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i’ve seen this episode several times but it only just fully sank in how fucking funny this bit is

the way dee hides behind the newspaper with one big eye still looking at the lawyer—peak physical comedy. just *kisses fingers*

the fact that she and charlie think these are going to be effective hiding places

the reveal that they’re not in their own car, they’re in the car of the guy they’re spying on (and yes, they do know it’s his car)

the subsequent realization that charlie and dee were still shocked and confused when the lawyer started heading towards the car despite it being, well, his car

the way charlie just fuckin’ pops up in that last gif like a wind-up toy—more physical comedy from the peak.

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every single new update from today like

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got some random inspiration and dAMN i’m proud of this one :) the more i look at it the more it reminds me of like slytherin/nagini ?

shares and reblogs are super appreciated!! (reposts without permission at not)

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HP rewatch: The Prisoner of Azkaban

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It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia — “Mac & Dennis Move to the Suburbs” (2016) // American Psycho (2000)

“This is about the thrill of wearing another man’s skin. Feeling his innermost wants and desires and being in control of his every single move.” // “There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory.”

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Beetlejuice (1988) dir. Tim Burton

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back on that art shit

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I’m baaaAAck! Here’s a print I did recently, it’s now up on my etsy :)

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Ways to find a plot when you have characters and a setting

… but only characters and a setting. 

You have a world. A universe. A setting. Good! Describe what happens in it normally - describe your main character(s)’s daily life. Now, what would destabilize this routine completely? If many things could, write them all down. Pick your favourite idea(s). Plots are born from change: everything was going normally… until it wasn’t.

Make a list with all the goals/motivations of your main characters. Can the plot revolve around your characters going after these goals? 

Which goals are more important? Focus on those. 

Are different characters’ goals in conflict with each other? Conflict is usually what propels a story forward. 

What could go wrong in your character’s pursuit of their goal? Make it go wrong.

If you don’t know your characters’ goals, go back to the drawing board; they probably need more development.

If there’s not enough conflict of different motivations, make a new character who creates conflict!

How do you want your main character to have changed by the end of the story? Do you want them to be less selfish? To have come to terms with a part of themself? To have learned something new? Write down ideas that could accomplish this change. 

If you can’t think of any way your character could be changed (read: improved) by the end of the story, go back to the drawing board. They might be “too perfect”.

Notes: 

The change that triggers your plot can be anything. It doesn’t have to be the start of an epic war that will bring forth the apocalypse, it can be your character meeting a new person who shakes things up in their life, or anything you want!

Motivations can be anything. It doesn’t have to be something grand - if your character’s motivation is to just live a quiet life, you can still come up with a plot that will get in the way of that goal! 

Character development can be anything, as well - you don’t need a cliché moral to the story; your character doesn’t even need to change in a good way, if that’s not what you want for your story!

This is what I’ve found works for me, but if you try it and it doesn’t, or if it sounds way too sententious and strict for you - that’s okay! Take it with a grain of salt! Maybe you think your characters are just fine and don’t need more developing even in the situations in which I recommended you “go back to the drawing board”, or maybe you have better ways of coming up with a plot. That’s fine, the writing process can be very personal!

#writing

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Any advice in outlining? Because I want to start a longer piece of fiction with multiple parts and I know the best way to do that is by outlining. However with every bit of my writing is usually improv, with very little detailed planning. So how do I actually do it?

Outlining for Pansters.

Longer fiction benefits greatly from planning, but not every writer works best (or prefers) to form a detailed outline ahead of time. Here’s a few tips, tricks, and things to remember when you want an outline without bogging down your natural mode of writing.

1. Know everyone’s goals. 

The foundation of every good story is a character with a goal. Make a list of:

All the things your protagonist wants to achieve.

All the things that can be taken away from them.

All the things that would majorly distress them.

These should be personal. Most characters will objected to the universe ending: it’s your job to figure out why this particular character does so. 

2. Know all available (worthwhile) directions the story can take.

Make more lists!

In what ways might the world/setting change to take the protagonist out of their comfort zone?

What/who might stop the protagonist from achieving their goals?

