#WordWeavers

7 September 2023

Why did the Mer-Princes become villains? Simple. They had ambitions that were somewhat problematic, and they wanted to rule the world, which got in the way of other people wanting to rule the world, and the happiness, peace and wellbeing of countless other people. Did they care? Nope. They wanted what they wanted, by any means necessary.

#writinglife #amwriting #writingcommunity #mermaids #merpunk #amwritingfantasy #writing #writers #watermyth

#WordWeavers

6 September 2023

Things I consider when I want to add details:

1. Setting and Blocking: how much is needed to establish the sense/tone impression of the world of the story?
2. Pacing: How much is needed to establish pace, how much would detract from it?
3. Beats: (also related to pacing), how much description would contribute or detract from emotion or action beats?
4. Dialogue (related to blocking and emotion beats): how much description would augment a conversation and make it come to life? How much would detract from it?
5. Character: is it possible to have less detail to establish a character? If minimalism is possible/required, go for it.

#writinglife #amwriting #writingcommunity #mermaids #merpunk #amwritingfantasy #writing #writers

Love this pair of mermaids at the entrance tl the former Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society building at 95 Morrison Street in Glasgow.

#glasgow #mermaid #mermaids #architecture #sculpture #glasgowbuildings #glasgowarchitecture #thecooperative #coop

The Sea Girl is a 1930 lost world novel by Ray Cummings dealing with a lost world in the deeps of the ocean. As a bonus, there are mermaids. Of a sort. There's also a beautiful but evil undersea empress and atomic submarines. A fine adventure.

My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2023/09/ray-cummings-sea-girl.html

#lostworld #lostworlds #lostcivilisations #RayCummings #mermaids #pulpfiction #scifi #scifinovel #scifinovels #sciencefiction

"Now a certified lifeguard and water safety instructor, Schneider, known as Carrie Wata in the professional #mermaid community, has spent the past few years changing the currents of water trauma in her lineage and the larger Black community through joy, imagination and a deep love of Black history. She founded Afro Mermaid to create space for melanated merfolk to be their authentic selves as they navigate a mostly-white industry and stereotypes ..."

https://www.al.com/reckon/2023/09/a-florida-mermaid-is-healing-black-peoples-trauma-with-water.html

#mermaids #Florida

#WritersCoffeeClub

1 September 2023

Intro: Shameless Self-Promotion

Hello, I'm Anita. I'm a senior lecturer in literature and creative writing (I teach creative writing both for undergraduates and postgraduates and think about the mechanics and the craft of writing all of the time). As Nin Harris I've had fiction, poetry and even a Game (interactive fiction) published in various venues (professional, semi-professional, token etc). While I'm in several anthologies including the award-winning People of Colour Destroy Science Fiction, I've never had a book to my name yet. I aim to change that this year by self-publishing the first novel of the Cantata of the Fourfold Realms, #Watermyth.

Here's my bibliography for access to the free stuff: https://mythopoetica.com/bibliography/

#introduction #writinglife #mermaids #merpunk #amwriting #writingcommunity #bookstodon #bibliophile #writersofmastodon

#WordWeavers

1 September 2023

A new hashtag for a new month, allons-y!

The twenty-five Mer-Princes are one of the major antagonists in the Cantata of the Fourfold Realms, and this happened because their blasphemous (and deeply problematic) scientific experiments caused them to be expelled and exiled from the Empress Rhavella's Mer-Kingdom on the realm of Gaeirn. I suppose it's a case of "What if Dr. Frankenstein became embodied in twenty-five Mer-Princes who wanted more power and dominion over more than one element?"

The main Mer-Prince in #Watermyth is Prince Rinaldi and I guess the positive things about him is that he actually does care for his daughter, is urbane, very cultured, has excellent tastes in food and in books. As a whole the Mer-Princes are also brilliant architects and scientists, are charismatic and good company, but their cruelty is subtle and unparalleled.

#writingcommunity #writinglife #amwriting #amwritingfantasy #writersofmastodon #mermaids #merpunk

#WritingWonders
31 August 2023

Has your MC or antagonist ever approved of something the other's done?

In a very bilateral conflicted "Daddy Issues" kind of way, yes.

Can't say more as it counts as a major spoiler but more than one important beat hinges on this dynamic.

#amwriting #amwritingfantasy #mermaids #merpunk #writinglife #writingcommunity #writing #writers #writersofmastodon

#WritingWonders
30 August 2023

Have you ever planned to kill a character and then not done it.

