#alli does mmc

[acourtofthought]

I feel like previous anon doesn't understand the Context as well.

Rhys didn't immediatly forbid Azriel from seeing Elain. He questioned him first, gave him the chance to explain to see what his intentions are. Azriel told him and it basically disgusted Rhys. He then ask him what he'll do about it to which Az didn't gave an answer to but we know what his answer is "He didn't got that far with his planning, certainly not beyond the fantasies he pleasured himself to". Before her forbid it, Rhys told us the danger that could happen.

Rhys doesn't do that for Lucien's sake. He most likely doesn't give a sh*t about him. Lucien is a political bomb and has strong connections to nearly every court. If Lucien finds out and he'll decide to not work for the NC anymore, the NC loses ties with the human lands, Spring court and maybe even the dawn court. If Helion and Lucien find out they're related, NC might lose their ties with the DC as well for keeping it a secret and the way they treated Lucien.

Doesn't matter wether or not Elain is interested, she hasn't done anything regarding the mating bond. Why would Rhys want to lose strong allies, just for reckless kids to have fun for like... what? 2 months?

Of course El/riel would still have to face these problems, if Azriel was actually in love with Elain, but Rhys reaction would be different.

ALLLLLL the things you said.

First off, Rhys asked Az if he was out of his mind and Az's response?

"I don't know what you're talking about", after donning his frozen mask.

Az starts this all off with pretending to be ignorant.

Then Rhys spells it out for Az, that he was about to kiss Elain out in the open for anyone to see including her mate and what does Az do?

Once again Az ignores answering directly and instead says "what if the Cauldron was wrong?"

To which Rhys replies, "what of Mor?"

Because Rhys KNOWS Az has been in love WITH HIS COUSIN for centuries. But now suddenly he's ready to kiss his sister-in-law? I think that warrants explanation, don't you? Both of these females are Rhys's family so it's not really out of line for him to question what Az's intentions are with either one.

Yet once again, Az chooses not to give him any kind of reassurance, "I'm letting go of Mor." "I feel something for Elain I've never felt." "Elain makes me happy." I mean he would have literally said ANYTHING about Elain as a person or how he makes him feel but Az decides to go with:

"You guys got two sisters and I'm the third brother so why didn't I get the third sister because that would be fair?" I'm paraphrasing but that is what it amounts to. He wants Elain because his brothers got mated to sisters so why didn't he? He said nothing of wanting Elain because of who she is. Who she's related to should have no bearing on why Az wants her.

Then Rhys gets pissed and asks exactly what his plan is when it comes to Elain. Az can see Rhys is pissed so now would be a good time (for someone who is supposed to be intelligent, correct?) to ease his concerns. But instead he says nothing and thinks to himself that he doesn't have a plan in regards to Elain, not beyond jerking himself off at night.

It's a riot that E/riels think we have an issue with masturbation. Give me all the smut, SJM could be even more graphic and I'd have no problem with that. However in a romance book, I want there to be romance along with the smut. I don't want the MMC's plans for the FMC to have only gotten so far as to involve her being his sperm receptacle especially after he's had a "crush" on her for a year.

So now is when Rhys lays down his order and brings up the political aspect of things because everything Az has said or hasn't said is a complete joke up to this point. From Rhys's perspective, Az is willing to risk the peace in their world to get laid and it's valid for him to think that because Az has not said otherwise. Rhys tells him to stay away and in classic Az fashion he tries to disobey Rhys because he doesn't like being given orders (canon throughout the series).

Rhys then says, "if you need someone to fuck, pay for it at the pleasure hall".

If this were not the truth......then this would be another moment for Az to deny it vehemently. Sorry but if I loved a girl and my best friend thought I was just using her for sex, I would speak up. I would make him understand. But instead Az walks away, being knocked from his anger which clouded his judgement and he admits to himself that the night was a mistake.

People love to use these lines in favor of E/riel, showing his angst but:

"Knowing that if he slept in the riverside manor, he'd do something he regretted. He'd been vigilant about keeping away from Elain as much as possible, and had stayed up here to avoid her, and tonight.....tonight had proved he'd been right to do so."

