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31 Days of World Building: Wordsnstuff August Writing Challenge

– The monthly challenges are back by popular demand! I hope you all enjoy this one. This is the second installment of my three part series, dedicated to writing longer stories. Next month’s challenge will be dedicated to plot development. I look forward to seeing all of your guys’ responses here using the hashtag #wordsnstuffworldbuilding and over on Instagram, where you can tag me @ writingandsuch.

This challenge begins on August 1st, but I thought I would give you guys some time to plan stuff out, because you may need to switch some days around to accommodate your schedule. You’re free to do one day’s challenge on another day if your schedule doesn’t allow enough time to complete that day’s challenge. Best of luck to you!

☼ Prompt List ☼

Days 1-10: History & Geography

How does climate and weather change in the part(s) of the world your story occurs in?

Describe the landscape/layout of the major location(s) in your story. (Major buildings, natural formations, prominent mountains, where characters’ homes are situated, etc.

How have the species/groups/races in your story formed the relationships they have throughout history?

What major wars/conflicts/disasters have taken place in the timeline of history in your story? How do they affect your world and the beings in present times?

What recent history affects your story the most? What were the events’ initial effects and how do they compare and contrast to the long lasting damages/benefits?

Create two timelines; One that covers major events that have occurred since the beginning of your world as your character knows it, then one that covers recent events and time periods (about 500 years should do it).

To what extent does religion exist in your world and how has it evolved over time?

What does nature look like in your world? What plant species exist in your world? Which ones are rare and valuable and which ones are weeds? How do the beings in your world interact with nature?

What animals are present in your world? What areas of the world do specific species inhabit? Does poaching occur? If so, to what extent is it a major issue? What species are commonly domesticated, if any?

How have different species/beings/races been oppressed throughout the history of your world? How does this affect current relationships amongst different groups? Which conflicts have been solved/forgiven and which ones haven’t?

Days 11-20: Society & Culture

What races/species/groups coexist in your world? Describe them and their individual characteristics.

How many languages exist in your world? How do the resemble languages in the real world, if at all?

What major powers play large roles in your world? (i.e. churches, governments, monarchs, caste systems, corporations, etc.)

What does religion look like in your world? Do individuals of faith occupy the majority or the minority?

What are the major and minor opinions held by individuals in your world, concerning politics, morality, society, other groups, etc.

How do the names of beings/groups/individuals translate? How did they originate and how do names differ throughout the world? Are they more sacred and valued in some places than others?

What role does education play in your world? To what extent is it valued or required in society? How are uneducated individuals viewed/discriminated against, if at all?

What is fashion like in your world, if it exists? What do beings wear in your world, if anything? Is clothing an indicator of wealth or class?

To what extent is hygiene a priority to beings of your world? How do beings in different areas keep themselves clean and healthy?

What is the average life span of different species in your world? What aspects of science/evolution/design affect this? How are beings on opposite age extremes treated in society? How are the young and the old treated and how does their treatment differ from those who are not of those ages?

Days 21-30: Systems & Politics

How does your world function economically in your story? What is the currency system and what items/services are of most value in your world?

What political aspects of your story/world mirror real life and how might you convey these similarities through symbolism and abstract depictions of real life events?

How much of a role does politics play in your story/conflict and how does the political climate of your world affect your main character(s), specifically?

What major resources are plentiful and scarce in your world and how does this affect your character(s) as they try to solve the conflict?

What are the specific limits in various areas of science and magic within your world? If you don’t have a magic system, describe the realm of possibility when it comes to scientific capabilities, i.e, maybe in your world, time travel is possible but teleportation has not yet been invented.

What is ethical and non-ethical in your world and how much of a role does ethics play in law-enforcement/society in general?

Are the beings in your world concerned with issues like freedom of speech, equality, opportunity, fairness, and minorities? Do those issues even exist in your setting?

Who are the major world leaders and how do they govern the areas they have control over?

What technology/magic dominates your world? Is it exclusively used by a certain group/species/class? What are its limitations?

If magic does exist in your world, where did it originate? How was it originally meant to function/be used and how is it used in the present? How is magic viewed by different groups/species/classes?

Bonus Day 31 Challenge: The Things You May Forget

What food is common in your world?

How developed is medicine in your world? Is it anything like what we have on Earth?

How easy is it to get from one place to another?

**If anyone has any other aspects not mentioned in the list above that they feel is important to world-building, please leave those in the comments below for other writers to peruse!

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MY CURRENT WORK IN PROGRESS (Check it out, it’s pretty cool. At least I think it is.)

small ways to improve your lifestyle

read more classic literature

read about history from different sources

watch good films

listen to classical music

journal more

go to nice cafes, theatre, cinema and art galleries more often

learn languages

dance more

ask more questions

spend time with positive people

be kind to everyone, even if they aren’t kind to you

spend less time on social media

do some exercise and stretch

buy less clothes and make sure they are made organically and ethically or buy second-hand

buy vegan options in anything that’s possible (for eg. beauty products)

recycle and reuse what you can

take care of your skin and body

eat more fruits and veggies, drink enough water every day

get a good amount of sleep every night

stay positive

edit: i changed the title because there was a lot of misunderstanding around it, which is fine. you don’t have to do all of these to feel like you have a better life/you are a better person, however these tips do no harm, so you might as well do what you can!

