lunarfemme:

lunarfemme:

lunarfemme:

oh i Gotta infodump abt the ttrpgs i know of

Powered by the Apocalypse is not one single game; instead it is a style of ttrpg design inspired Apocalypse World. Here’s the creators’ policy about creating games. Here’s a list of places to find PbtA games.

Now, as for individual PbtA games, a really popular one is Monster of the Week. You play as a group of monster hunters in an action horror ttrpg with mystery elements. The McElroys used this game for one of their campaigns, Amnesty!

Urban Shadows is getting kickstarted for a second edition. It’s a political urban fantasy with fae, werewolves, vampires, ghosts and other supernatural beings.

Another game from Magpie Games, Masks: A New Generation, is a coming of age superhero game. There’s a few supplements for it full of inspiration for changing the game setting from a metropolis to outer space or an academy, as well as plenty of playbooks to build your superhero team with.

Magpie Games has other products worth checking out, such as Epyllion, where you play as dragons!!

You may have heard of Thirsty Sword Lesbians, where it doesn’t need to be thirsty or about swords or lesbians if you don’t want it to be. This is a game designed for drama and relationships between the PCs.

Blades in the Dark, a game I often describe as ‘oops! all rogues!’, started out as a PbtA game but has since evolved into its own Forged in the Dark design philosophy!

In City of Mist, a modern urban fantasy neo-noir detective rpg, you play as people with supernatural abilities tied to an association or embodiment of legendary figures from mythology, folklore, and more.

Ironsworn is a FREE ttrpg designed to be used for solo, co-op, or guided play!

Microscope, Kingdom, and Follow are useful tools for worldbuilding and involve GM-less play.

Coyote and Crow is a sci-fi and fantasy ttrpg set in an alternate future where the colonization of the First Nations never happened. It was created by an all Native team!!

Maharlika is a science fantasy mecha ttrpg inspired by Filipino mythology!!

Gubat Banwa is a fantasy martial arts ttrpg inspired by Southeast Asian cultures with precolonial Phillipine-centric worldbuilding.

Lancer is a post apocalyptic mecha ttrpg, a project from an indie publisher run by the author of Kill Six Billion Demons!

If you want to build your own games, Cortex Prime is a toolkit with modular sets of mechanics that you can customize to create a game that serves your storytelling.

(via sabertoothwalrus)

keganexe:

Here are some games to play

As a follow up to my last post, I wanna provide some good indie games that deliver on cool narrative moments, and make good radio. I’m gonna break this up a specific way, so

If you liked D&D because -> you should play

Also I’m trying to focus on things that’ll make good campaigns instead of just good one shots, but like chase your bliss.

It’s Gay

honestly babe love yourself we could be so much gayer

  • Himbos of Myth & Mettle by Huge Boar Games - Legitimately one of my favorite games to come out in the last few years, this delivers on the queer themes a lot of queer players actually want to see in game. It’s campy, it’s irreverent, it has long since left taste behind. It’s rules lite enough to just pick up and play, without being so rules lite you don’t know what to do next.
  • Thirsty Sword Lesbians by April Kit Walsh - Billed as “angsty disaster lesbians with swords” its a roleplaying game once again with queer players actually in mind. It uses PbtA framework so classes feel distinct without bogging you down; and actually guides you on creating your own settings and stories within the system (if you don’t want to use any of the ones included that is and honestly… you probably do).
  • Apocalypse Keys by Rae Nedjadi - Only the quickstart is out there (grab it on bacerkit it’s good) at the moment, but inside sources say the pdf at least is nearing public release. Its a loveletter to queer concepts of monstrous selves that isn’t afraid to both swing for big feelings and big fun.

