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Writing Prompt #64
I found this image recently, and was quite drawn to it. Dragons are awesome, and I hate that in most gaming, and most stories, dragons are portrayed as villainous and in need of defeating.
So for this week’s writing prompt, I offer you the following:
Wanna join me in a little Writing Prompt Challenge? Come write with me!
Happy Writing!
*Image by ArtOfBenG
Quote Monday
Last week passed in a blur of work, Thanksgiving prep, and hanging with family and friends. I hope those of you who celebrate the holiday enjoyed yourselves and found a number of reasons to be thankful.
I am thankful to The Sis for being my roommate all these years because we have a lot of fun together. As we cooked dinner, drinking champagne, and dancing and singing around the kitchen, I was reminded of the holidays of my childhood when my family would argue and the occasion would be filled with stress and anger. I’m thankful those days are behind me.
There are those who don’t understand how we can still live together, that we don’t desire our own lives, or whatever, but instead of living with just a friend or even a stranger, we have decided to stick it out together, maybe that makes us weird, but…
She supports me, she gets me, she encourages my creativity, indulges my obsessions, and that is why having her in my corner is one of my greatest assets (and allows me to be confidently weird in lots of other ways).
What makes you weird?
Writing Prompt Challenge Accepted #14
So I finally decided to write something other than fanfiction. Yay me.
For those of you new to my site, I (try to) post Writing Prompts each week in the hopes that they will inspire you, in some form or another. Maybe the image will be relevant to your work, or maybe it will trigger something, or maybe you’ve been suffering from writer’s block and just need to write anything else. Visit me each Wednesday, or take a look at my Pinterest page for more – there’s loads more.
I write flash fiction pieces. No planning, not a lot of editing, just whatever comes to mind in less than 200 words, generally, although not this week. Here are a few I wrote last night, each influenced by other pieces I’m working on.
Inhibited
It had been made clear, fraternization was frowned upon, but we had been drawn to one another just the same. He was wise, beyond his years, and he was gentle, and he had the best intentions. His eyes were boundless pools of kindness, and his smile was hesitant, but sweet. I was being groomed to lead. I was almost always at the forefront of all of the major events, and I was the one to make the big decisions. I was being hardened to do what had to be done, and I was afraid that what he once found good in me might one day be lost.
The day had been overly long, and we stood together seeking solace, reflecting in silence. With no one around to take notice, we took advantage of the opportunity we had been given. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hand draw near, ever so subtly his pinky finger reaching out. I slowly reached out to find the comfort I so desperately needed, and allowed my eyes to find his for the first time in days. My heart stopped in that moment, my cheeks warmed, and my body swayed, longing for more than either of us could give…at present.
Honor
Arranged marriages rarely allowed any room for sentimentality, but on the rare occasion, true love could be found. They had been fortunate, although upon their first meeting, neither would have believed it possible. He had had this smug look upon his face, and the arrogance in his overall presence had left something to be desired. She had been a right snob, barely dignifying his presence with a response. It was most fortunate in their case that those first impressions did not represent who they truly were.
When the king asked her husband to lead his troops into battle, the honor of such a request had not failed to instill in their family a deep sense of pride, and fear. They were less than a year into their new life, and he had been away for nearly six months. It had been weeks since she had received any word from the front, and when she heard the knock upon the door late that night, the cold fingers of dread wound their way around her heart and held tight.
She found herself short of breath as her shaking hand reached out to receive the letter. She involuntarily shivered as she began to read the words not in her husband’s hand. She took a long, steadying breath, straightened her back, and offered the messenger a warm meal. She was a Lady, after all.
A Letter
C –
Do you remember the day we left Earth? Some days it’s all I can think about. That was the day I lost you. I could never have guessed that a simple trip to look at the stars would have led us to this – where we now live among them. Our sky is so dark in comparison, and the stars’ light is often times so faint. Right now I’m staring out a window and I see colors beyond imagining. I am in awe of it all, and it is all I have ever wanted to see, and yet all I want to do is scream at them in the hopes that you will hear me, somewhere out there.
I’m coming for you. I don’t know how yet, but I am. I’ve found myself on a ship with…well, aliens who are currently discussing what to do with me. They found something in my head, a chip, and I am at their mercy. Oh, how I wish you were here.
