#and they’re /2 different sets of guidelines/

[acesammy]

something I’ve learned as a graphic designer for mostly just school sports, is that most schools have very particular brand guides, but are very stingy with sharing them

[literaryvein-reblogs]

How to Find your Writing Style

Writing style - an author’s unique way of communicating with words.

An author creates a style with the voice, or personality, and overall tone that they apply to their text.

A writer’s style can change depending on the type of writing they’re doing, who they’re writing for, and their target audience.

A news journalist will have a very different style than a blogger, for example.

Elements of Any Writing Style

An author’s writing style is defined by 2 elements:

Voice: Voice is the personality you take on in your writing. It is the point of view through which you’re telling a story.

Tone: Tone is identified by the attitude that a piece of writing conveys. Writers create tone through elements like word choice, sentence structure, and grammar.

Types of Writing Styles

There are 4 main types of writing. While a writer will still incorporate their own voice in their writing, these different writing styles each have a purpose and specific audience, which dictates how an author should shape their copy:

Expository writing: Use an expository writing style to inform or explain a topic to readers. Examples of expository writing include technical writing, business writing, high school essays, and news articles.

Descriptive writing: Descriptive writing uses figurative language and sensory detail to describe a person, place, or thing to allow readers to create a picture in their mind. Descriptive writing is the style of writing most often found in poetry.

Narrative writing: Narrative style is writing that tells a story and includes elements often found in a novel or short story, like the main character, setting, and plot. It is most often used in fiction writing. Examples of narrative writing style include The Catcher in the Rye, The Color Purple, and The Lord of the Rings.

Persuasive writing: When you use a persuasive writing style, you communicate your opinion to try to influence the reader to adopt your stance on a subject. Examples of persuasive writing include cover letters, advertising campaigns, political speeches, and editorials.

Tips for Developing Your Writing Style

Whether you’re writing a novel or an article, you need a unique writing style that is distinctly you. Follow these general guidelines to help you find that style and develop your writing voice and tone:

Be original. Focus on the point you are trying to make and say it as only you can. Avoid using clichés—they lack creativity and originality and imply that you can’t think of anything else to write. Choose language that reflects both who you are and who you’re writing for.

Use your life experiences. The accumulation of unique experiences in your life have given you a distinct point of view. Incorporate that into your writing process. Let events in real life that have shaped you also inform your own work and voice.

Be present in your writing. Whether you’re developing a narrative storyline or writing a blog post, immerse readers in your story by being present when you write. Use an authentic tone. Use efficient syntax to effectively convey the details of your story.

Have an adaptable voice. While you should have a confident and consistent voice, writing styles should shift depending on what type of writing you’re doing. Different genres will work better with different types of writing styles. In creative writing, your personality will shift depending on the narrator’s perspective, and whether the story is told through first person or third person. Writing narratives with heavy dialogue, like screenplays, will require a writer to take on different styles with each character.

Step out of your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to experiment a little in your writing. While your style should reflect who you are, it should also stretch the limits of your literary personality. Incorporate a variety of literary devices to amplify your voice.

Read other authors. William Faulkner. Margaret Atwood. Stephen King. Ernest Hemingway. Each author has a unique voice, tone, and overall writing style they developed over the course of their writing career. Read some of your favorite authors as well as famous writers you’re not yet familiar with, and focus on how they use words and compose sentences to tell a story.

Write often. Good writers have a regular writing habit. The more you write, the more your writer’s voice will come into focus. One method many writers use is to have a morning journal. This daily writing ritual requires a three-page, longhand, stream-of-consciousness writing exercise first thing every morning. You’ll develop better writing skills and find your own unique style.

Hone your craft. Once you feel like you have a handle on your personal style, consider these other, more technical ways you can further improve your writing style:

Tips for Improving Your Writing Style

To be a better writer, you need to know how to be direct and clear, while also putting your own stamp on your writing. Follow these 8 writing tips for improving your style:

Be direct in your writing. Good writing is clear and concise. Lose filler words, like unnecessary adverbs and prepositional phrases, simply take up space and weigh a sentence down. Say exactly what you mean in the most direct way.

Choose your words wisely. There are many ways to write a sentence, and there are different words you can choose to convey the same idea. Always choose the simpler of two words. Use familiar vocabulary instead of lofty words from the English language. Simple words are more direct and easier for all readers to understand. Use a thesaurus if you need a little help finding a replacement or an easier way to say something.

Short sentences are more powerful than long sentences. A story loses steam with wordiness. Short sentences are easier to comprehend, something that readers appreciate. Avoid trying to pack too much into a line. Every sentence should contain one thought or idea.

Write short paragraphs. Keep your paragraphs short and manageable. Each one should consist of sentences that support the same idea. Short paragraphs are easier to digest. They also create a more visually appealing layout on the page. Academic writing often consists of lengthier paragraphs, as they need more information to support each theme. In less formal writing, shorter paragraphs are the norm.

Always use the active voice. Use the active voice and adhere to subject-verb-object sentence structure. It’s the most direct path to making your point. With the active voice, the subject is doing something, which is more exciting than the passive voice, in which something is being done to the subject. The passive voice might be grammatically correct, but it creates long, complex sentences and is a weaker way of presenting information.

Review and edit your work. Proofreading your first draft should be the first step in your editing process before you hand your story over to a professional editor. Tighten your writing, check your word choice and sentence structure, and hone your voice to improve your style.

Use a natural, conversational tone. Your writing style relies on your own, unique voice. Communicate in your comfort zone. In other words, write like you converse. Shape ideas with your original thoughts and voice, and do your best to avoid clichés. Your writing style should reflect your personality.

Read famous authors. Pick up any book by Mark Twain, and you’ll know it’s his writing simply by the tone of the story and the words he uses. Great writers put a stamp on their writing with a signature style. Along with works of fiction, read Strunk and White’s famous style guide The Elements of Style. Learning how other writers create their style. Then do the same with your own writing.

Sources: 1 2 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[sawamiyukiss]

5. Reputation Management: Screen Time

Ushijima Wakatoshi x Reader. Fake dating! Pt 1. 2. 3 4

Summary: In a live Q&A set, between the teasing comments from fans and invasive questions from the host, you're brought back to a night you can't forget. Ch 5/8

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

You arrived early to the set of the live Q&A special. A tight bundle of nerves twisted in your stomach. There was something strangely terrifying about sitting under the bright stage lights, filming for a televised live stream, and answering invasive questions with no script to really follow.

You felt your worries ease a little when Ushijima walked in.

��“I thought you might need this.” He held out your favorite drink in his hand with a warm smile. 

The sweet gesture seemed to catch you off guard. Lately, it felt like he seemed to know what you needed without you having to ask. He was thoughtful, beyond what the guidelines for your contracted relationship obliged him to be. And he was slowly becoming a steady figure in your life.

When the cameras began to roll, you went to take your seat beside him. You both sat on the same side of the couch. So close your thighs touched and your own hands felt heavy, too aware of the lack of space between you. 

Both of you naturally evaded each other’s personal space, but neither of you seemed to mind. It was a habit you had developed through your shared experiences together.

The host smiled brightly at you and went on to introduce the episode. They read through their cards and asked some introductory questions. 

“How’s your morning so far?” 

“I see you’re both sporting complimentary colors, was this coordinated choice?”

 “Following Mizuno’s training campaign and Nike Japan’s couple shoot that went viral, how do you feel being titled Japan’s national sweethearts?”

Their voice faded into the background as you gave your pre-rehearsed answers to those questions and you simultaneously got a chance to read through the livestream chat on the big screen in front of you. The monitor showed an uproar of comments, hearts, reactions, and username variations of your ship name. 

@ youshijimatruther: “THEY’RE SITTING SO CLOSE OMG” 

@ pls_kiss_youshijima: "national sweethearts FR i would die for them”

You couldn’t help but laugh softly under your breath. It was surreal—this version of you and him that had been created for entertainment purposes but seemed so real at the same time.

You looked over to Ushijima who had been answering a question about his experience during the filming of the show. 

Almost instantly, he turned towards you with an ease that seemed to startle you. It felt like his attention on you had already been in the back of his mind, engraved into his senses the feeling of your gaze.

You looked away first, feeling the heat of your cheeks rise up.

“OMG can they just kiss already !!”

“they are so in love did y'all see those secret looks!”

You blamed the abrupt pitter-patter of your heart on the commentary from the livestream. It was easier to do than admit the truth to yourself.

“I’m a little curious about this,” the host's voice brought you back to reality. “Is there anything you would like to have done differently during the filming?”

You hesitated to answer. Unsure of how honest to be. 

“Yeah, I think if we went back in time I might have liked to follow the rules a little more.”

The host was intrigued by this, as were the commenters in the live chat. Thankfully, your recent media training kicked in. “You’ll have to watch the live premier to see what I mean.”

You hesitated, the smile on your face holding steady even as your mind slipped elsewhere. You could not bring yourself to admit how much of a rule breaker you had been on set. However unintentional it had been.

Technically, you had lost the first challenge for not following the rules. Too much physical contact, the judges had said. You couldn’t really argue with that. 

Not when they felt so deliberately indulgent. 

The light feather touch of his hand on your back, the brush of your shoulder to his chest, his fingers delicately guiding your waist.

Innocent little touches that whispered in secret to you, but echoed loudly enough to land you in last place.

None of that compared to the embarrassment of day two’s events. 

You shifted in your seat, the memory making you flustered. Ushijima noticed, and he sent you an encouraging smile.

He mistook your reaction as nerves about the question, and not the memory of sneaking into his room the night before and getting in trouble for it the following morning.

You hadn’t forgotten the way the host of the reality show had gathered everyone that morning, their smile unusually tight.

“We had a minor rule violation last night,” they’d said, looking directly at you. “So as a reminder to follow guidelines, we’ll be switching up teammates for today’s challenge.”

