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Hello, fellow writers! Got any question that you can't find answer from Google or Wikipedia, but you don't think it needs a separate thread for? You came to the right place!

Don't be shy, and just ask away. The nice folks here, writers and non-writers, experts and non-experts, will do their best to help you.

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Also take a look at Useful Notes on various topics. They can be pretty useful.

Now, bring on the questions, baby!

edited 11th Apr '18 6:31:51 PM by dRoy

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#31026: Sep 14th 2025 at 1:05:04 AM

You misunderstand. I'm not saying that the spirits constantly attack her (though the occasional one does); I'm saying that they keep swarming about her, trying to perch on her shoulders without heed for how heavy they are, cartoonishly nom her head/arm/leg (and slobbering all over it in the process), and generally not respecting her personal space or modesty, hence she has to frequently beat them off her with a stick — the stick being her power and tools of exorcism. It's supposed to be a comedic spectacle, comparable to someone trying to beat off a bunch of mosquitos.

Edited by MarqFJA on Sep 14th 2025 at 11:06:20 AM

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Trainbarrel The Story Supporter from The Star Ocean Since: Jun, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
The Story Supporter
#31027: Sep 14th 2025 at 4:00:10 AM

[up] A reason for spirits to haunt someone without being vengeful spirits?

How about the reason being something so simple as "she can see me?" and these spirits are simply so starved for attention and company after existing unseen and ignored by everyone for so long that they're more than willing to flock and crowd around the one person that can see and acknowledge their existence, despite her treating them like pestering mosquitoes every day.

They are just that lonely.

Edited by Trainbarrel on Sep 14th 2025 at 1:01:00 PM

"If there's problems, there's simple solutions."
ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#31028: Sep 14th 2025 at 5:39:12 AM

[up][up] Aah, I see. Fair enough!

Yeah, the idea (as mentioned by others) of ghosts flocking to one of the few people capable of perceiving them is a classic, and quite believable.

Related, but slightly different, is the possibility that they're trying to tease and prank her. (Hence things like perching on her.) Maybe this is a means of venting against her actions as an exorcist, or maybe they're just bored, or maybe it's simply a case of her being serious enough, and reacts enough, that prankish ghosts find her to be a delightful target.

Otherwise, maybe they derive some resource by close proximity to her: maybe in her exorcisms some form of energy or residue is released, which the crowding ghosts might "feed" on.

My Games and Asset Packs
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#31029: Sep 14th 2025 at 2:40:17 PM

[up][up] Interesting, but that would make her seem like a jerk for simply exorcising them instead of trying to persuade/influence them into being less intrusive/annoying about it.

[up] Huh. I never thought about exorcisms releasing energy, though now that I think about it, dispersing a spirit/ghost can logically leave behind a "cloud" of spiritual energy. But then that would just make the general location of the exorcism attract spirits until all the energy is fully dispersed/consumed, not make the miko herself a spirit magnet.

The persistent prankster angle is a good one, though, if we assume that simple exorcisms are usually only temporary in their dispersal of a spirit, and only a more elaborate/intensive exorcism would properly banish a spirit from the mortal plane (whether truly permanently, or forcing them to wait a long time before they can return).

Edited by MarqFJA on Sep 14th 2025 at 12:42:52 PM

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Trainbarrel The Story Supporter from The Star Ocean Since: Jun, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
The Story Supporter
#31030: Sep 15th 2025 at 4:28:26 AM

[up] Would it really?

Spirits aren't supposed to linger on the mortal plane after all and sending them to the other side might be considered merciful since the option is to either do that or deny them the possibility to move on to where they should be instead.

"If there's problems, there's simple solutions."
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#31031: Sep 15th 2025 at 4:56:40 AM

I'm trying to prevent a certain scene from being "awesome" and more play up the horror and even sadness of it.

In Part 3 of my story (well, technically it happened late in Part 1 but The Reveal is only shown in Part 3) my main character's mother confronts a team of werewolf hunters who are hidden in town and set to kill a number of young kids who haven't yet come into their powers.

She proceeds to ambush these men and women and slaughter them with her telekinesis. She slowly stalks them through the back alleys and hidden areas of town, effortlessly deflecting their bullets and then ripping their bodies apart with her powers.