I Like Combat

Oh god do I have you set, I too like combat fellow reader

  • LUMEN games - The LUMEN srd was watershed moment when Spencer Campbell/Gila RPGs released it back in 2021. The system is a deceptively simple d6 pool system that really pushes stunts, combat, and quick narrative gameplay. I linked a collection with most of the games in it, but there are a ton of LUMEN engine games. Some of the best (imo) include Spencer’s own LIGHT, Vibe Check by Ostrichmonkey Games, and In Extremis by ME
  • 9 Lives to Valhalla by Gem Room Games - If you wanna fight I’m gonna let you fight, and that’s a thing you can say about me. Play as deathmetal viking cats fighting for their spot in Valhalla. Fight giants, fight ghosts, fight your GM as the embodiment of Death and takeover the game and run it yourself instead. I’m not kidding these are all things we can do here.
  • Gubat Banwa by Makapatag - Its a Southeast Asian fantasy martial arts RPG about brave warrirors and knights who travel The Sword Isles to dictate the fate of the world. Deep tactical gridded gameplay in the vein of Final Fantasy Tactics, with a distinctly Philippine-centric take on violence and war. Its sick, it looks sick, you’ll like it.
  • CHOKE. by Vagabond Pen & Paper - After dying to forever I finally got to play this and its sick. Billing itself as a TTRPG FPS, play as “corporate knights” licensed killers for on company payroll, and break your body, your mind, and and your guns as you haul ass through series of missions. It has a sick like teris style inventory system that interacts with a ton of systems across the game, and another really solid take on violence, you, and corporations.

I Like Highjinks with my Friends

You’re so valid for this

  • Patchwork World by Aaron King - Legit one of my favorite games ever (lil plug listen to me talk about it here). Aaron does an incredible job throughout of looking at the fundamentals of what makes sitting around a table and playing games with your friends fun, and simply capitalizes on it. I can’t say enough good things about this game, but I also don’t know how to talk about it quickly and in a way that makes sense; just trust me go pick it up, it’s a free download and if you like it you can go pay Aaron later (and you should).
  • I’m not gonna list a second one go get Patchwork I believe in you so much

I like Dungeon Fantasy

There are so many good indies in this

  • Down We Go by Markus Linderum - Markus does an incredible job here at breaking a style of game down to its core, and then building it back up into something that feels both recognizable and brand new all at once. Your classes are your stats, the game is ever shifting and defined in play, and its easy to pick up with a surprising amount of growth possible. Core gameplay fits on one page, but with expanding space for additional mechanics, and it has a solid selection of pack in adventures, dungeons, and procedures.
  • A Dungeon Game by Chris Bissette - The second edition of A Dragon Game, A Dungeon Game has a wildly easy to use website (as well as traditional pdf, epubs, and a print edition) with brutally simple mechanics that make playing the game easy as fuck, especially when partnered with the aforementioned website to make rules complications pass by with little more than a breeze. Chris has long been the king of this exact style of gameplay, and A Dungeon Game reminds everyone exactly why.
  • Slayers by Gila RPGs - Eagle eyed viewers might catch that rn Spencer is the only one on this list twice, and that’s because he’s just really good at making games I’m sorry. Slayers is a take on traditional Dungeon Fantasy with an emphasis on asymetrical combat, and an extremely active group of third party publishers consistently bumping out great new classes, scenarios, and parts of the city.

(via dungeonmastersconsortium)

inky-duchess:

Fantasy Wardrobe: Dressing Your Monarch

When dressing the most important person in your kingdom, it is important that you take the time to choose exactly what they are saying by wearing that particular piece of clothing. When thinking of your monarch, it is best you imagine them as a mannequin in a shop window advertising something. There is a message in their clothing and it’s up to you to choose the right one.

Materials and Cut

The monarch will usually have the very best of the best. Their silks will be the softest, their velvets will be the plushest and their lace will be the most intricate. Extra ruffles, drapes and pleats used more material than needed, which screams wealth. Doublets and jackets with slashings showed a range of materials and gowns were often made with overlapping fabrics. Your monarch has to choose whether to go the extremes of Marie Antoinette and Louis XIV or the austerity of Princess Elizabeth during WWII. They can either alienate their poorest subjects by dressing in millions of euros worth of cloth with ruffles or they can dress smartly and elegantly and humanize themselves.

  • During the post-war years, Christian Dior brought out his first designs (some which look bitchin’ today btw) and when he showed his designs to the BRF’s women, the future Queen Elizabeth did not take part. For years she only wore English designers for years. She was praised for keeping to austerity and supporting the British fashion designer.
  • When Queen Victoria ordered her wedding dress, she stipulated that she wanted only English lace used which boosted the economy. Home businesses who made lace made thousands. And also Victoria is credited (though Mary Queen of Scots did it first) with the first white wedding dress, which screamed wealth because it was so white and she would only wear it once.
  • Louis XIV made all his courtiers dress a certain way using only French materials, which also boosted that trade. He was a fashion icon btw.