If Az stayed at the River House after all, went to her room and something happened between them, he's telling us it would be something he regretted. He's telling us that he's avoided her because nearly kissing on Solstice turned out to be the wrong thing.

If Az went to Elain's room to apologize and they shared a moment, why would that be something he regretted? Shouldn't she be worth whatever came their way as a result? Shouldn't he care enough to sit and talk to her and make a plan?

If he loves Elain then why when he left Rhys were his thoughts not, "he just doesn't understand how I feel about her?" Why were his thoughts instead, "I knew this would be a bad idea?"

And why if we're meant to remain focused on Elain and Az did the chapter morph into how much better he felt after being around Gwyn? And why did it end with something glowing in his chest for Gwyn and not Elain?

Do E/riels honestly want to see a Gwyn / Az / Elain love triangle?

Because I hate to say it, he's already shown admiration for Gwyn in a way he hasn't for Elain. He already believes in Gwyn more than he believes in Elain. And yes, Az called Elain beautiful but not "the most beautiful female" he'd seen (cause you know that's something E/riels love to hang on to). Cassian calls Elain beautiful too. Eris notes that his brothers mate is a beauty. Rhys comments on it. And Graysen let Elain go despite her beauty so I think it's clear that not only is beauty not enough to hold on to someone but there is still the very real possibility that the most beautiful female Az has ever seen will be Gwyn (just as Cassian noted Nesta as the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in SF but not before). Beautiful in this world means nothing because everyone is beautiful. And yeah, it's part of Elain's character because people tend to think there's nothing beyond her beauty since that's what they focus on, even her mother at a young age, however in this series only Lucien has ever thought of her as the most beautiful female he'd ever seen, a big deal considering he instantly felt guilty for thinking that of her, worrying that it was a betrayal to Jesminda. Az might think Elain is beautiful but it didn't sucker punch him in the way it did Lucien. Elain's beauty impacted Lucien to the point that it caused a torrent of emotions while Az is pretty matter of fact about it.

And if Az was able to start moving on from Mor after 500 centuries to develop a fixation on Elain for a year, then it should really only take him a few weeks to drop his fixation on Elain and move on to Gwyn. Not that I think SJM will do that because a break from the female variety would do him good but you get what I mean. I do think he'll easily move on from Elain, take time to deal with his issues including Mor, then he and Gwyns arc will build further.

Wouldn't it be better to admit that the Az and Elain pairing has now gotten way too messy, where Az couldn't reassure his best friend he had actual feeling for her? Where Az now has another women who brings out something in him we've yet to see?

If you honestly want what's best for Elain than how can anyone think it's Az after the thought of Gwyn's happiness causing something in his chest to glow?

Is it not insanely clear at this point that the male who is not cruel and does not seek revenge, who has longed for her for 2 years but denied his suffering so she could try and go back to her fiancé, who has never once pressured her about the bond, who literally has Sunshine in his blood, who can hold her in his arms at night and tell her stories about her father before they lost him, who does not feel something sparking in his chest for any other woman (and no, laughing with a female is not the same thing) is Elain's best match?

[cocktailsfairytales]

Amid Twisted Chaos (Darkened Skies #3)

Author: H.E. Bauman

Genres: New Adult/Adult Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Epic Fantasy with a cozy twist

Release date: February 19, 2024

Tropes and Story Elements:

Third book in the main series

Airship crashes, sea battles, night clubs, and smugglers

A dangerous heist

FMC’s power increasing

MMC gets 🗡️

Romance and a little more spice

Family secrets revealed

“You mean everything to me” and “It’s always been you”

An enemy's foe makes a dangerous friend...

With the Paragon’s target on their backs, Astrea and Varojin find themselves temporarily exiled from Talmaris for the safety of its people. Not content to wait until trouble finds them again, Astrea convinces Varojin and their guards to trek with her through the Novarian mountains in search of answers that will avert destruction.

