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bittersweet sentences.
“ is it wrong if i still like you? ”
“ i know what you said, but i’m still where we left off. ”
“ not a day goes by without me thinking about us. ”
“ what we had were special. i can’t let that go. ”
“ do you think there’s still a chance for us? ”
“ would you do it all again if you had the chance? ”
“ what made you leave ? ”
“ why did you stop loving me? ”
“ i don’t miss you, i miss what we had. ”
“ there are things i just can’t explain. ”
“ there are so many things i’d do for just one more night with you. ”
“ i have no idea what it meant to you, but to me it meant the whole world. ”
“ i wake up and i realize you’re not there. ”
“ how long is going to take for you to get off my mind? ”
“ even you’re my biggest ‘what if’. what if… ”
“ i guess i just never figured you out. ”
“ it’s what you do though, isn’t it? you leave people. ”
“ i’m fine without you, but i’m not doing well. ”
“ my life went to hell after you left. ”
“ with you had something at least. now i have nothing. ”
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It’s rather offensive that my ideas don’t just write and edit themselves into a perfect novel that just appears on my desk for me to read
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truth serum au #1: everyone else has lost all their inhibitions and are rambling on and on and on, and you’re the only one left with the ability to lie.
truth serum au #2: you can’t tell the truth. any truth. at all.
truth serum au #3: you can only tell the truth, but in a way that makes it sound like a lie.
truth serum au #4: it causes you physical pain to tell a lie.
truth serum au #5: you can sense when people are telling you a lie.
truth serum au #6: you can lie, but you can’t stop yourself from blurting out the truth as well.
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Writing US Military Characters
This is a non-exhaustive list of some common ‘quirks’ or habits that can give away a character’s military experience. Wrote it up for myself and it’s particularly useful when I want to show instead of tell. These are based on first person accounts from several vets! Thought others might like to use it too for a reference :D Ones with * or ** came up particularly often.
Like any guide, it’s just that - a guide, not a set of rules! A character is unlikely to do all of these, and other factors like ADHD, trauma, or just personality might effect what sticks. People are endlessly diverse!
Eat, Drink, Dress, and Rest
* High tolerance for physical discomfort
** Eat very fast, and aren’t picky about the taste
** Can sleep anywhere - on a helicopter, in enemy territory, up high, underground, when it’s loud, when it’s quiet
* Can operate effectively without sleep for over 24hrs, or with erratic and limited sleep for days
** Wake up early, 0500-0700; Wake up quickly and ready for action
* Hair cut regularly. Beards stay clean shaven (alternatively some may avoid shaving when out of uniform)
** Dress practically and neatly, jackets buttoned/zipped up, ironed, polished
Take hat off indoors
Organization and Talents
Gearhead
Gun nut
Detail oriented
** Pockets are meticulous. The same thing always goes into the same pocket, for easy reach. Pockets never full to bulging. Carry multitool.
** Hands stay out of pockets - ready. (Hands in pockets is forbidden in the military. Some Special Forces may keep their hands in pockets, as their ‘grooming’ rules are less enforced. Because they can)
Always carry things with left hand (and ”southpaws” must learn to use standard right-handed weapons)
** Know how to clean house and keep it organized (may choose not to out of uniform)
** Can make bed and shower fast
Organize clothes to be able to dress and maneuver their own space in pitch black (Navy specifically)
Know how to sew basic repairs (i.e. a button)
Layout items before packing. Tight roll clothes. Pack efficiently
** Can read maps effectively, may prefer them to a GPS, use landmarks
Deadlines not always considered concrete (There is a military mantra, “Hurry up and wait.” Often one would be told to complete something or arrive somewhere at a certain time, but nothing would happen due to someone else’s task meant to be finished earlier still being incomplete)
** Alternatively (or in tandem), arrive 5-30 minutes early to every event
Things kept packed securely in the car, “ready for sea” and “heavy rolls” (Navy specifically)
Routines and Social
** Respect for the “Other” or “Them” - other religions, cultures, races, and ethnicities - had to work crammed together with a diverse group that may have strongly opposing viewpoints, and learn to trust each other to have their backs in dangerous situations (For many, military is their first real experience with different cultures and beliefs)
* Respect ≠ Like. Will go above and beyond for a respected leader, even if they are disliked
