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cripplecharacters · 1 year ago

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Does Your Scarred Character Have to Hate Themself?

[large text: Does Your Scarred Character Have to Hate Themself?]

(TLDR: No.)

A frequent topic that shows up around facial differences is the self-hatred, self-disgust, self-insert-negative-emotion that we must surely experience. I want to ask* writers without FDs - why? Why do you feel about us in such a way that that's the most common way of depicting us?

*- rhetorical question. I promise I know the answer, but I'm not sure if writers do.

It's frankly worrying to me. Is it really that common to assume that disabled people have this internal, never-ending hatred for themselves? The overwhelming majority of us don't. We hate inaccessibility, when people stare, or some symptoms when they get in the way, or how expensive being disabled is, but I find the concept of us being so completely disturbed by our own disabilities extremely strange. It’s “tragedy porn” intersecting “most basic ableism”.

“But trauma!”

[large text: “But trauma!”]

Trauma of what! People with facial differences don't have some sort of default trauma that we come with like it’s a factory setting. We are a group of people with tens of thousands of stories and experiences.

“Trauma of experiencing ableism/disfiguremisia” - that's better, at least this means something. If you're writing a story about this, please get a sensitivity reader with a facial difference. You can assume how we feel all you want, but in my experience these assumptions are often bizarre and unrealistic. Or just end up writing the same “disability so sad” sob story that everyone has seen a billion times. If you want to write about disfiguremisia, you need to understand the nuance and have more than just the basic level knowledge (which 99% of people don’t have either). If you can’t do that, don’t write about it. Simple as that.

“Trauma of the accident” - thankfully, the accident is an event and a facial difference is a disability. If you want to connect these two like they're one and the same, you're almost surely going to demonize disability. People with traumatic spinal cord injuries, acquired amputees, people with TBI, people with acquired facial differences - we participate in our communities, we have hobbies, we date, we play with our dogs. Disability isn't a death sentence. Media who make it feel like it is certainly don't help people who do suddenly become disabled, don't you think?

Here's a post by @blindbeta about blind characters becoming blind through trauma that’s better made than anything I could hope to write here. I heavily recommend giving it a read.

And, I can't stress this enough - most of us didn't have “the accident”, most of us are born like this. "Traumatic scars" isn't the only facial difference that exists, far from it, it's only one of thousands. It's 99% of our representation and "representation". If you want to make a character with FD - please consider that we aren't a monolith. Just like not all physical disabilities are "wheelchair user with paralysis and somehow no other symptoms", not all facial differences are "traumatic scar with somehow no nerve damage".

The overrepresentation of it is incredibly telling, and sometimes - or very frequently - feels like the writer doesn’t actually even want to deal with us. They want to use our disability as a way to cheap drama, moral metaphors, tragic backstories. Not to represent us as living people who are much more similar to you than you apparently think.

Now, I do have enough awareness to know that that's a big part of the appeal. “Horrific Thing #2456 happens” and boom, instant drama. Of course, it's a reasonable response that they would hide their disability for years, avoid talking about it in any way, and magically change their personality to be mean and reclusive, or at least be constantly soooo sad about how much it sucks to be disabled, right?

Do I really need to say that having your character becoming disabled be the worst thing ever is ableism 101? We have been talking about this for so long at this point. Writing about the process of adapting to a specific disability is better left to people who have actual experience in it.

To give an example that will hopefully resonate more with Tumblr users, I will use the fact that I'm also gay. It's not perfect by any means but probably much more familiar territory.

Imagine, let's say, a character. He's gay. The story he's in is supposedly progressive, certainly not trying to be homophobic. The character has experienced an incident, maybe an act of aggression or a hate crime, that happened because he’s gay, which was traumatic. Happens IRL, sure. So of course the character starts hating being gay. He talks about how gross and disgusting it is, he never lets anyone know that he could be “one of them”, certainly not take a stance against homophobia. You can't mention him without mentioning the accident, they're seemingly fused together. No gay love, joy, even basic happiness, he would actually choose to be straight in a heartbeat if given the option to and complains that he can't. This is shown as a neutral, obvious thing that a gay man would do, no one comments on it. He stays like this the whole time, unless there’s a plot twist in the last 10 pages where the world is now magically perfect ("we fixed discrimination, yay!"). This is the only LGBT character in the story.

Keep in mind that there are people similar to this in real life, living with extreme internalized homophobia.

Reading comprehension quiz time: Is this, in your opinion, realistic and thoughtful representation? How does it feel when written by a cishet writer, versus a gay writer who is recalling his experiences? Do you think that it's reasonable for the majority of media representation to be like this, or very close to it? How would it affect younger gay people who might already be uncomfortable with being queer? Are gay men the target audience, or are they not even considered as a group of people who read books? Is this helping or damaging the general public's idea of how it is to be gay? Why or why not?

The Masterpiece

[large text: The Masterpiece]

From 13 to 19 of May, we are celebrating Face Equality week (what a coincidence!). It’s important to me in general - and I wish it was more important to abled people, but I digress - especially its theme for this year.

“My Face is a Masterpiece”

Great statement, it represents the community well, I do enjoy how bold it is. Very cool stuff, I love the work our advocates are doing.

But why do I bring this up?

Well, to very non-subtly show that we aren’t a self-hating group of people. We are a community, a community saying “our faces are beautiful, look!”, we are saying “treat us equally, and do it now!”. Our activism isn’t about self-disgust. It’s about fighting your-disgust.

Why can’t writers keep up? Why are you still stuck decades behind?

Is this the only reason I bring it up?