Arriving at an abandoned Paragon site, the group finally gets a lead on the question that’s stumped them for months: what does Emperor Aelius want with the meteorite he found in the Badlands, and what does it have to do with void magic?

But upon returning to Talmaris with news of their discovery, Astrea and her friends receive an ultimatum from the Emperor. If they refuse to halt their investigation, they’ll suffer the consequences. So, with few choices and fewer allies, Astrea’s only option is take the conniving Victor Nazarov up on his nefarious offer of support.

But thwarting the Emperor’s evil intentions means breaking into the Helosian Empire and stealing an elusive artifact. And Nazarov’s help will cost Astrea dearly…

Readers must read the Darkened Skies series in order:

Under Darkened Skies (Darkened Skies #1)

Into Whispering Shadows (Darkened Skies #2)

Amid Twisted Chaos (Darkened Skies #3)

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CP1GDG39?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_2&storeType=ebooks

Tags:

@hebauman @rrbooktours

#rrbooktours #amidtwistedchaos #underdarkenedskies #darkenedskiesseries #romanticfantasyseries

#romantasy #cozyfantasyromance #fantasyromance #newadultbooks #newadultfantasy

[cloudedhues]

weekly reads (12/17)

the gentleman's gambit (#4) | evie dunmore: ★★★★☆

⤷ the last book in a league of extraordinary women series, which is about a group of victorian suffragettes who find love in their allies and specifically in the last two books, champions and activists of their own cause. so i was understandably feeling the gravity of it here. this one deals with an academic/linguist and a businessman posing as a scholar to retrieve stolen artifacts from his homeland. 

i feel like these all had the right ingredients for a well-developed romance but i think the execution of it still fell short of perfect. the main external conflict for example was riding on the heist, paired with the internal conflict of the leads overcoming their past experiences to trust in their love. however, i feel like the book was busy also being the Last Book of the series and just pulling in a lot of other threads that the resolution of the core story just feels a little unfinished.

like conceptually i understand the third act breakup (especially as a woman of color who lives in diaspora) but i don't know if it feels emotionally satisfying. and i think that could be rooted down to the fact that we learn a lot about elias and his perspective especially with regards to politics but we dont know the personal (and painful) context of his motivation besides an ill-fated love affair. what is elias risking by pursuing catriona? why is the betrayal so heavy as a man belonging to an oppressed class and as a man who's been disappointed by love before? and by asking these i mean how is the story showing us these answers rather than telling us?

for me, my political beliefs stretch over groups but they are no doubt rooted in very personal and very specific experiences. elias can say a lot about politics and the ethics of why he does what he does but as a character, where is the specificity? we spend a lot of the book with it telling us the history of his country and his people but not a lot of showing in why elias does what he does. i can see traces of it (especially in scenes of microaggressions and blatant racism) but the writing feels a little lazy in this regard by just applying a handwave-y "yknow 1800s-typical racism and xenophobia" as character motivations

if anything what we needed to learn more of was his family and his specific relationships with them besides some mentions and a few cameos from his cousin. a more cohesive way to tie external and internal conflicts from elias's side of things is to root his drive in his loyalty and perhaps complex feelings toward his family (and by extension his homeland) and have it face his burgeoning feelings for catriona (and his diasporic identity) and marry those together. hot take here but if the heist was going to conclude anticlimactically like that, it should have been placed halfway in the book. then dedicate the last half to catriona following elias back to his country and meeting his family and properly learning about them and what it means to have an interracial marriage in this time period. if we go by how the points are outlined, catriona's journey feels far more streamlined than elias's. a balance would have made the third act not feel so cut off and unearned. also we should have had two epilogues if it was going to end like that lol

but still. i have much love for this book and im sad to say goodbye to these characters. overall, my final thoughts for this series: best book overall is still probably the first one but my fave couple is the second. third and fourth book have perfect individual elements that i wish melded better with each other. which makes me think about them a little more than the first two because im always thinking about the could-have-beens. elias could have been my favorite mmc here if he was just a little more cohesive as a character

tokyo ueno station | yu miri: ★★★★★

⤷ the ghost of a homeless man reflects on his life, family, and poverty and the thin line that separates him and the most powerful man in his country. a re-read and still just as emotional as the first time. perhaps even more on a personal level since la is getting ready for the olympics, which make me reflect on how much my own streets have changed and displaced its own people. and how much more it will do so in the coming years. the final passage of the book is beautiful and agonizing. life does goes on, with or without you. for the better and for the worse.

