#(repeating the sources is kind of ...well. repetitive

[fideidefenswhore]

the tudors (2007-2010) / wolf hall (2009) / henry viii & the king's men (2020) / eustace chapuys to the emperor (june 1535) / the other boleyn girl (2008) / the downfall and execution of a tudor queen (2023) / eustace chapuys to the emperor (april 1536) / henry viii, stratford festival production (2019) / wolf hall (2009) / elizabeth i & her enemies (2017) / the mirror & the light (2020) / becoming elizabeth (2022) / the mirror & the light (2020) / the tudors (2007-2010) / the mirror & the light (2020) / the tudors (2007-2010)

[colourstreakgryffin]

I saw you're taking Hazbin hotel requests so I thought I'd shoot my shot! So reader is a young boy who also died around Alastor's time(Early 1930s) . He's so confused and overwhelmed by how fast everything is progressing. So when he hears Alastor humming/singing a song from the 1930s he feels a sense of comfort and familiarity. Bonus if it also happens to be their favorite song! Take your time and you're amazing!

Oooh! Fourth Alastor request and I am having such a great time with this! This man is so fun to write for! After I finish here, I am gonna go cook some Jambalaya then pop it into my pentagram and summon Al so he can cook me!

Alastor- Night & Day

Like the beat, beat, beat of the tom tom…

when the jungle shadows fall

like the tick, tick, tock of the stately clock

You don’t recognise anywhere you are… this place. It’s hot, dark, dangy and uncomfortable. There’s nothing here resembling Earth and it’s shaking you to your core. Not having the strength nor confidence to move anymore from the alleyway you were just dropped into upon arriving here from the pentagram in the dark sky. Everyone is too much for your young mind. Well. Other than that, those lyrics…

As it stands against the wall

Like the drip drip drip of the raindrops

When the summer shower is through

So a voice within me keeps repeating you, you, you

That song is a symbol of comfort for you. Night & Day by Cole Porter. Something your mother use to sing to you every night before bed, the sound of pretty rain hitting your open window as that beautiful sweet woman would sing over and over again, all without it growing repetitive, until you fell asleep. Having wonderful dreams all the time

Even though you’re scared out of your mind, you begin to walk out to the streets. Packed to the brim with all kinds of weird-shaped adults but you avoid most of the them, weaving through this thick crowd to find the source of the soothing lullaby of your whole life and the voice singing it. It sounds dapper, transatlantic, if not an old radio. Is it coming from a radio?

Night and day, you are the one

Only you beneath the moon or under the sun

Whether near to me, or far

It's no matter, darling, where you are

I think of you

It felt like a game of cat and mouse. Running around to find where that wonderful singing is coming from and it feels like the person is constantly teleporting, no adult should be this frustrating to find. Or, you’re just too overwhelmed from being dropped into literal Hell to even realise your coordination skills are as dropping as you did. Your mind is racing to come to terms with what’s going on

This isn’t New Orleans at all… and not a single trace of your parents around. Are you alone? No. No. You don’t want to be alone, you’re too young to be alone. Is everybody here too evil to care about a literal child Sinner being stuck on his own and having to fend for himself in ways he doesn’t know how to…

By all the unholy gods. Somebody help

Day and night, night and day, why is it so

That this longing for you follows wherever I go

In the roaring traffic's boom

In the silence of my lonely room

I think of you

The loud noises of talking, of the wall of built-in weird flat devices screeching and echoing, the patter of footsteps. It makes you want to hide away and sleep to try shake off all the distress and overwhelming feelings you are being tormented with but that song is way too recognisable and comforting for you to ignore so you just keep pursuing it

Maybe, it’ll be pointless and the singing source will be from a Radio of your year but it almost feels like the song is organic and from a person. That means there is an adult of your time here. A man from the 1930s, Hell, he may be somebody of your family! That’d be wonderful and your hopes are high that when you do find the source, it’s somebody you’ll get to embrace and talk to

Day and night, night and day

Under the hide of me

There's an oh such a hungry yearning burning inside of me

And this torment won't be through

Until you let me spend my life spreading love

A flash of bright red crossed your eyes when you finally had managed to shakily but stubbornly and determined, pasted through the big careless and if not almost hypnotised by the running TVs crowd, and continued down the road in half sprints. Following a array of melodically humming, recreating the beat and rhythm of the song as it seems the source is quite invested in such a song

It felt like forever following a mere sound across the city’s streets but there he is. The source of the singing, he’s so close that you can finally reach a arm out and take his hand to catch his attention

Day and night, night and day—

The man instantly mutes his singing. He is tall, in a nice fancy coat with long hems at the bottoms, with a pair of what seemed to be tall deer ears on the top of his head and his pale face branded with a permanent toothy grin, he looked both menacing but yet friendly. Turning around to face the nine-year-old Sinner running around the Pride Ring’s own Pentagram City’s streets to chase the source of a song of familiarity and now has chased and caught his hand, Alastor reacted rather friendly and understanding to be presented with a child of his own era

Leaning down to be kneel before this young confused on-the-verge-of-crying boy, the Radio Demon says smooth and curious with that same radio effect almost overlapping his charming transatlantic accent, placing his free hand on your little shoulder

Something about Alastor reminded you of a popular figure from New Orleans you’ve met before

“Greetings there, young man… tell me, where are your parents?”

[whumpsoda]

I raise that anon who raised you.

Vampire keeps their thrall hypnotized so they do all the chores without making a fuss and so they don't accidentally hurt themselves bruising or spilling any of their precious blood.

Whumpee breaks out of it randomly by something silly like a sneeze and comes back to hella confusing circumstances.

WOHEO Masterlist

Love this sm. Kinda mad cause I wrote all of it and then realized I was originally gonna go in a very different direction😭

cw: hypnosis, dehumanization, vampire whumper, human whumpee

———————————————————————

Nevan smiled contentedly to himself as a pile of dust flew into the pan. The broom, brittle and old scratched against the hardwood flooring of the mansion. Satisfied, he carefully poured the dust pan’s contents into a nearby trash can.

He had almost done all of the cleaning for the abode, the only room left being one of the many dedicated for storage. Nevan always felt exceedingly proud of himself for fulfilling his sanitation duties so well, even if there wasn’t much to clean when he repeated the same tasks every single day.

Darius liked his home spotless, and Nevan was more than happy to oblige to the wills of his master. Cleaning was the one thing he was notably good at, subsequently making it his sole job in Darius’ home. Besides being a food source, of course.

Transferring to the next room to be cleaned, Nevan was giddy with the thought of receiving his promised reward. 

Cleaning was his purpose, his sole job in life, so there was really no need for a reward. Yet, Darius was so kind hearted and generous, that he always promised his thrall a reward for his work. Whether it be presenting him with another place to cleanse or an extra feeding for that week, Nevan was over the moon simply with knowing he had pleased the vampire.

Nevan studied the mess he was presented with. The storage rooms were always a bit arduous to take care of, mainly due to the overwhelming clutter that had formed over centuries. 