They never said what the rule was. But the hushed whispers and the matching blush Ushijima and you shared said enough.

Your eyes had flown to Ushijima, your stomach sinking. You could still feel the heat of the night before. The way the sheets of his room had smelled like his cologne, simultaneously calming and clouding your thoughts. 

The way you’d stood outside his door, barefoot and holding a drink you didn’t really want. A prop to ground you after what you’d overheard from your roommates. Commentary that highlighted your insecurities.

Kiko and Marie hadn’t noticed you’d returned to the cabin. You’d stopped just outside the kitchen when you heard your name.

“She only got cast because of her boyfriend.”

“I mean, come on. We trained for months! It’s so unfair to lose screen time to someone who was handed their spot.”

You didn’t want to hear the rest. You left, blindly grabbing whatever was in the fridge and slipping outside.

You hadn’t planned to go to Ushijima’s room. But your feet led you to the one place you felt safe.

You knocked gently, softly enough that you wondered if he’d even hear it. But the door swung open almost immediately, as though he’d been waiting for you.

“Hey,” he murmured, eyes softening the moment he saw you. The concern was evident in his face. “Is something the matter?”

You avoided the question, walking inside and standing awkwardly near the foot of his bed. You were suddenly too aware of how tired you were. 

Ushijima didn’t press you with any more questions. Instead, he gently tugged you along to sit on the edge of the bed with him.

You talked quietly about the small frustrations of the day, the filming and the little moments you had noticed but struggled to divulge in the moment. He listened intently, contributing occasional thoughtful comments that helped the tension from your shoulders ease. 

He created a warm and steady comfort for you, and soon your conversation shifted to a more lighthearted note. He spoke a little about his teammates and old friends. He even showed you a video that Tendou had sent him of his latest chocolate creation. 

At this point, you had shifted to lay on the bed. Nestled in together, using Tendou's video as an excuse to be closer.

You tilted your head slightly, the curve of your cheek brushing gently against his upper arm. “The chocolates he sent you last time were really good. I still think about them sometimes.” Ushijima let out a soft sound, something between a hum and a chuckle. “He sent them for us.” You smiled at that. Us. A single syllable that carried the weight of everything unspoken between you.

Your eyes grew heavy, and without realizing it or meaning to, you leaned more firmly against him. The sound of his heart beat lulled you. You fell asleep like that. Side by side, with no cameras or audience to force you into it.

Only the quiet trust between you and the soothing rhythm of his breathing.

Now, seated on the brightly lit stage again, you glanced down at his hand resting quietly next to yours. Almost on instinct, your fingers flexed gently, brushing softly against his knuckles.

Your breath caught.

Hesitantly, he intertwined your hand with his.

The gesture was quiet, reassuring. It tied you down in the moment. The noise of your strayed thoughts and the tension in his shoulders seemed to ease.

And just like that, the nerves settled.

Tag List: @completelyjae, @notrustfratedjin (let me know if you want to be added/removed) 🌸 ⋆｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ . 🌸 ⋆｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ 🌸 ⋆｡ﾟ｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ 🌸

🌷✨ More characters and stories coming soon! Thank you for reading! 🌸💌 Requests are Open! 💌🌸 Feel free to send in headcanon ideas, drabble requests, etc! 🎀✨

🔗 Return to Masterlist 🌸 💌 🌸 All my other social media linked here!

[haguenauisforlovers]

♡ TO ALL WEBGOTT WRITERS ♡

First of all, you are loved. Second of all, as announced, this event will in fact be hosting a fic collection on AO3: Haguenau is for Lovers 2025 and it is now OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS.

FIC SUBMISSION DATES TO REMEMBER Fic collection reveal: Feb 12, 2024 Fic collection close: Feb. 20, 2024

It’s highly encouraged that you post your HifL Webgott fics in the collection so that in 20 years, when we all look back at this year's Valentine’s Week, we can all collectively say, wow, it really was terminal. Please read this event's fic rules, submission guidelines, and FAQs by clicking on ‘Keep Reading’!

How do I post a fic to a collection?

1. Head on over to the collection profile page (just click the link, babes): Haguenau is for Lovers 2025. 2. Click the “Post to Collection” button, as seen in the screencap below. You will be led out to the usual Publishing screen area.

3. Input your fic elements as per usual by adding your fic title, tags, relationships, characters, body of text, etc. Note: You can, in fact, save your work as a draft and the collection will still be saved in your drafted fic settings. If you find any stray typos or sentences that you want to rearrange after publishing the work to the collection, you’re free to edit away as you would a fic that’s published outside a collection. 4. Hit publish, and ta-da, you have imprinted Webgott into your soul and shared your work with like-minded sickos. Congratulations and thank you for your service. *At any point between Feb. 12-20, Webgott fics are welcome to be posted and published into the collection. 5. All fics (regardless of prompts followed) will be revealed and published by the moderators starting Feb. 12, 2025 (Webgott Wednesday). So if you submit early, and you don’t see your work appear on the collection, don’t worry! It will be appear on the date mentioned.

*For early fic submissions:

If you publish or draft your work before Feb. 12, 2025, we encourage you to change the date of your work once the collection is opened to the latest date. That way, your work will be bumped up to the latest works in the fandom/ship tag. 

E.g. You drafted/published your work into the collection on Feb. 10, 2025. Follow these steps to edit the date:

1. Go to your fic and click the “Edit” button. 2. Scroll down to the “Associations” area. There you will see a toggle button that says “Set a different publication date” (See screencap below). Click the check box to allow the date change.

3. Change it to the current date. 4. Scroll down and click “Post” to save your changes.

Can I submit more than one fic to the collection?

Yes, you can! Write out your Webgott heart’s desires. There is no limit to the number of fic submissions per person. The more the crazier. ♡

Is there a minimum/maximum word count limit?

There is none. Drabbles, poems, long fic, multi-chap if you have them are all welcome.

Can we include other ships?

This is a Webgott event so they must be The Main Relationship. Joe Liebgott/David Webster, that’s what it’s all about, baby. Ships apart from Webgott are welcome as background/implied.

Can we do AUs? 

AUs can be incorporated in, but fics should be set primarily in Haguenau.  e.g. Post-war is allowed but they have to be reminiscing about Haguenau. Modern AU but they’re thrown into a time machine and land right smack behind enemy lines. You get what we mean.

Are AI-generated fics allowed? 

Aww hell no. All Webgott works found here will be organic and free-range. RPF is honest work for real, beautiful, flesh-and-blood sickos. AI generated fics will be excluded from the collection.

Do you have any prompts?

Yes we do, friend. You can find them here!

Will you reblog my fic post on Tumblr?

Of course! Mention @haguenauisforlovers in your caption and/or tag your post with either #haguenauisforlovers or #webgottvday and we’ll be sure to reblog it on to our page.

Any more questions? Feel free to send over any inquiries you might have. This event’s inbox is open! Soooo excited to read everyone’s fics! Yayyyy. ♡

[upat4amwiththemoon]

Unwanted animal | part 3

Summary: Because that unwanted animal wants nothing more than to get out.

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x female!reader

Warnings: talk of killing

Word count: 1948

a/n: reminder that this series is already fully written, so sadly I can’t take any ideas into consideration!

Tags: @thought-of-you-and-me @rafecameronswhore @sayah13 @strangegardentaco @natashamaximoff69

masterlists | guidelines

All parts: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7

The slight cloud coming from her breathing is the only thing in her line of sight besides the empty corridors. The building is seemingly abandoned, as all the doors were open and windows broken, bringing in the winter coldness, but they’re still careful as they move through it.

The team is in the northernmost part of Russia, checking out a building said to be one of HYDRA’s hide outs. Although, if it was in their use, it definitely doesn’t seem to be actively used anymore.

Y/N holds her gun with both hands, pointing it forward as she creeps the hallway forward. Occasionally she hears someone talking in the earpiece she has, clear and empty being the only words. They’re all separated, everyone on a different part of the building. It’s not big, but still spacious enough to not see or hear anyone else.

Setting her hand on a door handle, she pushes the door open slowly, being cautious for any unrecognizable sounds coming from inside. She steps one foot in, then another, looking over the whole room. “Clear.” She mumbles for the others. The room is small, but it has a few cabinets in it, so she starts going through them.

Most of the lockers are empty, but one of them has a thin file with the HYDRA logo on top of it. With a hum, she flips it open. There’s only one file inside, with most of the text blacked out. After a quick glance, Y/N closes the file and stuffs it inside her suit before continuing her way forward. “This place seems like it’s completely emptied out. Take anything you can find with and circle back to the Quinjet. Let’s go back home.” Steve’s authoritative voice comes through the earpiece.

Y/N doesn’t answer, she walks deeper into the building, not having looked through all the possible nooks and crannies. Her steps are light and silent. She moves like a shadow, just like she was taught to. When she comes to the end of the hallway, her foot kicks something solid. She crouches down to inspect the item, tilting her head in recognition. It’s a ballet shoe. The pink color of it has faded and turned into something more similar to grey. It’s not in a tidy condition, showing it has clearly been used. There are holes and scratches on it, and parts of the laces are gone.

Standing up, Y/N kicks the shoe under a cabinet and starts walking back towards the entrance. Her gun is back in her holster and her steps aren’t careful anymore. She knows the building is empty.

The file and single piece of paper are splayed on a table. The Avenger’s are standing around it, trying to make sense of what’s in front of them. “That’s you?” Tony asks, looking at a picture with a child on it.

“Yes.” Biting the nail on her thumb, Y/N stares at the picture. “I don’t remember someone taking a picture of me.” She mumbles.

“You look pretty out of it.”

