Tag: fantasywriting

A Snurched Tag, Get to Know Me Writer’s Edition

~ Brooke F. ~ 7 Comments

Welcome one and all to the Get to Know Me Tag, writer’s edition. I came across this tag through a series of snurchments (that’s not a word but it is now) and thought I’d continue this digital paper trail by completing the tag myself.

★The Rules★

  • link back to the person who created the tag, Savannah
  • thank the person who tagged you  ( no one tagged me but I originally saw this on The Texas Lass’s Blog.
  • share the tag graphic 
  • tag eleven bloggers 

 ★VITAL STATS and APPEARANCE ★

Let’s jump right into the tag now, shall we?

Name(s):  Brooke

Nicknames:  Brookie Cookie, Smol one, yaknow, whatever people yell at me from across the house.

Birthday:  January 7th, a time in which everyone is burnt out from Christmas and new years. Additionally, my other siblings have birthdays in December bringing the grand total of holidays that we celebrate in December to a whopping 4. So by the time we get to January 7th, everyone is ready for a nap, myself included.

Hair color & length:  Brown and curly. The length ranges from medium to short. I’ve randomly been whacking it off because how else am I supposed to deal with stress? Bangs may be coming soon.

Braces/piercings/tattoos:  I was in dire need of braces so I got them in middle school. Thankfully they were removed after two years. I have my ears pierced and am considering getting double piercings?? No tattoos though and I don’t plan on getting any. Needles are far to terrifying for me.

Righty or lefty:  Righty most of the time. There are a few tasks I can do lefty like archery. Just some odd things like that.

Ethnicity:  Whhhhhhhhhite. Very, very white. Pale. Sour-cream-y. However one likes to say it.

★FIRSTS★

First novel written:  A book I started writing at age 9 called “The Sword of Fire” which are a wondering story about a person looking for a sword that…wait for it…was on fire. And had magical fire powers of sorts.

First novel completed: A really, really bad book I wrote in middle school called “The Jewels of Mythica: The Diamond”. Ugh….it was a… piece of work. I enjoyed writing it and that’s what matters but it was hardly a great work of literature. I was 11 at the time.

Award for writing: I haven’t published anything so the closest thing I have to a writing award would be any award I got on this blog.

First publication:  None yet. Coming someday.

Conference:  Pffftt… I don’t leave my house. (I’m mostly kidding. I leave for college and for groceries and for funding my coffee addiction).

Query/pitch:  I’ll write this after I finish writing my book. I swear.

★ FAVORITES ★

Novel (that you wrote): A messy little book called “Malice in Wonderland”. It’s unfinished and was originally supposed to be a self insert of me and my friends falling into the twisted world of wonderland where The King of Hearts is a murderous maniac who does away with his “Queens” to keep himself young (hence the name King of Hearts), The Jabberwocky is a haunting, shape-shifting beast that stalks people to steal their human forms, and the Cheshire Cat is…well, the Cheshire Cat. Me and my friends each assume a role in the story and must find our way back home alive. I was cast as the Queen of Hearts and was tasked with eluding the King. One of my friends was Knave of Hearts. Another was Alice. Yet another was The Mad Hatter, and you get the idea. It was a fun story which I hope to work into an actual novel someday because the premise is so entirely interesting to me. It dabbles in my favorite genres: fantasy, psychological thriller, horror, and adventure.

Genre:  Mystery. I blame my ungodly consumption of noir movies.

Author:  C.S. Lewis of course.

Writing music: The soundtrack from the Movie “Loving Vincent”. If you have not heard it, please do your ears a favor, and look it up. It is marvelous for writing mysteries and anything with tension/emotional weight.

Time to write:  The Afternoon/Evening. I wish I was an early bird but alas, twas not mean to be.

Writing snack/drink:  Coffee is probably my favorite drink. Or Dr. Pepper. My favorite snack tends to be something salty like popcorn or chips.