I very rarely kill characters so I very rarely change my mind about it. When I do, there's a really pivotal reason why that death was necessary. But I also really don't like death as a plot device so it happens only when the plot demands it, rather than having that death to be a catalyst for a causal chain.

Hope that makes sense, haha. It's super-late here!

#amwriting #amwritingfantasy #mermaids #merpunk #writinglife #writingcommunity #writing #writers #writersofmastodon

#WritingWonders

29 August 2023

Does you antagonist believe you MC has a chance of succeeding?

Within the context of Finora and the Mer-Princes: Of course, that's why they did what they did. (to say more would be to spoil)

Within the context of the Fjekres: that doesn't come into their line of reasoning at all.

#amwriting #amwritingfantasy #mermaids #merpunk #domesticfantasy #writingcommunity #writinglife

#WritingWonders
28 August 2023

Who's the first character you created for this work?

Oooh, I really like this question.

Most of the main characters for #Watermyth were created in the 1990s, some years before the hypertext came into being. I think the first Yrejveree character was The Wild Maiden of the Trees, sometime in 1993 -- a story fragment I scribbled down in an exercise book, followed by Ipede Dwinkum in 1994 -- I typed out his story during WordPerfect class, lol.

I think it'll have to be Ipede for #Watermyth because the Wild Maiden doesn't really factor much in the novel and Ipede's just a background character who never really walks in.

For the MCs, the first character created would be Finora, actually. She happened sometime in 1997.

#amwriting #amwritingfantasy #mermaids #merpunk #domesticfantasy #writingcommunity #writinglife

#WritingWonders

(I'm just doing what I can since I've given up on catching up on every prompt!)

22 August 2023

What makes your hero feel weak?

Aila: Regret.
Yildie: My debilitating and transforming injuries.
Regya: Cognitive dissonance and disorientation.
Vita: PTSD.

Again, Finora would be too spoilery because she's kind of larger than life.

#watermyth #writingcommunity #writinglife #amwriting #writing #writers #amwritingfantasy #Gothic #mermaids #merpunk

#Facebook remembered I'm a #TTRPG gamer, so now it's showing me advertisements for #gamerlife accessories like... this. I'm kind of disturbed to find out that #mermaids apparently taste like pork. I didn't want to know that! https://www.mythicalmeats.com/

When talking about magical creatures that live in the ocean: sea serpents, dragons, or mermaids? (And yes you can mention real-life sea dragons, snakes, and manatees since they were once thought to be mermaids.) #Writephant #ocean #mermaids #dragons

The Government's discriminatory guidance for schools has been delayed, but it still intends to press ahead with an approach that is harmful and unworkable.

I've written to my MP to ask them to urge Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to rethink her approach and support teachers to make schools safe environments for all children and young people.

Will you do the same?
https://nwmd.io/s/email/Zx84CjTEHP7uS22rLLY=/r

#mermaids #lgbtq #trans #ukpolitics

Pink News: Former Mermaids CEO Susie Green blasts UK media for transphobic rhetoric: ‘They don’t care’ https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/08/02/susie-green-mermaids-ipso-complaint/ #LGBT #LGBTQ #Trans #Lesbian #2SLGBTQ #transphobia #susiegreen #Identity #mermaids #Trans #News #UK

In #JapaneseFolklore mermaids are known as ningyo. Unlike European mermaids, they look more like fish than humans and are considered far more monstrous than beautiful. In some cases they are believed to foretell the future. Their flesh is said to give eternal life, but most people won't take the risk as ningyo can put powerful curses on those who try to catch or kill them. To be safe, it is best to do whatever you can to avoid any encounters with ningyo.
#folklore #mythology #mermaids @folklore

The two genders of Panama City Beach.

#gender #pirates #mermaids #piracy

#Mermaids, #lesbian #Pirates, #kraken, and high-seas #adventure abound in this #anthology of #scifi and #fantasy #stories! Travel to Farther Reefs and dive in!
#readerscommunity
#BooksWorthReading
#needtoread
https://amazon.com/dp/B0B99D1LC2

🥥 I've been looking forward to #FollowFriday so that I could recommend my #INTERNET friend @Brutus.
If you want to strike up an interesting exchange with him, just ask about the #mermaids of #Cornwall or the #tarts of #Penzance.
Tell him crazy Phil in the United Snakes sent you. 🥥