[alayakarangalan]

Just sharing something. I was actually so mad that I didn't get to finish it.

I have a dream last night that I really do not want to end because it was so good. I swear my mind conjures the best plots ever and I actually woke up crying. She rejects him at the start (he is her true mate), and pushes him to find another woman to be happy with since she cannot have him or her mother will use him against her and unalive him. He actually hated her and felt betrayed so he left and through the years (they're immortal and vampires), he found another woman to take care of. There's a ball and they meet again, her maid (who raised FMC and the only one left that she cares about) told her true story to him and his allies there on how she is oath sworn under duress and cannot betray or committ treason to her mother both on words and actions and it is slowly draining her soul..

Eventually, FMC's mother has spies and reported back. FMC's mother then ordered her to unalive the maid and she did it, devastated but cannot do anything to stop it since it's a compulsion to obey. MMC and his allies saw this but can't do anything (I can't remember why they can't stop FMC).

I woke up at the part when she was begging him to unalive her because she is oath sworn to unalive her mother's enemies, which are his greatest friends and allies.

If there are book recs like this:

FMC rejects, betrays, or lets go of MMC (or harem) to protect him or for his own good. She is unwilling to do so (or under duress) and hurts him to protect him. He could be in danger if he stays with her or she may feel unworthy of him and wants him to choose another that is more worthy regardless of how much it hurts.

He may feel betrayed and may say some choice words to her. I want angst, grovelling and can include ow drama (not required). She does not choose another MMC, I want them to find each other end up together again. HEA and all that. No love triangles (I hate this trope with a burning passion). MF or RH. No triggers. Thank you so much!

Highly appreciated.

[abrcxasmalfoy]

2k make me choose: Regulus Black or Abraxas Malfoy

Regulus was instantly recognisable as the boy sitting in the middle of the front row: He had the same dark hair and slightly haughty look of his brother, though he was smaller, slighter, and rather less handsome than Sirius had been.

for @txmriddlx

[nickismail123-blog]

Separating hype from reality: is AI the answer to effective cyber security?

Photo caption: Is AI the answer to solving the cyber security conundrum?

The cyber security threats facing businesses have increased in velocity, volume and success. The problem is getting worse and there are more data breaches than ever before. Can artificial intelligence effectively mitigate this growing list of threats, or is it simply hype generated by the AI security vendors?

As businesses begin to generate and amass large stores of data, they become the targets of hackers. These malicious actors have a range of threats in their arsenal, including phishing attacks and new ransomware strains (such as WannaCry which disabled the NHS and other organisations around the world two years ago), which can infiltrate an organisation’s network and begin harvesting that most valuable resource, data.

In this cyber war, it is clear who is on the losing side. Organisations simply can’t keep up with the volume and variety of attacks. They need an ally, but is AI the answer?

AI: the savior or false prophet

Artificial intelligence, despite its portrayal in films such as The Terminator and Transcendance, is an umbrella term that describes the process of intelligent automation; machine learning, natural language processing, cognitive computing, deep learning and robotic process automation all fall under the AI and automation categories. It’s a process of augmenting human intelligence through ones and zeros to improve various industries and practices, including cyber security.

A number of AI security vendors have jumped onto this trend –– such as Darktrace –– and are delivering AI-enabled cyber security solutions that can help organisations respond to cyber security threats in a much faster and more effective manner.

According to Mike Beck, global head of Threat Analysis at Darktrace, the company’s latest solution, the cyber AI analyst, can emulate “the human thought processes that take place when a security analyst performs an investigation on a security incident. It’s like having an extra member of staff that is an expert in their field, and reports on issues in seconds, instead of hours.”