The Call to Celebration

[large text: The Call to Celebration]

FEI, the org behind organizing it, asks a very simple question (emphasis mine):

“Why do we so often see stories about facial difference as a ‘tragedy’, when they should be about triumph?” “Calling all artists, allies, creatives, galleries. You can rewrite the story to bring about #FaceEquality and celebrate the unique artistry found in every face. Your participation this #FaceEqualityWeek will help to tell the real story, that there is a masterpiece in every face.”

Here. We are calling for you to stop. Directly from the biggest international advocacy alliance group that's out there. If you create, this is for you.

The last argument to not have your character with a facial difference hate themselves? Because we don’t want this. We are tired and frustrated. For me personally, I’m also offended by this kind of assumption. We aren’t tragedies or cheap entertainment for abled people to pity or be horrified by. We are people, and if you can’t internalize that, you have no reason to write about us.

For once, celebrate us. Happy Face Equality Week!

mod Sasza

#mod sasza #face difference #ableism #disfiguremisia #face equality week #my face is a masterpiece #writing guide #writing help #writeblr #writing resources #writing advice #writing tips #writing characters #how to write #writing disabled characters #writing disability

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frogofthewilde · 3 months ago

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me getting into conclave (2024) and reading some of the best and downright horndogging old man yaoi this side of ao3 has ever seen

#i know i know i talk big fandom game #but this is serious #i will be fed for weeks #special shout out to my new mutual for writing the tip of this iceberg #conclave 2024 #lawrenitez

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ckret2 · 9 months ago

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fight fight fight

in my mind THEIR pronouns make most sentences sound unintentionally exasperated. Like the difference between "They made a phone call (neutral)" and "THEY made a phone call 🙄😬😒 (like can you believe this asshole?? this bitch that can't just let someone else make the call, THEY have to do it??? what a tool)"

#(hot new writing tip i discovered this week:)#(you can instantly make a character 20% more of an object of fascination just by capitalizing THEIR pronouns weird)#ask #anonymous #about my writing

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gr8writingtips · 1 month ago

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writing tip #3853:

if listening to yakety sax while reading won't improve your novel, scrap it and start over

#gr8 writing tips #3853 #readers of my other blog: this is in reference to a post dropping in a couple of weeks #get ready #yeah i changed the wording shh

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erinwantstowrite · 8 months ago

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any writing tips for how to write efficiently/quickly while not making the stuff you write shitty as a result?

this is a pretty open ended question, because there are a lot of factors to writing and it's not a simple answer (when is anything ever simple on my page lmfao?)

what you're feeling:

it mostly matters what headspace you're in. i say it a lot, but mindset is the most important part of the writing process. for multiple reasons!

if you're going into a writing session while feeling tired or angry about something, you will often make mistakes. it's important to write while you're feeling pretty good (this is nuanced as some people prefer to write when upset/angry, or have no choice if they're trying to get their final papers done in an academic setting). you'll find yourself editing a lot more if you wrote it while tired, so if you can, start off feeling good. this will also increase your writing speed because you're starting off with a fresh mind.

so that means to take breaks. which sounds counterproductive, but hear me out!

just like when you're studying, you have to take some brain breaks. you'll get way too caught up in stuff/will get tired/will get upset with what you're writing/etc etc etc. there's a lot of reasons. so every 30 minutes or so, take a break. go watch a youtube video, or walk around your house, whatever clears your mind of your writing. when you come back to it, you'll have a fresher mind. not as fresh as the start of your time, but still better than if you kept burning yourself out while trying to push through it

though if you're like me and you get distracted if you leave a room or change a tab: just pull up a different writing tab and work on a different project for a few minutes. set a timer. or don't leave the room, and just do some stretches or jumping jacks

2. fundamentals

i wish i could give a cheat code, but there isn't one. it takes a lot of practice to be able to write quickly/efficiently. the best way i can describe it is like another trade: an artist or musician that has already mastered their fundamentals will be able to sight read a piece or sketch a figure drawing in under a minute, and have the quality of the art turn out well.

if you haven't mastered your fundamentals and you try to speed run it, your writing quality will go down. you'll miss simple spelling or grammar mistakes (one or two is fine, but it can become a problem), you might get very short or clipped sentences that read out as play directions rather than an internal dialogue or interesting narration (example: "She picked up the glass and took a sip." VS "Her long, red nails clink on the glass when she picks up the champagne offered to her. She takes a long sip of her drink, her clinical gaze sweeping over the partygoers. She doesn't leave a lipstick stain on the glass, but her companion does.")

(though, sometimes they really did just take a sip of their drink. it depends on the impact you want that action to have.)

your writing speed will naturally progress as you pick up these fundamentals. so practice makes perfect!

3. Awareness

being aware of what you're writing while you're writing is a big one. i'm guilty of the play directions too. and while i have a beta reader (hey bestie), i don't want to slow myself down. so i often remind myself of my fundamentals as i'm going, not afterwards. to help myself there, i pause while writing to read what i have written out loud. i try to make sure that what i have written is easy to say out loud, which in turn makes it far easier to read. and i try to make sure the inner voice makes sense as well. if i'm writing damian, i try to speak the words in his intonation. same with peter, who has a very different internal monologue. it will point out mistakes to me. like "oh he would never say that/he wouldn't say it that way")

editing while you go is also important. sometimes i write a few paragraphs, then go back to the start of the segment i just wrote, and then read it out loud. the editing will come out as i do so, because i will notice mistakes that i wouldn't have otherwise. in turn, the editing often makes paragraphs longer. (or shorter, in some cases! often times, writing is like "i really wanted that to be said, but it's kind of redundant and adds nothing" and so things get scrapped.)

if it's an academic paper you're writing for, put yourself in the shoes of a presenter. imagine that you've already written this paper and studied it a million times before, and now is the time that you are reading your paper for classmates or a professor or someone who wants to read your research. it'll put you in a more critical mindset of "oh that doesn't make sense when i say it to someone else" or "that's not true" or even "whoa, that sounded really smart."

same goes if you're writing for entertainment purposes. if you're writing horror, then you're telling the story as someone who experienced the horror itself or at a campfire trying to scare your friends. if you're writing fantasy, then you really got to put yourself in the shoes of your narrator. this might bring to your attention "wait, how tf are their feet not hurting for walking as long as they have."

