#referring to scriptshrink

[heywriters]

Hey so I am sort of new, or more like re-introducing myself after so long a way I may as well be a new person, to writing side of tumblr. Do you have an recommendations on people or tags that be cool to follow?

Yep, sure do!

@writingquestionsanswered

@fixyourwritinghabits

@keepcalmandwritefiction

@wordsnstuff

@writingwithcolor

@theliteraryarchitect

@thewritinghole

@the960writers

@bookishdiplodocus

@thewritersspotblog

@questionprompts

@writtentelepathy

@the-write-type

@elumish

@insanitysilver

@howtofightwrite

@jstor (below blogs are inactive/on hiatus but good references)

@scriptshrink

@scriptmedic

@scriptcriminaljustice

I also have a side blog to this one @hey-writers for writer promos and the occasional posted fiction or poetry. I don't update it often, but it is there if you want to peruse other writeblrs.

Followed tags are touch and go as people will "tag spam" things that aren't relevant, but check these out anyway!

#writers on tumblr

#writeblr

#writing

#creative writing

Make use of the "Latest" and "Top" categories when checking tags.

Welcome back!

[scripttorture]

I have a character who is gaslighted, and for around half a year. Her torturers aren't /too/ abusive physically, and the most that happens is she gets a humerus broken (and then set) when she does something that gets her FAR too close to finding out she's been gaslighted. However, later on in the story she /does/ find out. What effect would this have on her mentally- would she continue to believe the torturers or the evidence, and would she be able to think of a way to get free? Thank you!

I’m really sorry but this is too far outside my knowledge base for me to give you a good answer.

So I had a chat with ScriptShrink and I’m going to refer you to her. It’s a topic she knows a lot about so I’m confident you’ll get a good answer.

[scriptshrink]

The ScriptX family as of 5/10/17

Have writing questions, but don’t know who to ask? Check out the ScriptX family of blogs, all of whom provide detailed writing advice on a huge variety of topics!

First, the Fascinating Feature, where you can get the best posts of all the ScriptX blogs, as well as updates and announcements about the family: @scriptfeature

The Matriarch of Medicine: @scriptmedic  The Astonishing Astronomer: @scriptastronomer The Caustic Chemists: @scriptchemist The Helpful Hacker: @scripthacker

The Saintly Social Worker: @scriptsocialwork The Shrewd Shrink: @scriptshrink  The Terrific Trauma Survivors: @scripttraumasurvivors The Tactful Torturer: @scripttorture

The Eclectic Economist: @scripteconomist  The Harmonious Historians: @scripthistory  The Laudable Linguist: @scriptlinguist  The Plucky Politicians: @scriptpolitics

The Amazing Accountant: @scriptaccountant The Breathtaking Ballerina: @scriptballerina The Fearless Firefighter: @scriptfirefighter The Fair Florists: @scriptflorist The Learned Librarian: @scriptlibrarian The Patient Pastor: @scriptpastor The Powerful Publishers: @scriptpublishingindustry The Sincere Sailor: @scriptsailor The Splendid Soldier: @scriptsoldier

The Autistic Answerers: @scriptautistic The Radiant Rainbows: @scriptlgbt The Shining Spoonies: @scriptspoonie The Wondrous Witches: @scriptwitchcraft

The Valiant Veterinarian: @scriptveterinarian The Eager Equestrians: @scriptequestrian

The Audacious Australian: @scriptaussie The Beautiful Brits: @scriptbrit The Charming Canadian: @scriptcanuck The Germane German: @scriptgerman

The Wonderful World-builders: @script-a-world The Stupendous Structurer: @scriptstructure

Inactive / archived blogs:

The Brilliant Brain Scientists: @scriptbrainscientist The Edified Educator: @scripteducator The Fantastic Foodie: @scriptfoodie The Gentle Geneticist: @scriptgenetics The Knowledgeable Kinkster: @scriptkink The Lively Lawyer: @scriptlawyer The Majestic Mythologists: @scriptmyth  The Phenomenal Pharmacist: @scriptpharmacist The Stalwart Service Dogs: @scriptservicedogs

This list is current as of 5/10/17!

The changes are:

@scripttraumasurvivors and @scriptpastor have joined the family!

Scriptecology has decided to leave the family and is now located at @flukedoesecology. We wish her well in her future endeavors.

Several blogs have gone inactive. 

To get the most up-to-date version of this list, be sure to check this link here: scriptshrink.tumblr.com/scriptfamily

Are you an expert in a topic? Interested in joining the ScriptX family? Apply here!

[relatablegenzwriter]

tips on how to write mute characters so they have as much expression?

Hi! Great question. My initial advice would be to focus on facial expressions and body language—those can be very telling when it comes to communication. However, I myself am not nonverbal and haven't written mute characters before, so I don't have too much knowledge on this subject. Since I don't feel qualified to talk specifically about how to write mute/nonverbal characters, I'm going to refer you to some great resources that you might find helpful. Blog-wise, @cripplecharacters is a blog dedicated to answering questions about writing disabled characters, and there are a couple Script blogs that might be helpful as well (@scriptautistic and @scriptshrink come to mind for your question). There's also a great compilation of resources here that also includes resources for writing Deaf and Blind characters. Research is going to be crucial to your story. (If anyone knows of any other resources for writing nonverbal characters, or disabled characters in general, please feel free to share!)

