#creativity snake

[lucishell]

*chibifies your seven deadly sins*

[leotide]

Albino japanese rat snake (Elaphe climacophora) with some pink for the cherry blossoms 🌸

Did you know rat snakes are located in many parts of America as well as Canada, Russia, Europe, Japan and Korea? You do now :P

アルビノ青大将 と桜色🌸 しっていますか? 青大将がアメリカ、カナダ、ロシア、エウロパ、にほんと韓国で見つけることができます。面白いね～

[liketwoswansinbalance]

In the modern publishing landscape, these days, I think like we do not have many (if any) point-of-view characters with low social motivation for whatever reason.

Sure, there are lots of characters with social anxiety or other perceived or legitimate foibles to overcome, there are many YA villain origin stories, and there are many unpalatable, traditionally "unlikable" men in classics, but disregarding those, who else do we have?

Can the state of openly being alone (and content) rarely be presented as morally-neutral or as the end result of a narrative? Must it always be that either being alone is the starting point, so there's room for "personal growth," or that being alone is seen as "undesirable" and/or an indication that the person alone has a "problem" or something otherwise wrong with them, like a deficit or moral failing that in some kind of karmic way gives them "what they deserve," which is being alone and discontent with it?

Characters with society anxiety, any differences in communication, or other reasons that interfere with forging connections "don't count" because they may still be motivated. Traits such as these only stand in the way of gaining relationships, as plot obstacles. They aren't intrinsically tied to indifference or to low motivation. So, these characters clearly are not experiencing a lack of interest. And they are not the ones rejecting others. Thus, they "don't count" as far as the archetype that I'm looking for goes.

Characters who undergo villain arcs or otherwise negative arcs may want to maintain their relationships or gain them, so some examples are immediately disqualified (hence not having low social motivation), even if they are the type of character most likely to alienate themselves by a story's end, conflicting with what they wanted.

(Unfortunately, Coriolanus Snow, who is quite close to the type of protagonist I'm searching for "doesn't count" because he has some drive to keep people in his life.

Rafal Mistral partially "counts," and is satisfying as a character, but also doesn't count because he temporarily makes "friends" or allies, depending on how you look at his exploits. Yet, despite all this, not having friends isn't exactly framed as a morally-neutral state either, so he is also disqualified by the end. Basically, he does have low social motivation, but his narrative lacks the conditions that would make the natural consequences of that low motivation play out for themselves. He is always surrounded by people, even if he hates every last one of them.

And, generally speaking, the usual, moody-broody, "misunderstood" YA love-interests very easily "don't count" because they have a desire to get closer to their object of affection.

Even Katniss Everdeen, an overall good person, who usually views herself as "unlikable," befriends others, originally for pragmatic, survival purposes. However, she does start with low social motivation, so that's something in her favor.

And yes, I'm aware that we need other people in this world—I would just like to see someone prove that supposed truth wrong once. And perhaps succeed in their world, if that's not too much to ask for.)

Also, are there any instances of characters who progressively alienate themselves from others, in which that progression is not inherently seen as negative? Like, what about non-corrupt misanthropes? Are there few of those in literature? (Maybe—Eleanor Oliphant from literary fiction counts, but something about that book did not appeal me and I didn't finish it.)

Classics guys sort of "count," but I haven't really seen examples of any comparable protagonists today since many authors and readers write and look for "relatability" in blank slate everyman figures oftentimes.

(I'm not done with Crime and Punishment yet, but Raskolnikov is very tentatively looking like a safe bet for a character who may end up alone and who may not be completely malcontent over such a fate, even if I'm expecting tragedy. I'm that not far along, but I also wouldn't mind it too greatly if he died, I suppose.

And even Sherlock Holmes has Watson as his constant, even if he's notoriously asocial! So he "doesn't count" either.

Carol from Main Street also comes close, but still ultimately desires approval from others.

Maybe no one is truly immune to humanity and I should give up on this notion?)

How many pov characters out there are 1) apathetic toward the masses and 2a) either alienate themselves as the plot progresses or 2b) do not make any friends? (I will allow them making friends and consequently losing them though because that still ends in net zero!)

Indeed, this "gap" in protagonists I've been running into lately, especially with coming-of-age arcs and protagonists whose arc is some form of "getting out of their shell," is: why do we (almost?) never see protagonists who just flat-out don't progress in terms of connecting with fellow humans?