Colours

Colours speak louder than words. Many royal houses had an official colour of mourning when a relative or a close family friend died. France had white and the Plantagenets wore dark blue when mourning. By choosing the right colour, you can mirror what your monarch is feeling or what they want to say.

  • As we said before white could be mourning colour and a very ostentatious colour to wear because it takes so much effort to keep clean. White also speaks of purity, grief and innocence.
  • Red would be a common colour used for royal coronation cloaks and regalia. Red is the colour of nobility, luck, prosperity, long life, fertility, power, strength, courage and it is a colour of luxury.
  • Pink is the colour of femininity/masculinity, love, sweetness, innocence. It is a soft colour and doesn’t exactly shout wealth.
  • Orange is a peculiar colour and a favourite of Elizabeth I. It stands for spirituality.
  • Yellow was the royal colour of mourning for Spain. Yellow could also be worn to hint gold but isn’t. It look opulent but isn’t exactly.
  • Green is the colour of spring and rebirth. Henry VIII often cosplayed Robin Hood. It is a relatable colour for all classes.
  • Blue is the colour of peace, loyalty, reliability, honor, trust. The Order of the Garter have deep blue regalia and embody all these traits.
  • Purple of course stands for Imperial might and royalty. A monarch would probably avoid constantly wearing purple as it would advertise their royal status. They might save it for special occasions.

Queen Elizabeth II is very conscious of colour as you can see. Her blinding and borderline neon suits are that way for a reason. She makes herself stand out in a crowd so even the subject the farthest from her can recognize her.

Elizabeth I was also very conscious of colour. She was the Virgin queen and often emphasized this by wearing white.

Victoria also knew the power of colour and like her great-great granddaughter chose colours that made her stand out. At a party in Scotland, Victoria had been wearing tartan the entire trip but on the last night, she wore pale pink to stand out.

Symbols

image
image
image

Symbols are often sewn on royal clothing as a blatant way of passing on the message.

  • Louis XIV or the Sun King, often kept stating his nickname through the use of golden material and sun emblems. Being the Sun King was his persona and for somebody who believed himself to be at the centre of the world, it was an important reminder to those who caught a glimpse of him. The great pad of fur on his robes so excess and wealth. The fleur de lys on his mantle stand for the French royal family.
  • Elizabeth I’s famous Rainbow Portrait offers the best symbols. The snake on her sleeve symbolizes how wise and cunning she is. The rainbow in her hand stands for peace and prosperity. The suns stand for monarchy.
  • The portrait of Henry VIII here is a trove of symbols. The padded shoulders for power, the slippers to show his wealth and of course the bulging codpiece stands for the fertility that Henry thought he had.

Accessories

We all love a bit of bling and no royal is complete without some sparkle. Different accessories stand for different meanings.

  • Elizabeth I wore ropes and ropes of pearls which underlined her Virgin Queen statues. She also wore her coronation ring to prove that she was “married to England”.
  • Queen Alexandra was given a tiara by the English people on her arrival. The Kokoshnik tiara was made to mirror her sister’s the Russian Empress’s. It was in order to remind the sister’s of their bond but also show that the English Princess of Wales and future Queen was on par with the Russian Empress.
  • Around the time of the 18th Century, military dress uniforms became the fashion for men and especially younger princes. The military dress uniform is a very open symbol of service to the people. Which is why the male members of the BRF often wear them to state events.

(via dungeonmastersconsortium)

Advice from an (Amateur) Archer on Writing About Archers and Archery

salt-and-a-dash-of-pepper:

salt-and-a-dash-of-pepper:

Admittedly, I don’t have the widest range of experience when it’s come to archery. I’ve only been shooting for a year now, and the time that I do take to shoot have long months between them. Still, I think it’s important to outline the basics for anyone who wants to write an archer in their book and wants to save themselves the embarrassment of having the archer do something that an archer would never do in a million years.

- Archers usually unstring their bow after battle. Unstringing a bow is exactly what it sounds like: removing the string from the bow’s limbs. Usually, archers then wrap the string around the now-straightened bow so they don’t lose it as easily. Archers unstring bows because everytime the limbs are bent by the string, there is a large amount of tension in the limbs. If the string is on too long and the bow has not been shot for a while, the limbs will start to wear down and lose their power, resulting in an archer needing to buy new limbs or an entirely new bow.