He began with a smaller brush, sweeping the tops of boxes and junk. Before he knew it, whatever dirt inhabited the room had unsurprisingly mixed with the air, floating into and itching at his nostrils. 

He leaned his head back, readying himself for a sneeze.

Seering pain sliced through his brain as his body forcibly doubled over, almost as if splitting his head in half. Nevan clutched his head desperately, stumbling and slipping over his feet. He pulled frantically at his hair, the agony spreading to his scalp as well.

The human dropped onto sore knees, expelling a distraught whine. He panted heavily, attempting to settle himself. 

Luckily, after an endless repetition of deep, calming breaths, the pain subsided into a faint throb. Nevan groaned, rubbing at his tear prickled eyes. Out of reach thoughts danced inside his mind, too rapid to be coherent.

Holding his head in one hand, he forced open his soggy eyes. Gazing down at his own lap, confusion began to settle in.

How did-? Why was he…? Cleaning supplies?

Clutching the short broom in his hand, he noticed what was under it. “What?” He groaned, grabbing at the fabric covering his lower body. Whatever it was, it was large, frilly, and itchy, a terrible combination.

Nevan felt around, pressing his palms to the floor and pushing himself onto wobbly legs. He clung to a tall stack of cardboard boxes, his knees buckling. He took in the room, filled to the brim with piled up rubbish. 

Particularly, Nevan’s gaze landed on a long, thin mirror several feet away. He shuddered, digesting the image of the figure reflected. 

It was him. The reflection held Nevan’s eyes, Nevan’s moles, Nevan’s nose, yet they looked so different. Like a failed clone. His hair was lengthy with a healthy shine, his face and body meticulously clean shaven, and he wore a grand, luxurious dress. 

Worrying of all, were the achining wounds in his neck. Red, oozing and sore, Nevan gaped at the sight.

It couldn’t be him. Nevan didn’t do those things. He kept his hair short and easily manageable, he never gave a second thought to body and facial hair, and he sure as hell had never been very comfortable in a dress. He began grabbing at the excessive tool covering his thighs, trying to ease the irritation on his skin.

Once again, the burning sensation returned full force, tearing apart his brain in a wave of remembrance. 

Fear settled over him, a whimper catching in his throat. He was in a vampire’s home. Caught in a web of mind-bending magic, and by some miracle had broken through. His breathing quickened, short and frantic. 

What would he do? What could he do? If he got caught, there wasn’t a chance he’d ever get the opportunity to escape again. Maybe the monster would be so angry, they’d kill him.

“Nevan? Are you almost finished with your chores?” His heart stopped. Nevan lifted a trembling hand to his mouth, pushing his back against the objects behind him. “Where are you?” They called. 

Nevan slid down the boxed, landing on his bottom. Darius was close. Too close. If he tried to leave now, he would surely be caught, but the same was ensured if he didn’t.

Footsteps picked up, the clicking sound of Darius’ heels growing closer. “There you are.” Carefully, Nevan turned his head to face the beast, meeting a wicked grin. “Are you ready for your reward? I’m especially hungry today.” They said, adjusting the collar of their jacket.

Nevan let out a whimper and a snivel, alarms blaring inside his head. The vampire paused, studying him, his smile contorting into a confused frown. “What’s wrong? What did you do? You shouldn’t look like that.” 

Darius reached their hand out, taking several steps toward the human. Instinctively, Nevan hysterically crawled in the opposite direction, knocking over a pile of random contents. 

Darius met the other man’s stare, his eyes just as wide-eyed as Nevan. Slowly, as if faced with a wild animal, he descended to the floor, resting one knee to the ground. As the human continued to make a mess, Darius reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a glistening little item between two fingers.

Nevan recognized it instantly, squealing with terror as he violently shook his head. “Please! Don’t, please, I can’t-!” Ignoring the human’s pleads, Darius lightly began ringing the tiny bell in his hand. 

The ringing, no matter how light, how delicate, held a commanding, unexplainable presence. Betrayed by his own body, Nevan was unable to cover his ears as means of blocking the noise. The sound was soft, almost musical, causing Nevan’s terrified heart to flutter against his will.

“Come here, little servant.” The vampire sang. He began to lean into the constant ringing, as well as the glossy voice of his owner. “That’s right, return back to master.” Darius beckoned him over, settling onto both knees comfortably. 

The matter of his mind was melting, replaced with the weight of the bell’s authority. Lazily, the terrified shake if his body liquefying, Nevan shifted onto his hands and knees. Mesmerized by the sound licking his ears, he clumsily crawled closer, to Darius’ satisfaction.

“Good boy, almost there. Nothing is more important than the bell, isn’t that right?” The movement of the object never ceased. 

He smiled. That was right. It was Nevan’s bell, captivating and alluring. The only thing possibly more significant was Darius.

He soon reached the vampire, resting onto his knees with glazed over eyes. Darius gently placed the bell to the floor, ending the loop of hypnotic noise. He tenderly cupped Nevan’s cheek, caressing it with his thumb.

The vampire took a moment to adjust Nevan’s body, picking up limbs and turning his face as if he was searching for something. After a moment, he let out a sigh of relief. “I would’ve been very upset if you managed to lose some of your delectable blood in all that panic. Fortunate for you, it seems you didn’t.”

Nevan would’ve been utterly distraught had he made such a mistake. What a terrible thrall he was even risking it. “Now, are you ready for your reward?” He nuzzled into his master’s comforting touch.

In no other universe could he have been more ready.

[librarycards]

The flexibility of repetition, obsessing over and repeating lines and phrases, creates a sense of the ubiquitous linguistic environments of post-crisis economic and emotional – and, thereby, psychiatric – precarity. In the poetics of stuckness one begins to realize that isolation, madness, obsessiveness, compulsion, addiction, hyper- and hypo-activity, anxiety, depression, and other forms of mental difference, although psychiatrically codified as individual to harmful effects, are linguistically ubiquitous. Language can form a repressive regime of disablement, not by creating difference, but by individualizing it and rendering it silent though social diagnosis. But language can also nevertheless is always in excess and overflow the boundaries of experience for the capitalist subject and becomes a kind of collectivity which capitalism normally disallows. Poetry’s “excessive nonexchangeability” allows for connections in the language of economy and experience to create more useful forms of affective and inter-dependent sociality. A poetics of stuckness presses the language of states of mental difference, economic anxiety, and disability into a stuck relation and has the possibility for creating movement within the categorical and linguistic impasse that separates and individualizes shared experience. Further, it allows for a collectivizing and creative response to rethink crisis and methods of political and poetic, personal and public action. Such coalition-building on the basis of a poetics implies a radical redefinition of our states of experience, ourselves and others, the relation between ability and disability, as well as the utility of the language of oppression when turned to anti-oppressive purposes. As Lennard Davis writes, “form follows dysfunction,” in the recognition that in our collective state of pathologized individual dysfunction we may reevaluate the source of ongoing states of crisis. So we might find hope in stuckness, while acknowledging its disabling and violent effects, and its origin in repressive systems of psychiatric knowledge and economic disempowerment. We may find hope in such a poetics as it teaches us that language and meaning always already exceed capitalist demarcations of experience and we exist in collective contexts of complex interdependency. In this we might listen to and touch our different experiences respectfully, seeking connections between the individual and the collective state-of-affairs. We might work with and through the pressures of language to create resistant social and political meanings from positions of disablement.