When the last man standing demands to know what kind of creature she is, because the team has never encountered a supernatural being like this, she just responds "A monster" before splattering his body all over an alley wall.

On the surface this comes off as an Implacable Man (well, woman) hunting down a group of Asshole Victims and ending with a badass Pre-Mortem One-Liner. But in truth it's supposed to be horror from the perspective of this team (unsavory as they may be) and sadness from the main character's mother who didn't want to kill or even use her abilities...but saw no choice since her conscience wouldn't let her just stand by and let them commit their atrocity.

All in all I just wonder how to ensure this isn't seen as a "cool" action scene as much as it may appear that way on the surface.

Edited by Swordofknowledge on Sep 15th 2025 at 8:01:58 AM

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
Marchen Too hot (Hot damn) from Somewhere Out in Space (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
Too hot (Hot damn)
#31032: Sep 15th 2025 at 5:08:18 AM

[up] So, not sure how much sense this makes, but would, like, changing the genre to slasher movie help? Focusing on it more from the victim's perspective and such? Drawing on stuff like, I dunno, slasher movie might not be the clearest, The Thing (1982) or something? Making it not the story of how the mom killed a bunch of people, but of how a bunch of people got slaughtered?

Read Otr of the Flame (She/Her)
C105 Too old for this from France Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Too old for this
#31033: Sep 15th 2025 at 5:17:41 AM

[up][up] I second [up]. If the scene is entirely framed from the victims' perspective, with the mother only briefly appearing when she sadly gives her Pre-Mortem One-Liner (and even so, only framed in shadows), the emphasis would be much more on the horror angle than looking badass. You could for instance keep the last man standing as the viewpoint character, hearing his friends getting slaughtered and desperately trying keep following orders and trying to set up some sort of strategy against the unseen attacker until the end.

Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#31034: Sep 15th 2025 at 5:41:35 AM

[up] @ Marchen:

That's a good idea. I was thinking of framing it from a kind of widespread third person perspective of the entire team as they slowly but steadily get wiped out but focusing it on a single member (perhaps the commander) would be better.

I didn't even think of The Thing but that's actually a pretty apt metaphor. This happens in broad daylight in an area full of ordinary humans, so they have zero idea of who the unseen attacker is and have no way of differentiating them from the people around them, so that makes it even more horrifying.

I might even "play it up" when it comes to this, since they know that at least a werewolf would have transformed or more likely avoided attacking in such a place, so that makes this thing even as unpredictable as it is inhuman/supernatural.


[up] @ C105:

Yes, Mook Horror Show perfectly encapsulates what I was trying to portray here. I had planned on the mother appearing every once in a while, as she picked off the team (or at least once when they shot at her, only for her to deflect their bullets) but the idea of her remaining unseen until the very end would be better for horror. Or at least unseen by the character who is being focused on.

ou could for instance keep the last man standing as the viewpoint character, hearing his friends getting slaughtered and desperately trying keep following orders and trying to set up some sort of strategy against the unseen attacker until the end

One thing I didn't think of is the idea of the chain of command falling apart or communications being disabled, with the POV character trying to assert authority for practical reasons until he just realizes that he's simply clinging to the mission as some form of emotional stability in such an unpredictable situation.

Also...her final appearance to him would be so confusing, I could see at this point him being less afraid and more completely dumbfounded—which then leads to feeling nothing after her one liner.

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#31035: Sep 15th 2025 at 7:54:49 AM

@Trainbarrel: Ghosts (i.e. spirits of dead people), yes. But there are other kinds of spirits that are normal denizens of the mortal world, such as nature spirits and — in Japan's Shintô mythology — various kinds of kami.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Trainbarrel The Story Supporter from The Star Ocean Since: Jun, 2023 Relationship Status: You cannot grasp the true form
The Story Supporter
#31036: Sep 15th 2025 at 8:41:43 AM

[up] Then why doesn't she just make wards or talismans to keep them at enough distance to not let her be swarmed by them but not far enough to make her every day life difficult by having them there with her and refusing to leave?

And the reason the talismans/wards doesn't chase them off all together? They are flawed and she can't figure out what she is doing wrong with them, due to the wards being self-improvised experiments of hers based on teaching read in books which only covered the theory of the talismans/wards but left out the practical part, which is where she keeps messing up, trying different things with little success and different minor "side-effects" on the spirits exposed to them that can either make her life more difficult or potentially cause a mess she has to clean up, prompting her to exorcise this "ward/talisman-affected spirits" of hers?