Deeply suspicious of red tape, bureaucracy, and bosses on power trips, and will only do the minimum required for these
** Low tolerance for slacking/job skirting
* Volunteer other people for tasks, and willing to be volunteered for things
Don’t ask people to do things they aren’t willing to do themselves
Still follow orders of bosses they dislike. Still have the backs of coworkers they dislike
** Like clear orders, responsibilities, chain of command, and penalties
* Have Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C
Actions matter more than ceremony; definite respect for processions, but excessive reverence for the flag/anthem/etc viewed as posturing rather than true patriotism
High tolerance for boredom
** Adaptable, high stress tolerance, work efficiently, self reliant
** Avoid having their back to an opening (windows/doors/etc) or sitting anywhere someone can sneak up on them from
* Avoid loud, crowded areas, check perimeters, barricade doors, sleep last in a group (may coincide with PTSD)
Always walk on the right side of a road/grocery aisle/etc
Stand at parade rest, walk cadence, walk fast
* Walk quietly, even in boots, sneak quickly (military crouch run)
De-escalation in violence - in protective armed situations the standard is: 1) multiple warnings, 2) warning shots, 3) shoot to incapacitate. Shoot to kill is a last resort. (not following these steps could get an ally or potential ally killed) In verbal disagreement, resolve an issue before it escalates
* Wariness toward and tendency to feel Other’ed by civilians
* Immediate acceptance toward other military, expectation of shared values
Vernacular
Observe before speaking in a situation, only speak if it seems significantly important to
Refer to people as “Sir” or “Ma’am”
** Speak directly, make direct eye contact (sometimes comes off as rude, often intimidates)
* Don’t take criticism or disagreement personally, expect others not to, either, and will point out flaws even to superiors (but again, orders are respected)
** Clear communication, acknowledge messages by replying, even if that’s just a thumbs up or down
** Swearing. Lots of swearing. Every other word is swearing
** Dark sense of humor, and racist/sexist jokes - not indicative of individual’s actual belief system or violent tendencies
Unbothered by angry yelling, angry quiet people are more concerning
** Point with ‘knife hands’, not just a single finger
** Use a 24 hour clock instead of a 12 am/pm; i.e. 0800 hours, not 8am (Called ”Military Time” in the US)
Describe locations by o’clock directions, i.e. dog standing at 6 o’clock
* Write out dates as day-month-year (US usually does month-day-year) i.e. 21Oct57
** Use phonetic alphabet to spell things out, or at least have it memorized
** Habitually use military terms or sayings, including:
Good to go - Mission ready, ready to proceed
Squared away - Compliment indicating exemplary service
Popping a smoke - Need to get out of here [From using smoke grenades to call helicopters for extraction]
“Sir yes sir” [A ‘sir sandwich’]
FUBAR - F*cked up beyond all recognition
SNAFU - Situation normal, all f*cked up
TARFU - Things are really f*cked up
BOLO - Be on the lookout
ATL - Attempt to locate
IAW - In accordance with
Civilian - Non-military person
Roger - Message received and understood
“Say again your last.” - What?
Firearm- Gun
Ruck - backpack
March - walk
Double time - running
PT - working out
Rally point - meetup
Field day - Spring Cleaning (Navy specifically)
Get smoked - Laps, pushups, etc as punishment
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my FAVORITE tropes compiled thanks to some suggestions from others
a character gets a sick burn and doesn’t realize it immediately, at some point later there’s just “HEY WAIT A MINUTE”
the double take. this one’s an oldie but a goodie
the injured character makes the killing shot that saves everyone else in a dangerous situation
a character who isn’t speaking is doing something weird in the background, it’s subtle and never acknowledged it’s just there for those who notice it (pulling another character out of something they got stuck in, making a huge sandwich, etc)
the beleaguered assistant inches away from smacking their boss
“quick act natural”
in that vein, the leader character was just in a shouting match with someone and when they come back the rest of the team scrambles to look like they weren’t listening at the door
never forget: “he’s standing right behind me isn’t he”
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I am a True Believer in outlining before you write. (At least, so long as an outline doesn’t debilitate your writing.)
