#Tell why and list three examples in your response.

[dreamaboutwhathappens]

how does the new york times always get THE most brain dead opinion writers. i’m serious

[4dbeingguide]

there is only one sentence you need to know as a manifestor:

the 3D/physical world isn’t real. only the mind is.

disclaimers:

this is slightly rant-y though i don’t attack you, i uplift you

excuse any grammar errors!

credit to all the artists whose art was used!

let’s get into it.

you do not exist/live in the 3D, you simply perceive your own mind and assumptions in three dimensions. the 3D is an illusion. it isn’t real. the phone you’re reading this on, your surroundings, me writing this post, “other” people, they’re not real.

this will literally answer all the questions you have about LOA. examples include:

“what if what i’m doing won’t make anything manifest in the 3D?” then boo-fucking-hoo? it wouldn’t even matter because that’s not where you live. you’re 4-dimensional. if it’s happened in the 4D, it’s fucking happened! put it in your success story list. rejoice now that it’s happened. because it has! the 3D is NOT real, the 4D is so you should be checking the 4D! think about this question: “what if it doesn’t manifest in the 2D (a world of only length and width)?” i bet you’re like “womp womp? the fuck would that have to do with me? it’s not real and i don’t live there!” give that SAME energy to the 3D. you live in the 4D.

“where is it in the 3D?” why do you care? it’s not where you live. CONSCIOUSNESS is the only reality. you heard me. you shouldn’t give a fuck about whether it will manifest in the 3D or not because the 3D doesn’t determine reality, YOU do. why do you want confirmation from an illusion when you can have confirmation from what’s actually real (the mind)?

“but if i stop caring about whether it’ll manifest in the 3D or not, it might not manifest in the 3D!” first of all, womp womp then? you don’t live in the 3D. second of all, that’s literally impossible unless you directly/intentionally assume that it’s the case. the 3D literally EXISTS as a reflection/limited perception of the mind. it’s LAW that it will come. and the last time i checked, “i don’t care whether it comes or not” and “it won’t come” are different statements. but what i just find so hilarious about this one specific doubt is that you’ve literally just PROVEN your THOUGHTS create the 3D.

“i can’t manifest abc! it goes against the laws of physics/circumstances etc” lemme just get this straight. the MIND is the only reality yet you are lying and saying it has limits based off of 3D “law”? and the 3D is not real meaning the “laws” of the 3D aren’t either? the 3D doesn’t and will never be able to tell the mind what to do. that being said, you can manifest pissing a million bucks, teleporting into a villa in italy or becoming wanda fucking maximoff and developing superpowers. you can manifest hulk hogan flying across the pacific to your door and proposing to you, hell, you can even manifest BECOMING hulk hogan. you can manifest your SPs buying you three million bentleys then making out with you in each of them. you can manifest going back in time. you. can. manifest. ANYTHING. you. can. manifest. anything. you. can. imagine. you’re OMNIPOTENT.

this one is very interesting cause it’s a response to doubts! “if i keep doubting, it won’t show up in the 3D!” the reason your doubts persist is because your mind thinks they actually mean shit and are an issue worth addressing. so what if it doesn’t show up in the 3D? it’s already happened.

“but what if im one of the odd ones out? what if i can’t manifest?” despite the fact that it’s scientific law, the rebuttal for this doubt is very simple. you wouldn’t be alive lmao. being alive is a constant act of the 3D reflecting your mind, that’s literally its only purpose. it’s an inanimate, mindless, limited perception of your mind that instantly conforms to your beliefs. you are CONSTANTLY manifesting. what you’re doing is just learning how to control WHAT you manifest. (just to set the record straight. this doesn’t mean you are to blame for your problems since you didn’t consciously choose them).

“the 3D isn’t showing me what i want!” well it isn’t real lmao? why the fuck would that matter?

one of the WORST beliefs you can have as a manifestor is that the goal of manifesting is changing the 3D. i know you (probably) came in thinking that but i want you to shed that belief. the 3D is not real. the goal is to get it in the 4D, where you live. to fully experience something, all you have to do is change your mind as that’s the the only reality. when you accomplish that goal, rejoice and move on.

this is why i very, VERY heavily dislike the statement that “an assumption persisted in will harden into fact”. no, an assumption IS a fact. only regarding something as real when it manifests in the 3D (which isn’t real) is fallacious.

“thoughts create reality” i bet you’ve heard this before in this community but i don’t like this either for this simple reason: thoughts (that you accept) ARE reality.

my biggest piece of advice to you as a manifestor is this: realize that the 3D doesn’t mean shit.

when you DO get your manifestation in the 3D, it’s perfectly fine to be happy but don’t jump up and down saying “it’s finally happened (in reality)!”. NO. it happened in reality ages ago, the 3D just caught up.

i’m gonna link some really sexy posts that will help you understand this better. most of these are scientific.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NevilleGoddard/s/AmlHe5oipA (the post is up, i don’t understand why tumblr won’t embed it)

if you liked this post, leave a like, reblog, engage, follow, let me know if this helped 🫶😭

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Quirks, Habits & Mannerisms

Character Quirks - the memorable little things about a character’s personality that make them charming, endearing, weird, or unique. A quirk is anything worth describing about a character that makes them stand out, like certain speech patterns (a character who mumbles), or behavioral tics (someone who can’t make eye contact). Quirks can also be a character’s clothing, the way they smell, or whether they use their left hand or if they’re ambidextrous. Little quirks or idiosyncrasies can humanize a character—or at the very least, make them interesting.

Character Habits - the patterns of behavior exhibited by characters either involuntarily or in response to other stimuli. For example, a character who can’t stop winking when they get nervous, or someone who always smokes a cigarette with their morning coffee. Habits are often repeated under specific circumstances, or in some cases incorporated into a character’s routine. Good habits can reveal things about your character, like someone who always cleans their house before company arrives can be a stickler for neatness and presentation. However, bad habits can also be especially powerful, as they expose certain flaws about your characters, paving the way for growth and development.

Character Mannerisms - a character’s unconscious individual gestures, affectations, or other distinctive behavioral traits. Characters’ mannerisms can indicate particular aspects about them. For example, someone who is always slouching may perpetually lack confidence, or a character is always squinting because they’re too prideful to admit they need glasses. Mannerisms can help your audience tell your fictional characters apart from one another, giving them their own identity. They can also help your characters feel more three-dimensional, like people you’ve met in real life.

Tips for Using Quirks, Habits, and Mannerisms for Writing Realistic Characters

Quirks, habits, and mannerisms can be so useful for writers to incorporate during the character creation process. Whether your focus is writing a novel or short stories, little aspects of a character’s personality can help make them feel layered and real, strengthening the connection and empathy your audience has with them.

Make a list. Write your own list of quirks, habits, and mannerisms. Think about the people you know. Which family members are introverts? Who is always the life of the party? Do they say any specific things or behave in a particular way that indicates these aspects of their personalities? Think of a character you’ve read about in a book or seen in a TV show or movie—what were their strengths? What were their foibles? Also, consider complete strangers you’ve passed on the street. Which ones do you remember, and why?

Ask yourself why. If you’ve thought of a list of character traits you find interesting, consider why those particular ones stood out to you. Why do you want to give your character a weird sneeze? Why is it important that they’re vegan? Why you want to use a trait and its effect on personality are two important things to be cognizant of when building your own characters.

Show, don’t tell. Use quirks, habits, and mannerisms to say more about your characters than words can. You don’t have to tell your readers that your protagonist always feels awkward when he enters a crowded room—show them he feels that way by putting it into his movement. Instead of normally walking into the room, the character always shuffles meekly, or has to give themselves a pep-talk before entering. Descriptions like these can paint a more vivid picture of both the scene and your character for audiences.

Consider your setting. If you’re writing a piece that takes place in the 1990s, your main character isn’t going to check their cell phone constantly, or use certain types of modern slang. Make sure the behaviors and habits you incorporate into your character development line up with the time period or setting you’ve established.