Andrew McEwan, Toward a Poetics of Stuckness.

[emphasis added]

[inklore]

hi my love! do you have any writing tips? and words of encouragement when fics flop :(

hi darling <3 i feel like i always suck at giving writing tips but i'll try my very best for you ok. i hope some of these help! also very honored you'd even ask me 🤎

first and foremost: don't compare your writing to anyone else. everyone writes different, everyone has a certain style, a niche. if you're worried you don't have a 'style' don't, because you do. everyone does. it's not something you can make yourself have or take from others, it comes naturally with how your brain works and how it curates words and prose and scenes. that's why no book, no writing, is ever the same even if it's the same source material. it's a beautiful thing so don't stress about trying to make your writing sound or 'read' like other writers. it'll only ruin the enjoyment of how you write!

if you want to write more detailed just remember that not everything in a scene needs to be put down. the more you give the reader room to fill in the blanks and set the scene themselves the better experience for them (at least that's the case for my brain, others may feel different, but doing it this way makes me feel like i'm not adding too much detail or being repetitive). but visualizing, setting the scene for yourself through music or daydreaming is another great tip to write more detailed.

when it comes to smut i am a huge stan of you don't have to say the anatomically correct part they're using (like the p words or c word), and describing what it feels like to have that part touched, grazed, etc is really great. i struggle with fear of repeating myself so i try to find creative ways to describe body parts without actually calling them like flowery/nouns/different synonyms. i hope that made sense lmao.

don't worry about edits or making everything flow completely well in the first take. i highly rec everyone editing their own work and reading it back to themselves, yes it's tiring but it helps you find flow mistakes, add more detail, take something out that you thought fit in the moment but doesn't really. that's why i get everything out the first get go in a kind of fever dream manner and then when i go back to edit it then i buff out everything, add more, take away something, add more details that will make a scene pop off more.

now for the encouragement when it comes to flops: it's going to happen. there's no secret to making something do amazing or something failing. there really isn't and someone who says there is has just had a few lucky posts. because having a big following means nothing, writing a long fic, a short one, only using small font, being super aesthetic, really means nothing. i've seen writers with the most amazing aesthetic and beautiful prose with 100 followers write something and get 2k notes and then get 90 notes on their next post. same with someone who doesn't have a big aesthetic but a big following and writes short fics get 100 notes on their last ten posts but then that eleventh post randomly gets 1k. like it's really just up in the air on here if something is going to do good or not, unfortunately. so that's why i don't let it get to me when something i post gets 100 notes or 1k because i'm happy with both, less, or more. i don't expect anything anymore because that only leads to disappointment and i'm here to write and to have fun.

that's not to say i don't rec curating your own little community on here. make friends, block ppl with bad vibes, join discords of supportive friends. talk to writers who encourage and understand your feelings and discourse and who keep you going, give you inspo, etc etc. if only my friends ever rbed and read my stuff and there was only 10 of them? i'd say hell yeah and that'd encourage me to write more. having a good space of friends and community is amazing and can do a lot to fight off the writer scaries and the feelings of obsessing over numbers and success.

now this is just something i do but it always works for me; i post something and then force myself not to look at it for a day or two. i post it and move on to the next thing i want to work on. i do not dwell on how it's doing. i may q up some rbs for it but i don't even look at the notes when i do that. i deliberately never look at it because yes while it matters in the sense that we love encouragement, we love seeing people love something we spent hours on, we wrote this for ourselves but hello we want that validation too and that's okay, but like i said above and i'm going to say again notes mean nothing in regards to talent. these notes are not simon cowell judging you on your performance. so when i finally do go back to rb comments and reply to things, or if i just want to look at how it did, and the number is low i'm just like ok shrug at least those 20 people enjoyed it and that's better than 0. and if no one commented or rbed yeah that sucks and is disheartening but i can either dwell and be sad on it or i can continue to do what i love and write more. why let the annoying little brats on here who refuse to show their love on a work they read get you down? because there's a dozen of them out there and they're not going away. and you may have made someone's day for this little fic even if they didn't say something about it. it does suck that content creators on here don't get the rbs and comments and credit they deserve, and unfortunately if you want to keep doing what you love you gotta work around it and remind yourself why you're creating, continue to feel that joy. it's hard, believe me. but don't let your creativity be repressed because of it, because you'd be doing a disservice to yourself!

i'll say it again though: a high note count / following doesn't mean the fic is good or bad, neither does low notes / no following. no one's talent is ever in question here. we are here to write, have fun, fill the void of the rl scaries.

[vishnavishivaa]

Komala (Chapter 1- A Conversation)

The much anticipated Vanathi-Nandini confrontation is here. 

Link to previous part: https://www.tumblr.com/thatacademic/716584149828452352/and-i-am-back-with-another-new-story-but-this-is?source=share

*****************

Silence prevailed after Nandini entered Vanathi’s chambers, though the latter felt like she was inviting someone capable of hurting her deeply within her safe space. And yet, that little voice in her mind told her, be kind to this beautiful Queen, and her strike will not be as hard as you think it would be. 

“Vanangugiren, Ilaya Rani,” she repeated herself, chiding herself internally for being repetitive. This was not the grace she usually had, nor was it the poise she herself was capable of. She really needed to learn to be on guard at the flash of a second. 

“Kodumbalur Kula vilakke, the hopeful future Queen of the Chozhas,” Nandini responded smoothly, her eyes calm and watching every move Vanathi made. Though she knew she was watching the latter as a leopard does its prey, Nandini felt a shining tigress within the Princess of Kodumbalur, who was well known for her incredibly kind heart and gentle smiles.  

“Devi, please do not give me titles that are not mine by birth right,” Vanathi said politely, refusing to shutter under the now gleaming eyes of the Pazhuvur Raani. She knew the Queen’s tactics well by now, and she would not submit. 

“They will be yours once you marry Ponniyin Selvan, will they not?” Nandini responded, surprised to see the flash in the demure girl’s eyes. 

“I do not think I will be marrying him, thank you for asking, Devi,” the still polite Vanathi replied, her head held high, eyes holding fragments of her shattered heart clearly, and Nandini frowned mildly. 

“Oh? So the rumours about him and that boat girl are true?” Nandini could not help but feel the pain of this young girl, too pure and innocent for the cruelty of the world, and yet braving it through; a warrior amidst the worst battlefield. 

“How does it matter, Raani?” Vanathi asked, suddenly looking like she despaired everything, even life. 