Movie:  The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardobe. BUT THE DISNEY ONE, LET ME CLARIFY.

Writing memory:  I remember being pretty lonely in middle school but I have very fond memories of writing on a sort of kids message board primarily for stories. I love the community I felt there with other young kids who read each other’s work.

Childhood book: haha the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe ahaha. You already knew it was coming!

★CURRENTLY ★

Reading: Unglued by Lysa Terkuerst.

Writing:  A lot of things unfortunately. A poetry book that I hope to publish via Amazon Kindle before I graduate college, the edited draft of my mystery novel, and a silly story for my friends where we are all astronauts. Oh, and a college research proposal.

Listening to:  The sounds of the campus library around me.

Watching:  My computer screen….

I’m joking. I’m not watching anything until the Obiwan Show comes out on Disney+ in May.

Learning:  Biology all the time. It is my major after all.

★FUTURE ★

Want to be published:  Oh heavens, yes. I would love to be published more than once actually though I’m sort of aiming for the stars with that wish but I don’t care.

Indie or traditional:  I want to try traditional but I could see myself end up self publishing down the road. It depends on the opportunities that present themselves I guess.

Wildest goal: To be able to make a living as an Author. Like to have that as my primary job. It may not sound wild, but for me it feels crazy. (Rent where I live is SKYROCKETING).

And I think that is it. I don’t have anyone specific I wish to tag so If you’re reading this and want to do it, you can consider yourself as such!

An Extensive List of Biomes

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

All for your writing or roleplay purposes for when you are unsure of where to place your characters. If you have any biome suggestions to add to the list, feel free to comment them down below.

Naturally Occurring Biomes

Tropical forest

Marine

Desert

Savanna

Tundra

Temperate forest

Canyon

Boreal Forest (or ice)

Grassland

Volcanic

Beach

Swamp

Wasteland

Mountains

Fantasy Biomes

Crystal

Gold

Moss Caverns

Magic

Painted Mountains

Labyrinthian

Fairy

Wax

Alien

Horror

Candyland

Deadlands

Fungi Forest

Undead

Cloud (or floating forests)

Clock-based

Flooded City/Forest

Glowing Forest/Sea

Wizard Writing Prompts

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

★Dream Mender

A wizard comes to you in your dreams and claims they need you to come rescue them. In turn, they’d teach you magic. These lessons can only occur while you’re sleeping as this wizard is known as a “Dream Mender”. So you set out on a quest to save this wizard, learning new skills every night as you sleep.

★The White Necromancer

A cleric/necromancer strikes a deal a king whose kingdom was suffering under the strain of a plague: they would heal all afflicted parties as long as they could have their bodies after they died of natural causes. The king agrees. 50 years later, The White Necromancer has an enormous army of undead and is near unstoppable.

★Fallen Magic

A star falls to the earth one night during a meteor shower. Word spreads of this however no one has been able to locate exactly where this star is. You are an astronomer who has a better estimate than most of where the star ended up. However, you find yourself facing a dilemma. You see, stars are very sought after to use in magical potions and weaponry so two wizards- a warlock and a sorceress- both want it. You wish to find the star but are uncertain which party you should serve under as they are both trying to get you “on their side”.

★Borrowed Magic

You wake up in an unfamiliar castle with no memories but magic powers. You wonder the castle and find a few interesting characters who claim to be your “magical helpers”. The mystery deepens as you are told by one of them that the magical powers that you posses were stolen from a wizard. And the wizard wants them back.

★ Man or Monster?

A wizard comes to you for help, claiming to have accidentally turned their friend into some sort of beast. Not only do they want your help finding him and turning him back, they also inform you that you are on a time crunch. The longer the person is under the spell, the more of their mind the “beast” part takes over.

★Secrets are Kept in Boxes

A bloodied man with a tall pointy hat emerges from the woods near your home. He has a box in his hand. Before he dies he whispers only one thing; “Keep it safe.”