Photo caption: Mike Beck views AI as an extra member of staff.

But how can organisations trust this? A recent report from London venture capital firm MMC, found that 40% of ‘AI startups’ in Europe don’t actually use AI. They are, in fact, jumping on the AI hype bandwagon for investment purposes –– ‘AI washing’. And while this isn’t directly linked to AI in cyber security, it is a general problem that has negative connotations for the technology. Without trust innovation will be stifled, because organisations and users will become skeptical of the technology.

Photo caption: AI, today, is less like the machines portrayed in the Terminator and more like an assimilation of ones and zeros, or code.

AI is not a silver bullet, but has a role to play in effective cyber security

Despite this report and a general lack of trust in artificial intelligence, there is a place for AI in cyber security. The technology, combined with the security basics like firewalls, data encryption and endpoint protection, can help improve the overall cyber security posture of an organisation.

Among many applications of AI in cyber security, here are three of the most useful:

1. Identify new malware strains

New strains of malware are constantly generated and artificial intelligence is very good at identifying these new types of attack, because it recognise patterns far more effectively than a human. “The technology is useful in future-proofing organisations against new malware,” stated Labhesh Patel, CTO and chief scientist at Lubio.

2. Detect anomalies

The technology can also detect anomalies that enter a business’ network, alert the relevant person and stop the attack before it has had time to harvest a significant amount of data.

3. The insider threat

AI can be used to recognise unusual patterns in employee computer usage. For example, if a download is taking place outside of office hours and this is an unusual event, an AI system would be able to stop the potential data theft in its tracks.

Photo caption: AI is not a silver bullet for cyber security, but instead, should be included as one aspect of a formidable security strategy.

One part of a robust security strategy

Artificial intelligence, combined with doing the basics right, can improve an organisation’s cyber security posture.

“AI and ML are just tools, and it’s how you use the tools that matter,” said Etienne Greeff, CTO and founder of SecureData. “There’s certainly a role for ML and AI in cyber security; for example, they are very good at dealing with lots of information and trying to understand what is normal and what’s anomalous.”

He does argue, however, that “in cyber security and in application security, there’s actually no known application of AI. There’s no autonomous agent that automatically defines threats; that does not happen yet, and it’s not very close to happening.”

AI is not a silver bullet. Instead the technology should be integrated as part of a robust, defence-in-depth security strategy that keeps data safe, mitigates cyber attacks and focuses on risk management, rather than incident response.

[theindiareview]

MCC Compact Approval in Nepalese Parliament: Is it Good for the People?

