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shadowempires · 9 years

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shadowempires · 9 years

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So you’re stuck, huh? Don’t have any ideas for building more character depth? Maybe you’re just feeling inept and struggling with finding some interesting motive for your character. Fear not. I present to you a list of 30 prompts to help you overcome your fear of 2-dimensional characters.

Like and reblog if you feel like being an appreciative little jerk. ;)

Write about a prized possession from your character’s childhood such as a blanket or a plush toy.

An unexpected package is waiting for your character on the doorstep. There is no return address.

Write about a moment your character realized they’d made a horrible mistake.

"We just went for Chinese…"

Your character is in the back seat of a taxi.

Write about three things your character’s father told them.

"…and her red hair lit the wall." (After Richard Hugo.)

Your character is remembering a smell.

Write about a scar.

Your character sees a stranger crying.

"Afterward, I thought about…"

Write about your character admitting the truth.

What is your character’s neighborhood like at 5 PM?

Write about all that was left after he was gone.

Your character is in a hotel lobby.

Write about a time your character’s favorite color changed.

Someone is calling your character’s name from across the super market.

It was October and everything was bright orange.

Your character is driving on gravel.

"I would like to make an exchange."

Write about a pleasant scent your character hates.

"… is my favorite season."

Sounds you hear at night while camping.

Write about your character falling from grace.

A stranger has anonymously paid for your character’s lunch in a restaurant.

Write about an abandoned house.

"These are my oldest pair of shoes."

Write about a time your character found out something they weren’t supposed to know.

Your character is being accused of something they didn’t know.

Write about the hardest lesson your character ever had to learn.

#prompts #q

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shadowempires · 9 years

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Useful Writing Websites

I compiled most of the writing websites I’ve mentioned on my blog into one post. I find a lot of these sites useful, so hopefully they can help you out!

Imagination Prompt Generator: This give you a one-sentence writing prompt that will help you come up with ideas. I think it also allows you to set a ten minute timer for each prompt.

Wridea: I really like this site because you can write down simple ideas that you can organize later and put into a bigger project. You can share these ideas or the site will help you randomly match ideas. It’s great for brainstorming and building a fully formed outline.

List of Unusual Words — Here’s a site you can browse through that gives you a list of unusual words for every letting in the alphabet. If you’re looking to switch up your vocab, or looking to develop a way a character speaks, this is a good reference.

Picometer — Here’s a writing progress meter that can be embedded on your site or blog. There’s also the Writertopia meter that shows word count/current mood.

Cut Up Machine: This website takes whatever words you typed or pasted into the box and rearranges your sentences. It’s not practical for writing a novel, but it might help with poetry OR coming up with ideas. Experiment with it and see what you can come up with.

Orion’s Arm: This is a great website to use if you want to research worldbuilding or if you have science questions. There are tons of resources you can use.

Word Frequency Counter: If you’re finding that you’re using the same words over and over again, this website should help. You’ll be able to count the frequency usage of each word in your text. This should help you switch up the words you’re using and understand where the problem might be.

Phrase Frequency Counter: This is same site explained above, but it counts the phrases you’re using.

My Writing Nook: This allows you to write or jot down ideas wherever you are. You don’t need to have your laptop in order to access it, so it might help you during this time. You can write as long as you have your phone.

Writer: The Internet Typewriter - This site lets you write, save, share, and/or convert your writing online. I tried it out and it’s pretty cool. It saves for you and is a great way to brainstorm or plan out some ideas.

The Forge - The Forge is a fantasy, creature, spell, and location name generator. It’s awesome.

One Word: This site gives you one word to write about for 60 seconds. This should help you get started with your own writing and will work as a writing prompt to get you warmed up. It’s a great way to get yourself motivated.

Confusing Words: On this site you can search through confusing words that often stump many writers. It’s not a huge reference, but it should help you with some writing/grammar issues.

Cliché Finder: This site allows you to enter parts of your writing and it will search for clichés. If you find that you’re using the same phrases over and over again, this will help a lot. I haven’t messed around with it too much, but it looks useful.

Hand Written Fonts: If you’re looking for great hand written fonts, this is a great reference. All of them are pretty awesome.