[scriptautistic]

Masterpost: On calling characters autistic

Part 2: What if “autistic” isn’t a term that exists in my story?

Part of the calling characters autistic series

Part 1, “Whether you should explicitly call your character autistic, and how you should go about it” can be found here

So, you’ve read the first post of the series, but it doesn’t quite work with your story.

Maybe your story is set before the diagnosis of “autism” was invented. Maybe your story is set in the distant future and it doesn’t seem realistic for people to still refer to autism with the same vocabulary. Maybe your story is set in a completely different universe or another world. Maybe your character is in another situation where they wouldn’t realistically have access to language about autism.

Suffice to say, your character is still autistic and autism still exists, but the place and time your story takes place in means that either diagnosis is unlikely or the terminology used is unlikely to be the same that we use now. So… what can you do? We have already spoken about why representation is important, and this is true even if your story is set in a different place and time, so here are some ideas (many of which have been adapted from this post by scriptshrink).

General strategies

Here are a few things that can be used in your story, whether the setting is the distant future or the ancient past.

Just call ’em autistic anyway Ok, maybe it is not completely realistic, but it’s your story and your choice. It’s up to you whether you think that this is something that will break your audience’s willing suspension of disbelief.

Call ’em autistic, but only on a meta/narrator level This option has the benefit of allowing you to make it explicit that the character is autistic, but can sound a little clumsy, and can be a bit jarring for readers. Some people can pull it off better than others - it depends on your writing style. Mod Aira previously suggested writing something along the lines of:

“In another time, he would have been called ‘autistic’, but that word hadn’t been invented yet. Lacking such a precise term, he was left with a pervasive feeling of being different from others, but no easy way to describe it…”

Don’t explicitly call them autistic, but make it as clear as possible without using the word in the main text Mod Cat has previously suggested:

“Another way you might make clear your character is autistic without using the word is having the narrator or character explain how he’s always felt different because (autistic traits), and how he’s come to realize he works differently than most people because (autistic traits).”

We’ll go into more detail about making clear “hints” that the character is autistic in our next post in this series.

If you do choose this method, make their autism explicit when discussing the character. Calling your character autistic in the description/summary is a good way of making it clear outside the story itself, and you can also discuss it in comments and interviews.

Using author’s notes Whatever your decision about which terminology to use, adding an author’s note at the beginning of the story gives you the chance to explain your reasoning. It can also be an opportunity to explain some of the history behind the terms that have been used to describe autism. Some authors choose to include a glossary to give a similar result.

Stories set in the past

Autism has only really been recognised relatively recently, and in the early days of it being recognised very few people would have been in a position to be able to access diagnosis. This means that most historical fiction with autistic characters can’t call the characters autistic if you want to use language that is accurate to the period.

Try out the general strategies we suggested. The third post in this series will have more suggestions about how to strongly imply your character is autistic, which may be useful if you choose not to use the word “autistic” in the story itself. Remember that you can combine this with explicitly calling the character autistic when you discuss them outside the story!

Stories set in the future

Aiming for “realistic” use of language in a future setting is tricky – language in general changes very quickly, but the language related to mental diagnoses develops particularly quickly. To give you an idea of the extent of change that we’ve seen in language in general, here is a two-and-a-half minute video about how English has changed in the last 1000 years.

So, this means that you have a lot of creative freedom about your choice of language! Most writers, however, choose to mostly use contemporary language, and only change a few words.

So, what can you try? Here are the ideas we discussed in this post:

You might begin with an author’s note in the introduction about your choice of language relating to autism and other diagnoses - whether this is to keep it the same as in the present day, or to adapt it.

Maybe in your society they do not usually call it autism, but they acknowledge that this is something that used to be called autism, even though it is now called silfran.

Or, if you want it to still be called autism in-universe, there are some other options:

They refer to the “old texts” which tell them about the diagnoses

The term “autistic” has remained in the public consciousness because Sten Illiad, (the inventor of the replicator/founder of the Syndian religion/author of a treatise on economics and philosophy/whatever suits your world building best), was famously autistic

The term autistic is slightly modified to show that the language has changed (“he is autistish”, “she thinks autiswise”)

There was a period of time when the naming of different neurotypes was taboo, so the old names were revived relatively recently

Fantasy settings

As well as the strategies we have already suggested, being set in another world means that you can try some of the following (some of these might also work well for stories set in the future):

Use fancier-sounding existing names “Young Æthelred’s words will not be returning. The thane tells me that his son has dementia infantilis - the merfolk call it childhood disintegration”

Use or adapt other diagnostic terms You could choose to use or adapt other diagnostic terms related to the autism spectrum: pervasive developmental disorder, nonverbal learning disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, etc.

Modify the word “autism” to better suit your setting This could be making small changes (like the “autistish” and “autiswise” examples we used earlier), or you could borrow terms from other languages.

Borrow terms from other languages This could be taking translations which are similar but spelt and pronounced a little differently, like “outisme” (Afrikaans) and “otîzm” (Kurdish) or using less familiar translations like “uathachas” (Gaelic).