Don’t overdo it. In fiction writing, a good combination of quirks can help create more memorable characters by including small things that make them charming, endearing, weird, or unique. However, overloading your character descriptions with these traits will have the opposite effect, and make them feel ungrounded and unrelatable. Quirks, habits, and mannerisms should be used sparingly, and only to enhance the character as a whole. If your character walks with a limp, has a catchphrase, wears ugly clothes, speaks with a stutter, and considers their stuffed animal their best friend, they will seem like a complete caricature to your audience. Characters shouldn’t need an overload of gimmicks to be memorable, just a few specific details that help bring them to life in a natural and interesting way.

Avoid clichés. Nothing makes a character feel less realistic than an adherence to unbelievable and tired tropes. If you want to develop unique characters, go against the grain. The gruff character with the eyepatch might be the nicest person in the neighborhood, or the clumsy girl-next-door might actually be a serial killer. Even if you’re experiencing writer’s block, don’t rely on clichés. Instead, think of all the basic ways characters have been portrayed throughout and go in the opposite direction.

Try writing prompts. Character writing prompts can help you imagine new combinations of traits to give to your characters. A prompt can force you to think outside the box you’ve built for your character, putting them in other situations and seeing how they behave. This can help draw out features of the character that you hadn’t thought of yet, while also expanding your character writing skills.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[themuseofaphrodite]

know that you and i shouldn’t feel like a crime ✧ OP81

summary: after viewing a series of viral tiktoks, you decide to partake in the “hear me out” cake trend with your very wary boyfriend.

trigger warnings: suggestive & mature content, swearing

word count: 1k

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

One of your most surprising qualities was that you were a TikTok fiend, especially since you were usually down to earth and didn’t use your phone much in public — but for good reason. Your “For You” page was filled with some of the weirdest, wackiest things: dangerous extreme sport challenges, odd filters used on pets for a quick laugh… the list could go on. Each video was a perfect way to destroy your reputation as the effortlessly suave McLaren princess.

You slouched on the creaky recliner next to Oscar Piastri, your boyfriend of almost three years, and sighed loudly, garnering his attention immediately. He was perfectly attuned to your every movement and breath, which was why you liked him so much. Nothing was worse than a nonchalant man, and Oscar was anything but that.

“Hm, darling? Everything OK?” Oscar looked up at you from where he was sitting, pausing the television with a careless flick of his hand. “It’s getting late, maybe you’re tired? You did have a long day.”

You shrugged one shoulder, feigning coolness. “No, I’m fine, I’m not tired. I just have an idea.”

Oscar raised one eyebrow, already on alert. That last sentence always warned him that something was afoot, and nine times out of ten, it was never anything good. “Oh, no. What now?”

“There’s a trend going around” — this made Oscar visibly tense, a vein in his neck going taut as he waited for you to continue. He disliked the viral pranks and never laughed at any of them, to your dismay — “and I was hoping you’d be willing to participate in one of them with me?” You batted your eyelashes, giving him puppy dog eyes, a trick you knew he couldn’t resist.

“If my mates find out about this,” he warned you, waving a finger menacingly at you like a stereotypical villain. “No posting this like you did last time.” You stifled a laugh at the thought of the last prank you engaged in, and the way it had broken the Internet when you posted it on social media. Oscar had not forgiven you, and it had been almost a year.

You shook your head solemnly, extending your pinky finger out to him so he would interlock his own in an unspoken vow. “I promise you I won’t post it.”

“Good.” He pursed his lips, obviously remembering the media disaster that had unfolded last time. McLaren had not been happy with him in the slightest, to say the least. He was still making it up to them even now. “What’s the trend?”

You edged yourself closer to him, tilting your chin conspiratorially and speaking in a low whisper. “Hear me out.”

Oscar’s eyebrows furrowed, clueless. He scrolled through TikTok very rarely, mainly preferring to stick to television, and sometimes Instagram reels, so he had no idea what you were talking about. “Pardon?”

“So, basically,” you explained, your voice bright with mischief, “you have to think of a few characters, or people, that you think are attractive, although others might disagree with you. For example, hear me out,” you started, a moment’s pause between your response. “Bumblebee from Transformers.”

Oscar’s jaw dropped as the name clicked. “The robot? You want to tell me that you find a machine attractive?”

“He’s protective and sweet, and has really good music taste,” you defended, pouting.

“Goddamn, Y/N, starting off strong.” Oscar hummed under his breath, thinking. “Hear me out, Megan Fox but in Jennifer’s Body.”

You groaned loudly, annoyed. “That’s not a ‘hear me out’. Everyone agrees that Megan Fox in that film was beautiful. It has to be something unhinged, like, hear me out” — you clucked your tongue, pondering over the various choices floating around in your mind — “the Goldfish cracker on the front of the bag.”

Oscar made a distinct choking noise, his face flushing red. “An animal? God, Y/N. I should report you to the police so they can put you behind bars.”

You swatted him on the shoulder, barely missing him since his reflexes were superhuman. “Try again, Osc. Really shock me with this next one, please.”

“Hear me out…Belle from Beauty and the Beast.” Oscar waited for your approval, and you sighed, throwing your hands up in the air in surrender. “What? How was that not good? She’s a cartoon!”

“Everyone loves Belle! She’s fierce, intelligent, and stunning. All qualities that are conventionally attractive!” You shook your head. “Come on. Hear me out, a string bass.”

Oscar’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “What the — Please tell me you’re joking, love. There’s no way you could find an instrument attractive.”

“A bass is tall, deep-pitched, and mysterious. Just what I like in a man.” You beamed up at him. “OK, Oscar. Don’t disappoint me.”

He side-eyed you, tapping his fingers on his lap as he thought. “I have one.” You watched him with bated breath, hoping that he would finally catch on. “Hear me out, Sydney Sweeney, in general.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. “I give up, Oscar. I should’ve known that this wouldn’t have worked. Lando would be so much better to do this with… Let me ask him if he’s free.”

Oscar rolled his eyes, pulling you onto his lap before you could escape, and giving you a quick peck to your lips. “Sorry, darling. Better luck next time?”

You huffed. “Whatever, Oscar. I forgot you were an inadequate, basic white boy.”

Oscar nudged his nose against your jaw, whispering in a husky, deep voice. “Hear me out, my girlfriend, Y/N L/N. She might be batshit crazy sometimes, but she’s absolutely breathtaking. When she’s underneath me, begging for my cock like a good girl? It’s a fucking work of art.”

You suppressed a shiver, looping your arm and burying yourself against him, arousal dancing under your skin. “Fuck, OK. You win.”

He kissed you again, a smirk dancing on his lips. “Oh, I know. I always do. Future world champion, remember?”

“Arrogant prick,” you muttered, but your curses were swallowed up by a new wave of kisses Oscar pressed against your lips.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

[angelshizuka]

Hey! I notice you talk a lot about the discourse in the hellaverse fandom and i really like your explanations so i wanted to ask for your opinion on something?

Do you also get frustrated by how many people act like viv is responsibly for every single shortcoming of the hellaverse? It’s like nothing can even be slightly flawed without it being her fault somehow.

People act like she’s the sole writer for both shows and that whenever there’s a flaw, it’s her fault. There are multiple writers but i have ONLY ever seen criticism on her. Weird

When people dislike the merch, it’s her fault, when there’s complications with shipping merch it’s her fault, when something weird happens with fans it’s her fault, etc etc.

Queer women cannot exist on the internet without scrutiny. And i know what people are gonna say, they’re gonna list out every weird thing she’s ever done in the past and then tell me how it’s actually okay to harass people involved in the hellaverse because of this.

