#engineering lessons

[the-most-humble-blog]

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🧠 THE MANNEQUIN WITH POWERS — Why Character Comes Before Plot or Die in the Void A Blacksite Literature™ Transmission (If your protagonist couldn’t grip a reader’s soul in a blank room, you already failed.)

I. THE VOID YOU'RE WRITING INTO

Let’s get this out of the way first:

If your character can’t speak — not literally, but viscerally — to the reader’s insides without the crutch of explosions, lore dumps, or a “cool” outfit…

You are not writing a character. You’re dressing a mannequin. And no one gives a fuck what a mannequin does.

II. IF THEY FEEL NOTHING, YOU BUILT NOTHING

Who cares what city’s under attack? Who cares if they’re the Chosen One? Who cares about your twist, your map, your seven-act structure?

If the protagonist you’ve built:

Has no secret

Carries no weight

Evokes no response from a quiet, tired reader on a Tuesday night—

Then you wrote into the void.

Your reader wasn’t “dumb” or “impatient.” They felt nothing. And they left.

III. THE LIE OF “PLOT FIRST”

You’ve been sold a lie:

“Just make the story exciting and the characters will follow.”

No. Never. Backwards.

Character always precedes plot. Character is the plot.

Because if I don’t care who it’s happening to — Then nothing happening will ever matter.

A reader can forgive:

A slow start

A clunky scene

A cliché trope

But they will never forgive the crime of hollow company.

You gave them someone to follow —

And that someone had no soul.

IV. THE MANNEQUIN WITH POWERS

Let’s define the threat.

The Mannequin:

Has abilities

Has trauma

Has a goal

Has quips

Has a backstory

But no voice.

No contradiction. No shame. No private thing they would die to protect, not because it’s powerful — but because it’s theirs.

This mannequin does things. Big things. High stakes.

And no one cares. Because nothing human is bleeding through the plastic.

V. ESCAPISM ISN’T A LICENSE TO LIE

Yes, readers want to escape. But not from humanity.

They want to escape into:

A place where flawed people matter.

A place where pain has context, not just screen time.

A place where characters don’t just “get better” — they get known.

Escape into fantasy all you want. But if you’re escaping the imperfections of the human condition, then you’re not writing fantasy. You’re writing propaganda for emotional disconnection.

And your reader knows it. Even if they don’t say it. Even if they reblog it. Even if they finish it.

They know.

VI. THE SECRET THEY DON’T BRAG ABOUT

Let me give you the fix.

Give your character one thing:

A secret they don’t brag about.

Something they hide not because it’s cool — but because it’s raw, vulnerable, humiliating, or sacred.

Examples:

She used to believe in God, and now she can’t even say “grace” over her food.

He kept a voicemail from his brother the day before he overdosed.

She has two daughters, and hasn’t seen them since the custody ruling.

He talks shit to villains but goes home and reads old love letters he never responded to.

Do not announce it. Do not reward it. Do not let them monologue it.

Let it live. Quietly. And watch your readers form emotional attachments like animals recognizing kin.

VII. PLOT WILL NEVER SAVE YOU

You can worldbuild forever. You can twist the timelines, deepen the lore, expand the pantheon.

But if your central figure could be replaced by anyone and the story still works?

You didn’t build a character. You built scenery in a cape.

Plot is what happens.

Character is who we blame, who we mourn, who we root for in spite of ourselves.

And if you skip that? You skip the anchor. You leave your reader floating — no matter how pretty the setting is.

VIII. THE READER DOESN’T OWE YOU A DAMN THING

Let’s be brutally honest:

Your reader doesn’t care how much time you spent.

They don’t care how much of your soul you “poured in.” They don’t care how important your themes are.

If they can’t connect to a being — not a puppet — then they leave.

Because they’re not in your head. They’re alone. Reading. Tired. Wanting to feel something.

And if your protagonist doesn’t show up with emotional currency in hand?

They’re gone.

IX. THE ONLY TEST THAT MATTERS

Write this down:

If your main character was in a blank white room for five pages — with no plot, no action, no powers — would I want to hear what they think?

If the answer is no?

Start over.

Not from page one. From soul one. You didn’t give them a person. You gave them a vessel to carry your story — and no one wants to be ferried by a stranger.

X. THE REALITY YOU’RE TOO SCARED TO ADMIT

You’re not scared of writing bad plots.

You’re scared of putting real, flawed, mirrored, shameful, holy you into your character — because if it fails, it’ll feel like you failed.

So you keep them clean. You keep them plastic. You keep them “relatable” in all the ways that mean nothing.

But the only thing that ever makes a reader stay?

Is the feeling that this character was carved from a place they weren’t supposed to see.

