volatile-graphonmania

[volatile-graphonmania]

Struggling with descriptors? Here are some synonyms to make your scene more interesting!

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Afraid

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Apprehensive

Dread

Foreboding

Frightened

Mistrustful

Panicked

Petrified

Scared

Suspicious

Terrified

Wary

Worried

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Annoyed

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Aggravated

Dismayed

Disgruntled

Displeased

Exasperated

Frustrated

Impatient

Irritated

Irked

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Angry

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Enraged

Furious

Incensed

Indignant

Irate

Livid

Outraged

Resentful

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Aversion

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Animosity

Appalled

Contempt

Disgusted

Dislike

Hate

Horrified

Hostile

Repulsed

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Confused

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Ambivalent

Baffled

Bewildered

Dazed

Hesitant

Lost

Mystified

Perplexed

Puzzled

Torn

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Disconnected

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Alienated

Aloof

Apathetic

Bored

Cold

Detached

Distant

Distracted

Indifferent

Numb

Removed

Uninterested

Withdrawn

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Disquiet

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Agitated

Alarmed

Discombobulated

Disconcerted

Disturbed

Perturbed

Rattled

Restless

Shocked

Startled

Surprised

Troubled

Turbulent

Turmoil

Uncomfortable

Uneasy

Unnerved

Unsettled

Upset

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Embarrassed

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Ashamed

Chagrined

Flustered

Guilty

Mortified

Self-conscious

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Fatigue

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Beat

Burnt out

Depleted

Exhausted

Lethargic

Listless

Sleepy

Tired

Weary

Worn out

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Pain

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Agony

Anguished

Bereaved

Devastated

Grief

Heartbroken

Hurt

Lonely

Miserable

Regretful

Remorseful

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Sad

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Depressed

Dejected

Despair

Despondent

Disappointed

Discouraged

Disheartened

Forlorn

Gloomy

Heavy hearted

Hopeless

Melancholy

Unhappy

Wretched

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Tense

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Anxious

Cranky

Distressed

Distraught

Edgy

Fidgety

Frazzled

Irritable

Jittery

Nervous

Overwhelmed

Restless

Stressed out

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Vulnerable

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Fragile

Helpless

Insecure

Leery

Reserved

Sensitive

Shaky

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Yearning

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Envious

Jealous

Longing

Nostalgic

Pining

Wistful

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[volatile-graphonmania]

Body Language

When someone is...

Sad

Face/Body:

Avoidant/reduced eye contact

Drooping eyelids

Downcast eyes

Frowning

Raised inner ends of eyebrows

Dropped or furrowed eyebrows

Quivering lip/biting lip

Wrinkled nose

Voice:

Soft pitch

Low lone

Pauses/hesitant speech

Quiet/breathy

Slow speech

Voice cracks/breaking voice

Gestures/Posture:

Slouching/lowered head

Rigid/tense posture

Half formed/slow movement

Fidgeting or clasped hands

Sniffing or heavy swallows

Self soothing gestures (running hands over the arms, hand over heart, holding face in palms, etc)

[volatile-graphonmania]

if you're trying to get into the head of your story's antagonist, try writing an "Am I the Asshole" reddit post from their perspective, explaining their problems and their plans for solving them. Let the voice and logic come through.

[volatile-graphonmania]

sometimes you need dialogue tags and don't want to use the same four

[volatile-graphonmania]

Sometimes I scroll through Pinterest and just get hit with ideas for the Strong boys. Like imaging if they had had vitiligo and their hair and slightly tanned skin grows paler and paler. Like the rumours of their birth and Rhaenyra own shock because even she thought they were Ser Harwins but this is something incredibly new that has never been seen before and the royal Court can only look at the 'common looking' boys slowly start to look other and strange and more Valyrian.

[volatile-graphonmania]

Why Ultra Femininity and Divine Femininity are a Match Made in Heaven

Ultra Femininity: Being a stereotypical “girly girl” is often villainized due to society's double standards against women/ idea that women are the inferior species. Therefore, a woman who unapologetically over indulges in things considered “feminine” is deemed dumb, or an airhead, or a bimbo (tropes like London Tipton and Karen Smith). On the flip side you have society’s proclamation that women are “evil” and a woman who indulges in ultra femininity is considered a bitch or a man eater (tropes like Sharpay Evans and Regina George).

