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greenflamedwriter · 6 months

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Pronounciation Guide:

Since I keep getting yelled at [kindly, people are actually really nice about it] That I keep getting stuff wrong [Since I keep forgetting] I'm gonna type it all here.

DEMONS: Many demons go by titles instead of personal names, titles styled like XX-Jun are for high ranking demons and some titles are hereditory.

Courtesy Names: A courtesy name is given to an individual when they come of age, usually at the coming age of twenty for their first crowning ceremony, but it can also be presented when an elder or teacher deems the recipitent worthy. Generally a male only tradition. Women adopt a courtesy name after marriage. Courtesy names reserved for the upper class.

Diminitive Nicknames and name tags: Xiao- : A diminitive meaning "Little." always a prefix. [i.e Xiao Jiu, Xiao Yuan]

-ER : A word for 'son' or 'child' added to a name, it expresses affection similair to calling someone 'little' or 'sonny' always a suffix [I.e, Yuan-er, Jiu-er] A- : Friendly diminitive, always a prefix, usually for monosyllabic names, or one syllable out of the two-syllable name. [I.e, A-Yuan, A-Jiu, A-Lou] If the name is longer like Qui JianLOU that last part is the same nickname as Binghe [hence the truama for Shen Qingqiu as he heard that name]

Family: Di : Younger brother or younger male friend, can be used alone or as a honourific.

Didi : younger brother, or male friend. Casual

Xiao-Di : does not mean 'little brother' instead refers to ones lackey or subordinate, someone a leader took under their wing.

Ge : Familair way to refer to an older brother or older male friend, used by someone younger- or lower rank in status.

Gege: Same as Ge, has a cutsier feel than "Ge."

Jie : Older sister, or older female friend.

JieJie :Older sister, or older female friend.

JiuJiu : Uncle (maternal, biological)

Mei : younger sister, or younger female friend,

MeiMei : younger sister or an unrelated younger female friend, casual.

Shufu : Uncle (Paternal, biological) Formal address for one's fathers younger brother.

Shushu : An affectionate version of 'Shufu'

XiaoShu : Little uncle.

Cultivation And Martial Arts:

-Jun : a suffix meaning 'lord' Zhangmen : Leader of a cultivation/martial arts sect. Shizun : teacher/master gender nuetral, meaning "Honoured/venerable master." And is a more respectful name of address Shifu : teacher/master for ones master in ones own sect Shiniang : the wife of a Shifu/ Shizun [Luo Binghe to everyone around "Refer to me as Luo-Shiniang! yes! Good little ducklings!] Shixiong : Older Male disciple ShiJie : Older female disciple Shidi : Younger martial brother, for juniour male disciples Shimei : Younger Martial Sister, for junior female disciples Shishu : The younger martial sibling of ones marital master [Such as Shang Qinghua and Liu Qingge a disciple would refer to them as Shishu as they are lower rank than their Shizun.] Shibo : [As Yue Qingyuan is sect head and his title makes him the older martial sibling would make him Shibo. And so a disciple would refer to him as Shibo, or Yue-Shibo- idk about Zhangmen-Shibo if thats a thing? - Or if disciples of An ding would call Shen Qingqiu Shibo as he's second rank of the sect. Shizhi : [If Shen Yuan was a disciple Yue Qingyuan would call he Shen-Shizhi, or Luo-Shizhi, or just plain call him Shizhi]

Gongzhi : Master/Senior Daozhang : Xiong :

Terms: Manhua: Danmei: XianXia : Qi : Gong : Shou : Chrysanthemum : A flower that is a symbol of health and vitiliaty. In sex scenes it was a metaphor for a mans backdoor entrance.

Chinese Calender: Year dates/era for a story> The Chinese calender uses Tian Gan Di Zhi [Heavenly stems, Earthly Branches] system to mark the year. [Meaning lost] There are ten heavenly stems, and twelve earthly branches [Zodiac adjacent] Each Stem and Branch is associated with either Ying | Yang and one of the elemental properties, wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The Stems are and branches are combined in cyclical patterns to create a calender where every unit of time is associated with certain attributes: Analysing such a calender for the stem, branch characters and their elemental associations was considered essential information in divination, fortune telling, wedding dates, and even buiness deals.