But I think some people don’t understand what that means to me.
To me, an outline means that I know:
Where the story is going.
What beats it’ll take getting there.
The major content I know I want to write.
How that content can be reasonably connected.
Where character development decisions should take place.
What the climax will entail.
What choices the characters will be forced to make during the climax to fulfill or deny their developmental arc.
It also means that along the way I might…
Randomly move multiple scenes to a completely new settings.
Rearrange scenes to make for better pacing.
Throw in conversations I never imagined the characters would have.
Completely change one of my main character’s voices in the third chapter.
Have a random side character mysteriously foreshadow grudges certain characters are holding.
Realize certain characters have legitimately been holding said grudges.
Add in new character arcs for said characters to get them to work through their grudges.
Watch as the main ship progresses way faster than intended.
(Cry over the main ship.)
Let the protagonist chose to go by an alias because he’s more insecure than I thought.
Watch as his brother ruins his alias attempts four chapters later.
Create an entire new arc that revolves primarily around the protagonist wanting to sleep in a proper bed after camping for three weeks. (And do a lot of last minute plot adjusting to make the pacing still work for this bed-related arc.)
Forget one of my main characters exists for five chapters.
Suddenly add her into an arc she wasn’t supposed to be in, to make up for it.
Be bamboozled as the love interest refuses to sit still long enough to let their leg heal and ends up with a permanent injury.
Flat out re-outline entire chapters because the new idea worked better with the character development or pacing.
Realize that the symbolism I had for a certain thing has actually meant something different all along.
Add in a motto I didn’t realize was a huge part of two of the main character’s lives in the previous book.
Take about ten thousand notes on what needs to be adjusted in the next draft.
Cry because I think the novel will be too long.
Cry because I think the novel will be too short.
Cry because I love it too much.
Cry because it’s definitely the worst thing ever written.
So, when I say I’m a True Believer in outlining, I don’t mean that I’m a believer in never letting your story’s surprise you, or never making last minutes adjustments, or never throwing out huge parts of your outline for something better.
I mean that I’m a true believer in letting your story have a foundation before you write it, because any large or complex story built on a weak foundation, like a castle built in the sand, will need to be re-built later.
But the stronger a foundation you build for it, the easier it is to make changes without your entire structure falling apart.
#This is not saying that some writers don’t do better just rebuilding the castle later or that all stories are complex enough to warrant outlines. #Please do not take my post about what outlining means to me and attempt to writer’splain to me how some writers can’t use outlines. #I literally put that disclaimer right below the title. #Read and think before you reply.
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Resources for Writing Injuries
Patreon || Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress
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Head Injuries
General Information | More
Hematoma
Hemorrhage
Concussion
Edema
Skull Fracture
Diffuse Axonal Injury
Neck
General Information
Neck sprain
Herniated Disk
Pinched Nerve
Cervical Fracture
Broken Neck
Chest (Thoracic)
General Information
Aortic disruption
Blunt cardiac injury
Cardiac tamponade
Flail chest
Hemothorax
Pneumothorax (traumatic pneumothorax, open pneumothorax, and tension pneumothorax)
Pulmonary contusion
Broken Ribs
Broken Collarbone
Abdominal
General Information
Blunt trauma
Penetrating injuries (see also, gunshot wound & stab wound sections)
Broken Spine
Lung Trauma
Heart (Blunt Cardiac Injury)
Bladder Trauma
Spleen Trauma
Intestinal Trauma
Liver Trauma
Pancreas Trauma
Kidney Trauma
Arms/Hands/Legs/Feet
General Information | More
Fractures
Dislocations
Sprains
Strains
Muscle Overuse
Muscle Bruise
Bone Bruise
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Tendon pain
Bruises
Injuries to ligaments
Injuries to tendons
Crushed Hand
Crushed Foot
Broken Hand
Broken Foot
Broken Ankle
Broken Wrist
Broken Arm
Shoulder Trauma
Broken elbow
Broken Knee
Broken Finger
Broken Toe
Face