What really bad things could foreseeably happen in this world/setting?(Which of these bad things align with the list of things that would distress the protagonist?)

3. Have some semblance of a climax.

Based on the worst foreseeable directions the story might go, what might the end result of the conflict look like? Is there a Highest Level of Conflict the story will eventually approach if everything bad that can happen to the protagonist, does? Who or what causes that conflict, and how will your protagonist need to approach it if they want a chance at success?

4. Make it awesome.

Don’t forget to jot down any really cool ideas you have for scenes, dialogue, settings, actions, characters, etc, (so long as they work within the foundation you’ve formed for this story.)

You never have to use them, but they’ll be there for you it you hit a roadblock or your memory fails you. 

At this point, you can pick which of your options you really like, and start creating individual plot points and arcs made of the steps your protagonist is taking to get through the bad things that are happening to them, and into the climax, and from there work through the nitty gritty of the individual scenes. 

Or you can end the initial outlining process here, dive in, and let the story naturally choose which of the directions you’ve brainstormed it wants to take you!

5. Pro-tip: Fill in any holes in your outline as you go.

If you don’t have a chapter-by-chapter outline when you start your rough draft, jot one down as you write. This will help immensely when it comes time to revise, rewrite, and smooth out all the lumps in the plot.

Remember to include in this outline any important plot points, changes in relationships, reveals of information, and character developments.

Click here for a detailed look at Bryn’s personal outlining method.

Note: This post is in no way meant to imply that pansters need to develop an outline in order to write good books, nor that this is the only way to do it. This is simply a nice method to begin an outline with, which will give a solid foundation even if you chose not to make any commitments.

#writing

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16 Villain Archetypes

The TYRANT: the bullying despot, he wants power at any price. He ruthlessly conquers all he surveys, crushing his enemies beneath his feet. People are but pawns to him, and he holds all the power pieces. Hesitate before getting in this man’s way – he’ll think nothing of destroying you. The BASTARD: the dispossessed son, he burns with resentment. He can’t have what he wants, so he lashes out to hurt those around him. His deeds are often for effect – he wants to provoke action in others. He proudly announces his rebellious dealings. Don’t be fooled by his boyish demeanor – he’s a bundle of hate. The DEVIL: the charming fiend, he gives people what he thinks they deserve. Charisma allows him to lure his victims to their own destruction. His ability to discover the moral weaknesses in others serves him well. Close your ears to his cajolery – he’ll tempt you to disaster. The TRAITOR: the double agent, he betrays those who trust him most. No one suspects the evil that lurks in his heart. Despite supportive smiles and sympathetic ears, he plots the destruction of his friends. Never turn your back on him — he means you harm. The OUTCAST: the lonely outsider, he wants desperately to belong. Tortured and unforgiving, he has been set off from others, and usually for good cause. He craves redemption, but is willing to gain it by sacrificing others. Waste no sympathy on him - he’ll have none for you. The EVIL GENIUS: the malevolent mastermind, he loves to show off his superior intelligence. Intellectual inferiors are contemptible to him and that includes just about everyone. Elaborate puzzles and experiments are his trademark. Don’t let him pull your strings – the game is always rigged in his favor. The SADIST: the savage predator, he enjoys cruelty for its own sake. Violence and psychological brutality are games to this man; and he plays those games with daring and skill. Run, don’t walk, away from this man – he’ll tear out your heart, and laugh while doing it. The TERRORIST: the dark knight, he serves a warped code of honor. Self-righteous, he believes in his own virtue, and judges all around him by a strict set of laws. The end will always justify his nefarious means, and no conventional morality will give him pause. Don’t try to appeal to his sense of justice – his does not resemble yours. The BITCH: the abusive autocrat, she lies, cheats, and steals her way to the top. Her climb to success has left many a heel mark on the backs of others. She doesn’t care about the peons around her – only the achievement of her dreams matters. Forget expecting a helping hand from her – she doesn’t help anyone but herself. The BLACK WIDOW: the beguiling siren, she lures victims into her web. She goes after anyone who has something she wants, and she wants a lot. But she does her best to make the victim want to be deceived. An expert at seduction of every variety, she uses her charms to get her way. Don’t be fooled by her claims of love – it’s all a lie. The BACKSTABBER: the two-faced friend, she delights in duping the unsuspecting. Her sympathetic smiles enable her to learn her victims’ secrets, which she then uses to feather her nest. Her seemingly helpful advice is just the thing to hinder. Put no faith in her – she’ll betray you every time. The LUNATIC: the unbalanced madwoman, she draws others into her crazy environment. The drum to which she marches misses many a beat, but to her, it is the rest of the world that is out of step. Don’t even try to understand her logic – she is unfathomable. The PARASITE: the poisonous vine, she collaborates for her own comfort. She goes along with any atrocity, so long as her own security is assured. She sees herself as a victim who had no choice, and blames others for her crimes. Expect no mercy from her – she won’t lift a finger to save anyone but herself. The SCHEMER: the lethal plotter, she devises the ruin of others. Like a cat with a mouse, she plays with lives. Elaborate plans, intricate schemes; nothing pleases her more than to trap the unwary. Watch out for her complex designs – she means you no good. The FANATIC: the uncompromising extremist, she does wrong in the name of good. She justifies hers action by her intent, and merely shrugs her shoulders at collateral damage. Anyone not an ally is an enemy, and therefore, fair game. Give up any hope of showing her the error of her ways – she firmly believes you are wrong, wrong, wrong. The MATRIARCH: the motherly oppressor, she smothers her loved ones. She knows what’s best and will do all in her power to controls the lives of those who surround her – all for their own good. A classic enabler, she sees no fault with her darlings, unless they don’t follow her dictates. Don’t be lured into her family nest – you’ll never get out alive.

