My Arts

Despite the fact that I am not deaf, mute, or blind myself, one of the most common questions I receive is how to portray characters with these disabilities in fiction.

As such, I’ve compiled the resources I’ve accumulated (from real life deaf, mute, or blind people) into a handy masterlist.

Deaf Characters:

Deaf characters masterpost

Deaf dialogue thread

Dialogue with signing characters (also applies to mute characters.)

A deaf author’s advice on deaf characters

Dialogue between deaf characters

Mute

Life as a Mute

My Silent Summer:  Life as a Mute

What It’s Like Being Mute

21 People Reveal What It’s Really Like To Be Mute

I am a 20 year old Mute, ask me anything at all!

Blind Characters:

The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Blind Characters.

@referenceforwriters masterpost of resources for writing/playing blind characters.

The youtube channel of the wonderful Tommy Edison, a man blind from birth with great insight into the depiction of blind people and their lives.

An Absolute Write thread on the depiction of blind characters, with lots of different viewpoints and some great tips.

And finally, this short, handy masterpost of resources for writing blind characters.

If you have any more resources to add, let me know!  I’ll be adding to this post as I find more resources.

I see this a lot, no one has actual names, or any reference for names, that are legit Native American, varying among the tribes, for their characters.

Babynames.com and shit like that will give you names made up by white people.

However, I’ve got your solution.

Native-Languages  is a good website to turn to for knowledge on a lot of native things, including native names. If you’re unsure about the names you’ve picked, they even have a list of made up names here!

*starred ones are specifically for fantasy/scifi wips*

college AU but instead of being students, all your ocs are professors

AU where your ocs are overly competitive [Insert Youth Sport] Parents™ whose kids are on opposing teams

historical AU set during the bubonic plague

*wormhole AU where your ocs find themselves at a Comic Con on Earth (in the near future after your book/comic/film has come out to wild success) and they must pretend to be extremely dedicated cosplayers*

community garden AU feat. an intense rivalry among your ocs

AU where your ocs are all various types of animals at a pet store/petting zoo

lost in this ikea for the past two weeks AU

AU where your ocs all work at a fast food restaurant

classical radio station AU where your ocs are rival djs

summer camp AU!!

AU where your ocs are famous Youtubers

jurassic park AU

*AU where all your non-human/non-Earth ocs are contestants on jeopardy being asked really simple questions about our normal/human world*

doomed tech start-up AU

*makeover reality show AU where your alien/non-human characters give makeovers to the human ones, and/or vice versa*

cat/dog show AU

boy band AU

mermaid AU but instead of normal mermaids they’re half disturbing deep-sea creatures

historical AU but it’s prehistoric

AU where all your ocs are preschool teachers

80s werewolf AU but your ocs all look like Michael J Fox in the original Teen Wolf movie

art school AU

AU where your ocs are aged-up and are now all residents in a retirement home

antiques roadshow AU

mock trial/model UN/speech & debate team AU

small-town newspaper AU

doomed camping trip AU

high school science fair AU

musical AU

1950s ‘Outsiders’ AU where your ocs are split between Greasers and Socs

warrior cats AU

Great British Bake-Off AU

extreme scavenger hunt competition AU

AU set in the near future where everyone has abandoned language as we know it and communicates only in memes

*intergalactic study abroad AU where non-Earth ocs spend a semester going to college on Earth, and/or vice versa*

shipwrecked on a desert island AU

super cliché horror movie AU

shitty garage band AU

AU where all your ocs work at a theme park based on the genre/concept of your actual wip

pride & prejudice AU

‘your wip as a disney channel show’ AU

AU where your ocs all work at a museum

- unless your character is pale the patches won’t be just a couple shades paler than their skin color. it’s the destruction of melanocytes, not an opacity filter. they won’t be pure white but they’ll be pretty close and just looking at photos of ppl (especially in different lighting) will help

- that said don’t be afraid to give pale characters vitiligo, it’s definitely not as noticeable at first glance but still cool

- pls... don’t draw patches pink.. it makes my skin hurt. unless ur character is sunburned just don’t

