The Skellingcorner

[girlywithalittlekpop]

This is what I call amazing character development. He’s the one who parties all the time, has one night stands and messes his little brother around but suddenly we see Cal battle himself for what he’s put Ethan through over the years. Knowing he has Ethan’s life in his own hands tears him apart but he realises how much he cares about Ethan, the boy who he always teased and upset because of his own selfish reasons. And now? He saves Ethan’s life and even Ethan knows that Caleb really does love him.

Because beyond all the fights, arguments and tears, they need each other.

[eatsleepdraw]

The sun has come back to my mountain 🌞

[referenceforwriters]

[ameranthe]

Reference and inspiration for building homes. Original source here.

[referenceforwriters]

[rederiswrites]

Okay guys, for writing/general reference, a bit about what a ‘blacksmith’ is and isn’t:

A blacksmith is a generalist, a person who uses tools and fire to work iron.  Some blacksmiths work more specifically, so you get, say, an architectural blacksmith, who focuses more or less exclusively on things like gates, rails, fences, or an artist blacksmith, who makes wacky sculptures or what have you.  These days, though, that’s a pretty blurry line.  ‘Blacksmith’ is a pretty damn broad term, but it’s nowhere near broad enough to cover everything encompassed in ‘metalworker’, which is how I often see it used.  There are a LOT of different skills for working metal, and no one knows them all.  Some other terms:

A farrier shoes horses.  They may make the shoes, or they may buy them and then size them, but they actually do the shoeing.  Unless the blacksmith is also a farrier, they don’t know shit about horses’ hooves and are not qualified to deal with them and probably don’t want to.

A blacksmith works IRON (or steel), usually almost exclusively.  They might work with bronze or do a bit of brazing, but those are really separate skillsets.  If you work, say, tin and/or pewter, you are in fact a whitesmith.  You could also be a silversmith or a coppersmith, and so on.

Knifemakers and swordsmiths have their own highly specialized and fairly complex specialties, and usually a blacksmith wouldn’t mess with that unless they want to pick up a new skillset or if they’re really the only game going for a long way around.  By the same token, a swordsmith might never have learned the more general blacksmithing skills.  They’re not the same thing is what I’m trying to say here.  Likewise armorers.  There’s overlap but it’s not the same thing.

If you make metal items via molds and casting, you work at a foundry and are a foundryman.

Look, when metalworkers and individual shops and masters were the height of industry, this shit got REALLY specific.  There were people who spent their whole lives making pins.  Just pins.  Foundries specialized and made only bells, only cannon, only cauldrons, etc.  This is scratching the surface, I just wanted to make the point that ‘blacksmith’ is not the same thing as ‘magical muscly person who knows how to do everything related to metal’.

[referenceforwriters]

[dainesanddaffodils]

One of my favorite phrases my Creative Writing professor had for when you’re writing fantasy is ‘giving your story a Flux Capacitor’.

Because it’s not real, it doesn’t exist. But the way it’s thrown into Back to the Future, at no point does it throw the audience off or suspend any more disbelief than time travel would. You believe Doc when he says he created the Flux Capacitor - the thing that makes time travel possible, because the universe never questions him. 

So it essentially means like, there are going to be elements to your universe that are just not gonna make any sense, even if you set up a whole system based on it. And the only way to make it work is completely own it. You cannot second-guess your system or else the reader will too. You can give it the strangest explanation, but write it like you own it.  

[words-writ-in-starlight]

Either you’ve got to follow the rules of reality and physics and shit TO THE LETTER, or you have to say “naaaaaah” and fuck off with your magic/sci-fi/whatever to have a marvelous garden party where reality isn’t invited.

[mermbernation]

this is the most lovely thing I have read in a while. 

Bullshit like a professional.

[sunnydwrites]

Tips for Writing Magic

So, as we all know, there are many different kinds of magic — and more being discovered every day as writers create them. It’s true that every world as different and therefore each type of magic created will be different, but following a few of these tips can help you flesh it out just a bit more.

1. Consider your world’s history. Were there ever any major events involving magic or knowledge of it? How has magic proven useful in the past? How much has your culture changed since that time; are its past uses still applicable? Has there been a history of more powerful people having a possession or knowledge of magic?

2. Decide how magic is seen through the eyes of the people. Is it taboo? Dangerous? Helpful? Is it a practice that has to be kept in secret or can it be done anywhere? Are there certain places for it? Consider the people with more knowledge of it: are they seen as wise or dangerous? Are there people with professions dedicated to it?

3. Determine its use in everyday life. Is it used to help complete regular tasks? What about in education? If your world has an education system, what is magic’s importance within it? Are there everyday items that posses magic? Are these items considered benevolent or evil? Can items be enchanted to help around the house, or is magic reserved only for things of major importance?

4. Think about the people using it. Is there a general age range for people using it? If the range is broad, are there common uses for each age group? More than age, is there a general social status of people with access to it? Is there a stereotype that follows these people? Or a wealth level? Or even an appearance?

So, those are all the magic tips I’ve got for you today. If you’d like to see me cover a topic, be sure to drop a message in my ask box; see you next time with another writing post!

[writingwithcolor]

[bookphile]

Research is one of the most important aspects of being an author.

It’s time consuming, sometimes thankless, hard work. But it’s an absolute fundamental part of writing. Even when you’re writing about something you know.

It’s even more important when you are writing about something you aren’t familiar with personally, but especially when you are writing about cultures, races, sexualities or other groups of people that you do not belong to yourself.

It is not a small issue. You absolutely cannot halfass your research or hope you can get away with not doing any research at all because you can do serious harm with poor or wrong representation. You will not get away with it.