9 Things That Would Make the World a Better Place

Books

Being

Printed

In

Glow

In

The

Dark

Ink

hey i'm creating a race of fairies and since they generally have small builds and metal such as iron cold steel are deadly to them what are some good materials to use for the fairies to craft their weapons, i considered gems but doing some research i realized substance like diamonds and crystal are utterly impractical even for the fairies.

Well, fairies are magic. If a fairy wanted to wield a diamond sword, they could and no audience would question it. Magic is the solution to a lot of problems. The weakness of a weapon forged with magic is, of course, a steel blade but that only matters if they’re encountering humans wielding steel on the regular. Fairies can do whatever they want and dance merrily on the graves of scientists the world over, so don’t let that stop you.

Blades of pure light.

Blades of diamond.

Blades from plants.

Fairies wielding magma blades or swords forged from stardust.

A sword of glass containing the beating heart and heat of the sun.

Futuristic fairies who behave like aliens in Iron Man style power armor formed from plastics/polymers wielding lightsabers and firing bolts of plasma.

They’re fairies. Sky’s the limit here. Except, it’s not because then we catapult ourselves out into space. Go however far your imagination takes you.

Look to myth for your solutions, especially the Celtic Sidhe. Unless you’re dealing with a modern setting (and even if you are) mythology has already developed solutions. It’s a great place to start your search.

However, here are some things I’ll point out:

Cold Iron/Cold Steel are a reference to a specific forging technique rather than a type of metal, though in folklore it can just mean steel swords. Still, this will open up your options some.

Cold Iron for fairies dates back to when iron forging was still mostly new, or less common. There’s certainly lore out there with mythological fairies fighting warriors wielding iron blades, but were unbeatable until new forging techniques were developed.

Ask yourself: is it the forging technique which makes these swords dangerous to your fairies or is it the metal itself? In which case, then you can cut out “cold” as it’s just steel.

Here’s the Wikipedia article about iron in folklore. It may help you some in your search.

If you want to write Urban Fantasy with fairies then I’d go with the forging process rather steel itself. The reason is that they couldn’t go anywhere. At least, not places like the US or Europe or anywhere there’s a high steel content in the buildings, cars, and sewer systems. Even with a shift to polymers too much of the major metropolitan centers in the developed world are built on steel bones. Science fiction fairies re-emerging in the future where all metals are polymers has more potential.

Honestly, any army from a period using steel or iron weapons could curb stomp fairies if they’re allergic to the metal. Using the forging process moves all to some and then down to almost none, making way for the future fairyocalypse of 2018.

-Michi

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Pink 💕

Apps used - Procreate for lettering and GoodNotes for the notebook 💗

7 Ways to organize your laptop because we can always be a little more organized on our devices (including myself). 

World Building Tips:  Empires and Power Structures

World building is important in any setting. There are places, such as fantasy literature where it can become the difference between a believable world and an unbelievable one. Suspension of disbelief is often a critical part to stories. 

Many fantasy books take place during times of war, or revolution or even a fall of a corrupt empire.  I love reading these sorts of stories, as many people do.  Power structures can be complex.  They can be used to create tension and drama between characters - take for instance the hero versus the corrupt government troupe in fiction such as The Hunger Games, Harry Potter or even more traditional fantasies such as Tigana ( by Guy Gavriel Kay) or The Wheel of Time series (by Robert Jordan).   As a reader it can be compelling to follow these stories.  For writers though, it can seem daunting to go into the details of shaping a believable power structure.  Here are some basic tips for creating one.  

There are four crucial factors to any power structure.  These are as follows:

1. Military - this includes the size of the army, the types of technology used (guns or swords? navy or land army?), the basic structure of the army (is it highly regimented like the Romans? What are the different groups within the army? How are they divided - by technology, skills or social status?). Another important question here is why has the military developed in this way? The Roman military, for example, grew out of competition with other Italian states. The opposition is equally important here - who were/are they within your story? Apply the above questions just as much to them, because empires and other structures are influenced by the world around them. The military can be the reason an empire begins in the first place.  The military should also play a role in sustaining the power structure/empire.  It doesn’t have to be the strongest factor by any means.  It may even become the downfall of the structure in the end.

2. Economy - How is your power structure or empire funded? Does this change over time? Does your empire take part in internal or external trade? Is trade important to the running of the empire? Resources such as crops, fertile land or people are also a part of this and influences the larger actions (such as conquest) your structure takes towards other countries. Trade can be a form of control and influence as well, even outside of the structure’s territory. In terms of story, a lot of decisions that are made involve trade or economic reasons - no one wants to get on the wrong side of someone who controls valuable resources or trade with other entities. The British Empire was based mainly on trade and this insured a global influence even as it declined in actual power.