- vitiligo is, in MOST cases, symmetrical TO AN EXTENT. you obviously don’t have to follow this rule bc there’s real life exceptions, but most patches will have a patch/other half similar in size and shape on the other side

- idk if other people have this but the right side of my patches are bigger, which is why i say TO AN EXTENT

- patches can’t have freckles. i actually have a freckle that’s cut in half by the edge of a patch currently

- vitiligo can happen anywhere on the body but it’s most common around the eyes, mouth, hands and feet. also armpits but ppl don’t usually draw characters w visible armpits. that said not everybody has face patches most famous example i can think of is jon hamm

- patches can have smooth and/or splotchy edges, even on just one person. for example the bottom of my eye patches are v smooth but my forehead patches are all over the fucking place

- there’s a theory that trauma to the skin can trigger a new patch of vitiligo to form (which i’m prone to believe cause my forehead patch came in after i got a bad habit of popping pimples LMAO) so if ur character has a cool facial scar along w vitiligo u could give them a patch originating from the scar (or an acne patch like me.......)

- adding on to that the reason for this theory is bc it’s an autoimmune disease and while most ppl with vitiligo won’t have another one there IS a corrolation w other autoimmune diseases so like if u wanna maybe draw ur character also w a diabetic pump that would be kinda cool (they said diabetically)

- it also spreads with age, so if ur drawing a younger/older version of ur character keep in mind how it has changed over the course of their life. example mine started out small in the corners of my eyes and spread into what i call my superhero mask in the span of three years, for others that kind of progression could take way less time or way more time. it’s up to you to decide

- it can affect hair color as well so if patches go over the hairline of ur character feel free to give them cool white streaks

- draw more vitiligo in general it’s pretty and makes me like characters instantly

In honor of 1,000 followers, I’ve put together a brief overview/worksheet that you can use to start thinking about your traumatized character. This is meant to focus more on the trauma aspect and how they might react, but you are welcome to edit your copy to make it a full character profile.

It includes sections on basic details, PTSD symptoms, other common mental health issues, triggers, support systems, as well as gives you a space to go more in-depth about what happened and what they remember and the world they live in.

There’s also a multi-trauma character profile here. (Link)

An example of the character profile in use is here. (Link) Trigger warnings for suicide attempts, incest, and csa.  Julia, the character in question, is the MC for a piece about someone with repressed emotional issues having to confront the emotions that they didn’t even realize they were pushing back when they try the newest fad, a mood indicating hair dye. You’ll notice that in my copy, I’ve deleted sections I didn’t need or moved things around to fit this character- there’s also a few ‘To Be Decided’s there. Don’t feel like you have to be able to fill out the whole thing before sitting down to write.

Thank you to all the people who helped me look over it, and to all of my followers for sticking around and helping me create a better resource.

Some of my most frequently asked questions involve worldbuilding, and I’ve compiled quite a collection of resources on the matter.  As such, I’ve decided to compile them into a handy list, for your convenience!  

Worldbuilding Resources:

Worldbuilding 101

Making New Cultures

Woldbuilding Masterlist

Resources For Worldbuilding

Naming Systems

Free Wolrdbuilding Website (World Anvil)

Worldbuilding Website (Notebook AI)

Worldbuilding Blogs:

@wbqotd

@vcreatures

@worldbuilding

@worldanvil

@cabaoneoneone

@script-a-world

@teratoscope

More to come!

A character that is;

- Insecure

- Stubborn

- Caring

- Has terrible handwriting

Google BetaBooks. Do it now. It’s the best damn thing EVER.

You just upload your manuscript, write out some questions for your beta readers to answer in each chapter, and invite readers to check out your book!

It’s SO easy!

You can even track your readers! It tells you when they last read, and what chapter they read!

Your beta readers can even highlight and react to the text!!!

There’s also this thing where you can search the website for available readers best suited for YOUR book!

Ah, manipulative people. Oh-so-fun to write, not so much fun when you encounter them in real life. Here are a few things you can implement when writing or roleplaying such a character.