“Does it not? The entire Chozha Nadu is hoping for your marriage with Ponniyin Selvan, and him going back on the promise that has been made is an insult to the Irukkavel clan, Ilavarasi. Do you not see it?” Nandini responded, taken aback by the sudden flames that Vanathi’s orbs had become. 

“I will not find fault with him, Devi. It is not possible for me to. I understand that he is the SuryaKula Manikkam, and I am but an orphan Princess,” Vanathi responded. “But I will not allow fault to be thrown at his feet.”

Nandini stared at the young girl, who declared herself as an orphan Princess, who would not hear any injustice against Ponniyin Selvan. And it was this light that he was ignoring? Were all men so thick headed, Nandini wondered, her mind flashing to the elder brother of Ponniyin Selvan, who had crushed her heart mercilessly. 

“Life is not kind to you, Ilavarasi,” Nandini smiled lightly. “And it seems that the son of Kaveri, the one who is famed for his compassion, seems to carry none for you.”

“Devi, please,” Vanathi brought her hands up to her ears, unable to hear such minute diatribe against her chosen Lord. Her eyes were aflame like lightning, her ears containing golden earrings shaped like Lotuses, and strangely, Nandini suddenly felt herself reminded of Bhagavan Krishna’s Queens with Vanathi’s demeanor.

“How do you tolerate it, Ilavarasi?” she asked gently, as if searching for answers in Vanathi’s behaviour, in her body language, in her eyes, her heart. 

“My love does not change whether his love is present or not, Devi. My love is for him solely, and if he doesn't love me, then it is the misfortune of this orphan, Ilaya Rani,” Vanathi smiled, a broken, broken thing, though the golden shine of her skin seemed to overpower everything suddenly. 

“You… you shield yourself by accepting your situation as an orphan,” Nandini realized, able to appreciate the way the Princess, often seen as timid, carried herself. Maybe Vanathi rarely used her words, especially with Kundavai around to protect her, but she had studied and learned well. And used her words in such an honest, polite way. Nandini could not help but be moved, for this kindness was rare in this political world of Kingdoms and royalty. 

“I am just being truthful, Devi.”

“And it is you that Ponniyin Selvar does not appreciate? You, who are like the lightning that flashes amidst the rain clouds? The stunning light of the Velar clan, the beloved and approved companion of the Ilaya Piratti, and it is you he does not appreciate?” 

Nandini’s voice turned silvery, gentle and calm, as if trying to get Vanathi to look at her point of view. Vanathi stiffened, watching Nandini very carefully. 

“Tell me, Ilavarasi, does it not hurt that Ponniyin Selvan does not care for you the way you deserve to be cared for?” Nandini’s words seemed like the strike of a cobra, but the pain that she hid mostly successfully was visible to Vanathi’s eyes, as she looked at the Pazhuvoor Queen. 

“It does hurt, Raani, but that is my problem, is it not? Despite the insistence of the elders, I will not make Ponniyin Selvar do anything he does not want to. Nor do I want him to think of me as someone foisted on him.”

“But should he not know the pain you feel? To see the error of his ways?” Nandini responded, though astonishment rang through her at the powerful words of the supposedly naive Princess of Kodumbalur. 

“Devi,” Vanathi said softly. “I pray that he never feels the pain I do, with all that I am.”

Nandini just looked at Vanathi, deep and hard, the latter calm in that moment for some reason.

“As a woman who has been hurt, Devi,” Vanathi continued, suddenly plucking the courage from nowhere. “I can guarantee that none would want the hurt they face to be rained on another, even if they think they do.”

Nandini let out a gasp, almost doubling over as if a force had shattered through her and rung in her head. Vanathi quickly moved to hold the Queen by the arms, seating her on the settee, making sure that Nandini was okay. She moved to fetch water, when the petal-like hand of Nandini stopped her. 

“No need, Ilavarasi. I need to go,” she stood up, though looking visibly shaken, an expression Vanathi had never before seen on the face of the Queen. “Lest Ilaya Piratti finds out that I have been here in your chambers.”

“I am already here, Ilaya Rani.”

****************

@vibishalakshman It is hereeee, and for you! 

@thelekhikawrites @rang-lo @hollogramhallucination @chiyaanvikram @dumdaradumdaradum @thegleamingmoon @yehsahihai @kovaipaavai @whippersnappersbookworm @nspwriteups @dr-scribbler @ragalata @willkatfanfromasia Please do let me know your thoughts!

[scruffyplayssonic]

Are the ArchieSonic comics actually an 80's/90's syndicated cartoon? Episode 52: "Rashomon" homage

Welcome back to my look at the ArchieSonic comic series, and how it shared a lot of the same story tropes as a typical ‘80s or ‘90s syndicated cartoon! So hey, let me ask you something. Have you ever been with a group of friends, and telling someone about this funny thing that once happened to you, only for someone else to say, “No no no, that’s not how it happened. Let me tell you how it really went down…” You’ve all been there, right? Of course you have, we all have, don’t be lying! And guess what? Sonic has been there too!

Episode 52: "Rashomon" homage 

Inspired by the film of the same name, the Rashomon homage is almost always a source of comedic shenanigans!

One such example is the Sonic Boom episode, “Fire in a Crowded Workshop,” which had a fire break out in Tails’ workshop (hence the clever name), and Sonic, Amy and Knuckles all disagreeing about how it happened and re-telling the story from their own points of view. We also got a bit of a Rashomon influence in the first Sonic Adventure, as all the characters had interconnected stories that slightly differed from each other’s perspectives.

This was mostly seen in the form of slightly different dialogue in each character’s story when they met another playable character. It also changed the outcome of the fight between Sonic and Gamma, depending on who you were playing as at the time.

Of course, we also saw this a couple of times in ArchieSonic. The best example is from the first Sonic Kids super special, in a story called “Total Re: Genesis.”

Uncle Chuck contacted a slightly beaten-up Sonic, Sally and Antoine to ask them what had just happened to them. The three explained that they’d come across one of Robotnik’s old deactivated combots, which had turned out to not be as deactivated as they’d thought. Sally, Antoine and Sonic all took turns explaining how the battle had gone down, each of them disagreeing with each others’ perspectives and claiming to have defeated the robot by themselves. I think this was done quite well, as each perspective was drawn by a different artist to help further express that all three characters had experienced the battle differently. It was pretty clear that none of them was an entirely reliable narrator though:

Sally’s story was probably the most plausible, except that it featured Sonic saying, “Homina homina homina,” and then he and Antoine got knocked out.

Antoine claimed instead that it had been Sally and Sonic who had been knocked out, and he’d gotten into an epic duel of blades with the combot to protect his friends.

And Sonic said that no one got knocked out, but a starstruck Sally had begged him to save them. In the end Uncle Chuck got fed up and hacked into satellite footage to find out what actually did happen, and it turned out to be a combination of all three of their stories.

All they needed to achieve maximum cheesiness in this story was to have Sonic sing that teamwork makes the dreamwork…

…eh, close enough. Same voice actor.