3. Administration: The system of government and the way it manages itself is important to know. Is it a traditional monarchy or a democracy? How is leadership decided? How is power delegated throughout the larger administration? Hierarchy? One person can’t do or know everything. In terms of empire and conquest this is equally important. Does the empire recruit the local elites from conquered areas to administer to the general public, like the Romans? If your story is set in the outskirts of your empire, this could effect the outcome of the story - local elites might enjoy the power they have gained through an alliance with the larger empire and thus be unwilling to revolt against it. What other ways does your power structure control its territory? Does it use culture, or a set language to spread out into new territory? What kind of empire is your empire? Is it land based (only conquering territories linked by land) or maritime (navy focused with overseas territory)?

4. Culture: How does your power structure interact with its subjects? Even in a small area, different ethnic groups exist, so what unites all of them together? Are they all united, or is there groups of people the power structure leaves out? Have they always been left out deliberately or have these groups formed over time?How does the the government and the people from inside the empire view outsiders and their culture? Does this influence your story or characters? Do negative stereotypes or different language create a barrier between your character and others? In newly conquered areas is the empire’s language, laws and social ideals endorsed to locals or is it forced upon them? Is religion important to how the empire works or interacts? For example, before war do the gods need to show approval for the empire’s commanders? What about clashes of religion with other areas? Where do cultures intersect? Is your empire influenced by an older power or a hard past? What is seen as integral to your structure’s culture - art, literature, music etc? Are allies connected with your structure through culture, a shared distant history?

Most power structures rely on all of these factors - but none are ever equal in importance. Your government will identify one or two of these areas as important and focus on them. This can impact how the structure comes together and eventually falls apart - the greatest strength becomes a weakness, or something is overlooked until it is too late.

This is a long post - so I’m going to leave it here for now. If you guys have any questions, feel free to use the Ask feature to contact me.

OH YEAH I’m gonna listen to all of these when I’ll read the whole series all over again YAY 👏🏻

CLEVER AS THE DEVIL AND TWICE AS PRETTY 

“It’s not that I don’t know that it’s a bad idea. It’s that, lately, bad ideas have a particular hold over me.” [a Cassel Sharpe mix]

School and tumblr

back to school

i know, i know, i’m a little bit early. it’s all good, i have anxiety, i plan ahead constantly. i figured i’d share some of my plans to prepare myself for heading back to school.

1. fix your sleep schedule

for school i wake up at 6:30, in the summer i wake up at 12. and recently i decided to fuck that up even more by pulling an all-nighter and just, in general, screwing up my sleep schedule. i’ll need about a month to fix all this damage, but in general, you should start reacquainting yourself with your school schedule about two weeks before you have to head back.

2. figure out your note keeping system

i’m switching things up this year, and i won’t be using the binder system i’ve had all throughout high school. it’s simply to heavy for my walk to and from school. instead, i’ll be using a filing folder, and keeping loose leaf paper, as well as the week’s lessons in there, and once the week is over, i’ll transfer my notes to the binder system at home, which should limit the weight i carry. also, this’ll force me to have better organization, and hopefully make weekly review easier. just as a rule of thumb, refreshing your note keeping system is something you should do annually, at the start of a new year or even before a new semester; you know what’s been working and what hasn’t been.

3. gather breakfast ideas

i have about ten minutes scheduled in my morning routine during the school year for breakfast. and about five of those minutes are spent figuring out what to eat. i want to gather simple breakfast ideas that i can test out now, so i don’t waste time deciding what to eat. this just, in general, makes mornings less of a hassle and can help make sure you’re getting a good start to the day.

4. take stock of your supplies

i need a lunchbag and highlighters, my previous ones are no longer able to function, so i need to replace them. i don’t, however, need new pencils, i have plenty. doing an inventory check can really help prevent buying duplicates of something you thought you didn’t have.

5. create achievable goals

this year is my final year of high school, and then i’m off to university, most of my goals centre around applications and just graduating. but there are other things i know i need to do. embracing study habits for one. i’m hoping to do so by staying in the library after school instead of walking home right away because i know i can’t get work done as effectively at home. i’ll also be doing a review for exams all throughout the year, instead of the day before, by creating flashcards and mindmaps for each days lesson. set a general goal, then add the steps you’ll need to take to achieve it.

6. check your courses

i’m dropping out of physics because i don’t need to be taking it and it will give me a spare instead of a full course load. i need to talk to my guidance counsellor before school starts because of it. as well, i like to make sure i’m in the correct classes and that my schedule is as balanced as possible. some schools may not allow this for regular students, mine does. make sure you’re taking what you need to take and what will allow you to succeed.

7. put dates in your planner

my school offers a tentative list of events going on through the year, with set exam and break times. i like to keep track of these, and setting them in my planner makes it easier to see how my year will play out. if your school doesn’t offer this, check out past years scheduling so that you have a general feel for how your year will go.

these are just some of the things i’m doing to ensure this year goes smoothly for me. let me know what y’all are doing too!