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
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
Today I thought I would switch up the Writing Prompt Challenge a bit. I recently found a fellow writer-pinner on Pinterest that saves wonderful lines of dialogue and story related words/snippets of inspiration, and it has caused me to branch out in order to find interesting, inspiring new things. So for today’s Writing Prompt, I offer you the following:
I look forward to reading your creations! Happy Writing!
Happy Wednesday!
I’m breaking from the norm because it’s technically my Saturday and I’m feeling a little lazy after a hard week, and because I received my final rejection from this year’s round of submissions, ((sigh)) so I’m moping, just a bit.
I was going to post a Writing Prompt, but nothing quite struck me today, so instead, I thought I’d do a little self-promotion and hopefully find new ways to connect with all of you and find interesting new sites, creative resources, etc. I’m also hoping it will make me seek more things out in order to be useful and resourceful myself.
The following is a list of social media sites and the like and how I currently use them. I’m open to suggestions on how to utilize them better or any others you would like to recommend.
I use Facebook as a means of sharing quotes (y’all know how I love me a quote) and any helpful writing tips, submission deadlines, or other writing related info I come across.
I started out using Twitter as a means of connecting with other screenwriters and people in the industry, but at the moment, I really use it to just geek out. I share Dragon Age and other gaming related topics of interest, Captain America, Doctor Who, Star Wars, etc. and the occasional screenwriting tidbit.
By now I’m sure you’re all aware of my Pinterest fixation. I currently have 34 boards (and counting) that include everything from writing to cosplay to castles to fandoms and so much more.
For screenwriters and industry people, Stage 32 is an organization for networking, promotion, and employment I’m a part of, although I haven’t utilized it to its fullest.
I recently joined Wattpad, but am unsure of how I want to utilize it so far. I was thinking about uploading my fanfic(s) and maybe my flash fiction pieces to get a little feedback…are any of you using this site? Do you have any tips? Do you like it?
I’m planning on updating my YouTube channel to offer more/better playlists you can write to, so stay tuned for that.
If you decide to connect with me on any of these, please send me a message that you’re a fellow blogger, and I’ll be sure to follow you as well!
Wishing you all the best in your endeavors!
Today’s prompt continues the running theme of character. I feel a visual representation of the images you have in your head as a writer are a great source of inspiration. I always find a few pictures that help me visualize characters or places better, especially since I can not draw, at all.
If you are interested in finding images that help you better tell your story, Pinterest is a great resource. I have created a number of boards for creative purposes, such as Character, Environment, and one entitled Inspiration for a variety of images that pique my interest, as well as a board for each of my screenplays.
Take a look and maybe you’ll find just what you’ve been looking for to help in your storytelling.
Happy Writing!
*Image by artist Eve Ventrue, who is quickly becoming a favorite!
In Sunday’s post, I mentioned how I’ve been struggling to get to know the protagonist of my space odyssey pilot. I have nearly every other character worked out, backstories in place, and even a number of future episode ideas plotted, but this one character, the main character, still sort of eludes me.
I decided to find ways of getting to know my character better and found two useful tools. The first is a list of personality traits ranging from positive to negative from MIT. The second is a list of questions to answer that will help you create a fully fleshed out person, not just a character. I found two separate sources:
1) Gotham Writers has two lists.
2) Is a link to a page entitled, The 100 Most Important Things to Know About Your Character. This page incorporates many of the questions from Gotham and then added on.
I have found both tools rather useful. I went through each character and assigned them all a handful of positive, neutral, and negative traits each to encourage diversity and to better understand them individually. Not all characters are all good or bad (I’ve written a bit on this before. Click here.), and this helped me to learn more about them and how they might respond in a given situation.
The questionnaire is a bit more daunting, at 100+ questions, but even just looking over the list allowed me to take other facets of my character’s life into consideration. There are big things to consider, such as what were her biggest fears or her dreams before arriving in this new world? And there are trifling matters, such as did she secretly have a crush on someone? Will she be upset that she’ll never know how Game of Thrones ended? I know I would. Okay, I threw that one in just for giggles, but you can see my train of thought and how these questions will shape your character.
Novel writing and screenwriting vary in a great many aspects, but knowing your characters is not one of them. Although many of those personal aspects will not find themselves on the page of your screenplay or even on the screen, and some of those topics may never be visited within the pages of a novel, but as the writer, understanding your characters will help you determine their actions, their feelings, and their responses – and sometimes it’s with this understanding that they help us write the story. If we know how they will react to a certain situation, it makes the writing that much easier, because we are writing what is in their nature, and not trying to force a situation to work a specific way because it’s what we want.
I hope you find these tools useful, and if you have any other sources or tips, please share!
Happy Writing!
A Writer's Discrepant Memoirs and Other Tales 