pauladamswrites

[pauladamswrites]

The Role of the Federal Department of Education vs. State Control: Debunking the Myths

In recent years, calls to abolish the Federal Department of Education have gained traction, with proponents arguing that doing so would return control of education to the states. President Donald Trump and other political figures have repeatedly championed this idea, framing it as a way to reduce government overreach. However, this rhetoric misrepresents the role of the Department of Education…

[pauladamswrites]

My Creative Writing professor told me that I can't write a story from a point of view of an inanimate statue, they say that "a character have to have human characteristics like can move"

What do you think of that as a writer?

I think that when you write for your professor, you should write to make them happy, but obviously that's bollocks. You can write a story from any point of view you like in order to tell your story.

[pauladamswrites]

Brick by Brick

Brick by brick, unbuild this church. Tear it down from inside out. Strike a match a burn it down.

Pane by pane unstain this glass. Shatter the art with words. Swing the hammer of your tongue.

Peal by peal, unring the bell. Unstart Mass and try again. Bring down the tower and uncall the congregation.

Wick by wick unlight the candles. That burn for remembered ones long forgotten. Let the smoke rise curly sweet, acrid like your words.

Brick by brick unbuild the church. This chapel in my heart. Unfortify the platitudes,

Unwrite the empty words. Unconsecrate this holy curséd ground. Unbreak the vow; Unhurt the lost; Unjudge the sick.

Brick by brick,  unbuild the church.

Bit by bit Unbreak my heart.

Line by line Unwrite your lies.

Strike a match and burn it down.

[pauladamswrites]

Terms and Conditions May Apply

The wages of sin is death1  So how many innocent people must die Before you concede that you are irredeemable?

1 The wages of sin are your death and are nontransferrable unless taken on by the disenfranchised

As Philip baptized the Eunuch with water You seek baptism by blood And you will not be content until the land runs red with all the hatred that you’ve spilled.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did to the least of these, You did for Me.”2 I didn’t realize this was a conditional statement, I never realized some exclusions apply.

2 “The least of these” may include and is limited to: white Christian Americans

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink.” Said the King. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.3

3 Premium features include continued verse: “Now, don’t do that again.”

“My commandment is this,” Jesus told us, so important it made it into The Book. “Love each other as I have loved you.”*

*Unless it is inconvenient for you.

“For God so loved the world,” I was taught in Sunday school. “For God loved this word, and these people4, so much, that He sent His one and only son.

4 “These people” only includes premium subscription members

I must have missed all the parts where Jesus clarifies and qualifies those who are worth loving.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength,” Jesus once said. “And love your neighbor as yourself.”5

5 Though this full verse appears in all basic versions of the Bible, it may be observed at will

A man was going down to Jericho when he was attacked, beaten, and left for dead by robbers. A priest passed by and asked, “what were you wearing to make the robbers act that way?” A Levite approached, saw the color of the man’s skin, and crossed to the other side of the street.

A Samaritan, though, stopped and cared for the man. He bandaged him up, gave him a ride home, fed him, and put him safely to bed.6

6 He sent the bill at a later date; healthcare cannot be free, after all

None of these additional terms and conditions are in my Bible, I’ve never read them before, but they must be true. I must not have paid for the upgraded subscription; I must not have added the hatred package to my salvation.

I think I’ll just keep it that way.

[pauladamswrites]

Christian Love

When the smoke clears, and the blood is washed away You will still have your gun But I will never again have my son

Your second amendment right outweighs His first inalienable one, I guess Because he doesn’t have the money to line your pockets  and stroke your ego  and tell you what a special sellout you are.

In school, we studied the Nazis as a cautionary tale, But you’ve been taking notes on how to improve their business model. How to take more than they did. How to hate more than they did. How to wrap it all up in the four pieces of scripture your decayed, deranged little mind was able to memorize. How to tie it off with a bow of arrogance and ignorance and hatred.

And you present that package of toxic sludge as making things great again, When things were never great to start with. And you sell the benefits of hatred as a byproduct of fixing what’s broken. And your demagogues stand before others and barter with lives, and infringe upon rights, And justify it while you sit by and accept their hatred.

You hear that small percentages of children are dying, and you find that acceptable But to the mother who’s grieving tonight, 100% of her child is dead. You cover your heart in propaganda and paternalism, You cover your brain with idiocy and broken ideology, And you cover those around you with pain and suffering for your own glory

And while some of us are out there, fighting to help, serve, and protect, You’re busy arming bullies with badges and berettas And setting them above reproach. You chant back the blue while you watch them beat people black and blue.