That’s what creates emotional loyalty. That’s what earns tears. That’s what builds cult followings, not just fandoms.

XI. SO FIX IT.

Kill the mannequin.

Bury the empty badass. Silence the sarcastic automaton. Throw the trauma plot in the fire.

Build a person. A person with shame. A person with weight. A person who reminds the reader of a truth they’ve never told anyone.

Then throw that person into your plot.

And watch the story ignite.

XII. CONCLUSION: YOU'RE NOT WRITING STORIES. YOU'RE WRITING PEOPLE.

You think you’re writing entertainment. You think you’re building scenes. You think you’re plotting arcs.

But you’re not.

You’re introducing human souls to strangers. And the ones who do it well? They become immortal.

Every good story is just a person you didn’t want to say goodbye to.

If you don’t have that?

Then what the fuck are we doing here. </div>

📌 If this made your spine straighten mid-sentence — reblog it. 🧠 If it exposed a hollow character you once thought was “done” — save it. ✍️ If it reminded you why we write at all — read it again.

And if it hurt? That means it’s time to start over.

Bonus:

🧠 FREE WRITING LESSON — THE MOST POWERFUL CHARACTER DEPTH TRICK YOU’LL EVER READ.

[ellegaardfan27]

mildly obsessed with the old order of the stone

[1-800-crscnt]

okay i mentioned this in the tags of my last post but i also hc that Guardsmen are more competitive overall because they are straight up more bored than they can handle. they will make a competition out of nearly anything if they can, and several have gotten injured over stupid dares and petty arguments. Fox has rules about this, mainly "keep it out of public view", and "don't do anything that'll get my attention", but it's Stone that manages to keep the men from seriously injuring each other on accident, since he manages to calm troopers down and take an extra moment to think since they don't want to disappoint him.

[rad1nka]

me after reading my comfort character do the most vile thing ever in a fanfic because my dumbass didn't read the tags

(i am forever traumatized)

(it was also entirely my fault the warnings were right there)

[d1sc01nf3rn0]

I got bored a couple of days ago at work, and I did Laios party in Baldurs Gate 3 lmao

No mods, default creator

[gordonengineswifenirmal]

Nirmal….the babysitter?

I know, I know. Me too. But not for the reasons a lot of u might think.

Ok, so backstory- the housemate n her bf have hopefully broken up for the last time. She claims it pretty much is, but she tends to flip flop. He would argue n take things out on their kid by not doing his duties as a father. Wouldn’t pick the kid up from daycare, take her to her appointments, etc. She was in a bind. Because I AM a nice person I said fine I’ll take care of things, because it would help her out. Let’s get a few things straight.

I am NOT a particularly big fan of kids to say the least. I however, do not want them harmed unless they r trying to abuse me or cats/other animals. (For example: kids n teens who decide to b rude n harass u on a city bus when u need a disabled seat r vile products of immature children n need to b put on their place n learn respect.) i need the money. Ive hung out with her n the kid. The kid is ok. Shes kinda cute. I can tolerate her. I do NOT want to undress her n change her. I will ask the landlady if that’s needed, n then she can be involved. That’ll probably make her happy.

I understand that society needs to procreate. I do not generally like children I don’t know near me. I’m antinatslalist NOT in that children should never exist - that’s not realistic - but rather in that “if u r not mature n responsible enough, u dont belong bringing a person into the world until n unless u can b properly mature n responsible.” Unfortunately, most parents are not mature or responsible enough, even when they want ppl to think they are. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT I WANT EVERY CHILD DEAD.

Ok? Ok. Also, I have NO inappropriate feelings towards a child of ANY age. Baby, toddler, teen, whatever in between. Never have. I liked OLDER men. I’m not even into them anymore. I’m not into ANY fellow human being or animal of any age SEXUALLY.

I will probably watch Thomas when I’m up in the roommates room, BUT I CAN AND WILL be appropriate around the kid. I DO know the difference. The poor kid had her parents fecking n watching salacious stuff on mtv n whatnot with her around before, so this should b an improvement. (Stop laughing lol I mean it!)

Hell I look at Thomas all the time in the tube, n I don’t openly share what I’m thinking with other passenger, nor do I do anything inappropriate. I sit and smile, and no one could care. In fact, ppl put their kids next to me, much to me chagrin. I grin n bear it, or I move.

So yeah. This is not the ideal job, but it’s something. It’ll help the roommate out, hopefully auntie Nirmal will b a better influence around her than the father was. The father pays child support to his ex wife n his 5 kids. The housemate says she’s not doing that. She’ll just seek full custody. She will send a cab for me back n forth. I can leave the door open, maybe the cats will come up. He also apparently raped or attempted to rape his own sister, something the roommate was aware of from early in their relationship. He was polite, but neither of them are exactly mature.