You are so strong, so much more than I am, which reassures me that you’ll be all right. So just stay that way. If this crew chooses not to help, I’ll figure something out. I’ll find myself a pilot or barter for passage. All I have to do is find a cantina and a handsome rogue with the heart of gold, right?! Oh, gods…we’re so frakked! Sorry. I’ll figure something out. There has to be some sort of human embassy out here, don’t you think? There has to be someone who is willing to help a lost human or two?
Their voices are drawing near. I should go, for now, but I’ll write to you again soon – I have so much to tell you!
Be safe.
– S
Don’t forget to share your work if you’ve been inspired! Happy Writing!
Writing Prompt #63
I have a thing for hands. I’m drawn to them. They have the ability to offer great kindness or undue harm. They can offer aid as quickly as to refuse it. I find it surprising that emotion can be felt (and shown) in the actions hands take, and I appreciate when a filmmaker chooses to focus on them. Joe Wright, who directed Pride and Prejudice and Atonement, has effectively done this in both films.
For this week’s Writing Prompt, I offer you the following:
A simple gesture, but one full of potential for storytelling. Are you inspired?
Happy Writing!
*I can absolutely not draw, and the images I share are the property of their respective owners. I appreciate when I learn who the artist is so that I can give proper credit where it is due.
Writing Prompt #62
I’ve been slacking, I know, so let’s get back on track.
Here is this week’s Writing Prompt…are you up for the challenge?
Happy Writing! And don’t forget to share!
The Dragon Age Obsession Saga Continues…Part 4
As I’ve now finished a second playthrough of Dragon Age: Inquisition, I felt it was time to wrap up this series of posts. Here are posts one, two, and three which are in regards to starting the game and importing a history, character creation, and dialogue and romance options with companions to bring you up to speed. I am unable to discuss any of the DLCs because after the first one was released, Bioware decided not to release any others on the XBox 360, so I haven’t purchased any of them.
The anger I have about the gaming industry’s ploys to wrangle more money out of their gamers is real. I was not ready to fork out $400 for a new gaming console, but if I want to know the rest of the story, that is exactly what I’ll have to do, and because you all know I’m passionate about this story, I’m going to do it…very, very soon. ARGH! As this post is not a rant on that, I’ll save that for fuel for another day.
This post is about the grand scale of the story of the world of Dragon Age. Inquisition is part three and a culmination of the events in the previous two games where story lines and characters come together.
In Origins, game one, your protagonist is from one of six “origin” stories (2 human story lines, 2 elf, and 2 dwarf) in which each avenue ends with you becoming a Grey Warden, an old order of warriors chosen to fight a specific evil known as darkspawn and their archdemon, an old god twisted by their tainted blood. They live underground and are rather hideous, similar to Tolkien’s orcs. The presence of an archdemon is a time referred to as a Blight and when the Grey Wardens are needed most, as they are the only real solution to ending a Blight. In this first game, there are a number of obstacles to overcome while you try to unite the country against the impending threat, and there is treachery around every corner as the Wardens are declared traitors after an initial battle against the darkspawn.
There are a number of characters who you meet in game one that will progress forward through each game, some of them taking on major roles in Inquisition. Same can be said of characters from game two. Fun fact: if you’re game one character is a human mage, you will be related to the protagonist in game two.
In game two, you are a human whose family has escaped the Blight and traveled across the sea in search of a safe haven. The entire game takes place in and around the city of Kirkwall. Although many people didn’t care for this game, especially in comparison to Origins – you could only play as a human, there was a lot of repetition in the floor plans, and the primary single location of the city as the backdrop – this is where game three is setup; the conflict between the mages and the Templars. Without giving too much away, one of your allies takes drastic action that incites a war between the mages, who are considered dangerous and are required to live in prison-like societies called Circles, and their captors/overseers, the Templars.
Fun fact: there is a Dragon Age 2 DLC that introduces you to a powerful darkspawn named Corypheus. It was Hawke’s father, a mage, and the Grey Wardens who imprisoned him.
Game three begins 10 years after the events of game one. Your protagonist is found as the sole survivor of a terrible, cataclysmic tragedy where a resolution to the Mage-Templar War was supposed to transpire. A conclave was called at the Temple of Sacred Ashes in Haven, a village you will have discovered in game one. With no memories of what happened and a strange mark upon your hand, you are considered responsible for a number of the current problems, including a giant hole in the sky; a Breach in the veil, the line between reality and the spirit world, is the source of a demon invasion. An old form of justice, an inquisition, is formed to solve the many problems that the world now faces.