And you don’t even realize how shameful it is that the battle cry has become: THERE IS NO HATE LIKE CHRISTIAN LOVE

You use the name of a man who put himself last and died for us first To excuse your insolence. You use the name of a man who fought for the needy and the hungry and the sick To tax the needy, take food from the hungry, and make medicine so expensive that the sick have no option but to die.

But on Sundays, with bodies in your wake and tears at your feet and blood on your hands, You stand at a pew, and you sing to The Old Rugged Cross Where your trophies at last you lay down. And you’ll cling to that old rugged cross, Until somebody makes you uncomfortable or believes differently than you  Or causes you conviction  Or breathes Or dares to exist without asking your express permission.

And then, in the name of Jesus Christ You will regulate them out of existence.

But your guns? You will always have your guns.

[pauladamswrites]

Meet me at midnight…

…for the Lavender Haze music video premiere (!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

taylor.lnk.to/lavenderhazemusicvideo

[pauladamswrites]

Pompeii and Pacific

You were Pompeii, and she was Pacific, and when I was finally starting to know peace                                      you erupted You shook the Earth to its core, and you rattled me to pieces and blocked out the sun with the evil and hate that you spewed.

But the ocean saw me broken, and she braved the fire. She burnt her hands and skinned her knees, and she fished me from the ash. And she put me back                                     together. 

She gilded me with gold. She kissed my bleeding wounds. And she whispered, “I will never hurt you that way.” And she loved me in spite of and because of                                     my brokenness.

She is Pacific, and you are Pompeii. One destruction, one rejuvenation. When they sort through the ashes and wreckage and carnage, it won’t be me that they find. When the memories and pain and anger and hurt, and the victims can’t be separated from the violence and the smashed pots are preserved under the rubble of empty apologies.                                     I won’t be there.

It won’t be me buried so deep in the ash that I have become  indistinguishable from the memory of Pompeii.

So darken your sky. Bury the beauty. Destroy the very kingdom you’ve built.

You are Pompeii, and she is Pacific, and I cry with briny ocean tears from all the pain For all the loss and could-have-beens and should-have-beens but never-will-bes. For even in the Pacific, no matter                                     how deep I may go

We are two together, yet apart.                                     Me in Pacific. The Pacific and me.

[pauladamswrites]

How Climate Change Showed Up in 2021

2021 was tied for the sixth-hottest year since modern record keeping began. We work together with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to track temperatures around the world and study how they change from year to year.

For decades, the overall global temperature has been increasing because of human activities. The last decade has been the warmest on record. Each individual year’s average temperature, however, can be affected by things like ocean circulation, volcanic eruptions, and specific weather events.

For instance, last year we saw the beginning of La Niña – a pattern of cooler waters in the Pacific – that was responsible for slightly cooling 2021’s average temperature. Still, last year continued a long-term trend of global warming.

Globally, Earth’s temperature in 2021 was nearly 2°F warmer than the late 19th Century, for the seventh year in a row.

The Record

Studying 142 Years

Since 1880, we can put together a consistent record of temperatures around the planet and see that it was much colder in the late-19th century. Before 1880, uncertainties in tracking global temperatures are larger. Temperatures have increased even faster since the 1970s, the result of increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Tracking Millions of Individual Observations

Our scientists use millions of individual observations of data from more than 20,000 weather stations and Antarctic research stations, together with ship- and buoy-based observations of sea surface temperatures, to track global temperatures.

Reviewing Multiple Independent Records

Our global temperature record – GISTEMP – is one of a number of independent global temperature records, all of which show the same pattern of warming.

The Consequences

Everywhere Experiences Climate Change Differently

As Earth warms, temperature changes occur unevenly around the globe. The Arctic is currently warming about four times faster than the rest of the planet – a process called Arctic amplification. Similarly, urban areas tend to warm faster than rural areas, partly because building materials like asphalt, steel and concrete retain heat.

Droughts and Floods in Warmer Weather

More than 88% of the Western US experienced drought conditions in 2021. At the same time, communities in Western Europe saw two months’ worth of rain in 24 hours, breaking records and triggering flash floods. Because a hotter climate means more water can be carried in the atmosphere, areas like the Western US suffer drought from the increased 'thirstiness' of the atmosphere, while precipitation events can become more extreme as the amount of moisture in the atmosphere rises.

