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The other night husband and I were watching a documentary about the yeti where they were doing DNA analysis of samples of supposed yeti fur, and every one of them came back as bears.

Anyway, the next night we watched a thing about some pig man who is supposed to live in Vermont. People said it had claws and a pig nose but walked upright like a man. Now, I happen to know that sideshows used to shave bears and present them as pig men. So every piece of evidence they gave of this monster sounds to me like a bear with mange.

So now the running joke in our house is that everything is bears. Aliens? Bears. Loch Ness monster? Bear. Every cryptozoological mystery is just a very crafty bear.

Bears. They’re everywhere. Be wary. Anyone or anything could be a bear.

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remember kids, the moral of "Irish and Italians weren't even considered White yet!" isn't "because in those times people were so ignorant they didn't think the Irish were white". the moral is "because white is an unreal category created to justify slavery and ongoing hoarding of power and wealth". It's not that you know better about Italians. It's that the boundaries of the higher caste have changed.

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How to expand a one-shot into a full-length novel

I get this question in my inbox a lot, and I haven’t answered it yet because I think my answer is a bit more difficult than maybe people are hoping.

My first instinct is to say: you can’t.

Okay, I don’t mean like, give up here, do not pass go. But it’s important to note that a one-shot isn’t just a chapter of a novel, it’s an entirely different form of writing. It’d be like asking how to turn a two-sentence poem into a novel. There’s going to be a lot of things that need to change before we’re able to achieve that goal. Not impossible—but not an easy 5-step guide.

A one-shot has a beginning, middle and end, wrapped up in stakes and a breadth of story that is only meant to be written in this shorter form. To turn it into the novel, the least we need to do is up the stakes, but we’d probably end up changing the entire premise to fit the breadth of a novel. A story you can tell in 1500 words just can’t be the same story you’d need to tell in 50,000—there’s not enough substance to fill that many extra words.

So what we’ll do is we’re going to take inspiration from your one-shot to turn it into a novel. I would start with your protagonist. If the one-shot is about, say, them getting through opening day of their bakery, we can delve into that concept to learn more about them.

What background led them to this place, why did they want to achieve this, what does it mean to them to achieve this, where do they want to go next, and what’s holding them back from what they want? These are all good starting points to start thinking about how this character will fit into a larger narrative. See my post, “Character is Plot” for a more in-depth discussion on character development.

Once you have a goal and something keeping your character from their goal, and what they really need to realize, we have the beginnings of arc. This is where we start thinking about the A to B, or plot—where do they want to go, what conflict is keeping them from it (both internal and external), what they need to learn. You’ll probably want to create an antagonist here, or if you already have one, do the same thing with them as we just did with your protagonist.

Your antagonist (again, both internal and external) should have stakes worthy of a full-length novel. That means, the conflict and consequences are high enough to sustain multiple encounters, and these conflicts will drive your character towards their B.

You will likely find as you start writing that your one-shot won’t fit into your novel. That’s because the illusion of story before and after in a one-shot isn’t the same as how a novel needs to fit together—when putting the before and after on the page, it becomes clearer what demands the narrative have.

And to be very clear, one-shots are not a “lesser” form of writing, and novels are not superior in any way. Do not feel like you need to expand your one-shot, unless you just genuinely want to write a novel. Just be prepared that it’s going to look a lot different, as different forms require different things.

Make sense?

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[write-for-your-life2]

the worst part of "you'll understand when you're older" is that you really do understand when you're older

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i made this version of that popular cake meme as a love letter to my favourite artists, writers, editors etc who keep making content about my favourite characters/ship

ermm

I LOVE YALL!!!!!!!!

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A reminder with PBS being defunded that it is SO MUCH MORE than PBS Kids. It broadcasts educational shows about science, history, current events, nature, art and so much more, instructional television for cooking and home improvement, British shows that might not be available in the states if it wasn’t for PBS, theatre productions, indie productions that PBS gives an opportunity to broadcast they might not get otherwise, and all that’s not even mentioning NPR!!!!! Losing PBS would not only be losing nostalgic shows like Sesame Street and Arthur, but shows for teens and adults who might not be able to afford other channels as well, and THAT is one of the many reasons why it’s so important to fight for it. The link below is a form that lets you send a message to your lawmakers to not defund the extremely important resource to millions that is PBS!!!!!

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"Absolutely no one comes to save us but us."

Ismatu Gwendolyn, "you've been traumatized into hating reading (and it makes you easier to oppress)", from Threadings, on Substack [ID'd]

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There's absolutely no way that the Trump admin will do a proper scan for spying devices on that Qatari jet.

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Mars and the type of men you might be attracted to

Mars in your chart shows the type of energy you're drawn to when it comes to passion, desire, and attraction especially toward masculine traits (regardless of gender).

This is a general interpretation, so it might or might not resonate.

Mars in Aries/1st house

You're attracted to bold, take-charge types. Confident, competitive, and a bit impulsive. The "I see it, I want it, I get it" kind of guy. Alpha energy? Yes please.

Mars in Taurus/2nd house

Slow burn attraction. You like someone grounded, dependable, sensual. A man who’s stable, loyal, and maybe a little possessive in a hot way. Bonus if he smells amazing.

Mars in Gemini/3rd house

Sapiosexual vibes. You're into witty, talkative, mentally stimulating men. Give you banter, debates, and late-night convos over someone with just good looks any day.

Mars in Cancer/4th house

You're drawn to emotionally intelligent, nurturing men. Protective and soft-hearted, but with a quiet strength. He might cook for you and remember all the little things.

Mars in Leo/5th house

You want someone who shines. Proud, bold, and a little dramatic. You're into men who are confident, expressive, and aren’t afraid to show you off or make big gestures. sassy men.

Mars in Virgo/6th house

The quiet fixer. You’re attracted to men who are helpful, attentive, detail-oriented — maybe even a little anxious. He shows love by doing, not just saying. You might have a thing for men in suits or formals.

Mars in Libra/7th house

You're drawn to charming, classy men. Someone who’s balanced, graceful, and knows how to flirt. A lover, not a fighter but with strong opinions under that pretty smile.

Mars in Scorpio/8th house

Intensity is your love language. You’re into deep, mysterious, magnetic men. You want someone who makes eye contact and suddenly you’re spiraling into obsession.

Mars in Sagittarius/9th house

You love a wild soul. The type who’s adventurous, funny, spontaneous, and never afraid to speak their mind. Big 3AM road trip energy. Give you the thrill. Something who can teach you and help you learn new things.

Mars in Capricorn/10th house

You're into powerful, responsible men. The strong, silent type. Driven, ambitious, and lowkey intimidating. Daddy energy. You want a man with a plan. You like men who have their life together.

Mars in Aquarius/11th house

You’re attracted to the unconventional ones. Detached but intriguing. You like someone who’s intellectually stimulating, unique, and doesn’t follow the crowd. You might love some rebellion.

Mars in Pisces/12th house

Hopeless romantic alert. You like dreamers, artists, soft souls. Men who feel deeply, love spiritually, and may be a little mysterious or poetic.

I'm up for criticism, just be nice about it.

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Not now kitten daddy's googling his symptoms

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i’m sorry but there really is nothing more erotic than two people stuck in a room together playing mind games and asking each other personal questions while being restricted by the boundaries of a professional relationship

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i think itd be extremely funny if a bunch of video games where you kill nazis spiked in sales this year