Confucianism:

Is a philosophy based on the teaching of confucius, it placed heavily importance on respect for ones elders and family, a concept broadly known as Xiao "Filial piety," the family structure is used in others that have similair behaviours, such as respect of a student to a teacher, or people of a country towards their ruler.

Cores/Golden Core: A good Cultivation base/Core/Foundation: Means learning from the right age, good training and keeping consistent and percevere. A bad Cultivation Base/foundation: Means you were half-assed it/ sabotaged with an improper manual, learned too late/early, can be prone to Qi deviations.

Meridians: Qi travels through the body, like a magical bloodstream, or map/rivers of the body. redirecting, manipulating, or halting qi circulation focus on targeting the meridians at speicific points of the body, known as acupoints. Technqiues that can block qi prevent a cutlivator from using qi until the block is lifted.

Qi Circulation: The metabolic cycle of qi in the body, where it flows from the dantian to the meridians and back. This cycle purifies and refines qi, and good circulation is essential to cultivation. In Xianxia, Qi can be transferred from one person to another through physical contact and can heal someone who is wounded if the donar is trained in the art Qi Deviation:

"To catch fire, and enter demonhood." occurs when ones cultivation becomes unstable. Common causes include: Unstable emotional state, or strong negative emotions, practicing cultivation methods incorrectly. Reckless use of forbidden or high-level arts. or succumbing to the influence, of demons and evil spirits. When qi deviation arises from mental or emotional causes, the person is often said to have succumbed to their inner demons or "Heart demons." Symptoms: Panic, paranoia, sensory halluciantion, and death. Fixes [not cures] : Forced relaxation, voluntary or forced by external party, massage, meditation, or qi transfer, from another individual.

The golden core forms and replaces the lower dantian, becoming an internal source of power for the cultivator. Cultivators who detonate their golden core, almost always die in the end. The destruction/removal of a core is permanent and cannot be recultivated as there is no longer a lower dantian o form it, its destruction stops an individual from ever performing to cultivate qi normally ever again.

Tradtionally cultivating a golden core is in nine stages, but is often simplified in fiction; Qi Condensation/ Qi Refining Foundation establishment Core foundation/Golden Core Nascent Soul. [A cultivation technique where a soul can project it's soul outside its body and travenl indipendently, this can allow them to survive the death of their physical body and advance to a higher state. Deity Transformations Great Ascension Heavenly tribulations

Dantian: Refers to three regions in the body, Navel, Chest, forehead. The lower is three finger widthds below and two finger widths behind the navel. This is where the golden core is formed and is where Qi metabolsim process begins and progresses upward.

Pilles and Elixers: Magic medicines that can heal wounds, improve cultivation, extend life, etc. These are usuallly delivered in pill form and created in speical kilns.

Spirit Stones: Small gems filled with Qi that can be exchanged between cultivations as a form of currency. If so desired the Qi can be axtracted for an extra energy boost.

Currency: In most dynasties was based on the exchange of Silver and Gold, weight was also used to measure the denoniminations of money. i.e: One Liang of Silver."

Daoism: Daoism is a philosophy, of Dao. Involves coming into harmony with the natural order of the universe, which makes someone a "true human." safe from external harm and who can affect the world without intentional action.

Disciples/sect:

Clan and sect members are known as disciples. Disciples live on Sect grounds and have a strict hierchy based on skill and seniority. They are divided into Core, inner and outer. With core being the highest, Higher ranked disciples get better logdgings and other resources. A sect is like a family, hence the name for martial sibling, and teachers are parents.

Incense time: A common way to tell time. One incense time: is roughly 30 minutes.

The Three Realms:

Split into three realms, the heavenly realm, the mortal realm, the Ghost realm. Heavenly realm: Heavens, heavenly officials. A Celestial court where gods reside and rule. Mortal Realm: Realm of humans. Ghost Realm: Refers to realm of the dead or in scum villain/demon realm.