Edited by Trainbarrel on Sep 15th 2025 at 5:42:08 PM

"If there's problems, there's simple solutions."
ArsThaumaturgis Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: I've been dreaming of True Love's Kiss
#31037: Sep 15th 2025 at 9:25:16 AM

@MarqFJA

... though now that I think about it, dispersing a spirit/ghost can logically leave behind a "cloud" of spiritual energy. But then that would just make the general location of the exorcism attract spirits until all the energy is fully dispersed/consumed, not make the miko herself a spirit magnet.

Perhaps such localised "clouds" generally evaporate—but a portion tends to get "caught up" in the aura/chi of the miko, swirling around within, and thus persisting—and so providing energy for spirits to feed on.

My Games and Asset Packs
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#31038: Sep 16th 2025 at 4:30:41 AM

[up][up]

The answer is actually quite simple:

  1. Physical talismans and wards don't come out of thin air or grow on trees; she needs not only time but also materials to make them, she needs to money to buy the materials, and she and her shrine are not made of money, nor is her pride going to let her accept charity from the Cast Herd's resident Richie McPhilanthropist, especially since it will realistically deny those resources to other exorcists who need them just as much if not moreso than she does. So she prefers to use them only when they're really necessary, such as to contain or banish a malevolent spirit that is an active danger to others.

  2. Non-physical wards may not cost money, but they consume the miko's mana in proportion to the strength of the ward she's trying to make. Again, she doesn't want to risk running out of mana from overusing such a method, in case she really needs it to deal with a true threat.

  3. Wards and talismans aren't permanent, they weaken/erode at a rather fast rate unless a huge amount of mana and/or a specific kind of intricate spell is put into them to make them last for a long time, something that she — again — can't afford to liberally use just to deal with relatively minor annoyances.

[up] That's a good point. In fact, I could also rule that exorcisms in this world tend to involve significant contact between the spiritual auras of the exorcist and the target spirit, and such a "taint" lingers for a significant time afterwards, similar to how a person who hunts with a knife, spear or some other melee weapon will usually end up being splattered with blood, especially on their hands. Performing exorcisms with sufficient frequency will thus result in the exorcist's aura "reeking" to the senses of a spirit.

Edited by MarqFJA on Sep 16th 2025 at 2:31:28 PM

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#31039: Sep 16th 2025 at 8:08:23 AM

What services would a human doctor provide to a pack of werewolves?

My main character's father works as a trauma surgeon in the small hospital of the quaint rural town where the story starts. On the surface he is a dedicated physician and decent family man, but he leads a robust double-life as one of the local werewolf pack's human agents.

What I'm trying to put together is the precise functions he performs for them? The pack isn't exactly in need of a Back-Alley Doctor since werewolves have a Healing Factor and disease immunity in both forms.

The one thing I currently do have him doing is running interference whenever a werewolf gets themselves injured enough to wind up in the hospital and he ensures their unnaturally fast recovery isn't noted or if it is, it is downplayed/covered up/etc.

But is there anything else a doctor could give them?

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
C105 Too old for this from France Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Too old for this
#31040: Sep 16th 2025 at 8:23:38 AM

[up] Does the werewolves' Healing Factor exist before their first transformation? If not, he might simply have to make sure all children are healthy until their werewolf heritage takes over form him.

He could also take care of any normal human injured or killed by the werewolves (if it is something that can happen) and ensure that the injuries are not reported as too specific to bring too much unwanted attention to the accident.

He might also serve as counselor for troubled teens, if the pack can't provide the same comfort.

He may also take care of deceased werewolves, if there is any chance post-mortem examination could risk breaking The Masquerade.

Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
Marchen Too hot (Hot damn) from Somewhere Out in Space (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
Too hot (Hot damn)
#31041: Sep 16th 2025 at 8:26:29 AM

[up][up] Money? I mean, it's a famously well-paying job.

Read Otr of the Flame (She/Her)
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#31042: Sep 16th 2025 at 8:43:18 AM

[up][up] @ C105:

If not, he might simply have to make sure all children are healthy until their werewolf heritage takes over form him.

