESS - Urban fantasy or high fantasy?

WIZARD - Who is your favourite character in this WIP? Describe them!

SHIP - How many pages of planning documents do you have, if any?

KING - How long have you been working on this WIP and its world?

KNIGHT - Pick one! Forbidden Love or Enemies-to-Lovers?

HERO - What makes someone a hero in this world?

VILLAIN - Do you prefer creating heroes or villains?

TREASURE - What is the best thing about the world of your WIP?

MAGIC - What is your magic system?

QUEEN - What is the earliest planned historical event in your WIP?

UNICORN - What makes your WIP and your writing stand out?

ISLAND - Have you created a language for your world?

POTION - If potions exist in your WIP, give me a potion recipe!

CAULDRON - Give me a fantasy food!

WITCH - What sparked the idea for this world?

DRAGON - Do you write about dragons?

GOD - Does your world have a religion? Is it, in this world, right?