Tip of My Tongue — you know when you’re trying to think of a specific word, but you just can’t remember what it is? This site will help you narrow down your thoughts and find that word you’ve been looking for. It can be extremely frustrating when you have to stop writing because you get a stuck on a word, so this should help cut that down.

-Kris Noel

#writing:tools #q

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shadowempires · 9 years

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FIVE GRYFFINDOR HEAD CANONS

1. Their common room has not been redecorated in decades. Centuries, maybe. The Slytherins definitely win the award for redecorating the most frequently at once every two years, but even Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw redecorate every decade or so. The armchairs and four poster beds that Harry and company used are the same ones that the Marauders, McGonagall, and even Dumbledore were familiar with during their school years. Most wooden surfaces in the Gryffindor common room are covered with carvings of previous students’ initials. Harry spent a fair deal of his free time looking for his parents’ initials but never found them.

2. They are the only house with a protective spell to keep boys out of the girl’s dorms. Godric Gryffindor was a tiny bit sexist, but in a very chivalrous way. He was all about defending a woman’s honor (which probably got him in trouble with his badass lady contemporaries on occasion). Even though the spell is a little archaic, nobody has ever thought to remove it - most Gryffindors don’t even realize that such charms don’t exist in other common rooms.

3. Gryffindor students are the ones who are most frequently caught out of bed after-hours. It wasn’t just Harry and his friends that liked sneaking around (although they were certainly the best at it and got caught the least frequently). Gryffindor students are caught out of bed roughly ten times a month, as opposed to four Hufflepuffs (most usually found to be sneaking out to the kitchens), two Slytherins, and one Ravenclaw. The number of Gryffindor infractions took a significant dive twice; after the Marauders graduated and after Fred and George bailed on their seventh year.

4. Gryffindor has produced the most head boys and girls. Their natural leadership qualities mean that Gryffindors make excellent head boys and girls. Besides winning the count for the most head boys and girls overall, Gryffindor has also boasted the most students who were made head boy or girl despite not having been first made a prefect - a relatively rare occurance, and over half the instances recorded are Gryffindors.

5. Gryffindors have the most varied NEWT scores of any house. The other houses have subjects that they are stereotypically skilled at; Hufflepuffs tend to excel at herbology and history of magic, Ravenclaws at charms and transfiguration, and Slytherins at potions and DADA. This is not true of Gryffindors. Every graduating class of Gryffindors has a fair deal of “O” scores in every single subject.

More HP head canons:

Hogwarts Hufflepuff | Slytherin | Ravenclaw | Gryffindor

The Salem Witches’ Institute

#hc #hp

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shadowempires · 9 years

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What are descriptor words for someone who is about to break, on edge, ready to snap?

agitated, anxious, apprehensive, beside oneself, bundle of nerves, choked, clutched, concerned, edgy, excited, fidgety, fluttery, high-strung, jittery, jumpy, keyed up, nervous, nervous wreck, on edge, overanxious, overwrought, queasy, restive, restless, shaky, shot to pieces, strained, stressful, strung out, uneasy, unnerved, unquiet, white knuckled, wired, worried, worrying, wound up, wreck

#vocabulary

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shadowempires · 9 years

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Unfortunately it is still a quite common problem around tumblr, that people doesn’t tag their triggering posts properly. This is a huge problem, because it can cause very strong reactions for the people affected by these. Often it is based on the poster’s lack of knowledge that the exact thing in question can be a trigger to some people. That is why I have compiled a list of possible triggers that needs to be tagged to avoid harm.

I am still not sure whether a trigger needs to be tagged as #tw [warning word] or #[warning word] tw, so personally I like to tag both just to be on the safe side, and I would encourage others to do the same.

If you find that I am missing something, or there is something you do not understand, you are more than welcome to visit my inbox. It goes without saying that this post can be triggering, so please keep that in mind when reading. Please like/reblog if you found this useful, and to spread the word so we can make tumblr a less harmful place.

