Resources for Writers #11

A frequent blog where I share ideas and resources for writers of all genres. Each issue is imagined independently and is intended to invoke inspiration.

Dec 25, 2024

Hello Writers,

I hope your holiday season is going well, along with your current projects. Not that I expect you to be reading this on Christmas, but I like to stick to my schedule when I can.

Plants

Hogmoss — A fictional moss that is very pervasive, but has a high aversion to sunlight. It likes to have its feet very wet and is known to grow only in marshes, bogs, and swamps. It is an omnivorous plant eating mostly insects, but also slowly chokes out any plants unlucky enough to have it grow on it. It grows flower-like protrusions that attract pollenators. Because it eats proteins it is highly regenerative. It is not edible for humans, but its name comes from the fact that hogs like to eat it being immune to the high levels of tannins inside.

Trollbridge — A fictional predatory plant that grows only in still waters. In large ponds, it will typically grow from one side to another, creating what looks like a plant bridge going across. The strong stalks of this plant will even fool you to think that you are just walking on marshy ground. As you near the center, though, the stalks are soft, languid, and more spindly, setting the trap for you to fall into the water. As you flail to make it back to the surface, they serve to tangle you so that the plant can later feast on your rotting corpse.

Armors and Shields

Nanomail — Chainmail made on the nanometer scale. Either by magical or technological means, this mail would look like a woven fabric, but depending on the metals used, would either have a shiny or matte-finish look. It would most likely feel like a normal pair of clothes, but could easily be filled with nano-technology for thermal regulation, self-repair, etc. The rings themselves could be a form of nanite or nanobot.

Chainscale — A fairly simple concept for a suit of chainmail that has small scales attached to the rings for added protection.

Viruses and Bacteria

Macrovirus — A slight misnomer of a name for a new type of virus recently discovered in the forests north of Boston, Massachusetts. A typical virus is a single cell roughly about one nanometer in size. Some of these viruses were found to be over 200 nanometers, however, they are still a single-celled organism classified as a virus.

They often exhibit geometric shapes such as an icosahedron, or twenty-sided polygon. They also often feature legs, arms, tails, or even hair. This is a very new discovery, and there is very little information about them, but they are right up scifi’s alley, and maybe even the right fantasy setting. They could even be large enough to see as a tiny speck on your skin only to watch it disappear within it; soon to infect you depending on its gestational period.

Check out this article if you’d like to learn more.

Chicken Rocks — A fictional macrovirus that is chicken pox’s bully of a big brother. Larger reddened pock marks show up, that if itched, will turn hard as a rock and is then painful to remove, and at that point, they must be removed. It is highly contagious and does not discriminate by age. It is also not known to be related to shingles. However, like with chicken pox, once you’ve had it, you won’t get it again.

AI Image Writing Prompts

What secret does he protect?

What is the answer to this equation?

Who will write Indy’s demise?

Free to Use AI Images

As always, the AI images I make are free for you to use without any credit necessary, although it would be nice. I make most of them on NightCafe, and if you consider joining, please use my referral link.

Also, I can enlarge these images if you like. Here are nine more!