hag scribes

Vocabulary

01. Word hippo

02. One look

03. Power thesaurus

04. Visual thesaurus

Dialogue tags

01. 300 words to use instead of said

02. 550+ alternative words for said

03. 200+ other words for said

(These pictures are not mine. Let me know if you know OP!)

WIP INTRO | NATASIA & THE GLADEKING

"knowledge is nothing to me, if not from your lips."

✦ gothic romance, fantasy ✦ novella ✦ 18+ ✦ drafting stage ✦ super self-indulgent so i'm basically writing whatever i want and letting the themes find me later, but so far it's looking like themes of female autonomy, dominance, and the age-old gothic idea of looking a monster in the eye and seeing yourself reflected there <3 ✦ associated aesthetics: midnight fever dreams / dirt everywhere, all over / you will never be fully clean / drowning in green / hidden truths / sex for the sake of it / love as a contract ✦ comps + inspirations: the starving saints by caitlin starling / labyrinth (1986)

SYNOPSIS

when natasia, a chambermaid of the timeworn castle pernskel, falls pregnant out of wedlock, life as she knows it is already slipping through her fingers. in her desperation, she inadvertantly summons a creature known to her only as the gladeking, a deity of the forest with a penchant for abducting children. what begins as a simple bargain with the gladeking quickly spirals into a much more complex game of manipulation, obsession, and if they aren't careful, devotion. (also known as "medieval maiden gets a magical elfbortion")

CHARACTERS

natasia | ( 24 ) the protagonist; striving for a standard she cannot reach. not who she believes herself to be, and braver than she thinks. the gladeking | ( ? ) a love interest of sorts; dangerous and wants to be even more so. understands much of others and little of himself.

to try to include in your next poem/story

Ambsace - something worthless or unlucky

Boscage - a growth of trees or shrubs; thicket

Callipygian - having shapely buttocks

Deasil - clockwise

Effluvium - an invisible emanation, especially: an offensive exhalation or smell

Floruit - a period of flourishing

Gueridon - a small usually ornately carved and embellished stand or table

Ipseity - individual identity; selfhood

Jorum - a large drinking vessel or its contents

Legerity - alert facile quickness of mind or body

Messaline - a soft lightweight silk dress fabric with a satin weave

Nosegay - a small bunch of flowers

Oblectation - pleasure, satisfaction, delight

Perlustrate - to go through and examine thoroughly

Rupicolous - living among, inhabiting, or growing on rocks

Sacchariferous - producing or containing sugar

Tinctorial - imparting color

Veridical - truthful, veracious

Wakerife - wakeful, alert

Xerarch - developing in a dry place

You know that thing where a story is written in tight third person limited — we’re meant to be inside someone’s head, seeing the world through their thoughts — and then suddenly the narration says “the blond frowned” or “the shorter woman sighed” about a person the POV character knows really well?

That’s called antonomasia — using a descriptive label instead of a name. And it’s fine when we’re talking about strangers: “the cashier handed her the receipt,” “the tall guy blocked the door.” The POV character doesn’t know their names, and we just need a quick way to tell people apart.

But the moment it’s used for someone the POV character already knows, it breaks immersion. Because that’s not how our minds work. We don’t think “the older man smiled at me.” We think “Mark smiled.” Or maybe “my boss” if that relationship matters in the moment.

Third person limited means the narration sits inside someone’s perception. Their inner monologue is the story’s voice. So when you switch from “Mark smiled” to “the blond smiled,” you’ve pulled the camera away from their mind and turned it into an outside shot.

If you want to create distance or irritation, you can do it on purpose —

“The idiot from accounting emailed again.”

That’s character voice. That’s judgment. That works.

But otherwise?

As soon as your POV character knows someone’s name, use it. While we do tend to worry about repetitions, names rarely register as such to the readers.

If you need variety for rhythm, use relational or emotional identifiers that make sense in their head: her friend, his partner, their teacher, the person they loved.

Because inside someone’s thoughts, there are no “blonds” or “brunettes.”