I will not expose the child to inappropriate things, I will not beat the child or be nasty. I will challenge meself, because if I would have had me own child, I’d have been a staff sergeant. This child is 2, n I only have to keep her safe for a couple hours. I don’t have to b her mother. I chose to not be a mother because of me temper, finances, physical pain, n because it would ruin me own mental n physical health. Several drs warned me against it, n I said yep no prob.

I’m not a mother type. If a baby cries, vomits, or shits itself, I cringe. I back off, running like hell far away. If a kid gives me attitude, I WILL put them in their place.

However, I have learned that not all fellow adults - be they older than me or around me own age ARE mature. N not ALL minors are snivelling little sacks of pus. I know some who are actually decent individuals. I do not wish to do anything inappropriate to or with them (which I cannot stress enough btw), but it’s nice to be able to treat them as contemporaries. I was always talked down to n not treated that way. It’s hard for me to relate to a lot of things n I can communicate very well in some ways, but due to intense trauma in 4+ decades of being on this earth, sometimes communication in situations - especially with other people - is a challenge. I’m not perfect. I’m willing to be open minded when appropriate.

I am a mentor type, but I don’t have natural mothering instincts. However, this will teach me to be a bit more tolerant of kids, just as being in Thomas fandom has. Has that gone perfectly? No. But I keep an open mind. I’m trying. I have learned that not ALL kids r bad, n I don’t hate ALL of them. I have no I appropriate feelings for them, but I have come to respect some minors as siblings or family. I will never be like ok now I want a kid or even want them around me all the time, but maybe I’ll fight some of the negative feelings I have about kids n find some less cringe. I dunnae.

Sooooo we’ll see how this goes. I won’t be as thrilled as Thomas learns to be at the end of that episode, but I’ll learn to be more tolerant. I’m willing to try.

So yeah. Wish me luck. This will be interesting.

[dramsstuff]

THE BIG HOPE

My time at the University of Energy and Natural Resources has taught me that determination can overcome any obstacle.

While earning my Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering is a milestone, it’s the lessons in leadership, resilience, and problem-solving that truly define me.

Despite facing numerous personal, financial and academic challenges, I learned the value of perseverance, maintaining a positive mindset, and staying focused on my goals.

Support from friends, mentors and peers was crucial, and I am grateful for the encouragement that helped me push through difficult times.

Along the way, I made sacrifices and sought personal growth, becoming an active member of various student organizations like GHIE, MESA, and IMechE, while also exploring leadership opportunities through AIESEC and student politics.

Volunteering with the Ghana Red Cross Society, Armnesty International and others reinforced my belief in the power of community and service.

As I continue my journey, I plan to pursue a Master’s degree and remain committed to helping others succeed, offering support and guidance to inspire them to reach their own dreams.

Trust the process, and success will follow.

Thank you for being part of this journey, I am grateful 🥹 ❤️

[aviyx]

messing around in lesson

[nixcraft]

[thousand-sunnies]

every day the collection of fics i want to write grows bigger

[phanomenology]

ramble ahead about time, tatinof, 2015 and changing one's life

tatinof is very special and im so happy they did this video to acknowledge that its not cringe at all and that theyre proud of their past selves !! there's sth genuinely healing about that !! ive had a hard time in 2015 and even tho i was 12/13 and just discovered that online fan communities of things i was into were a thing and was nowhere close to the phandom (i joined after BIG), this is the fandom internet that i joined back then. thats why its so poetic that they sing 'the internet is here', because to me this is the time it started to be there for me. it wasnt always kind to me and instagram was not a great platform to start on if your bullies and other ppl from school were also on it, but it was also when for the first time ever i realised that there were not only people who liked what i liked but that those ppl also have created their own culture and community online !! i was not totally alone !! there is a life outside of school !! i would never chose to go back to that time ever like it was horrible (that applies to any time in the past tho, i hate the idea of 'going back in time' with a passion) but im glad that the internet was there for me because no one else really was if im being real with you.