#how to #character help

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shadowempires · 9 years

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Writing Believable Character Redemption

I thought this was an interesting topic, so today’s post will be on writing believable character redemptions! If you want a character to find redemption after committing horrible acts without trying to justify their actions, you need to focus on the acts they’ve committed. Very often, characters are forgiven too quickly or their redemption is forced without them having to answer for it in any way. These problems can often be solved, however, if you handle the situation with care.

Here are a few tips to writing believable character redemptions in your story:

Focus on the deeds

In order to figure out whether your character can be redeemed and in what way, you need to focus on what they’ve done. If your character has done something really awful, there’s not a big chance you can get your audience to forgive them. If someone has done something petty, like steal, you can easily explain why that action occurred. Focusing on the deeds will help you come up with a logical way that your character can be forgiven. If the act is too atrocious, however, you can’t expect your audience to move on from it—and they probably shouldn’t.

Look at back story

I mentioned stealing before and I think it’s a good example to explain the use of back story. If you want to justify a character’s actions and explain why they did something terrible, develop their back story. You don’t have to flat-out say that your character stole because they were poor and needed to eat, but you can give us clues. Maybe that character doesn’t have a home. Also, keep in mind that mental illness or certain disabilities might cause a character to act in different ways. This doesn’t mean those characters are bad. If you want to explore these issues further, please do extensive research. You do not want to spread the false idea that people with mental illnesses or disabilities are dangerous and need to be feared, which I have seen in many novels, so be extremely careful.

Show character growth

You can rush redemption. It’s usually not done in one specific scene, so make sure you focus on character growth. Sure, your character can save a child or do something else heroic, but that doesn’t excuse everything they’ve done in the past. Your other characters will not just begin to trust that person—there will still be issues. You need to show your audience how your character has come to terms with all the bad stuff they’ve done and how they’ve made an attempt at earning their forgiveness. You don’t have to strip down their personality and make them this great, heroic individual; you just have to explain why they’ve changed their ways. You need to make us trust them.

Think about emotions

This ties in with back story, but if you want to show believable redemption, you have to show your character’s emotions in some way. Focus on whether they did something out of anger, sadness, fear, etc. If a character was at a low point that might help explain why they did the things they did. Get into their heads and think about whether you would have done the same thing. That’s the best way to relate to a character.

-Kris Noel

#writing help #character redemption #q

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shadowempires · 9 years

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Stereotypes, Tropes, and Archetypes

What are the differences between stereotypes, tropes, and archetypes? What are they? How do writers use them? Let’s take a look at some vocabulary and how we define these terms to make sense of them for ourselves.

Stereotype (n): A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

To elaborate on this, stereotypes can be seen as sets of characteristics or behaviors that are commonly associated with one another, thus making it easier to intuit some of them if one or more is known. Stereotypes, though, are not literary. They refer to beliefs held about groups in reality, not types of characters. The literary cousin of the stereotype is the trope.

Trope (n): devices and conventions that a writer can reasonably rely on as being present in the audience members’ minds and expectations.

If tropes seem a little too much like to stereotypes for comfort, that’s because, technically speaking, they are stereotypes. “A Trope is a stereotype that writers find useful in communicating with readers.” (x) However, because the word stereotype has become so stigmatized in society, we prefer to think of tropes as specific to storytelling.

You use tropes in your writing. It is nearly impossible to escape them. And that is okay.

Tropes are things that pop up repeatedly in media as cultural norms in storytelling—types of characters, settings, plot lines, etc.. Stuff like a Manic Pixie Dream Girl who exists to usher a male character to his higher level of emotional awareness or personal growth, or a case of Mistaken Identity where Hilarity Ensues. Tropes are culturally-based, which is what sets them apart from archetypes.

Archetype (n): a very typical example of a certain person or thing; types that fit fundamental human motifs.

An archetype is a kind of character that pops up in stories all over the place. A trope is a character that puts that archetype in a cultural context.

For instance, let’s say you have a character who is a Geek. The role of a Geek in literature is a trope, because it is common in a certain culture (i.e. Western, though depictions of the Geek will vary within Western Civilization as well). Broadly and therefore in terms of an archetype, the Geek is the Scholar, a person who is constantly in search of knowledge. Various stereotypes about the Geek (like poor social skills) might then be inferred by characters or readers based on their understanding of the society in which they live.

