The Writing Magi

Disclaimers: while I have been learning ASL (American Sign Language, I am not yet fluent. Also, I am not deaf. Both of these things being said, I have been learning ASL for nearly a year and I’ve been doing independant research about the language itself and the Deaf community. What I’ve listed below are things that I have learned from my own personal experience signing, what I’ve learned in my ASL class, and what I’ve learned from my independant research.

1) When you write signed dialogue, use quotation marks and everything else you would use for any other type of dialogue. Yes, I know they didn’t do that in the Magnus Chase series, but many Deaf readers were made uncomfortable at the choice to depict sign language as not speech. Establish early on that the character signs and then use tags such as “xe signed,” or “hir motions were snappy with irritation.”

2) Without facial expressions, someone’s signs are going to be almost meaningless. All of the grammar is in the face, as are some descriptors. For example, if you can’t see a character’s face, and you’re only looking at their hands, the signs would be the same for the statement “Xe doesn’t have dogs.” and the question “Does xe have dogs?” 

3) There is no such thing as fluent lipreading. The best lipreaders in the world can only understand about 70% of what’s being said, and factors such as darkness, the presence of mustaches, lack of context, and a bunch of other common things can easily lower that ability. If someone’s lipreading, they’re taking little pieces of what they can lipread, and stitching together context and other details to get a general picture of what’s going on, but there’s still always going to be holes.

4) If you’re writing a character who can’t hear, know the difference between deaf (lowercase d) and Deaf (uppercase D). The medical term for not being able to hear anything is deaf. People who use their deafness as part of their identity are referred to, and refer to themselves as Deaf. They are part of the Deaf community.

(more tips below cut)

where now is boromir the fair? he tarries and i grieve.

(ID under read more)

Escape plan. doing this really quick because.. canon? what? ( fit toothpick thanks to Tech that always carried those even if Crosshair wasn't with them. )

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Adult Omega!!

(Click image for better quality)

Nothing can bring down Omega’s mood. She is just happy they got Crosshair back…

What do you mean that’s not how it happened? You are clearly delusional. This is exactly what happened.

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❤❤❤Reblogs are love❤❤❤

All Padawans of races that grow hair have a braid behind their right ear. Braids have a yellow band at the top and a red band at the bottom. Additional beads or other color bands are added to mark the Padawan’s area/s of study. 

The yellow band is applied when a Master takes on the Padawan before 13 standard years of age. The red band is applied after 16 standard years of age when he/she completes their Temple courses and starts studying independently under the guidance of his or her Master.

White: Healing

Blue: Mechanics

Red: Piloting

Green: The Living Force/Meditation/Precognitive Visions

Yellow: Lightsaber and other weapons 

Black: Jedi version of Covert Operations

Anakin had red and blue bands. Mechanics and piloting.

Obi Wan had red and yellow bands. Piloting and weapons. 

Ahsoka in Clone Wars is still young and so has only one yellow bead for her notable saber technique. 

Braids are cut by the Master’s lightsaber upon the Padawan’s completion of the Trials (generally around 20 standard years but often earlier or later depending on the student). Jedi who are expelled from the Order prior to completing their training have their braids ripped out rather than cut. Ouch! 

There is a long comprehensive list of force powers known to be used, mostly aggregated and slightly edited, as taken from[1] Broadly speaking, Jedi powers encompassed Control, Sense and Alteration. Control Alchaka Alchaka was an extremely personal Force technique, used during meditation by the Jedi Knights of the Old Republic. It was a rigorous exercise, that was very hard to perfect. Alchaka meditation involved the repetition of certain positions and the movements required between them, often to the point of exhaustion, in order to help clear the mind and attune the body to the strength of the Force.

Art of Movement Art of Movement was a technique taught at the Jedi Temple during the Old Republic, it could be done with the Force to improve its performance.

