This is an unofficial mirror of the famous Limyaael/Lightning on the Wave/Arin i Asolde literary rants.
You will find here a wealth of advice, warnings, and witty commentary on just about every aspect of constructing a story - from character design, to worldbuilding, to avoiding cliches.
The original rants are scattered throughout her LiveJournal, InsaneJournal, and JournalFen. In addition to the rants, Limyaael produced a series of brilliant Harry Potter fan-fictions (under the pen name "Lightning on the Wave"), and even some original fiction.
Her work is truly an inspiration to the Curiosity Quills team, and we were deeply saddened when she completely disappeared off the face of the earth some time in 2010.
Having meticulously followed the trail of Limyaael's virtual breadcrumbs, we created this page as a centralized repository of her work, for posterity and as a sign of respect and appreciation. We hope that one day Limyaael sees this and reaches out to us. We would love to chat with her. *hint hint, nudge nudge*
- Cliched Fantasy
- Not Writing Crap
- Female Protagonists Who Do Not Suck
- Creating Breathing Characters
- Building Fantasy Worlds
- Fiction & Reality
- Writing Non-Humans
- Message Fantasy
- Oversensitivity to Bad Reviews
- Character Gender
- Shapeshifting
- Writing Flawed Characters
- Handling Angst
- Rules On Fantasy In General
- Unfinished Works In Progress
- Original Characters In Fan-Fiction
- Ten Pieces of Writing Advice
- Ten Unpopular Fandom Opinions
- What Makes a Good Fantasy
- Character Flaws in Profiles
- Beginnings
- Hero’s Childhood
- Fantasy Teenagers
- Languages
- Secondary Characters
- Religions
- Most Hated Fantasy Ideas
- Death & Weapons
- Magic, Part 1
- Magic, Part 2
- Animals
- Justice & Legal System
- Dragons
- Astronomy
- Weather
- Geography
- Medieval Societies
- Elves
- Dwarves
- Villains
- Romance in Fantasy
- Authorial Distance From The Narrative
- Intrigues
- Characterization of Protagonists, Part 1
- Characterization of Protagonists, Part 2
- Quests & Quest Objects, Part 1
- Quests & Quest Objects, Part 2
- Modern Language in Fantasy
- Descriptive Language
- Titles
- Beliefs & Prejudices
- Prologues
- Training the Heroes
- Pacing in Fantasy
- Viewpoint Structures
- Information In- & Out-of-Story
- Non-Final Warfare
- The Final Battle
- Ending a Fantasy Book Without a Battle
- Clarity, Explanations & Metaphors
- Non-Humans in Fantasy, Part 1
- Non-Humans in Fantasy, Part 2
- Half-Breed Heroes
- Characterization of Protagonists, Part 3
- The Hero’s Occupation
- Non-Human Languages
- Literature & Culture
- Gods of Fantasy
- Parody Fantasy
- Speaking Styles
- On Consequences
- On History
- Castles
- Runaway Teenagers
- Art in a Fantasy Culture
- Misused Words in Fantasy
- Dialogue
- Politics & Diplomacy
- Planning & World-Building
- Character Introduction & Interaction
- Endings
- Endings, Mid-Series
- Beginnings, Mid-Series
- On Animals & Hunting
- More Misused Words
- Life in a Northern Town
- Deserts
- Jungles
- High Seas
- Grasslands
- Equal Time for Other Species
- Names
- Dreams
- Grammar, Spelling & Punctuation, Part 1
- Grammar, Spelling & Punctuation, Part 2
- Grammar, Spelling & Punctuation, Part 3
- More Misused Words
- Crossover Fantasy
- Urban Fantasy
- Feminist Fantasy
- Sex in Fantasy Novels
- Death
- Telepathic Companions
- Empathic Bonds
- Ordinary Heroes
- Tolkien Cliches
- Secret Groups
- Problems and Promises of First-Person Fantasy
- Dark Fantasy
- Body-Centered Writing, Part 1
- Changing Characters & Themes
- Standing on Ceremony
- Avoiding Infodumps
- Emotional Scenery, Part 1
- Emotional Scenery, Part 2
- Change in Societies
- Limitations
- Avoiding Archetypes
- Spicing Up Conversation Scenes
- Heroines Done Wrong
- Characters & Worlds
- Abused Characters
- Language Used Well
- Author’s Darlings
- Pacing & Action
- Genealogy
- Perceptive Characters