- Archers always retrieve their arrows after battle. Arrows are expensive and take a long time to make, so archers want to conserve as many arrows as possible. Sometimes they have a repair kit with them at the ready, in case they find an arrow with a loose arrowhead or broken fletching that can easily be repaired. 

- Training arrows are not the same as battle arrows. Training arrows have thinner shafts and usually blunted tips so they can easily be removed from targets. Thinner shafts break more easily, and the blunted tips – whilst they can pierce skin – usually won’t get very far in the flesh. They’re also easier to make. Battle arrows are thicker, and their heads are pointed at the tip and have two pointed ends at its sides. This arrowhead is designed to easily pierce through flesh, and is incredibly difficult to pull out because its two pointed ends snag onto flesh. If you want to pull it out, you’d have to tear the flesh away with it, which can lead to an even larger wound.

- Arrows are fatal, and one can incapacitate a soldier for the rest of his life. Arrows are not easily snapped off like you see in movies. The draw weight is too strong, and they can sometimes be as strong as bullets. They will pierce through bone and tendons, which do not easily heal. Furthermore, if you want to remove an arrow, you either have to go through surgery, parting the flesh away from the arrowhead so it doesn’t snag onto anything, or you have you push – not pull – it all the way through the body.

- Bows are not designed for hitting people with in close combat. The limbs are specifically made to flex. Imagine hitting someone with a flexing piece of wood. If you hit with the middle of the bow, it still does very little because there is no weight behind the bow, and so you might as well be hitting them with a pillow. It might be annoying to the opponent, but it won’t save you. Archers need a secondary blade in close combat. They cannot strike people with their bows and expect to win.

- Draw weight affects speed, range, and impact. Draw weight is measured in pounds, at least in America, and it is measured in how much weight must be pulled when you draw back the string. A high draw weight means stiffer, thicker limbs that can shoot further and hit harder. But, this is at the cost of speed. A low draw weight means thinner, more flexible limbs that can shoot smaller distances and have low impact, but can be shot faster. Before you acrobatic fanatics immediately seize the smaller bow for its speed, understand that a bow’s advantage is in its range. No one can hit an archer from 300 meters away with their spear or sword. The archer has complete dominance over the battlefield in this way, and their arrows can kill anyone who gets too close. Not hurt. Not annoy. Kill. And a higher draw weight means a better chance of piercing through specific armor, then flesh, then bone. A lower draw weight means less range and, even worse, a lower chance that the arrow would even pierce through armor if the arrow even hits its target. 

- Bows will always be outmatched in close combat against any other weapon. Bows take too long to draw and shoot, and at such close range, the opponent has an easier chance to dodge oncoming arrows. I already explained that the bows themselves cannot be used to take down a foe. 

- Bowmen on horseback are utterly terrifying. Archers usually can’t move from their spot because range is more important than mobility, and at such a long range, you usually don’t need to move from your spot anyways. Bowmen on horses, however, are closer to the battle, and worse, they are faster than almost anyone on the battlefield. Not only are they difficult to hit, you have no way of predicting where they will shoot next because they can circle around you in confusing ways. If you want an interesting archer character, I’d advise trying these guys out.

- Never underestimate armor and padding. Arrows will never be able to pierce through plate armor because its curved surface will always deflect oncoming arrows. Arrows can pierce through maille because maille is made out of metal rings that can be bent and can fall away. However, padding usually lies underneath, which is surprisingly durable and can stop an oncoming arrow, as well as absorb some of its impact. Because of this, make certain that the archer is focusing on gabs in the armor. To know this, you MUST study armor. Gabs usually lie where the joints are because soldiers need those gabs open so they can move. Typical gaps lie in the neck, the armpit, the inner-elbow, the knees, and the palm of the hand. Impact is also an archer’s friend. A war arrow shot by a hundred pound bow, hurtling at incredible speeds and gaining momentum the further it travels, can evoke serious damage. To be hit by one of these arrows will feel more like being hit by a horse than being hit by someone’s fist. 

More facts:

- Archers should never rest the tip of their bow on the ground. Dirt and dust can wear away the tip, which in turn can eat away at where the string notch is. If the string notch is worn away in any shape or form, the string can fall off or the bow not shoot correctly.

