This is my last 2+ years….my brain stopped. I feel on the cusp of solving that plot point. Or two…or three.
So fun fact….this is a fun things our brains do on purpose! May I present: the creative process!!!!
It’s basically the scientific method but for creatives. First is Preparation—planning/background research/plotting/etc. Then you start to write and uh oh! A Problem™️ has been found and the best way to solve it is to let it incubate. This means not actively trying to solve it (yes, I’m serious). The idea is that while it “incubates,” you are focusing on other things like work, chores, or video games, and your subconscious will eventually solve your problem and lead to an “a-ha!” moment—the Illumination, if you will. Then you plug your solution in to your problem and verify that it all works out. Rinse and repeat as needed.
Knowing this has helped me immensely and has reduced the amount of time I spend stressing over plot issues, story direction, writers block, you name it.
grief is so crazy like what if i forget what her laugh sounds like. does she know i loved her. i miss her so much. i catch myself doing things she used to do. i wish i could call her. i miss her so much. i do a crossword puzzle. i cry while washing the dishes. does she know i loved her? my heart feels like a hummingbird. i miss her so much. what if i forget what her laugh sounds like. what if i forget.
when you put an arrow on the string, the verb is called “nocking” i.e. eyes glued on the target, he nocked the arrow
also the part of the arrow that gets put onto the string is called the nock. depending on the type of arrow this can be a piece of plastic glued into the arrow, or with wood or bamboo arrows it can be carved into the shaft of the arrow itself
you do not close an eye when aiming or shooting; you see better with both eyes open.
everyone has a dominant eye that more naturally your brain focuses with. that determines whether you are right or left handed when shooting, and doesn’t necessarily correlate to whether the person is right or left handed in anything else
so if you’re writing a character who has difficulty seeing out of one eye, take that into account when they are shooting
if they are right eye dominant, they hold the bow with their left hand and draw the string with their right. if they are left eye dominant, they hold the bow with their right hand and draw the string with their left
if they shoot left, the quiver sits on their left side/hip/thigh. shoot right - right side quiver.
there are several different ways to draw, if you are writing something historical or in a specific region, then do research on that style of archery. but for a generic place to start that is a more universal way of drawing a bow, here are some things to include
the chin stays down. raising your chin will fuck up your aim
the pointer finger on your draw hand rests on the side of your chin/jaw, and the string of the bow will touch the tip of the archer’s nose
weight is on the balls of your feet, leaning slightly forward off your heels
if it is an older bow/barebow, there is not usually a place for the arrow to rest on the bow. this means the arrow rests on the archer’s hand. if they are not wearing a glove on that hand, the fletchings (that’s the feathers on the arrow) will more than likely slice their hand when firing. this scars.
so if you’re wanting to describe someone observing and archer’s hands (hands are hot, don’t @ me) they would see a silver scar about halfway between the pointer finger knuckle and palm of the person’s hand. (turn your hand vertical and trace down the length of your pointer toward your thumb and stop next to the knuckle. that spot there.)
most archers wear something to protect their fingers on the hand that draws the bow. even with that, they have callouses. without it, a lot of callouses, scars, and blisters.
most common draw uses three fingers on the string: pointer, middle, ring. the arrow sits between the pointer and middle. just like where the draw point is, this is not universal and do research if you’re doing something culturally important.
barebow means that the bow is bare of any instruments. no sight, no weights, etc. the most basic/traditional form of bow
a recurve bow is anything where the tips of the bow curve back around forward, away from the archer
a compound is what you think of as a modern hunting bow, and is recognisable by having wheels at the ends and three strings
arrows have three fletchings that form a triangle, the point faces the archer so that the flat of the arrow will pass the flat of the bow on release. the arrow sits on the side of the bow facing the archer
archers with a larger/raised chest will sometimes where a chest protect so that the string does not catch when firing (this is regardless of gender, i know several cis-men who need it as well)
string can also catch on the forearm that is holding the bow and creates bruises and welts if you don’t wear a protector. modern ones are small plastic and cover just the spot, with elastic holding it in place. traditional ones are leather and wrap all the way around, lacing up on the back of your arm like a corset.
there is literally so much more, but i feel like this is plenty to get you started, and as always, feel free to drop an ask in my box if you need something more!
people on here are always saying “we NEED a story where the art of storytelling is abandoned” like ugh literary devices are soo annoying like that wouldn’t happen in real life that only happened to further the story (why is there story in my story) why would orpheus turn around when he was explicitly told not to why would icarus fly so close to the sun romeo&juliet catcher in the rye why are they so earnest why pour your heart and soul into anything why bother why cant all art be quippy logical monotony like my marvel movies there’s a void in my heart bc i refused to fill it and the curtains were blue
“i hate poetry its so pretentious” but then you reblog a quote or a throwaway line and say “why does this go so hard” you are desperate for poetry you are starved for it and u dont even realise you’re hungry
i can’t believe francesca by hozier is a real song. it feels like a religious experience, like the second coming of christ, like first love and first heartbreak, like touching the earth with the sun on your back, like wine-stained lips, and passion greater than life itself
hozier was so insane for writing francesca. he announces the song and you’re like okay maybe he’s in love with someone named francesca and then really it’s about a pair of lovers from dante’s inferno, who fell deeply for each other outside of marriage and consequently were sent to hell for their “uncontrollable lust”. telling each other “put me back in it”, i would do it all again, i would condemn myself to hell to be with you both in life and after. god could give me the option over and over again and i would not change a single thing. our love has never been wrong, heaven is too small to fit a love like ours. why would he write that
The whole Dracula time loop thing and Hozier releasing Francesca hurts when you think about them together.
![metamorphesque:
“― E.M. Forster, Howards End
“[text ID: The house was very quiet, and the fog—we are in November now—pressed against the windows like an excluded ghost.]
” ”](https://64.media.tumblr.com/6e32ba015971330a0814a627cd53e59a/f6f98fbdfc267e1a-6c/s500x750/f2900f4d65aade280a2a6625cad10ed7c60dfd15.jpg)