Create new words to describe autism This could be as simple as calling something X’s syndrome, but defining in the same way that you would describe autism. Alternatively, you could create your own term for “autism” based on the etymology of the English word:

autism (n.) 1912, from German Autismus, coined 1912 by Swiss psychiatrist Paul Bleuler (1857-1939) from Greek autos “self” (see auto-) + -ismos suffix of action or of state. [via etymonline]

Here are some other prefixes which mean “self” (although you might choose to create a completely new word that doesn’t basically mean “self absorbed”):

Ipse- (Latin)  (which is where we get the word “ipseity”)

Selv- (Norwegian/Danish)

If you do create new words to describe autism, make sure that you make the link to today’s terms clear - either within the story, or using a glossary or author’s note.

That’s it for now! Of course, we haven’t been able to cover every possible situation and setting, but hopefully we have given you ideas that you can adapt to suit your story.

Next time on On calling characters autistic:

Part 3 - hinting We discuss ways to strongly imply that your character is autistic (techniques that you will ideally combine with explicitly calling them autistic)

[scripttraumasurvivors]

My character suffers from PTSD and Schizophrenia. They witnessed abuse committed by their father on a daily basis and occasionally were on the receiving end. They later survived a house fire that resulted the death of their mother, and in their own disfigurement. These events happened under the age of 12. Schizophrenia runs in his mother's side of the family. Would it be realistic for him to be able to live alone? And act violently the way his father did? (Character lives in the early 1800s).

Honestly, I’m going to refer you to @scriptshrink  because I am not super familiar with schizophrenia and that is possibly going to play a bigger role in your answer than the PTSD is.

-TS

[scriptfeature]

hi! drugs cw................... i am interested in writing characters who obtain and use illicit substances, but being fairly straightedge myself, i was wondering if there was a script family member who helps with this sort of thing? erowid is only getting me so far.

Hmm. Well, depending on what you’re referring to...@scriptcriminaljustice - for the legality of “illicit” substances, punishment of them, how police try to rout it out or how criminals try to skirt the police during their...activities involving such things

@scriptchemist - for chemistry related questions (e.g. if this were about a story like Breaking Bad, you might ask “how can I seem realistic in portraying my characters who start a meth lab, without actually giving instructions on how to make meth to the reader??”. Because I know for a fact BB’s staff consulted the DEA with just such a question, and if you were to piece together and follow their “meth” recipe as portrayed on screen, apparently you’d actually just get cough syrup lol)

@scriptpharmacist - pharmachology! Seems like a good one if looking for medical effects or time of action etc, maybe? 

@scriptmedic may be able to help with the short or long-term medical effects of drugs (illicit or otherwise), or with how paramedics would react to things like an OD that they get called out to@scriptsociology MIGHT be able to pin down the kinds of neighborhoods you can find “illicit substances” in and their features? Not sure.@scriptshrink is on hiatus but MIGHT be able to help you write a “recovery arc” if the character is in therapy for it?That’s just off the top of my head, but those all seem like options, depending on what part of “people who obtain and use illicit substances” you need/want to know about for yours story? Poke around the ScriptX Family list though, you may find even more options I haven’t thought of. (E.g. I’m not sure, but they might think to steal Veterinary medications? In which case it’s entirely possible @scriptveterinarian might be able to answer a question or two, including whether that’s even plausible, heh) Hope I gave you some helpful ideas, anon! :)-Mod Vorpalgirl 

[transcriptroopers]

TranscripTrooper’s FAQ

I finally started getting enough repeats that I felt vindicated adding a FAQ. If you’ve asked me one of these questions in the past, don’t sweat it! All that means is that you helped alert me to a common concern that needs to be addressed. 

Why join the army if it's not the highest paid, the most prestigious, or the most well treated? For many people, it's a family tradition. You'd be incredibly surprised how much loyalty a person can have to any given branch strictly based on their familial relations. For others, it seems to be the most direct service when it comes to helping people, probably courtesy of seeing the National Guard being so prominent. Civilians have no idea how the military works; they think the navy just sails around, the air force just flies around, and the Marines just...idk...do whatever Marines do. Plus people think the army is just the Default Military. It's like the army is the “generic brand,” you know, like someone saying “Q-Tip” when they mean “cotton swab.” Others, quite frankly, couldn't join the other forces. You'd be surprised; I knew many people who originally wanted to join another branch but either weren't smart enough or weren't physically fit enough. I distinctly remember someone in basic saying he originally was going AF, but when he brought his ASVAB scores to their recruiter office they literally told him “the army recruiters are down the hall.” What does this piece of jargon mean/do soldiers actually use this jargon? See this post and if you still have questions be sure to send me a clarified ask. My soldier character received a(n) ______ wound from combat. Would this get him discharged?

To clarify, wounds both combat and non combat can get a soldier discharged, so your soldier doesn't have to be in combat to be wounded severely enough to warrant a medboard.