- ARCHERS SHOULD NEVER LEAN ON THEIR BOW. This is the same as keeping the bow strung when you’re not using it. Leaning on the bow causes the limbs to flex, which can be damaging when you’re not shooting anything.

- Never shoot a bow when there is no arrow notched. This is known as “dry firing,” and is incredibly damaging to the bow. Because there is no arrow to transfer the energy of the shot through, the energy instead shivers down the bow. If it is a strong enough energy, the bow can shatter.

- When any archer is shooting at a target, everyone is instructed to stand beside or behind the archer. This is common safety sense, as archers’ fingers might slip and the arrow is shot in a different direction than intended.

- It is incredibly rude, as well as dangerous, to shoot near another person simply to show one’s skill. Unless the person voluntarily agreed with the archer to stand in place and is willing to be shot, it is incredibly rude to shoot near someone to prove one’s skill. It would be the same as a gunman shooting at another person to prove he can hit a can at their elbow. The gunman, as well as the archer, would be thrown behind bars.

- Archers use an “anchor point” to aim. Archers rest either their index or middle finger at their chin or the side of their lip when drawing the bow.  This is known as their “anchor point,” and it is used to steady the hand as well as aim. If an archer does NOT use an anchor point, his shot can go wild. If you see actors holding their fingers behind their chin and hanging in the air, you’ll know that they are not an archer.

- It is both unnecessary and damaging to pull the bow’s string further than your chin. It has a higher chance of breaking or bending irreversibly than shooting further, faster, or higher by drawing the bow string further.

- You use your back muscles the most when drawing a bow. Most people assume that you’re using primarily your arm muscles. Whilst the muscles in your arms are incorporated, the back muscles are used to pull back the weight of the bow moreso than your arms.

- It is easier to swing a sword than shoot a bow. I’m certainly not talking about skill or practice. Swords and bows each have their own difficulties to overcome, but there is a common misconception that bows are lighter than swords. The weight of a sword varies, but most sit between 2 to 5 pounds and are well balanced so you don’t feel the weight of the sword pulling at your tendons. Bows, on the other hand, have a draw weight that varies from 20 to 100 pounds, sometimes more. Whilst different muscles are used to do different things, it’s clear that bows take far more strength than expected to use.

- A proper bow needs proper care. Damages are common after use, no matter what you do. The string may fray, the string’s nock locator might fall off, the arrow rest may wear down, and so on. Archers, therefore, should bring wax, which keeps the string from fraying, an extra nock locator, and perhaps a kit that can either repair the arrow rest or replace the entire thing.

- It really effing hurts when the string strikes your forearm. Because of this, bracers are a thing. Anyone who has shot a bow knows exactly what I’m talking about. Sometimes when you shoot and your forearm is angled a certain way, the string can strike the soft flesh of your forearm when you loose an arrow. Understand that it stings like fire, and does not die down until half an hour, sometimes more. To combat this, most archers wear bracers, which clasp around their forarms and protect them from the string. Experienced archers know how to angle their forearm away from the string so they are never struck.

(via emelkae)

bookishdiplodocus:

avelera:

Pro-writing tip: if your story doesn’t need a number, don’t put a fucking number in it.

Nothing, I mean nothing, activates reader pedantry like a number.

I have seen it a thousand times in writing workshops. People just can’t resist nitpicking a number. For example, “This scifi story takes place 200 years in the future and they have faster than light travel because it’s plot convenient,” will immediately drag every armchair scientist out of the woodwork to say why there’s no way that technology would exist in only 200 years.

Dates, ages, math, spans of time, I don’t know what it is but the second a specific number shows up, your reader is thinking, and they’re thinking critically but it’s about whether that information is correct. They are now doing the math and have gone off drawing conclusions and getting distracted from your story or worse, putting it down entirely because umm, that sword could not have existed in that Medieval year, or this character couldn’t be this old because it means they were an infant when this other story event happened that they’re supposed to know about, or these two events now overlap in the timeline, or… etc etc etc.

Unless you are 1000% certain that a specific number is adding to your narrative, and you know rock-solid, backwards and forwards that the information attached to that number is correct and consistent throughout the entire story, do yourself a favor, and don’t bring that evil down upon your head.

Editor here. Can confirm.