Breath Control Using the breath control, a Jedi could literally numb the body’s instinct to shut itself down after long periods without oxygen, allowing the user to be able to go without breathing for longer periods than he or she ordinarily could by using the Force to reserve the amounts of air in the lungs. Detoxify Poison Detoxify Poison allowed a Force-user to detoxify poisons or eject them from their body in a much shorter amount of time than would normally be possible. It could also be used to cleanse their body of alcohol. Flashburn Flashburn was a term used by the Jedi Order to describe the reaction in which certain Jedi or Force-sensitives shutdown areas of their minds in reaction to emotional trauma. With sections of their memory seemingly ceasing to exist, those who used the technique were unable to remember details about the event at the center of the trauma. Force Body Force Body was a type of Force technique which allowed any Force-sensitiveto push their body’s endurance past a safe limit, ignoring and possibly sacrificing their health and well-being, in order to sustain their connection to the Force.

Force Comprehension Force Comprehension was the ability to absorb and interpret great quantities of information rapidly by speeding up the user’s neural processes. Force Comprehension required that the user possess at least a basic knowledge of the topic he was comprehending. Without this knowledge the user would simply speed up his neural processes and exhaust himself. Many Force users were wary of this ability, since on occasion knowledge learned at such a fast pace elicited strong emotions in the user. Therefore, the technique was not commonly used by the Jedi. Force comprehension found little favor with the Sith as well, simply because they don’t have to worry for the strong emotions. For these reasons, Force comprehension was considered to be a universal power. Force Concealment (Also known as Force Stealth) Force stealth also referred to as Force Concealment or Buried Presence was a power that was used by highly skilled Force-sensitives to mask their Force alignment (Light or Dark), their ability to use the Force, or even their entire presence from other Force sensitives. Force Enlightenment Force Enlightenment was a light side Force power. The most well-known Jedi who used this power frequently was the Jedi Exile, who learned it after a significant conversation with Jedi Masters Vrook Lamar, Kavar, and Zez-Kai Ell. Force Ghost The Force ghost was the soul and essence of a deceased Force-sensitive who denied the will of the Force upon death, yet was able to interact with the living, albeit not physically. Some Sith Lords learned similar techniques, which in some cases allowed them to physically interact with their environment. Force Healing Force healing, Force heal, or Cure was a power that used the Force to accelerate the natural healing process rapidly. Force Speed Force speed, also known as burst of speed or Force sprint, was a core Force power that allowed the user to maintain sprinting speeds for a brief time. Hibernation Trance Hibernation trance, healing trance, Jedi hibernation, Force trance, or recovery trance was a control-based ability that allowed Force-user to go into a very deep hibernation state. This slowed the user’s metabolism and breathing to a standstill, causing the individual to only use one tenth of the air of a normal individual. A fully trained Force-user could stay in this state for up to one week in a dry climate or one month in a wet climate before dying from lack of water. Morichro Similar to a Force trance, morichro suspended biological functions, including breathing and heart rate. A trained morichro user could turn the technique upon himself, surviving without food, water, or even air for periods of over a year at a time, though it would not protect against vacuum. But unlike a Force trance, it could also be turned on others, making it an effective way of subduing enemies. Tapas Tapas was a Force technique that allowed its user to draw on the power of the Force to remain warm in a cold environment. Sense Force Listening Theran Force-listening was a Force technique used by the Theran Listeners to hear through the Force. With it, Force-sensitives could understand words in another language or listen to beings talking from a distance. Force Meld Force Meld, otherwise known as Jedi meld or Battle meld, was a technique where a number of Force users joined their minds together through the Force, drawing strength from each other. A refinement of battle meditation, it was known to the ancient Jedi, though dangerous. Force Seeing Force sight, or Force seeing, was a basic Force ability, perhaps related to Force sense. It enhanced the bearer’s visual and spatial perception even in the dark or behind walls. Force Sense Force sense was one of the most basic Force abilities for a Jedi. It could be used to feel another being’s feelings, the future, ripples in the Force caused by momentous or traumatic events, impending danger and the presence of the dark side. Force Vision Generally, when peering deep into the Force, a Force user had the potential to see events that could happen in the future. Force Visions were extremely rare, and uncontrollable. Often, one would meditate to gain a vision, but only a few would actually succeed. Telepathy Telepathy was the very basic ability to mentally communicate over small or vast distances with other individuals. Alteration Alter Damage With this power, Jedi were able to reduce the damage inflicted by their lightsaber so that it did not deal lethal damage. Alter Image Alter Image was a Force power which allowed the user to alter his or her own personal features, such as the height, weight, skin color, facial features, sex, voice, and body