The old looking, blue toned picture is of Y/N laying on a medical table with her limbs tightly bound with thick belts. Her eyes are open, but she doesn’t look conscious enough to understand anything going around her. There are two scientists beside her, the other holding a large needle near Y/N’s arm. Neither of their faces are visible.

Project Super Soldier Serum

Test subject #3: Y/N [redacted]

Age of subject: [redacted]

Date of experiment: [redacted]

Start time: 04:23

End time: 09:38

Test subject is injected with serum believed to contain the ingredients of the Super Soldier serum, [redacted].

[redacted] subject behaves [redacted] effects are [redacted] bad consequences. Serum [redacted] wrong [redacted].

[redacted]

[redacted] hallucinations and paranoia.

[redacted]

Test subject reacted [redacted] death [redacted] aggressive.

Experiment results: inconclusive

Experiment will be done again.

“Do you remember anything happening in this picture?” Natasha’s soft gaze is locked on the side of Y/N’s face. She isn’t even trying to hide how she feels from the others, she’s too worried about the woman next to her.

“I-“ she takes a deep breath, she’s losing her composure, “I remember going to the experiments. I remember them telling us what they’re going to do to us. And then…then I remember waking up in my cell.” Her brows are scrunches together and eyes stuck on the picture in front of her. “Not long after waking up, someone would come tell me what happened during the experiment, but I don’t have any memories of going through it.”

“That’s okay.” Steve states, gathering up the file, having seen the look on Natasha’s face. This is enough for today. “At least now we have confirmation HYDRA is really trying to recreate the Super Soldier serum. Good work everyone, go rest.”

Y/N and Natasha walk in silence, the latter occasionally glancing to the side to see Y/N’s face. No matter how good she is at reading people, it’s always difficult to read someone with the same skill set as her. “You okay?” She asks once they near their rooms. Y/N nods silently. “Do you want to watch a movie, or something? To wind down, and stuff.” Her hand goes to the back of her neck, nails scratching it lightly.

“I’d like to be alone today, if that’s okay?” Y/N doesn’t meet Natasha’s gaze. Her hand is already resting on the handle of her door.

“Of course.”

Without saying anything else, Y/N opens the door and goes inside her room. As the door closes, Natasha frowns, her hands falling to the side of her body. She wants to be useful, to help Y/N get over her traumatic past, but she doesn’t know if she’s capable of doing that. After all, she is still struggling with her own trauma.

Muddled screams wake Natasha up from her sleep. She sits up quickly, her senses instantly heightened for potential danger. Realizing the sound came from Y/N’s room, she gets up and runs to the room next to hers. The light from the hallway allow Natasha to see Y/N’s huddled form in the middle of the bed. Her shoulders are moving up and down quickly, and her face is buried between her hands.

Natasha closes the door so the harsh light wouldn’t bother her before going to sit next to Y/N. She sets her hand on her back, moving it softly. “Hey, tell me what happened.” Her voice comes out as a whisper as if not to scare her.

Y/N shakes her head.

“Was it a nightmare?”

Moving her hands away from her face, Y/N nods. “Yes.” The whisper is almost too quiet to hear.

Natasha sets her palms on Y/N’s dry cheeks. Her thumbs rub the soft skin under them. “Do you want to talk bout it?” Shaking her head once again, Y/N leans her whole body against Natasha. After a moment of surprise, Natasha wraps her arms around her body, holding her close. “Everything’s going to be okay. The nightmares will get less frequent over time, and I’m always here to help you.”

“Can you sleep here with me, please?”

“Yeah, yeah of course. Come on, lay back down.” Moving the covers out of the way, Natasha lays down to the bed and then pulls Y/N on top of her. She throws the covers over them while Y/N hides her face in the crook of her neck. “Try to go back to sleep, you’re safe here with me.” She starts brushing her fingers through her hair. “Did the file you found today make these nightmares come?”

“I think so.” Her voice comes out as a mumble, her mouth being restricted by Natasha’s hair and neck.

Natasha hums, deciding not to say anything else and staying awake until Y/N falls back asleep.

For the next few nights, Y/N either asks Natasha to sleep in the same room with her, or she knocks on her door after midnight, asking if they could share a bed. Natasha always says yes. She cherishes sleeping next to her. It gives her warmth, and not only because she is sleeping next to another body, but some deeper kind of warmth. The kind that settles her brain and makes her feel more relaxed and refreshed once she wakes up in the morning.

It becomes a routine for them.

The more Natasha’s demeanor, and even personality, changes around Y/N, the more the other Avengers have noticed it. It is surprising for them, having always known Natasha as the calculated one who didn’t do relationships, but they like the change.

They believe Natasha has found someone who understands her and is able to help her. Someone who no matter what, stays by her side. Someone who could be her person. And everyone thinks she deserves to have that person near her, even if she doesn’t believe that. Y/N could be the one to make her realize, she deserves good, that she isn’t evil. There’s hope for her. She can wipe the red off her ledger.

They just hope Y/N is good enough for her.

“What’s your take on love?” Wanda asks Y/N, who happened to wander into the kitchen while she’s cooking.

“Love?” She leans her hip against a counter near the witch, her arms crossed over her chest. “I don’t know. I was taught to think of love as a weakness, to only use it against someone.”

“Have your feelings of love changed?”

The quiet hum of the hood vent and occasional clangs of the ladle hitting the side of the pot fill Y/N’s head. Love is a weapon. “Maybe,” she looks away from Wanda’s awaiting gaze, “I’d like it to mean something more than a leverage.”

Wanda nods with a hum. “Could you tell me about it? The Red Room, Natasha rarely talks about what happened in there.”

“We were taught to respect and fear the place, to think of our superiors as gods who have saved and blessed us. Being in the Red Room was a gift and the highest honor anyone could ever get. Which meant we were better than the rest.” She turns to look at Wanda with a small glint in her eye. “No one could take it away from us, except our superiors. So, we had to outshine each other every single day, we had to be the best, but only one could be. We were at war with our peers and there were no laws. Only when we went to missions, then we had to tolerate each other. Failed missions weren’t tolerated.”

“What happened if a mission failed?”

“They made us kill the failures.”

Wanda turns the stove off, afraid she’ll burn the food as she listens. “Did you kill many of your peers?” She’s almost scared to ask.

“Yes. I was the best.”

“You liked being the best.”

“I did. It gave me power over the others, and power in a place like the Red Room is essential if you want to survive. I wanted to live. I would’ve done anything to stay alive, and I did many terrible things.”

“Do you regret them?”

Y/N looks down. “Of course.”

“But you wouldn’t be alive if you hadn’t done them.” Wanda tilts her head. She has a sympathetic look on her eyes.

“No, I wouldn’t.”

Walking over to her, Wanda engulfs Y/N in a hug, who takes a step back in surprise, but lets it happen once the initial shock is gone. “I’m glad you’re alive.” Wanda whispers, sounding genuine.

“I am too.”

[dc-marvel-crossovers]

To celebrate and promote DC/Marvel crossovers, we’re hosting a “fanworks of fanworks” event!

Participants create fanworks in various mediums of existing crossover fics. The idea is to connect a community of writers, artists, and appreciators of DC/Marvel crossovers.

More under the cut, or in doc form here.

How it Works:

Writers submit a bookmark of their existing DC/Marvel crossover work (one fic or series per submitting author) to an Ao3 collection. Writers will also need to create at least one fanwork (any medium) of another author’s fic, but that comes later; see step 2. After bookmarking your fic, complete this form.

You do not have to submit a fic to participate! Participants sign on to create up to five fanworks of submitted fics, within the following categories: playlist, art, collage/moodboard, remix fic, timestamp/sequel fic, and podfic. Details below. If you’re interested in fanworking (but aren’t submitting a fic) and you want an email with a ping once the submission period closes, put your email on the list here! 

Writers and fanworkers are encouraged to share ideas and promote each other’s work!

Guidelines for the Event:

Writers will be able to indicate which types of fanwork they’re okay with their fic receiving. Each fic submitted will receive at least one fanwork, but can receive up to one of each type. A fic cannot receive more than one of each type of work.

If participants choose to create more than one fanwork, they each need to be for a different fic — you can’t sign on to do more than one type for the same fic. Participants can do more than one of a type (as long as they’re for different fics). For example, you can do playlists for up to five different fics, or a playlist for two fics plus a remix for three fics.

Any crossover of Marvel and DC is eligible — no restrictions on content, pairing, or length. But keep in mind that if people don’t want to read your fic, it’s less likely to get multiple claims.

A fic with more than one author can be submitted by one of the authors, even if a co-author has submitted a different fic of their own. The writer who submits the fic is solely responsible for participation and fanwork creation.

Timeline:

January 1 - Fic submissions close; reading window opens! Participants are encouraged to read all the fics in the collection before choosing which ones they’d like to fanwork. 

January 14 - First round claims — for writers only, to guarantee that each fic gets at least one fanwork.

January 21 - Open claims start. Once your claim is confirmed on the Big Spreadsheet you can start creating/posting immediately.

February 29 - Tentative deadline for posting fanworks. If a lot of people express interest we may set up staggered posting dates.

Types of Fanworks:

All fanworks need to be posted on Ao3 using the “inspired by” feature. If you need help embedding images or whatever else, we can help you figure that out, but you do need an Ao3 account. 

Original art. Digital preferred, but if you’d rather create traditionally and then scan to upload, we can work with that. 

Collage/moodboard. You can use a simple grid layout, or get more creative with it. These should have at least nine elements involved. 

Playlist. At minimum, ten songs. These will get posted to Ao3 either using a screenshot of the track listing, by typing out each track name/artist, or embedding the playlist. You can also include cover art, explanations of why you chose each song, snippets of lyrics, links to each song on YouTube, etc, if you want to get more in-depth with it. 

Timestamp/sequel fic. Maximum 5000 words. Fill in a scene that takes place during the original fic but did not make it into the original story, or write a sequel. 