Eye: if there is permanent vision damage that drops the eyes below the standards associated with Army Regulation 40-501 paragraph 3-16e, which for reference is: (1) Vision that cannot be corrected with ordinary spectacle lenses (contact lenses or other special corrective devices (telescopic lenses, etc.) are unacceptable) to at least:

20/60 in one eye and 20/60 in the other eye, or

20/50 in one eye and 20/80 in the other eye, or

20/40 in one eye and 20/100 in the other eye, or

20/20 in one eye and 20/800 in the other eye; or

(2) An eye has been enucleated. (removed) Ergo it's up to you if your soldiers meets those standards after an eye injury. If your question is, “if he goes blind in one/two eyes” then the answer is “yes.” If your soldier is “legally blind” in one eye but it is correctable with lenses/surgery, the army covers that and actually allows active duty soldiers to get corrective lens surgery even without eye injury, so barring an unreasonably long recovery time I don't see why that wouldn't apply.

Ear: harder question. If your hearing is damaged enough, (”enough” being a subjective term) your soldier might at the very least face a mandatory reclass, which means the army will assign them a new MOS and they will not only have to go back to school for training in that MOS but they won't be able to do their current job any more. If the hearing loss is more severe, they may be medboarded instead. The exact numbers of acceptable hearing are probably not of interest to you but suffice it to say it's up to you whether the soldier's hearing is bad enough to warrant a discharge. I will say that soldiers being slightly hard of hearing isn't unheard of and it's also not unheard of for soldiers to be able to pass the hearing test but still have poor hearing in the field.

Limb: if the limb is amputated or otherwise non functional, it is grounds for a medboard. However, some soldiers have successfully been able to return to active duty with missing parts, although the vast majority of these numbers are those who've lost hands/fingers. Whole arms, toe, foot, and below-the-knee amputees are much less likely to return to active duty, although it's not impossible. IOW unlikely but up to you. Other: unless the wound or a mental illness would otherwise disable the soldier, there would be no medboard.

tl;dr: do you WANT it to be enough to get them discharged??  Also read this post about aftereffects of being medboarded via combat wounds.

I'm writing a fantasy/sci-fi story and I have to make up ranks. How do you suggest I start?/I have a soldier whose duties include X, Y, and Z. What rank would he be? Read these posts about ranks and if your question still isn’t answered then send a more detailed post explaining what you need. I will not help you come up with imaginary ranks. Enlisted Ranks Officer Ranks Rank Purpose Multiple branches working together What would a soldier with PTSD act like? You should consider reading @scriptshrink‘s post on PTSD. It’s a clinical assessment but it contains valuable information I consider nigh essential for writing PTSD characters. Other than that, I don’t have PTSD, (or at least PTSD associated with combat) so I don’t feel entirely right answering this question. I can tell you with some confidence that while their medical needs would be met by the army as far as medication goes and officially mental health is considered a priority, unofficially the military’s stance on mental illness is “you’re fucking weak.” How long are soldiers in combat? Generally? They aren’t often even IN combat, at least not in the current war. It’s absolutely a falsehood that most soldiers will see combat. Having said that, a firefight might last a few seconds to a few days, although with our current enemies I’d lean more towards seconds/minutes. Our biggest concern atm is actually IEDs.  What are the fraternization rules regarding soldiers/is fraternization really that strict? Officially you can read about this here An expanded-upon answer can be found here. Information about holiday events here. Fraternization across branches here. Short answer yes, the army does tend to take fraternization that seriously, but as with most rules it’s often dependent on the chain of command when it comes to just HOW seriously they take it. There might be demotions, article 15s, verbal and written counselling, changes of station, and there might be, you know...nothing. Personally I think the rules were a lot more strict when I was at home than when I was deployed. During deployment I think people can get away with pretty much anything because in a lot of cases it’d be significantly more detrimental to the unit if they punish the soldier than if they just let it go on until it becomes a problem.  Are women really called “females” in military environments? Yes, as are men called “males.” Calling female service members ladies, women, or girls is considered rude/derogatory. The only exception is female officers, who are called “ladies” as male officers are called “gentlemen.” It’s also now unacceptable in the military to disparage troops by using “girls/ladies/women” as insults. How much money does _____ make? The answer depends not only on the soldier’s rank but also their marital status, deployment status, and their Time in Service (TiS). You can read a good article about it here, but you can always just google “this year’s military pay chart” and something basic will come up. Be sure to take into account whether they have kids or take care of a parent! Where do soldiers get medical care? We normally get seen at the TMC, or Troop Medical Clinic. It can be as small as a trailer or as big as a multi-story hospital. If more intense care is needed, we might be sent to an actual hospital. But soldiers can also just get medical care at any location that offers medical care, whether civilian hospitals or clinics. They won’t be expected to foot the bill as long as they present proof that they’re active duty. Your leadership should be informed if you use civilian health care and if you acquire any medicine from them, and this is considered a sort of “no other option” choice so it shouldn’t be done willy-nilly. Does not (typically) apply to dental or mental health.