(which goes back to mindset!!)

4. planning

have as much planned out before you write as you can... and also do not go strictly with what you're planning

that sounds like i'm being contradictory again but it's like this: i have an overarching outline for my story, so i know what goals need to be met. then, you plan chapter by chapter. some goals NEED to be met in certain places... and they will have a domino effect to your outline. you'll get to a previously established goal and realize that it doesn't fit at all anymore. and this can even happen for your chapter outlines!

(this post here has some tips about if you're struggling while writing a chapter)

essentially, you gotta be adaptable. you need a map to guide you before you start going off on different paths. it'll cut down a lot of your writing time if you're going into a writing session aware of what your goals are.

and so, we get to the end of this post that wasn't meant to be this long. story of my life. i hope this helps/makes sense? this is what helped me write faster/more in depth. i learned tips and tricks by practicing and keeping a critical eye on my work. and sometimes the tricks and tips are more geared towards my own brain and how to get around things

(like learning that art block just means you're improving, and so you should do some studies of your favorite artists and anatomy, and go back to those fundamentals, so you can play around with them)

#writing #writing advice #erinwantstowrite #writing tips #writing tools #writeblr #i really hope this makes sense #if you don't want your quality to go down but need to write fast/want to write fast #then this is what helped me!#i write a LOT as we know #sometimes i write 20- 29000 a week #other times i write 2 words at most #and it all depends on mindset #mindset mindset mindset

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tsunael · 1 year ago

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wolcred week | 1. 'the first.'

They all knew it was coming. Either their brightest star would claim the last of the Light, or the Light would claim her.

What were they to do but careen to their inevitable deaths? He had sacrificed one lamb for another, and now a third was to be laid upon the butcher's block. How many must die so that another might live?

He would not forget the sight of the woman before him, holding her outstretched hands aloft as the curtain of Light parted one last time to reveal the night sky in all her glory. Menphina smiled down in a smirk of a crescent for their efforts, and just as she had appeared, was the curtain drawn once again.

He didn’t need an aetherometer to see that Tsuna was suffused– the aether was thick, cloying enough to be seen. The ewer of her body failed to contain it, finally splitting at the seams for a means of escape.

Their ascian friend dealt the final blow. The Exarch, in his well-meaning duplicity, left for dead. And then Tsuna slumped to the ground, just as lifeless.

He ought to be angry– furious– for Urianger’s joint deception, for his own empty hands, or for the cards Sister Fate had dealt them time and time again, but the queer feeling roiling within him was not one of anger, but of fear. He stood there, powerless, shaking to his core whilst the twins rushed to Tsuna’s aid alongside Ryne.

Even Minfilia could not wholly extinguish the Light– she could only freeze it in time– and as Ryne sank to her knees beside the supine woman in hopes of doing the same, he could only watch in abject horror.

“Give her room,” he barked, though the twins were undeserving of his ire as he approached. They still took a collective step back.

Brilliant white blood readily trickled from Tsuna’s nose, and by way of her laboured breathing it was evident that she was being torn apart by a force of which a layman could not hope to see. Something within Tsuna was stirring, whether it was brought about by her own will, or by Ryne’s suppression, he couldn’t know.

It began first in her hands as they twitched and grasped for purchase, then her spine as it coiled. Her eyes snapped open, hungry and searching, as she lunged for the Oracle’s throat in hopes of supping upon the wellspring.

Thancred fell to his knees, wrestling the woman onto her back as an inhuman screech tore from her throat. “Don't stop!” he cried out, harsh with concerted effort. There was an unnatural strength burgeoning within her tiny frame that even as a man grown he struggled to contend with, and if Ryne did not finish the ritual, it would swallow them whole.

Ryne was shaken, but nothing if not determined. The power flowed through her once more, and Tsuna’s struggles came to a head. She thrashed upon the ground against his weight, spitting blood, and gnashing teeth. She would bite her tongue if it kept up-- he could barely hold her steady long enough for Ryne to work in her magicks.

“In our lifetime, please!”

"I'm trying!" "Ryne made a frustrated growl of effort as a bead of sweat rolled down her cheek. The very aether about them seemed to compress, tangible enough that even he could feel it become leaden as it coalesced.

Tsuna cried out one last time, waning to a whine as she pushed wildly against his arms, seizing. Her legs writhed as if a sudden, great pain knifed through her. And then all was silent.

Ryne immediately flagged, catching herself on the marble. Her power had all but been exhausted whilst he held the aftermath limp in his arms. Y’shtola and Urianger had begun to crowd about, to inquire, to plan, to move, but all he could do was hold the small woman in his arms, and pray to the Twelve, unseen, that the Light did not break through once again whilst their last bastion was too weak to hold.

“Ryne,” he called, softly, intently. Apology was writ together in his tone. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, though he knew she waned, looking close to tears from it all.