These days MCC Compact approval process is going on in the Nepalese Parliament. The main political parties such as Nepali Congress and Communists and their allies are in favour of it but a section of public is opposing it tooth and nail by reaching out to the people and trying their level best to convince that MCC Compact is not good for Nepal. There are even some videos on social media suggesting worsts like landing up of US Army soldiers in rural Nepal. As a result, large number of Nepalese are confused and disturbed about future of their country’.   So, what is the whole controversy about? Is MCC grant good for the people of Nepal? Why are some people opposing it?   The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is an independent U.S. foreign assistance, development agency created by the U.S. Congress in January 2004. The aim of MCC is to reduce poverty through economic growth by way of partnerships with developing countries who are committed to good governance, economic freedom and investing in their citizens.   An MCC Compact simply means an agreement or treaty between MMC (viz. USA Government) and a developing country parner for the purpose of providing a financial grant to be spent on economic growth stimulating activities which would ultimately help reduce poverty.   MCC Compact Nepal is an agreement signed in 2017 between USA and Nepal that provides USD 500 Million (equivalent to about 6000 Crore Nepali Rupees) grant for improving road and power infrastructure in Nepal. This amount is grant, not loan meaning there is no liability to repay in future and it has no strings attached.  The Government of Nepal has committed to contribute another USD 130 Million from its own fund towards this objective.   This grant by USA for development of physical infrastructure has become possible due to proud achievement (in the recent decades) of Nepalese people in non-violent, constitutional development of democratic institutions based on rule of law.   It is well known economic principle that development of physical infrastructure especially road and power go a long way in stimulating economic growth which in turn brings in prosperity to the people. Any grant or assistance for development of road and power infrastructure should be welcome in the interest of prosperity and wellbeing of the people because in this case there is no possibility of falling in debt trap the way it happened in case of Chinese loan to Sri Lanka or loan towards Chian-Pakistan Economic Corridor (C-PEC) in Pakistan.   But a parliamentary approval may not be needed to avail a development grant from an aid agency. It's true that MCC Compact Nepal could very well proceed forward without parliamentary approval but in the case of any future litigation or differences the projects are likely to get caught in red-tape of bureaucratic and judicial procedures. Any possible project delay will mean project outcome will not be met on time which the funding body will be unable to explain before the US Congress. An approval by the Nepalese Parliament will put the Compact or agreement at par with an international treaty between two sovereign countries implying provisions of the treaty will get precedence before local laws and bye-laws which in turn will enhance possibility of timely execution of the projects.    The very fact that two main opposition parties viz. Nepali Congress and Communists are in agreement with the MCC Compact especially given the fact that the agreement was signed under the leadership of ultra-nationalist PM KP Sharma Oli should be good enough for the people to draw conclusions. Not many developing countries get this kind of opportunity. This has come in recognition of peaceful evolution pf democratic institutions based on rule of law in Nepal. Lot more is actually needed to do to develop Nepalese economy; this MCC grant is a small step which should hopefully contribute in pushing the wheel in motion.   Those who are opposing probably are xenophobic and do not want road and electricity to reach rural hinterland. But it seems more likely that the opposition to MCC Compact Nepal could well be part of well-known Chinese rivalry with the USA. This is because two narratives are presented before the people. The first is the case of cancellation of MCC Compact Sri Lanka. The Board of Directors discontinued the USD 480 Million Compact with the Government of Sri Lanka. The fund was supposed to be used to upgrade transport infrastructure in Colombo. The proposed compact had the support of erstwhile Government of Sri Lanka however it was voted out of office in the election by Gotabaya Rajapakse who is considered to be friendlier towards China. It was an election issue and the project was discontinued after change of government. It is interesting to note that China was able to secure Hambantota Port on 90 years lease for naval base when Sri Lanka defaulted on loan repayment to Chinese creditors. The other case being argued before the people is that Nepal would become another Afghanistan if the MCC Compact Nepal goes through the parliament. This is ridiculous because the political and social contexts of the Nepal and Afghanistan are diametrically opposite. Nepal is a peace loving, democratic republic where rule of law has substantially taken roots. On the other hand, Afghanistan has a long history of association with terror groups. Afghan society is characterised by tribal affiliations and loyalties. Unfortunately, it has been ridden with violence and instability for along time. Soviets went there in eighties but were thrown out by the America supported armed groups. The radical islamists Taliban usurped power after departure of Soviets and following days saw growth of terror groups that resulted in 9/11 and other similar terror incidents in the USA and elsewhere. USA went there twenty years ago in search of Bin Laden to bring him to justice. US Forces were able to control for a while but two decades of hard work has now gone down the drain and we have Taliban 2.0 now. It is outrageous to compare Nepal with Afghanistan. The only mandate that MCC Compact has in Nepal is to build roads and generate and supply electricity to households and industries and business. MCC would execute the projects to this effect just the way it does in several other developing countries in Africa and Asia. ***  Read the full article

[sometimesrosy]

Hey rosy- do you have any advice about how to naturally reveal details about a character throughout a story without like telling the reader explicitly upfront? I've developed a lot in my writing over the years but this is the one thing I've always had trouble with. I just get so excited about my characters and try to create their image with my words without considering a natural progression or effective storytelling.

Okay. This is something I’m dealing with now, as I am working on my revision of my novel. I already did my reveals, and I tried some things and fixed others and worked on doing what you said. I’m not going to give you a prescription for “how to reveal characters” and instead, I’m just going to talk about what I found when I started this revision. Because your question was an issue that I struggle with.