shape. Alter Environment Alter Environment was a Force power that involved various techniques that allowed the user to manipulate nature, enabling the creation of phenomena such as Force whirlwinds or fog that could be used to attack or to shield the user from opponents. Animal Friendship Animal Friendship, also referred to as Beast Control or Beast Trick, was the Force ability to control an animal. Battle Meditation Battle meditation was a Force ability which considerably boosted the morale, stamina, and overall battle prowess of an individual’s allies while simultaneously reducing the opposition’s combat-effectiveness by eroding their will to fight. With the Force, one could coordinate entire fleets of ships, allowing them to perform at maximum efficiency, acting as a single entity with the ability to counter every enemy move quickly and effectively. Though ideal for meditating large-scale conflicts, battle meditation was equally effective when employed for the benefit of one’s comrades in small skirmishes, attacks, and duels. Combustion Combustion was the Force ability that allowed users to cause an object explode by sheer force of will. Crucitorn Crucitorn was a Jedi technique for transcending physical pain beyond normal thresholds. Dark Transfer Crucitorn was a Jedi technique for transcending physical pain beyond normal thresholds. Deadly Sight Deadly Sight was a power of the dark side, focusing the user’s hatred into deadly energy. Dopplegänger Dopplegänger was a Force power that allowed a user to create a perfect illusion of his or herself through the Force. Drain Knowledge Drain Knowledge was a dark side ability used to extract knowledge out of a sentient without his or her consent. Droid Disable Ionize was a Force power developed during the Old Sith Wars that allowed a Jedi to overload and damage electronic systems, such as droids. Electric Judgment This was a power similar to Force lightning that showed up as yellow or green energy instead of blue or white, but otherwise it was very similar in both appearance and usage.This power was uncommon and controversial among the Jedi because of its intrinsic association with anger and aggression. Force Bellow Force bellow was a power in which the user would amplify their voice using the Force. Force Blinding Force blinding was a telekinetic light side Force power. Upon use of this technique, a blinding flash of energy emanated from a user’s hand, manifesting as a flash of light that overloaded a target’s vision, causing temporary blindness. Force Cloak Some Force users with this rare ability could use the Force to photo-kinetically bend light and sound waves around themselves, rendering them invisible to others, both visually and through Force. Force Confusion Among the more advanced mind trick techniques was Force confusion, which could be used in combat to temporarily manipulate enemies to fight as an ally. It was especially useful when outnumbered, and was quicker to employ than affect mind in the heat of battle. Force Deflection Force Deflection was a Force power used by Jedi and Sith who were without a lightsaber, or chose not to carry one. It is unknown exactly if the Jedi and Sith merely created a wall using the Force to deflect blaster bolts, and Energy, or if they actually deflected them back with their hand. It took much skill in the Force to use this, however, and most Jedi used their lightsabers instead to deflect incoming attacks Force Destruction Force Destruction was a dark side Force power used by certain gifted Sith and Dark Jedi, allowing them to create a massive energy field and throw it in any direction. Force drain Force drain referred to a spectrum of offensive and defensive Force powers, tied to the same concept, which used the dark side of the Force to tap into the strengths of an organic target. Force Flash The Force-flash was a Force power employed when the person using it did not want to be seen. Force Jump Force Jump, also known as Force Leap, used the Force to augment the user’s natural leaping ability. Force-users adept in this technique could perform awe-inspiring vertical/horizontal leaps with impunity. Force Light Force light was an immense light-side Force power used by Jedi. When used against a darksider, Force light would weaken the darksider’s connection to the Force. Force Lightning Force lightning (also known as Sith Lightning) was a well known Force ability, most often used by practitioners of the dark side of the Force, especially the Sith. Force Orb Force Orb was a Force power which served as an attack. Under normal circumstances, it only worked underwater. It could also sometimes be used on land by gathering moisture in the area. Force Scream Force scream was a Force power used by Dark Jedi or Sith. It was a scream, of strong frustration, rage, or grief, emitted through the Force. Best identified with the terrible plastic “Nooooo !”  uttered by Vader at the end of Episode III. Force Stun Force Stun was a Force power that could temporarily deaden the senses and perceptions of a targeted enemy. Force Slow Force Slow clouded the target’s mind, causing them to slow down both mentally and physically. Force Storm (wormhole) Force storm was a volatile dark side Force power capable of creating hyperspace wormholes that were able to displace objects across vast distances and tear apart the surfaces of entire planets. Force Subjugate Force Subjugate was a Force power that enabled the user to inflict damage upon the mind of an opponent. The infliction was able to act as a distraction, or to rid the opponent of concentration for a short period of time. Some used this power to calm, or even enrage creatures with a low amount of will power. Force Suppression Force suppression was a Force technique used to attack the will of the