Regarding her past actions, i mean i just dont really think about it when i watch either show? Im not a twitter user, never will be again, so i dont even see half of any new drama. I just really dont care. maybe she’s been unprofessional before i can admit that but people have gone a bit too far. Im not gonna anon this ask bc frankly i couldnt care less if someone wants to yell at me it’s not that serious ill just log off

I cannot stand the Viv hate, because literally all arguments I've seen against her all fall under either one of these three categories: 1. mistakes she's made in the past but has learned from, 2. painfully obviously fake "evidence" and 3. things she didn't even do/had no control over (because like you said she's not the only one working on these shows).

An example for one of the most recent dramas with the Valentine's merch, I've legit seen haters attack Viv for FANART of the merch, thinking it was official merch. Aka, they just keep proving over and over again how quickly they are to blindly believe anything as long as it supports their "agenda". And Viv also had to clarify she wanted Angel included, but didn't have the final say, yet Viv is the only one getting attacked for Angel being absent.

Like, obviously I don't expect everyone to like her as a person, because sometimes we just don't vibe with people even if you like their work (though, most Viv haters use hating her work as an excuse to personally hate her, too). But it's the arguments people use on "why" that make it impossible for me to take them seriously, because so much of it just comes down to (internalized) misogyny and queerphobia. On top of her being a queer women in a still mainly male dominated industry, so she's an "easier" target.

Honestly, her female and queer characters being "impure/imperfect" is literally part of why I love them so much, they're human (well, demons) first and women and/or queer second. That's usually how you write the best characters, because when you write the woman/queer part first, so many writers fall into the trap of making them "pure/perfect" and THAT is how you dehumanize us.

And, sorry not sorry, but I'd rather vibe with a creator who's openly pro-trans rights, pro-LGBTQ+ rights in general, pro-women rights, anti-Trump, ect. (she shares those kinda things basially daily on her Instagram stories) than listen to anything these haters cry about.

Speaking of the trans thing, it says a lot about these haters that they'd rather believe fake "evidence" of her being transphobic than the words directly from a trans person's mouth (Morgana, aka Sallie May) who's friends with Viv and has to constantrly keep reminding people how supportive she is of trans rights.

[mdhwrites]

Sorry If we keep bringing this up agan and again but: I was going through the TV tropes page of The Owl House, and I found this listed as an example of the "Common Knowledge" trope on the YMMV page: "Luz is often stated to have let loose poisonous snakes and set off fireworks in the middle of her class during the first episode. However, her book report seems to have gone well, the issue being that her backup snakes escaped when she wasn't watching. As for the fireworks, Luz is shown to have not set them off, implying she decided not to."

Any thoughts?

Okay so we all know what bad faith criticism is, right? It's where you take the worst possible reading of something because you have an inherent bias. This is the opposite.

Her response to the question "What about these (the fireworks)?" is "Those were for the act three closer." This implies that she did not get to the act three closer. So that part is already wrong but it's better to say she chose not to. It paints her in a better light. She is, factually, stated by the principal, in the office because of how her book report went which means it went bad enough to land her in the principal's office which means that part is also inaccurate. He LITERALLY says "Your book report is why you're in here."

The only part of this analysis that is accurate is that no, she did not mean to release the snakes... Kind of. The principal gestures outside, she looks, she looks back with a cute, quirky smile and says, "Oh, that's where the backup snakes were." So she already knew the backup snakes were missing but she didn't bother telling anyone wild snakes had gotten loose in the school. Which is actually just in character for her. Remember, one of the last three times she's been in the principal's office is for releasing a swarm of spiders as part of her project.

This is not hard to check. It is literally less than thirty seconds of dialogue. It all happens within the first MINUTE of the show. But... This person doesn't care about correcting to what actually happened. The goal is to say critics like me are simply stating the facts in bad faith because the facts themselves are bad for the show and for Luz. I mean, she sees someone being attacked by a snake and smiles. That is... Not a great starting point for someone who will not grow throughout the runtime of the show and be told this was an entirely okay thing to do eventually.

But I also want to point out that you are asking me for my thoughts on a fan page of a kind of wikipedia that takes less than thirty seconds to fact check. If I could not talk about how you can absolutely show something too much good faith, I would have zero reason to discuss this because... Check for yourself. Use your own critical thinking skills. Don't just believe what you see on the internet because that's not useful for everyone. Even now, I provided quotes but you can, and even probably ought to, double check that I got them right because that's how this goes. If you question something, check it.

Using something like this as a reason to beat the same dead horse for the half a dozenth time though? Don't we have something better we can all do with our lives? The show is flawed, incredibly so, and at this point it's probably just best to move on if this is where we're having to go for more talking points. See you next tale.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

*deep breath* This, folks, is EXACTLY why I am writing The Everyday Naturalist. Because it's not enough to have an app. You HAVE to know how to use multiple identification tools and have keen observational skills if you are going to safely forage or otherwise identify things in nature.

Here's the deal. Apps are a tool. They are not infallible, and they should never, ever, EVER be your only tool for identifying mushrooms and other organisms. This goes even moreso for when you're trying to determine whether something is edible or not. I go into more detail about why apps should never be used by themselves in this article that I wrote a few months back, but let's explore a bit more about how an app works.

Any identification app has access to a particular database of pictures and other information for various species. In the case of my favorite app, iNaturalist, it draws from the over 156 million (and growing) observations of animals, plants, fungi, and other living beings that have been uploaded to it over the years.

When you upload a photo to an app, your phone usually inputs the date, time, and GPS location automatically, though these can be updated manually if need be. Then the app's algorithms sift through the database looking for species that are found in the same location at the same time of year, and which have similar photos.

Notice that I said SIMILAR, not identical. Many organisms, to include many fungi, have varying appearances based on subspecies, life stage, and other factors. And there are a lot of species that have close lookalikes, whether we're talking birds, wildflowers, mushrooms, etc.

So the algorithms then use their search results to give you their suggestion(s) of what most closely resembles the organism you are trying to identify. Some give you one answer; others, like iNaturalist, offer you a list to choose from, and may also qualify their response with "We're not sure, but these were found nearby" or something similar. The first one on the list is NOT always going to be the correct answer. However, the app doesn't have reasoning skills, and all it can do is play match-up and then produce suggestions based on that. (Yes, other iNaturalist users can come along and comment on your observations once you've uploaded and saved them, but you always want to carefully assess their claims, too.)

There are several toxic mushrooms that are implicated in poisonings on a regular basis; among them are what I call the "deadly Amanitas": the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and the destroying angels (A. bisporigera, A. ocreata, and A. verna.) In addition to these species' respective native ranges in Europe and North America, some have managed to make their way to other parts of the world. This includes in Australia, where there is a current investigation underway over a woman who fed several family members deadly Amanitas, three of whom have died.

These poisonous mushrooms have several edible lookalikes. As one example, while matsutakes (Tricholoma matsutake) are often brown, they may sometimes appear white, especially if the brown layer has peeled off. And field mushrooms (Agaricus spp, especially A. bisporus and A. campestris) are also large white mushrooms, though their gills and spores tend to be brown rather than the white of Amanita species.

Still, someone taking a picture of a large white mushroom--especially if they neglect to take another picture of the gills (the more pictures you take, the better)--could easily end up with an app telling them an Amanita is an Agaricus. Or they might read that some people think it's safe to eat Amanita muscaria if you parboil it long enough, and assume that other Amanita species are the same way (one of MANY reasons I do not advocate for treating A. muscaria as an edible.)

So--again--DO NOT USE APPS AS YOUR ONLY ID TOOL. Use them in conjunction with multiple field guides, websites, other foragers, etc. Practice using these tools and developing a critical eye before you go out foraging. Be super cautious, and when in doubt, throw it out.

And my inbox is ALWAYS open, as is my email (rebeccathenaturalist(at)gmail(dot)com.) You can ALWAYS email me with questions about field guides, apps, and other resources, and I am also happy to look at pictures of mushrooms (and other living beings) you're trying to identify, whether edible or not. You might need to give me a few days to reply, but I will get back to you. Don't use ME as your only source, either; I'm just one person. But I can point you to online groups that are also good resources.