- Viewpoint Errors
- Stupid Plots
- Marion Zimmer Bradley
- Why Would Your Character…
- Gay & Lesbian Characters
- Long High Fantasy
- Languages, Continued
- Inconsistencies
- Mystery & Fantasy, Part 1
- Mystery & Fantasy, Part 2
- Personal Advice About Writing
- Non-Monarchial Societies, Part 1
- Non-Monarchial Societies, Part 2
- Non-Monarchial Societies, Part 3
- Culture Building & Stories
- Putting Stories & Poems Into the Narrative
- Storytelling, Continued
- My Ideal Fantasy Story
- Angst vs. Tragedy
- Creating Dynamic Protagonists
- Bullies
- Redemption, Part 1
- Redemption, Part 2
- Killing Protagonists
- Beautiful Characters
- Avoiding Deus Ex Machina
- Bildungsroman
- Backstory
- Throwing Out Conventional Ideas
- Rebel Groups, Part 1
- Rebel Groups, Part 2
- Diseases
- Healers & Cures
- Writing Without an Outline
- Religious Questions, Part 1
- Religious Questions, Part 2
- Suspense
- Special Abilities
- Flaw-Scrubbing
- Mage Heroes
- Fighter Heroes
- Thief Heroes
- Assassins
- Dungeons & Dragons Stereotypes
- Frustrating Characters
- Merchants
- Invisible Barriers
- Royalty
- Peasants
- Avoiding Medieval Fantasy, Part 1
- Avoiding Medieval Fantasy, Part 2
- Good Fantasy Romances
- Writing Different Characters, Part 1
- Writing Different Characters, Part 2
- Daily Life, Part 1
- Daily Life, Part 2
- Council Scenes
- Plotting a Fantasy Novel, Part 1
- Plotting a Fantasy Novel, Part 2
- Shapeshifters
- Shapeshifter Societies
- Disabled Characters
- Good Descriptive Prose
- Vampires in Fantasy
- Servants
- Necromancy
- Ghosts
- Slavery
- Robert Jordan & Terry Goodkind
- Demons
- Comic Relief
- Introductions
- Short Stories
- Magical Objects
- Non-Dark-Lord Villains
- Balancing Dialogue, Description & Action
- Peacetime Plotting
- Slippery-Slope Plotting
- Feral Children
- Spunky Characters That Aren’t Annoying
- Amnesia
- Technology in Fantasy
- Antagonistic Families
- Good Families
- Fantasy Travel
- Island Life
- Marriage
- Creating Good Rulers
- Explanation vs. Overexplanation
- Inheritance
- Non-Standard Fantasy Societies
- Self-Editing
- Noble Sufferers
- Madness
- Gypsies & Nomads
- Clothing
- Holidays & Festivals
- Quiet Moments
- Music
- Fantasy Narrative Poetry
- Things Limyaael Thinks Would Be Cool, Part 1
- Less-Represented Relationships
- Active vs. Reactive Protagonists
- Bookish Protagonists
- In Praise of Selfish Characters
- Borderlands
- Non-Protagonist Children
- Greed & Money
- Drama vs. Melodrama
- World-Building Through Writing
- Transitions
- Fleshing Out Secondary & Tertiary Characters
- Beginnings
- Maintaining Very Long Novels
- Adult Characters
- Non-Linear Narrative
- Putting Characters Through Hell
- Gaining Reader Empathy
- Making a True Stand-Alone Novel
- Non-Journey Stories
- Psychic Powers
- Handling Byzantine Plots
- Interpersonal Speaking Styles
- Balancing Cynicism
- Earning Hell
- Transformative Fantasy
- Fortune-Telling
- Interesting Villains
- Authorial Nitpicking, Part 1
- Authorial Nitpicking, Part 2
- Sensible Character Motivations
- Fascinating Characters
- Single Combat Scenes
- Likeable Characters
- Creating a Sense of Place
- Army Rant
- Navy Rant
- Money & Currency
- Designated Love Interests
- Unequal Relationships
- Interesting Heroines
- Kickstarting the Plot
- In-Character During Difficult Moments
- Distinct Minor Characters
- Things Limyaael Thinks Would Be Cool, Part 2
- Empires, Part 1
- Empires, Part 2
- Seasonal Variations
- Smooth Endings
- Ten Alternatives to “Learning a Lesson”
- Fantasy Education, Part 1
- Training Fighters
- Training Magic
- Fantasy Education, Part 2
- Revelations & Surprise Endings
- Brutal Fantasy
- Worldbuilding Through Layering
- Choosing Your Viewpoint Character
- Cities, Part 1
- Cities, Part 2
- Adult Bildungsromans
- Fantasy Without Magic
- Ten Alternatives to Genetic Magic
- Fantasy Without Villains