The first thing is that my initial opening chapter was a LOT of backstory and internal monologue. It’s a science fiction novel, so there was a lot of info-dump, just to set up the world.

In fact, there was so much info dump, as the MMC got ready to take off in their space shuttle. Here’s my shuttle, this is what it means, here’s this character this is what she means, here’s some back story for the next character. And yes, I did some action and some dialogue to make it alive, but it still bothered me. 

So you know what I did? I wrote a NEW opening chapter that took place 6 years before this one before he got his spaceship. I went into his backstory and the politics and social issues and characters. Only this time, I didn’t Tell his story as if he was thinking about how hard it was. I SHOWED him with a black eye because he was getting into fights because the people on the station wanted to use him, his sister and his friend as fodder. I laid out the dangers by having another character be an example of what could happen. I introduced space pirates, and made the space pirates a better option than staying where they were. I showed him sending his sister away to keep her safe, and the pain that caused, instead of talking about it as a long time ago pain.

And I also incidentally introduced the set up of humanity without a home, everywhere, living in space ships and colonies and on space station because the earth is poisoned and dead, and a class system based on what organization you’re allied with and what kind of living environment you are in. I showed a video that introduced the FMC as a child, and as someone who was of a class so far above his own that she almost wasn’t real. She’ll show up later, and now we’ve already got a sneak peak into where she came from and who she was, AND how those videos affected the other characters. 

But HOW do all those details get in there? A starting conflict introduces some of them. They don’t like him because he’s not pureblood miner like them, he’s a spacer brat and has no protection. His father is coming for him though. So he has an out, and dreams. Introducing the characters from the different strata, also helped, and I didn’t have to make my FMC actually show up in real life, the video did it. 

Is any of this helping? Introduce characters to show personality differences and conflicts and goals. Have them TALK. You can learn a lot about a character through dialogue. What do they want? How do they try to get it. Reaching goals is important in stories. And also the obstacles to reaching those goals.

Also describe the setting with telling details that show important points. I showed things like worn down technology, or the shady side of the low life space culture on one side, or fancy biofeedback and communications and, well, the shady side of the high class space culture. It’s all shady, and the MMC is just trying to get by. While the FMC is on the top of it all, but about to find out that it’s a lie. How do the characters INTERACT with the details. Add in judicious exposition or internal monologue about their thoughts, but try to keep the thoughts relevant to the movement of the scene.

 Put some action in there. Have them DO something. It doesn’t have to be the fight, it can be putting ice on your black eye after the fight. And use that action to introduce details about the characters. That they team up to fight against the bullies, or that morse code is from when she used to play games with her dad but now is being used as a secret code to tell her to GET OUT!

How do you know when it is the right details and when it’s taking you off the point? Well, check each detail. Is it ADDING to the scene? Does it help you learn something new about them? Is it relevant to the story? Every scene should have a point within the narrative. If it doesn’t move the story forward, whether for action, plot, character development, conflict… then does it belong there at all? Does it get the MC closer to their goal? Or does it represent an obstacle in that goal?  Huh, another thing I noticed. If you can show one detail that gives the reader information of the past, the present and a hint of the future, you have a detail that can help build your world and move the story forward and clarify the character.

The images you are showing of your characters have to do more than paint a picture, they have to tell the story. Find the right images and details and you can make the as pretty as you want, while STILL moving the story forward. Does the color of their eyes matter to the story? Probably not… well, I have one character who has a glint of silver in her eyes because she got a body modification to enhance her sight. But you’re not allowed to ask a private thing like how someone’s been modded, that’s intimate. And that means that Jai no longer has an intimate relationship with his sister who he sent away to live with pirates and only recently got back. See? Past, present and set up for the future. DETAILS THAT ARE CHARACTER AND PLOT AND WORLD RELEVANT. And it’s going to be an important plot point later. 

tbh i think i got a bit carried away here because i really love my story, so I hope you got something out of it and it wasn’t just me gushing about story details. 