Edit: more to be added later -_- this is a cheat sheet to look back on when I have to use these terms [ps I write fanfics for fun, and I'm more focused on my art etc, so I am half assing this stuff but I'm only making this sheet to be polite, I'll still try to incoporate this stuff and be respectful but I'm not writing an actual properally researched novel here its just for fanfictions]

_________________________________________________________

Links for meridians/aacipunctures:

We pass qi by this paths, cultivation = qi gong, you can see qi praticioners in youtube^^

Here, qi spinning a paper in real life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKqHm7qs2Fg

I also asked someone online [Cryptidpatriarch] about what would happen if Luo Binghe was given a courtesy name I mean, Shen Yuan would or would've thought of one so this was one suggestion.

when you join a clan, you assume the clan name, because it is your new family and you abandon the original name to be a new person, with a new family, in which case he should take the name of the peak. Cang Qiong = firmament, reach the sky peak... Bing Hé Qiong= ice river through the firmament. 竹河 = bamboo river Hé = river Bing = ice

#scumbag system #terms #glossary #tenses #more to add later with more research

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legobenkenobi · 7 months

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my favorite genre of character is autistic scientist with a transgender gait

#ben rambles #lets see who all i can tag this as #newt geiszler #hermann gottlieb #ford pines #herbert west #emmett brown #alphys #otto octavius #ian malcolm #alan grant #ellie sattler #the whole jp gang #ok that’s good enough. Might add more later heart wmoji #researcher talloran #dr grey

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scificrows · 8 months

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someone asked me to post the image of murderbot in a flower crown, so i figured why not post all a few of them! so here you go, these are some of the little edits i made for the murderbot uquiz :) (please note that i am not an artist (aka can't draw for shit), i used tmd cover art and some freepik art that i found. (sources below the cut))

art: latvian cover art for 'artificial condition' (illustrated by andis reinbergs) murderbot: french cover art for 'all systems red' (illustrated by pierre bourgerie) 2.0: cover art for the illustrated subterranean press edition of 'the murderbot diaries' (illustrated by tommy arnold); danish cover art for 'all systems red' (i tried but couldn't find the name of the artist, please let me know if you know) secunit three: 'network effect' illustration (by tommy arnold) combat secunit: spanish cover art for 'all systems red' (illustrated by cecilia g.f.) comfortunit: art found on freepik (recolored)

#the murderbot diaries #murderbot #asshole research transport #2.0 #secunit three #combat secunit #comfortunit #𓄿 #these are silly #i know #i had a lot of fun with them :))#i might add the other 4 later but these are the ones i personally like the most #i think i'm also going to make more icon-style murderbot edits #there is so much great cover art to work with #and it's so much fun!!!!

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harumeau · 5 months

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👑for Cala?

tagging @sirotras and @i-mybrunettelady who requested the same thing, thank you!

okay all i could think of when i got these was “cala and hien get married and she wears traditional fancy clothing sometimes”

also i was indecisive on which era i should use as inspiration so i decided to be extra and made two outfits 😂

#oc outfit doodles #calantha lenn #ffxiv #i have to admit when i got three of these i was like ‘damn you all really want calien to get married huh’#aksdhjf i’m sorry #i did research for this and thoroughly enjoyed it thank youuuu #i was going to add better patterns but. this was never meant to take a long time!! maybe i’ll do a more detailed version later

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goofily-moved · 8 months

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idk anything about hitmen / assassins but im adding a new hitman oc bc the concept is so fun to me........ her name is valentine <33

#i love the idea of a morally ambiguous baddie what can i say #im working on her backstory rn..........#i also want to add a different oc named stevie but she will come later #but yeaaaaaaaaaah #GOOD DAY BESTIES #ooc.#delete.#im gonna do more research into it before i write her backstory #but i dont want her to work for the government or anything #i think maybe he works with one person who kinda leads her to her kills and shit #murder tw

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serpentide · 1 year

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𝐈𝐍 - 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐇 𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄. despite serpent's humane physique, her physiology and anatomy closely resemble that of snakes. aside from the most obvious attributes that can be easily seen ( such as her eyes and the scales scattered across various parts of her body ) , there are more differences between her and a normal human.