[habitsbf]

hi, I really like your account and you always post very interesting things! I would have loved to ask you to explain the seven trials of Habit because since am very new to everymanhybrid and i just cant understand it and i know that it probably plays a big part in the lore

(Sorry if this dosent makes sense i cant really write in english so i used google translation)

AHHH YAY IM GLAD YA THINK SO :D EverymanHYBRID is a pretty confusing series to get into. theres a LOT going on in it and im more than happy to help you understand better!! ALSO SORRY THIS RESPONSE IS SO LATE </333 ive been kind of out of it lately, but im back now!! i can only go so long without posting about HABIT...

the seven trials of HABIT is a tournament that HABIT hosted a couple years ago. everyone involved in the tournament was assigned a new name under "Rabbit #XXX" and 231 participants were accepted into the trials. this included ryan (rabbit #001) who was the first one eliminated, jeff (rabbit #002), evan (rabbit #003), vinny (rabbit #004), and at the time jeff told alex that he forbidden from joining the trials, but alex ignored jeffs warning and joined anyways under rabbit #231. the other participants were viewers at the time who could join via email, but not everyone who sent in an application was accepted into the tournament.

HABIT eventually created his own Twitter account (SEVENTRIALS) and officially welcomed all the rabbits to the tournament. he then divided them all into 3 groups: angora, english lop, and netherland dwarf, which are all breeds of rabbit. the groups were divided by numbers, 1-77 were angoras, 78-154 were english lops, and 155-231 were netherland dwarfs. each group was set to hold 77 members (its clear the number 7 is important to HABIT for some reason, it appears a lot here)

what is the purpose in all this? what is the purpose of the trials? well you see, we dont know exactly. theres been multiple speculations surrounding the purpose and we dont have a real canon verified answer for it.

one thing i would like to mention is a lot of what takes place in the trials matches up to how cults function. a lot of cults require their members to do things that will strip the members of their former lives in order to make them ready for a new path. im gonna list a few examples ↓

TRIAL ONE: the rabbits had film themselves burying a cherished item of their choice.

"LEAVE YOUR LOVED ONE BEHIND."

they had to part with a beloved possession that was important to them in some way. im not sure what jeff buried, but i know evan buried the prettiest knife he had, vinny buried his special edition of ocarina of time, and alex buried a bullet he shot with his dad.

"I REALIZE YOU MAY HAVE LIVES. THAT IS UNFORTUNATE. AND WILL CHANGE."

TRIAL TWO: when congratulating the rabbits who successfully passed trial one, HABIT says "GREAT, YOUVE BURIED SOMETHING. ALL YOU HAVE DONE IS LOST ONE MORE THING THAT MAKES YOU HUMAN."

TRIAL THREE: the rabbits have to lose a friend "BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY."

"DO NOT TELL THEM WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS. BLAME IT ON THEM."

the rabbits dont even get to go by their own names, which is required in some cults. some cults make their members change their names as a way to sever ties with their past identity.

whenever the rabbits do something, he wants them to state and make it known "HABIT MADE ME DO IT."

HABIT hasnt said anything about this publicly, but HAS addressed it in 2 private chats he had with some of the rabbits. in the first conversation HABIT stated the purpose of the trials was simply "BODY COUNT", but in the other conversation HABIT stated the trials would come to and end when the last rabbit was eliminated, regardless of whether he had reached the seventh trial.

ALRIGHT THATS ALL IM GONNA LIST i definitely left some details out, but i just wanted to go over the gist of it and give a decent amount of info since this post was getting too long. if i listed every single thing that took place within the trials, this post wouldve been SUPER MASSIVE 😭 buuut if youre still curious about anything, feel free to shoot an ask my way :D

[deusvervewrites]

okay good cus i have au brainrot and a sleeping problem

right now im working on lov traitor himiko bc she has done no wrong and possibly one of my favorite characters bc have i mentioned shes awesome /lh

also how do you make sure your characterization is right? ive deleted work before after working on it simply because they got slowy ooc over the course of the snippet lol

(sorry if im just barraging you with asks just tell me to stop if youre uncomfy as i mentioned i have brainrot haha)

yeah word dump (im sorry)

(This is the Anon from this Ask, but I didn't get around to this right away)

I'm not going to say Toga did nothing wrong but I love her, and the idea of her as a traitor is wild. Given her shapeshifting powers, she's probably the best situated for it after Shigaraki himself. Also she's a middle-school dropout homeless teenager so figuring out how she has the resources to do what she does could be fun

[Writing advice starts here]

For characterization, all characters are at their core comprised of three questions: 'What does this character want more than anything else?', 'Why does this character want it?', and 'How is this character going to get it?'

If you know those three questions you can handle pretty much anything. Here, let's give an example.

Bakugou:

What does Bakugou want more than anything else? To be the Number One Hero

Why does he want it? Because he has no self-worth unless people are praising him, so he's set his sights on the top celebrity in the world.

How is he going to get it? Going to UA High School.

On the other hand, Midoriya:

What does Midoriya want more than anything else? To help people.

Why does he want it? Systemic discrimination has given him a strong sense of justice and compassion for others.

How is he going to get it? Going to UA High School.

You can see how these answers inform other parts of their personality--Bakugou is insecure, so he lashes out. Midoriya is compassionate, so he empathizes with the antagonists. Additionally, Bakugou's answers change over time in response to his character development.

While thinking of characterization as a list of traits can certainly help, knowing these three questions makes it easier to keep a character consistent even as they develop in response to events.

Toga, for instance:

What does Toga want more than anything else? To live freely and not be judged for drinking blood.

Why does she want it? Her parents abused her, and she's never had the chance.

How is she going to get it? Running away from home. Later, joining the League of Villains.

Obviously, characters want more than one thing at a time, which can create drama when they have to choose between something they want versus The Thing they want more than anything else.

You can also use these questions to create character foils. As mentioned above, Bakugou and Midoriya have the same answer to the third question, but similarities and differences can come from any of those three questions.

Let's say, hypothetically, you're writing a fantasy story about three kingdoms in an uneasy peace. You might have characters who want to unite those three nations under one banner that look something like this.

Character A:

What does she want more than anything else? To unite the three nations.

Why does she want it? A mixture of nationalist pride as the crown princess and a desire for revenge.

How is she going to get it? A war of unification.

While Character B:

What does he want more than anything else? To unite the three nations.

Why does he want it? To put an end to the racial prejudice he faced as a child.

How is he going to get it? Diplomatic schemes and manipulations.

And you've got two characters who are suddenly very similar in some ways and completely incompatible in others.

(And you thought you had word dump!)

[larissa-the-scribe]

Hey! I'm looking into potentially starting a newsletter for writing related stuff, do you have any advice on where to start?

Yeah, for sure!

So, I'll be dividing this response into several parts: the technical details, the content details, and the growing details. (disclaimer that I am by no means an expert, this is just stuff I've learned and/or observed and/or heard about)

Also sorry this is so long adfasdasdadfa it kept building on itself

The important thing throughout, though, is to have fun and be yourself. I'm only partially joking.

Technical details:

So what program do you use? How and why? Personally, my criteria for this was pretty simple: what was the cheapest but still functional option, and/or what option offered the best features for free (without being overcomplicated)?

The answer to this will vary depending on what you want to do. For example, Substack, from what I know, seems good; it's free, simple, straightforward. However, I wanted extra features that Substack didn't provide (automation sequences,* landing pages, etc), and so for me the best fit was Mailerlite. As far as I know, it's the only free option that offers automation, and besides that it seems like it has all the features I'd need. No need to pay until 1,000 subscribers, and after that it's still one of the cheaper options.