“Two centuries later” just triggers a mental note to check if timing is consistent throughout the book, because it may mean more time jumps are ahead. “200 years later”, or heaven forbid, “201 years later” will have me draw up a time line. The more specific the number, the more critical people become.

Strange phenomenon. Well spotted, OP.

(via regicidal-optimism)

Useful Writing Resources II

wordsnstuff:

image

Like the last one of these I did, this is a long list of resources for writers to use. Use them wisely:)

Find The First One Here

*** = Separate List Of Resources Pertaining To That Specific Subject


Productivity & Writer’s Block

Character Development

Fantasy & Miscellaneous

Description

Plot

Generators

(via wordsnstuff)

inkwell-attitude:

possiblypedanticrpgideas:

fatal-blow:

inkwell-attitude:

all the tips I found for drawing a fantasy map are like :) “here’s a strategy to draw the land masses! here’s how to plot islands!” :) and that’s wonderful and I love them all but ??? how? do y'all decide where to put cities/mountains/forests/towns I have my map and my land but I’m throwing darts to decide where the Main Citadel where the Action Takes Place is

okay so i know i said most of this in the replies but it might be easier to actually reblog and say stuff instead lmao

Cities - go near water!  freshwater lakes and rivers (rivers especially) are the best places for cities because A) source of water and B) travel and trade is much easier cus you can put your boats like right there.  Basically ever relevant city ever was built on a lake or a river.

for rivers in general - because gravity, rivers run from mountains (forming from melting snow and ice (this is why they get fat in spring–more stuff melting)) to lakes/ocean where they can empty out (and even lakes will have rivers leading out that eventually get to the ocean), which can help when mapping out where those start and end.  rivers are also much thinner and faster in steeper elevations and very slow and wide when the land is flat

mountains - i like to think of what the tectonic plates look like because that’s what makes mountains!  mountains are also never standalone they’re always in mountain ranges (archipelagos are really just underwater mountain ranges babey).  a cool trick I like to do is occasionally separate mountain ranges across continents, because over time the tectonic plates shifted and literally split the range in half.  These mountains are really old tho so they’ve eroded and therefore it makes them smaller and rounder (like the appalachians) as opposed to relatively young mountain ranges like the rocky mountains which have taller and sharper peaks

Another mountain trick: if your mountains run along the ocean, the ocean side of the mountains will get a LOT of rain while the other side will be very dry–almost desert-like, in fact.  think of temperate rainforests in British Columbia vs the drier conditions in the canadian prairies

forests - depends on how warm the area might be.  coniferous forests are found further north (before you hit the tree line, and then it’s only tundra onwards) but as you head south you get leafier trees, and the leaves tend to get larger too

If you think about general elevation too, you’ll have places that might be swampy (wet + lower).  if your world has an ice age like we did, then glaciers may have carved the land, leaving piles of soil in the south that was left when the ice receded and places where the bedrock has been bared north of that (like the Canadian Shield in Canada–the reason we see that is because of the glaciers)

You might also have a land that’s dotted in a shitton of freshwater lakes as well because the meltwater filled the holes that the glaciers scraped out (this is why canada has so many goddamn lakes)

and if the ice age was more recent than it was in our world, then you might not even have the forest re-growth and it could be a lot of open plains

tl;dr i like to think of major climate events that might have also shaped the land on top of some basic rules

The Artifexian has an entire series on building your world from literally the stars down and then the ground up.

Though, for fantasy, you can make the world operate on entirely different principles:

With that done, the actual topic of city placement can be covered by videos like this:

Or

Once you have your places, if you want help naming them in realistic ways, this video can help:

This one is on architecture, which is definitely a subset of cities:

But for a more relevant practical guide on making settlements realistic:

Here’s a quick guide for making demographics:

holy shit?

(via ghostsinthecupboards)

world building writing resource writing reference fantasy maps mapmaking q

A Character Questionnaire

but-the-library-of-alexandria:

Here’s my character questionnaire for writing and/or rpgs! They’re a mix of stuff that comes up surprisingly often though you wouldn’t think of it, stuff that seems meaningless but tells you a lot about someone, and stuff that just entertains me.