You can find all of the submissions for all of the interactive fiction games that did not fit into any of the 5 main categories down below! These are mainly horror/thriller IFs, with some others.

(Not listed in any particular order—top games in each category coming soon)

Ongoing

The Porthecrawl Witness (mystery) by @porthecrawl-witness

1966 (cosmic horror) by @1966-if

Zorlok (horror/thriller) by @zorlok-if

Dead Weight (apocalyptic/supernatural) @deadweight-if

Nyotani by @nyotani-if

One Knight Stand (apocalyptic?) by @oneknightstand-if

The Lonely Shore by @thelonelyshore-if

Complete

The Passenger (cosmic horror) by @the-passenger-if

Potentially inactive

The Spirited: Origins (horror, could be on pause) by @yuveim

Echoes of Olympus (fantasy? likely discontinued) by @fableforger

When It Hungers (hiatus & coming soon?) by @roast-ifs

Supernatural in New York (on pause, to be ported) by @llamagirl28

Sanguisuga (on temporary hiatus and coming back soon) by @sanguisuga-if

You can find all of the submissions for the Fantasy Interactive Fiction category down below!

Ongoing

A Thin Line Between Desires by @theostwistedtales

The Gray Ascendancy by @thegrayascendancy-if

The Sword of Rhivenia by @theswordofrhivenia 

The Marked by @peonyb

The Lost Bride @thelostbride-if

The Midnight Bay @midnight-bay-if

A Tale of Crowns by @ataleofcrowns

Stygian Sun: Total Eclipse  @stygiansun-totaleclipse

Wayfarer @idrellegames

Shepherds of Haven  by @shepherds-of-haven

Cantata by @fir-fireweed

When Twilight Strikes  by @evertidings

The Lonely Shore by @thelonelyshore-if

God-Cursed by  @wings-of-ink

The Bastard of Camelot by @llamagirl28

Crown of Exile by @ramonag-if

Misplaced by @calliopefiction

Wolfsbane by @wolfsbane-if

Pactbinder by @pactbinder-if (mentioned in action/adventure)  

The Nameless by @parkerlyn

Tales of Wocdes: The Silver Protector  by @tales-of-wocdes

Small Fires by @smallfires-if

The Exile (also mentioned in action/adventure) by @exilethegame

Speaker  by  @speakergame

Pro Patria Mori by @pro-patria-mori-if

Kindling  by @kindlingif

Island of Whispers  by @islandwhispers-if

Anything for the Crown  by @anything4thecrown-if

Guardian of Time by @guardian-of-time-if

Crown of Ashes and Flames by @coeluvr  

The Sovereign’s Ring  by @thesovereignsring-if

Garden of Bones  by @gardenofbones-if

Fields of Asphodel by @chrysanthemumgames

The Pretenders Guild  by @thepretendersguild

The King’s Hound by @kal-down  

Golden Ashes* (Demo unavailable—currently being rewritten) by @goldenashes-if

Skin & Scales by @skinandscales-if 

Honor Amongst Thieves (also mentioned in action/adventure) by @leoneliterary

The Rot of Witchwood by @rotting-ink

Venturis by @venturis-if

Ashenmaw - Dragons of Marrowoods @ashenmaw-if

The Well of The Divine by @well-of-divine-if

Chains of Destiny by @chains-of-destiny

RPG in Another World  (also mentioned in action/adventure) by @drowsyruigames

Burning Academia by @burning-academia-if

The Abyssal by @theabyssal

The Ballad of the Young Gods by  @childrenofcain-if

Softly, Opulent by @softlyopulent-if

The Eternal Library  by @leiatalon

Hyperion by @hyperion-if

God Syndicate by @god-syndicate-if

Forever Gold by @lsdoiphin

The Abyssal Song by @ri-writes-if

Bladeweaver by @bladeweaver-if

The Brightest Stars by @brighteststars-if

Summoners Return by @king-of-fae

The Bonewitch by @thebonewitch-if

The Iron King’s Heir

Completed

A Mage Reborn: Book One by @mage-parivir (sequel in the works)

Love the Guard, Be The King by @ligiawrites

The Night Market Book One by @night-market-if (sequel in the works)

