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Actually, in this instance, because the OP is looking for language guidance and not looking to publish a story on the forum, in whole or in part, I think the extra content was needed to get the correct guidance, especially in the murky world of Japanese honorifics (which still elude me after all these years of you trying to teach me). Now, the idiot who keeps trying to publish stories in the Adopt a Story forum definitely needs to be smacked with a very large thesaurus. Repeatedly.

Darling, that’s the fun part of being a writer! See it in your mind’s eye, and then describe what you see: “The gnarled bark of the tree’s trunk formed a series of steps leading upward into the branches, and there, hidden among the green leaves and growing apples was a house. Small and somehow invitingly cozy, it looked like the sort of place everyone’s favorite grandmother might live, if she lived in a tree, of course. The windows were open, and a hint of cinnamon teased the senses, invoking the warmth of apple pie and spiced tea.” You don’t need to measure it out in feet, or meters. Let the reader use their own imagination, and just give them the general shape of it.

The difference between this site’s forums and FFnet’s forums is...uh...what’s a good solid word for “incredible?” There’s no doubt which of the two is better. FFnet forums are plagued with simple, honest, non-aggressive questions which are subject to aggressive dogpiling, bullying, retributive reporting, and immaturity from users who don’t comprehend that you can disagree with someone without that disagreement making them a horribly nasty and evil person AND without being an utter dickbag about it. I’ve seen questions about site functions and guidelines turn into cyber-bullying sessions that have made people log off for weeks to recover; many of these times, I’ve given up on getting my answer to track the bullied user down and reassure them only to find out they were brought to tears and considering deleting their accounts entirely. The immaturity and bullying on that site is appalling, and even more so that it’s allowed to continue without repercussions. AFF forums? I’m looking for a thread to get answers from; instead, I just found a topic titled “Uses for a pet demon” and sprayed hot tea out my nose. No attacks in the replies, just people having fun with the idea and being – GASP! – rational human beings! Even more, users replying are – if you can believe it – JOKING about it! I feel like a kid who heard “Detention” but instead wound up at Disney World for the week. Plus, I can say someone’s being a dickbag without being reported for profanity, and I can write “this hit me hard” without the censors leaving only “me hard.” That's always awkward. I love this site, and I love its users. Y’all are awesome. If only the site was easier to navigate and use on my tablet and if only it had better log-in security, I’d love it twice as much. Either way, it’ll be a while before I bother with FFnet’s forums again. Now I just need to find a thread for language research & resources...

Hmmm, that first idea seems interesting, and somewhat similar to an idea of my own. I’ll put it in the hopper for a while and see if anything shakes out.

Re: “For the Price of One” From Vacant on March 28, 2020 IMO, stating the obvious is a valid narrative tool. Hope you’ll enjoy it!

Special seedlings would work as you’ve laid it out. Now, for an elder elven sage, looking for a tree with some potential arcane/occult significance… Oaks were sacred to the druids, and were linked with lightning, since oaks can survive lightning strikes and thrive. Hawthorn were also considered to be sacred trees, as were ash trees. In parts of Ireland, even today, people won’t cut the branches of a hawthorn for fear of offending the fairy folk. Ash trees were associated with healing, and ash was used for staffs/wands. Here’s a wiki article on Celtic traditions for sacred trees: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_sacred_trees

Re: “Wishful” From IttyBittySkitty on March 24, 2020 Thank you! Because of the two very different worlds in which this story takes place, I’m spending more time on description than I might in a story with a simpler setting. Two more chapters are on the way! But it will probably be a little while.