- Stubborn, But Not Annoying
- Genius Characters
- Friendships
- Things Limyaael Thinks Would Be Cool, Part 3
- Deathbed Scenes & Last Moments
- Political Fantasy
- Limitations of Magic
- Balancing Showing & Telling
- Revolutions & Civil Wars
- Creating a Sense of Inevitability
- Ten Ways to Alleviate Boredom
- Sociopath Characters
- Loner Characters
- Gradual Character Change
- Nobility of Spirit
- Duty-Bound Protagonists
- Keeping Magic Mystical
- Creating a Sense of the Forbidden
- Silence & Its Uses
- Taking Inspiration from Literature
- Non-Human-Centric Worlds
- Arranged Marriages
- Serious Optimism
- Idiot Plots & Avoiding Thereof
- Showing Viewpoint Character as Incorrect
- Beings of Extreme Power
- Propaganda
- International Relationships
- Making a Protagonist Into a Hero
- Magical Families
- Putting Bits of Yourself Into the Story (Subtly)
- Elemental Magic
- Handling a Large Cast of Viewpoint Characters
- Non-Angsty Werewolves
- Mute & Non-Speaking Characters
- Juxtaposed Worlds
- Neutral Characters
- Alternate/Other Worlds
- Creating Languages, Part 1: Basics, Phonology
- Creating Languages, Part 2: More Basics, Verbs
- Creating Languages, Part 3: Nouns, Pronouns
- Creating Languages, Part 4: Worldbuilding
- Keeping Static Worlds Plausible
- Likeable Bastard Characters
- Reluctant Heroes
- Things That Really Irritate Limyaael
- Older (25 & Up) Protagonists)
- Pacifist/”Coward”/Non-Fighter Characters
- Twins
- Things Limyaael Thinks Would Be Cool, Part 4
- Espionage & Spies
- Ten Great Things About Non-Tragic Fantasy
- Exiles & Expatriates
- Moments of Great Social Change
- Involving Nature in Your Novel
- Extroverted Protagonists
- Fantasies About Recovery/Healing
- Creating Subgenres
- Immigration/Emigration
- Love Triangles
- Subtle Foreshadowing
- Ten Things To Do When You Have Only an Image
- Creating a Court
- Psychotic Viewpoint Characters
- Killing The Villain Without Deus Ex Machina
- Convincing Crises of Faith
- Convincing Religious Characters
- Portraying Character Subjectivity
- Characters With Sympathy
- Why Complex Fantasy Is Great
- Complicating a Plot
- Non-Evil Collective & Traditionalist Societies
- Writing a Visionary, Part 1
- Writing a Visionary, Part 2
- Creating a History of Ideas for Your World, Part 1
- Creating a History of Ideas for Your World, Part 2
- Raining Shit On The Story & Not Letting It Stink
- Including Worldbuilding/Background
- Creating High-Magic Worlds
- Good Explication/Exposition
- Writing Ordinary, Limited Heroes
- Complex, Real Royals
- Writing Sex Scenes
- Believable Romance, Part 1
- Believable Romance, Part 2
- Non-Utopian Fantasy Worlds
- “Different” Sexual Practices
- Varying the Emotional Tone
- Subplots
- Alien Species & Worlds
- Non-Complex Fantasy
- Ecological Fantasy
- Loose Ends
- Ways To Make The Reader Hate Your Hero
- Body-Centered Writing, Part 2
- Group Dynamics
- Cohering a Hero
- Rules to Read By
- Ten Things To Do In The Middle Of Novels
- Ways of Extending Sympathy
- Avoiding Gimmick Worlds
- Competency & Work
- All the Small Things
- Making All-Powerful Protagonists Tolerable
- Managing Angst
- Domestic Fantasy
- Gender-Equal Societies
- Casual Worldbuilding
- Using the Insider
- Non-Villains
- Mentors
- Protagonists in Awe of Other Characters
- Oppression Fantasy
- Characterizing Animals
- Using Non-Western Influence in Fantasy
- Attitudes Towards Killing & Violence
- Class/Caste Systems
- Whores
- Non-Humans Living With Non-Human Attributes
- Possession, Mind-Control & Hypnosis
- Culture Clashes
- Turning Idealistic Characters Gray
- Science Fiction & Fantasy Hybrids
- Measurements & Units
- Winged Humanoids
- Legal System, Punishments, Judgement & “Justice”
- Heroines & Female Protagonists
- Anti-Heroes
- Letting Protagonists Make Mistakes
- Character Clash Stories
- Avoiding Villain Monologues
- Flawed Characters (Again)
- Loyalty