➤ 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬. serpent presents various scales 'pon her body, most notably across her shoulders and breastbone, down her spine, on her lower abdomen, upon her inner thighs and around her ankles stretching until the upper side of her feet. each scale possesses an aquamarine color and they're luminescent, which means that they reflect any outer source of light as well as glowing in the absence of the latter. in snakes, the scales offer protection from desiccation and injury, which is why even in serpent's case, they are located in the most vulnerable parts of her body. although she can be long since considered as an adult snake in natural terms, the outer layer of her scales sheds off and new scales grow beneath them ; this process does not happen too often due to her age. each scale is cold but smooth at the touch, in spite of the differing shape from one to the other.

➤ 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬. serpent has colorless hues, rimmed in a blood - red color, a memento of her life as a human, when she was affected by ocular albinism. now, her pupils are constantly elongated vertically, no matter the environment and thus the light that illuminates them. vertical pupils create an astigmatic depth of field such that images of vertical contours nearer or further than the distance to which the eye is focused are sharp, whereas images of horizontal contours at different distances are blurred. this type of vision allows serpent to estimate distances and blur elements that are outside of her focus and thus outside of her attention ; advantageous for predators, she is capable of always maintaining her surroundings under strict control. another ability that is unique to predators, is her ability to detect infrared radiation, which allows her to generate a thermal image of others in her surrounding area: the superimposition of thermal and visual images within her brain enables serpent to track a designated prey with great speed and precision. although this is not noticeable by others, beneath the eyelid, there is a special type of scale called 'spectacle' that further protects the eye from injury and dirt.

➤ 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡. although her mouth ( jaw + maw ) does appear normal on the outside, there are a series of openings alongside her upper and lower lips, called labial pits, that contain heat - sensing organs: these labial pits aid her in examining her surroundings and also serve to warn her of the presence of plausible predators or dangers nearby. her tongue is not forked like that of normal snakes, but it can still be employed to pick up minuscule scent particles in the air and place them in contact with the vomeronasal organ ; due to this and her capacity to smell normally through the nose, her sense of smell is quite heightened. when it comes to teeth, serpent has both snake teeth and snake fangs: her snake teeth, on the sides of her mouth where morals should be, are solid and angled backwards and they serve to heighten the power of her bite ; on the other hand, her snake fangs are positioned where her canines should be and they are hollow, attached to venom sacks and are thus used to poison her prey.

➤ 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐦. serpent's venom is indeed lethal, although its effect on the body depends on the quantity of droplets that she injects within her prey. each of her fangs can contain a medium amount of 15 to 20 droplets, but only two droplets are actually needed to kill an adult human. due to the fact that she has never really depended on her own venom to kill her victims and has instead employed her python to devour her enemies, even serpent herself is uncertain about what her venom may be capable of causing once injected into a prey. for sure, she does know that her venom is highly neurotoxic and cardiotoxic and that a single droplet of it is enough to render an adult human incapable of standing on their own legs. when two or more droplets are injected within the victim, the death is slow but tremendously painful as it causes the collapse of the main organs and tarnishes the nervous system, before finally leading to death.

➤ 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. just like her animal counterpart, serpent is also a cold - blooded creature. although her heart is identical to that of normal humans ( which means that it has four chambers rather than three ) , her body temperature and her relationship with weather is indeed that of a normal snake. cold to the touch, she adores being close to sources of warmth and will thus always prefer to linger and rest in those spaces where the temperature is high enough to warm her body ; anything below 18° will make her feel painfully sick, restless and anxious, nauseous and will most likely compel her to enter a state of brumation, where her body falls asleep and her bodily function will slow until she is exposed once more to a source of warmth. a temperature any lower than that can lead to death. because of this, serpent can be tremendously picky when it comes to her abode nowadays, always making sure that both the temperature and the level of humidity within the rooms are proper enough for both her own health and that of her snakes.

➤ 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬. her ears are so much longer than those of humans and sharply pointed at the tip. as it is the case with her sense of smell, her sense of sound is also heightened by the ulterior presence of an internal ear, which is capable of detecting low frequency sounds ranging from 100 to 700 hertz. aside from this, her inner ear also allows her to detect motion, static position and sound waves traveling through the ground.

