#ceriashward — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #ceriashward, aggregated by home.social.
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I finished my Summer Reading Bingo Card…
With probably the best final book. A Land Apart From Time (Dinotopia #01). They never said all the books for the adult bingo card had to be written for adults. Plus an additional 12 books read. I turn everything in on Saturday. Let's hope for some good finds at the library's book sale.https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/08/20/i-finished-my-summer-reading-bingo-card/
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It’s been a few days…
And I've needed those days to recover. Between bloodwork last Thursday and scheduled in for X-rays tomorrow as well as getting five appointments for myself, one for my youngest, and one for the both of us scheduled--you could say I'm a bit overworked. Not only getting everything scheduled, but getting transportation scheduled for these appointments. It can be tiring. And because it can be tiring, I haven't had much time to be creative over the last few days leading up to a mild fever […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/08/19/its-been-a-few-days/
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Now, it may be a hometown favorite I only get when going back…
But let me introduce you to the "Pitts-burger and Cheese." Tomatoes optional, fries and slaw required. And a bun? No friends, full bread. A Primanti Bros classic, and one of my favorite meals when I can get one. (Runner up? Potato Patch fries with cheese at Kennywood Park!) -
Hobbies outside of Writing?
Why yes, I have some of those. In fact, one of them is gaming. Tabletop RPGs, board games, video games, trading card games. You name it, I've probably at least dabbled. I mean, I used to collect Baseball, Football (why? I don't even like the sport!), Basketball (same as Football), and Hockey cards. Plus I inherited some weird collections (Desert Storm and some weird 80s/90s music ones). But of all the games I love to play, it's Pokemon that holds my heart the most. And I'm a big fan of the […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/08/08/hobbies-outside-of-writing/
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Gallery Dump: Cityscape Character Design
Madison Winters Madison Winters Madison Winters Mike Smith Nancy Smith Richmont Johnson I figured today would be a good day to share some of the 3d rendered character design I'm using to help me visualize the characters. Most of these are of Maddie, mainly because she's the focus character of the first book. I do have other characters to finalize, but I'm not happy with what I've set up for them yet. Also, Nancy's shoes get replaced. Those sandals are actually heels and not practical […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/08/07/gallery-dump-cityscape-character-design/
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I attended a Creative Writing Group
And I plan to go back. It was lovely sitting in a group of others who like writing, especially with a focus on prompts and flexing their creative skills. So of course, me being me with my ingredients took two prompts and wrote a drabble, just to stay true to form. Photo by Michelle McEwen on Unsplash Purple like the coming storm mirrored in puddles of still water, reflecting obsidian and starlight. Meanwhile, the dark moon sleeps and waits. The clouds gathered, rolling thunder in the […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/08/06/i-attended-a-creative-writing-group/
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What if magic builds itself?
I find myself revisiting some of my bad habits from my fan-fiction writing days. I'm letting the characters and the world shape what is being written. I don't necessarily think it's wrong, but it can lead to meandering stories with no real ending. If I can't get some of this writing back on track, book one will never end.But letting some of this intuitive character writing lead to larger world building questions and then finding the answer by building those answers out. And to be honest, some […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/08/03/what-if-magic-builds-itself/
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I’ve started the Herbarium
My world is expanding, and with that expansion I need to focus for a week on native flora. Plants that would fit in explicitly in this fantasy world, but would have an analog to plants known on our own Earth, Terra (as I prefer Terra over Tellus). While designing these native plants, I may also have to create some more fauna to balance them out. For example; while creating more in-depth information on the "dawnberry" bush, I may have needed to find pollinators for the flowers. So... I […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/08/02/ive-started-the-herbarium/
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Sharing some behind the scenes, with a little note.
As you can see from that screenshot; chapter five of Cityscape Chronicles is on hold while I work on world building. I'm not just designing a bestiary, I'm redesigning common fantasy races and working with endonyms and exonyms for the heritages. Like with the updated fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, we're seeing language changes happening in the fantasy space. And while my characters may use the outdated terminology before becoming more accustomed to the world, they will rapidly […] -
Bestiary Progress
Other than the basic mundane creatures; the bestiary is up to two lesser cats, a snake, a rat, and I'm working through a canine. Being able to work on what animals and such I want characters to encounter is making it easier to figure out what all regions I want to include in the world. It's also giving me time to figure out where those regions are in relation to magical sites and other areas. Also, I've been working on these while it has been more hazardous for me to be outside. We've seen […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/07/18/bestiary-progress/
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Building a Bestiary
So far, one of the world building tasks I've been focusing on is building out the more fantastical and magical creatures that my cast of characters will encounter. I'm focusing on the felines first, then canids, avians, and so on and so forth. While the world my characters will inhabit does share some of our own real animals, some need just that little bit of ｡* ✨ 𝓈𝓅𝒾𝒸𝑒 ✨ *｡. So far I have three planned felines, three planned canines, and two avians. That doesn't mean […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/07/17/building-a-bestiary/
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Learning Obsidian
How much of learning Obsidian is just printing out cheat sheets? Unlike Notion that has easy forward slash commands, Obsidian is a bit more involved with brackets and a lot more right clicking than I expected. I'm enjoying it, but man is there a bit of a learning curve. It does make sense from an author's point of view though; Notion is unreliable and people have found their databases deleted for no reason. I am doing my best to move as much of the important stuff for writing to Obsidian […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/07/15/learning-obsidian/
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I’ve been busy…
That doesn't mean much, but I've been doing a lot of things for IRL and my Health, as well as some heavy reading for my local library's Summer Reading Program. I initially started my world building and note taking in Notion, but the lack of customization has really limited me creatively. So, I'm making the move to Obsidian. Give me some time to get used to it, but I am liking what I've seen so far. Things are lookin up, and I hope to share a lot of what I've been working on for Cityscape […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/07/14/ive-been-busy/
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Last week I tried.