What are the most common injuries soldiers face? In combat we most frequently see extremity injuries, (52% of all injuries) and usually from explosives (75%). TBIs are also a common problem. When a soldier is hurt in combat we usually use the word “wounded” over the word “injured.” For the general army, I’d probably say sprained/twisted ankles. In most of the TMCs I went to, you don’t even get examined if you just walk in and say “I twisted my ankle.” They’d just throw you some ACE bandages, some ibuprofen, and the recommendation to ice it. It’s just such a mundane and boring injury, but it’s woefully common not only because of our level of physical exertion, but because the army won’t let you keep off your feet and you’ll be forced to keep working on that bad ankle so that you’ll continue to have problems with it forever.

What kinds of medical conditions disqualify you from service? I’ve gone into more depth/information about it here, but basically any chronic illness will be scrutinized by the military before you join. Mental illness included. If you’ve had bronchitis before, or an invasive surgery, (especially one involving pins or other foreign entities) that might be a DQ. Most allergies are a DQ, although it’s possible to get a waiver for less severe ones. IBS, diabetes, anemia and other similar chronic illnesses are an auto DQ. Even acid reflux is taken into account.  If you develop a chronic illness while enlisted, depending on the severity and how manageable it is, you might be permitted to stay in or you might be medboarded. There are active duty service members with diabetes for example, but if it becomes too much for the army/you to handle, separation might be initiated. So as is so often the case, if you want your soldier to develop a chronic illness, you’ll have to decide just how manageable the illness is. The army will allot time for medical care and give any necessary medication to the soldier.

What is the proper way to capitalize ranks and branches of service?

If you’re listing the rank itself, it’s not capitalized. If you’re using the rank as a title, it is capitalized. ”As the colonel trailed off, the sergeant left without saying a word.” ”As Colonel Vaughn trailed off, Sergeant Torres left without saying a word.” Similarly, if you’re directly saying “the U.S. Army,” it’s capitalized, but if you just say “the army,” it’s not. This is as far as grammar is concerned. As far as the inner workings of the actual military are concerned, these words are often capitalized regardless of their actual practical application. So while I recommend you write the story with the above rules, anything written by a service member will probably vary.

Didn’t you used to be part of the Script Family/are you still scriptsoldier?

Yes! I left Script Family due to my inability to keep this blog on topic, so I’m no longer affiliated, though I have left Medic’s credit up on my blog since I did start this blog because of her hard work and informative posts! I am not shy about sharing my political opinions on this blog, namely because I feel that the military is inherently political due to its chain of command ending directly with the president of the united states. 

What kind of opinions?

I am a leftist and an anarcho-communist. I I think it is reprehensible to join the military for any reason. Those are usually enough lol but there’s more!

Well then, why did you join the army?

Fair, no excuses. But for for context, I was a poor gay loner welfare kid from an abusive home and was targeted by military recruiters who hung around my high school from freshman year until after I graduated. I was convinced that I had no other options and that I would never make it otherwise. I did four years and got out as soon as I could. 

--

That’s all for now! I’ve probably forgotten at least one common question, so do check back now and then to see if I’ve updated the post. Please feel free to ask me any questions that aren’t covered by this post, or to ask for clarifications on things brought up in this post! -Kingsley

I no longer run a Patreon, but if you’ve found my blog helpful, consider buying me a coffee? 

[scriptstructure]

I have a script where a couple have to stay locked in an apartment together but they fight a lot and one of them is very paranoid (they're in witness protection) how do i make sure this doesnt get long and boring but really show the isolation and tension the characters have cause of the circumstances and their inability to let go of there past relationship issues?

This kind of story is sometimes referred to as a ‘bottle episode’, that is, a story that takes place within a confined setting (often a single room or building), with a restricted cast. It’s common in television shows where it can act as a way to save money on production, but there are also films that make use of this format and novels and other forms that utilise the understated storytelling and focus on characterisation.

The key to getting this kind of story to work is in characterisation and in developing tension. If the narrative is restricted to two characters stuck together, then both of those characters need to be thoroughly developed and interesting, and their relationship, likewise, needs to be well formed and dynamic.

Think about who they were before they became stuck in the apartment together, and what their relationship was.

How did they meet?

How long have they known each other?

What is their relationship to one another?

How has their relationship changed over time?

What was the trajectory of their relationship before they were stuck in this situation?

Are there ongoing conflicts between them that they’re bringing into this situation?

What are their normal methods of dealing with conflict in the relationship?

Will those methods work in this situation?

And so on. Having a good base concept of these two and how they act and react when they’re together in a ‘normal’ day-to-day environment will give you a starting point to develop how they behave with the additional stresses of being confined.

Having a good handle on their relationship and characterisation will also enable you to develop the tension in the story. Being trapped in together is going to be a stressful situation and the characters’ relationship with its normal frictions and troubles is going to be amplified in this situation. Little stressors that on a normal day might provoke an eye roll or a minor argument may blow up into a full scale row, or turn into a multi-day silent fume, depending on your characters and how they express their distress and anger.

As well, in a restricted setting like this, the focus is going to be on much smaller events. Perhaps outside of the apartment the characters are aware of the larger events of the Plot happening (I imagine there’s something big going on for them to be in witness protection, after all), but in the apartment it’s going to be pared down to the little things. Crumbs left on the counter top, someone staring out into the street for hours a day, worried that they’ll be found, lights being left on when no one’s in the room, items being left where they were last used instead of being put away, etc.