A lesser example of a Rashomon homage (Sort of? Kind of? Maybe not really?) came in the original Knuckles mini-series where the origins of the Floating Island and Enerjak were re-told three times. This really started to get repetitive and annoying when you consider that Knuckles had already told us the whole tale (as he’d been told years ago by his father) when he was talking to himself in the backup stories of Sonic #34 - 36.

Knuckles repeated himself (while talking to himself again) in the first issue of the Knuckles mini-series…

…Archimedes told it again to Knuckles in issue #2…

…and Enerjak man-splained it to Knuckles and Archimedes again in issue #3.

So why don’t I think this one really counts as a Rashomon homage? Mostly because the story is almost exactly the same from all three perspectives, despite Knuckles’ claim that he’d needed to see the story from all three perspectives to be able to figure out how to beat Enerjak.

Yes, that’s right Knuckles - you beat Enerjak. 😛

Still, it is true that Archimedes’ version of the story revealed that the fire ants had been a lot more involved in events than Knuckles had realised. And I guess you could also argue that Enerjak’s version of the story revealed his arrogance, which could have given Knuckles the idea to goad him into fighting without using his phenomenal cosmic power before Locke confined him to an itty bitty living space. In space. I dunno. I don’t think the differences are enough to count it as a Rashomon homage, but it’s worth mentioning at least - if for no other reason than to take another shot at Ken Penders’ dumb writing. xD

There was one other Rashomon homage planned for ArchieSonic, but sadly the series was cancelled before it could be published.

The Sonic wiki confirms that issue #294 was intended to adapt the SegaSonic the Hedgehog game in flashback form. From the solicitation:

“Sonic reminisces with his buddies Mighty and Ray, but Sonic and Mighty disagree on how they met. Can their friendship survive their egos’ revisions?”

Ian also confirmed this when he guest starred on the ArchieSonic Digest podcast:

“I do remember one story that was slated right before everything ended was a kind of Rashomon-style story where Sonic, Ray and Mighty reminisced on their escape from Eggman Island, which would have been the SegaSonic Arcade retroactive story.”

It’s a real shame we never got to see this issue. I’ve brought up some of the other previously planned issues that were never released due to the series cancellation before, but in most of those cases we at least got to see some of the unfinished art for them. This one apparently wasn’t even that far along in development when ArchieSonic was axed, so to my knowledge the two covers shown in the official solicitation are all that publicly exist of this cancelled issue. I would have loved to have read this one, especially as SegaSonic is one of those few Sonic games that never got a re-release in any form and has largely been lost to time.

Darnit SEGA, we want a SegaSonic the Hedgehog remake! …and by “we” I mean “me.” 😛 I get that the trackball mechanic of that game makes it difficult to emulate, but why not rebuild it from the ground up? The fans would pay for it - Mighty and Ray’s inclusion in Sonic Mania Plus shows that the interest is there. And while you’re at it, SEGA, how about re-releasing Knuckles’ Chaotix and Sonic Shuffle too? Just because they’re not the best Sonic games doesn’t mean there’s no interest in them!

…what was I talking about again? Oh right, Rashomon homages. But that’s all I’ve got for you today. Did I miss any other Rashomon homages in ArchieSonic? Let me know in the comments! Next time will be an interesting episode, as I’ll be looking at the “Henchman joins heroes for one time only,” trope! See you then!

[justjasper]

people getting legit heated about this.. i know it's the "piss on the poor" level of media comprehension but quick help: tradwife adjacent ragebait: overly complicated recipe with needless/weird steps (like that spaghetti hoop pie lady who kneaded the fucked up dough with her elbows), played totally straight/just "realistic" enough to be believeable, because the point is for people to assume the content is sincere and get frustrated at the skills/needless complexity etc and engage satire (this video): parodying the tropes of tradwife video content via something utterly nonsensical, relying on the assumption that the majority of people viewing have 1 sprinkling of common sense to understand satirical obsurdity, and familiarity with the tropes being parodied, who then engage with it because it's funny and they understand the tropes being made fun of.

i'm not trying to be uncharitable to people who struggle with media literacy, it is a learned skill with no real learning source! you learn through experience, especially in the age of content farming etc

consider it through a comedy lens: she uses 10 different sources of ice with no disinquishing qualities. repetition of needless information is a comedy trope. it's silly when the same information is neededly repeated.

if this was ragebait, e.g. trying to pass as "real" and not satire (making fun of something), there might have been lots of surpurflous steps, but they would be ones that could... passably be classed as believeable. maybe a couple of sources of ice, maybe stupid shit with ice cubes or stuff. even just a complicated rundown of how to filter/"purity" water, maybe. this kind of content is meant to be an exhibition of domestic labour and the women who are "kept" well enough by their white well off christian husbands to engage in it (or the woo-woo new age bent, there's different flavours).

when you see something ridiculous like this, ask yourself: is it ridiculous on purpose? what kind of reaction is this trying to get from me? what context clues are here to tell me if this is genuine, satirical, ironic, or something else?

[brlinformatique]

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[dojae-huh]

I knew this was coming

https://x.com/kathdew/status/1840425157820854608

Another anon

about that ILA episode - yeah, there’s a lot of factors that result in a lower rating. dy’s part of the episode aired second, after the first part where one of the panelists was hanging out with a photographer. i enjoyed it but there are lots of comments on yt under clips from that part that it’s boring, unimaginative, criticizing the panelist, etc., so this might have turned people off from watching the show. secondly, male idols aren’t interesting to the gp. there were comments that want to see more famous or interesting celebs than some sm idol. tbh, as i was watching dy’s part i had wondered if this would even be interesting to non-fans, lol.

dy episode clips have all surpassed the clips from the part with the panelist, they have more views, likes comments. dy’s kind act also trended on k-forums and on twitter and he has real life influence on the restaurant he went to - business will go up as fans will want to visit as well. i wouldn’t worry about ratings, that’s for tv producers to do.

Another anon

Well I read Knet comments on the last ILA ep. The low rating was a hot topic but the fact DY prepared gift was also a hot topic today. The reasons for the low rating, from what I read can be: a new rival program, the ep overall was not too great (the fixed cast first part was quite awkward), it was a night with great weather so ppl went outside a lot, many ppl like the guests doing more "exciting" things so DY can be boring to them (otherwise, many finds him comforting). Actually DY concept (or any idol, even Ahn Jaehyun is labelled as boring) in ILA can get kinda repetitive (doing something and going to eat or to the market) so I think it's better off for him as a semi-fix, coming as panelist sometimes and having one ep in a while rather than coming out too often.One of fixed cast, Kian94, who is considered more interesting than DY to a part of the viewers, can be really annoying and disturbing to watch because of his untidy and unhygienic habits. He was also criticized in a recent ep. Hwasa, who went viral thanks to ILA, decided to leave the program because of the self-pressure of being entertaining without faking herself. When it comes to variety, you always have to face with these problems.One thing for sure, DY is loved by the crew and gained new fans and opportunities from this.