He swallowed thickly, realising he shared in the sentiment.

Adjusting Tsuna’s body in his arms, he felt just how cold she had grown. They needed a chirurgeon's assistance, and to get off this Godsforsaken rock, but more than that they needed a miracle. His hands would not stop trembling.

“Ryne, you know that I would not deign to ask a favour of you.” He breathed for a long moment, hanging his head low in penance. “Gods–” He swore. “You have to help her. I– We can’t lose her to this.”

Ryne stared back at him, having caught her breath, eyes wide, and glassy. She was searching him for something he couldn't know.

She opened her mouth, before aborting the question. Finally, she pursed her lips, looking uneasy in a way that only managed to make him feel worse.

“I’ll do what I can,” she whispered, and he had no choice but to believe.

#gpose #barfs this is so...#nay I shan't say it... (cwinge)#ANYWAY IT BEGINS........... welcome to my wolcred week #7 days of hell #thinks about when he called wol their brightest star haha anyway #please help her ryne she ate so much glue #i should just make this tunasan week so it doesn't get conflated with the other one but #who gives a hoot #ALSO THANK YOU @sileniadream for giving me a tip for getting this gpose arena set up-- couldn't have done it without your crimes 🫡🫡🫡🫡#wolcred week #my writing (derogatory)

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becca-e-barnes · 2 years ago

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I’m feral for subby Bucky. I need him on the floor crying and begging for my pussy, a babbling bitch of a mess.

Okay love youuu💜

Maybe I've got too soft recently but I'm so into the thought of being sweet and gentle and encouraging with subby Bucky?

I can't stop thinking about how pretty he could look on his knees in dim bedroom lighting and the way it would accentuate those muscular thighs. He's naked, watching you, stroking his cock a little more frantically than you'd usually allow.

"Please." He sounds more composed than he looks and he's not afraid to keep eye contact with you while he begs.

"I need to feel you." He watches as you trail your finger gently across your own glistening sex, spreading your legs nice and wide so he's got a perfect view from the floor.

You don't respond. There's no sense in breaking a silence that heavy. Not when you know his mouth is watering, imagining the way you'll feel when you engulf his cock and then the way you'll taste while he licks his cum out of your freshly fucked pussy.

"I need you." He whispers, his mouth running faster than his brain. His dick throbs in his hand, precum dribbling down his shaft, over his fingers, making each stroke a little more slick.

"Then have me, sweetheart. I'm all yours." He didn't expect the softness in your voice or the way you tenderly hold his chin to pull him in for a kiss.

He's slipping just a little faster than he wants to but it feels lovely. He's safe, he's loved, he's free to explore interests he's never given much time to and it's all starting to feel quite comfortable and natural to him.

"I love you, I hope you know that." You whisper, kissing his forehead while you line his tip up to your entrance.

"Oh God." He whimpers, his head falling onto your shoulder because he can't look at you now. Not as he's pressing into you and you're being so gentle with him. It'll be overwhelming and he simply can't have that.

"I love how you make me feel. I love getting to see you like this." You coo softly, stroking the back of his head, enjoying his hot, erratic breathing on your neck.

Inch by inch, he slides inside you. It's slow and reverent and considerate and downright perfect.

"You don't need to last, sweetheart. Let me take care of you for now and we can go a little bit longer later." Your offer isn't one he can turn down. He's been too aroused for too long and taking the edge off is exactly what he needs so he can focus on your pleasure.

His thrusts from then on are much faster, his tip rubbing your sweet spot delightfully and while it's not enough to get you off, it leaves you arching yourself closer to him.

It doesn't take long for him to become a babbling mess, panting and moaning against your neck, begging to be allowed to cum inside you.

"I'm so proud of you." You remind him, holding him as close as you can. There is no closer than this; not with him inside you but it still feels important to be unreserved in how much you want him. "I'm so proud of you. It's okay sweetheart, I've got you. You're okay, I've got you."

You feel his hips stutter, his shaft pulsing and throbbing as he shoots his first load into you, buried as deep inside you as he can manage. There are a few tender moments where you just hold him, kissing his broad shoulders while he catches his breath, letting him get comfortable on your chest.

#asks answered <3 #becca writes spice #anon #sub!bucky #subby!bucky #needy!bucky #I have way too many Christmas presents still to get #and I have a tonne to wrap tonight to take to work this week #so many cards to write #I love giving gifts #and I'm always worried it's weird?#I was in a work meeting recently and someone messaged into the teams chat that they were jealous of my Stanely cup #I have the baby pink one and it comes everywhere with me #so I got her one that matches her vibe #she wears nothing but black and her nails are always a black French tip #so I got her the charcoal grey one #but I don't want it to be weird?#like I'm going to have to message her PA and try to find a way to line our schedules up so I can give it to her #it always makes me really nervous when I get a gift for someone that I know they're not expecting

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marzely · 3 months ago

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Soooo those episodes of Andor huh

#it was all phenomenal like how can you ever top andor is writing visuals and story telling #like im just in such awe at how they tip them selves every episode #im emotional and i dint onow what im going to do after next weeks final episodes #star wars #andor #andor season 2

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literaryvein-reblogs · 10 months ago

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Writing References: World-Building

20 Questions ⚜ 100 Words for World-building

Basics: World-building ⚜ Places ⚜ Imagery ⚜ Setting

Exploring your Setting ⚜ Habitats ⚜ Kinds of Fantasy Worlds

Fantasy World-building ⚜ World-building Vocabulary

Worksheets: Magic & Rituals ⚜ Geography; World History; City; Fictional Plant ⚜ A General Template