Some other possibilities include Mailchimp (though their pricing system can get a bit wonky), Brevo, Sendpulse, ConvertKit, HubSpot and like a gazillion others.

Basically, figure out what features you need/want, and go from there, but personally I'd recommend MailerLite. It can be a bit clunky at times, but overall I've found it more intuitive than Mailchimp, and it has a handy assortment of free features.

Honorable mention: Canva is a free service for graphic design, and that can be helpful for setting up any backgrounds or banners you might need.

*["automation sequence" refers to emails you can set up to send automatically without you needing to do extra manual work. For example, if someone signs up for your newsletter, you can set that up as the "trigger" for a sequence of emails that will deliver a freebie to the new subscriber, give them information, welcome them, etc, without you having to remember to do it every time someone new shows up].

Content details:

One of the other big questions that you'll have to answer for a newsletter is 'what am I going to be talking about for the next forever?'

An idea of how to start brainstorming is to sketch out broad categories, and then once you figure those out, see how many related ideas you can list out for each category (say, if you want to write about book publishing, how many topics or details can you cover?). If you can't list more than like 10-15 ideas for a shortish "post" off the top of your head, you may want to look at a different category.

Also, one of the best ways to answer this question is by asking the follow-up question of "what do I want to talk about for the next forever?" If you don't like writing about a topic, it's going to be an absolute chore, and the less you like doing something, the more of a drain that will be on your time and mental resources. And it will be harder to think of things to talk about. Don't worry about what you should write. That's a trap and only helpful in select cases.

So, what can you talk about and what do you want to talk about?

If that's still a lot of topics, you can ask people for their opinions on what they'd most be interested in hearing about, and in general asking 'the audience' for questions can also be a good way to find content ideas.

You'll also want to find a way to talk about your books regularly, too, since you're trying to cultivate an audience that will enjoy the stories you tell. That can be sharing snippets, updates, or even just talking a lot about similar types of books and have a line at the end of "if you liked--" etc.

What I do is I have three categories: 'updates', 'recommendations', and 'content'. Updates is behind-the-scenes stuff of the progress I've made on my creative projects (and a personal touch of things from my non-work life); recommendations is all about other peoples' books, with reviews, collaborations, and such; and content is a serial story I kinda designed for the email format (semi-inspired by podcast stories). I like talking about my projects (and that also makes the audience aware of and invested in my projects), I like reading and talking about books, and I like writing stories and am fairly fast at writing individual scenes. All three of my chosen categories are things I like to do with a lot of options for content, and that makes it easier to work on it regularly.

A lot of marketing-type people will also bring up that what you're sharing needs to 'bring value' to the audience, so that people will want to open your email; but that's really broad, and the 'value' you bring can just be... entertainment. It can be fun to hear someone talk about something they like (or dislike, depending). So like, it's a consideration (you don't want to just be saying "buy my book" over and over again, you want to be giving back to people), but also it is not that deep.

Also! Don't be afraid to talk about stuff you're 'selling'. As long as that's not most of what you ever talk about, people normally don't mind--and also, how else will they know.

Also also: You will want to figure out an upload schedule that you can stick to. Typically, you want to find the sweet spot between 'regular enough that those who signed up don't forget you exist and unsubscribe because they can't remember who you are' and 'spamming.' That can be anything from once a week to once a month. Conventional wisdom states that you don't want to go longer than a month without sending an email, but there can be exceptions.

Addition to the schedule idea: I've found it helpful to figure out a consistent routine so I'm working on my newsletter regularly, and don't have to panic-write an email the night before sending out. I try to work on my next email for 10-15 minutes a day as kind of my warm up for other writing stuff. Sometimes I really need that time every day, sometimes the consistent schedule means I finish early and don't have to worry about the next email for a bit. You could also try dedicating a day a week to focusing on the email versus your story, etc. Basically, play around with it until you can fit it into your schedule in a way that works for you.

[DISCLAIMER: I have a "category three" content system with more or less weekly updates, and I landed on that because I am an over-achiever who can't make up my mind on a thing to focus on. You do not have to make my mistakes. You can just focus on One Thing and do it like every two weeks or something. That would probably be a good idea for starting out]

Growing details:

Then..... the other hard part (on top of the other hard parts lol). You have a newsletter now. How do you get people to join and follow you?

Well, some sites/services make it easier. For example, currently I'm with StoryOrigin, which is a service that allows you to do newsletter swaps with other authors (they promote your book, you promote their book, etc). This does require you to have some kind of "reader magnet," though--that could be a paid one, like your book, but those can be harder to find swaps/followers for, etc. Another similar platform is Bookfunnel, I think, though I don't know much about them (I did research once upon a time but that was Ages ago and I have ADHD lol)

[Disclaimer: I linked to both, but the link for StoryOrigin is an affiliate link, which just means I get something if you go with them. But I do legitimately recommend them]

The downside to both of those is that they are paid. StoryOrigin is 100$ a year, and Bookfunnel is 20-250$ a year. Bookfunnel has a more tiered system, and StoryOrigin has one price and you get everything.

Now, you might find that to be a worthwhile expense, but it is nonetheless an expense. It also isn't a magic way to get your book promoted; sorting through the different groups and swaps takes time, and it takes even more time if you do what I do and try and read anything you swap with (you don't have to do that, and most people don't; you can usually get by with some quick research), but I have chronic "what if I recommended the worst thing ever" disease, so.

However, while SO doesn't magically solve your problems, it does offer steady growth. I only properly started using their services in September, and I'm up to 215 subscribers. I'm also taking it fairly slow; I keep a tighter limit on my swaps (I don't want to spam readers with options, since I make a larger space to talk about the swaps), but I know other authors do like five swaps/groups at a time (basically just sharing the cover), and that can make you grow a lot faster. It kind of is what you make of it, but also it's still going to take patience and effort.

Other methods of growing your newsletter subscriber count: growing a following on social media and hoping that translates with landing pages and promotion and the like; directly contacting other authors you might know to do a swap; doing guest appearances on podcasts or blogs etc to get yourself better known; and most of all, be very patient, and be willing to make mistakes until you get good (those last are for any form of newsletter growth, tbh). I've, uh, only ever done the one way, so this part isn't as good as it could be.

NOTE: Feel free to experiment. You might not get it right the first time. You might need to drastically change your content to something you enjoy more, if you find out that your idea didn't work as well as you'd hoped. That's okay! Now's the time to learn and figure out, when you still have a small audience. Also, I've found that as long as you communicate with people, they tend to be pretty forgiving.

OTHER NOTE: While newsletters typically have a higher "return on investment" than regular social media, you're still going to be dealing with less numbers than you might think. For example, a good, healthy mailing list will have like 60% of people actually opening the email; more often it's about 50%. That doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong (actually it means you're doing well), it just means that the further you expand, the more you're going to get normal people who forget to open emails.

Other things to consider:

What email are you going to use for email list?

Typically, it's recommended that, if possible, you try and get a domain name email (connected to a website), because that will make it seem more legitimate and help it get through peoples' spam filters. Using something like gmail, since it's so easy to get an email from them, is associated with spam and as such it might have a higher rate of being blocked/flagged as spam. Getting a domain name email is a whole other can of worms, but it is something that should be considered. You can also start with gmail and then switch later once you have a more stable platform, but switching things like that can be difficult/a pain depending on what all is going on.

(also I think MailerLite requires you to have a domain name email?? I can't remember. But that it is another thing to consider when looking for an email provider)

Reader magnet?

This would probably go in the "growth" section, but basically--what extra incentive/reason do you have for people to sign up to your letter? That can be a short story or a guide or a piece of art or whatever, but it is helpful to have something to pique peoples' curiosity. Also, it's a good way to present what you have to offer in terms of setting their expectations for type of story, quality of writing/content, your knowledge of a subject, etc. And you tend to get more subscribers this way than if you don't have anything to share upfront.