-----------------

Link

Thank you for the context, anons. I would say, Doyoung's strategy of creating a sweet image for this show can backfire, but it won't harm in a long run. He will read the comments, think his actions over, try something new. As he always does. He adjusts, repeats what works, drops what doesn't. Even very seasoned show producers and old variety stars have missteps. It is super hard to interest a big mass of very different people. Additionaly, Doyoung aims for the national son, not a funny comic. He will interest the group that are succectable to his charms or what he portrays. As people discussing him doing this or saying that on inet demonstrates.

And the comment about Hwasa is very true. People have endless sources of entertainment. It becomes harder and harder to catch attention and make people stay. And any format becomes repetitive. What have worked before for one artist won't be possible to recreate for another one. Doyoung might need to learn that what works for k-pop fans, doesn't for gp. Or that it is more useful for him to go on shows where he can show his smart and his wit. Right now he is just entering the field and takes any job he is offered. Considering all these shows have the same people on them, when it comes to conenctions, it is still very good and profitable for him. One of the pannelist of this show already invited him to come to her own show (that upcoming yt programme with DoWoo).

Anyway. With situations like these it is useful to mark the event, commit it to the memory in case it will be important later, and not involve oneself emotionally. Media outlets need to sensationalise everything, and people on qoo need to chat about something daily.

[jynxeddraca]

My Personal Infernal Dictionary

While writing fanfiction I realized that there is not really any 'official' Infernal sources online outside of what the script itself looks like. So I've made my own little ongoing reference for it for when I write. Some is taking directly from the game itself, some from random places online and I just tweak it so it sounds good to me. For anyone who's interested, below the read more is what I currently have written and I'll be adding to it as I need to.

Headcanon on the language itself:

Infernal is the language of the Hells and by proxy, tieflings. Infernal is notoriously dependent on context and double meaning to really gain what is actually being said. Infernal Legalese is even more so dependent on these as well as literal translations of words in addition to generally understood meanings - and example being Mizora's contract with Wyll saying he'd hunt "Devils, demons, the heartless, and the soulless." with "heartless" being the phrase used to order him to hunt down Karlach who - literally - does not have a heart.

Not all tieflings know Infernal due to many of them being raised by non-tieflings or having been abandoned. Generally though, tieflings raised by other tieflings will be fluent in Infernal, and those that weren't raised by tieflings normally will gravitate towards tieflings in communities where they can and often pick up infernal even though they may never be fluent. Because of this there are many pidgins and local dialects of Infernal, though they are generally understandable between speakers.

Words/Phrases

Sharee: Meaning 'cheers' or maybe 'turnip'

Source: BG3, Danis at the tiefling party. Tav did furrow her brow when Danis said 'Or maybe turnip' so I don't think it would.

Mragreshem: Going with the idea of 'shit stain'. 'mrag' = shit 'reshem' = stain

Source: BG3, tiefling at the Risen Road watching the githyanki kill the Flaming Fist. She calls Tav this and it doesn't sound nice. Tav says "You're the mragreshem for taking that tone with me."

Komira also says "I don't give a mrag" which is why I think this is probably a compound word.

Hrasting: Could be like 'dang', 'darn', or 'damn' depending on context

Source BG3, tiefling on the Risen Road watching the Githyanki kill the Flaming Fist. "Nobody, just another hrasting fool trying to stay alive."

Duzzdy Aly: "Little one"

Source: Partially from a random Infernal translator online and then tweaked to my liking. Used in the fanfic.

Kch-kch/Chk-chk: Not so much a word as a sound mimicking a chicken or metal boots walking depending on context.

Tiefling urchin warning that some kind of peace keeper/lawman is coming and to leave quickly.

Te-te: Casual and affectionate way to say 'little sister'

Not necessarily always used for blood siblings, can also be used by close friends. Especially if those friends are younger than you or physically smaller than you.

Kakiz: 'Ass'

Zizzy: Generally used to refer to a daughter, normally aimed at eldest daughter.

Kakiz Kach: Literally 'ass resident'

Used to refer to an extremely shitty situation.

Daj: 'A steady repeating beat or rhythm' loosely 'heart'

When used about music, it is referring to the pace of the music itself, but can be used to refer to any steady or repetitive sound such as marching, clapping, etc…

When used to describe someone, you are referring to that person as being the beating of your heart and/or the rhythm of your life.

Muz: 'mouse'.

Very quick and sharply said when you want to call someone a coward.

Source: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/axora-amazingchi/a/horrons-guide-to-infernal-idioms--insults-article

Nu'pyt: 'no soul'

Someone who shows very little or no empathy towards other people, generally does not care about others at all. Cold and detached person.

Kydiv zurzum kakiz: Literally 'sword', 'up', 'ass'.

Essentially, you're wishing for something sharp to find its way up a place where something sharp really ought not go up.

Source of original: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/axora-amazingchi/a/horrons-guide-to-infernal-idioms--insults-article note that I have tweaked it for my own personal dictionary.

Nul: 'piece of', 'part of'

Could also be used to say something isn't whole.

[lunarsilkscreen]

Applications of AI

The biggest drawback of AI is that it's more or less random what pops out. How do you know the information you give is factual if the data scrapped is from *literally every 4-Chan Green-text* and Infowars?

If all it can do is replicate what is saved with slight modifications or by combining several elements together; what difference is *that* from simply reproducing copyrighted material?

So this technology that we call AI--that is about as intelligent as your average Redditor; What can it be used for?

Well, this is simple enough. We can use it to streamline things that we already use databases and data search for. In-fact aside from formatting and compilation, that's pretty much all A.I. does.

Producing required information in a way that sounds more human and casual. As opposed to formal and "Robotic".

So if we curate the data inserted into an A.I., for example; only using input data from a curated source--like wikipedia; then we can be reasonably certain that the information is likely factual. And, references will be included to manually verify if it sounds *off*.

How can this be used for creative solutions like graphics, authoring, and music?

Auto-complete is basically the one thing that everybody uses *All the time*. Common passages and phrase, as well as packages that can "translate" your dialect into one that is more familiar to readers, viewers, or listeners would be incredibly useful.

Yea, I'm talking about *translation of what you're saying* into something that is more understandable despite being the same language.

Like an extended auto-correct.

Generating tweak able templates, and filling coloring styles, and generating music passages would be super helpful.

Especially if you have packages that Include things in public domain. Classic music like Mozart and Beethoven, could be used to complete your music passages if you find yourself stuck.

I mean, you'd still have to work at it so it doesn't sound completely trope-y.

So what do I mean when I say "Packages"?

"Package" is the term often used in game and visual development applications that include resources that a user can use for their games or other artwork or websites, or samples, sounds, and noises.

or clipart.

Creating a package seems to be straight forward; you throw your input data in, and feed it to the A.I. and it generates based on the contents of that package.

So, if you have a package of old Disney or Hanna-Barbera cartoons, you could generate look-alike content.