Remix fic. Maximum 5000 words. Put your own spin on the plot of the original fic. Keep the original characters, but you can add additional characters to a scene, or see how one character making a different choice would change the whole plot, or reverse their roles, etc. 

Podfic. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Ideally, podfic should be complete by the end of the posting window, but if you’re working with a long fic and want to break it up, make sure you have at least one chapter posted. 

Questions? Message us on tumblr or email dc.marvel.crossover.mod@gmail.com

[anim-ttrpgs]

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy Rulebook June 6th 2024 Update and Changelog

It’s the first Thursday of the first month of us doing a regular patreon rulebook update on the first Thursday of every month, and that means a major update!

It has been so nice to be able to finally work on the rulebook again instead of doing nothing but Kickstarter prep and promotion, and man have I been hard at work. Last week, if you count my A.N.I.M. job and my “normal” job, the shortest workday I had was 9 hours and several of them were 14 hours. At least I enjoy both jobs!

We have started getting more art into the rulebook, and getting those stretch goals taken care of. One stretch goal (the forgery rules) has already been added in full, with another stretch goal about 75% done, plus a complete overhaul of how Chase Scenes work and a whole new mechanic for determining how the police react to the actions of the PCs. Now, as the PCs are investigating crimes, if they’re not careful, the police could be investigating their crimes in the background too!

In addition to all the changes from the changelog below, we now have new and improved character sheets, and the Eureka adventure module “FORIVA: The Angel Game” is now fully finished, not counting the artwork, but that is going to get its own post.

Here is the full changelog! Remember, you can get a copy of this beta version of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, along with three adventure modules, two short stories, and a novella, all for just $5 on our patreon page. And there’s no better time to do so, because of the Gorgon Initiative! Long story short, the playable gorgon monster type is a Kickstarter stretch goal we didn’t hit, but if we can reach 50 total patreon subscribers before the end of June, we’re going to be adding it to the book anyway! At the time of writing this, we’re at 41/50! You could make the difference, and get all this new Eureka content to boot!

CHAPTER 1

Have started working on replacing the examples of play with updated ones that actually fit the current and slightly more stable version of the rules. These will be found in various chapters. You can see them in the table of contents.

Added a Foreword, a section on other media to offer you inspiration when playing eureka, and a section on some of the subtler themes of eureka

Copy-edited Foreword

A few minor clarifications in the Making Rolls section

Added a chart explaining the percentage chances of failures, partial successes, and full successes for modifiers from -7 to +7. 

Added Heat optional rule. A whole new set of mechanics for tracking how much police attention the investigators may be drawing, as well as how law enforcement will respond. Currently a work-in-progress, but mostly functional already.

CHAPTER 2

Added the Forgery skill to write-in skills

Many new snoops have been added. 

Removed the “Seating” stat for vehicles, you know how many people can safely fit in a car

Removed the placeholder boat entries from the item list because we did not hit that kickstarter stretch goal

Added Skateboard to item list. 

Added four-wheeler to item list. 

Added Acceleration values to all vehicles in the vehicle list. Acceleration is a new stat used with the new way that Speed is calculated for Chases.

Adjusted the Driving bonus of motorcycles and dirtbikes.

Changed Large Mansion cost to 25 Wealth Points in character creation.

Started copy-editing this chapter.

CHAPTER 3

Added vehicle crashes to irregular forms of damage section

Tiny tweak to Drowning/Suffocation rules.

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

Completely revamped the way that Speed is calculated. 

Added a mechanic to determine how many nodes ahead a fleeing character starts.

Added an optional rule for bringing an end to chases 

Added vehicle attack rules for use during car chases

Added more guidelines for how to make your own obstacles

Added recommended numbers of nodes for chases and recommended distance between obstacles 

Added the work-in-progress random obstacle tables

On-Foot Urban Chase Obstacles table is finished but not edited

Vehicle Urban Chase Obstacles table is finished but not edited

On-Foot Wilderness Chase Obstacles table is finished but not edited. 

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

Increased capacity of an unfurled thing from beyond’s ‘stomach’ from three to fourteen.

Thing from beyond can now more easily attempt to engulf more victims after already containing one or more. This now prompts an escape attempt by victims inside rather than automatic escape.

Thing from beyond can now get a bonus to mimicry attempts by consuming a sample of the intended mimicry target’s DNA. 

Thing from beyond can now attempt to mimic a person they have never seen or heard by consuming a sample of their DNA, but narrator makes a hidden roll about it, so accuracy of mimicry will be unknown.

Gave acceleration value to witch’s brooms and other flying transportation

Gave Acceleration of +6 to Superhuman Speed trait

Gave vampire small bat manifestation +2 Acceleration

Gave vampire wolf manifestation +4 Acceleration 

Gave vampire massive bat beast manifestation +4 Acceleration

Gave wolfman wolf form +4 Acceleration

Gave lycanthrope wolf form +4 Acceleration

Added ability to resist curses to fairy and witch

Added ability for fairy to transfer curses to different names as a means of protecting themselves from curses. This gives them more of an incentive to collect names. 

Added a tiny bit about the fairy world

Added Monsters Eating Monsters section to provide rulings for some edge cases where monsters might eat other monsters and what would happen if they did

Stay tuned for a post about "FORIVA: The Angel Game", a terrifying Eureka adventure module, soon!

Elegantly designed and thoroughly playtested, Eureka represents the culmination of three years of near-daily work from our team, as well as a lot of our own money. If you’re just now reading this and learning about Eureka for the first time, you missed the crowdfunding window unfortunately, but our Kickstarter page is still the best place to learn more about what Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy actually is, as that is where we have all the fancy art assets, the animated trailer, links to video reviews by podcasts and youtubers, and where we post regular updates on the status of our progress finishing the game and getting it ready for final release.

Beta Copies through the Patreon

If you want more than just status updates, going forward you can download regularly updated playable beta versions of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy and it’s adventure modules by subscribing to our Patreon at the $5 tier or higher. Subscribing to our patreon also grants you access to our patreon discord server where you can talk to us directly and offer valuable feedback on our progress and projects.

The A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club

If you would like to meet the A.N.I.M. team and even have a chance to play Eureka with us, you can join the A.N.I.M. TTRPG Book Club discord server. It’s also just a great place to talk and discuss TTRPGs, so there is no schedule obligation, but the main purpose of it is to nominate, vote on, then read, discuss, and play different indie TTRPGs. We put playgroups together based on scheduling compatibility, so it’s all extremely flexible. This is a free discord server, separate from our patreon exclusive one. https://discord.gg/7jdP8FBPes

Other Stuff

We also have a ko-fi and merchandise if you just wanna give us more money for any reason.

We hope to see you there, and that you will help our dreams come true and launch our careers as indie TTRPG developers with a bang by getting us to our base goal and blowing those stretch goals out of the water, and fight back against WotC's monopoly on the entire hobby. Wish us luck.

[homestuckreplay]

Jade Harley OSHA Violations Tally

(page 801-817)

On page 801, Jade ponders the volcano outside her window, reminiscent of WV’s actively volcanic planet on the left of p.703. Jade’s volcano has ‘been inactive for centuries’ but there is still ‘volcanic energy deep underground’, which I am sure will not be relevant or ever come up again.

The MAGIC CUE BALL ‘mak[ing] predictions with alarming precision and specificity’ but lacking a way to see this is a very good bit, but I’m more interested in the magic 8 ball. Jade has ‘tested it numerous times with certain facts [she] know[s] to be true’ but her knowledge comes from strange places. My working theory is that Skaia’s influence over Earth comes from a power source – the frog statue on Jade’s island – which she draws on just as her grandfather draws on the geothermal energy. So there’s two possibilities for the magic 8 ball – either it’s a genuinely powerful artifact that has been ‘scrambled’ by Skaia’s influence, or, it’s usually just a silly toy but becomes an actual predictive device under Skaia’s power, and it’s Jade’s knowledge that is incomplete.

Today being ‘NOT EXACTLY’ John’s birthday is on face a reference to this page being posted on October 24, not April 13 – Jade later explicitly breaks the fourth wall, so does she know this? Is it possible that John celebrates his birthday on 4/13, but wasn’t technically born then (hospital mistake, adoption, born in a different timezone so it wasn’t 4/13 in PT, etc…). Jade is always so certain she’s right even when she has no hard evidence, and the most interesting thing for her character would be having her deal with being wrong.

I hoped Jade’s fourth wall diversion would be interactive (page 812 even calls it an ‘interactive flash application’), but it’s a lucky player inside the computer who gets to play. I love Jade reacting to each click before the card is revealed, trying to give hints that the player completely ignores. It’s explicitly Jade letting the player do this, while John was completely unaware of the cursor (p.6, 19) although he did react to the wrong name on page 2. I think that in our John → Rose → Dave → Jade progression, as the characters get weirder, they also get more aware of the fourth wall.

It is very cool to see some of Jade’s inventions in practice. You can tell Jade made the cookalizer herself – anything where the settings are ‘Thaw’, ‘Cook’, ‘Irradiate’ and <large explosion> is not going to conform to health and safety guidelines. Clearly this is why Jade thinks Rose is ‘sort of hard [to] shop for’ (p.442), as Rose cares about generator safety and wouldn’t trust a weird gadget, while Jade is all about scientific experimentation at all costs.

Miscellaneous thoughts:

Is Jade calling a fursuit a ‘raggedy synthetic tufty piece of crap’ (p.802) the first time she’s really dunked on something?

Very funny that Problem Sleuth and Problem Sooth both exist in this universe. Which one is a parody of the other?

Jade’s crystal ball velvet pillow (p.803) matches Rose’s mom’s thank you note velvet pillow (p.373) in their respective text colors.

What is the DEAL with these fruits. Why won’t they settle down why are they ‘impudent’ like they’re puppets and did Jade get that word from Dave or vice versa??