YouTube:

Mailing List Research is a playlist of all the videos I looked at when researching. There are. a lot of them with varying degrees of quality and helpfulness, and it's a pretty messy overall. But there's some helpful stuff in there on a variety of mailing list topics. I was going to pick out the best ones but unfortunately I can't remember which those were. I think I removed the worst ones, though.

Podcast suggestion:

For marketing in general (and Instragram), it might be worth checking out Book Marketing Simplified (by Jenn Hanson-dePaula). She covers a variety of topics, and since she basically has a few core principles that she keeps coming back to, it can get repetitive after a while, but she's a good starting place. She has some episodes on email marketing and ideas for doing that.

Joanna Penn is another podcaster people talk a lot about, but the few episodes of hers I listened to were pretty supportive of AI so I got miffed asdfasdfas I should probably give her another go because I still have a lot to learn about everything, but I might go back to some of her older ones, pre-AI, if I do lol

If you'd want more resources, I could go digging more, but a lot of what I've used to learn has gotten scattered over the years, or is like a single episode from a longer podcast series, etc.

[lady-phasma]

This specific use of the 180 Degree Rule has been nagging me since the last trailer came out. The 180 Degree Rule refers to how the camera frames the subjects in a scene so that they are "switched" when the camera moves. This is less disorienting to viewers than if the subjects stayed on the same side of the frame every time (see example below). It's a small trick, but it is noticeable when it isn't used. Logic tells us they should stay on the same side of the frame but it really doesn't work. If you are interested in understanding this further there is a great sequence in Satoshi Kon's Paprika (2006) that explains it better than I have ever seen anywhere else.

Daemon's War

The exchange between Rhaenyra and Jace in episode 10 conveys so much meaning in so few words. I'm not going to discuss Rhaenyra's desires in this post or if they conflict with Daemon's. That would need its own post all to itself.

Jacaerys: Where is Daemon? Rhaenyra: I don't know. Gone to madness. Gone to plot his war.

Daemon and his motivations are revealed so concisely. There is certainly foreshadowing here, but I appreciate that Rhaenyra knows him so well and has no expectations of him (at this point) beyond what she has seen in the past.

Daemon makes bold assumptions and is arrogant enough to think his way is the best way. When he lists Meleys in their assets there is no doubt in his mind that Rhaenys will side with them in the war. But why does he assume this? What isn't being said is intriguing.

We have Syrax, Caraxes, and Meleys. Your sons have Vermax, Arrax, and Tyraxes. Baela has Moondancer. There are also unclaimed dragons. Seasmoke still resides on Driftmark. Vermithor and Silverwing dwell on the Dragonmont, still riderless. Then there are the three wild dragons, all of whom nest here.

Then, at some point in season two, we see Daemon presumably stop Rhaenys by grabbing her arm.

This man is manipulative and good at it. Rhaenys is not pleased with him touching her. With no context at all, we only have a few words and body language to interpret. I can't wait to see if I'm correct about this when this episode airs. There is a threat or ultimatum here. Daemon's posture is so self-assured, hand resting on Dark Sister as if whatever he is saying has only one response: agreement.

Correct 180 (from trailer):

Might be helpful to cover one while watching the other.

Incorrect 180 (my edit):

What made this 180 rule from the trailer stick in my mind is how tight the frame is on Rhaenys for her reaction shot. A medium shot on Daemon cuts to a medium close up on her in order to show her facial expression. We can't interpret too much from trailer editing as it is specifically designed to manipulate and distract viewers in a different way from the final product. However, we are given Daemon's dialogue for this particular shot: "We are going to King's Landing." But what next? Why show her disdain, frustration, irritation? Is there an "or else" or some other technique to coerce her and House Velaryon?

Rhaenyra's words are relevant here as well as in the foreshadowing of the upcoming war. Daemon is not asking permission. His hostility, animosity, and wounded ego combine to make him rash. Another example of the applicability of the title The Rouge Prince. This isn't an argument that his character is made more complex by this foreshadowing, but that he has rarely, if ever, hidden his motives. His motivations are always clear even if they shift from selfish to selfless (which is only evident a handful of times). He is morally ambiguous to viewers because much of the time he seems to be amoral. He can stomach things that others cannot. He believes the end justifies the means. I think it will be fascinating to see how the showrunners, writers, and Matt can navigate someone becoming a villain without making him completely one dimensional. He is irredeemable and many of his fans love him for precisely that. He doesn't want to be redeemed. He wants to be in control.

I started writing this last night and today this amazing gifset comes across my dash so I had to link it.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Essays

Writing essays can feel unnatural to some of us. Unlike talking and having a conversation, essay writing requires structure, referencing, and research.

5 Tips: Essay-Writing

PLANNING/PREPARATION

Planning involves selecting what to include in your essay and determining the overall structure. Helps you put your thoughts together, making your points clearer, more logical, and thoroughly explained.

Depending on the type of essay you are writing, formulating your plan can vary.

However, assignments are usually given in one of the following:

As a question.

A statement that you must create an argument for or against.

A task to ‘outline,’ ‘discuss,’ or ‘critically assess’ a particular argument or point of view.

The Process of Essay Planning

Everyone writes and plans differently. However, it’s important to find a process that suits you. Here is an example of a planning process you might find helpful:

Break down the assignment question: Understand what the question is asking you to do. Identify whether it’s asking you to ‘discuss,’ ‘argue,’ ‘describe,’ etc. This will help you develop your main ideas to answer the question.

Brainstorm everything you know about the topic: Identify your thoughts on the subject and your initial response to the essay question. Narrow down key topics to research further. Remember to review your class notes, as they can remind you what was covered during lectures and seminars.

Research: Use your reading list, if provided, to skim through recommended texts. Identify key points that will help you answer your question, and compile these in a mind map or on a large piece of paper.

Organise your points: Once you’ve done your research, organize your points that relate to your question. Begin structuring your arguments and include evidence you’ve gathered.

Decide on your main points: Summarise each point you’ve researched. Use cards or sticky notes to arrange these points, finding the best flow for your argument. Ensure that each point links to the next and builds on your overall argument.

Once you have a clearly defined essay plan, the task of writing it becomes more efficient.

ESSAY INTRODUCTION

A good introduction generally consists of 3 parts:

General statement: This part shows the reader why the topic is important and captures their attention, leading them into the essay question.

Thesis statement: This is your response to the question and is the most important part of the introduction. It tells the reader what your essay will be about, briefly explaining both sides of the question.

Outline of the main points: This part tells the reader what to expect from the essay’s body and outlines your arguments.

Here’s a checklist to ensure you hit all 3 aspects of a good introduction:

Does the essay begin with a general statement introducing the topic?

Does the introduction include the thesis statement?

Does the introduction outline the main points?

Does your essay have a clear, well-organized structure?

CREATIVE WRITING TECHNIQUES

You can use creative writing techniques to strengthen your essay.

Incorporating these techniques can make your essay unique and engaging.

Here are a few techniques to consider:

Think About Your Reader

Your reader is likely your teacher or lecturer, who will be marking numerous essays.

You need to answer the question effectively and get straight to the point, ensuring they easily find the information they need to mark your essay highly.

The Three-Act Structure

The three-act structure is commonly used in creative writing, films, and TV.

These acts flow seamlessly to give a natural movement of motion and plot.

For essays, you can adapt this structure:

Setup: Establish what you are talking about and set the scene. Create an introduction by opposing the essay question, and highlighting your main concerns with evidence.

Confrontation: This will be the longest part. Introduce all surrounding problems, develop your arguments, and ensure you relate back to the original question with evidence.

Resolution: Summarize your arguments with your point of view, including evidence supporting your conclusion. Offer alternative explanations for counterarguments.

CRITICAL WRITING

Critical writing involves analyzing and evaluating text and supporting your arguments with evidence to prove how you reached a conclusion.