#• ⸺ ﹙ `♡´ ﹚ › study 02 : headcanon .#this hc stripped me of my sanity #omg i'm dead #i did so much research #BUT IT'S FINALLY DONE #AAAAAA #i really wanted to talk about her lil'monstrous attributes !!!#especially her venom and the fact that she cannot stand the cold #ehehehehe #i'm satisfied ( for now )#if more things come to mind #i will add them later !!!

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lesbiancarat · 3 months

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hello!!!! i just stumbled upon your carat resource carrd and want to thank you for putting in the effort and time for such a well made and informative library of seventeen content!! i noticed that there are a few songs missing: seungkwan's cover of 'text me merry christmas' w/ AKMU suhyun, and the HHU songs from the diamond edge tour (joker - wonwoo solo, what's the problem, and madness maxed out)

also i think the miss you by sicboy ft. vernon MV is missing from the carrd :)

ahh thank you! i try my best to get everything but sometimes little things slip through the cracks so i appreciate you letting me know! i can't believe i missed some of these lol. these should all be added now!

Music -> Covers -> Text Me Merry Christmas

Music -> Unofficial & Unreleased Songs -> Joker / What's the Problem / Madness Maxed Out

Music -> Collaborations -> Miss You

#melia.ask #anon #i think i missed text me merry christmas before bc i was limiting to covers on svt's channel+spotify and its posted on sehyuns channel #but that was mainly bc finding all the covers svt have done on various variety and performance shows is a lot #and then there's some grey areas like if dance covers count or if they sing like a minute of a song and post it on twt if that counts #and like one day i may expand the covers tab to include that stuff but it's a lot bigger undertaking that will take a lot more research #but i don't mind including text me merry christmas now bc it's still a similar format to the other covers ive linked just a diff channel #also what's funny is iirc hurricane and with me were also from diamond edge and i included those so idk how i missed the hhu stuff lol #don't know how i missed the miss you mv either i think it was in my watch later for a while as a reminder to add the link #and then after a while i probably just assumed i already did it LMAO

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seventeendeer · 1 year

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before you adopt an "unusual" pet of any kind, I think it's really, really important to ask yourself why you absolutely need to have this specific species in your house. not just if you think you can take care of this pet, but why exactly you need this kind of pet, instead of a more common domestic animal which 1. will be better understood and researched due to many years of having lived in close quarters with people and 2. will be much, much easier to find proper vet care for.

I grew up with dogs. as a kid, I thought I wanted a pet dragon. seeing as this wish was somewhat difficult to grant for myself, as an adult, I sat down and evaluated what exactly it was kid-me thought would be so awesome about having a dragon for an animal companion.

"well," I told myself, "I really want a pet that's more emotionally guarded than a dog. something that won't love just anyone; I want to feel special by virtue of being 'chosen' by something that is normally aloof and hard to get close to. oh, and I want it to be cool-looking! it has to move all majestically and be sleek and elegant, and I want it to be fun to watch! I'm also drawn to the idea of misunderstood animals that people think are evil, but actually they're sensitive, beautiful, fascinating creatures, and we could learn so much from them if only we could overcome our own biases and see them for the raw, natural sincerity they embody!"

hopped on down to the shelter and picked up a cat

#deerchatter #i know i wax on and on about how cats are the perfect pets etc etc but the thing is that im right #personal bias aside i have to admit i always kind of side-eye ppl who want pet foxes and skunks and whatever else #like im sure some ppl have them as parts of research projects and stuff like that #but a lot of ppl also. dont. lol #making wise and compassionate choices for your pet start before you acquire them. being responsible starts in the planning process #if you ask me pet ownership should be about mutual benefit not just between the owner and pet but between species #sure maybe you'll figure out how to take proper care of a fox. but what about foxes as a species?#what impact will your choice in pet have on the species as a whole? will more people want pet foxes because they see yours?#will more be sold because you got one? does this add or detract from the amount of happy healthy foxes in the world?#im far from an expert on the subject so i don't know the answer but i think these are important questions to ask yourself.#what i do know is there are countless cats in the world who can only thrive under human guardianship. who need homes.#i saw overlap between what i wanted and what this animal species needed. and 4 years later it's still a perfect match #i love my little baby dragon so much

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lottieurl · 1 year

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the image description thing is very cool except for when people post screenshots of text and then add image description like okay well now there's a huge ALT on the left that covers half the text. feels counterproductive, no?