I’ve heard a lot of people say that they are afraid of writing or including diverse characters because they’re afraid of getting it wrong or afraid of criticism if they don’t do something right. 

Well guess what? Another fundamental part of being a writer is: criticism. 

Criticism has began to get a negative connotation in our community (akin to bullying), even though it isn’t and it never was.  Sure, criticism can be negative if someone finds fault with a work, but usually it’s both. Criticism is a discussion of both the good and the bad, and is meant as feedback for the author. That’s what book reviews and feedback usually are: criticism. Stop thinking about it as a mostly negative thing.

If doesn’t matter if you are a debut author or a publishing veteran. Everyone and everything is subject to criticism. 

You as an author have a job and that is to write a novel to the best of your ability. That includes research, writing, editing, revising, getting beta and sensitivity readers, and polishing your novel until you feel it’s finished. It’s no one’s job to teach you or give you anything, by the way, this is work you have to do yourself. If you skip or half ass any of those steps, you have no right to complain about any negative feedback because you didn’t do your job right in the first place. 

Fear is not an excuse, not a good one, but it is a very lazy one. Because if you do your job, you will have nothing to worry about. You’ll be subject to criticism even if you think you did everything right. 

And one last thing: people don’t have to like your book. People will love it and people will hate it. That’s just how things are, so some of the crit will be irrelevant because you can chalk it up taste or different experiences. But if an overwhelming amount of people tell you your book has an issue, you job is not to defend yourself, it’s to shut up, listen, and educate yourself. Sometimes you may even need to apologize. But do pay attention to what people say, especially people you are trying to represent: What is the problem? Why do people give you negative feedback? Read, learn, educate yourself, be better.

And if you’re still scared or you don’t want to put in the work needed to be done… I hate to break it to you, but you have no business writing. Writing is not an easy job and it is all about taking risks. And in the end, it’s not about you or your feelings, but about the story. Your intentions don’t matter, your impact does. The possible hurt and damage you can do to people you are trying to represent because you aren’t willing to do your job right (even to yourself and your career) outweighs your personal feelings. Period, full stop, end of story. If you aren’t willing to do all you need in order to accomplish the job, you shouldn’t be doing it. 

[fandonetrash]

[ohyeahcomics]

Via Schatky with thanks to Lickal0lli for the translation

[bonzly-says]

This is actually such an amazingly motivational post because it explains visually exactly what art block is. Do you know what art block is?

Art block is that moment when you realise your skills could be so much more then they currently are. It frustrates you to draw because you can finally see your drawings differently. You can see where they can be better and you want them to be better. 
It’s not a matter of “I can’t draw today”, it’s a matter of “I imagined this would turn out so much better” and “there’s something missing, I just know it. What technique did I miss.”
You’ve got past that temporary phase of analysing and researching and now you’re able to incorporate it in your own work, you just need to figure out how, and when you get past that art block. Well, you’ll see the improvement before you know it. Slowly, but it’s there. And once you get comfortable with using those new skills you’ll move on and start analysing again, and you’ll see where you can improve.

Stay experimental and open to learn, it’s the quickest way to get over art block.

[from-one-to-seven]

((Some inspiration to all the lovelies struggling with an art block right now~))

[sweetlittlevampire]

So @wtfdidijustdo and I had lunch together, and we went to have a look at Sephora´s new Kat von D line (because cruelty free and all that jazz). I went and tried this shade called “Lovesick”, since I wanted something more tame which I could potentially wear in a work-related environment, compared to my usual red one. @wtfdidijustdo  advised me to take this one, and what can I say? I love it! The phone camera doesn´t pick it up too well though.

What it /does/ pick up is the dirt on my glasses. Damn you, phone!

[its-a-writer-thing]

hannahheath-writer.blogspot.com

Darkness in Fiction: 7 Tips for Writing Dark Stories

I enjoy dark stories. I like reading about characters that struggle, worlds on the brink of destruction and in need of saving, words that go into the deep, little-seen parts of the soul. I like writing them, too.

[its-a-writer-thing]

Things to Do When You Can’t Seem to Write

[elenajohansen]

Are the words just not coming? Try getting away from the screen for a few minutes.

Do Something Productive

• Take care of the dishes – load or unload your dishwasher, or wash a sinkfull by hand. If you have to leave any to soak, try writing for a few minutes while they do.
• Put away that basket of laundry you’ve been ignoring.
• Clean your bathroom sink.
• Put away any shoes, jackets, or other outerwear you left lying around.

Do Something Fun

• Write/draw/paint in your journal, if you have one. Do a page, then try writing again.
• Read a chapter of your current book.
• Set a timer for five or ten minutes and play a simple game that will let your mind disengage–my go-to is Spider Solitaire.
• Call/Skype/text a friend and have a chat for a few minutes.

Make Your Writing Space More Pleasant

• Straighten up your desk. Throw out any scraps of paper that have served their purpose, but check to make sure you’re not tossing out story notes! Dust the surface off, and put away anything that belongs somewhere else.
  
• Light a candle.
• Get a glass of water, or make yourself tea or coffee.

Take Care of Yourself

• Grab a small snack if you’re hungry.
• Are your hands dry? Mine get terrible in winter. Moisturize!
• Lips, too –grab that lip balm.
  
• Feeling sluggish? Take a short walk or do some jumping jacks to get your energy level up.
• Feeling grungy? Take a shower. “Inspirational” showers are my favorite, I get so many ideas in there.

If one of these doesn’t break you from your funk, try one from another category to switch things up. And if you still don’t find your writing mojo, maybe you need a longer break, or to pack it in for the day. Just remember, working hard is great, but forcing yourself to write can burn you out, so keep yourself in balance!