cynicalclassicist

[cynicalclassicist]

Musk is just an evil and selfish man. All he did was take over the world's largest social media network and use it to pollute the world, dragging it ever further downwards.

[cynicalclassicist]

AI giving more advice?

[cynicalclassicist]

If only people had voted enough about that dangerous dictator in November...

A majority of Americans now say they believe President Donald Trump fits the description of a "dangerous dictator," according to new polling.

Why It Matters

Trump swept back into office carrying a large amount of political clout after Republicans won all three branches of government. He carried positive poll numbers and Americans approved of him on key issues like immigration and the economy.

As Trump's approval ratings have slipped, including slumping numbers on his handling of the economy, the poll underscores an erosion of support and suggests that Trump's confrontational style, once viewed as strength, could now be becoming a threat to his political capital.

[cynicalclassicist]

Fuck the entire GOP!

Human hemorrhoid.

Lindsey Graham predicted the downfall of the GOP by voting for Trump, then proceeded to give all his integrity away to lick boots and work with criminals/Russia.

[cynicalclassicist]

I'm reading The Great Gatsby now, and you know that in the present day Tom Buchanan would be reading Jordan Peterson and Douglas Murray!

[cynicalclassicist]

A very happy birthday to Mordred today, the Matter of Britain's most beloved bastard bastard! May Day! There were some other children born in Britain on that May Day... but they didn't get a chance to do much else.

[cynicalclassicist]

Tra la, it's May, the lusty month of May! Happy May Day to you all!

[cynicalclassicist]

Musk takes the cabinet for a drive...

And guess what. The windows can't be broken!

PLEASE CYBERBROS DRIVE YOUR TRUCK INTO THE NEAREST LAKE. DONT WORRY ITS A FEATURE

[cynicalclassicist]

And never do use AI to write it! I don't either!

it may take me a month to put out a chapter but at least im not using ai to write it.

it may take me a month to put out a chapter but at least im not using ai to write it.

it may take me a month to put out a chapter but at least im not using ai to write it.

it may take me a month to put out a chapter but at least im not using ai to write it.

it may take me a month to put out a chapter but at least im not using ai to write it.

IT MAY TAKE ME A MONTH TO PUT OUT A CHAPTER BUT AT LEAST IM NOT USING AI TO WRITE IT

[cynicalclassicist]

We don't want to admit that a lot of us would have probably been complicit in this. We are seeing it now.

[cynicalclassicist]

And the death penalty being not there feels so standard for some countries. We've had it all our lives (I'm 30, btw, and British). A lot of unworkable stuff in the US is stuff that's been there for all this century in a lot of countries!

It's so bizarre how death penalty discourse treats a world without the death penalty as some hypothetical, and not the current status quo in not just many countries, but the majority of US states. There are states that abolished the death penalty before the Civil War and it's treated as if we have to entertain the possibility that not allowing this thing most of the country already doesn't allow may make the world turn into Mad Max. It's weird when people can't imagine a future that's a present in other countries, but some people can't imagine a future that's the present in their own country

[cynicalclassicist]

I wouldn't say that all lifelong Catholics are like that and I'm sure that some converts are good, but you do see a lot of this performative religion going on.

JD Vance defining his whole persona around Being Catholic only for the Pope to loathe him so bad he openly denounces him & then drops dead after just a brief meeting. Congrats buddy that's the worst anyone's ever done it

[cynicalclassicist]

Of course we do, now and always!

Credit to: user

[cynicalclassicist]

It's lovely to see some creativity!

Some lovely Pride & Prejudice fan art from Claire Stout on Instagram @missvintageillustration (shared with author permission)

Last picture is Lady Catherine with Mr. Collins, scolding Elizabeth

Please do not repost without crediting the artist!

[cynicalclassicist]

I hope so!

Fight Oligarchy, Fight the Republican Fascists. #Canada

[cynicalclassicist]

Beautiful, and willful, and dead before her time...

[cynicalclassicist]

I'll keep that in mind with subplots.

how to weave subplots into your story without getting tangled in the mess

Subplots: the spicy side quests of your main narrative. They deepen your world, flesh out your characters, and keep things interesting. But if you’ve ever added one and ended up with a story that feels like it’s running in six directions at once… yeah. Let’s fix that.

1. your subplot should serve the main plot

Don’t just throw in a romance arc or a secret sibling reveal because it’s fun (though it is fun). Ask:  

- Does this subplot challenge the main character’s goals?  

- Does it echo or contrast the main theme?  

- Does it change something by the end?

If it’s just a cute side quest with no real impact, it’s fanfic material for your own story. Cool, but maybe not plot-essential.

2. intertwine, don’t parallel

Bad: your subplot exists in a bubble, running beside the plot but never touching it.  

Better: your subplot interacts with the main plot. Maybe it complicates things. Maybe it supports the MC in a moment of crisis. Maybe it explodes everything.

Example: your MC is hunting a killer, and the subplot is their failing marriage. Good subplotting means the stress of the hunt affects the marriage, and the marriage affects the hunt.

3. stagger your arcs

Your main plot might hit its midpoint twist at chapter 10. Have a subplot hit a *smaller* emotional beat around chapter 7 or 13. It keeps pacing dynamic and gives your readers something to chew on between big moments.

4. use subplots to develop side characters

Side characters are more than background noise. Give them wants. Give them stakes. Let their stories *collide* with your MC’s. That’s when the magic happens.

5. know when to shut it down 

Not every subplot needs a 3-act structure and a dramatic finale. Some are small. Some fade out naturally. Some just shift the perspective enough to reframe the main plot. If you’re tying up subplot #6 with a bow in the epilogue, maybe ask yourself if it really needed to be there.

6. outline the spiderweb 

It helps to map out how every subplot connects to the main story. Literally. Draw lines. Make a chaos diagram. It doesn’t have to be neat—just make sure those threads touch.

TL;DR:

Subplots are great. Subplots are juicy. But they’re not decoration—they’re infrastructure. Weave them into the story’s bones or risk writing 3 novels in one.