Sea Levels Continue to Rise

Melting ice raises sea levels around the world, as meltwater drains into the ocean. In addition, heat causes the ocean water to expand. From 1993 to today, global mean sea level has been rising around 3.4 millimeters per year. In 2021, sea level data from the recently launched NASA/ESA Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich mission became available to the public.

There is Hope

“This is not good news, but the fact that we are able to track this in real time and understand why it’s changing, and get people to notice why it’s changing and how we can change things to change the next trajectory, that gives me hope. Because we’re not in the dark here. We’re not the dinosaurs who are unaware the comet is coming. We can see the comet coming, and we can act.” – Dr. Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA GISS, where the global temperature record is calculated

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!

[pauladamswrites]

x

[pauladamswrites]

i literally can’t stop thinking abt that richard siken quote where he falls to the floor crying but all he can focus on is the details of the wall in front of him

[pauladamswrites]

Nothing I’ve read has changed me more than “you do people a favor by accepting their help” like I repeat this constantly to so many people because it’s true!!! People like to feel useful, they like to feel kind, they like to feel like they have an ability to impact people’s lives so just let them!! Not everything is a thing to be owed back — accept people’s kindness without making a competition out of it

[pauladamswrites]

My cartoon for yesterday’s @guardian

…more here: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tom-gauld

[pauladamswrites]

How I create my characters

masterlist. main navigation.

@bluebxlle_writer on Instagram

I’ve been getting questions on how to create characters recently, because apparently lots of y’all don’t know where and how to start creating a new character. I don’t think this post will help everybody, since everyone has different methods on creating characters (eg. some come up with names first, others come up with appearance first), but in this post I’ll be sharing my character creation process. I hope it will help! <3

1. An iconic line

This is a less well-known method to start creating a character, but for some reason it's always how I do (and it always works lmao). It's hard to create a character from scratch, so instead, I think about an iconic line that the character could say, which is usually related to my wip's theme or mood. I came up with this line for an oc :

"I've been trying so damn hard to make everyone smile, but I get it now. The world would be happier without me, wouldn't it?"

Just from this single line, I already know lots of things about this character :

• They always put the happiness of others before their own.

• They've probably been told that they need to have a positive effect on others in order to have the right to live.

• They've been trying to please others, but end up worsening things.

• They're determined and desperate.

• ...They probably had a corruption arc and won't get a happy ending :"D

• The moment when they say this line is their breaking point

See? Just from two sentences, I already have an idea of their personality and backstory. Sometimes, I even get an idea for their appearance too. This is way easier than not knowing what to do first to create a character from scratch.

2. Appearance

Lots of people come up with character names before their appearance, but I always need to generate their appearance first, because otherwise, I can't visualize or imagine them. I usually play around with picrew.me (an avatar generator website) to generate their potential appearance. I don't spend too much time on this stage tho, because I'll end up changing their appearance again after figuring out more details about my wip (that's why I said potential appearance).

3. Personality & backstory

After having a rough idea of how they look like, I'll imagine them in various scenes in my wip and come up with their personality. If there are already other existing ocs in the wip, I always be careful to not repeat too much aspects from the other characters, so each character will be unique.

Then, asking why the character has a specific personality will create their backstory. For instance, if a character has trust issues, ask why. Maybe they've been betrayed by a loved one before? Or they live in a dangerous world where everyone double crosses people to survive?

4. Name

After I know their appearance, personality, and depth, that's when I decide a name for the character which fit their vibes or has symbolism. For example, my character Bayu's name is symbolic because it means "wind", reflecting how he's a thief who moves as fast as the wind.

Sometimes, I don't immediately search for a permanent name if I'm out of ideas. I'll just choose a random placeholder name that fits their vibes, and remember to come up with their real name later.

5. Character arc

After knowing all the general information about the character, I'll begin plotting out their character arc - their development throughout the book/series and whether it's a positive or negative character arc. This stage is the hardest for me, because I need to figure out its starting, breaking, and ending point, and also the factors and people involved in the arc. I have a post series about both redemption and corruption arcs, you can check my masterlist to find them!

[pauladamswrites]

Stop censoring yourself ❌

I see this a lot in writing.

You just wanna write something, but then...the idea seems a little crazy. Or you're as afraid to use swear words. Afraid to be yourself because people could find that weird.

STOP IT RIGHT NOW.

I was afraid of my own style of writing, because it's very weird, surrealistic, and shows too much emotion.