I tried to be there and to get things done. Between my youngest being part of the Special Olympics locally and a doctor's appointment, I did my best to be out and about with family. A major cleaning day and I'm now on day three of recovery. With chronic illness you don't get the unlimited reserve. I barely have the energy to even sit and research, let alone a short story or bits of writing. Thankfully, today I am getting to the point where I have more energy. So the plan is to get back to […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/06/09/last-week-i-tried/
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Creative Writing: Of Golden Light and Dappled Grays
I went for a walk today under golden light and dappled grays. Everyone said it would be a beautiful day, and I could feel that. The sky was cloudless, and the grove of trees around the neighborhood diffused the sunlight. It is the one thing I loved the most about the neighborhood I lived in. Always calm and muted. Even with the tranquility, we had lots of visitors. Visitors who always seemed sad, like they were missing someone. The neighborhood was odd. These visitors would show up at the […] -
June 2026 Bake-Off Challenge Now Live
Live With Pride A 28-day collaborative drabble cycle within Tiny Tales Bakery --- Welcome to This Month's Challenge June's challenge invites participants to explore themes of identity, belonging, self-expression, community, and authenticity. Pride means different things to different people. For some, it is celebration. For others, it is reflection, discovery, resilience, family, friendship, or simply the act of living openly and honestly. Interpret the ingredients in whatever way […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/06/02/june-2026-bake-off-challenge-now-live/
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The Risen
It started like any other night, especially when the veil was thin. Our small seaside village welcomed the spirits of those who were lost at sea in the past year. Our priestess, pale-skinned and ethereal-looking, adorned in the colors of the deep ocean, had already started preparing for this night’s work. I watched in amazement. My lifelong aspiration was to train as a priestess, welcoming the deceased and guiding them to the realms beyond. I wouldn’t be of age for training for at least […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/05/28/the-risen/
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A Post Apocalyptic Siren’s Song
A soft humming rode the wind—strange, yet familiar. The tune teased his memory, as if it had followed him since childhood. He had never seen a person—or any creature—linked to the sound. For years, he dismissed it as a sound from the old power lines, long abandoned in this changed world. But today, the humming was different. There was a proper voice associated with it, if only he could find where that voice was coming from. He moved like a shadow through ruins he’d never dared to […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/05/27/a-post-apocalyptic-sirens-song/
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Creative Writing: … and Stormy Night
“If only they would tell the truth,” the lost girl mused. Katie watched as the teens in the group wandered into the woods. “If these children knew my story, they would never come out here.” Only a few would be returning, and they wouldn’t be returning whole. She knew this from the moment she issued the challenge over a hundred years ago. She was killed right here, in the woods, at the very spot where she used to tell the story and where the challenge always began. This firepit […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/05/25/creative-writing-and-stormy-night/
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Creative Writing: The Darkened…
The night, dark and stormy as always, felt cliché. And the first person who could find the totem left behind would be the winner of this strange game. They decided to play a game based on the stories they told as kids as a joke. The ones that made you think twice before sleeping in the dark of your bedroom. The spooky stories that were certain to give you a slight fright. But this little game was not based on any old story. It had its origins in an actual event that occurred nearby, in the […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/05/24/creative-writing-the-darkened/
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Drabble: Witch’s Moon
Once upon a moonlit night, when shadows followed close, I took a wander around my home. Sheltered under the bright full moon’s light, I saw as the world slumbered on. As I traveled owls flew by on whispered wings. And from time to time, a caterwaul, as hunting cats crossed paths. I am but a small sprite, not one to shy away from my curiosity. My favorite place is this lovely farm, the orchard with apples ready for cider. I will try to sneak one or two home after tonight’s celebrations […]https://ceriashwardauthor.wordpress.com/2026/05/23/drabble-witchs-moon/
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A new hidden cost of accessibility I discovered this morning…
Today was supposed to be a day where I could get out and about through our local transit system. I was supposed to catch the cab out to my partner's work and the public bus home. Until we woke up and saw rivulets of rainwater flowing down our little side-street. A veritable downpour. I use forearm crutches (or a rollator) when I go out to shop, to wander, or to just be not at home. I have extensive issues with walking unaided--more than just normal clumsiness, I have been known to walk into […] -
Mapping My Writing Life: A Look Inside the Creative Atlas System
Today I want to share a look at the writing systems I’ve been building, and how they all work together under what I call my Creative Atlas System. On the surface, it might look like I’m juggling a lot of projects at once. In practice, it’s a structured way of rotating between different types of creative work depending on focus, energy, and curiosity for the day. Instead of staying locked into a single project, I move through different modes of writing—some days for deep novel work, […]