Petty things will probably take on greater weight, and the ‘action’ in the story will come from the back and forth between the characters as they deal with their current situation and all the little stresses and difficulties of it, as well as the psychological weight of whatever it is on the outside that they’re hiding from.

As well, while the story is set in the apartment and between the two characters, it would be very possible to show some of their past and events leading up to the current situation through flashbacks, or through the two characters referring to or thinking about their shared past. Since the focus is on the present situation, you probably wouldn’t want to spend too much time on flashbacks, but a few key moments can help build depth and history for your characters.

Now just as a note, if you mean that one of your characters is clinically paranoid, I’d suggest going and taking a look at @scriptshrink‘s posts on the topic, or asking specific questions if they haven’t covered what you need to know.

If you want to look at movies that use this kind of story, you could look at Panic Room (2002), the film is set in a family home and there are several key sequences between the protagonist and her daughter as they’re trapped in the titular panic room. And the movie Hard Candy* (2005) is set in a home and the interactions between the two main characters comprise most of the film. The film The Mist (2007) adapting one of Stephen King’s stories is set with a cast of strangers trapped in a supermarket together. The Doctor Who episode Midnight is an example of a bottle episode.

Stephen King’s Misery is set in Annie Wilkes’ home and the interactions between the two characters form the majority of the novel’s action.

(*content warning: Hard Candy focuses on a plot revolving around a pedophile attempting to predate on a young girl, and features some graphic content, though no on screen sexual abuse.)

[absolxguardian]

If you were still looking for writing reference about panic attacks, check the blog scriptshrink; there should be something there.

Oh I already posted that chapter, but thanks! I am following scriptshrink

[heywriters]

+ If you would like to support this blog, please visit my ko-fi and Buy Me A Coffee!

“HEY, Writers!” Ask Policy

I do not answer research questions. Research is the responsibility of the author. Stop asking other writers to do it for you.

What counts as a research question?

Portrayal questions (“How do I write a character who is x?” where ��x” is referring to a life experience, physical/mental condition, gender, culture, occupation, etc.)

Specialist/Non-Writing Encyclopedia questions (“Where should my character break their leg to heal within a few months?”, "What technical terms are used in designer fashion?”, “How does child support work?”, etc.)

Whether an idea is offensive/insensitive or not

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fight scenes/combat @howtofightwrite

medical/injury @scriptmedic

disabilities @cripplecharacters

psychology/mental health @scriptshrink

crime/justice @scriptcriminaljustice

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[scriptshrink]

Alternative Interpretations of Body Language, Part 1

So I found this cool table in one of my ‘how to be a therapist’ textbooks that seems like it’d be super helpful to writers. There’s a lot of lists out there of emotions are linked to certain expressions and gestures, but not many that go the other way around - providing alternative ways you (or other characters within your stories) can interpret body language.

I’ve adapted it to be a little more understandable. 

Under the jump because it’s long.

Eyes

Direct eye contact

Attentiveness

Readiness for communication

Being comfortable with their environment and the person they’re talking to

Lack of eye contact

Withdrawal

Avoidance

Respect or deference

Looking down or away

Preoccupation

Avoidance

Concentrated thought

Fixed staring

Preoccupation

Uptightness

Rigidity

Psychosis

Intimidating

Darting or blinking eyes

Anxiety

Paranoia

Excitement

Squinting or furrowed brow

Thoughtfulness

Concern

Annoyance

Teary eyes and/or tears

Sadness

Happiness

Frustration or anger

Concern or fear

Dilated pupils

Alarm

Interest

Under the influence of drugs

Eyes moving to and away from eye contact

Recalling a memory

Interest

Mouth

Smiling

Greeting

Positive mood

Avoidance or denial

Tight lips

Stress

Anger or hostility

Quivering lips

Sadness or crying

Anger

Anxiety

Biting or chewing of lips

Anxiety

Bad habit

Open mouth

Surprise

Boredom or fatigue or yawning

Illness (if only able to breathe through mouth)

Facial Expressions

Flushed face

Embarrasment

Anxiety

Eyes open wide and mouth opening

Surprise

Startle response

Sudden insight

Furrowed brow with tight mouth

Deep thought or concentration

Irritation or annoyance

Rejection

Eyes looking up and mouth pursed

Remembering something

Disagreement

Thoughtfulness or pondering a suggestion

Head

Nodding up and down

Agreement

Listening and/or paying attention

Shaking left to right

Disagreement

Disapproval

Hanging

Sadness

Hopelessness

Cocked to one side

Pondering

Listening and/or paying attention

Shoulders and neck

Shrugging

Uncertainty or ambivalence

Indifference or lack of caring about something

Slouched

Sadness

Withdrawal or shyness

Bad posture

Raised

Self-protection

Stretching

Neck rolls

Tension

Stretching

If there’s enough interest in this, I’ll type up the rest of the table for a second part.