That's one that I never really thought about, at least not in that context. No, their regenerative abilities and immunity to disease only comes in once they fully inherit their other abilities. I guess just considered it would be the job of the "normal" doctors in town to manage the health of the kids prior to that, since they are essentially ordinary humans for all intents and purposes. But I imagine that if nothing else, he could use his position to alter records or at least draw away the doctors' attention when the kids inevitably start going through the transformation cycle.

He may also take care of deceased werewolves, if there is any chance post-mortem examination could risk breaking The Masquerade.

This is a huge one, something that I was kind of on the fence about, but you convinced me so thank you. The werewolves of this story avert This Was His True Form Human—dead human form werewolves aren't an issue since they would just appear to be human bodies but if they die in wolf form then they stay a massive humanoid wolf corpse. I suppose he could use his knowledge of anatomy (along with any local butcher also recruited to the cause) to take apart and destroy the dead wolf forms since there's no easy way to explain those.

Also, the thing with the injuries/deaths is good too. Because of how the werewolves conduct themselves (particularly the pack of this town), that isn't too much of a worry, but I could imagine this would be something handy for when accidents or the rare purposeful attack happens.


[up] @ Marchen:

Huh. That's an interesting idea, although I supposed it would be the other way around—them, paying him for his services, I mean. Although I can imagine to a certain degree he would chip in with the rest of the pack if they needed something incredibly expensive for their common good.

Edited by Swordofknowledge on Sep 16th 2025 at 11:50:24 AM

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#31043: Sep 18th 2025 at 3:18:34 PM

Sorry for the double-post, but tongue.

There is a certain "dynamic" the werewolves of my main character's hometown have with their human agents, and I wondered if it made sense with everything else these people are exposed to.

The werewolf pack that secretly lives among the human citizens of a small rural New England town have a number of humans who aid them. These are usually people who accidentally discovered their neighbors' secret and become pressed into service under threat. These humans know a lot and see a lot when doing their jobs for the werewolves.

However, one of the few things that they are expressly forbidden from seeing under any circumstances is when power over the pack transfers and a new Alpha takes control from the old one. No human is allowed to attend the ceremony whereas all werewolves (even children who haven't changed yet) are commanded to be present. All the humans know is that every werewolf in town goes into the woods and the old Alpha vanishes without a trace, never to be seen again.

The reason for this is because the "ceremony" involves the new Alpha killing and devouring his predecessor and the werewolves really don't want that aspect of themselves getting out.

I just wonder if this makes sense, considering everything else the humans have experienced. There are other things the pack prefers these humans not see, but this is the only absolutely forbidden line. It seems perfectly fine in my mind, but I wondered if it is ridiculous to anyone else.

Edited by Swordofknowledge on Sep 18th 2025 at 6:21:17 AM

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
Marchen Too hot (Hot damn) from Somewhere Out in Space (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
Too hot (Hot damn)
#31044: Sep 18th 2025 at 3:27:59 PM

On one hand, it's kinda weird they let people live as servants instead of just doing the easy thing and arranging accidents or something. On the other, since they clearly have no real loyalty it makes sense they'd want to keep things as secret as possible, just in case this information would allow their minions to sell out or something.

So it could make sense that if they worry something could be used against them somehow (such as the selection of a new alpha) they might not want that knowledge to go to the people who have the most reason to betray them. I think you mentioned that the process of creating new werewolves is another secret, so it might fit?

Read Otr of the Flame (She/Her)
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#31045: Sep 18th 2025 at 3:59:12 PM

[up] @ Marchen:

On one hand, it's kinda weird they let people live as servants instead of just doing the easy thing and arranging accidents or something.

I can see why that would be odd, so I'll try to explain it. The werewolves of this particular pack are very much connected to their community since they've lived there for so long (well, not them individually, but their families).

So, they genuinely view the humans as friends and neighbors. Thus, they really try to go out of their way to avoid harming them, which is why the whole servitude thing happens. They will eliminate anyone who truly can't be cowed and insists on "spreading the truth" or just fleeing town. But that is a last resort.

All packs are different in how they handle these things; some just outright kill anyone they even suspect might know something is off, while others are even more magnanimous than this pack. It's a spectrum.

Anyway sorry, just wanted to give the reason behind that oddity.

