For Ingrid, A Sweet Girl Juggling Too Many Balls, By @elephantsneedwater. I Am So Sorry This Took Ages!

But this is a paradox, is it not? Because what is braver than admitting you are not brave? If you can’t face the truth in the mirror, at least you can face the truth right here, in this piece of text. You have shown us. You have told us writers -  scared, trembling, bold writers - that you are afraid to speak out. And in doing so, you have confronted us and yourself with such a vulnerable, honest thing. 

Maybe you cannot stand up to anyone (yet). Maybe you cannot raise your voice (yet). Maybe you cannot confront (yet). But you can write about it. You are doing it right now. You are giving us the murky depth of your heart and you are defying the norm by admitting your doubts.

Why do I write? Why do so many writers write? Because we see the things that are wrong - with the world, with ourselves. And we cannot speak about them. So we put them on paper. Instead of yelling, arguing, confronting, we create a story, a poem.

They say the pen in mightier than the sword. You just told us that you are not a fighting, sword-wielding knight. But you have used your pen, and you are most certainly a writer.

I am not bold

There are a lot of things a lot of people say about how to be a writer. Write every day, get published, get readers to love you, win awards and whatever. But for me there is one thing that all writers, actually all creative people, seem to have in common.

They are bold.

They defy the norm, they defy the conventions, they defy the universe itself.

Writers write from the murky awful depths of their hearts. This goes for all writers not just some genres. There is unique courage in writing a story that tears your own self apart. But they do it anyway and then they stitch themselves back together by writing more! 

Here’s my problem. I am not bold.

I am a coward. I would be the first to say that. I hate confrontation. I don’t ever point out anything wrong. I cannot stand up to anyone without having a complete panic attack. I cannot even stand in front of a mirror and face the truth of myself without my knees shaking. I stay quiet when people around me raise their voices. I stay quiet when saying something would mean something. I stay quiet even if my heart is breaking, especially when my heart is breaking.

I don’t confront. I don’t question. I don’t refuse.

This might be conditioning from my upbringing. This might be the weight of expectations thrown on me. Or this might just be who I am.

At the end of the day, all this means is that I pull back when I should write honestly. I step aside when I should forge on. I delete the words that must have stayed.

At the end of the day, I am not bold enough to be a writer. And I probably never will be.

small monetary things you can do for palestine 🇵🇸

itchio currently has a bundle of 140+ games for only $10, and all proceeds benefit medical aid for palestine

click a button to send money to help palestine via ad revenue (free!)

ask for a commission from these artists, who are donating the funds to palestinian aid charities. the thread also has lots of places to donate.

other artists or creatives who are commissioning - here, here, here, here, and here

another thread of charities can be found here

since nanowrimo starts tomorrow and I haven't seen that much about it on my dash, let's talk! who's participating and what are you excited about? ✨

Princesses and feminists, these are for Cassandra and Helen by @futureauthor-mabye. I hope you like them! Requests for OC aesthetics are open.

I’m sorry this took so long! Here’s to the bard Hedorim Tolmish, by @hawkeyesout-punks. I hope it was worth the wait!

Requests for OC aesthetics are open.

Hey everybody!

I've been hanging around on this blog for a while now. Seeing all your amazing projects combined with the enthusiasm of the lovely @anightravensecho and @dreamsofbooksandmonsters has convinced me to introduce myself a little more clearly ^^.

My name is Anne. I'm a student and enthusiastic reader and writer. I started this blog because I make aesthetics moodboards when I'm stressed and I enjoy talking about writing projects. I thought I should combine the two and make fanart for WIP's and OC's. I'll certainly continue this, but I want to throw in some more writing-related stuff, too!

I used to be hooked on fantasy, and though this genre still has a special place in my heart, I now read (and write) anything and everything. I play a lot with diversity and (art-) history in my work. My current WIP is called Elementary (as a working title). It's a historical fantasy, set in England around 1800. It’s about a band of traveling artists/magicians (The Elements), each of them having left their homes and joined the group for their own reasons. I follow a couple of them throughout the story as they slowely split up.

I'd love to hear all about your work! Please do come into my inbox for a ramble, a question, a talk, a rant or to request an aesthetic moodboard. And maybe like or reblog this, so I can check out your blog!

Love and happy writing! 

Cira & Deza Muram || "It's harder to make friends when she's not here to be charming."

Yes! Thanks! I love these children. Well, the protagonist, Tungsten, he’s the sweetest guy. He has just joined this band of traveling magicians and artists (the Elements), and he’s trying so hard to fit in. His biggest wish is quite simple: he wants to belong somewhere. But the antagonist, Espen, has his eyes set on the Elements. I don’t want to spoil how and why, yet! Espen isn’t brutal, but the end surely justefies the means to him. And he really believes in this end. By threatening the Elements, he forces Tungsten to help him spy on the very people Tungsten would love to call his friends. Poor Tungsten is going to feel pretty guilty for a while.    

does anyone want to come tell me about their wip or their ocs? im procrastinating hard here lads

On leaving or dying 

sleep on the floor - the lumineers / fast car - trace chapman /  this year - the mountain goats /  ghosts - the head and the heart / roll away your stone - momford & sons / keys in the car - jukebox the ghost / i am disappeared - frank turner / twin size mattress - the front bottoms / maps for the getaway - andrew mcmahon / this town ain’t big enough for the one of me - frank turner /  land locked blues - bright eyes /  go farther in lightness - gang of youths /  everything i own - the front bottoms 

i think that sometimes the best thing that you can do is remind yourself that there are beaches. lakes, rivers, and ponds. there are forests. little woods and meadows. there are canyons. gullies and mountain cliffs. there are rainy days. dry spells and scorching blue skies. that the world turns. changes as much as it repeats. that feeling slow today won't stop tomorrow's high tide. won't make july's blackberries any less ripe