Here’s a process to succeed at critical writing:

Examine a source: Read it carefully and critically.

Organize your thoughts: Identify the core claim and evidence, and research secondary sources.

State a thesis: Make sure it has both a claim and details sustaining it.

Write an outline.

Write a draft.

Edit and improve your essay.

Examining a Source

Practice smart reading by identifying specific details and claims, and describing how the author presents them.

Highlight parts that support your arguments and identify strengths and weaknesses.

Stating a Thesis

Direct your evidence towards the thesis question.

Avoid saying “in my opinion” or “I think.”

Express your opinion using the third person.

Using Evidence

Evidence is the foundation of an effective essay.

It provides proof for each of your points, helping the reader see your point of view.

Critical writing tests your thinking skills, analysis, and argument-building process.

Don’t fear critical writing. With practice, you’ll develop a structure that works best for you.

READ WIDELY

If you’re writing an essay for a university module, you’ve likely chosen a subject you’re passionate about.

This brings enjoyment to the activity and deepens your understanding.

However, if you’re not familiar with the topic, it can be challenging to know where to start.

Using the Reading List

Your course usually provides an extensive reading list, including core and recommended readings.

Engage with these texts; they are often referred to during lectures and seminars.

Going Beyond the Recommendations

Search for book recommendations online, browse the ‘People Also Bought’ sections of bookstores, scroll through journals, or join discussion forums.

There’s no shortage of secondary reading material to enhance your essay.

Setting Reading Goals

Before you start reading, ask yourself:

What you are reading and what you aim to achieve.

This will guide your research and help you find topics that build your essay.

Here are some tips to read according to your motivations:

For general interest & background information, read widely without much depth.

For essay writing, focus your reading around the essay question and dive deeply into small areas of the subject.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

[lady-fey]

Don’t Mix Thoughts and Dialogue

During a bit of dialogue, it can be incredibly tempting to give your reader a glimpse of what the characters are thinking. This is a trap. Don’t do it.

Why?

Well, the best way to explain this is to just give you a quick example.

Mary laughed, her eyes sparkling. “Hey, do you remember that night with Jimmy and the cat?” Ryan smiled, his mind drifting back over the long years of their friendship. That they would still be so close after all this time was truly a gift. Yet a part of him still asked ‘what if?’ What if they were meant to be something other than friends? Could that every happen or was he being greedy? Risking something beautiful for so little gain. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Then he smiled and said, “Yeah, I still don’t know where he got it!”

Question: when you got to Ryan’s response, did you remember what Mary said or did you have to glance back up to jog your memory? If you glanced back up, then don’t feel bad! You are completely normal and that’s why this is a technique that you should use sparingly.

When we’re reading, our brains are constantly processing new information. It’s basically an ongoing memory game! If you’ve ever played one of those, then you know that it can be quite tricky to recall which picture is hiding under which card or what objects were on the now-hidden tray. However, we can always pick up the card or reveal the tray to remind ourselves of the answer. Similarly, we can always glanced back up the page and reread the previous line, but a story isn’t a game. Most writers want their audience to be fully immersed in the scene. Their eyes should travel down the page, following the flow of the words, never needing to look back at what was said three paragraphs ago.

You’re never going to be able to make your audience remember everything that you wrote. There are just too many words in the story. That’s why, when you’re writing dialogue, you want to keep all of the surrounding text related to the dialogue. Don’t let your characters go off on tangents like Ryan did because then your audience’s brain will switch to this new topic and forget the old one the same way that a verbal tangent will lead to someone asking, “Hey, wait, what were we talking about?”

I get the temptation to do the thought thing. It can give some really fun insight into a character. I will do it myself in early drafts. Then, upon rereading, I’ll realize that I switched focus from the dialogue and, as much as I like sharing my character’s thoughts, dialogue just isn’t the place to do it. If you’re including dialogue, the point is usually the interactions between the characters, not their deep, individual thoughts.

In this case of the above, Ryan’s thoughts needed to wait until after the conversation was over OR I should have introduced this topic earlier so that I could briefly hint at Ryan’s feelings with something like:

Mary laughed, the sound making Ryan's traitorous heart skip a beat. Then she asked, “Hey, do you remember that night with Jimmy and the cat?” “Yeah, I still don’t know where he got it!” Ryan said, gazing at her with melancholy fondness. “Did he ever tell you?”

This is not to say that you can never do the thought thing. You can. Just be aware that it's dragging your audience away from the dialogue and they will likely forget the details of what was being discussed, making it a not-so-great techniquie.

The only time when I’d do that is when I want the character to forget the conversation, too. Then I can bring the character and the audience back to the discussion in a natural way.

I’ll also note that readers do remember things long after they happen. It’s just that what tends to stick are the big, important details (ex: Alim was murdered) or the things that get repeated constantly (ex: the suspect list that the detectives go over after every new clue). Dialogue tends to be largely forgettable as the point is rarely the specific words, which is why breaking a conversation is so jarring.

[numinously-yours]

What to leave behind and what to bring into the new month

Happy last week of January! Pick a group for insights on what you should leave behind as the month ends and what you can focus on in the new month ahead. Let me know if you have any topics you'd like me to pull for!

My dear pile one,

It is time to let go of your need to do everything on your own. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or weighed down by your responsibilities – or what you think is your responsibility – try remembering that you’re not alone and there are people here to help carry the load. Allow others to help, even in small ways.

Personal growth and development may be a great focus point for you in the upcoming month. The Magician brings forth the tools and energy you need to make progress in this personal journey. Focus on your “why” and look inward at your power. This period of growth will last you throughout (and beyond) the month, so don’t get hard on yourself if you don’t see immediate results. Growth is not linear.

Hello lovely twos,

Rather than the Tower representing a destruction that has already happened/is currently happening, I think you’re being told to leave January with a bang (semi-literally), and create the destruction of your self-limiting beliefs. Light up some sticks of dynamite, rev up the bulldozer, or get that wrecking ball swinging cause we’re not going into the new month with any of our same thoughts. Your self-limiting beliefs have felt like a chaos storm in your brain, and this is your permission to let them go.

February is a month of self-exploration. It is a month to figure out why these self-limiting beliefs exist. This may be a good time to do some shadow work. Shadow work is tough, but I think some good realizations can come out of it. Here are some shadow work prompts if you’re ready to get started. You may find truths you didn’t know existed. Or you may find yourself answering just as you’d expect, but this time… it’s gonna hit different. You’re going to find answers for yourself which will put a lot into perspective and really help with letting go of your self-doubt.

For those who aren’t ready to dive deep into the darker parts of your soul (which is A-OK!), take a look at the resources at your fingertips. How can you align these resources with your goals? For example, do you have a goal to say nicer things to yourself each day? Make yourself a daily check list – add some normal items like “1 hour with no screen time” or “brush your teeth” and then add “say one good thing about yourself”. As you check of the easier items, you’ll see the tougher ones. And in an effort to make those check marks, you’ll get in the groove of participating in the hard tasks.

My pile three friends,

Teamwork and collaboration seems to have been a theme in January. Whether it be your new years resolution, a project at work, or homing in on a new habit, the foundation was set in this last month. I wouldn’t say you’re really leaving anything behind, but the creation stage is ending. You are moving forward into the stabilization and growth phases of this beautiful thing you’ve launched.

Bring this sense of accomplishment into February with you to start the month off strong. You’ve done really great work! One great way to keep momentum is a partnership between your higher self and the work you are doing. As you continue to build on the project you started think: what can I get out of this project personally and what can I bring to this project to ensure it thrives. You will feel better about the end results knowing that it made your heart happy and that you had something to do with its success.

To my pile fours,

You know what your higher self is trying to tell you. You know what your guides are hinting at. Maybe it seems too good to be true or it’s scary, but either way, you gotta get rid of the clouds you’re using as a way to doubt yourself. I know from experience that self-doubt speaks LOUD. It is MEAN. But it is soo worth getting past. It doesn’t mean it’ll go away for forever, but it sure can get quieter.