Lovewood by @lovewoodvn

Arcadie: Second Born by @sofia-d-asb (sequel in the works)

The Second Sight: Dead Reckoning by @spoiledblogif (sequel in the works)

Choice of Rebels: Uprising (sequel in the works) by Joel Havenstone

The Wayhaven Chronicles (book 1-3 completed, book 4 is in the works) by @seraphinitegames

Their Majesties' Pleasure by @leiatalon

Ink and Intrigue by @leiatalon

Hearts in Hades: Divine Passion by Lidia Molina Whyte

NonPlatonic Forms by @alexis-royce

The Case of the Serialized Killer by @alexis-royce

twisted little game

War of the Spider Queen | E | Vizaeth/Pharaun

Tags and Warnings: Noncon (Oral, Groping), Intoxication, Semi-public Humiliation, Toxic Relationship

Summary:

In which Pharaun finds a way to circumvent the restrictions of the geas and take a cruel vengeance on Vizaeth. Written for Kinktober 2025, for the prompts ‘humilation’ and ‘intoxication’.

[ID - a purple decorative divider]

The geas burns beneath his sternum. Rancid magic, rotten little claws digging into the muscle of his heart—in the dead of night, staring at the ceiling, he can hear that accursed name echoing inside his heartbeat: Vizaeth, Vizaeth, Vizaeth fucking Thaezyr.

He’s tried to get rid of it. Oh, how he’s tried—hours of reading, scouring the deepest recesses of Sorcere’s libraries, creeping about like some common criminal in the fouler parts of the city in search of someone, something, anything that will rid him of this infection.

Pharaun rubs at his chest, the habit already tedious. None of his efforts have yet turned up a way to untangle the mangled skein of magic encasing his heart like Lolth’s own webs, so he must perforce find other ways to compensate his suffering. Particularly after the rat decided to blind and then rape him. That little stunt he did not, ironically, see coming. Up until then, even with the geas, he’d thought Vizaeth still squarely under his thumb. The boy was so obsessed, so devoted—charmingly, naively devoted, the perfect slave and scapegoat—that Pharaun never thought he’d grow an actual spine.

The influence of the Dyrr apprentice and his friends, no doubt. A touch of power rubbing off, making him think he can just get away with things, the way real people can. Well. Geas or not, it’s about time Vizaeth was reminded of his place in the natural order.

Another list of Latin phrases, this time with soft/warm meanings. It is 2:39am as I make this list.

a te pro te: from thee for thee

ab imo pectore: from the bottom of the heart

volat hora per orbem: time files through the world

coelum versus: heavenward

concubia nocte: at dead of night

crepusculum: twilight or dusk

crescens luna: a cresent moon

cum corde: with the heart

labores solis: an eclipse of the sun

in horam viviere: to live for the moment

in rerum natura: in the nature of things

in tuto esse: in a safe place

ingens aequor: the vast ocean

inter vivos: among the living

januae mentis: inlets of knowledge

jenuis clausis: in secret, with closed doors

littera scripta manet: the written letter remains

lux mundi: light of the world

lux vitae: light of life

meo voto: by my wish

mox nox: soon night

multis cum lacrimis: with many tears

ningit: it is snowing

occidui temporis umbra: a shadow at sunset

opinio vana: an illusion

osculum pacis: kiss of peace

papilio: butterfly

par pari refero: tit for tat

per vian dolorosam: the way of sorrows

philtrum: a love potion

pluvia: rain

res rustica: a rural affair

ros marinus: rosemary

semel et semper: once and always

silva: wood or forest

sinus urbis: heart of the city

As always, happy writing!

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

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💎Before you ask, check out my masterpost part 1 and part 2 

Many people create lists of synonyms for the word 'said,' but what about the word 'look'? Here are some synonyms that I enjoy using in my writing, along with their meanings for your reference. While all these words relate to 'look,' they each carry distinct meanings and nuances, so I thought it would be helpful to provide meanings for each one.

Gaze - To look steadily and intently, especially in admiration or thought.