★Wizard Assassin

Wizards are becoming a dying breed in your city. Literally. Every wizard known amongst the people is showing up dead with a brand upon their arm. You want to find out who is doing this and why, your motivations being that your lover is a magic-worker themselves.

★Meowgic

You are a necromancer. You have the power to resurrect yourself. You have done so twice already. Oh, and another minor detail- you are a cat.

.

Lies Commonly told to Graduates/College Students

~ Brooke F. ~ 3 Comments

This is a post that has been stewing around in my head for quite awhile. As a sophomore, almost a junior in college, I have heard A LOT of these. The unfortunate thing is people often think they are being helpful or supportive by offering these words of advice though I think sometimes they can do more harm than good. So, I’m going to quickly go through a few of these and say my peace as to why I have a problem with each of the selected phrases. Let’s get to it now, shall we?

1. “Just follow your dreams.”

This is a super loaded statement, nor is it particularly helpful. Students should consider a variety of factors which includes but it not only limited to their passions. If you ONLY consider this singular variable, this could lead you to a precarious position. Pursue your passions, of course, but also consider that that doesn’t always mean making it your career.

2. “The next step is always college/higher education.”

College is expensive. I think we all know this. If you’re not entirely sure if it’s the right next step for you, maybe take a step back and look at your options. There are alternatives to college. There is something to be said for trade schools or simply applying to entry level jobs and working your way up.

3. “You need to decide X, Y, and Z right now.” & “You can’t change your mind.”

Some decisions are time sensitive but decisions such as what you choose to major in, what career you’re working towards, etc. can be changed. So while it may be technically true that you need to choose a field of study soon after graduating, this is also a decision that can be

4. “Just find something that will make you money.”

Money, like your passions, is a factor that must be considered while planning your future. It should not, however, be considered solely. Again, like your passions, it is one of a few factors to think about.

I think if you were to summarize all these phrases and my problems with them is that they offer little to no nuance on a subject that depends highly on the person and their specific set of circumstances. There is no one way to live your life and certain decisions and life styles suit some people and not others. So, if you know a graduate and want to support them, do so by letting them know that no one really has it figured out in adulthood. Tell them that they should try new things and do their best. Tell them to prepared to work hard but also enjoy some little things about being an adult now. It seems scary at first, but you can do it!

Tips for Creating Better Characters

~ Brooke F. ~ 4 Comments

Just a selection of short, to-the-point tips on how to make more compelling and believable characters. Enjoy & let me know your thoughts on them in the comments below. Would you add anything to this list? What helps you create more interesting characters when you write?

★ Think about how your character fits into the larger universe and narrative.

★ Develop their goals and ambitions. This is what drives them and their actions through the story and every character (even side characters) have these.

★ Consider giving them some interesting ticks or habits. People are extremely habitual creatures.

★ Consider how their actions make sense on a personal level and in view of what they want.

★ Consider how their weaknesses are connected to their strengths. Usually our flaws are oversteps of our positive attributes. A few examples:

Someone is passionate and driven but can also be reactive and obessesive.

Someone who is laid-back and chill but can also be lazy.

Someone who is hard working but can be easily carried away and consumed by what they do and has a hard time drawing boundaries between their work and personal life.

★ Consider their actions from the point of view of the reader.

★ Think about their actions from the point of view of the other characters. Does this action make sense to them or catch them by surprise?

★ Ask yourself how the arc of this character plays into the bigger narrative and message you are trying to portray through this story. Does it work? Does it make sense?

★ Good characters can make or break a story. Focus heavily on the characters. You don’t want to waste a clever or wonderful story idea by butchering the execution by means of undeveloped or unbelievable characters. They are the heart of the story and the eyes of the reader.