But these declarations are completely misogynistic. Was London ditsy? Yes! Was Regina George a bitch? Yes! But those “negative qualities” are not a direct result of their femininity. It’s just who they are.

But in cinema London cant just be dumb, she has to be dumb because she likes makeup, and fashion, opposed to Maddy who’s a bookworm. Sharpay is a bitch, and you can tell because she’s a spoiled rich girly girl, unlike Gabrielle, the nice and sweet mathlete.

Now am I trying to demonize girls like Maddy and Gabriella? No,this post is not designed to bash tomboys, or academic girls. WE LOVE THEM!! However, it's funny how Hollywood uses the “not like most girls” trope to highlight what they do and don't deem acceptable for women. And it’s been made clear that being unapologetically “girly” isn’t acceptable.

Divine Femininity: Most people don’t know that divine and ultra femininity are not the same thing. Despite being a girly girl, Sharpay Evans is still a simp, and overall not as strong as she could be. Being a divine woman is disestablishing the idea of male superiority, and taking control without having to imitate or appease a man.

Women like Elle Woods, Miranda Priestly, Toni Childs, Blair Waldorf, and Naomi Campbell. THAT’s what you get when you combine the powers of Divine and Ultra Femininity. An unstoppable powerful woman who garners respect from everyone around her without having to stray away from being “girly”. A woman who doesn’t see her femininity as a sign of weakness. That’s a bad bitch.

[volatile-graphonmania]

I'm looking for a My Hero fanfic that I read like a couple years ago

Midoriya has All for One but he can't take quirks from people the quirks go to him when people die and Inko is a good mom in this and All Might is a good hero and mentor. At some point Midoriya gives All Might a photosynthesis quirk because his stomach is bad, i cant remember if All Might gives Midoriya One for All or not l. Midoriya tries to fix Dabi's quirk when he is young but makes it worse.

I can't remember the title or if it was on ao3 or fanfiction.net

[volatile-graphonmania]

hi all, palestine’s going through a mass genocide right now and really needs help, here are a few ways you can do that

palestine children’s relief fund: provide urgent humanitarian care for children in gaza

anera: provide on-the-ground emergency relief

medical aid for palestinians: emergency relief for women and children, psychosocial support, disability help, other medical needs

doctors without borders: medical teams on the ground treating injured palestinians as needed

feel free to add on in the notes, notify me if any of the fundraisers listed arent necessary/actually helpful to donate to, and let me know if anything needs added on/modified

as always, if you cant donate then please share and spread awareness

UPDATE: this post has been edited to remove an organization by the UN (details in reblog by @petite-elf )

UPDATE: companies to boycott have been added due to the direct harm they cause towards palestinians (c. @/sleepallsummer, letstalkpalestine on instagram)

Caterpillar: Caterpillar bulldozers are regularly used in the demolition of Palestinian homes and farms and in Israel’s massacres in Gaza

HP: Hewlett Packard helps run the ID system that Israel uses to restrict Palestinian movement

Puma: Puma sponsors the Israel Football Association, which includes teams in Israel’s illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land.

SodaStream: SodaStream home drinks machines are one of Israel’s best known exports.

Ahava: Ahava cosmetics are another of Israel’s best known export companies.

Sabra: Sabra hummus is a joint venture between PepsiCo and the Strauss Group, an Israeli food company that provides financial support to the Israel Defense Forces.

Motorola: Provides Israeli military, police, prisons and immigration authority with communication technology

For more information, see bdsmovement.net/boycott-hp, investigate.afsc.org, whoprofits.org

reminder to keep checking in on my version of this post, as that is how you can see the most updated, accurate information thats specific to this post

[volatile-graphonmania]

I wanted to write an indulgent story, where most of the characters were strong women. But as I was planning out a story, (a fantasy one where only women have magic) I realized that what a white woman wants to see in a strong woman might be different from anyone else, but I have no idea how to research that. Do you have any advice? (Sorry if this is worded awful! I hope you understand but it’s alright if you don’t.)

Writing Powerful Women of All Races

It’s great that you recognize that women’s representation is not one size fits all. What makes for good representation for white women is not the same for Women of Color.