#like just add ID in the caption?#also im wondering how does that work like for blind users? i need to look into that #like how do you know to click on the picture? like is it good as an accessibility tool is what im wondering #also ID captions under read more like is that accessible?#hoo boy im very ignorant in this regard i need to do some research later

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pangolen · 1 year

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writing down my needs while shopping for a new desktop like "it needs to run minecraft heavily modded really fucking well" and "it cannot light up pretty colors because i'm boring and hate fun (i am easily distracted by light and movement)"

#unbelievably the second part is the hardest to find #also every other thread on reddit is like 'just build your own pc it's way cheaper and more reliable' like yeah i bet it is but #have you considered #i am Positive i'll break something if i do that #but it looks more and more tempting with every review i read #actually rn what i'm considering is getting something that's mostly built but maybe i'll buy my own gpu and extra ssd #idk i need to do. more research. but i also. need to sleep. hhhhhhhh #pangorambles #it also needs to run no man's sky and satisfactory #if i can't play games with survival crafting and exploration elements i'll die #ok i'm not done apparently but anyway #i Think i've narrowed down the processor and gpu at least #oh right i could add the ram later too #get a small amount to start with and then upgrade it? or would that be more expensive #so i know processor & gpu & maybe ram & then i'm fuzzy on ssds but i know How Much #but motherboards and cooling are mysteries to me #like.... idk dude... i just need it to fit and not be a million decibels right in my ear thanks #tho i think maybe i'm Starting to understand the process of Picking Out Motherboards #or at least i get that that's where the ports and stuff are right. and like sound and wifi maybe #<- this person was allowed to graduate college with a computer science degree

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pnuk-r0ck · 1 year

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Sure The Shining miniseries might not be the best but it’s more accurate than the movie was🤷

#It’s boring because Stephen King didn’t write all the unsettling stuff til later #Like it gets more unsettling as it goes on #Victor Speaks #Victor’s very normal about this book #He totally didn’t research the relationship between the bear costume guy and the man for half an hour #BECAUSE APPARENTLY WHOEVER DIRECTED THE MOVIE THOUGHT “I KNOW THERE WASNT ANY INCEST IN BOOK BUT LETS ADD IT FOR FUN”

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tenacious-minds · 2 years

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Mike Wheeler of Hawkins

Paladin—

Oath of Redemption

(prev- Oath of Devotion: Broken)

Half Elf

Knight

Weapons—

Skilled in the use of close by objects, such as: wrenchs, a branch, a lamp.

Words.

Born to human mother and an uninterested elven father, Mike grew up mostly in the human world. After encountering strange creatures from the other world, he decided to venture further out into the world with his party, where he was reunited with elder sister Nancy. The party continues the grow as they come across new friends and old foes, with small sub-parties forming within.

#dnd character cards #my art #mike wheeler #stranger things #ensemble cast #disclaimer: I barely play dnd so these are created after lots of research #and also guess work and a bit of creative liberty #if ive done something egregiously wrong pls feel free to lmk!#i wanted to create modern characters to keep true to their personal senses of style.#i think I would have liked to add a bit more fantastical emlements but I am a) bad at it and b) had no idea what to do.#maybe I’ll come back and add details a bit later #yes the weapons is a refrences to canon I stg that boy always has the most RANDOM OBJECTS in his hands when preparing to fight #Ive for sure seen him with a wrench and I’m pretty positive there was a lamp at one point

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onetrainscifi · 2 years

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All that I'm saying is, how hard would it be to rewrite season 2 and make it WORSE

#if i ever rewrite season 2 it will be better. HOWEVER #it can so easily be made worse #add in more love triangles. make layton AND wilford dumber #scrap the mel at the research station plot she's being held captive in the big alice bookclub #inexplicably there are more iguanas #and we're reading TWILIGHT buckle the fuck up bitches #make the pastor plot EVEN MORE OBVIOUS AND BAD #snowpiercer #snowpiercer tnt #i will also probably delete this later

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burntoutdaydreamer · 6 months

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Things That May Be Causing Your Writer's Block- and How to Beat Them

I don't like the term 'Writer's Block' - not because it isn't real, but because the term is so vague that it's useless. Hundreds of issues all get lumped together under this one umbrella, making writer's block seem like this all-powerful boogeyman that's impossible to beat. Worse yet, it leaves people giving and receiving advice that is completely ineffective because people often don't realize they're talking about entirely different issues.