target, canceling all first and second tier Force powers. This would individually affect each active Force power. This technique took a great deal of focus to accomplish. Force Travel Force travel was a Force power which allowed a being to travel great distances instantly by creating a momentary rift in space. This power caused the user to be corrupted by the dark side, as it broke the normal rules of the galaxy by ripping the Force asunder. The technique became more corrupting to use depending both on how far away the target was, as well as how familiar the Force-user was with the location. Force Weapon Force Weapon was a Force ability that allowed the user to imbue an unpowered weapon with the Force for a period of time. By channeling energy into the weapon, it allowed the wielder to strike and do more damage than the weapon’s simple appearance would suggest. As a useful side effect, a Force-imbued weapon could be used to block lightsabers without damaging the weapon. Pyrokinesis Pyrokinesis was a Force power that allowed a Force-user to manipulate and create fire. Kinetite Kinetite was a sphere of restrained kinetic energy which could be thrown at an enemy. Malacia Malacia was a Force technique that was used to induce a powerful dizziness and nausea in enemies by turning their equilibrium against them. Mechu-deru Mechu-deru was a Force based skill of the mechanized area, providing an intricate reprogramming of droids. Midichlorian Manipulation Midi-chlorian manipulation was a form of Sith alchemy requiring immense knowledge of the dark side of the Force which allowed its user to create, maintain, or save life through the influencing of midi-chlorians to a certain degree. Mind Trick Mind tricks refer to a spectrum of Force powers which influenced the thoughts of sentient creatures, most commonly used to coerce into agreement by suggestion through voice manipulation, or to cause one to reveal information. Protection Bubble Protection Bubble was a Force power, probably related to Force Protection. With this ability, the user could create a defensive sphere around their body. Plant Surge Plant Surge, also known as Consitor Sato,[4] was a light side Force power that was based around the channeling of life energy into plants, allowing the user to improve the plant’s rate of growth and even affect the manner in which it grows. Ray Ray was a Force technique used by Jedi skilled in energy manipulation. Employing this power, a Jedi could convert small amounts of nearby matter into controllable focused energy. With this energy, a Jedi could block attacks from blaster bolts. Revitalize Revitalize was a light side Force technique that revitalized an exhausted, wounded or, unconscious user, or whoever the user directed it at. Sever Force Sever Force was a non-lethal Force power by which a being’s connection to the Force was interrupted, or blocked from them with a wall of light-side energy. Sith Alchemy Sith alchemy was primarily used to enhance the strength of weapons and armor (such as the famous Sith swords), or to genetically engineer and enhance alien species, making them more dangerous and easier to control by the Sith Lords. More sinisterly, Sith alchemy was capable of waking the dead in servitude to the Sith. Spear of Midnight Black The spear of midnight black was a dark side Force power. It enabled the Force-user to summon the Force and forge with it an invisible spear from dark side energies which could be hurled at opponents, killing or injuring them as if it were a real, physical spear. Spirit Transference Transfer essence, also known as essence transfer or transfer life, was a radical dark side Force power used to transfer a person’s consciousness into another body, or in some cases an inanimate object. Telekinesis Telekinesis, was a neutral ability that most Force-sensitives had. With it, they could lift objects according to their concentration and move them, hovering the items in any direction. This ability was the base for Force Pull, Force Throw and Force Push, as well as telekinetic lightsaber combat techniques such as Saber Throw. Tutatminis Tutaminis was an umbrella title used by the Jedi Order to classify Force abilities related to energy absorption. Designated as one in a family of Control abilities, tutaminis techniques were taught to Jedi Initiates within the Jedi academy throughout the history of the Order. While taught to all Jedi during the days of the Galactic Republic, it was a rare feat to be capable of dissipating concentrated energy such as what makes up a blasterbolt or lightsaber blade. Torture by Chagrin Torture by Chagrin, also known as memory walk, consisted of mentally reaching into the victim’s mind, forcing them to relive all the worst memories of their life, both painful ones and ones that were merely embarrassing, over and over and over again to the point where it almost seemed to cause physical pain. Thought Bomb The thought bomb was one of the most powerful and destructive applications of the dark side of the Force which targeted all Force-sensitive individuals and vaporized clothing, flesh, bone, and even stone within the radius of the weapon’s blast. The thought bomb sucked the souls of its victims into a sphere of dark side energy where they were trapped in an orb of dark torment until the end of time. Unfortunately for the user(s) the thought bomb was a suicide weapon. Note: This answer does not cover what are the known occurrences of which Jedi used which power at which time, what powers were typically or exclusively used by the dark side or the light side, nor does it cover sub powers of each type as that would extend the scope of the question greatly. Also given that Star Wars lore tends to grow with time, feel free to suggest edits if you see something new over time.