Let’s consider how society handles women across the board:

White Women: 

Traditionally, white women are treated as delicate beings, meant to be protected and romanced by men. White women are the standard of femininity and beauty. Women of Color can be attractive, too, but in a “different” way. Most positive roles for white women depict them breaking from these definitions, either embracing sexual labels or evading them by throwing out the need to be dolled-up, gentle, or in a relationship.

Even these problems come with privilege as there is this need to “dirty” oneself up and prove physical and emotional strength. 

Anger in white women is seen as powerful. Anger in non-white women is either sexualized (see: the Spicy Latina) or seen as hostility and bitterness typical of their race (see: the Angry Black Woman). 

White women embracing sexuality and the “Slut” role is groundbreaking. That doesn’t always translate well for WoC who are inherently seen as overly sexual and impure, and have the highest rates of sexual assault to show for it.

Black Women: 

Black women are most often placed into the role of strong and independent, with an emotional and physical hardness that resists love and tenderness. They don’t need support, but they’ll be more than willing to use their backs to uplift others, no matter the gender, all and any races. Black women are rarely portrayed with classical softness or femininity. Note how Black women are so hard and impenetrable…except when it comes to helping everyone but themselves. Then they are your Mammy, warm and lovable and always there to support you, despite how much self-care they must neglect.

Asian Women: 

Comparably, Asian women, especially East Asian women but other Asian women are affected too, are placed in juxtaposition to Black women. Asian women are fragile and need shielding, but that comes with a sinister dose of fetishization. They are often viewed as submissive, and are given gross comparisons to dolls as if items to place on display and control. They’re desirable, but in an “exotifc” way, and of course are not seen to have the same worth as white women.

This is often depicted in works, both old and modern: The white man falls in love with the Asian woman. After he’s had his fun, he abandons her to settle down with a white woman. The Asian woman ends her life as it is worth nothing without him.

On the flip side: Asian women are fragile and worth protecting…except when they’re not. The Dragon Lady stereotype features Asian women (Mainly East Asian) who manipulate and dominate others. This stereotype is often depicted by them dominating white men for Yellow Peril ends. 

Native women: 

Native women are seen as simple and animalistic, their “simpler” culture relating to “primal” needs. The narrative starts with Pocahontas, a scantily clad Disney princess who shows a white settler the wonders of the “natural” world, and continues all throughout Halloween costumes, Noble Savage, and Animalistic Natives. This very exact fetishization makes them prime targets for toxic masculinity’s view that women actively desire the more “beastly”/forcible sex, basically assuming Native women will behave like animals in heat— because that’s what society believes Natives are: a type of animal. 

Women of Color: 

Although this is grouping a number of women into one, they share a common thread of being exotified and fetishized. From the Spicy Latina to the brown-skinned temptress. They’re fun and sexy, and on the same hand promiscuous and impure. WoC are often portrayed as mistresses and homewreckers.

Women of Color are treated as Other, and are rarely the default. Notice in media that there’s a reluctance to call Women of Color beautiful. Words like “Striking” “Stunning” and “Exotic” are often used in its place, with an overemphasis on certain features more common to the ethnicity. And when they are more certainly called attractive, you’ll often find qualifiers such as the Dark Beauty or “Pretty for a Black Girl.”

While there is a lot of desexualizing in association with Black women (e.g. mammy), there’s another side where a Black woman’s body (see: curves and full lips) are inherently sexual to the point where even teenagers are labeled as “ho’s” and “Thots” who seek to tempt men for simply wearing shorts.

It’s no wonder Women of Color are assaulted at the highest numbers. Native American women lead in those statistics, and are at risk for sexual assault at twice the rate of others. For more stats, follow the link: (X) 

A shared thread between all of these Women of Color is that, more often in not, people will not be content with these women being anything but their expected stereotypes. Also, there’s often a grumble by racist audiences when WoC are presented in relationships outside of their own race, particularly if they go anywhere near beloved white characters.

It’s time to break free of limited, dated molds and make society uncomfortable.

How do I represent these women, respectively?

I love your story concept, with all of these women having powers. Just keep in mind: what will work as positive representation for your white women may not work for Women of Color. We all have different histories that inform the struggles we have in society and what counts as proper representation.