Editing

Setting & Pacing Issues ⚜ Editing Your Own Novel

Writing Notes

Animal Culture ⚜ Autopsy ⚜ Alchemy ⚜ Ancient Wonders

Art: Elements ⚜ Principles ⚜ Photographs ⚜ Watercolour

Creating: Fictional Items ⚜ Fictional Poisons ⚜ Magic Systems

Cruise Ships ⚜ Dystopian World ⚜ Parts of a Castle

Culture ⚜ Culture Shock ⚜ Ethnocentrism & Cultural Relativism

Food: How to Describe ⚜ Lists ⚜ Cooking Basics ⚜ Herbs & Spices ⚜ Sauces ⚜ Wine-tasting ⚜ Aphrodisiacs ⚜ List of Aphrodisiacs ⚜ Food History ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Literary Cocktails ⚜ Liqueurs ⚜ Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables

Greek Vases ⚜ Sapphire ⚜ Relics ⚜ Types of Castles

Hate ⚜ Love ⚜ Kinds of Love ⚜ The Physiology of Love

Mystical Objects ⚜ Talisman ⚜ Uncommon Magic Systems

Moon: Part 1 2 ⚜ Seasons: Autumn ⚜ Spring ⚜ Summer

Shapes of Symbols ⚜ Symbolism ⚜ Slang: 1930s

Symbolism: Of Colors Part 1 2 ⚜ Of Food ⚜ Of Storms

Topics List ⚜ Write Room Syndrome

Vocabulary

Agrostology ⚜ Allergy ⚜ Architecture ⚜ Baking ⚜ Biochemistry

Ecology ⚜ Esoteric ⚜ Gemology ⚜ Geology ⚜ Weather ⚜ Art

Editorial ⚜ Fashion ⚜ Latin Forensic ⚜ Law ⚜ Medieval

Psychology ⚜ Phylogenetics ⚜ Science ⚜ Zoology

More References: Plot ⚜ Character Development ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

#writing reference #worldbuilding #setting #writing tips #writing advice #writeblr #dark academia #spilled ink #literature #writing prompt #creative writing #fiction #writers on tumblr #story #novel #light academia #writing resources #compilation requested by anon #will update every few weeks/months

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sunscreenstudies · 21 days ago

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local girl writes essay she's been dreading for over a month, completes it easily and successfully within a single hour

will she learn from this experience?

probably not

#studyblr #essay writing #study tips #just do it #friendly reminder #it's never as bad as your brain makes it out to be #my gosh #i could've done this weeks ago #and not had weeks worth of stress instead #one hour #that's literally all it took #and now it's submitted and i'm like #🫠🫣😭#why am i like this #why do i always do this #back to you kenny #more at ten

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demigod-of-the-agni · 2 years ago

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#LongPost: A Few Hyper-Specific Things About India for India-Based Stories and Art

No this isn't a cry for more Indian-rep in Spider-Verse stories. (It is.)

Anyway. I recently went to India, and after returning to my hometown in Tamil Nadu, I reintegrated a whole slew of memories and collated new facts.. And considering I've been wanting to do one of these for quite some time (and because I need a new variety of Pavitr Prabhakar content), I thought it'd be cool if I shared some of my experiences and ideas with you.

It's best to take this with caution, though: the only places I've been to are Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, and a few towns located close to the Eastern Ghats, so my knowledge is heavily South India-based. I know for a fact that there are various similarities and differences between other geo-cultural areas of India, which is I why I've linked the other cool India Resources here as well.

In Which I Ramble About Pavitr's Character Design and the Indian Cultural Stuff Related to It by @chaos-and-sparkles (+ my addition + @neptune432's addition)

A culture post for the girlie pops (and non-girlie pops) looking to write Pavitr Prabhakar accurately by @summer-blues-stuff (+ my addition + @fandomsfeminismandme addition)

Also a timely reminder of @writingwithcolor's wonderful resources on writing about South Asian characters respectfully and sincerely

Now, for the things I've noticed in South India..

ANIMALS

There are a lot of street dogs. Like... a lot of them. And honestly it's so hard not to go up to one and give them a snack or two. The most notable dog breed is the Indian pariah and they can be found all over India. Mixed dog breeds are also common and results in a variety of features like differences in build and coat colours.

There are also other types of animals are pretty common to see alongside the roads.

Cattle are seen a lot (cows and bulls are easy to distinguish; cows (left) have udders and a small hump on their back, while bulls (right) are generally stockier and have a super-defined hump on their back). I'm pretty sure the specific cow breed is the sahiwal cow. They are either herded into paddocks for grazing or can be found wandering city streets on their own.

Goats are often herded by farmers into large masses of wool and horns and are guided to paddocks to graze. Sometimes, like cattle, they'll be found wandering city streets on their own.

Chickens are usually kept close to stalls and homes. These chickens are not plump and fluffy like most Western chickens, but are quite skinny. Mottled feather colours are usually a result of mixed chicken breeds. In Tamil Nadu, the most common chicken breed is the asil chicken.

Various birds are often seen flying around traffic if they’re not disappearing into the sky, the most common being crows, pigeons and mynahs. (The chart below on the right is not an inexhaustive list of birds; you best search them up yourself.)

TRANSPORT

There is obviously a huge amount of trucks and lorries and buses. They all have beautiful designs or crazy LEDs or large detailed fluorescent / iridescent stickers that are impossible to ignore, whether it be at high noon or midnight.

Expanding on that, the most common method of transport are motorcyclse or scooties, cars, and autos.

