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They're roughly 30-35 feet long nose to tail tip

They often weigh between 2.5 and 6 tons

Their scale are a natural armor, but not impenetrable

they have horns generally, with varying sizes and shapes

come in all colors of the rainbow with different scale patterns

They have things called "breath-weapons" basically fire breath (most common) or other variations

dragons that are ancestrally from forested areas have different breath weapons, like poison gas, venom, or acid breath

fire breathers have a special organ that produces a chemical bile that ignites on contact with oxygen

Dragons are excellent climbers, since they live around mountains, and their talons help them with that

They're pretty fast runners, but not built for endurance sprinting since they mostly fly everywhere

Their bones are especially lightweight but durable, they have mineral heavy diets

Dragons age weirdly, they age mentally fast when they're younger (so a two year old dragon has the same mental state as a  human 7 year old), then they slow down mental aging at around 20 so they can be young adults for awhile. They grow fast when young as well, they can fly by about 4 years old and are child size (the size of a small horse) for roughly 7 years until they reach about 11 when growth spurts start up again and they're young adults/teens for as long as it takes to reach full adult size which is a slow process and can take until they are about 35. Then they are fully mature and grown adults and can live until almost 200, aging slowly over that time period

Baby dragons are called hatchlings, children who can fly are fledgelings, teens are dragonets, and adults are just dragons

Dragons are "Inherently magical" animals, so they can't cast spells, but they can sense magic and have special innate powers (like breath weapons and stuff)

Dragon tails help with balance and flying

Dragons have slit pupils and a reflective layer like cats, so really good night vision

Dragons have a second, clear eyelid, that protects their eyes while flying or swimming

Dragons don't need to eat as frequently as people do, normally one large meal per day

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there's a lot of hierarchy/aristocracy/art of conversations vibe going on

Matriarchy: it's a queendom

It's in a shallow warm sea with lots of coral reefs

There's a minor city closer to the ocean drop off that's built into the cliff

The cities are all lit by bioluminescent lamps and jellyfish

Currents play a large part in determining where to settle: cities are near warm currents and coral reefs

They train dolphins to hunt for them and farm fish as well

Sushi like food with different types of seaweed and fish

Buildings are very open concept, most of the time single story buildings have no ceiling (they don’t have to worry about the weather)

Use pretty shells and pearls in jewelry and art

Water proof fabrics for clothes

Wear a lot of fancy hair and tail decorations

It's popular among younger lower class mermaids to get tail piercings

Whales are a big symbol of peace

One of their most important holidays is the Whale migration festival

Non-inherently magical species so they have magic users

Only wear tops (because mermaids don't need pants) also skirts but not enough to get tangled in your tail. Scarves and fin accessories also

Big into temples and ritualistic architecture thats only more art and less useful

they pursue more outlandish, artistic architecture because they don’t have to deal with weather > their buildings are delicate and pretty

women are more likely to be in positions of administrative power

they’re social creatures, and work well with other intelligent species (dolphins, seals) they have pets

dinners are very fancy and ritualized

proper introductions and respect is very big

rigid social hierarchy

values: respect, humility, stability,

start to a very fancy event dinner, uni is served in special little shell spoon/cups as a symbol of respect

politics at the table is a BIG no no because mealtimes are a special time to relax and strengthen community bonds

they do a tapas like dinner, communal sharing stuff

the oldest people at the table starts first

they all sit at a big U curved tale, mother and father at the very mid curve, then often honored guests, then family in order of age (importance based)

empty plate = you've not had enough food, mermaid moms will always give you more food and snacks! (it's one way they show care)

you don’t pour your own drink, you ask someone else to

Pots and dishes are spherical with lids so food doesn't just float away

food: sushi, kelp greens, algae (mostly in sauces and stuff), shellfish

Chairs are like tall stools that you wrap your tail around

cooking and heating are done with geothermal energy

There's another species of Shark-tailed mermaids, and they're kind of the spiritual leaders/guardians of the reefs

funeral: coral reef burial, the sharks take and prepare your body, placing it into a reef tomb, so that when your body decomposes it replenishes the reef.

Reef gardens are a BIG spiritual deal because a lot of ocean life centers around them

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monarchy/libertarian style gov.

There's a king and queen symbolically/magically linked to sun and moon

There are two "palaces"  on either side of the valley, east and west

The architecture is built into the forest and mountains, buildings are carved out of the mountainside

Dragons live in mountain ranges mostly because they're well defended since only they can fly up to the peaks

Forest rotation system to restock the woods

Non agricultural- hunter society they have a few fruit groves for tropical dragons, a few wild grains for digestive purposes, and fishing is a thing but dragons are carnivores

Charcoal aids digestion as well

They live on an island of the west coast of the mainland

There are a few breeds of dragon based on where they're from ancestrally. But they’ve mixed like humans so that some dragons have certain features

The "police force" are the royal guards: there are two branches that work together: sun and moon

King: Solarium

Queen: Lunar

Storytelling society, oral stories are a huge part of the culture and there's a prevalent cluster of myths that no ones sure wether they're real or not??