Develop characters without applying what works for white women to all women. That is White Feminism. Intersectional feminism exists to consider Women of Color + other marginalizations and their needs as well. 

Create customized representation that uplifts each women.

Develop personalities that don’t play into stereotypes. Choose powers that reflect individuality for each woman, not what is assumed about Black women, Mexican women, etc. What we hear and see in media informs our creative thought process, so your first idea may not be the most fitting one. Brainstorm! As a starting point, do opposite of the stereotypes and go from there. At the same time, find a balance to avoid extremes. 

For example, the fragile Asian woman’s opposing extreme is Dragon Lady. The Strong Black Woman’s opposing extreme leads to infantilization aka making her utterly helpless.

And even then! Consider that sometimes people do have traits that may seem stereotypical. If that’s the case, it’s your job as the author to show that there’s more to them. They are human and not a label. 

You can be physically strong, and still bubble with kindness, emotional softness and femininity.

Pink nail polish does not weaken a punch, or define someone as too girly or weak. It means you like pink.

You can show emotional vulnerability, fall in love and be loved in return, and still remain powerful and whole without becoming the Strong Black Women.

You can be gentle and worthy of protection while having self-worth and confidence.

You can be sensual and desirable without becoming an exotic commodity, but instead someone who is more than sexual, is in control, and 100% deserving of respect.

You can also just not be sexual, but that shouldn’t mean void of love to give and receive in return.

More reading: Stereotyped vs Nuanced Characters and Audience Perception  

Research

There’s many places for you to start your research, and tons of it has been written right here on this page as well as all across the web in articles, blogs, vlogs, books etc. Seek topics on representation and intersectional feminism for the races you wish to portray. The best sources are written by the same people you’re reading about. Check out our Stereotypes & Tropes Navigation and the TVTropes List so you can recognize the displeasing ways WoC have been represented so you can avoid or amend it, and showcase people the way they want to be represented.

I also recommend you check out POC Profiles for the types of representation people who have submitted here are asking for. The WWC mods have also written on the topic in the Mod Wishlist post. 

–WWC 

[volatile-graphonmania]

Team Edward vs Team Jacob? ( or Maybe it can be that deep)

Unless you’ve been totally removed from popular culture these past few years you have heard about Team Edward vs Team Jacob. It was everywhere for a while and it was one of the things that both drew people to twilight and drive people away. It also, while not inventing love triangles, added a huge amount to their popularity and prevalence in fiction (particularly YA). The other most famous love triangle in YA is of course from the Hunger Games.

However if you ask any self respecting Hunger Games fan about it, they will tell you it’s more than just that, that Peeta represents peace and rebuilding while Gale represents retribution and destruction (at their most simple) and Katniss choosing between them is in fact her choosing her future. This symbolic view of love triangles is rarely discussed Re. Twilight, and with good reason as it’s unlikely Smeyer intended one to be there. However I think, that twilight can be read in an equally allegorical way, so please take a trip with me to find out what’s beyond team Edward and team Jacob.

The very first question, is what do Edward and Jacob represent? The most obvious answer in life and death. Language describing Edward is full of metaphors describing him as cold, as drug like, as painful. Smeyer describes Bella feeling “withdrawal” when she is away from him. Jacob however is associated primarily with the sun and with warmth. There’s also the factor that physically Edward is dead, he has no heartbeat, doesn’t grow, doesn’t eat human food. Whereas Jake has a quick heart beat, grows more quickly that the average human, and needs to eat more human food. In this way Jacob seems to represent humanity at its most extreme, he is more human than Bella, Edward is less.

However this falls apart around eclipse, when Jacobs warmth becomes “burning” however it’s wildly accepted that Smeyer changed Jacobs characterisation drastically in Eclipse, even reverting back to his og characterisation in Breaking dawn. So If we take away that element then Edward and Jacob representing life and death makes sense. However Bella choosing death over life is wrong, right?

Well maybe not. At least not in Bellas mind. From the first line of the series we know Bella is borderline obsessed with death. She is distressingly self sacrificing, the first line of the entire series is her deciding to die “in the place of someone ( she) loves”. And throughout new moon Bella continues to be self destructive. It’s interesting that the famous cliff dive, is to get towards Edward in the form of a halluncination. And she is saved by Jacob. This scene shows at its most basic that Bella leaping towards Edward is her jumping to her death. And yet she chooses it. So it’s fair enough to say that Bella doesn’t particularly want to live.

