kathyna - Tumblr blog

[kathyna]

If you're struggling with the cost of living right now (reasonable), this is your PSA to...

Google universities/colleges near you.

If you can't get out to more than one, look up which one has the highest tuition.

Look-up when the graduation date is

Drive neighborhoods near the university the week before graduation

So much stuff gets left out on the curb. Wealthy college students tend to prioritize convenience over money, so instead of carefully reselling their perfectly good stuff, they frequently give it away or put it out with the trash because that's easier than moving, reselling, or donating. Take advantage of this.

I furnished pretty much my entire apartment from college giveaways and yardsales.

What I got for free:

Mattress and box springs

2 10 ft area rugs

The massive 9-drawer chest (that has a label on the back that it was custom-made and shipped across the country) that my TV sits on.

Two 13 x 2 ft raised garden beds

My desk - just sanded it down and refinished it.

Three short stools

An organizer rack

Watering can

Tommy Bahama outdoor cooler (retails for $350)

Chairs

Shelves

What I got for cheap:

Two futons for $50

Custom coffee table with storage for $25

Three tall stools for $30

[kathyna]

Collection

[kathyna]

I love videos of people performing religious ceremonies for small animals. Especially if it’s not something a small animal could participate in theologically.

[kathyna]

how to write creepy stories

over describe things

under describe things

short sentences in rapid succession build tension

single sentence paragraphs build dread

uncanny valley = things that aren't normal almost getting it right

third person limited view

limited expressions

rot, mold, damage, age, static, flickering, espsecially in places it shouldn't be

limited sights for your mc - blindness, darkness, fog

being alone - the more people there are, the less scary it is

intimate knowledge, but only on one side

your reader's imagination will scare them more than anything you could ever write. you don't have to offer a perfectly concrete explanation for everything at the end. in fact, doing so may detract from your story.

[kathyna]

They have special drink holders at the theater I'm at! So of course I got one, even if I'm not a Kid fangirl 😅

Very excited to see my first Conan film in theaters!!!

[kathyna]

[kathyna]

i love to have friends who care enough about me to do things like this❤️

[kathyna]

File this under “super obvious yet I always seem to forget it.”

[kathyna]

Note to self: Keep in mind what point of view you're writing from as well, different characters focus on different things. And familiarity with other characters also matters.

Set the norm, solidify it by repeating the information a couple times, and then don't touch on anything you're chosen character wouldn't unless it's a special occasion.

Hey just stumbled here looking for advice. How do you write better descriptions of characters? Mine seem too plain and have little to no details except for the cliche, “X had blue eyes that resembles the sky/sea.”

Guide: Describing Character Appearance and Clothing

DO: provide just enough detail to give the reader a sense of the character’s appearance.DON’T: go overboard with too many details or take up a lot of the reader’s time describing what a character looks like.

DO: focus on a few important traits and anything that serves as clues to who or what the character is and what their life is like.

DON’T: make a big deal out of traits that aren’t important to the story… like don’t mention that the character has freckles in every description. A few mentions throughout the story is more than adequate.

DO: describe clothing to give a general sense of the character’s normal attire, or when the character dresses differently than they usually do, such as during a special occasion.

DON’T: describe every single outfit the character wears unless those outfits are relevant to the action of the story in some way, such as a spy wearing disguises.

DO: establish a general sense of the character’s physique and appearance and remind reader of those characteristics occasionally.

DON’T: fixate on the character’s physical attributes in every description. Your reader can only tolerate so many descriptions of luscious buns and bugling muscles…

DO: choose a few traits of minor characters to give them dimension.

DON’T: go into too much detail about characters who aren’t that important.

Other Tips…

Choose a Focal Point

When describing a character’s appearance, choose a focal point and work up or down from there. For example, you may describe them from head to toe, or from toe to head. Try not to skip around. If you’re describing their face, start with their hair and work your way down to their mouth, or start at the mouth and work your way up to their hair. This doesn’t mean you have to describe every detail from head to toe, but whatever details you do choose, go in order.

Describing Race and Ethnicity

It’s fine to say that a character is Black, white, Latinx, Native American, First Nations, Middle Eastern, Asian (East Asian, South Asian… see below for more), or Pacific Islander. However, if you know where your character or their ancestors are from specifically (ie: China, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Lebanon), say that.Asia: East Asian (China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau), South Asian (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives), Southeast Asian (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Lester, Vietnam, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands)You can also describe skin color and tone, as well as other characteristics like eyes and hair, and that’s especially important if your character is of multi-racial or unknown racial origin, or if you’re writing fantasy where Earth races don’t exist. @writingwithcolor has wonderful guides on how to do this correctly.