Flattery

Manipulative people will often be incredibly nice and sweet to you, and shower you with compliments to get you to do their bidding; butter you up, if you will. Basically, manipulative people will can be the best friend you’ve ever had as long as that friendship gains them; and once they feel you’re useless to them, they will either be your worst enemy, or treat you like air.

Hidden agendas

Perhaps a manipulative person doesn’t have a hidden agenda when brushing their teeth, but it’s not unlikely for them to have one whenever they interact with others, and that they’re always thinking about ways to get their will through. Don’t pin what they do on chance, but instead consider the fact that there might be an underlying reason for whatever they do in the company of others—until proven otherwise.

Bullying and guilt-tripping

When flattery doesn’t work, manipulative people will often show a more negative side and turn to things such as bullying and guilt-tripping to get what they want. Instead of making you feel like the best person in the world, they will make you feel like the scum of the Earth; chewed on, spat out, and stomped on. Most likely you’ll end up agreeing to their demands; not because you want to, but because you have to.

Stealth

What makes manipulative people so tricky, is the fact that they’re usually rather suave and pretty good at covering their tracks. Chances are you won’t even know you’re being manipulated until it’s too late; if you ever notice at all. Don’t write the manipulation tactics as being used too obviously, but instead, try to slip it into the writing with a little bit of stealth.

That’s pretty much all I can think of right now, so hopefully you got something out of it. Here are some additional links you might find useful:

Character Trait Entry: Manipulative

Creative Writing Plot Ideas: Dealing With Manipulative People

Television Tropes: Manipulative Bastard

5 Behaviors of Manipulative People

I could not decide on an Inktober/Drawlloween prompt list so HECK I made my own

⌘ Calm Scenes Playlist ⌘

For writing the calmer scenes in your story..

Listen On Spotify

thewritingcafe:

thewritingcafe:

Want to create a religion for your fictional world? Here are some references and resources!

General:

General Folklore

Various Folktales

Heroes

Weather Folklore

Trees in Mythology

Animals in Mythology

Birds in Mythology

Flowers in Mythology

Fruit in Mythology

Plants in Mythology

Folktales from Around the World

Africa:

Egyptian Mythology

African Mythology

More African Mythology

Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

The Gods of Africa

Even More African Mythology

West African Mythology

All About African Mythology

African Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

The Americas:

Aztec Mythology

Haitian Mythology

Inca Mythology

Maya Mythology

Native American Mythology

More Inca Mythology

More Native American Mythology

South American Mythical Creatures

North American Mythical Creatures

Aztec Gods and Goddesses

Asia:

Chinese Mythology

Hindu Mythology

Japanese Mythology

Korean Mythology

More Japanese Mythology

Chinese and Japanese Mythical Creatures

Indian Mythical Creatures

Chinese Gods and Goddesses

Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Korean Gods and Goddesses

Europe:

Basque Mythology

Celtic Mythology

Etruscan Mythology

Greek Mythology

Latvian Mythology

Norse Mythology

Roman Mythology

Arthurian Legends

Bestiary

Celtic Gods and Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses of the Celtic Lands

Finnish Mythology

Celtic Mythical Creatures

Gods and Goddesses

Middle East:

Islamic Mythology

Judaic Mythology

Mesopotamian Mythology

Persian Mythology

Middle Eastern Mythical Creatures

Oceania:

Aboriginal Mythology

Polynesian Mythology

More Polynesian Mythology

Mythology of the Polynesian Islands

Melanesian Mythology

Massive Polynesian Mythology Post

Maori Mythical Creatures

Hawaiian Gods and Goddesses

Hawaiian Goddesses

Gods and Goddesses

Creating a Fantasy Religion:

Creating Part 1

Creating Part 2

Creating Part 3

Creating Part 4

Fantasy Religion Design Guide

Using Religion in Fantasy

Religion in Fantasy

Creating Fantasy Worlds

Beliefs in Fantasy

Some superstitions:

Read More

Here, I have some more:

Africa:

Ancient Egypt: the Mythology

Egyptian Gods

Legendary Monsters of Africa

The Americas:

Aztec Mythology

Incan Mythology

Haitian Mythology

Mayan Mythology

Asia:

Chinese Mythology

Japanese Mythology

Korean Mythology

Hindu Mythology

Japanese Folklore and Mythology

Chinese Mythology

Europe:

Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology

The Olympians

Women in Greek Myths

Greek Mythology

More Greek Mythology

Even More Greek Mythology

Greek/Roman Mythology

Germanic Myths, Legends, and Sagas

Norse Mythology

The Muse

Creepy Irish Creatures

Irish Folklore

Norse Mythology

Arthurian Mythology

Celtic Mythology

Latvian Mythology

Norse Gods, Goddesses, and More

A Celtic Pantheon

Welsh Gods and Goddesses

Celtic Deities

Werewolf Legends from Germany

Welsh Deities

Celtic Gods and Goddesses

Oceanic:

Australian Mythology

Polynesian Mythology

General:

Ancient Myth and Magic

Massive List of Mythological Creatures

Mythical Creatures

Hairy Hominids

Cryptozoology

Mysterious Beings, Monsters, and Creatures

Amulets and Good Luck Charms A - Z

Modern Monsters

Myths and Legends

Folklore and Mythology (2)

More Links

Folklore, Myth, and Legend

Names of Gods and Goddesses

Folklore Mythology

“Love… what’s that ? ”

“You don’t know what Love is ?”

Sorrel paused. "What?" He asked. Kiri simply stared at him as she waited for her answer. "Well... Yeah, I do." "Who?" Sorrel cleaned his glasses. "Plenty. I love my family..." "What's a family?" Sorrel sighed again. "A family is a group of people that protect and care for you... They make you feel safe." Kiri blinked. Once. Twice. Then she looked down. "I don't... Have a family... What does it feel like?" She whispered, playing with her boot laces. The doctor frowned. "It's... Nice..." He knelt down to where she was sitting. "You do have a family you know. Here. We're your family."

She slowly looked up at him. "No, you aren't... I don't feel safe here... I only feel safe with Charlotte and... And she hates me..." Her gaze fell to the ground again. "I'm not loved... I'm protected, but I don't feel safe... I feel like... Like she's gonna come back." Sorrel reached out and gently set a hand on her shoulder. "You are loved, though. Charlotte is hard to get to, but Rue loves you. Olida and Coriander do. I-" "No you don't."

Kiri glared at Sorrel, who was taken back. "Don't say that. Don't say you love me. I didn't even know what love was until just now. If you loved me, I'd know what that felt like." Sorrel frowned. "Kiri-" "No! Stop! I'm just some unfinished project to you! A copy to her! A failure to my creator!" Tears ran down her face as she stood up. "I'm not natural! I'm less natural than the real parasites! The only place I could ever belong, the place I want to avoid, is in a science lab, where they train me, and... T-test me... And take out big needles and poke me... And... And..." Kiri let out a loud sob as she fell to the ground, Sorrel catching her in a hug. "Please... I don't want to go back there... I don't want to be a thing... I..."

Sorrel softly pet her. "Shhh... Shh... It's okay... You aren't going back there... That part of your life is done with, I promise..." Kiri let out a long, low cry, burying her face into Sorrel's shoulder. Soon she fell limp in his arms, sniffling softly, as sleep took her.

...

...

...

Charlotte was silent as she stood by the door, watching Sorrel tuck Kiri into bed. When he turned, she'd be gone, as if she never stopped in the first place. "I only feel safe with Charlotte... And she hates me..." ...Oh, if only she knew how wrong she was. The door shut quietly behind her as she undid her hair and got prepared for the night.

Charlotte admitted she didn't fancy Kiri at first. But somehow, she saw they had the same issues. They were both bootlegged parasites, designed specifically for the agenda of their government. They both had the same chance of being taken again. They both were hated by many people, if not because they were formed in a lab then because they didn't perform their duties to the government. They both were considered property of said government, hence why Kiri had to stay within headquarters. When someone thought about it, the two were pretty damn similar. Charlotte let the warm water of the shower run over her, releasing the tension of the work day from her bones.

With a drawn out sigh, Charlotte washed her hair. Kiri was nicer than she was. Clingy, but nice. If only Charlotte could show the kid she wasn't alone in this.