Things to Remember as an Anxious Creator

~ Brooke F. ~ 3 Comments

Being a creator of any sorts whether it be a writer, an artist, or anything in between can be an awesome experience with the internet. More than ever before, you can share your work with a larger audience than you would have ever imagined. But, if you’re anything like me, this can come with its own set of stresses. Especially if you’re a people pleaser, sharing your work can be a tough process especially when you find yourself fighting with your own insecurities. What was once fun and freeing can turn into a huge stressor as you worry about how people perceive you and the work you produce. So I composed this list of “Things to Remember as an Anxious Creator”. I’m not saying it going to fix some of the stressful aspects of being a creator who posts their work online but it may help you remember that the important thing about creating is that you enjoy the process and at the end of the day, no one can make everyone happy. Which, coincidentally, is the first reminder.

1.You can’t make everyone happy.

It’s unrealistic to think otherwise. The things you create won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Additionally, there are always going to be people who think you should be doing something differently. And while one should make room for constructive criticism, at the end of the day, your work will speak to some people and not to others. And that’s okay.

2. Nothing you create will be perfect. Take pride in your work but don’t agonize over it.

You are an imperfect person. So, by proxy, you will create imperfect art. You are always going to think you that you could have done something differently in a piece when looking back on it. That’s good, that means you’re improving. But don’t discredit your past work as being useless because it’s not perfect. Additionally, don’t discredit your present or future work because it’s not perfect either.

3. Don’t take every critique or criticism as gospel.

Listen to people’s advice but if you took in and applied everything people said about your work, it wouldn’t look like your work any more which would be an even bigger tragedy than producing something imperfect. Learn to filter the criticism and apply where you think it is needed.

4. Also note, that criticism is still good.

Don’t let the stressful thought of listening to others make you plug your ears and ignore ALL OF IT. This benefits no one and especially not you. You’ve got to walk the line between “taking all criticism” and “taking no criticism at all”. There is a happy medium to be found.

Also note that is still valid to walk about from some criticism when you feel like you cannot handle it AT THAT SPECIFIC TIME. If you are feeling that you are not in a good mental space to accept to respond to people’s critiques, it is good to recognize that and walk away from it and return to it when you feel you can handle it in a healthy way.

5. Perfectionism inhibits the artistic vision.

Don’t get in your head that as soon as you start a project that it must be perfect. I know I have reiterated this already but it is such a common struggle among artists that I feel the need to remind you again. If begin to fall into the lie that everything you make needs to be on a masterful level, you will most likely experience a sort of “creator’s paralysis” and will become so scared of creating something imperfect that you will not create at all.

Aaaaand I know this because I do this. A lot. And I have to continually remind myself that perfectionism has only ever hindered my act of making something. It never helped it.

6. Taking a break is okay.

Remember you are not a machine. Taking a step back from creating for a little while it healthy and you are more likely to return to your work with a fresher perspective and clear mind which will result in even better and more inspired art work!

Breaks are good.

7. Creating is supposed to be fun.

If you are stressed over your work constantly, it might be time to pause and take a step back and evaluate as needed. Creating is not supposed to be a pain staking act every step of the way. Also note that sometimes we are made to enjoy something only for a time and then move on. If you find yourself constantly hating the act of making your art, it may be time to change how you are approaching that art, or take a break from being an artist entirely. We all need to do this sometimes with all kinds of work, not just creating.

For example, if I found myself dreading the very thought of working every day in my field of expertise, that would be a sign that I would need to pause and evaluate my choice of career. Whether this means changing it entirely or simply switching to another job in the same career field but with a slightly different approach to that thing, depends on how I feel.

It doesn’t make you a failure to do this. Life is too short to force yourself to subject yourself to something that you hate on a daily basis. I repeat, take a step back.

And I think that’s it. Those are all the big reminders I have to tell myself as an anxious creator. I hope you got some sort of insight from them! If so, maybe consider following my blog as I post a lot of content similar to this on my little space here. I also encourage you to leave any thoughts you have on these reminders in the comments below and whether or not these helped you! Is there a specific one that you struggle with? For instance the *cough* perfectionism *cough* one? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Have a lovely day & take care of yourself!