  1. Why is your character called what they’re called? Who picked their name, and why? (and I don’t mean you, I mean in-story.) Does it mean anything?
  2. You know how your character looks, but why do they look like that? Why do they wear their hair like that, or choose those clothes? 
  3. How is this character’s relationship with their hometown? What about where they live now, if it isn’t the same place?
  4. Can this character sing, play an instrument and/or dance? Do they?
  5. What is this character’s role in their friend group? How do their friends see them?
  6. Tell me something cool or stupid this character did when they were younger. 
  7. What motivates this character to take risks, and what tends to hold them back?
  8. Is this character good with kids? What about babies? Preteens?
  9. What draws this character to a potential love interest? (or friend, if they’re not into romance.) Conversely, what’s a personal ‘red flag’ or turn-off for a potential partner?
  10. What do other characters like about this character? What do they not like?
  11. Does this character like people who are like them, or prefer to hang out with people who are very different from them?
  12. What tarot card does your character draw from the deck at the beginning or the turning point of their story? And no, you can’t just pick a card that means ‘beginning of a story’.
  13. How does this character walk, or carry themselves when they stand? Can they sit in chairs normally, or in dumb ways that are bad for their back?
  14. Hogwarts houses are bullshit, but justifying your answer is still interesting.
  15. Jung’s archetypes, however, are great for character building. 
  16. Does this character talk a little, or a lot? Why, and in what way?
  17. Which other character is this one similar to, and what makes them different? Can be someone in-story or from some other piece of media.
  18. How does this character feel about animals or pets?
  19. What is this character afraid of? Give me one deep, meaningful fear and one dumb, surface-level fear, eg. spiders and dying alone. 
  20. What does this character want most out of life?
  21. Does this character generally avoid offending people, or do they tend to cause upset? By accident, on purpose, or in spite of their best efforts?
  22. This character is throwing a party. What is it like? How do they generally behave at parties?
  23. This character is getting married, or organising a wedding for a loved one. What is it like? What do they wear?
  24. What is this character’s attitude towards love, especially romantic love? 
  25. What is their philosophy on life? Does this character believe in fate, karma, ‘everything happens for a reason’ etc? Or do they believe in nothing?
  26. What kind of story or role - be it another genre or a particular example you can think of - would this character do terribly in? And which would they suit better than the one they’re currently in?
  27. What kind of sense of humour does this character have? 
  28. How does this character handle diplomacy?
  29. Is this character more high wisdom, or high intelligence? Both, neither?
  30. What does this character think is their core motivation, and is this different from their real one? 
  31. What’s a quote from another piece of media that makes you think of this character? It can, indeed, be a vine.  
  32. Alcohol? 
  33. What kind of person was this character (or would they be) in high/secondary school? 
  34. Assuming this character lives/lived in this world, what’s their favourite movie?
  35. Does this character tend towards self-deprecating or self-aggrandising humour? Does this differ from how they actually see themselves, or does it reflect it?
  36. If someone was pinning quotes, images etc. from this character to an ~aesthetic~ Pinterest board, what would the board be called? Note: ‘nobody would see aesthetic value in anything relating to this character’ is a valid answer. 
  37. Who does this character trust, and why? You can say ‘nobody’, but only if it’s actually true.
  38. How does this character feel about their height? 
  39. Who has this character stolen personality traits from? We all do it. Their friends, siblings, partners, celebrities, fictional characters?
  40. Can this character ‘code switch’, or are they consistent in how they talk to all kinds of people? 
  41. Are they an optimist, a pessimist, or something else?
  42. How does this character feel about traditions and institutions?
  43. How would a preteen fanfic writer say your character smells? The formula is: one thing that smells good, one thing that smells kinda questionable, and one thing that definitely doesn’t have a smell or even a corporeal form. 
  44. Does this character have a good memory?
  45. What about this character is surprising or non-stereotypical, given the rest of their personality? eg. are they a barbarian who loves to crochet, a sweetheart with hidden anger issues, a genius who can’t read 24hr clocks? 
  46. In what way is this character hypocritical or contradictory? No real person makes perfect sense or plays true to their values all the time. 
  47. Coffee or tea?
  48. What would this character’s DnD class be? And if this character already is a DnD character, what class would they play if they played DnD? 
  49. Is this character datable, or are they hirable? ‘Both’ should not be an option, but ‘neither’ is.
  50. Free question: just state some dumb, random detail about this character. 

I highly recommend filling in this and any other character questionnaire with maximum humour, tangents and breaking of rules. 