And this could be extended to modern conventions as well.

Hiring several artists and developers to create these packages could help studios maintain an art-style for cheaper than normal, because of the need to create the first package, and then continually generate from that package.

If A.I. gets a speed up, these packages could then be used to generate content based on the input data that the creators feed in; Generic N.P.C.s, repeating backgrounds, generic audio, bird calls, animal sounds. whatever.

They would be able to help the environment feel more *alive*. However, it wouldn't be a cure-all. Despite a multitude of behaviors and samples being able to be used in packages; eventually it would start to feel repetitive to the human mind.

All generated content will have some familiar quirk to it that will be perceived by the audience.

Because of this however, studios of all kinds, will have to seek out new [something] to remain ahead of the curve. Access to this tech will make it incredibly easy for artists to develop their own content for *very very cheap*.

With the exception of that [package] design.

Even generating content using public-domain packages will be as engaging as "Professionally Produced Modern Content".

And creating a unique package will become something students will do as a capstone.

[nowtoboldlygo]

Hope I can add a few more links!! These are all shows I've watched or that I have bookmarked from reddit threads (recommended for learners).

한글용사 아이야

I'm always talking about this show! It's a preschool show with superheroes that teaches Hangul. It's educational, it's repetitive, the dialogue is clear and simple.

Blippi 블리피

This is dubbed, originally in English. A guy runs around and kind of exclaims at stuff. Educational with written vocabulary, lots of repeated numbers and colors, well formatted videos.

Masha and the Bear 마샤와 곰

Dubbed, originally in Russian. Very light on dialogue - Masha, her cousin Dasha, and Father Frost are the only characters who speak. Good for a background show.

Peppa Pig 페파피그

Also dubbed, originally in English. Difficulty seems to be around high beginner low intermediate depending on the person and the season. Many people find the oinks annoying, so fair warning!

Tayo the Little Bus 꼬마버스 타요

Cute little cartoon about four buses running around in a city. Each episode begins and ends with narration, the voices are super intelligible, and it's pretty cute. Also the spin-off, Titipo Titipo 띠띠뽀 띠띠뽀.

Bluey 블루이

Beloved by kids and adults alike, and dubbed from English.

Ding Dong Dang 딩동댕 유치원

Puppets! Voices are like, high-pitched affectations but overall the dialogue and plots are super easy to follow.

Superwings 출동! 슈퍼윙스

Anthropomorphized airplanes! Lots of background music during dialogue, but overall super entertaining and silly.

Tobot 또봇

Transformers cartoon with over a dozen seasons.

신나는 동화여행-Korean story train

A channel with fairy tale storytelling, native narration.

랑이언니의 잘자요 동화

A sleepy-time podcast aimed at kids.

giantpengtv 자이언트 펭TV

I feel like this one is so big everyone already knows about it? Anyway, very popular comedy channel appropriate for kids.

The above links are all to free sources (mostly youtube), but I also recommend checking out any subscriptions you may have. Apple TV has a ton of Korean content, AND gives the option of audio description (which is great for language learners!). Netflix has a great Korean dubs catalogue, etc etc.

Learn Korean with Korean Children’s Shows

Many children’s media is easily accessible too, with a lot of shows officially uploaded to YouTube for free so you don’t have to hunt down resources or pay for a specific subscription or platform. They are great for beginner practice because of the easy-to-follow plots, simple dialogue, and story!

Hello Jadoo – 안녕자두야 The plot focuses on a young girl in Seoul and her antics with friends and family.

The Youtube channel Learn Korean with Jadoo is a good resource, with both Korean and English subtitles (with subtitle options for more languages too!) in short 10min episodes.

Pororo the Little Penguin – 뽀롱뽀롱 뽀로로 The most popular recent Korean children’s TV show, Pororo has hour-long episodes uploaded to YouTube for free as well; but the official channel doesn’t come with English or Korean subs so keep that in mind.

Dooly the Little Dinosaur – 아기공룡 둘리 A late 80s to 90s Korean kids’ TV show, Dooly is also an official South Korean citizen

Anpanman – 안판만 Popular children’s show about a bread superhero, it’s Japanese but still big in Korea (and dubbed in Korean), also referenced in the iconic BTS song

Pinkfong 핑크퐁 No doubt you probably know “Baby Shark”, which craze was started by the Pinkfong channel originally in Korean and then into English. They have a bunch of Korean songs and short stories on their channel.

JunyTony 주니토니 Channel about animated twin wizards with animal friends, who go on magical and musical adventures, using their spells to save the day.

yearimTV 예림TV This YouTube channel has many short stories and songs like the others, but also has a focus on traditional Korean stories.

[burnsintherye]

Is God Testing Me? How To Recognize and Pass Spiritual Tests

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

There’s a reason the Israelites went around the same mountain for almost 40 years. It’s the same reason many of us are stuck in repetitive cycles and battles year after year. We’re failing the same test with no idea why.

Why God Tests Our Faith

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:6-7

Tests expose what is in you and where your trust truly lies. They aren’t meant to harm you, but to sanctify you so that you’ll become more like Jesus Christ.

Even after you put your faith in Jesus there is still a lot of work to be done. Thankfully, God is gracious and refines us little by little. He doesn’t expect us to exhibit all the fruit of the Spirit immediately. He knows that it takes time. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula. The primary way God helps us grow in love, patience, kindness, etc…is by placing us in situations that require us to develop and exercise those characteristics. I recently read a quote on Instagram that sums this up beautifully:

“It’s the people that frustrate you that God will use to grow you. You won’t learn how to love well if you only love lovable people.”

Miles McPherson

Have you ever found yourself in a new situation that was weirdly similar to a previous one? For example, your last three bosses treated you harshly and unfairly, or the last three men you dated tried to persuade you to compromise your purity. A sign that you’re failing the same test repeated is found in the pattern you’re seeing in your life. What is the pattern that you can’t seem to break free from?

Related Post - Faith Under Fire: Why Our Faith Must Be Tested

If you’re not learning the lesson God is trying to teach you, He’ll allow you to re-take the test. If you don’t pass it the first time, you’ll get another chance…and another, and another, until you do. God doesn’t do this to punish you. He’s trying to reveal your weakness and sin so that you seek Him to learn how to overcome it. We don’t pass spiritual tests in our own strength. We pass them by relying on God’s strength and walking in obedience to His instruction.

How God Tests Us

It’s likely that God is testing you if the situation you’re in is 1) trying or difficult and 2) gives you the opportunity to put into practice what God has been recently teaching you.

When God wants to develop joy and/or peace in you He’ll allow you to go through things that are stressful, overwhelming, and frankly not fun at all. But you’ll never know biblical peace and joy if your life is always “perfect”. Happiness is based on what’s external, what’s happening around you. Biblical joy and peace can exist regardless of your circumstance because it’s rooted in Christ and a godly perspective.