In this situation, “clarity” can be seen as the opposite of “cloudy” , and mental clarity is exactly what the King of Swords wants you to bring into/work on in the new month. You may not be ready to jump right into this new thing in February, but you can do the work this month to feel more confident when the time officially comes. Lay out the facts for yourself: I have done hard things in the past; I have the resources I need to be successful; I have people I know will support me when it gets difficult. And repeat these facts to yourself as much as you need to. As with pile two, you could do some shadow work to  bring clarity to why you feel this hesitancy to move forward.

[hangingslothcentral]

How does one query a book?

Thank you for giving me an opportunity to expand on this!

To query a fiction book, you first need to have these three things:

a book you have finished to the highest standard (which means you've completely written it, revised it, and ideally have shared it with some of your friends who are big into writing and reading and revised it again in line with their feedback)

a synopsis of your book (an overview of the story beginning to end, condensed down into around a page of A4)

a draft cover letter (which will have a specific set of components including; your book's genre; its word count; comparable titles; any writing experience you have; and room to personalise your cover letter for each agent you send it to, which you gotta)

I go into a bit more depth about these three things here. Together they form the basis of your 'submissions package'; the collection of things which you'll send out to literary agents when you start querying.

Once you have your basic submissions package, you're prepped for a strong start, but you're also going to need to do a fourth thing in order to give yourself and your book the best chance of success. You gotta research the agents you're sending it to so you can be sure you're only querying agents who actually represent work like yours, and who you hope will be a good fit for you to work with. (if you want me to talk about the hows and whys of this process in more depth, let me know!)

When you have a list of agents you're sure you want to reach out to, you're ready to get started.

Each literary agent and agency is going to have their own submissions guidelines. When you're getting ready to send out a query, you're going to want to check those guidelines very carefully. They'll tell you how much of your novel to send to them and the format they want it sent in. For example, they may request a Word Doc of your first three chapters, in a 'readable' font, double spaced. There is a lot of variation though so take your time and make sure you're following the guidelines correctly.

You'll then want to take your draft cover letter and personalise it for each agent. You will usually put this into the body of the email you're sending, but some agencies have special 'submissions' emails, or even online forms they'd prefer you to use for this process. Always check the guidelines to make sure you're sending your letter to the right place, or nobody is going to see it.

Assuming you're sending an email to a specific agent, personalise your cover letter to them, and attach the documents requested by their submissions guidelines. Then, you simply press send, and wait.

Wait times vary a lot. Agents can have hundreds of submissions a week, so it's a lot to get through. Patience is the name of the game, here. A lot of agencies will list their average wait times on their webpages, or send an autoresponse letting you know how long you should expect to wait. Because of how many submissions agents get, they might also tell you to assume if you don't hear back within that period, the agent doesn't think your work is a good fit for them right now. Unfortunately, a lot of agents just don't have time to respond to every request. I usually tack on an extra couple of weeks to the waiting period, then if I hear nothing, I mark the query down as 'closed: no response'.

Feel free to ask me more about the waiting period, how to sort your queries into batches, and anything else you might want to know about this process!

I hope this was helpful and interesting, Eira xxx

[sarkariresultdude]

Interview Preparation Tips: A Complete Guide to Ace Your Next Interview

Whether you’re a fresh graduate coming into the process marketplace or a seasoned expert seeking out a brand new opportunity, preparing for a process interview is vital. Interviews can be intimidating, however with the proper method and preparation, you could walk in with confidence and go away a long-lasting affect. Here's an in depth manual with actionable interview preparation suggestions that will help you succeed.

Interview Preparation Notes 

1. Understand the Job Description

Before anything else, cautiously read the job description. Highlight the important thing obligations and required abilties. This will help you:

Align your strengths with the position

Prepare particular examples of how you've got verified the ones talents in the past

Predict capacity interview questions

Make a listing of qualifications or reviews mentioned and reflect on how your background meets them. Understanding the business enterprise’s needs will assist you tailor your responses efficiently.

2. Research the Company

Spend time getting to know about the organization’s:

Mission and values

Products or offerings

Company culture

Recent information, achievements, or challenges

Use sources like the enterprise's internet site, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and news articles. Knowing approximately the corporation indicates your interest and enables you join your answers to their goals and values.

Three. Practice Common Interview Questions

While you can not expect each question, you could put together for normally requested ones. Some famous ones include:

Tell me about your self.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Why do you want to work right here?

Tell me approximately a challenge you’ve faced and the way you treated it.

Where do you spot yourself in five years?

Prepare clear, concise, and honest solutions. 

Four. Know Your Resume Inside Out

Expect your interviewer to invite approximately your past roles, schooling, and achievements. Be ready to speak about:

Key projects you’ve worked on

Skills you’ve gained

Gaps or transitions in your career course

Quantifiable effects (e.G., “extended income via 20%”)

5. Practice, Practice, Practice

Mock interviews are quite useful. Practice with:

A pal or family member

A career educate or mentor

Even in front of a mirror

Record yourself answering questions to spot anxious behavior, enhance clarity, and varnish your tone and frame language.

6. Prepare Questions to Ask

Use this possibility to demonstrate your interest. Examples encompass:

Can you describe an average day in this position?

How do you degree achievement on this function?

What are the biggest challenges dealing with the crew?

What’s the following step within the interview procedure?

Avoid asking questions that could effortlessly be answered at the employer website or task description.

7. Dress Appropriately

Choose your outfit based on the business enterprise way of life. When in doubt, err on the side of being barely overdressed rather than underdressed. For maximum corporate environments:

Business formal (e.G., fit and tie, expert get dressed or blouse and trousers) is expected

For startups or innovative industries, business casual might be suitable

Groom yourself well — easy footwear, neat hair, and minimal accessories go an extended way in creating a expert impact.

Eight. Plan the Logistics

Avoid unnecessary strain through making plans your logistics in advance:

If it’s an in-character interview, take a look at the route and site visitors.

Arrive 10–15 minutes early.

For virtual interviews, take a look at your digital camera, microphone, and net connection in advance of time.

Choose a quiet, properly-lit space for digital interviews and ensure there are no distractions within the heritage.

9. Body Language Matters

Non-verbal communique can be simply as essential as your phrases. Keep in thoughts:

Offer a company handshake (if in-man or woman)

Maintain appropriate eye contact

Sit up straight and keep away from slouching

Smile without a doubt

Nod from time to time to reveal you are engaged

These subtle cues display confidence, attentiveness, and interest.

10. Show Enthusiasm

Let your ardour for the role and employer shine through. Employers need candidates who aren't simplest succesful but additionally excited about the possibility. Be enthusiastic while you talk approximately your beyond reviews, the employer’s project, or why you’re inquisitive about the role.

11. Be Honest and Authentic

If you don’t recognise an answer, it’s ok to mention so — but display which you’re eager to learn. Avoid exaggerating your experience or pretending to be someone you are not. Interviewers admire authenticity.

12. Follow Up with a Thank-You Note

After the interview, send a thank-you e-mail inside 24 hours. Keep it short, polite, and personalized.  This simple gesture indicates professionalism and gratitude.

Thirteen. Learn from Each Experience

Whether you get the job or no longer, each interview is a risk to study. Reflect on:

What went properly?

What could you improve?

Were there any questions that stuck you off defend?

Use this comments to do even better next time.

14. Stay Positive

Job searching may be annoying, and rejection is part of the process. Keep your spirits up, stay chronic, and bear in mind that each interview brings you towards your aim.

Bonus Tips

Bring copies of your resume (if in person)

Bring a notebook and pen for notes or questions

Avoid negative speak about preceding employers or jobs

Tailor your answers to every interview — one size doesn’t suit all

Smile and loosen up — interviews are a -manner street. You’re evaluating them too!