Writing: Fantasy - Tumblr Posts
Iris
Honestly, I constantly forget Iris exists but I was just writing a chapter with her and remembered she’s one of my favorite OCs.
Iris is a lady so she has a lot of power in the social system, but she’s very far down the line of succession. Unlike Daron, who is supposed to be the perfect image of a lady, Iris is very mischievous. She’s also lowkey a pirate, but we don’t learn that until much later.
Iris has one of my favorite designs, partially because she looks similar to me, but I also had a lot of fun with her look. She has dark brown skin and waist-length twists. She has orange eyes and red runes tattoed up her arms and across her chest.
Iris’ clan is very important to her character. The Arsonite Clan is the only clan that originated outside the mainland, so they have a different culture than the other clans. The Aquatic Clan stole their land, which started a war between all of the clans. After the war, the Arsonites were left with no land, money, or allies, and their language was on the cusp of death because they had to assimilate. Iris is very involved in her culture. She’s fluent in Arsonean and is experienced in their traditional dance.
The Arsonite Clan being left with nothing is how they ended up as pirates. They sink human ships despite the fact that humans and witches are not supposed to interact at all, and keep the spoils. When their betrayal is discovered, Iris shows absolutely no remorse. She stands by what they did to survive (as she should). I honestly want to write a spin-off of Iris’ pirate adventures when I’m done with the main story.
Iris has had a lot of development since the first draft. I didn’t know how to characterize her mischievousness, so she ended up coming off as tone-deaf and kind of annoying. In my second draft, there’s more of a balance between her causing chaos and her tenderness. I think it’s perfectly summarized when Daron asks her for a favor and Iris asks what Daron will do in return. Daron knows that Iris would help unconditionally and just wanted to stir the pot.
Fun fact: Iris was originally named Aralea after a classmate I had in second grade. Upon further thought, I realized that was too similar to Ariella—Aria’s full name—so I changed it to Iris, a goddess a learned about at a Ramses exhibit.
Spiritwalker taglist: @the-golden-comet @pixies-love-envy
All quotes are from my wip, Spiritwalker. These are some of my favorites!
taglist: @the-golden-comet @pixies-love-envy
Would you mind telling me a little bit about Catalina?
LOL I am finishing up her playlist right now. Great timing, friend!
Catalina is my mc, Daron's, best friend (even though it takes Daron the whole book to realize it). She's the daughter of a mistress, which pretty much equates to a duchess, and her mother is also the headmistress of the school all my characters attend. While Daron keeps a professional relationship with her mother and barely interacts with her brother, Catalina contrasts her by being very close with her mother and her little sister. Because of her relationship with her family, she serves as a mother figure in her friend group.
Catalina is an incredibly strong witch, but she has trouble believing it because Kelsee has been out to get her for years. Their families have been fighting for more power in their clan for generations, but Catalina's mother was over it and decided to run a school instead. Kelsee saw this as a bid for power and bullied Catalina into doubting herself and made their classmates believe it too, but don't worry, Catalina realizes her strength.
From the start of my writing, I intended for Catalina to have ambitions other than succeeding her mother as mistress--she thinks she suits a smaller lifestyle better--but I just added in an arc for her recently where she is put in a leadership position and learns that she is good at it. In the end, she decided she really does want to be mistress and lead with Daron, who has one of the highest positions of power in their country.
Catalina's the kind of person who always knows what to say so I gave her some of the best dialogue. A friend once told me that I have a kind smile, and I thought that was the nicest thing anyone's said to me so I wanted to immortalize it. In my first draft, Catalina already had a similar line so of course I gave it to her to say to Daron. She also says this line that was rated the best line in my wip from a poll I made: "We cannot be perfect. We can only be better."
Like other witches of the Herbneivorous Clan, Catalina's powers include being able to grow plants, tell their properties by touching them, and being able to eat poison. She's eaten so much that her blood's actually poisonous, but it's not much of a threat because she's typically calm and grounded.
Thanks for asking! That's Catalina.
Writers need to support their fellow writers, especially the trans ones.
Help A Writer for FREE
Hello! My name is Michelle Allen and I’ve been writing books for more than fifteen years. Recently, I entered my newest work into the Amazon Velleys! While I’m interested in growing my audience and gaining readers for my current and future projects, I will also admit a big part of entering this contest was for a shot at the prize money. Like many, I’ve been struggling to make ends meet since the pandemic. So, if you’re a fan of fantasy novels with grounded stakes, this is your opportunity to find your next read while also potentially helping a disabled, genderqueer author get back on their feet!
In order to qualify for the judging stage, I need more readers! If the synopsis below sounds like something you’d enjoy, consider giving my story a like and a follow! The first ten chapters are free, and so is your support if you can offer it! And, if you’re a fan of my work, I can keep you up to date on any future projects.
Synopsis:
In the land of Phylia, the Plusos make the rules, and Vulos are required to follow them. As a doctor and the ward of one of the most highly respected Elder Plusos in her city-state of Sari, Plusos Dara is well aware of this. For years, she has resigned herself to quietly bending the laws by teaching Vulos via autopsies and stolen medical books. However, when a decision by the leaders of Phylia threatens to ruin the lives of those she tries to help, silence and secrecy are no longer options.
I appreciate any support you can give to me and my writing! All royalties will go toward helping me get back on my feet and saving for top surgery!
Extremely nitpicky but I hate white wedding gowns in fantasy, especially when they make absolutely no sense in the setting. No, that culture in the far north that prioritizes function over form and mostly wears heavy furs would not have the means, ability, or desire to make a sleeveless ivory silk gown with a semi-sweetheart neckline. Please be sensible about this and use your creativity instead of just slapping a Kleinfeld wedding gown into a medieval fantasy setting.
Sword and Crusade by 老 银
@mschvs I have no idea why but I kinda sorta envisioned Heart of Hellfire - just felt like it had its vibes. especially the badass female lead ayeeeee
Fantasy for fun - Part 1 by Samuel Smith
Art by Davood Moghaddami
By you, I am forever undone.
There is something so insanely attractive about women in knight armor... Yes, I yearn for a knight girlfriend, don't judge me. 🥺
Art by Cameron Mousavi
puts my arts of caramel arrow so far all together bc why not😮💨 loml... 🛐🖤