Which is why Edward is the one she chooses. He offers the option for her to stop aging, to have to never make the difficult decisions that come with age. In many ways Bella choosing Edward is a symbolic death. But it’s also a very attractive prospect for a teenager anxious about aging, with a complex about responsibility. Which let’s face it lots of the people reading twilight were. Choosing Edward is easy because her is an end to all problems. Wheras while Jacob may offer solutions too through friendship and warmth. His path requires effort.

Which is why I think that Life and Death might be too reducative. When in reality they represent Stagnation and Recovery. Bella is put in a position where if she chooses Jacob she will have to work on herself. With him she is actively building the bikes, which are a fairly obvious metaphor. They were broken by someone else, but by putting time and effort in they can work again. Which is very much what is happening with Bella in New Moon, she feels broken but begins to put in work to put herself together.

Continuing the metaphor, in eclipse Edward presents Bella with his own motorbike. It’s fancy, fast, and ready to go. It doesn’t require work to be put in. And Bella sees it how the audience does. That it doesn’t meant the same as it doesn’t have the same love put into it. It isn’t the motorbike that matters but the time spent building it. And again and again Edward and Jacob are shown like this. Jacob gives Bella a wolf charm he spent time and love carving, but Edward gives Bella a diamond, that’s flashy but has no real meaning.

So she should have chosen Jake right? Well yes but it’s not that simple! Bella is clearly vulnerable and what she thinks she wants is what Edward is giving, something ready made, a perfect family, wealth, security, but she doesn’t see that they’re as empty as the bike Edward gives. She could have these things with Jake but she would have to work for them, would have to put effort into making his friends like her rather than have them be her “best friend” immediately. And putting work in is what makes things matter, as I established, but Bella doesn’t see this, she sees the security of the Cullens and is blinded by its flashy-ness. And Jacob can’t compete. Bella wants the end product immediately and he is a work in progress.

So what does this mean? If Bella chooses death and refuses to recover her ending is surely a tragedy? Well maybe! But it’s easier to understand once you look at it from the Mormon perspective it was written from. Because Edwards symbolic death isn’t a end. It is a beggining, and from then on its “paradise”. Bella choosing death is just a fast track to heaven. And hey, why bother trying to make your time on earth good when you know what comes next will be a thousand times better?

But if you remember that post that said “an immortal will never love as a human loves because love is about survival”? Yeah that’s the real Edward / Jacob divide. Eternity is impossible to comprehend, and maybe this is just me but even a “perfect forever” sounds like it would be unbearable. Jacobs version of a happy ending may be shorter and less complete but like the bike and the wolf charm it’s also more real. So it’s easy to understand why Bella, Smeyer, and many readers chose Edward, as a fantasy it’s unbeatable. But if I had to choose? Team Jacob forever!

[volatile-graphonmania]

What is it about YA authors and them writing their internalised misogyny into their novels?

[volatile-graphonmania]

the whole “fiction doesn’t affect reality” argument is actually kinda racist…

[volatile-graphonmania]

what’s your fanfic life like? 

[volatile-graphonmania]

Might just wax poetically about Moxie (2021). I guess 40 year old white (wo)men who have forgotten what it's like to be young, aren't the only people writing ( inaccurate) teen movies for Netflix. Showing intersectional feminism, LGBTQ representation, male feminists, authority not using the power they have to help and a severely unlikeable character getting their dues. Sure there's a bit the makes you cringe but overall it's a satisfactory watch.

[volatile-graphonmania]

look at them aren't they the cutest

Posted by Horikoshi's assistant 2 hours ago on Twitter 1/8/2021

Their handle is - nstime23

[volatile-graphonmania]

It is more believable that kaminari would have epilepsy in a nonquirk! au than having just solely ADHD due to how his quirk reacts when it is overused and the aftereffects of it

[volatile-graphonmania]

“ah surely the kanye jeffree starr alleged hookup is the craziest thing I’ll hear today” I say, a full minute before checking twitter to see armed maskless white supremacists have stormed the capitol building and the senate is barricaded in their chamber