Let’s Talk about your Artistic Vision

~ Brooke F. ~ 4 Comments

And specifically how it pertains to your writing.

Picture this scenario:

You get struck by a lightning bolt of inspiration. A marvelous and clever writing idea is nagging at the back of your head and now you’re excited to get it out on paper. You start typing or scribbling away, determined to create a modern masterpiece. The novel of the century.

Then you read it back and…you hate it.

Well, not hate it exactly… it just seems off. It feels clunky or unnatural. You struggle to convey your idea in a manner which comes off as concise. You’re disappointed in yourself. You pictured that this piece would practically write itself. What are you doing wrong? Could it be that you’re simply not cut out to be a writer??

First off, let me answer that question right away- NO. IF YOU DESIRE TO WRITE AND ENJOY WRITING, YOU ARE, IN FACT, CUT OUT TO WRITE AND, BY PROXY, BE A WRITER.

Phew, now that we got that out of the way, we can start dissecting what might be the core issue behind this scenario. I’d be willing to bet that this has happened to near all of us. We come up with a brilliant idea, picture exactly the vibe we must capture and then fumble and struggle to actually put this idea in action and on paper. We fill stupid and inept. So what’s going on?

I think more than likely, you need your writing skill to catch up with your creative vision.

“More than likely, you need your writing skill to catch up with your creative vision.”

Sometimes the best ideas can be incredibly difficult to write. And this is not a sign that you lack the ability to write it or it’s an impossible idea- it simply means you need more practice. It means you need more time. Time in which you hone your writing skills so you CAN execute this idea. The issue is, that people often don’t like to hear, the practice that is required is you badly writing this idea and gaining the skills along the way.

THIS IS WHY WE HAVE FIRST, SECOND AND SOMETIMES EVEN THIRD OR FOURTH DRAFTS.

You’re probably not going to find your rhythm in writing this idea right away. This will happen slowly the more and more you work on it. That’s why sometimes, when you write a longer piece and you go back to your beginning, you will find errors in the work you had completed merely months of even weeks ago.

The unfortunate thing about being a writer, is we largely learn on the job.

Sometimes we have to power through this part of the writing experience. It doesn’t mean we’re a bad writer. It just means we have a complex idea that we don’t have the practice or skillset to pull off yet. But, if we keep writing and honing our talent, we should accomplish this eventually, and, after a draft or two, pull off the idea exactly how we had pictured in our head.

Best of luck to you, fellow writer! May we power through together!

Be-omist

~ Brooke F. ~ 5 Comments

Dont lose yourself 

In the cloud or silver lines  

You just gotta feel  

your feelings sometimes  

Glass half empty  

Or glass half full 

Till you’re dizzy  

From the roller coasters and pull

You don’t have to live 

In a world of extremes 

Sometimes you dont gotta  

Be happy or sad 

You gotta just be.  

An Extensive List of Elements

~ Brooke F. ~ Leave a comment

Very similar to my extensive list of super powers, a list of naturally occurring elements such as water, earth, or fire may be of use to you as a writer. Use this list and this power wisely.

Water Based Elements

Liquid Water

Ice

Blood

Mist

Snow

Fire Based Elements

Lightning

Combustion

Red Fire

Blue Fire

Green Fire

Magma

Earth Based Elements

Earth

Mud

Crystal

Plants

Gold

Metal

Copper

Silver

Sand

Ash

Dust

Air Based Elements

Wind

Breath

Storm

Sound

Illusion Based Elements

Light

Reflection

Shadow

Darkness

Magic

Craft Based Elements

Wax

Wood

Gemstone

Silk

Ink

Celestial Based Elements

Sun

Moon

Stars

Other

Radiocativity

Health/Healing

Spirit

Aether

Nether