[acourtofthought]

i don't wanna start anything really, just have to get this off my chest, but i don't get the hype for azriel. he creeped me out when i read the books (like i get that mor isn't being forward with him, but to get to tge point in which cassian has to act as a buffer between them?? when they're all supposed to be this super close family dynamic friend group? it just made me feel uncomfortable. plus, that bonus chapter makes things even worse. he comes off as entitled and even a bit possessive, as if he is owed a mating bond/relationship with elain. and the fierceness with which he gets attatched to these two women, in short period of times developing what seems more of an obsession than a crush... just weird for me)

this is not a critique of anyone who finds him likeable, hot and all the other adjectives, btw. i would actually love to get the hype lol...

I think it's easy enough to pick out Az's good qualities and see exactly why people like him but I agree, I don't understand where people are feral for him.

I realize we all like different things but it's still difficult for me to fully grasp it.

I.E., I realize that some women are really attracted to strange men in prison. They're not wrong for their attraction, their attraction to those men doesn't effect my life therefore it's not my business. However it's still confusing to me how that attraction comes about.

The Az thing isn't quite that extreme 😂 and I realize that as a SJM future MMC, we're all supposed to eventually be into him (that's usually the point of a romance author writing about a specific guy).

So maybe it's more of a I don't understand why people are feral over him right now.

First off, I'm not sure exactly what the Az at the end of his journey is going to look like. I really have no idea how dark Az actually is or how much of his personality will remain broody and closed off. Does he like torturing people? Does he feel bad over it? Is he always going to argue against Rhys and Feyre's orders? Is he going to start being nice to people outside the IC? Are we going to see a 90 degree turn around of his character? 45 degree?

Second, a very large portion of Az's character right now is obsession over females in a really unhealthy way. Which can sometimes be thrilling in certain romances (dark romance / mafia romance) but that's not the kind of author SJM is and because of that, it's difficult for me not to recognize his behavior as a red flag in this specific series. Also, it's not sexy considering he's acting like this over two females at the same time. The best thing about the obsessive male trope in dark romances is that he's fixated on one person.

Az as an individual is a cool character.

Az as a love interest is (right now) awful to me. If I was Elain or Gwyn, I would not find him appealing if I had a front row seat to his simultaneous thoughts on Mor and his thoughts on Elain.

Try it, pretend you're Gwyn right now and have a crush on Az. But then imagine that you hear how he yearns for Mor while simultaneously jerking off to Elain's headache powder and flippantly talking about killing an ally because that ally got a bond with the third sister while his brothers are with the other two.

Now pretend you're Elain with a crush on Az. Not only are you hearing the way he talks about you to Rhys but you hear how he can't confirm being over Mor and you see him being amused by Gwyn, having admiration for Gwyn and feeling happy over the thought of her happiness.

No matter what thought Az is currently having for any one female, it's tainted by the thoughts he's having for the other two. Even though he wants to kiss Elain, he's still happier around Gwyn and not over Mor. Even though he seems amused by Gwyn and shows admiration for her, he's still got thoughts of Mor (love) and Elain (sexual) running through his mind.

It ruins the romance for me and that is why it's so difficult for me to understand the Az hype at this moment.

[abrcxasmalfoy]

2k make me choose: Fred or George

“The thing about growing up with Fred and George," said Ginny thoughtfully, "is that you sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve.”    

for @dunnkirk (lov u)

[abrcxasmalfoy]

2k make me choose:

hello lovelies! I just (like two weeks ago) reached 2k followers! I wanted to do something special so I decided on a make me choose! I love and appreciate everyone for sticking around and following my blog even though school has made me the Most Inconsistent.Send me two of the things listed below and I’ll tell you which I prefer!

characters

ships

episodes/seasons

events (get togethers/ifghts/deaths etc.)

scenes/moments

story arcs

places

looks/outfits

things (weapons, symbols, possessions)

anything really

[abrcxasmalfoy]

2k make me choose: Ginny or Hermione

you could claim that anything’s real if the only basis for believing in it is that nobody’s proved that it doesn’t exist

for @inejsghcfa