Glance - A brief or hurried look.

Peek - A quick and typically secretive look.

Peer - To look with difficulty or concentration.

Scan - To look over quickly but thoroughly.

Observe - To watch carefully and attentively.

Inspect - To look at closely in order to assess condition or quality.

Stare - To look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something.

Glimpse - To see or perceive briefly or partially.

Eye - To look or stare at intently.

Peruse - To read or examine something with great care.

Scrutinize - To examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

Behold - To see or observe a thing or person, especially a remarkable one.

Witness - To see something happen, typically a significant event.

Spot - To see, notice, or recognize someone or something.

Contemplate - To look thoughtfully for a long time at.

Sight - To suddenly or unexpectedly see something or someone.

Ogle - To stare at in a lecherous manner.

Leer - To look or gaze in an unpleasant, malicious way.

Gawk - To stare openly and stupidly.

Gape - To stare with one's mouth open wide, in amazement.

Squint - To look with eyes partially closed.

Regard - To consider or think of in a specified way.

Admire - To regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval.

Skim - To look through quickly to gain superficial knowledge.

Reconnoiter - To make a military observation of a region.

Flick - To look or move the eyes quickly.

Rake - To look through something rapidly and unsystematically.

Glare - To look angrily or fiercely.

Peep - To look quickly and secretly through an opening.

Focus - To concentrate one's visual effort on.

Discover - To find or realize something not clear before.

Spot-check - To examine something briefly or at random.

Devour - To look over with eager enthusiasm.

Examine - To inspect in detail to determine condition.

Feast one's eyes - To look at something with great enjoyment.

Catch sight of - To suddenly or unexpectedly see.

Clap eyes on - To suddenly see someone or something.

Set eyes on - To look at, especially for the first time.

Take a dekko - Colloquial for taking a look.

Leer at - To look or gaze in a suggestive manner.

Rubberneck - To stare at something in a foolish way.

Make out - To manage to see or read with difficulty.

Lay eyes on - To see or look at.

Pore over - To look at or read something intently.

Ogle at - To look at in a lecherous or predatory way.

Pry - To look or inquire into something in a determined manner.

Dart - To look quickly or furtively.

Drink in - To look at with great enjoyment or fascination.

Bask in - To look at or enjoy something for a period of time.

I was playing around with Scrivener and after lots of trial and error, I’ve managed to create a theme I find quite pleasing! I use Windows, so I can’t confirm if it works on Mac, but feel free to modify it as needed.

DOWNLOAD ROSE WATER THEME: DROPBOX (for Windows)

See how to install below!

For romance writers who use Scrivener, I just created a new free template!!

So as a romance writer, l've always wanted to use a Scrivener template that served that particular goal and helped me structure everything! So I created this and integrated the Romance Beat Sheet by Jami Gold (in a singular document file) and added the following templates:

• Scene Card Template

• Character Sketch Template

• Settings Sketch Template (General)

• Settings Sketch Template (Apartment)

• The Romance Beat Sheet by Jami Gold (Plot Outline)

• The 3-Act Structure (Plot Outline Guide)

I made this free so that any writer who writes romance or stories with romance elements, could find it easy to use and create their projects and work on it seamlessly!

✦ killing everyone is lazy. corpses are boring. the real cruelty is survival—but the kind of survival where the character will never sleep right again. give them trauma, paranoia, scars that don’t heal. it’s way worse than a clean death.

✦ horror endings should feel unfinished. neat bows are for romance novels. if your reader closes the book thinking “oh good, it’s over,” you’ve failed. the best endings itch. they should feel like there’s still something lurking just off the page.

✦ leave something unresolved. don’t describe the monster’s body—describe the mug it left behind. the voicemail still playing. the dog still waiting at the door. absence is scarier than closure.

✦ the last line is everything. it should feel like a splinter under the skin. short, sharp, unforgettable.

examples:

“she turned off the light. something else turned it back on.”

“the baby monitor crackled: don’t forget to feed me.”

“his reflection waved first.”

“she tucked herself into bed. then felt the blanket tuck tighter from the other side.”