They write everything down (they have they're own alphabet that's easier to write with claws (mostly inscribed tablets that can’t burn or rip, but scrolls with fire proofing are acceptable too)

Dragons have an excellent memory

They don't have a super prevalent hierarchy but they do have some really well respected families that are sort of like lords? -> advisors to the king and queen

Mate for life but don't have marriage ceremonies

Familial ties are a big thing so being an orphan or not knowing your family is almost unthinkable

They don't have last names so they introduce themselves as son of/daughter of  (normally son of father daughter of mother)

Dragons aren't hoarders per se but they do love shiny things and gems and jewels are a big symbol of success. They’re a little bit like magpies, they really like shiny stuff

Guards have to be given up as fledgelings for training

Since they live for such a long time birthdays and specific ages aren’t a huge deal

They do have a regulated currency, but jewelry and shiny stuff is the most expensive/guarded

Their water/plumbing system is spring water from the tops of mountains and glaciers, they utilize gravity cleverly

Steam baths for scale cleaning

Literally everything has to be fire proofed because fire is the most common breath weapon

Dragons are known for clever astronomy and math, a lot of their buildings are symbolically aligned with different stars and planets (like Aztec buildings) they created the first accurate calendars and constellation maps, NEVER ever put stock into the ancient human geocentric model, also make wonderful philosophers

they had excellent metal working (because they were their own forges

Invented chess, (I just feel like they would)

the wings are an evolutionary thing for living so far up and on all sorts of cliffs and things

Up in the mountains was a safe place to raise young and eggs away from any other large predators

they’re the apex predator in their environment

Young dragons have standardized education, they go to school once they learn to fly.

Parents can teach them to fly or they can be enrolled in a day-care aged flying lessons group

in standard education they learn large epic histories, and proverbs, they get told all about the myths and histories of their species

also math and astronomy (navigation)

natural science and theory

they also get taught how to hunt, the basics in school, they go into the woods with their families

they get to interact with art and music in school (oral storytelling and poetry are really great)

Guard education is done all by the private guard institute and they get taught other skills, fighting, spy work, detective reasoning, political structures of their own and other cultures, survival tactics

Collective moral values: teamwork, honor, duty, family, loyalty determination, individual thinking

Not good things: overwhelming greed, cowardice, selfishness

dragons put a large emphasis on personal presentation, pretty scales, being graceful and put together

Hobbies: sculpture, poetry, astronomy, black smith stuff, pottery, glass work,

sports: flying courses (involve some problem solving), aerial ball game thing (I need a name), storm flying (like extreme snowboarding), wrestling, races, hunting, swimming, skim boarding (downhill with snow off of mountain faces)

Games: puzzles and teamwork problem solving games, chess, strategy (sometimes on teams), riddles (dragons fricking love riddles)

It’s a dragon thing to participate in a hunt with your close companions, and then share the meal (bonding)

They respect their prey though, overhunting an area would be vaguely sacrilegious

They can eat their prey just after killing it in the woods, but that’s normally not what you do unless you’re participating in a special ritualistic Hunt

Normally it can be marinated, rubbed with herbs and spices, and served with sauces and stuff, but they eat everything raw for sure

big stone or carved tables, low and kept clean of course, but you don’t often have them inside the home. everyone has a big communal eating place, with “neighborhoods” too, and ones in the school

dragon funerals: in the mountains, cremation, and then ashes are sealed inside beautiful glass globes (swirling colors and things) and then thrown out and smashed, resulting in a flurry of colors, like an aurora borealis, they always happen at night because dragon souls “go to rest with the stars”

scales of a loved one are sometimes saved

coming of age rituals: fledging (child), the first hunt (teenager), the first solo hunt (also a time to commune with the moon, sun, and stars) (young adulthood)

moral differences, they don’t need to cooperate with other animals, so they don’t understand having pets or being vegetarian

don’t understand that “vanity” is such a bad thing “why wouldn’t i want to look nice, and why wouldn’t I enjoy it?”

they mate for life, there is no “what if we argue” you either don’t choose someone you can’t see yourself getting along with or you work it out. > less casual relationships

there is a duty to your people, that a government would just hate a portion of their population is illogical and horrible

Respect and reverence for nature, and living things

staying close to natural instinct is a GREAT thing, it’s how you were designed

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scales running from tail (which starts at the pelvis/hip) all the way up the spine to the shoulders and up the neck as well

Patches of scales all around the back area

markings under cheeks and along hairline as well

gills on neck under ears

ears are fins basically (sort of a gradient of ear to fin)

fins can be many different combinations (one along the spine, a few smaller ones on the tail, ruffled, flat, a lot of different shapes)

skin is slightly luminescent and tinged with color a little bit.

hair is thicker and coarser than human hair, waterproof, and it’s another sensory organ (temp and current change)

don’t have breasts (since they aren't mammals that always confused me in fantasy)

webbing between fingers

pads of fingers and palms of hands have tiny, rough ridges for a better underwater grip

spine is long and very flexible

tail has a wide range of motion and flexibility but it’s natural swim pattern is up and down like a dolphin

eyes are very reflective for good night vision

a lot of mermaids have natural spots of color in their hair that match the patches of color and scales along their skin (like birthmarks coloring the hair)

Mermaids are not as naturally buoyant as humans are, so they start to sink if they stop swimming. (Oil instead of air pockets in the bones like sharks)

Mermaids are excellent mimics, their vocal chords can reach both higher and lower than humans, and they can throw their voices around

Their tails and scale patterns are modeled after reef fishes (Example: Lena's tail is a blue parrotfish's)

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Some of the sketches for my main characters!