It’s important to mention that none of these things are necessarily clichés.

Cliché (n):

A trite or overused expression or idea; often a vivid depiction of an abstraction that relies upon analogy or exaggeration for effect, often drawn from everyday experience.

A person or character whose behavior is predictable or superficial.

For more about clichés, mosey over to this post. Essentially, clichés are boring and overdone by definition, but tropes and archetypes can be useful. Yes, this is a subjective distinction.

So here’s the breakdown:

Stereotypes: Not literary. We avoid using this term to talk about classifying characters, settings, plot points, etc..

Archetypes: The broad, all-encompassing norms of the stories humanity tells. The same archetypes can be found in all or nearly all cultures.

Tropes: Culturally-specific norms in storytelling. Tropes are cultural classifications of archetypes. There can be many tropes found under the umbrella of one archetype. Literary devices are not tropes (i.e. narrators, foreshadowing, flashbacks, etc.).

Clichés: Overused and hackneyed phrases, characters, settings, plot points, etc.. Archetypes do not become clichéd. Tropes can become clichés if they are used too often and readers get bored of them. Clichés are defined by a loss of the meaning or as a distraction from the story.

Let’s focus on tropes and archetypes now as these terms are often used as a sort of shorthand when writing. Once you have firmly introduced a character as one type of archetype and/or a trope within that archetype, you do not have to elaborate on the character as much before moving on in the storyline.

While this can be useful and can help keep a section moving, it can also be very lazy, can help to perpetuate unhealthy stereotypes that carry over into the real world, and can make for one-dimensional characters. All of this forces the readers to focus on the way the story is being told instead of the story itself. Not good.

Here are some questions to keep in mind when using trope and archetypes in writing:

Is this derogatory? Does this demean or belittle? Is it harmful to the reader? For instance, the Dumb Blonde trope from American culture can assume that all blondes are easily-fooled, flighty, and even promiscuous. In the real world, the Dumb Blonde trope certainly translates into a derogatory stereotype, so is it something you want to use in your writing or can you manipulate the trope to create something unexpected?

Is this really necessary? Do you actually need to use a trope or archetype as a base for your character to keep the flow moving or the characters easy to remember, or are you using it so you don’t have to bother to give your character, well, character? Laziness is no excuse for poor writing. Using a trope can flatten a character very quickly if that’s all that they have going for them. There’s even a term for a character whose personality is limited to a single trope; they’re called stock characters.

Is this actually the one I want? Perhaps the empty headed and hot cheerleader trope is not the one you want. Maybe the secretly hot booksmart nerd is a better fit for your story. Maybe not. Really think about what base characteristics you give your characters, because they an come in handy farther down the storyline. Browsing tropes is fun, but at the end of the day, try combining character traits to create something that is unique for you is what makes a character worth writing.

Am I using this to bash someone? While almost all tropes can be harmful in one way or another, how you present them can have a big effect on whether or not you are actually using a trope or are pulling away from your story to offer the reader a stereotype instead. Being nasty because of someone else’s perceived shortcomings won’t help your story, and, if that’s not enough reason, it can be harmful to you because people will call you on it. Depth is key.

How can I use this in a way that is helpful? By making your characters more personalized and three-dimensional, you humanize them and give the reader a better chance of empathizing with them. In Creative Writing Tip: Avoiding Stereotypes, Matthew Arnold Stern says:

The antidote to stereotypes is to create well-rounded characters with clear and human motivation. Even a character who appears briefly in a story can benefit from depth and complexity. Such characters add realism and depth that draws us further into the story.

Choose a base trope or archetype for a character, and then elaborate on it in a way that breaks expectations or defies convention. A shy, sweet, nerdy girl who is not afraid to loudly tell someone to stop when she is uncomfortable and is happy with who she is could be a much more interesting character then the throw away filler character of a compliant, scared bookworm. A big, popular jock who is not afraid to stand up against bullying and treats his parents and teachers with respect has more hidden depth than the usual sneering bullies that populate literary sports fields.