No but seriously if you are a vegan or vegetarian reading this, would you eat fruits that jumped around and smiled I am genuinely curious

Rotary dials are so sexy but why is there no cheese, the most important chilled food, in Jade’s refrigerator?

‘dial up a thick T-bone steak’ (p.816) is a really good phrase that I’m going to start slipping into everyday speech. Gotta dial myself up some cheese and crackers

> Jade: Use science gadgets to drill hole in MAGIC CUE BALL.

[marta-bee]

News of the Day 5/16/25: First Thing We Do, Let's Kill All the Lawyers

.... or in this case, the regulators.

Paywall-free.

Rachel's talking about the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which deals with normal products we use rather than food and medicine we put in our bodies. I've been thinking more about the groups that look out for food and drug contamination, like the FDA and CDC. I could add other bits of alphabet soup that help protect us citizens from unsafe or unfair products: the EPA, APHIS, CPSC, even DHS. It's a patchwork system and it's never enough, but it's still better than the alternative.

The reality is, the Trump administration sees regulations as the enemy of business growth, and they've clearly sided with businesses. To be sure, there's a balance to be had, and red tape for red tape's sake is never helpful. But at the end of the day we all have to trust the products we use, food we eat, even the air we breathe is safe when we can't actually know what's happening in the R&D labs or at the factories. Sadly, under Trump, that trust's often a lot less earned.

Get your shots, wash your hands, talk to your doctor, and be as careful as you can with what you eat without turning into a complete basketcase. & here's hoping we get bac to being able to trust someone good is keeping an eye on all this for us!

PS- "Let's kill all the lawyers" is from Henry VI, Part 2. LitHub has a good look at the different ways of reading it. Certainly it's worth thinking about in the age of Trump.

More Stories on Regulation, Inspection Cuts, and Other Food and Drug-Related Shenanigans

Explainer: How does US food safety work, and what cuts has Trump made? (X)

US farm agency staff warn Congress of food safety risks, political interference (X)

The FDA is planning to rely on generative AI to make decisions about food, drugs, medical devices, and diagnostic tests. (X) 

More Than 15,000 USDA Employees Take Trump Administration's Resignation Offer (X)

Experts Warn of Public Health Risks as the Trump Administration Eliminates 2 Critical Food Safety Committees (X)

HHS announced a new “10-to-1” rule: “For every new regulation introduced, at least ten existing regulations must be eliminated.”

FDA stalls in posting food safety warning letters amid staff cuts (X)

Trump has nominated a very fringe surgeon general. (X) MAHA still doesn’t think she’s quite fringe enough. (X)

The FDA is pulling authorization for fluoride pills for children, which it claims are harmful for kids. Researchers disagree. (X)

A chemistry nobel laureate warns of an “exodus” in scientists as we cut research funding. (X)

They’re also issuing new vaccine approval guidelines, driven by questions about COVID vaccines. (X)

HHS approves three new natural food dyes while pushing to phase out synthetic food dyes. (X) Not a bad idea, necessarily, but hardly our priority with everything else going on.

“Farms and Families in Crisis: The Trump Administration’s Assault on America’s Food System” (X)

Tangentially-related, Trump announced a big plan to lower drug costs

Paywall free version.

Trump promises to lower prescription drug prices by 80% by forcing drug companies to charge US customers the cheapest price of any “similarly developed” country. (X)

The text of the executive order.

He actually tried the plan in his first administration, and it didn’t work then. (X)

Washington Post wasn’t a fan. (X) Fox went so far as to call it price controls. (X) You know, that thing that had them labelling Kamala a communist.

Wall Street Journal argues the plan is “more bark than bite” and will have a limited impact. (X)

The NY Times questions Trump’s legal authority to set drug prices. (X)

The Center for Global Development on how Trump’s model would impact global drug prices.

And finally, an unrelated bit of candy if you've gotten this far. :-)

Paywall-free.

[sruthysree]

The Dark Side of Social Media: How Brands Should Handle Trolls & Negative Comments

Social media can be a brand’s biggest ally — boosting awareness, building communities, and driving sales. But let’s face it — it also has a dark side.

With millions of users freely expressing their opinions, social platforms can easily become a breeding ground for trolls, haters, and negative comments. And whether you’re a small business or a global brand, no one is immune.

The good news? You can handle negativity without damaging your reputation — in fact, done right, it can actually strengthen your brand.

Trolls vs. Genuine Negative Feedback: Know the Difference

Before reacting, it’s crucial to understand what you’re dealing with.

✅ Genuine Negative Feedback — These are complaints, concerns, or criticisms from real customers. It might hurt to read, but this feedback is valuable. For example:

“Your delivery was delayed, and customer support didn’t help. Really disappointed.”

These comments, when handled well, can turn an unhappy customer into a loyal fan.

❌ Trolls — Trolls aim to provoke, irritate, or spread negativity — often with no real intention to solve an issue. Their comments are aggressive, sarcastic, or outright absurd.

Example of a troll comment:

“Your product is garbage, your company’s a joke, and your logo looks like it was designed by a toddler.”

No amount of logical reasoning satisfies a troll — their goal is chaos, not conversation.

How Brands Should Handle Negative Comments

1. Stay Calm — Don’t Engage Emotionally

First rule of social media management: Don’t take it personally.

When faced with negativity, resist the urge to fire back or defend aggressively. Remember, your reply isn’t just for the commenter — it’s for the entire audience watching.

Example: When a customer complained about a late pizza delivery, Domino’s Pizza replied politely, apologized publicly, and offered to take the conversation to private messages. Their calm, professional approach won them praise from onlookers.

2. Acknowledge Genuine Concerns

If the comment is a legitimate complaint, own up and offer a solution.

Template Response:

“We’re sorry to hear about your experience. This isn’t what we aim for. Please DM us your order details so we can make it right.”

Showing empathy and accountability builds trust and demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction.

3. Don’t Feed the Trolls

Trolls thrive on attention. If a comment is clearly abusive, off-topic, or designed to provoke — the best response is no response, or a polite shutdown if needed.

Example: Wendy’s is known for its witty comebacks on Twitter. When trolled, they often use humor or sarcasm to shut down nonsense, but they’re careful not to engage in drawn-out arguments that drain energy.

4. Set Clear Community Guidelines

Having visible community guidelines on your page helps manage expectations and behavior.

Your rules can include:

No hate speech

No offensive language

Respectful discussion only

Spam and trolling will be removed

This gives you the authority to delete comments or block users without appearing unfair.

5. Use Moderation Tools

Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube offer tools to filter profanity, block specific keywords, and hide inappropriate comments automatically.

If a troll gets past these filters, block or report them when necessary.

6. Turn Negatives into Positives

Handled well, even criticism can create positive PR.

Example: A customer once tweeted that their Tesla Model S had issues. Instead of ignoring it, Elon Musk personally responded, acknowledged the flaw, and promised improvements. The incident turned into a PR win, showing Tesla listens to its customers.

7. Know When to Walk Away

If a thread gets excessively toxic, it’s okay to:

Politely end the conversation

Move the discussion to private DMs

Block the user if they violate guidelines

Your brand’s energy is better spent on constructive conversations than endless battles with trolls.

Trolls Are Inevitable — But Damage Isn’t

The dark side of social media is real — but it doesn’t have to dim your brand’s light.

With the right approach:

You can turn negative comments into growth opportunities.

You can protect your community from toxic behavior.

You can show the world your brand values professionalism and accountability.

Handling negativity with care is just one part of building a strong online presence — explore more tips and strategies for effective social media marketing to help your brand thrive.

[diorgie]

How to Submit Written Works and Get Accepted

Breaking into the world of publishing can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re submitting to a magazine, a blog, or a literary journal, the process becomes much simpler when you approach it with preparation and care. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate submission successfully and boost your chances of acceptance.

Step 1: Know Your Target

Before you even start writing your submission, research where you plan to send it. Not all publications are the same, and understanding their tone, style, and audience is crucial.

Read their guidelines: Most publications have clear submission guidelines available on their website. These often outline the preferred word count, formatting rules, and specific themes they’re looking for.

Explore past works: Spend time reading what they’ve published before. This gives you insight into what resonates with their editors.

When you tailor your work to a specific publication, you’re already demonstrating respect and understanding of their platform.

Step 2: Polish Your Work

No matter how brilliant your idea is, a poorly edited submission won’t do it justice. Before hitting “send,” ensure your piece is as strong as it can be.

Edit rigorously: Check for grammatical errors, awkward phrasing, and typos. Tools like Grammarly or Hemingway can help, but a manual read-through is equally important.

Get feedback: Share your work with a trusted friend, writing group, or mentor. Fresh eyes can catch things you might have missed.

Follow formatting rules: If the guidelines specify double-spacing or a particular file format (like .docx or .pdf), make sure you adhere to them. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference.

Step 3: Write a Compelling Cover Letter

A well-crafted cover letter can set the tone for your submission. It’s your chance to introduce yourself and your work in a professional yet personal way.

Keep it concise: Editors are busy, so keep your letter brief and to the point.

Personalize it: Address the editor by name if possible. Mention why you’re submitting to their publication and how your work aligns with their vision.

Show enthusiasm: Let your passion for the subject and their platform shine through.

Here’s a simple structure:

1. Greet the editor.

2. Introduce yourself and your work.

3. Briefly explain why it fits their publication.

4. Thank them for their time and consideration.

Step 4: Be Patient and Professional

After submitting, you may have to wait weeks or even months for a response. During this time, resist the urge to follow up excessively. Most publications will specify a timeline for responses; if they don’t, a polite inquiry after three months is reasonable.

If you get accepted, celebrate! But if you receive a rejection, remember that it’s not the end.