Link to the google doc for better formatting.

character development character questions character questionnaire q

What is Self-Publishing??

rwhague:

Do you want to become a published author? Do you have a manuscript on your desk just begging to be sent in to a publishing house? In this post—part one of a three part series describing the different routes to publishing, we are going to talk about Self-Publishing. What it is—what it’s NOT—and what it costs.

First off, let’s start with what self-publishing is not. Self-publishing is not something you do when you can’t find anyone to traditionally publish your story. If you are having problems finding someone to publish your story, first consider why this is? Is you story ready to be published? Does it need further editing? Input from other authors? Because the self-publishing market it tough—perhaps even tougher than the traditional publishing route. Every falls on the self-publishing author and their often small pockets. Marketing, cover design, copy edits—so if your product is not ready to be published or could see some more revisions, don’t try to rush the process. Take the time to really sit and look at your Manuscript to make sure it is all that it could be.

So if self-publishing is not really a second alternative to traditional publishing, then why do people do it? Easy answer: Money. With traditional publishing, an author will see most of the revenue of their sales going to other places. Often traditional publishers will not even look at a manuscript unless it is submitted by a literary agent. A literary agent works on commission—usually around 15% of the author’s product goes to them. Then there is the publishing house’s cut. Since the publisher is paying the overhead fee of actually publishing the book, the bigger houses often take upwards of 90% of the total book sales. Now this might not be true for all publishing houses—some indie publishing houses have higher percentages going to the author, but often the do not have advances paid to the author upon signing—so basically no money upfront but the potential for money later. I’ll talk more about traditional publisher in a later post, so if you like this blog, be sure to follow me. Also be sure to like and comment about more content you’d like to see.  

So if a self-publishing author is able to take home almost 100% of their sales after publication, why doesn’t everyone go this route? Once again, the answer is money. All of those costs mentioned before that the traditional publishing house was paying for—well that now falls onto the author. So that’s things like cover design, editing, formatting, distribution, marketing—all of those things cost money and now it’s the author footing the entire bill.

So how much does it actually cost to self-publish a book? Unfortunately like most things in life, that depends. Does the author hire a publicity company to promote the book? Do they hire the best illustrator in the business to create the cover for their novel? How long is this stinking book? The more pages, the more it’s going to cost to print the book. Really, a person could pay as little or as much as they wanted on self-publishing a novel. In the end, however, the book may or may not sell.

There are so many options to go with in self-publishing—so many things to spend that hard earned cash on, but what are the most important things to actually fork over the cash on?

First off: Cover. Every heard the phrase: Never judge a book by it’s cover? Well, in the real world, that is the FIRST thing every reader does. If you can’t get your reader to pick up that first copy, then it doesn’t matter how fantastic the inside is. So don’t skimp on that cover. That being said—don’t always go for the most expensive either. Even if you get a world-renowned cover artist, that generally won’t matter to your readers unless they’re looking at the acknowledgement pages of all their favorite books. Instead, go for good quality rather than high price tags.

Another thing you don’t need to skimp on is the editing fees. The last thing you want your readers to find is a typo on the first page! Some reader will literally chuck the book across the room. There is nothing more unprofessional than this. And don’t think this is something you can do yourself. There would be nothing worse than to spend hours formatting your book so the pages line up perfectly on Microsoft Word to then find them helter-skelter in the margins of your book. You’re an author—a creator of worlds and lives. Let someone who’s a professional in margins handle the other part.

So those are the two major things to spend your money on when self-publishing. I hope this has helped—wait, what? What about advertising you say?

While it is true you can spend money on advertisements, I would not recommend putting all of your money in this. Think about how you view ads. Do you scroll past them or hit skip? If you have that intriguing copy, that’s great, but most of the best marketing tactics can be completed for free. And that’s through social media. Having a pinterest, a Twitter, a blog, these are things you can do for free. Now one marketing thing you can do—and I hope that you will do this—is get an actual website and a newsletter up. Keep in mind that any website or blog on another site like Tumblr or Reddit is not yours. It is owned by another company and you can be dumped at any time. So it’s important to have your own website and newsletter to keep in touch with your fans.

Next week, I’m going to be posting an article about Traditional Publishing then a subsequent post about Vanity Publishing—both of which are routes that I have personal experience in.

(via skyvorysworld)


Indy Theme by Safe As Milk