All in all, archetypes and tropes can be a handy writing tool when used sparingly, but we have to remember that the stereotypes we perpetuate in our writing resonate with people in real life.

Speaking in terms of subject matter and not story construction, stereotypes have their place in literature, so long as the writer and the reader are completely aware of the fact that they are being used. Perhaps you are using a stereotype so you can later break it in an interesting way as a plot device, or you are driving it home as a stereotype that you feel is justified. For instance, there is the stereotype that drug dealers are dangerous and violent. The fact that anyone who is actively complicit in illegal activities is potentially dangerous is true, and it probably is best to avoid and not trust someone whose livelihood revolves around convincing you to break the law.

In Is Stereotyping Bad?, Brittney Weber said:

"Stereotypes have the potential to show a member of a particular group how to behave or how others believe they do. The latter may be apparent in the way they are treated by society at large, while the former encourages them to remain within the confines of that definition."

So think before you write, and be considerate of the effect your writing may have on others, as well as the effect that devices like tropes can have on your writing.

Further Reading:

Avoid Stereotyping

Using Inclusive Language to Avoid Stereotypes

Creative Writing Tip: Avoiding Stereotypes

TVtropes.org

12 Common Archetypes

Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious

Character Archetypes

Archetypical Character

-Ji, O, and C

#stereotypes #tropes #archetypes #q

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shadowempires · 9 years

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So, I don't know if you already talked about it - sorry if so -, but I really need to ask: what kind of problem can I put on a teenager character that suffered because of his parents divorce when he was a child? I needed some kind of conflict in their past and I've choosen the divorce thing, but I'm having trouble in putting some real effect of it in his life. Thank you for answering :)

For some people, divorce can leave a lasting impression on their lives as they advance out of childhood and into young-adulthood.

It’s tough when you’ve grown up and learnt to love your parents in equal measure, and then one or both (or all) of them decide that they aren’t happy in that set-up anymore. A child should be assured that a split-up or divorce is never their fault… but naturally, they can be led to feel this way, especially if a custody battle ensues.

Things can be made even more complicated if one - or both/all - of the parents then invites new partners into their lives.

So let’s look at some potential scenarios that could follow your character into his later life:

MIA Parent. The parent that initiates the divorce, or leaves on account of the divorce, fails to have any involvement in their offspring’s life thereafter.

Manipulative Parent. For whatever reason, the remaining parent - usually the divorcer or one that secures custody - refuses to allow the child(ren) to have any involvement with the remaining parent(s).

Separate Families. One - or all - of the parents gains a new partner and the child(ren) involved will spend equal amounts of time with each family as a way of keeping in contact with the divorced and the divorcer. Not only does this mean the child(ren) will need to get used to new parental figures, but there may also be new siblings involved.

Outside of the Norm. Unfortunately, in many societies, a nuclear family is considered the ‘norm’. The child(ren) involved in divorce may be suddenly aware that they are ‘different’ because of this.

Difficult Relationships. Either in the adoption of a new side to their family, or left alone with the remaining parent(s), the child(ren) go on to have strained relationships with one or more of the new or existing members. Whether they don’t get along with their new siblings, or feel mistreated by a parent’s new partner, it can be difficult for them to overcome the differences or find a way to escape them.

Insecurity. Divorce can leave young people disillusioned about love and the structure of marriage. It may go on to affect relationships they try to forge in the future.

Custody issues. In cases where custody can not be properly established between the parents, the child(ren) may find themselves rehoused, either with a new relative or a new family altogether. In other cases, the child(ren) may be under the custody of a parent who is not able to care for them as well as the other(s) might have.

These are just a few potential situations, you may be able to think up more by yourself. All you really have to do from here on out is think about how these scenarios - or, more specifically, the scenario you decide upon - will affect him.

How will it dictate his choices in life? How does it change his outlook, if it changes at all? What kind of hopes and dreams did he have for his family, and how do they fare now that his family has essentially broken up?

Not all families that go through divorce end up worse off though… so that’s something to consider. In some cases - such as with my own - it was really for the better and I’m happier now with my adoptive dad (and the reconstituted family we have) than I would ever have been with my biological father had he found some way to stay in my life. It also helped that my mom made an effort to remain amicable with our biological father, even though it didn’t work out. That said, the fact that I don’t see that man now is all on my own terms.