Take feedback gracefully: Some rejections come with valuable critiques. Use them to improve your work. Success often comes after persistence. Many famous writers faced countless rejections before getting their big break.

Step 5: Build Relationships

Publishing isn’t just about the work—it’s also about connections. Engage with editors, writers, and readers in your chosen field.

Attend events: Writing workshops, conferences, and local readings can help you meet others in the industry.

Stay active online: Share your work and support others on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, or specialized forums.

Be kind: A positive reputation can open doors.

Above all, submitting your written work can be nerve-wracking, but it’s also an opportunity to share your voice with the world. Remember that every submission—accepted or not—is a step toward growth. With persistence, preparation, and passion, you’ll find the right home for your words.

Good luck, and keep writing!

[concerningwolves]

Hi. Hope you’re well! I’ve been focusing on writing my first book for months but I’ve yet to complete an outline (I need an outline to be able to write). I know the start and the end and have developed characters but the rest feels impossible. I get overwhelmed by the possible ways I could take the story and the different concepts I could incorporate and yet any ideas I have for conflict feel hollow and not true to the characters and story. My novel is a fantasy and I just keep falling into the ‘protagonist fights bad guy somehow’ route, which I know isn’t a bad thing but it all feels very forced and false in my story. I don’t know how to fill the gap between the start and end and I feel like even if I did, it wouldn’t be enough to be a whole novel. I want to focus on the relationship and conflict between the main characters but can’t think of actual things that need to happen. I really hope this makes sense, apologies if it doesn’t!

Hello hello, I'm absolutely mortified to realise that this ask came in seven months ago and I am SO sorry. I hope I'm not answering so late that my answer is of no use at all.

I’ll answer in two parts: first, some tips for outlines and what to do when you’re stuck with them; second, some thoughts on what counts as conflict and different ways it can be used to create plot points. The TL;DR version of this answer is:

Instead of trying to make an outline "stretch" to cover a whole novel, shrink the story to fit your outline.

Reverse-engineer plots of stories that you find inspiring and see how it’s done there.

Conflict and relationships between characters absolutely count as “actual things that need to happen” in a story.

What we consider the actual events of a story are basically the result of various reactions between sources of conflict and characters.

The conflict and reaction – i.e., the actual events – look different depending on the genre

Genre can offer a guideline, but you don’t have to be defined by it.

Part I: Troubleshooting Outlines

1) Scale down the story

Instead of trying to make an outline "stretch" to cover a whole novel, shrink the story to fit your outline. Try a novella or short story first! You may find once you've written the short version that you've learned enough about your world, characters and plot to expand it – or you might be happy with it as it is. It may even be helpful to ditch the confines of novel/novella/short story etc altogether and just outline without regard for length (unless of course you like having that structure to work within!).

The fun thing with working on a smaller scale is that it's easier to try out all those different ideas, too. No writing is ever wasted, even if you don't make a finished piece out of something.

2) Try a different plot structure

Reedsy has a very helpful article about seven different types of plot structure – it’s not exhaustive, but these are the most common types, and they’re very well-explained here. If you feel like you’re trying to make your outline meet with certain genre expectations, then choosing a more “adaptable” structure such as Dan Harmon’s Story Circle might help shake something loose.

This is also the point where studying media that uses these plot structures is useful – study how the plot moves from point to point, and ask yourself what you could to replicate that.

3) Cut up the outline

Instead of looking at the big picture, zoom in and work out the series of events for a smaller section of the story. If you’re following a set structure, work out the series of events of the first part/act. So if you were working with the aforementioned Story Circle structure, you’d take maybe the first part (A Character is in a zone of comfort) and break that up into questions like:

What is their comfort zone/status quo? – sets up the story.

Why do they still keep it? – tells readers about your character and their situation.

What could possibly compel them to step outside of it? – sets up the character’s/characters’ goals in life; leads into the next stage of the plot structure.

You could even only write that first part, as if it’s an isolated piece of story, and see if any more inspiration pops up while you’re writing. Sometimes you need to grease the wheels of your brain by experimenting before they’ll start turning.

Part II: Plot outlines, conflict, and genre-blending

In any genre, the plot points are (basically) generated by the character’s reaction to conflict. There are different “sizes” of conflict. Some are big and have stakes that could make or break the whole world. Some are small, and boil down to the relationships between characters, or a character’s own inner conflict with themself. All of these can drive a story forwards.

Fantasy typically deals with those broad, world-sweeping conflicts, but the smaller conflicts can drive the plot just as well as the big ones. Let’s take The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien as an example. The initial source of conflict – the reason the story exists – is the existence of The One Ring, and the threat that if the Ring ever returns to its creator, the entire world would fall into shadow and destruction. By a series of unlikely chances, the Ring is now in the hands of a hobbit called Frodo. The inciting incident – the thing that sets the story moving – is when Frodo learns that the Dark Lord has sent his agents to reclaim the Ring, forcing him to flee his home in fear for his life (and also for the fate of the world, but that’s less of a consideration for him personally at that point).

The first major arc of the story concerns Frodo and his friends’ flight from the Shire to Rivendell. Many things happen to them in that arc. Sources of conflict include a sentient (semi-sentient?) forest, the enemies pursuing them, undead kings, traitorous humans, a guy called Bill Ferney, and the mysterious absence of the man who was meant to be their guide and protector. It’s a series of events presumably devised by Tolkien asking himself “how can I draw these characters deeper into the plot?”, “what could make their situation worse and/or better?” and “what cool worldbuilding can I make relevant/utilise here?”. (These are all very useful questions to ask yourself when building an outline!)

What I find the most interesting about the plotting of The Fellowship (and the entire trilogy) is that, for all the high stakes and despite the sheer scale of the threat, it’s often the “small” (i.e., interpersonal or internal) conflicts that have the biggest impacts on the story. At the climax of The Fellowship, the company breaks up, not because of some devastating blow from the bad guy they’re fighting, but because of

Interpersonal conflict: two characters fundamentally disagree about something (Boromir and Frodo disagree about who should carry the Ring/what to do with it).

Inner conflict: Frodo is overcome by his fears that he’s bringing his friends into danger and that his own friends could become a danger to him.

Granted, there are other narrative and fantasy world aspects going on as well (because there can be layers and/or multiple sources of conflict), but ultimately it’s the conflict between characters and one character’s reaction to this that decides the outcome!

In other genres, the plot is entirely built up from these kinds of personal conflicts. Romance is the strongest example, but not the only one – soap operas, family dramas, slice of life and certain classical novels all use them as a framework. Perhaps romance isn’t your cup of tea, or you don’t want any romantic relationships in your book, but I think there is still a lot to learn from studying the plot of romance stories – particularly if you want to write something that focuses more on character relationships, as opposed to genre-typical conflicts. Authors like Rainbow Rowell (The Simon Snow trilogy) and Joy Demorra (Hunger Pangs) have blended romance and fantasy genre elements to tell stories that feature the best of both.

And if you want an example of a story with a plot that’s mostly driven by a non-romantic relationship, look at the video game The Last of Us. Although there’s the overarching plot of travelling across the country in hopes of finding a cure for a zombie virus, it’s the found family relationship between Joel and Ellie that carries the story. Just off the top of my head, there’s a significant plot point created by Ellie thinking that Joel is using her as a replacement for his dead daughter, so she runs off. It’s compelling because by that point, the big stakes (Ellie is humanity’s last hope for a cure, on her own in a dangerous world) are almost secondary to what this might mean for their relationship. At the final climax, it’s Joel’s internal conflict (his affection for Ellie VS the possibility of a cure for everyone) and his reaction to it (choosing Ellie) that carries the story to a superb ending which has haunted me for well over six years.

Which is all to say that genre is far from being a rigid box you have to work inside of. You can absolutely borrow elements from other genres and recontextualise them to tell the story that feels more authentic to your characters; the story that you want to tell. Play with different possibilities! Write multiple outlines if you need to, and see which one feels right. Try asking yourself a series of questions such as:

If my story was a [romance/family drama/medical drama/slice-of-life, etc.], what might happen next? – i.e., what kind of conflict could your characters face next, and where might it come from?

How would my characters react to this plot point? – what choices would they make that could then move the plot forwards? (Note that a character not reacting can also create a plot point: the important thing is there needs to be some sort of consequence, which acts like a stepping-stone to the next plot point).

What kind of influence does my fantasy setting have on this? – i.e., What parts of my fantasy worldbuilding can I use here? What are the external/background sources of conflict/stakes in play? What other consequences might there be for me to work with?

Or, would this plot point have an impact on the fantasy setting? – does it change something big or have far-reaching consequences?

Hopefully something in here will help you get unstuck (if you haven't already (⌒_⌒;) Again, apologies for the long wait!).

Best wishes with your writing! x

[vulpiximisa]

So uh, yeah, i dont know what the point of this show is lmfao

From the get go, Maeshima is so unlikable, there’s nothikng about him that makes me want to root for him at all. We see him lose to Shinozaki and the declaration but like, what about it? Why do I want to see Maeshima beat Shinozaki? The only reason is because Shinozaki says he is unbeatable so that’s the only reason but why would i want to see Maeshima specifically beat him? I don’t. Like, at all. I literally do not care about this guy. 

Losing his ice skating parents and being forced to quit skating because of his own bet was an interesting start but personality wise he is soooo unlikeable. The only thing that I would have liked to see more is maybe him and Terauchi since he still reponds/calls him by his childhood name. 

The “I want to win!!!” is so not endearing. I’m just thinking about other sports series protags, most of them want to win because they love the sport so much and they just want to keep doing it. Or they want to win because their team wants to win and they just want to be helpful to the team/be a part of it, carry the hopes and dreams, etc. Maeshima here just wants to win against Shinozaki for what? For pride? The rest of Ionodai also are mostly in it for pride but like, they were a whole ass team before Maeshima butt his ass into the club.