Wouldn't having even a handful of those types be reflective of reality? (We as a society are more disconnected than ever, to be fair, despite constantly having access to one another via technology.)

Or I would completely understand it, if it were narratively impractical to have a plot in which a protagonist makes zero friends. Maybe, it's a near-unwritable form for a story?

So, my question is: does anyone have book recommendations, which present a character whose end goal is not to make friends or forge connections (any other ambitions or motivations are fine) and whose state of being friendless both lasts and is regarded as morally-neutral or as not outright evil? Any genre is fine. High fantasy is preferable. I am stumped.

(I also wouldn't mind recommendations of books in which the protagonist is vilified due to being alone, even if that is not my primary query here.)

[deepwaterwritingprompts]

Deep Water Prompt #3384

The glittering blue snakes behind the glass are two hundred years old. They release all impurities and dead cells with each shed, and the lab is about to move into human trials.

[literaryvein]

L. V., i found this poem tucked between pages of a bible you never returned to the local library

[moonrvsh]

forbidden fruit

[prince-o-sky]

[quotidianish]

Last post before bed. I think giving me free will was a bad idea

[katnissandpeetamellark]

The funniest part of the movie is that the people who only watched the movie have NO IDEA how to spell the characters names 😭😂

It brings me so much joy reading the ways you’ve all chosen to spell each characters name ahaha

[dreamingsyn]

|| SNAKE ||

Close up:

Hello!!! this is a remake of this fanart:

[thestarlightforge]

Being a writer is wild because what do you mean I just wrote one of the best gay kissing scenes of my life while staring at the wall of my homophobic grandparents’ shower?

[leotide]

Last years 2D madness, featuring the Stonewashed Bredli Python morph! Also known as the Centralian Carpet Python, Bredli are more isolated in comparison to the rest of the Morelia species. They're named after Josef "Joe" Bredl, an Australian crocodile conservationist 🐊 The more you know!

2D アートに戻る、 今回はブレドリパイソンです! ブレッドリはセントラリアンカーペットパイソンと呼ばれています。モレリア・ブレドリはより孤立している。 Josef "Joe" Bredl にちなんで名付けられました!

[t4tstarrailing]

[deepwaterwritingprompts]

Text: The Prince’s regalia includes the shed skin of an Ouroboros, one unbroken loop worn as a sash. I long to learn how to breed these creatures, a carefully protected royal secret.

[plutodexay]

cuddly sej?? ik you like writing blurbs and stuff so like maybe you try to get up and he pulls you back half awake??

Sejanus is so adorable he is the love of my life at this point and I can so see him doing this. Hes got to be such a warm cuddle, like you know he radiates heat and has a vice grip on you.

Gn reader <3

You could tell he was out, the light snores hitting your shoulder making it beyond obvious. His hold on you was light, arm thrown over your hip practically sliding off at this point. So, he was asleep, and you needed to pee, you should be able to get up, right?

Wrong, he was not making it easy, even in his sleep. The moment you tried to shift away from him his arm tightened against you. Snores still rang out in the room, his breathing was still even and body was warm against you. Still needing to escape, you moved your hand to his, carefully lifting it and moving it behind you, moving a centimeter a second.

Sejanus shifted behind you, a slight groan leaving him causing you to still. It felt like ages until his breathing evened out again, allowing you to slowly starting to scoot away from him inch by inch with baited breath.

You were almost free, half way off the bed and about to put your feet on the ground. The moment you moved to turn the hand came back, immeditly pulling you back onto the bed, making your back firmly against Sejanus's chest. Before you could even protest he started shush you, pressing a kiss to the back of your head.

"Did you just shush me?" You asked in astonishment, rolling yourself over to look at him. His eyes were closed but he had a slight smile on his face.

"Maybe." He whispered, smile evident in his tone.

"I need to pee." All he did in response was whine, trying to pull you closer. "Sej I'll be right back just let me go.''

With a deep sigh he willingly moved his arm, dramatic frown plastered on his face. Every time you moved away from him he would whine, so loud that you could even hear him in the bathroom. He giggled when you walked back in, making his arms as wide as possible, humming in content when you laid back down.

"Happy?"

"Always am with you."

[mockingjaysnakes]

HUNTER SCHAFER at the GQ Creativity Awards, in NY.