So yeah, divorce can be way more complicated than just one parent deciding they’ve fallen out of love. Divorce can be the result of domestic abuse (witnessed by the child[ren]) or other difficult situations that would see a happier home life if a divorce was filed and finalised.

I hope this helps you out a bit… Followers or Admins, please feel free to add to this for Anon.

- enlee

#relationships #q

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shadowempires · 9 years

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A Hex Guide to Moral Alignment: Neutral Evil

Neutral Evil characters stick by their own morals, and can partner up with any other evil characters as long as they benefit from it or else share a common interest and/or goal.

Traits

amoral or immoral

selfish

obnoxious

revengeful

sadistic

egotistical

malevolent

elitist

smug

indifferent

Positives

Focused on themselves

Usually independent

Can work in the law

Will help others for rewards/payment

Negatives

Disregards others

Usually pure evil

Dishonorable

Will not keep their word

Prone to cheating and lying

Will harm, attack and kill who they want

Has no loyalty to friend.

Associated Tropes

I Lied

Token Evil Temmate

Magnificent Bastard

Kick The Dog

Cold-Blooded Torture

Necessarily Evil

Evil is Cool

Evil Feels Good

For The Evulz

Jerk Justifications

Card Carrying Villain

It’s All About Me

Evil Cannot Comprehend Good

Misanthrope Supreme

Above Good and Evil

Well-Intentioned Extremist

Evil Is Petty

Kill ‘em All

Straw Nihilist

Good Is Bad And Bad Is Good

Ambition Is Evil

The Caligula

The Bully

Amoral Attorney

Corrupt Corporate Executive

Chronic Backstabbing Disorder

Cruella To Animals

Blood Knight

Dirty Coward

Con Man

Evil Chancellor

Evil Debt Collector

Heroism Addict

Glory Hound

Glory Seeker

Jerkass

Generic Doomsday Villain

Mad Scientist

Politically Incorrect Villain

Evilutionary Biologist

Professional Killer

Psycho For Hire

Omnicidal Maniac

Classic Villain

Pragmatic Villain

Narcissist

The Ego

The Starscream

Slimeball

The Barnum

The Quisling

Sociopathic Soldier

Associated Archetypes

The Assassin

The Villain

The Assassin

The Mercenary

The Con Man

The Scientist

The Innovator

The Engineer

The Soldier

The Bully

The Leader

#neutral evil #q

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shadowempires · 9 years

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Likeable Characters

Anonymous said: Sorry to bother you, but I can’t get a useful answer out of search engines, and wasn’t really sure how to find it in your FAQ or Toolbox since it’s a bit of an odd and controversial topic. How can I make the reader love a character in a small amount of time? I want them to be sad and understand the other characters’ pain when the subject opts to be euthanized.

Hey there! Thanks for your question!

I don’t believe that we’ve written anything as of yet on creating a likeable character, but you might check out these posts from our fellow Tumblr writing help bloggers!

keyboardsmashwriters: Make Your Reader Root for Your Main Character

theroadpavedwithwords: Writing Believable Characters

theroadpavedwithwords: The Basics of Creating a Likeable Character

theroadpavedwithwords: Making Your Readers Identify with Your Characters

writingbox: How to Make Your Reader Fall in Love With Your Characters

fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment: Likeable Villains

thewritingcafe: How to Fix Unlikable Characters

fixyourwritinghabits: Is it possible to write a novel with mostly corrupt, selfish characters and still have readers interested in what happens and the characters?

krisnoel: Making Your Characters Likeable

As you can see, quite a bit has been written on the subject. And that’s just from Tumblr!

Happy hunting!

-C

#character help #q

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shadowempires · 9 years

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how to let the anxiety attack pass, by meggie royer

The most calming thing you can do in the middle of an anxiety attack is place your palm over your own heart, or someone else’s if they happen to be near enough. The simple act of reminding yourself that you’re a living, breathing thing with blood pumping throughout the scaffolding of your body can sometimes be enough to relieve you of dread.