Also, as expected: traffic is insane. It’s horrible. It’s exhilarating. Western honking is akin to swearing, but here? Honk whenever you want. Honk if you’re happy or if you’re sad. You get a million dollars if you honk. You need to honk. It’s more important than breathing

Similarly, road rules don’t exist. Well, they do, and the Indian government does everything it can to make sure people do follow the rules, but based on the aforementioned honking, most people don't. Everyone just drives. Most bikers and motorcyclists don’t wear helmets. Only a few people wear seatbelts. Cars and motorcycles drive on the wrong side of the road and right into oncoming traffic. The chance of someone dying is 99% but it’s countered by desi stubbornness.

ENVIRONMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

Houses and buildings are painted different colours!!! Pastel pinks and purples and deep teal hues, either plain colours or decorated with elaborate murals. This also applies to interiors. I reckon it was surprising to a lot of people when they were confronted with Mumbattan's vibrant colours, but honestly: coloured buildings slap, and it's based on the real thing. They are a sight to behold. Couple that with the architecture and oh boy- you've got such a beautiful environment.

From @jettpack's concept art for Mumbattan buildings

jettpack's concept art of the Mumbattan collider

From @chenfelicia's concept and colour keys of Mumbattan

Don't be shy to really immerse in crazy descriptors - that's how you capture the liveliness of cities like Madurai and Mumbai and ultimately, their physical manifestations like Mumbattan.

Funny enough, movie posters and political banners and flyers are EVERYWHERE. They’re huge and take up entire billboards, or congregate along walls so it becomes practically a collage. It's impossible to ignore the image of "Makkal Selvan" Vijay Sethupathi about to beat some poor loser into a pulp with a stick, or the political parties roasting each other on paper with impressive photoshopped graphics.

To tie in to the point about transport: there are hundreds of coffee stalls and snack shops and one-of-a-kind food stands. You can’t go 200 metres without running into one, either on the highway or in the city. I remember having jaggery coffee on my first night in India, and guys- it tasted so fucking good. I only wish I can transfer the taste to you. Absolutely splendid.

The climate in India is generally very humid and warm, but that doesn't mean we don't get cooler days; it is obviously cooler on winter nights. Also I've heard from many conflicting sources on India's seasonal weather (probably due to India's geograpghy), so you will have to talk to someone who is from India to really confirm. I've somewhat boiled it down to five seasons:

Summer - May-Jun; very hot (35-45ºC/95-113ºF), characterised by shrinking water bodies and droughts if there aren't any rainfalls; this time is good for plant growth/harvest if you've successfully managed water supplies

Monsoon - Jul-Aug; (34ºC/93ºF) very variable in terms of timing, characterised by torrential rains and floodings; the raining itself probably lodges somewhere in Jun-Sept but the aftereffects are felt long after the rains have stopped

Autumn - Sept-Nov; cooler but humid (25-35ºC/77-95ºF), and generally much drier since it transitions from autumn to winter

Winter - Dec-Feb; much colder, but the extent is dependent on geographic regions (20-25ºC/68-77ºF)

Spring - Mar-Apr; humid (33ºC/91ºF), sudden downpours, only occasionally do you get pleasant weather in this time

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

For some reason, there are still loud speakers blaring out music across the roads and as far as a few city blocks. I honestly thought that that had died out by the time my parents had graduated university, but it still seems like people like hearing music played at 120 decibels.

This is a complicated issue but people are not piss poor. Yes, India is a developing country, and yes there are slums and there are homeless and there are those who are stuck in a horrific sociocultural cycle, but people are rapidly getting into high-paying jobs at much higher rates than before. Overall, India is getting better; do us a favour and not have us be represented by the same poor struggle-riddled Indian stories that Hollywood and Western media is are fond of portraying.

@neptune432: One thing I think it's important to acknowledge though is how your experience in India changes depending on your caste. I feel like most of the indian voices talking online are savarna (I'm not an exception) so this doesn't get brought up as much. It's a complicated issue and one that I don't think non-indians (or savarna indians) should worry about tackling in their work, but it's worth saying because what's assumed to be everyday aspects of indian culture are actually specific to things like caste, class, and what region you're in. ex: in kerala, there are also examples of people eating on banana leaf with lots of vegan food for special occasions (namely during onam). but veganism is heavily tied to brahmanism so most of these people will be savarna. even if they eat meat otherwise, the specific interest in eating vegan for special occassions has clear implications. Though many people of different castes eat meat, it's a practice that gets discriminated against, being treated as barbaric and unclean. this is because of brahmanism and is usually only strictly followed by brahmins. dalits/bahujan usually face the worse treatment for their eating traditions. there's also the fact that hinduism is more of a recent term and a broad umbrella where many different gods and cultures have been put under (and usually done forcefully). a lot of local dieties and specific cultural practices come from outside the vedic traditions of aryans (upper caste north india), but now are treated almost as one thing. ex: kali is a south indian (dravidian) goddess who's still heavily worshipped there and who later got adapted to brahminical traditions. that's also why south indian practices of worship are different from the north and are discriminated against ex: north indians getting angry at the idea of worshipping kali by drinking alcohol and smoking even though it's an older tradition than theirs. these traditions are often connected to dalit/tribal cultures as well, which adds to why these traditions are attacked. Now, I don't feel comfortable with non-indians writing about india in general but I feel it's important to mention these things cos most people don't even realize they're only getting shown certain perspectives. How many people don't even know they're a north/south divide, for example? People are fed narrow viewpoints on India and assume that's everything to know. it's a problem cos that's what the brahminical forces in india want. This is all very general info too and I'm no expert so it's worth more research (like reading what dalits have said on their experiences). I'm not trying to criticize you btw, I just wanted to add some things cos this has been on my mind for a long time now. Couldn't have said it better myself, neptune!! (I barely mentioned it at all lmao) The caste system despite it being "abolished" still defines many traditions within India, and almost always in harmful ways. Like @summer-blues-stuff and I have mentioned in their post A culture post for the girlie pops under the Religion and caste section, it's best to leave the caste and social hierarchy alone even if you've done your research. That doesn't mean you shouldn't talk about it, it's just that people, especially those of non-South Asian decent, have to be extremely careful about it. Introductory resources on the caste system can be found on ABC, Pew Research and The Conversation.