So it could make sense that if they worry something could be used against them somehow (such as the selection of a new alpha) they might not want that knowledge to go to the people who have the most reason to betray them. I think you mentioned that the process of creating new werewolves is another secret, so it might fit?

The actual reason in-story was because they really didn't want these people (who they still see as members of their community even in this situation) to see them as true monsters. The sight of the cannibalism all that comes with it would obliterate the last shreds of illusions that they are "just people who turn into wolves".

But yes, I could see them also not wanting any truly disgruntled human helper to give the location or method away for fear of a vampire attack or even a rival pack using the information to strike when they're weak.

I think you mentioned that the process of creating new werewolves is another secret, so it might fit?

Just wanted to explain again. Everyone generally knows that werewolves can turn humans into other werewolves in very rare cases. But the fine details behind it are often hidden from humans involved with werewolf packs with the exception of maybe a few very trusted individuals.

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
Marchen Too hot (Hot damn) from Somewhere Out in Space (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
Too hot (Hot damn)
#31046: Sep 18th 2025 at 4:08:58 PM

[up] Yeah, ultimately they are using the threat of violence to keep the underlings under control. Props for not going full Shame If Something Happened at least? Still kinda, uh, monstrous? Not very moral? I wouldn't be surprised if some of the people who had to be killed were the ones who recognised this bit of, like, hypocrisy? (Edit: To be clear, I'm not trying to imply they were murdered for pointing this out, more that it served as a motivator to defy them?)

Anyways, I would count the werewolf-turning-details thing as the same category? Since, like, they obviously know something, but the exact details are kept secret.

Edited by Marchen on Sep 18th 2025 at 1:25:37 PM

Read Otr of the Flame (She/Her)
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#31047: Sep 18th 2025 at 5:09:01 PM

[up] @ Marchen:

Yes, definitely a morally gray area [lol]. I actually haven't really thought about what led to the deaths of those who were actually eliminated in the past (it never really comes up except as a looming threat for those who try to defy the pack or escape the town once they have figured out the truth). But that is a good "seed" to work with as an idea if I ever want to elaborate on those lost lives.

Anyways, I would count the werewolf-turning-details thing as the same category? Since, like, they obviously know something, but the exact details are kept secret.
I never put it in the same category I suppose, especially since it is much more known than the power transfer thing, it's just the exact details of it are hidden depending on what pack you're working with and how much they trust you. But it's definitely another zone of secrecy, so I guess it does count.

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
Nukeli Since: Aug, 2018
#31048: Sep 19th 2025 at 11:10:31 AM

What was that computer part company with a red and silver shield logo with a dragon on it? I remember a logo on a package and a metal sticker like that coming with some computer parts and I feel like it had letters M and S in it, but those are definitely not the only letters because I can't find anything by googling "MS dragon sticker" (I remember googling the real name a few years ago and seeing them, but I forgot what sakd real name was).

Does this sound familar to anybody?

Edited by Nukeli on Sep 19th 2025 at 9:20:28 PM

~*bleh*~
CrystalGlacia from at least we're not detroit (Living Relic)
#31049: Sep 19th 2025 at 11:16:00 AM

It's MSI.

"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."
Swordofknowledge Spreading literacy with book and blade from I like it here... Since: Aug, 2012 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Spreading literacy with book and blade
#31050: Sep 19th 2025 at 2:39:58 PM

Would the following method be a good way to detect werewolves in human form?

In my story there is a Muggle Power group unaffiliated with any side of the Fur Against Fang war (or any of the supernatural beings outside of it). They take a firm anti supernatural stance and thus go after vampires, werewolves, witches, etc indiscriminately.

Because they are comprised of humans who do not have the power to automatically detect supernatural beings, they have to rely on certain tricks. Here is where my question lies:

One of their ways of detecting werewolves among ordinary humans is using a high pitched whistle that is above the range of human hearing.

But because werewolves carry their heightened senses into their human forms, the whistle irritates their ears and causes them to show pain or or at least some subtle signs of discomfort, marking them as non humans.

I just wonder if this trick is at least somewhat plausible. It's a very important plot point in the story so I want it to be "airtight".

Edited by Swordofknowledge on Sep 19th 2025 at 5:42:29 AM

Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace

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