General Information
Broken Nose
Corneal Abrasion
Chemical Eye Burns
Subconjunctival Hemorrhages (Eye Bleeding)
Facial Trauma
Broken/Dislocated jaw
Fractured Cheekbone
Skin & Bleeding
General Information (Skin Injuries) | More (Arteries)
femoral artery (inner thigh)
thoracic aorta (chest & heart)
abdominal aorta (abdomen)
brachial artery (upper arm)
radial artery (hand & forearm)
common carotid artery (neck)
aorta (heart & abdomen)
axillary artery (underarm)
popliteal artery (knee & outer thigh)
anterior tibial artery (shin & ankle)
posterior tibial artery (calf & heel)
arteria dorsalis pedis (foot)
Cuts/Lacerations
Scrapes
Abrasions (Floor burns)
Bruises
Gunshot Wounds
General Information
In the Head
In the Neck
In the Shoulders
In the Chest
In the Abdomen
In the Legs/Arms
In the Hands
In The Feet
Stab Wounds
General Information
In the Head
In the Neck
In the Chest
In the Abdomen
In the Legs/Arms
General Resources
Guide to Story Researching
A Writer’s Thesaurus
Words To Describe Body Types and How They Move
Words To Describe…
Writing Intense Scenes
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Masterlist | WIP Blog
If you enjoy my blog and wish for it to continue being updated frequently and for me to continue putting my energy toward answering your questions, please consider Buying Me A Coffee, or pledging your support on Patreon, where I offer early access and exclusive benefits for only $5/month.
Shoutout to my $15+ patrons, Jade Ashley and Douglas S.!
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worldbuilding is what writers do when they want to justify a petty aesthetic choice
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Bruhthatsart’s commission info!
Most of the important stuff is covered in the image, so I’ll get to other stuff first and then go back over the image in a readmore at the end of the post.
I prefer PayPal for payment, but will accept Venmo as well. For more expensive commissions (ie $30 and up) I will accept a half and half payment plan, half up front and the other half once the piece is finished.
Icons will be 500x500 and banners will be made to fit whatever you need (YouTube, tumblr, Twitter, etc).
Anyway here’s the prices in a readmore if anyone needs it!
Bust/half body/full body
Sketch: $5/$6/$7
Colored sketch: $7/$8/$9
Lineart: $7/$8/$9
Flat color: $9/$12/$15
Shaded: $12/$15/$18
Additional charges for extra characters:
Sketch: $2/$3/$4
Lineart: $2/$3/$4
Flat color $3/$5/$7
Shaded: $5/$7/$9
Extras:
Planets: $5 each, up to 3 moons. Additional moons are $0.50 each.
Bases: $6 per figure, no detail, lines only. Mouth nose and eyes are marked.
Icons: $5-8 depending on complexity
Banners: $7-10 depending on size
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Petition to change “he looked at her like she was the sun” to “he looked at her like she was the moon” and any other variation bc I look at the moon in wonder and love and amazement while I’ve only ever just squinted angrily at the sun
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I’m working on an intro post for Our Own Stars (space pirates, treasure plant esque) BUT ITS TAKING FORVER BECAUSE THE TRNSION LEVELS ARE MAXED.
There’s no running water in our house so we have to use buckets and an outdoor hose to do stuff like flush a toilet so ahahaha Anyways
It’s coming I’m working on it promise
I did art for it and everything.
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This one goes out to all the writers who can’t write every day.
To the writers with other jobs.
To the writers battling depression or anxiety.
To the writers who experience burnout often.
To the writers who have to balance school and a social life on top of everything else.
To the writers who have complicated family situations.
To the writers who are dealing with sickness, either their own or someone else’s.
To the writers that just aren’t able to write every day regarless of the reason.
This one goes out to all of the writers who keep writing even when things get hard and even when writing is the thing that has to give a little. I see you. I’m here for you. You are fricking amazing.
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Not only is there a furry working on Covid-19 vaccine research efforts, but said furry is being followed by one of the world’s most influential living economists
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If you see me writing two or more characters in different WIPs with the exact same physical description and personality, no you didn’t, mind yo business
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