Furthermore, the automatic assumption is that people living in shacks or remote villages have no access to greater populations and resources, which I'm happy to completely disprove. Guys: majority of the people living in my village, a rather remote village, have phones on them. Ranges from iPhones to Androids to good ol' Nokias.

(And, side note: as an Indian, I get amazingly pissed off when people's ringtones are set to maximum volume and play the same famous part of a famous song every time they get a call. Like shut the fuck up. At least quieten down? Please??)

(Also this might be a South Indian thing but Man some people are so entitled. Dudes you do not need to rub your ego into my face. Dudes you can, you know, keep all the cool things you think will get other people jealous out of the public eye. At this point I'm not jealous of what you Have, I'm pissed off at the Audacity To Think You Can Make Me Feel Bad About Myself With The Things That You Have).

Alright. Moving on.

Tiny temples and shrines are everywhere, dedicated to broad-Hinduism deities like Ganesh, Shakthi, or Vishnu; other times, they are shrines built for local deities that protect a particular village. For example, my village dedicated a little plot of water-logged land to a benevolent spirit called Subbamma, where people would leave offerings or place their sick/injured animals at the water's edge so that Subbamma could heal them. These tiny temples are almost always super colourful and amazingly detailed despite their small size

It could be a whole month before a celebration like Diwali but it’s the perfect time to set off hundreds of fireworks and firecrackers. People are just inconsiderate in many ways, it seems.

Some women wear strings of jasmine flowers in their hair. This might be completely regional-based, but most if not all women, ranging from little kids to old ladies, will wear these strings of jasmine in their hair. It's supposed to represent good fortune and beauty, and it smells wonderful.

@esrev-redips: #i usually only visit the north side of india (went to banglore and or chennai once) but im pretty sure most women in mumbai wouldnt wear #flowers in their hair unless they were of an older generation #they dont in new delhi at least and i t h i n k you can compare them but im not sure since i dont live in india either Thank you esrev!!!!! glad to see an old hunch be confirmed!!!

Normally you can wear any type of jasmine, but the common subtypes in Tamil Nadu are ஜாதிமல்லி (jathimalli; "Spanish jasmine"; left) and மல்லிப்பூ (mallipoo; right).

Eating food from a plate made from a banana leaf is more than just an aesthetic, and is often reserved for certain occasions; other times we eat from metal or ceramic plates. I can't vouch for other areas of India but I've been told the reason why banana leaves are predominantly used for large gatherings is because they can signal to diners if the food is rotten or has been poisoned; supposedly the leaf itself starts rotting and releases liquid, but I personally have never seen this happen. But of course, there are also other reasons as to why banana leaves are used (all of which are valid) ranging from being an eco-friendly disposable plate, offloading nutrients into food, or even to make the food taste better. Pick whichever reason you like.

I'm literally so hungry looking at this. (Realises this is a Pavitr thing to say.) Anyway.

FOOD RECS!!!!!!

Reblog with your favourite foods >:) The list will be routinely updated...

JAGGERY COFFEE (from me) - GOOD FUCKING STUFF. ACTUALLY. if you see it.. GET IT IMMEDIATELY

PANI PURI (from @esrev-redips) - #also you forgot to mention the PANI PURI STANDS AHHHHHH YUMYUMYUM | RRRR YOU'RE SO RIGHT. PANI PURI FOR LIFE ACTUALLY.

JASUBEN PIZZA (from @the-witch-forever-lives) - okay this is specific to Ahmedabad | okay but as specific as it may be that sounds and looks delicious??? hello??????

DABELI (from @the-witch-forever-lives) - this too???? also it LOOKS wonderful i need it right now actually

VADA PAV (from @the-witch-forever-lives) - Also Vada pav from Mumbai is so one of a kind | you are absolutely correct. vada pav is truly something magnificent

I think that's about all I can give you right now. This took me a while to type out. Feel free to ask any questions, or if you have anything you would like to add on, like anything I might have glossed over or your favourite desi foods, please do!!! I'll be sure to reblog your addition and update the original post.

The point is that this post can become one of those few other reference posts that artists and writers and other creatives can use if they ever want to make anything related to India, because it's genuinely so cool to see your culture represented so well in popular modern media.

(And in fanfic and fandom. Especially in fanfic and fandom. you have no idea how many times I've gone insane reading a Pavitr-centric fic or reading comments on Pavitr-related posts and it's just outdated ideas and harmful stereotypes and all sorts of sick bullshit, and it's always to the point where I physically have to go outside and bite into a fresh rhizome in order to ground myself. Like damn, people, you need to know things before you start creating)

So uh, I hope this was helpful if not interesting! Happy early Diwali everyone! Knowledge-over-ignorance and all that; hopefully this post does that notion justice!