I don’t have a problem with Sasugai and Maeshima as a duo, theyre both kind of assholes so i can’t really tell if they like “care” about each other. Yeah they had that moment in the last episode but i feel like whoever made this show was like “the  coach and MC HAVE to be AS UNGAY AND UNHOMOEROTIC AS POSSIBLE”. Yeah we have the “I need you” line, but I didn’t feel ANYTHING from it. It’s like they HAD to add that line but it kinda just feels so forced.

Seeing the different parts of Shinozaki and Sasugai so late in the series is such a fucking waste. Like I get that it’s supposed to be some “ultimate pay off”, but I had to sit through all of this training nonsense that I don’t even care anymore. 

Literally I can’t remember what goes on in the show? There’s a lot of technical practice and training and sometimes we see the competition but it just feels like a waste of time because we never actually see a whole performance. The last two episodes felt like that was the most performance they had tried to animate but all the in betweens will be audience and viewer shots.

I feel like they never really flesh out the actual rules or guidelines of the sport, so when they talk all the technical jargon it just doesn’t make sense and its just there to make the character look like they know what theyre talking about but you don’t even see what they’re talking about. The sport itself is a mess, like yeah its ice skating performing but why do they need to do it as a team? They have all these positions but what do they actually do? We don’t know because they never go into it because the creators probably also don’t know and they just wanted to sell a team sport. 

I never, ever, Ever felt any camaraderie in Ionodai. It felt like a cop out because they already knew eachother from when they were younger but Maeshima and Sasugai always feel like they’re doing their own thing so you never really see them interact with the rest of the team. Instead of spending time showing the technical stuff,I’d rather see character episodes, because yeah we know Of the Ionodai members but we don’t know Know them, like, at all. 

I’ve felt more camaraderie from Kogahara than Ionodai, and that team is literally just Himekawa and 4 randos. Also their coach just seems more involved than Adachi. Yeah I get that Sasugai is supposedly the Main Coach and they just learned that Super Move from Adachi, but he literally just sits there on his phone. 

Maybe I expect my sports anime to go a certain way. Maybe they would have benefitted from having 2 cours, where the first cour is to set up the team and the second to actually compete? With only 12 eps, getting Maeshima into the Skate Leading world just took up so much time. I don’t want to say the competition is boring, but the competitions are boring. We never get to see any actual performance so why do I care about watching them train all the time. Couldn’t even give me character bonds. What’s the point of this show.

Unfortunately the character designs are very nice, Maeshima is very cool to look at, his ygo protag shaped hair and his performing outfit is so cool. The OP showcased Jounouchi in slowmo and its a fucking waste because he did jack shit, and the rest of the OP was too low budget to even give the entire main team a cool skate shot. 

I think the amount of character for the series is a fine number, maybe spend a little less time on Kuonji sometimes. The twins are actually pretty amusing but a waste of seiyuu (the fact that they got both nojima brothers is hilarious to me)  because theyre mostly whispering to themselves. I think Himekawa was the most interesting character, not in terms of personality, but in terms of his situation. Him starting out at home team and then just up and leaving to go to another school, and he was their ace too. 

I think SLS fails because it doesn’t really do anything too different as a sports anime. Like everything is pretty predictable, the characters are what you would expect, and they are trying to sell a sport that isn’t complete because we never know the rules or anything you just have to take their word for it, so its not exciting. 

The animation isn’t awful but you know they are “cutting corners” because you never see a full performance. I’ve seen some ice skaters in the reviews, and I don’t really know much about ice skating besides the little I remember from YOI, but even I can tell there isn’t that much actual skating. They show the characters doing the jumps and spins but you never really see a full body on the ice. Sorry I'm going to compare it to Bakuten, because Bakuten is literally a performing team sport, and even though you dont see the same routine every time, you see it in full at least 2 times, and every time it’s a little different, whether in a different angle or a different POV.

[nedjsmlfavs]

School Age: France vs The USA

It’s truly amazing to see how much the country you grow up in shapes your worldview. When writing Miraculous fanfics, I try very hard to consider what might be different between the USA and France so that I can try to be accurate to the setting, but then I’ll stumble across a fun fact like this and go: wait, what? That’s not a universal standard?

Today’s topic is school age. Aka, at what point can you start attending school.

While each state in the USA is allowed to make its own rules, the general standard followed by basically everyone is that you have to be age 5 around the start of the school year (state by state guidelines here). This means that, in the USA, the oldest kids the in class are usually those with September birthdays and the youngest kids will be born in August, though it’s not unheard of for a kid with a July or August birthday to be held back a year so that they’re a little more mature before going to kindergarten. Either way, those late summer/early autumn birthdays are the oldest kids.

That’s not true in France.

In France, you start going to school in September of the year that you turn 3. This means that, in France, the youngest kids in the class are those born between September and December because they’ll start school while still 2. The oldest kids are those born in January, who start school at age 3. As far as I can tell, there's no way to hold your 2-year-old back a year so that they start at 3 instead. As you can also see, mandatory public education starts a little earlier in France, though this is a pretty recent concept. It used to be age 6 prior to the 2019/2020 school year.

This means that, in France, the 2-year-olds will turn 3 during the school year and the 3-year-olds will turn 4, leading to an age gap that we don't usually see in the USA, which explains why I had such a hard time finding out the ages for French students! Unlike the USA, where a grade is usually ages X to X+1 (ex: ages 14 to 15), in France, it's ages X to X+2 (ex: ages 14 to 16).

Did this make me edit everyone's birthday in my lore bible because I was basing them on American standards? Absolutely!

[upat4amwiththemoon]

Unwanted animal | part 7

Summary: Because that unwanted animal wants nothing more than to get out.

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x female!reader

Warnings: angst, mention of blood, death

Word count: 2135

a/n: last part of the series :)

Tags: @thought-of-you-and-me @rafecameronswhore @sayah13 @strangegardentaco @natashamaximoff69 @waltermis

masterlists | guidelines

All parts: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7

The morning starts off with Y/N and Natasha waking up next to each other, cuddling for a bit, and then deciding to go train together. As they’re both used to waking up early, the routine was born very quickly.

The Avengers tower is fairly empty right now as the mission that was supposed to last for one day only, has lasted for a week so far, however, this isn’t unusual when it comes to their missions, sometimes they happen to prolong. The team has been communicating with the couple every day, so they aren’t worried.

Y/N runs on the treadmill while Natasha lifts weights. She doesn’t mind not being able to join the mission anymore, she has enjoyed her time alone with Natasha. Besides, they haven’t completely alone the whole time. Carol Danvers and Peter Parker visited them once, no one had remembered to let them know the others wouldn’t be home. But the four of them had a great time together, and Y/N got to get to know the two Avengers, who don’t really spend time at the tower, better.

Her mind is in peace today. It has been the whole day. She feels assured, like nothing could go wrong.

“Are you getting tired?” Natasha teases, noticing Y/N is only jogging rather than full on running as she usually does.

Grinning, she shakes her head, “just getting started.”

“What do you want to do today?” Natasha sets down the two weights she was lifting. “I’m pretty sure the team shouldn’t be away for long anymore, they called yesterday evening and said they were wrapping up.”

“‘Kay,” Y/N mumbles, she wasn’t in the room when they called, “maybe we should just stay inside and have a lazy day?”

The two have been spending a lot of time outside these past days. Natasha insisted on showing Y/N different things, like the zoo, an aquarium, beaches, even a skatepark at the middle pf the night even though neither of them have any desire to skate, for the vibes is what Natasha had heard Peter say. And it was great.

“Sure. I’ll hit the showers, wanna join?” She has a smirk on her face that Y/N can see through the full body mirrors in front of her. “It would be very relaxing for you.”

With a roll of her eyes, Y/N stops the treadmill and hops off of it. “Show the way.” They laugh as Natasha grabs her hand and starts pulling her towards the big showers conjoined to the training room. They spend almost two hours there, in each other embrace.

When Natasha’s hair finally fully dries, she starts making her way towards the basement, where Tony has made a movie room. It’s been there for a while, but Natasha and Y/N only found it a few days ago. It still surprises Natasha how much money Tony has used on to tower over the years, but again, she shouldn’t be. He loves to use money.

There’s some pep to Natasha’s step as she descends the mountain of stairs that the tower has. She could use the elevator, but she’s feeling good, and the view from the stairs is prettier. The walls of the stairwell are fully windowed in a way they can see outside, but the people can’t see inside. Sometimes the amount of money Tony has is useful. The rest pf them don’t have to use any money on supplies or rent, if they decide to reside at the tower, though most of them would prefer if they were given a salary for the work they do.

Natasha has a smile on her face, her body is relaxed, she’s happier than ever. Her mind goes to the day they found Y/N. They received a signal from the base an hour before they arrived there, most likely send by someone inside on accident during the moving hassle. They were lucky to arrive there early enough to bring Y/N with them, even though everything else was already gone. But finding her wasn’t just good for Natasha personally, she has also helped them go forward on their mission to stop HYDRA, and they learned about the organization’s progress of copying the original Super Soldier serum. Which luckily for them, doesn’t seem to be at a critical phase yet.

She stops walking for a moment, looking down at the busy street under her. They’re all living their lives, just like Natasha is, finally. She may not have been able to fully wipe away the red from her ledger yet, but that’s okay. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. And Y/N has helped her realize that. Her hand goes up to the necklace she’s wearing. She hasn’t taken it off since she got it. It brings her warmth and security. Every time she touches it, her worried fade away, almost like it has magical powers.

Grinning, she continues walking on. After two more sets of stairs, Natasha open the door into the basement. It’s slightly cooler there, but both of them enjoy it more, especially if they end up not watching the movie that intently.