But then I decided to stop thinking like this and write a story completely in my own style.

And it was awesome.

You shouldn't be afraid of the way you're thinking and sometimes put your dark side into your stories. Trust me: it has potential.

[pauladamswrites]

12 Things All Writers Do

Daydream

Research

Delete their search history once they’re done with their research

Daydream about different (potentially concerning) things

Spend some time on worldbuilding

Cringe at their past work

Daydream when they should be working

Cry because “I’ll remember this” turned out to be a lie. Again.

Write down idea after idea so they’ll actually remember it

Or scream because they can’t come up with any ideas

Daydream when they need new ideas

Do just about anything that doesn’t involve writing the actual story, including daydreaming

[pauladamswrites]

Writing fight scenes

masterlist. main navigation.

@bluebxlle_writer on Instagram

1. Pacing

A fight scene should be fast-paced and intense. Unless it's a final battle with numerous parties, a fight scene that's too long tends to take away suspense. To speed up your pacing, use active voice to describe movement and don't overdescribe your characters' thoughts. Excessive inner monologue will be unrealistic, as people usually have no room to think during intense combats.

2. Character mannerisms

Here's a point that people often overlook, but is actually super important. Through fight scenes, you should be able to reveal your characters' contrasting mannerisms and personality. A cunning character would play dirty - fighting less and making use of their opponent's weakness more. A violent character would aim to kill. A softer one would only target to disarm their enemies, using weakened attacks. A short-minded character would only rely on force and attack without thinking. This will help readers understand your characters more and decide who to root for.

3. Making use of surroundings

Not only the characters, you also need to consider the setting of your fight scene and use it to your advantage. Is it suitable for fighting, or are there dangerous slopes that make it risky? Are there scattered items that can help your characters fight (e.g. nails, shards of glass, ropes, wooden boards, or cutlery)? Is it a public place where people can easily spot the fight and call the authorities, or is it a private spot where they can fight to the death?

4. Description

The main things that you need to describe in a fight scene are :

• Characters involved in the fight

• How they initiate and dodge attacks

• Fighting styles and any weapons used

• The injuries caused

Be careful to not drag out the description for too long, because it slows down the pace.

5. Raise the stakes

By raising the stakes of the fight, your readers will be more invested in it. Just when they think it's over, introduce another worse conflict that will keep the scene going. Think of your characters' goals and motivations as well. Maybe if the MC didn't win, the world would end! Or maybe, one person in the fight is going all-out, while the other is going easy because they used to be close :"D

6. Injuries

Fights are bound to be dirty and resulting in injuries, so don't let your character walk away unscathed - show the effect of their injuries. For example, someone who had been punched in the jaw has a good chance of passing out, and someone who had been stabbed won't just remove the knife and walk away without any problem. To portray realistic injuries, research well.

7. Drive the plot forward

You don't write fight scenes only to make your characters look cool - every fight needs to have a purpose and drive the plot forward. Maybe they have to fight to improve their fighting skills or escape from somewhere alive. Maybe they need to defeat the enemy in order to obtain an object or retrieve someone who had been kidnapped. The point is, every single fight scene should bring the characters one step closer (or further :D) to the climax.

8. Words to use

• Hand to hand combat :

Crush, smash, lunge, beat, punch, leap, slap, scratch, batter, pummel, whack, slam, dodge, clobber, box, shove, bruise, knock, flick, push, choke, charge, impact

• With weapon :

Swing, slice, brandish, stab, shoot, whip, parry, cut, bump, poke, drive, shock, strap, pelt, plunge, impale, lash, bleed, sting, penetrate

[pauladamswrites]

Sharing mostly for myself

WEBSITES FOR WRITERS {masterpost}

E.A. Deverell - FREE worksheets (characters, world building, narrator, etc.) and paid courses;

Hiveword - Helps to research any topic to write about (has other resources, too);

BetaBooks - Share your draft with your beta reader (can be more than one), and see where they stopped reading, their comments, etc.;

Charlotte Dillon - Research links;

Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;

One Stop for Writers - You guys... this website has literally everything we need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;

One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It's FREE!

Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;

National Centre for Writing - FREE worksheets and writing courses. Has also paid courses;

Penguin Random House - Has some writing contests and great opportunities;

Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;

The Creative Academy for Writers - "Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication." It's FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;

Reedsy - "A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book" It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;

QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I've never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);

Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It's FREE but has a paid plan;

Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;

I hope this is helpful for you!

(Also, check my blog if you want to!)