About Me

Hello and welcome! Thank you for visiting! I am Darcy and this is my creative writing journal where I will be posting about my thoughts, experiences, etc. regarding creative writing.

I love writing stories that grapple with the complexities of identity and family and I write about these topics in short stories, short screenplays, and poems and occasionally in novellas. Within my life, I enjoy reading, creative writing, and encouraging other writers.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ

For general information, please read my Carrd. I have links to all my socials and websites there. Learn more about my pronouns here.

To see my general Dreamwidth with all my writing updates, please travel to Darcy Directory.

To see the collaborative art I am creating with my sister Hunter Fawkes, slip off to Zhilan Ridge.

Finally, for social justice and mental health resources and organizations to support, visit here.

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Tags/Links List [Tags Masterlist]

Archive | Messages | Website | Resources | About Me | Queue [shared thoughts/about] | Monthly Updates | Novellas | Short Stories | Screenplays | Poems | Zhilan Ridge | Return to Darcy Directory

*Important!!* “What to Expect from This Journal”

Journal Background:

• I originally created this journal to share my writing and while I still post my writing here, I have expanded to posting other things too, so within this entry, I clarify what potential viewers can expect from this journal


• I am an adult and will occasionally be posting things related to adulthood and adult themes

What I will be posting:

• Check out my Tags Masterlist to see a breakdown of my tagging system


• As I stated above, this journal was originally created to share my creative writing, so you can expect entries that link to my novellas or include short stories, short screenplays, and poems I have written that will touch upon topics of mental health, family, racial and gender identity, and more


• In this journal, my non-creative writing entries will generally relate to creative writing, such as common thoughts/complaints about the writing process, tips for writing, and things to keep in mind as socially conscious writers


• All of my entries, unless I have tagged them otherwise as NSFW (not-safe-for-work), will be non-graphic and/or SFW (safe-for-work) besides the occasional swearing


• I will occasionally post things related to current events and politics as a left-leaning person, so if that makes you feel uncomfortable, you are welcome to block me


• At the same time, please don't take my occasional entries on current events/politics to be representative of everything I am doing or believe regarding a particular issue; of course, I'm not perfect and I have my blindspots, but I have a life outside of Dreamwidth and if I post something about a particular topic here, it does not mean that I am ignoring other issues or not doing other things to support particular movements in my life outside of Dreamwidth


• I like talking about my identity, particularly as an adoptee, as such, you can expect some content on that topic; once again, if that makes you uncomfortable, I do not mind if you block me

Notes about NSFW tagging:

• In this journal, I will tag entries NSFW if they describe or show sex, violence, gore, severe wounds, nudity, slurs, and pornography in extremely graphic detail


• For me, non-graphic means that entries can still mention directly or indirectly any of the above as long as it is not shown/described in extreme detail, so I still encourage you to block me if you feel uncomfortable


• Just because I tagged something NSFW does not mean I believe the original entry to be bad; I am just protecting potential viewers who may be coming to my journal with histories and backgrounds I have no idea about


• If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding how I tag NSFW content, please send me a message; I am happy to discuss and listen

What I would appreciate from viewers:

• Please do not repost my novellas, short stories, short screenplays, and poems without permission to other sites or copy and paste them into a separate Dreamwidth entry; you are, of course, welcome and encouraged to comment on them though if you choose to


• If you’re confused about something I wrote or shared, I encourage you to send me a message; I am always happy to clarify and listen to concerns made in good faith


• This should go without saying, but you don’t have to agree with me; it’s okay to comment on my entries with counter-arguments, ignore an entry I wrote, or, as stated above, reach out to me for clarification because like everyone else in this world, I’m not perfect and I am always happy to learn from different perspectives


• On that note, if you are arguing with me that people of certain races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual/romantic orientations, religions, etc. don’t deserve to exist, be respected, or fight for their liberation or rights without any intention of listening to and learning from the perspectives of people from marginalized backgrounds, then I will not engage in dialogue with you; in other words, racism, xenophobia, sexism, anti-trans bigotry, ableism, classism, colorism, or any other form of bigotry will not be tolerated


• Critical thinking is so important to me and I completely believe you do not need a college degree to take a few moments and think through context, emotions, evidence, etc. to make a strong argument and critique others’ (including mine!!)


• Another thing that should go without saying is that you are welcome to block me if any of my entries make you uncomfortable; I don’t know your history and background and while I try to be sensitive in what I post, I know I’ll make mistakes without realizing it, so please do what you have to in order to protect yourself

My Name and Username

I thought it would be fun to do an entry on where my name and username come from to help with any confusion or if you are just interested!

Darcy comes from my given name and is from a namebook and was chosen because of its Irish origin and its associated meaning of "dark one" since I have black hair

Ridge comes from a suggestion my father gave me back when I was in middle school for an author name

Sunlake comes from the name I used when I was in elementary school and roleplayed Warriors

1 comes from the fact that "sunlake" just by itself wasn’t available as a username on Tumblr and when I was in middle school, I used to have a bunch of accounts on different social media sites and I gave each username a different number and my Tumblr, which this journal is based on, was the “one” account

Tags Masterlist

Hi, everyone! Check below for more information on how I tag my entries.