[scriptautistic]

I'm writing a book with an autistic main character (I'm autistic myself so I wanted this character, who I somewhat identify with, to be autistic too) but the plot is set about 1000 years into the future, so I just wonder if there are things I should think about, since diagnoses and stuff will probably have evolved a lot during that time. (part one)

My current idea is that everyone in the society this character lives in, goes through personality tests as children, to determine which kind of work they would fit, and this is also where neurodivergent kids often get diagnosed. Is this an okay way to do it? (part two)

Also, how would I make it “realistic” that this society still uses the same diagnoses as we do today? The society my character lives in lost contact with the rest of civilisation around five hundred years before the story starts, but that still means this society developed together with the rest of the civilisation for around five hundred years after today (part three)

Personality tests

How old are the kids when they are put through the personality tests? If they are too young they may be hard to administer, or it might be difficult to get results, but if they are administered when they are a bit older then it might make sense for a lot of these children to already have been identified as “different”.

Are these tests accurate? Do they use new technology? Does the sci-fi setting mean that personality tests will be able to actually reliably identify children with developmental disabilities/dyslexia/dyspraxia/etc?

What is the wider impact of children being tested to determine their suitability for work? Does this have a negative impact on disabled children?

Diagnoses and language

Aiming for “realistic” use of language is tricky – language in general (not just diagnoses) will have changed a great deal in that time. To give you an idea of the extent of change that we’ve seen in the last thousand yearsthis video is a reading of the opening lines of Beowolf in Old English.

So, how can you approach this problem?

You might begin with an author’s note in the introduction about your choice of language relating to autism and other diagnoses - whether this is to keep it the same as in the present day, or to adapt it.

Maybe in your society they do not usually call it autism, but they acknowledge that this is something that used to be called autism, even though it is now called silfran.

Or, if you want it to still be called autism in-universe, there are some other options:

They refer to the “old texts” which tell them about the diagnoses

The term “autistic” has remained in the public consciousness because Sten Illiad, (the inventor of the replicator/founder of the Syndian religion/author of a treatise on economics and philosophy/whatever suits your world building best), was famously autistic

The term autistic is slightly modified to show that the language has changed (”he is autistish”, “she thinks autiswise”)

There was a period of time when the naming of different neurotypes was taboo, so the old names were revived relatively recently

I have also just remembered this post by scriptshrink, which might be a good place to get ideas for how to talk about a diagnosis which doesn’t match the story’s time setting.

Best of luck!

-Mod Snail

[scripttraumasurvivors]

hi, to not ramble/take up too much time, i'll be straight: i have a character who's been kidnapped at 4 by a relative who's connected to a trafficking ring and since then has gone through sexual abuse (mostly by the relative, he is the one taking ownership of him after all) up until the age of 11. my character escapes the abuse by the abuser's car crashing (they had moved to another country illegally) and killing him (but not my chara) and here's my questions: would it make sense for my (1/4)

character to go have gone through a dissociative fugue? Or idk what its called, like would it make sense for my character to ‘wake up’ and find himself unable to remember most of his past other than the knowledge that something clearly bad has happened to him involving his relative but not being able to remember what happened other than the car crash, and some flashes of him being violent to other school children (as an expression of rage towards his abuse, to which then he feels terrified (2/4)

of himself and creates a new identity)? Would it also make sense that my character wouldn’t *want* to remember due to fear? I plan for him to eventually get placed in an orphanage because the cops who find him can’t seem to get any info out of him + he can’t speak the language so once he is adopted and taught (keep in mind he’s taken on a new identity) his parents notice him being difficult and assuming it is just some behavioral issue take him to a therapist, who figures out there must be (¾)

something bigger going on (like, some clearly severe PTSD) but my chara does not want to remember (yet) and so seeing that he’s clearly not ready he’s just stuck with work that would just tackle his behavioral issues (aggression, being more social, ect) for now? Ahh sorry I feel all over the place, im too wordy, thank u in advance (4/4)

—

So you might want to touch in with @scriptshrink as well just because… dissociative fugues are not something I’m super well versed on? In the past, lets say five years, I’ve talked to/volunteered with/been witness for thousands of survivors-

and at no point did any of them talk about dissociative fugues. Dissociation? Most us. DID? I know a few people. This does not mean that none of them did have fugue states, it just means that it was nothing that ever came up between us. Though I do know statistically speaking, fugue states are rare.

Which doesn’t mean that they’re impossible, or that you shouldn’t write one. I think it was Aunt Scripty that mentioned recently that fiction writing is all about those 1% chances.

What I can say is this- what you’re also… tap dancing around/sort of hinting at it- is the topic of repressed memories.

Repressed memories can be a controversial topic and there’s a few reasons for that. Some of them non-legit (victim blaming/people not understanding how memory works/gross people not wanting to get called out), some of them have more legit origins (There was a… scandal? where a bunch of preschool teachers I think it was, were accused of abusing children around the country because of satanism. It was BS. But there is something to be said of ‘here is how stories grow between children especially when panicked parents don’t make ‘no I’m fine my teacher is cool’ as the right answer, and leading questions.) that have been stretched beyond the appropriate context.

Memory is an odd thing.

And sometimes people do sort of block things out. To say that we don’t is to pretend we live in a universe that we all know everything we’ve ever eaten.

But much like I might not be able to walk up to you and say ‘Hey, nonny, what did you eat on July 15th, 2013?’