God helped me grow in biblical peace by allowing me to endure stressful financial situations. The anxiety I had was evidence that my faith was not in my bank account, not God. I struggled to have true peace because deep down, I believed it all relied on me. Back then I believed my job was the source of my security. So when God told me to empty my savings account and give it as an offering, it shook me. At that moment I had a choice. I could worry about all of the “what if’s” or I could shift my focus to God and pray. He’d provided for me financially before, so why wouldn’t He do it again? I stopped worrying and started trusting God. Let me tell you, He made a way. No emergencies came up AND five months later I had more in my savings account than I gave in the offering! I passed that test by letting go in faith instead of holding on in fear.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4

When God places you in a difficult situation do you run back to old habits and mindsets or do you run to God for guidance? Any characteristic we possess that isn’t Christ-like needs to be removed, and anything that is, needs to be pruned and further developed. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself being tested on the same characteristic years later, but in a tougher way. We won’t reach perfection on this side of heaven. There will always be more to learn and develop in Christ.

How to Pass Spiritual Tests

The short answer - trust God and be obedient to His Word. I know that it’s not always easy, and thankfully, God knows that too. He’s gracious and gives us the resources and wisdom we need to pass these tests. However, it’s up to us to apply what we’ve learned and received. Foremost, you have to spend time with God daily, read the Bible, practice the spiritual disciplines, be obedient to His commands, and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. You can’t follow His will if you don’t know it, and you won’t trust Him if you don’t know His character.

If you do those things then you’ll be better equipped to pass every test that comes your way. When God instructs you to let go of that relationship, it’ll be easier to trust Him because although you don’t understand His plan, you know that His will is what’s best for you.

Give what He tells you to give instead of holding on out of fear. Move where He’s calling you to move and trust that He’s gone ahead of you. When your coworkers are gossiping, don’t partake. When your boss treats you unfairly, pray for them. When situations are difficult, learn to stay instead of quit. Running won’t solve the issue, the issue will just follow you to the next place.

You can pass these tests. Remaining stuck in toxic cycles, bound by sin, and defeated are not your portion in Christ. You are an overcomer. No longer a slave to sin, but set free in Christ Jesus.

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

Romans 6:22

[j-a-smiths-blog]

0934 26Jan24: Chapter 26.

Frustration?

Took a good amount of time this morning to write a post on my second Tumblr and even *thought* that I selected correct photos just to find out all my time was wasted and the post had an error. The entire post gone.

So, during my morning drive, after dropping my nephew off to school, I relaxingly thought about my path forward. Instead of being so diverse with all the scripts I have written and trying to build all these props and dioramas... why not focus my energy on a #onesixthscale #eighteenthcentury world.

I might repeat myself a few days in a row, but it's kind of like a "repetition helps you remember"

So right now I have like a small list of 4 props I want to build.

1. A well. Sounds minuet... but a well is a source of water and would be vital and to make it worksheet you have to crank up the line to reveal a bucket would be awesome.

2. A nippa hut. Obvious reasons.. a nippa hut is not huge but its perfect size to be able to transport and show a house type structure.

3. An earth oven. A workable earth oven that I could actually cook stuff?!?! Come on, perfect! And it would give the females a scene.

4. A pull or push wagon where they would load up stuff and push along from place to place.

So I have a little direction just need to out into action!

[stevensavage]

Let’s Write That CRAP

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, Steve's Tumblr, and Pillowfort.  Find out more at my newsletter, and all my social media at my linktr.ee)

Serdar and I often discuss the way writing is improved by drawing on anything but writing.  I’d like to share a recent insight I had regarding using graphic design and writing.

Graphic arts are a hobby of mine – and vital for my writing career so I can make the kind of covers I want.  I’ve been putting more time into my skills because they are fun, because of my writing, and because it’s also useful in my career.  One of the best sources is The Non-Designer’s Design Book by creator Robin Williams, which I returned to as a refresher.

Williams sums up good design in the enjoyably shameless CRAP acronym.  Anything from book covers to business cards has four traits – Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity.  These traits of good visual design made me wonder – do they apply to good writing?

Let’s explore.

Contrast:

Good graphic design means that there are stark differences that stand out.  The similar should be similar, and the different should be very different.

When it comes to writing, contrast is very important.  Fiction requires us to know the differences among characters, places, and things – in fact to feel them viscerally.  Non-fiction needs to be bundled up in a way where you get distinct information – a muddle isn’t going to let you find what you need.

A surprising amount of writing is making sure things aren’t the same.  Like, say, these sections . . .

Repetition:

Good visual elements – colors, shapes, and so on – have to repeat in graphic design.  A book cover should have the same fonts for different text (unless you’re using that for contrast).  A good logo might use lines of the same thickness.

Writing also requires repetition.  Fiction requires restating certain things so the reader “gets” them – like a character’s personal habits or traits.  Non-fiction can require everything from similarly formatted timelines to repetitive elements like exercises or summaries of each chapter.  Examine your own writing, and you might find some things you think of as repeating aren’t boring, but are a good idea.

Writing is repetitious.  Hey, notice how these sections are also repeating a format . . .

Alignment:

Good graphic design has elements that align with other elements, giving them a kind of connection.  Business cards don’t place text willy-nilly, but are carefully aligned with each other for ease of reading.  Take a look at good movie posters and notice how titles, taglines, cast information, etc. usually have alignment that makes them visually pleasing.

First, let’s talk fiction writing.  Good plotlines need to have elements aligned so you can tell a story, and many fiction stories have a kind of symmetry.  Some authors carefully size chapters and scenes so they’re about the right size to keep pace and keep reader interest.  I’m sure if you write fiction you know that sensation of seeing it in your head – and a good story has alignment of many elements.

In non-fiction, writing also requires alignment.  You have to put information in the right order of a chapter so people learn the right lessons.  Chapters need to align, going in the right order to lead people through what you want to teach them.  These alignments may also repeat, as our friend repetition appears.

You’ll see this post has (mostly) aligned sections.  This one went a bit longer, but let’s call that Contrast . . .

Proximity:

The CRAP acronym’s final lesson is Proximity, a simple but oft forgot lesson of good design – related elements should be close together.  A business card probably has a person’s title right under their name.  A book with many authors probably lists the author’s names together as, well, they’re the authors.  Proximity says “this is related.”

Of course in writing proximity matters as you usually put related stuff next to each other.  A plot has scenes happen in a kind of order – even if you’re pulling a Rashomon and people have to guess the order themselves.  Non-fiction obviously groups similar things as that’s how you inform people.  As a writer, you’re probably using Proximity without even thinking about it.

And we see proximity here, in, of course, these sections along with opening and closing.

Looking back on that fun little analysis, I think it was a worthwhile metaphor to explore.  Taking CRAP and seeing what it might tell us about writing helped me think about both design and writing.  All from picking up a book from my past to refresh some lessons.

So what kind of metaphors are in your life that might help your writing?  Let me challenge you to find one and write about it – and share it with me.

Steven Savage

www.StevenSavage.com

www.InformoTron.com