#writing #inspo

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Specific Setting Ideas

Deserted gas station at 2AM

Church tucked away on the edge of town with only a glowing cross to light it up

Liquor store with a few high school kids buying stuff for a house party

At the drive-thru late at night trying to figure out your order/everyone in the car’s order

Hospital waiting room in the early hours of the morning

Birthday party with a bad clown and kids covered in cake and snot

Basketball court on a block with a bunch of ratty apartment buildings

Dark alleyway with only a lone street lamp light at the mouth of the alley

Bench/hill in the middle of the park as the sun starts to come up

Cluttered basement with a beat-up couch and an old TV

Sunny, warm enclosed porch on the back of someone’s house

Quiet field of flowers in the middle of a wooded area

Snowy mountain trail with black ice no one notices

Dark stretch of road without street lamps at 3 AM

Rooftop in the middle of the day

Driving through heavy fog early in the morning where you feel like you’re the only one awake

On top of a giant dune in the middle of the desert with a hot breeze that never cools anyone down

Teenagers playing Marco Polo in a store

Covered bridge at the edge of town

Abandoned building that other teenagers explore

#writing #inspo

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rural maine gothic

- you turn on the radio. it’s country music. you change to the next station. it’s still country, it’s the same song. you flip through all the stations, but the same song is playing on loop.

- you’ve never seen the ocean, in central maine you’re as landlocked as nebraska. you don’t feel much more important, either.

- wear orange when you go into the woods, they say. it’s hunting season. it’s always hunting season. sometimes for animals you’ve never heard of.

- they call you an ‘outta statah’ even though you’ve lived here all your life. run. fast. they don’t like outta statahs.

- it’s fourth of july. you hear fireworks. or maybe it’s gun shots. you don’t know. you sweat. the sounds are getting closer.

- kids are playing in the snow. it’s april.

- you are friends with the creature in the woods. you don’t know its name, all you know is that it warns you. something is coming. watch out.

- the nights are brilliant. you can see a millions of stars, but if you stare at some of them for too long they seem to stare back at you. sometimes you wish you couldn’t see the stars.

- tourists sometimes ask if there’s a reason why horror novels usually take place in maine. “what?” the locals laugh. “no!” they keep laughing. if you laugh for long enough, they’ll leave.

#inspo #writing

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Things You Might Have Missed in Stranger Things 3

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Livrarias Curitiba’s prints remade as Stranger Things Character Posters.

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The Wheelers + their favorite word