If you got food poisoning that day, or if there was a party because a close relative graduated-

I might be able to be like ‘Hey, nonny, remember when your sister graduated highschool and you got wicked sick? What were you eating at that party?’

And you have a much higher chance of remembering what it was. Because there were things calling on it, and there was emotional charge there. Both in the sense that you got sick from it and that there was an important social context there.

Not to get too much into my personal history because this is writing advice and not mental health advice- I was an early childhood survivor. Meaning that part of my trauma happened in the age ranges you’re talking. 

I’m not even sure how much of it I remembered when- because children’s memories work so differently than adults. (I had a psych teacher once refer to it like trying to play something from the atari on the playstation three. As we get older, sometimes things from even recent years can be hard to recall exactly why we did it/why it was important- but that difference is closer to say- playstation one to the playstation three.) But I do know I didn’t tell anyone about it until late middle school, after I’d already been in therapy for three years for… behavior difficulties and strangeness.  One of the bigger traumas, I do remember having the conversation just before I was supposed to leave for the day and my therapist freaking out and wanting to know why I’d hidden it.

I hadn’t. It just never occurred to me that what happened wasn’t okay.

That it might have some effect on my behavior.

And your character? Might be in a very similiar place there. Unless you examine them, the older you get and the further you get away from an experience- sometimes the fuzzier the details get. Especially with childhood trauma.

You assume that things weren’t as bad as they were often. You assume they’re more normal than they are until someone or something brings it back up and you have that moment of ‘wow, that was fucked up’ and a lot of survivors don’t even then make the connection of ‘that was trauma.’

So your character might have a lot of that going on. When trauma happens that young, the symptoms do often feel like personality traits. Whether it be the reservedness or aggressiveness or being anxious or even having a habit of petty lying all the time.

It’s important to remember that memories also do not care what your character wants. 

At first, he’s probably not going to be aware that he blocking things out.

He might- once things start coming up, however, take a very ‘I don’t want to deal with you yet’ stance. 

Especially when things are triggered at inconvenient times (which… face it… is most of the time. It’s just up to you as a writer how inconvenient you want it to be for him and how exasperated and frustrated.)

Also, I want to add that it really does make sense that the parents would just assume behavioral issues and stick him in therapy for that. They may also just assume that it is general adoption type trauma things. If you’re wanting a place to make the past come up- a therapist poking around at his past trying to help him ‘settle in to his new life’ might be a place to start having some flashes even if it isn’t the total reveal.

-TS

[scriptfeature]

ScriptX Family Weekly Update

Heyo fine folks of the internet. What’s that? It’s update time. Well crap. @me you really should have been working on this earlier instead of typing it up in the last few minutes before it’s supposed to be up. Anyways, on to the announcements for this week. 

You know what’s fun? Deadly plants! What’s even better? Deadly plants that look pretty. This way your character can smite their enemies while having their weapon go with their cute outfit. Or with their punk outfit, whatever works for them. Should you decide this concept works well for your character, then @scriptflorist has a post right about here that would be a handy reference for your character. 

Hey another post! Yeah, i know it’s down from my usual, but it’s up from last week. So you’ve got a witch in a wheelchair. Great idea! Now we just have the minor issue of how this is going to affect her practice. The folks over at @scriptwitchcraft have written up this post right about here

Everybody looking forward to Saturday? Hmm? I know I am. Let’s just say for now, some of the family have an April Fool’s Day joke planned. This will not involve screamers or jumpscares. Keep an eye on @scriptshrink for more information.

Apologies for getting this up late. Ideally ill do a better job next time. For now this is your host sighing off.

-Splat

[scriptshrink]

Millon’s Personality Disorder Descriptions: Cluster A

Paranoid

Guarded, defensive, distrustful and suspicious. Hypervigilant to the motives of others to undermine or do harm. Always seeking confirmatory evidence of hidden schemes. Feels righteous, but persecuted. People with paranoid personality disorder experience a pattern of pervasive distrust and suspicion of others that lasts a long time. They are generally difficult to work with and are very hard to form relationships with. They are also known to be somewhat short-tempered.

Schizoid

Apathetic, indifferent, remote, solitary. Neither desires nor need human attachments. Withdrawn from relationships and prefer to be alone. Little interest in others, often seen as a loner. Minimal awareness of the feelings of themselves or others. Few drives or ambitions, if any. Is an uncommon condition in which people avoid social activities and consistently shy away from interaction with others. It affects more males than females. To others, they may appear somewhat dull or humorless. Because they don't tend to show emotion, they may appear as though they don't care about what's going on around them.

Schizotypal

Eccentric, self-estranged, bizarre, absent. Exhibits peculiar mannerisms and behaviors. Thinks can read thoughts of others. Preoccupied with odd daydreams and beliefs. Blurs line between reality and fantasy. Magical thinking and strange beliefs. People with schizotypal personality disorder are often described as odd or eccentric and usually have few, if any, close relationships. They generally don't understand how relationships form or the impact of their behavior on others.

[Shrink’s note - these characteristics do not hold true for all people with the personality disorder in question. They are a general guide / generalization only.]

See also: Cluster B, Cluster C