more below the cut because im an insufferable yapper (dan is a terrible influence haha tit joke)

this all is maybe why i find it hard to go back to watch dnps older content and also the stuff from the tatinof era. dan's sarcastic self-hating persona and phils innocent nerd persona are both hitting a bit too close to home and i want to both cry for them and for myself. we knew nothing back then. we were lost and yet did sth we were proud of. yet here we are almost 10 years later and how the fuck did we end up here but oh my god im so proud of us. all it took for me was to watch dan's coming out video. all it took for them was to be embraced and loved by their audience (us). dan also needed a break which is something that at the time it happend was really hard for me but then i found my wonderful lovely phannie discord friends here. we really all got here together and if i ever see any single person say that dnp hate us or dan hates it or that dnp are cringe or that we are cringe etc etc i will block you so hard because what are you even doing bringing up drama when in reality dan and phil and the phandom have developed the most remarkable symbiotic relationship between artist adn fans ever. they are our dads and i honestly just want to say how fucking proud i am of them for how far theyve come and what theyve done since 2015. dan really did the whole mental health and gay thing but then he did the mental health again!! and i think ywgttn and wad need to be given more credit here because idk if you remember pre-wad dan but he wasnt anything like post wad dan. every since wad he seems so happy and genuinely authetic and in peace. (im ignoring dystopia daily here because that was filmed before wad and his dd persona also reminds me too much of 2015 depressed dan than whatever high concept he was going for lol, im just not a dd fan). like wad changed his relationship with us and its warming my entire heart when i see dan smile so much now. he deserves to be happy and proud. and if dan deserved it after going through so much and coming out on top (literally), then i deserve it too. and phil? i love how he's just so confident now. fuck. (literally). he is not the innocent nerd anymore like he actually is fully really himself now and feels comfortable in his body (crop top, phlonde, etc) and openly expressing his sexuality ! even compare this phil to phil from the beginning of the hiatus!! he got so much more confident and relaxed since then!! like fully, really, if he can do it, if he can strip himself of the persona that ppl have attributed to him because of his anxiety, then i can do that too. im so proud of phil. he is an inspiration and the more he's being himself publically with no shame, the more an autistic phannie will feel hopeful for their future. im so proud of both of them.

like its crazy you go through your life thinking you're going nowhere and never making any progress and will never reach your goals but then you stop and look back what you were like 6 months ago and realise how many lives you have lived since then. it always goes back to BIG when dan said this:

[...] I thought I was trapped in a situation forever when in reality, the entire world I lived in and my life changed completely. I thought it was hopeless when in reality there was so much to hope for and that's it. Time changes everything. With the lives that we have, we can try anything we've dreamed of. I want anyone that's ever felt like this to realize you are never trapped. There is always hope. You just need to believe in yourself and get to the other side.

this everyone, changed my life. and i will never be able to thank dan enough for it, no matter how much i pay for tour tickets, how often i watch their videos or share my love for them on here. i just want to mention this because its never just 'light entertainment', it means the world to many of us and we have build a wonderful and loving community despite the hardships of the past and pointless discourses of the present. like, we can change shit for ourselves because we see these gay idiots do it who have done soooo fucking much in the last 15 years like they were on radio 1 and on a hollywood billboard and hosted various big big events. and yet, they decided they want to use their time to do things for themselves and their community. they have said many times that they havent made a profit from (parts of) their tours but they do it regardless. they do really love us and i dont think ive ever really felt loved by people who i was in a fandom for like that. its really not as parasocial as it might seem anymore. we got here together and we should be proud of that. i love dnp and i love you phannies so much !! 💕💕💕💕💕

[that-gifted-girl]

And I will keep going. Because I deserve this. I deserve this degree. I started this fight and I'm going to finish it. I can do this. Depression is lying to me. I am capable. YOU are capable.

There's something to be said about the video game analogy with the struggle of success. Recently, I beat a major final boss in a video game. I won't go into detail for spoilers' sake.

My first attempt, I got obliterated on turn two. I looked up a guide and tried again. I thought I had figured out the pattern, and still got taken out several turns into phase one of a three phase fight. So I backed out, and decided to max out my party's levels and unlock all their skills.

I stepped back from the seemingly impossible situation, and spent three hours grinding. It was boring. It was tedious. But it was necessary, and I knew that. It was all going to be worth it in the end.

There was a point during this three-hour period where I said "The enemies I have to actually fight give me more EXP than the lower level auto-battles, so even though they take more time I'll go for those, too."

I went back to the boss after maxing out everyone's levels and skills, and while I still had to focus and think about my decisions in battle, I won. And there's a really cliche sappy life lesson in that.

This is super freaking cringe and I will not apologize. My ramblings must be freed to the hellsite so I may share motivation or whatever. You can do it, nerds.

[thunderboltfire]

I need some help - I'm looking for a photo of a set of scupltures of selkies, they were silhouettes cut out (I believe maybe from wood?) and from one side they were painted to resemble seals, and from the other - nude women. My friend asked me for some examples of selkie art and alas, I cannot find it, but I think I've seen it on my dash here.

[op3ra]

two EARLY early rusty pfps of mine.........these are so old it feels like they're from another dimension at this point. both are from september 2022 or so

[dramsstuff]

Kindly,

Recommend a country, city, school for masters in Engineering field for international students.