If you describe the race and skin tone of the People of Color in your story, you should also describe the race and skin tone of the white characters in your story. Please avoid comparisons to food and beverage, and please don’t use “tan” to describe the skin of a Person of Color unless they are sporting a suntan. You can get creative just by using basic skin colors like brown and pink. For example, her skin was dark brown with a warm red undertone. Or, her skin was pale pink with a lemony undertone. 

Describing Clothing

Just like with physical appearance, when describing clothing you want to choose a focal point and work up or down. Think about the garments they’re wearing (pants, shirt, coat) and accessories (hat, jewelry, shoes). Be sure to choose clothing that’s relevant to your character and era/setting. You can find out about appropriate clothing by Googling the time and place your story is set plus the word clothing:

“Clothing in Victorian England”“Clothing in 1960s New York”“9th century Viking clothing”

Be sure to avoid cheap Halloween costume sites/pictures as references and instead look for articles/guides to clothing or shops providing clothing for historical reenactments. 

Things to consider:

- style (ie: swing dress, bell bottoms, blouse, etc.)

- collar/neckline (v-neck, scoop neck, peter pan collar, etc.)- sleeve style (sleeveless, spaghetti straps, cap sleeve, etc.)- dress length (cocktail dress, tea length, evening gown, etc.)- dress shape (A-line, mermaid, empire waist, sheath, etc.)

- shoes and shoe style (sneakers, boots, loafers, Mary Janes, etc.)

- accessories (jewelry, sunglasses, hats, scarves, bags, gloves, etc.)

- formal wear and accessories (tuxedo, vest, cummerbund, gloves, etc.) 

- outerwear (sweaters, jackets, and coats)

- fabric (wool, polyester, chiffon, spandex, tweed, etc.)

Looking for Inspiration

There are many resources online for both historical and modern clothing. For historical clothing, you can look for web sites about the period or for blogs and shops dedicated to historical reenactment. For modern clothing, you can look at the web sites of your favorite brands or stores, or you can go to Google Image Search and type in a general descriptor, like, “short black party dress” and find one you like, then read the description for the material, cut, and other descriptive clues. You can also try general searches like, “Man in a business suit” or “woman in a cocktail gown” if you’re not quite sure where to start.ETA:

Oops! There were a few errors and typos that I’ve fixed. Updated 8/1/19

[kathyna]

They really just said “peace I’m out ✌️”

[kathyna]

would you put a discarded fruit sticker on my forehead in whimsical jest yes or no

[kathyna]

how to grow the fuck up

[kathyna]

i think that killing a dragon should have catastrophic nuclear-fallout level environmental consequences tbh. their blood should scorch and wither the earth with fire and poison, the toxic fumes released as they decay should choke the land and all nearby living creatures, and the entire landscape where they fell should be transformed into a blighted wasteland where bleached leviathan bones loom upwards out of the ground as a warning that can be seen from miles away, the boundary markers of an exclusion zone.

[kathyna]

if you give “stupid” characters rural/southern accents i don’t like you and if you give “smart” characters rural/southern accents but it’s a punchline i don’t like you even more

[kathyna]

I JUST REMEMBERED THAT I NEED TO WAIT SEVERAL MONTHS FOR MOVIE 27 TO RELEASE IN MY COUNTRY!?;???

NOOOOOOOOOO

[kathyna]

Reading a book about slavery in the middle-ages, and as the author sorts through different source materials from different eras, I am starting to understand why so many completely fantastical accounts of "faraway lands" went without as much as a shrug. The world is such a weird place that you can either refuse to believe any of it or just go "yeah that might as well happen" and carry on with your day.

There was this 10th century arab traveller who wrote into an account that the fine trade furs come from a land where the night only lasts one hour in the summer and the sun doesn't rise at all in the winter, people use dogs to travel, and where children have white hair. I don't think I'd believe something like that either if I didn't live here.

[kathyna]

What is this?? Why didn't I know this?? Is it written on the box somewhere???? Did I not read the box??

Those are in a landfill somewhere at this poin