Everything you’ve learned from the past two games will pay off as you make your way through Inquisition. The things you know about the Wardens are relevant. A relic you found in game two has resurfaced with a vengeance. You will see old, familiar faces (Hello, Flemeth) and meet interesting, new ones (Well, hellooo Solas). The world of Dragon Age is vast and all encompassing, and you will discover how well it’s constructed. I instantly became devoted to the series because it combined things I love such as fantasy, medieval times, old world orders, magic, dragons, romance, and adventure, and then went above and beyond to make it a fully fleshed out universe.
As I’ve tried to end each of these posts with some relevance to writing, you will find, if you choose to play, how key world building is and character development. It’s key to think multiple steps ahead, whether you’re writing a single story or a series. How do people know one another? This may reflect in how supposed strangers speak to one another upon meeting – there may be a history there. What is their religious affiliation? How do they feel about the history of their people? Their government? What consequences do their actions have later? This is a good one to consider, especially in a serial. Actions taken by a character may have unforeseen consequences that may be fun to explore later. Think of the domino effect.
Consider epic tales like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. I would count Dragon Age among them. There is so much more going on than the happenings of one person, and you get to live it first hand, well, vicariously through your character. Your decisions have bearing on the world around you and shape it. You become a leader in each game; you build loyalty and friendships or enemies. You get to save the world, and maybe the boy too. 😉
Aren’t these a few of the reasons we write?
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series of posts as much as I’ve enjoyed talking about it. I could do so much more. I’m continuing my fanfiction shortly, so if you’re not inclined to play, you can follow along the journey of my Origin character as she tries to save the world and the boy. I will continue to post them here, as well as on Wattpad and Archive of Our Own (which I just realized needs to be updated).
Have a great weekend and Happy Writing!
Writing Prompt #61
I was quite under the weather yesterday and was unable to post anything, let alone get off the couch. I have refocused my attention on writing the pilot (I still have so much to do, and I like it again!), and thought for this week’s writing prompt I would find something relevant.
I happen to really like the idea of this:
Are you inspired? I’m thinking about using this as a prompt for one of the letters my characters write to each other, so I will accept this week’s challenge.
Don’t forget to share your creations from any of the writing prompts you’ve seen here. I look forward to them!
Happy Writing!
Quote(ish) Monday
I pinned this tip recently and I like the idea behind it. Often times I trust my intuition, that first impulse, but sometimes, the pull in two different directions is equal and deciding between them proves difficult.
I’m not sure why I feel this should almost have a disclaimer, but as this blog is for writers, in general, I intended this quote to benefit your work, not major life decisions, although, it would probably work in that regard as well. 😉
Are you struggling with a story idea, a character storyline, or an ending? Flip a coin and let me know how it works.
Have a wonderful week everyone!
In Need of a Proverbial (or Actual) Kick in the Backside
This Discrepant Writer
Yesterday I started a blog post that was a little on the bitter side. Quick version: Bad job = poor wages = self-imposed restrictions = bored. After writing it, I thought on it for a while and decided to wait on publishing it. That was a good decision, I think. I don’t want to put that out into the world, and I know you don’t want to read it. As creatives, we have to keep hope alive, against insurmountable odds, and often times without the support of those who truly understand what our lives are like. When I was still living in Los Angeles, I had my writer’s group, but since moving back to Las Vegas, I have lost my writer friends, those who “know”. I miss them.
Work has got me down, and unfortunately, that’s affecting my creative life, which is usually where I escape. I’ve been skirting the start of the pilot, but I don’t know why. I have pages upon pages of notes and ideas, and now they just need to be organized and fluffed, but I’ve lost steam. Hence, the proverbial kick.
I read this quote today, something about people who are optimistic all the time are delusional. It made me giggle, because although I try to be as optimistic as I can, especially in this space, as writers we are constantly afflicted with a variety of emotional states and the stress of the balancing act of our multiple lives, so it’s okay to not be happy and perky all the time.
I know this attitude shift is mostly because I’m looking for a new job, again. There is also a teensy bit of regret that I have so few skills other than food and beverage service. I feel as if I’ve been perpetually looking for a job for the past 5 years. I’m ever so tired. I don’t have high expectations, I just want to make decent money to support The Sis while she finishes school, and I’d kind of like to look forward to it. That should not be asking too much.
I would love to hear from you, my friends. How do you survive the daily grind in order to maintain your creative life? How do you maintain your sanity?
Tips, tricks, and inspiration welcome!
Have a great weekend!
*So, this post isn’t that negative, right?
A Writer's Discrepant Memoirs and Other Tales 