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How does one design a fantasy world? A lot of work and frustration to be totally honest. Here are some of the basic question I answered for my book.
- What kind of climate is there?
- What's the time period?
- What's the geography?
- How do the Governments work?
- What's the culture like?
- What kinds of social biases are there?
- What's the history?
- How does the Magic system work?
- What kind of technology is accessible?
- How do people travel?
And a million other things!

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How I imagine they'd look:

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Writing is hard, many of us who've taken humanities know that. What are some things that helped me with writer's block? How did I beat my creative muse into submission with a frying pan? These are important questions.
- Make playlists that inspire you, sometimes I'll hear a random song and come up with a scene while I'm driving to the grocery store. Inspiration strikes at random times
-DO NOT try to edit and write at the same time. My advice: do a first (very) rough draft, print it out, and rewrite it into a new document. It's a pain but you will catch nearly every mistake.
- write dialogue first, that helps structure a scene
- Video game music is really good for concentration, it's designed to help suck you into whatever you're doing (breath of the wild soundtrack is very soothing)
- Reading is the best practice, seeing how other authors do things is the ultimate research.
- write what you enjoy reading about, make a list of everything you like to see in a book, then write the book. This is genuinely how I planned the majority of my plot. (I like dragons? Add dragons. I like enchanted forests? I add an enchanted forrest my dude!)

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SO obviously, this has been a rather unique SIS, and my project is one of the only ones that remained largely unchanged. I still couldn't do some of the things I planned on, but I think that's ok since the major part was writing, which I can do anywhere.
Once I got on a steady schedule, I really enjoyed having something creative to do, where I could express myself and the feelings I've been dealing with during quarantine.
Creative activities are some of the BEST things you can do for yourself during these wacky times.
You don't have to be super gifted at painting or writing or sculpture or whatever. Just do something that makes you happy. So when you finish you can sit back and think "I made something, I brought something into the universe that wasn't here before." It's incredibly rewarding.
Even something silly like finger painting or sidewalk chalk, creative hobbies are rewarding, and healthy.
So if you take away anything from my project here, take away the idea that it's always a great time to start a project. Who knows, you might just find your next great passion : )

(Like redrawing renaissance art on random stranger's driveways)

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The big one, the boss level, the thing everyone and their mother struggles with. Procrastinating. How did I never procrastinate while writing?
I did, I did big time.
Most people imagine writing a novel is filled with quiet contemplation, flowing inspiration, sipping tea, and staring wistfully out a window. There's actually a lot more junk food,  yelling, and trying to remember that ONE WORD that's been driving you crazy for two hours.
I deal with procrastination as much as anyone else, and what I've learned is that it's really the culmination of two fear: rejection and imperfection. Writing is deeply personal, and even if I think its perfect, I'm often scared that others will hate what I produce. I know that's silly, but anxiety is rarely logical. Then there's my own standards to meet, which are often higher than others.
This may not be the strategy for everyone, but what I've learned is that understanding what these fears are and where they come from is the first step in overcoming them.
Then I just need to remember that my passion for what I'm making is bigger than any fear I have. Besides, all a first draft needs to do is exist, so what if its messy? It's more than I had yesterday, and that makes it wonderful.

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I'm very proud of my maps, and yes I had to figure out oceanic current mapping to do the second one. Google is an author's best friend.

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(Most notes are on my laptop or phone)

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I started out with VERY ambitious goals for this project, I knew I wasn't going to finish the book in a month (or even come very close), but I thought that I could finish a half chapter a day. Boy was I wrong!
Part of the way through the first week I realized that writing 5-6 pages a day was A LOT, and majorly unreasonable. I moved down to 200 words per day. That way I could get a little bit done on days I lacked inspiration, and write more on days when I felt like it.
200 words may not sound like a lot, but over the course of weeks? It adds up.
Small manageable goals that can build your sense of encouragement and confidence are way superior to large, unmanageable ones that only make it more likely for you to procrastinate.

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Sci-fi setting

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Kayla Is a normal 15 year old living in Rhen City, totally normal. She's never seen magic up close, never met a witch, and certainly not encountered any other magical creatures. At least that's what she thinks. Unbeknownst to her, political tensions are once again rising between dragons, mermaids, and humans, the three largest civilized species in this world. With a possible war on the horizon, and humans still mistrustful of witches of their own species, how is one girl and her two friends supposed to navigate the dangers of the world? How will they survive in hiding? The same way all magic users in human territory have for decades. Wit, luck, and magical skill of course.

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If you want to read what I have so far, here's a link

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If you want to read what I have so far, here's a link

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.