So much is temporary. Rome burned for six days and seven nights. The stars live silhouetted against the sky until they flare and burst apart into the universe like melted candles into blackened cake. And every grain of sand known to man eventually washes back into the surf and is replaced by a new one. Anxiety may be a permanent fixture throughout your entire life, but its episodes are momentary. And although moments can be captured like photographs against the background of decades, the memories surrounding the image gradually fade, until all that’s left is blurred edges and bright lines. Ten years from now, your first anxiety attack won’t be as shiny or freshly-printed in your mind as you believe it will be.

So remember this. No matter how badly your body trembles or how short your breath pulls on its leash, this anxiety attack is just a photograph. It will lose some of its meaning as time goes on. It will fade. The album it’s tucked away in inside a small corner of your mind will no longer find use for it.

Wherever it happens- when you’re surrounded by a sea of people at a party or alone in your room, in the classroom as the teacher scrapes chalk across the board, inside the tiny bathroom of a rest stop far from civilization- remind yourself that whoever is in sight has felt anxious too at one point in their lives. Maybe not to the point of throwing up or shaking like a thunderstorm, but some of their anxiety has sampled a few bars from the soundtrack of yours. “I am not the only one who has felt this” is cliche but true. So even if you’re alone during the attack, or at least feeling like you are, you’ll realize you’re really not. Never have been, not now, and never will be.

The other thing is to find a safety word, a mantra. A word that makes you feel instantly calmer or at least more down to earth. A word that will pull you out of misery and back into reality with just a few syllables. Something as beautiful and long-winded as “ethereal” or “romanesque,” or even something as short and brusque as “lemon” or “cat.” When the anxiety hits, repeat the word over and over again until it stops making sense. It’s like the childhood game of saying “orange” so many times it ceases to be a delicious segmented fruit and becomes a cluster of meaningless letters. No matter how many repetitions have to come out of your mouth, no matter how many people stare or cover their ears, keep saying it. Force it out of your mouth even if you have to practically spit it into the air from between your teeth. Cling onto it until it does the trick and works its magic.

Safety phrases work well too. “This too shall pass” and “It gets better” are classics. Words already scream on paper, so imagine how much power they’ll have when they come pouring out of your mouth.

When the dizziness and sweating hits, find a home. Even if it’s a person. Find them. Curl yourself into their arms like a spiral sea shell and listen to their heart beat against the sand dune of their chest like tidal waves. Remember what the ocean smells like. Remember that being okay tastes like sea salt and fresh air along the shore. Take a little vacation from your anxiety; you deserve it.

It will end. It will end. And this time, it’ll be a good ending.

#anxiety tw #important #q

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shadowempires · 9 years

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Writing Tips 134:Passive Voice, the ins and Outs.

Originally posted on The Writing Center

Myths

So what is the passive voice? First, let’s be clear on what the passive voice isn’t. Below, we’ll list some common myths about the passive voice:

1. Use of the passive voice constitutes a grammatical error.

Use of the passive voice is not a grammatical error. It’s a stylistic issue that pertains to clarity—that is, there are times when using the passive voice can prevent a reader from understanding what you mean.

2. Any use of “to be” (in any form) constitutes the passive voice.

The passive voice entails more than just using a being verb. Using “to be” can weaken the impact of your writing, but it is occasionally necessary and does not by itself constitute the passive voice.

3. The passive voice always avoids the first person; if something is in first person (“I” or “we”) it’s also in the active voice.

On the contrary, you can very easily use the passive voice in the first person. Here’s an example: “I was hit by the dodgeball.”

4. You should never use the passive voice.

While the passive voice can weaken the clarity of your writing, there are times when the passive voice is OK and even preferable.

5. I can rely on my grammar checker to catch the passive voice.

See Myth #1. Since the passive voice isn’t a grammar error, it’s not always caught. Typically, grammar checkers catch only a fraction of passive voice usage.

Do any of these misunderstandings sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. That’s why we wrote this handout. It discusses how to recognize the passive voice, when you should avoid it, and when it’s OK.

Defining the passive voice