Just a short list of potentially useful Wookieepedia pages that others could use as a reference for RP or writing.

Real World Items

Domesticated Animals

Foodstuffs

Music Stuffs

Slang and Phrases

All the Planets

Galactic Calendar

Timeline

Short Version

Force Abilities

Dark

Light

Languages (though it’s not much help imo)

Drugs and Medicine

Plants

StyleWriter 4 (14-day trial period)

Editminion (free)

Pro Writing Aid (online editor; mostly free, but offers more features if you pay.)

AutoCrit (offers free analysis for under 500 words)

Paper Rater (designed for essays)

Grammarly 

Writing Software

WriteRoom (distraction free; $9.99)

Scrivener (multi-faceted writing platform; $45)

Pages (mac specific writing software; $20.99 with iWork)

MS Office for Mac (multiple programs for composing; $150)

Google Docs (free online writing)

My Writing Nook (online text editor; free)

Bubbl.us (online mind map application; free)

Freemind (mind map application; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)

XMind (mind map application; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)

Liquid Story Binder (novel organization and writing software; free trial, $45.95; Windows, portable)

SuperNotecard (novel organization and writing software; free trial, $29; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)

yWriter (novel organization and writing software; free; Windows, Linux, portable)

JDarkRoom (minimalist text editor; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)

AutoRealm (map creation software; free; Windows, Linux with Wine)

ZenWriter (free and for $9,95; autosaves; Windows; you can add music; easy to carry on a flashdrive)

BigHugeLabs (online; minimalistic; free; auto-saves; you can create and account and see your documents anywhere you log in)

More Free Software

Generators

Plot Scenario Generator

Script Frenzy’s Plot Machine

GotPoetry.com’s Short Story Starter

Fictiongen’s Genre-Fiction Generator

Nine.FrenchBoys.net’s List of Generators 

Warpcore SF’s Science Fiction Plot Generator

Ugoi.net’s Regency Romance Generator

Teresa Nielsen Hayden’s Random Plot Generator

Squidoo’s Step-By-Step Story Plot Generator

Character Questionnaires

Character Development Questions for Writers (113 Q’s)

Character Questions (30 Q’s)

Character Questionnaire 1 and 2  (Interesting questions)

Child Character Questionnaire (40 Q’sl)

Adult Character Questionnaire (32 Q’s)

The Mother of All Character Questionnaires (382 Q’s)

Character Questionnaire (50 Q’s - Generic)

Character Outlines (Very Complete)

Character Questionnaire Tag

Writing Communities

FictionPress (FanFiction.net’s original fic counterpart)

Figment 

Wattpad

Archive Of Our Own (mainly fanfic)

BBC English Literature Message Board

Scribophile

Writer’s Cafe

Writing Community: Writer’s Workshop

Book Country

GreatWriting

Flickspin

Writing.com

Organization

Storyboard Template

Realtimeboard

World Building

Eplans (visualizing apartments, houses, etc; floorplants)

Planet Maker (visualize a whole planet)

TimeAndDate (timelines, dates)

RoomSketcher 

Fractal World Generator (maps of worlds)

Creating a City From Scratch

Productivity Boosts and Background Sounds

Challenge Accepted!

Coffitivity

Music For Writers