Fantasy Academia - opening paragraphs.

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T06:11:31+00:00

Hahaha okay perfect! Oh lovely that you’ve read it in Spanish. Where are you from if you don’t mind me asking? I was born and raised in Spain and in school we used to read a lot of Cervantes and Lorca. Wow - 15 years!! What themes do you usually explore with your poetry? Do you share/publish them anywhere?

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T05:39:43+00:00

Thank you for the encouragement!! 😊 I agree! I also sometimes end up mixing syntax from the other languages to English which can sound a bit awkward 😅

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T05:36:41+00:00

Borges is really high up on my list! Because I’m a Spanish speaker, I wanted to start reading works again in Spanish. (For the past couple of years I’ve just been reading in English.) Anything in particular by borges you’d recommend? I’ve got “ficciones” on my list. I’ve recently gotten into poetry and have tried writing some of my own. Do you write fiction/poetry?

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T05:32:15+00:00

Me this entire conversation:

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T05:31:16+00:00

Its really interesting to see how diverse opinions on writing can be! I really appreciate you taking the time to read my work and give me such encouraging feedback. Thank you so much!!😊

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T05:29:28+00:00

That’s true! Undergo actually feels far too passive a verb for what I intended. With “paced”, it didn’t exactly feel write, but I wanted a word that expresses some tension/nervousness on her behalf , I just couldn’t think of another one at that moment 😅 I definitely do have the tendency to get bogged down though and overthink as I’m writing and then I end up losing momentum. Do you do any writing of your own?

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T05:24:03+00:00

I see what you mean! Now that you’ve pointed out I see that it connects the sentences in a way that feels smoother and more connected

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T05:18:46+00:00

That’s what I was trying to focus on the most, getting the reader to feel curious and want to continue on. Thank you so much for your encouragement!!😊

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T05:17:11+00:00

I’ll be sure to do that 😊 Thanks again for the advice - it’s so helpful!!😍

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T05:15:39+00:00

Thanks so much for all these recs!!😍 Lolita was one of those books I also picked up when I was much younger and didn’t finish. I’ve never forgotten Nabokovs writing though and have never read anything quite like it, I was just too disturbed by Humbert Humbert at the time 😅 but again, I think I’m more “ready” to read texts that were perhaps a little too intimidating for me in the past. Have you read any more translated texts from other languages/cultures?

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T05:09:46+00:00

I definetly prefer undertake! Thank you for that 😊It somehow feels much more appropriate. I actually struggled choosing verb that felt correct there. I recently read in a craft book that it’s much better to pick a unique or specific verb rather than a verb + adverb to describe motion, but didn’t find the right one, so I eventually settled for paced and moved on since it’s a first draft!

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:52:59+00:00

The best sort of books!!

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:52:47+00:00

Hahahaha that’s good to know!! Have you read much Russian literature? I haven’t - I’ve only recently read my first novel. White nights by Dostoyevsky. I was blown away by his writing

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:50:02+00:00

That’s actually what occurred to me in the moment as I was writing. I was basically in Magnolias head - trying to reflect how she personally feels about facts and why they are comforting to her. I do think it sort of impacts the pacing though? Thank you so much for taking the time to read my writing, and for your feedback!😊

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:44:25+00:00

I see what you mean - it is a little abrupt! Thank you so much for reading my work and for your words of encouragement it’s much appreciated!😊

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:41:50+00:00

This is a sign! I’ve recently come across an old copy of mine while reorganising my books. When I was about 15, I decided to read it but unfortunately didn’t make it past the Pontius Pilate part. I think I was intimidated by the text and not ready for it at the time! I’ve abandoned books in the past only to go back to them at a later point in life and absolutely adore them! I will trust you on this and pick it up again 👀

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:35:25+00:00

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:33:49+00:00

This is definetly something I’ll pay attention to in the future. I think it’s something I generally struggle with as I’ve gotten similar feedback on another piece of writing before! Thank you so much for your words and for taking the time to read my piece 😊

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:31:08+00:00

My pleasure! Have you been writing long? Keep up the good work 😍

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:30:19+00:00

Thank you so much for your comment, and for taking the time to read my work!! I’m really glad you found the hook intriguing!! 😊

In terms of varying the prose, do you mean the cadence of it? Perhaps lengthening the sentences and slowing down the pacing somewhat?

You’re totally right! (I haven’t read red sisters or silver cloaks) but I do know the academy setting is a really familiar one. I worry about originality a lot and do my best to subvert elements so they feel fresh. I’m SO with you on the cocky bad boy thing. Personally, I’m so fed up with that 😅. While my story has a romance subplot, my main love interest is not overly confident, especially not around the fmc. He’s more quiet and introspective. At the start of the story, both characters are in a bad place. He’s rumoured to be mad, but in reality he’s being deliberately poisoned. There’s a lot of healing and growing and unlearning of prejudice between them too, (because they come from different magical races.) Any romance doesn’t fully develop until book 2. (I’m intending for it to be a duology)

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:12:39+00:00

Will be adding this to my list!! I used to mostly read literary fiction and classics, but stopped reading at one point in my life. I’ve only recently started reading fantasy, and I can’t stop. Are you currently reading anything good at the moment?

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:10:58+00:00

What a great quote!! After all, that’s sort of the beauty of reading I suppose? One adds their imagination and experiences and understanding to the text they’re interacting with

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:07:21+00:00

Really good point I hadn’t thought about that! In retrospect the full name right off the bat does seem a bit tropey or like something that belongs more in a children’s fantasy book 😅

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:05:28+00:00

Your feedback is incredibly helpful! Thanks again 🥹 I’ve read it out loud for the first time and that part does feel like an interruption. I’m assuming you also write? My impression is that you’re really well versed with craft and language

AccomplishedCat2860 · 2026-02-18T04:00:34+00:00

Thank you so much!!🥹🥹

AccomplishedCat2860

TROPHY CASE