#pavitr prabhakar #wrote this solely because i wanted more atsv pavitr-centric fics and i need to get that specific immersed-in-india itch scratched #and also because the india i remembered decades ago is definitely not the india i visited last week #wow time flies doesn't it #spider man india #india #writing tips #o wise writer stuff #indian culture #south asian culture #spider man across the spider verse #atsv #across the spider verse #chaipunk #goldenpunk #cultural references #atsv pavitr #agnirambles

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pharawee · 1 year ago

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Oh wow. Spirit Reborn (the original teaser has since been deleted) aka Khemjira Must Survive completely changed production companies and has been revived as Khemjira the Series by Mandee starring Namping Napatsakorn as Khemjira and Keng Harit as Parun.

I've just recently read the novel it's based on and it's an incredibly detailed horror novel steeped in Isan and (Thai) Buddhist folklore with very little BL stuff happening until the bonus chapters - presumably because it's not right for someone like Parun (a very respected practitioner of Buddhist "white magic") to consider or even get distracted by thoughts of that nature.

The original production received a lot of criticism for not sticking to the novel but I guess Mandee gets the Domundi bonus. Then again, Domundi isn't exactly known for... not being spicy. And here they can't even leave the spiciness to the side couple because they're Parun's students and have to adhere to the precepts too. Unless they rewrite the whole story - which would be a pity because it's so very clearly Buddhist and I really liked that about it.

#khemjiira the series #khemjira must survive #khemjira #spirit reborn #namping napatsakorn #keng hariit #jane watches stuff #thai bl #i loved the novel #and now i regret not writing a review once i finished reading it #in my defence i sliced off the tip of my finger last week lol #but yeah i'm actually a bit huh :/ about the whole thing #because i don't trust mandee to get this right #i understand not many people want a series that's...#i guess you could say unapologetically “religious”

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warydoom · 1 month ago

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Hiya!

I have thought through stuff and wanted to ask if you could make a little guide...or something for me and anyone else with my huge problem.

It seems....I can't write wholesomeness! Cause you said that the character Simon seems "fishy". (To all other people: Basically, Simon was comforting another character. That is not the vibe that scene was giving off)

That vibe will unfortunately ruin a whole lot of scenes to come. So, maybe? How do I make a person "sound" sincere and comforting; not creepy or fishy? Cause I thought I was projecting love and care.

Any advice?

THE BIG GUIDE TO WRITING WHOLESOME VIBES

(aka How To Stop Accidentally Writing Emotional Manipulators)

Step 1: Ask: Who Has the Power Right Now?

Any time one character is comforting another, especially after trauma, power dynamics matter. Ask yourself:

Is the comforting character older? In a position of authority?

Do they know more than the person they’re comforting?

Are they physically closer, or touching the other person?

If the answer to any of these is yes, the comforting character’s behavior needs to be extra careful not to cross into infintalizing, pushy, or invasive territory, even if they mean well.

Tip: Give the hurt character agency. Let them speak first. Let them say “no” to something. Let them lead the tone.

Step 2: Soften the Speech

Characters often sound creepy when their comfort talk is too smooth, too rehearsed, or too moralizing.

Sincerity isn’t always perfect. It’s raw. It rambles. It contradicts itself. It stops mid-sentence.

Avoid:

Long speeches with a clear agenda

Phrases like “you should…” or “our priority is…”

Talking like a therapist with a script

Instead:

Add pauses, hesitations, backtracking

Let the character say, “I don’t know” or “That’s what I tell myself”

Show emotion in their delivery: sighs, eye contact, failed attempts

Step 3: Touch Must Be Earned

Touch is a powerful comfort tool — but without permission or emotional build-up, it can feel off.

A comforting character who touches without warning — even just holding a hand or stroking hair — can accidentally read as controlling, possessive, or invasive, especially in vulnerable scenes.

Instead:

Have them ask for permission: “Can I hold your hand?”

Wait for initiation: “He offered a hand, but didn’t force it.”

And let the touch be clumsy, or hesitant: “They almost pulled away, then stayed.”

Step 4: Make It a Conversation, Not a Monologue

Comforting scenes often fall flat when one character talks too much, while the other just listens and reacts.

Comfort isn’t, and never will be, a TED Talk. It’s not a moral or life lesson. It’s a shared space.

Instead:

Let the comforted person interrupt, contradict, ask questions

Include moments of silence, awkwardness, or deflection

Make the comforting character stop and say: “Do you want to talk about it?” (That's my favorite. The answer doesn't even have to be yes. Just let them ask.)

Step 5: Be Careful With Logic During Emotion

Sometimes the comforting character means to be reassuring: “See? It’s not your fault!” but ends up sounding like they’re dismissing the other person’s feelings.

Logic doesn’t always comfort. It can often sound like minimizing pain.

Instead:

Acknowledge emotion first, before facts: “That must be so overwhelming. I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now.”

Reassure with presence, not proof: “Even if none of this makes sense, I’m here.”

Step 6: Comfort Happens In the Small Stuff

The most effective comfort often comes from the smallest moments:

A blanket pulled over someone’s shoulders

A quiet “I’ve got you” when no one else is around

Sitting nearby without talking

TLDR, Check Your Comfort Scene For:

Who’s in control? (Power check)

Is the dialogue too perfect? (Sincerity check)

Was the touch asked for? (Consent check)

Is it a shared moment? (Balance check)

Does it feel emotionally true, or just logical? (Vibe check)

And remember: “I’m here” can hit harder than a thousand pretty speeches. Hope this helps!

#writing tips #writing advice #how to write comfort scenes #character writing #sincere characters #the week of void was bored

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