She walks through the corridor. The movie room is at the very end of it. It’s darker there than in the rest of the building. Her pulse is low and breathing steady. Only good things are going through her mind. It’s perfect.

There’s a full floor carpet in the hallway, so her steps doesn’t echo. It’s soft under her feet. She takes a step forward. And another. And anot-

A gun clicks behind her.

Natasha stops moving, every fibre or her body tensing up at the sound. She starts breathing through her mouth. Her thoughts are starting to twirl around her head, every single one getting darker and darker than the other. Is Y/N okay? Is she already dead? She curses herself inside her head for not noticing someone break into the compound, nor sneak up behind her. She’s supposed to be better than this. She’s a protector, that means she has to be vigilant at all times, ready to protect.

Slowly, she raises both of her hands in the air. She doesn’t have any weapons on her, but she wants to do everything in her power to de-escalate the situation. She can’t end up dying, not when she finally haw something to live for.

She starts turning around, her face hard to mask any emotion, just like she was taught to, but all the lessons she has received through the years go down the drain once she’s fully turned around, staring at the shooter in the eyes. Her breath hitches in her throat, her eyes fully wide now. “What are you doing?” Natasha whispers, not being able to muster up a louder voice. It’s weak. She is being weak.

“It’s nothing personal, Natasha.” She mumbles.

“This feels personal.”

The gun is in a tight grip. Natasha knows she can’t just take it, this is someone who has had the same training as her after all. She presses her teeth together, so tight it’s starting to form a headache and nausea in the back of her throat. This whole situation is making her nauseous. Her eyes are narrowed and brows furrowed as she stares her down. Usually she is the calm and collected one, but now, she can’t keep her emotions at bay. She can’t wrap her mind around a single thought.

The pitiful smile on her face makes Natasha squeeze her hands into fists, but she keeps them up. This isn’t the time for sudden movements.

Letting out a breathy laugh, Y/N tilts her head. “I understand how you’re feeling.” Her voice is quiet and level. It’s not monotone or cold like Natasha would expect in a situation like this, it’s almost warm. Which makes her feel even worse.

Natasha tries to calm herself down. It’s not happening. Her body isn’t listening. It raises her panic level. Her chest is going up and down in a quick manner. It’s visible. Her feelings are visible to the person in front of her. They always have been. She can read her like an open book, she thought it was mutual. But now, she doesn’t know what to think.

“I would apologize, but I don’t think that matters anymore.”

“Why are you doing this?” Natasha keeps staring at those eyes she has stared into so many times before.

They still look the same. Soft and bright with life. Like she’s the happiest girl in the world. But these can’t possibly be the same eyes she has gazed into with such great love. Because those eyes helped Natasha accept her past and break her hard exterior, bringing out the softness. She’s too soft now. She has to get it together, but she can’t.

“It’s just a mission.” Y/N states. “Nothing more.”

“This all has been just a mission to you?” Her voice wavers with emotion. She tries to swallow it all down, but it’s too late now, the gate is already open.

“Yes.” The word comes out so easily. There’s no hesitation behind her eyes. There’s no remorse in her voice. “Madam B sends her regards.” Y/N tightens her finger on the trigger with a smile. She isn’t shaking like Natasha is. Her feet are planted evenly on the floor, she is confident, she is ready.

Natasha’s eyes widen. No. “I killed her.”

“Did you?” She pouts. It’s mocking.

Her breathing is starting to get faster and faster as her mind wanders through the time they have been together. All the memories they’ve made. They share a bed. They’ve been naked with each other, both emotionally and physically. That’s Natasha’s other half. And she’s pointing a gun at her. She’s the enemy. But she can’t actually bring herself to think of Y/N as an enemy. She loves her with all her heart.

This can’t be happening.

Y/N swallows. She moves the gun. It’s pointing straight at Natasha’s head. She can’t move. She freezes. Gradually Natasha’s face turns into plain fear and sorrow. She’s pleading with her eyes for Y/N to stop. She’s trying to show that all those feelings between them are real, they have to be.

This isn’t real. Natasha wishes herself to wake up next to Y/N. She’d sit up and wake her girlfriend, and sigh in relief, because she’d see the love in her eyes. Those eyes she’s looking at right now. “Please.” Is the only thing that leaves her mouth. It’s quiet and broken. “I love you. You love me.” Suddenly the word feels heavy in her mouth, like something foreign.

She laughs. It makes Natasha’s heart ache. “Are you actually that delusional? That someone could love someone like you, like us.” Y/N smiles with her teeth as she watches the look on Natasha’s face. It’s broken beyond repair. “I’m sorry you couldn’t finish cleaning the red from your ledger, even though we both know that would’ve never happened. There’s too much of it to wipe away.” She whispers the last sentence, taunting Natasha.

Suddenly Natasha gets a spurge of energy to move. She goes to knock out the gun from her hand, but Y/N has trained with her too much, she knows her thought process, she knows how she fights. So, Y/N presses Natasha against the wall, her arm pressing onto her neck, choking her, and the gun still pointed at her head. Natasha starts gasping. Y/N looks like nothing even happened.

“You won’t kill me.” Y/N whispers. “You aren’t able to, because you’re weak. And that’s why I’m the best.” She kisses Natasha’s cheek, holding her lips there long enough to taste the salt from her tears. “I’ll see you in hell, yeah? Save me a seat next to you.” Keeping her eyes on Natasha’s, she pulls the trigger.

She doesn’t flinch when blood splatters to her face, or when the body drops to the ground with a thud, or when she stares at the lifeless form in front of her.

Y/N lowers her gun, putting it back to the holster tied to her pants. Kneeling next to the body, she closes the eyes and mouths a silent I love you. She rips away the necklace and steps away from the body before the blood rushing out reaches her shoes.

When she makes her way forward, she doesn’t look back, she doesn’t even think about Natasha anymore. The mission is done and she’s ready for the next one. Y/N gets out through the door in the basement, it brings her into an alley with no security cameras.

A small smirk appears on her face as she disappears into the crowd of the busy New York city.

[drgyana]

What “Normal” Blood Pressure Really Means in 2025

Blood pressure is one of those things we hear about all the time, but what does “normal” actually mean? In 2025, with new research and better tools to track heart health, understanding your blood pressure is more important than ever. Let’s break it down in a simple way, so you know what those numbers mean and how to keep your heart in great shape. If you’re looking for expert advice, a heart specialist in Bhubaneswar can help you make sense of your numbers and stay on top of your health.

What Is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure measures the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps. It’s shown as two numbers, like 120/80. The top number (systolic) is the pressure when your heart beats, and the bottom number (diastolic) is the pressure when your heart rests between beats. Both numbers matter because they tell you how hard your heart is working and how your blood vessels are holding up.

In 2025, doctors still use guidelines from major health organizations, but they’re also looking at more personalized factors, like age, lifestyle, and even genetics, to decide what’s “normal” for you.

What’s Considered Normal in 2025?

The standard for normal blood pressure hasn’t changed much, but the way we interpret it has gotten smarter. According to the latest guidelines, normal blood pressure is typically below 120/80 mmHg. Here’s a quick rundown of the categories:

Normal: Less than 120/80 mmHg

Elevated: Systolic 120-129 and diastolic less than 80

Hypertension Stage 1: Systolic 130-139 or diastolic 80-89

Hypertension Stage 2: Systolic 140 or higher or diastolic 90 or higher

What’s new in 2025 is the focus on individual differences. For example, younger adults might aim for slightly lower numbers, while older adults might have a bit more wiggle room, depending on their overall health. Wearable devices and home monitors are also making it easier to track your blood pressure over time, giving doctors a clearer view of what’s normal for you.

Why Normal Blood Pressure Matters

Keeping your blood pressure in the normal range is a big deal for your heart. High blood pressure, or hypertension, forces your heart to work harder, which can lead to heart disease, stroke, or kidney problems. Even slightly elevated numbers can add up over time, causing wear and tear on your arteries. On the flip side, consistently normal blood pressure means your heart and blood vessels are under less stress, which can help you live a longer, healthier life.

Factors That Affect Your Blood Pressure

Your blood pressure isn’t set in stone—it can change based on a lot of things. Here are some common factors:

1. Lifestyle Choices

What you eat, how much you move, and how you handle stress all play a role. A diet high in salt, processed foods, or alcohol can push your numbers up. Regular exercise and stress management, like meditation or yoga, can help keep them in check.

2. Age and Genetics

As you get older, your arteries can stiffen, which might raise your blood pressure. If heart issues run in your family, you might be more likely to have higher readings, so keeping an eye on it is key.

3. Other Health Conditions

Things like diabetes, high cholesterol, or sleep apnea can affect your blood pressure. That’s why regular checkups with a heart specialist in Bhubaneswar can catch problems early and help you stay on track.

How to Maintain Normal Blood Pressure

The good news? You have a lot of control over your blood pressure. Here are some simple ways to keep it in the normal range:

Eat a heart-healthy diet: Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Cut back on salt and sugary drinks.

Stay active: Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days, like walking, cycling, or swimming.

Manage stress: Try relaxation techniques like deep breathing or spending time with loved ones.

Check your numbers: Use a home blood pressure monitor to track your readings, especially if you’re at risk.

Limit alcohol and quit smoking: Both can raise your blood pressure and hurt your heart.

When to See a Doctor

If your blood pressure is consistently above normal or you’re noticing symptoms like headaches, dizziness, or chest pain, it’s time to get help. A heart specialist can run tests, look at your overall health, and suggest changes or medications if needed. Regular checkups are also a smart way to catch issues before they become serious.

Final Thoughts

Understanding what “normal” blood pressure means in 2025 is about more than just numbers—it’s about knowing your body and taking steps to protect your heart. With better tools and a focus on personalized care, keeping your blood pressure in check is easier than ever. By making small changes to your lifestyle and staying proactive, you can keep your heart happy and healthy for years to come.