Queue - everything I post except for my creative writing

Shared thoughts - entries where I share and summarize articles, resources, videos, music, etc. from outside Dreamwidth; will probably be reshared from my Darcy Directory journal or be related to creative writing

About - entries relating to information about me, my experiences/opinions/etc., or the journal; will try to keep it related to creative writing when possible

Monthly Updates - my monthly update posts

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Writing tags:

Novellas 

Short Stories 

Screenplays

Poems

Adam Rouhana Photos

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by New York Times Opinion (nytopinion)

This is a good post from Palestinian American photographer Adam Rouhana about the importance of using photography to humanize people and communities and challenge harmful narratives that portray Palestinians as “masked and violent or as disposable and lifeless.”

Adam Rouhana Photos

Chapter Eleven of 'The Dragon Queen's Prisoners: Captives'

As always, please explore/donate to/do one thing for BLM and other social justice issues before reading my new poem or the next chapter of TDQP. Here are some suggestions: Social Justice and Mental Health Resources. Today, I want to shout out Red Feather, which is an organization based in Arizona that is currently helping people of the Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation with sustainable housing needs. Things you can do for them is donate online, (if you live in Arizona) help out with repairs and other physical activities, and/or (if you are a web designer) assist in web design.
Come read my new poem on Wattpad and/or my website. If you're feeling overwhelmed and defeated like Suzanna Barker, then my poem is for you.
Website link: A Panda Hug
Wattpad link: A Panda Hug
Also, the eleventh chapter of Captives is available on Wattpad!
Chapter Eleven

The Rabbit and the Wolf

There is a rabbit and a wolf at the dinner table. The rabbit taps its foot against its metal seat, letting the th-thump, th-thump, th-thump of its rhythm resound through the air.  A meal of berries lays before the creature, but still, it does not eat as its attention is on the guest before it.

“You first?” The growl strums the atmosphere and the wolf’s yellow eyes glimmer with a yearning. For what? That is unclear and the two continue, the rabbit t-tap-tap-tapping and the wolf peering at the rabbit.

Then finally the light flickers above the two meal partners and in the second the darkness ascends, something changes. Before long, the wolf and the rabbit are illuminated again. The berries still before the latter, yet something is different. 

The wolf twitches its tail, swinging it back and forth, back and forth. And the rabbit looks up at the wolf, eyes shimmering. Not with fear as one might assume, but with a yearning. 

“Why should I be the one to start?” There is no quiver in the rabbit’s voice. No, it’s steady and confident.

And I, both observer and object of this scene, feel this deep in my bones. A soundless understanding that both rabbit and wolf is I, Ashly, two dual identities in one. So I laugh, letting their meaningless questions reverberate around me. Rabbit? Wolf? I am me.

A Big Friend

INT. ROGER EL SAYAD’S BEDROOM- BEFORE DAWN

Gray morning light illuminates a room cluttered with clothes, colored pencils, and crumpled paper. On a nightstand squashed between a twin-sized bed and the wall, an alarm vibrates.

Stretching his arm from beneath the bed covers, ROGER,  eighteen, slams the alarm, interrupting its buzzing. 

Roger glances at the time and groans. His head drops onto the pillow.

ROGER

Why now...

He lies still momentarily, staring at the dark ceiling before pushing himself out of bed.

ROGER

Time to check on Minnie.

EXT. BACKYARD- TEN MINUTES LATER

The red-tinted indigo sky gleams above a small backyard, bordered in the back by a row trees leading to a forest and empty except for a shed across from the house. The light chirping of birds flits through the air. 

Roger creaks open the screen door and exits his house, careful the door doesn’t slam behind him.

He tiptoes over to a shed with his arms wrapped around two bowls of cereal.

ROGER

(whispering)

Minnie!

A low groan sounds from the wooden structure.

ROGER

I know it’s early, but you gotta eat!

A snort from within. Roger sighs and looks around him. 

A few beats pass and then the shed door creaks open and a minotaur appears, towering over Roger.

Roger grins.

ROGER

There you are, Minnie!

EXT. FOREST- A FEW MINUTES LATER

Roger and Minnie sit side-by-side on a log in the forest munching on cereal. Fall leaves lay scattered around them.

ROGER

I have to say, even though it's been a couple of months now, I’m still not used to doing all of this alone.

Minnie pauses in his eating to glance at the boy.

ROGER

I know I should be happy that Aziza has started college and Loli is working now, but...I don’t know...I guess I sound kind of stupid.

MINNIE

You don’t to me. I miss them, too. 

They sit in silence.

A yellow-speckled gray bird flits to the ground before them.

ROGER

I’m surprised this little guy hasn’t left yet for migration.

MINNIE

Maybe he’s like us, not ready to leave home yet.

Roger smiles at his friend.

ROGER

So how should we make the most of this fine day?

The two friends sit side-by-side laughing as the yellow-speckled bird lifts off the ground and follows the breeze into the sunrise.

Witches in the Air

They tell me that there are witches in the air

You can see them when day seeps to night

And their silhouettes prowl the walls

“Sapphire,” others say to me, “stay inside, shut the door.”

And I obey, but the witches linger in my mind

Slipping around corners, robes trailing the stars

Their eyes dazzle and beckon

And I watch, envious, for they are free

And I am not

Until one night, I step out into the humid dusk

Tip-toe across the road until I fade into

The night, finally with the witches