In my experience, the key to beating writer's block is figuring out what the block even is, so I put together a list of Actual Reasons why you may be struggling to write:

(note that any case of writer's block is usually a mix of two or more)

Perfectionism (most common)

What it looks like:

You write one sentence and spend the next hour googling "synonyms for ___"

Write. Erase. Write. Rewrite. Erase.

Should I even start writing this scene when I haven't figured out this one specific detail yet?

I hate everything I write

Cringing while writing

My first draft must be perfect, or else I'm a terrible writer

Things that can help:

Give yourself permission to suck

Keep in mind that nothing you write is going to be perfect, especially your first draft

Think of writing your first/early drafts not as writing, but sketching out a loose foundation to build upon later

People write multiple drafts for a reason: write now, edit later

Stop googling synonyms and save that for editing

Write with a pen to reduce temptation to erase

Embrace leaving blank spaces in your writing when you can't think of the right word, name, or detail

It's okay if your writing sucks. We all suck at some point. Embrace the growth mindset, and focus on getting words on a page

Lack of inspiration (easiest to fix)

What it looks like:

Head empty, no ideas

What do I even write about???

I don't have a plot, I just have an image

Want to write but no story to write

Things that can help:

Google writing prompts

If writing prompts aren't your thing, instead try thinking about what kind of tropes/genres/story elements you would like to try out

Instead of thinking about the story you would like to write, think about the story you would like to read, and write that

It's okay if you don't have a fully fleshed out story idea. Even if it's just an image or a line of dialogue, it's okay to write that. A story may or may not come out of it, but at least you got the creative juices flowing

Stop writing. Step away from your desk and let yourself naturally get inspired. Go for a walk, read a book, travel, play video games, research history, etc. Don't force ideas, but do open up your mind to them

If you're like me, world-building may come more naturally than plotting. Design the world first and let the story come later

Boredom/Understimulation (lost the flow)

What it looks like:

I know I should be writing but uugggghhhh I just can'tttttt

Writing words feels like pulling teeth

I started writing, but then I got bored/distracted

I enjoy the idea of writing, but the actual process makes me want to throw my laptop out the window

Things that can help:

Introduce stimulation: snacks, beverages, gum, music such as lo-fi, blankets, decorate your writing space, get a clickity-clackity keyboard, etc.

Add variety: write in a new location, try a new idea/different story for a day or so, switch up how you write (pen and paper vs. computer) or try voice recording or speech-to-text

Gamify writing: create an arbitrary challenge, such as trying to see how many words you can write in a set time and try to beat your high score

Find a writing buddy or join a writer's group

Give yourself a reward for every writing milestone, even if it's just writing a paragraph

Ask yourself whether this project you're working on is something you really want to be doing, and be honest with your answer

Intimidation/Procrastination (often related to perfectionism, but not always)

What it looks like:

I was feeling really motivated to write, but then I opened my laptop

I don't even know where to start

I love writing, but I can never seem to get started

I'll write tomorrow. I mean next week. Next month? Next month, I swear (doesn't write next month)

Can't find the time or energy

Unreasonable expectations (I should be able to write 10,000 words a day, right????)

Feeling discouraged and wondering why I'm even trying

Things that can help:

Follow the 2 min rule (or the 1 paragraph rule, which works better for me): whenever you sit down to write, tell yourself that you are only going to write for 2 minutes. If you feel like continuing once the 2 mins are up, go for it! Otherwise, stop. Force yourself to start but DO NOT force yourself to continue unless you feel like it. The more often you do this, the easier it will be to get started

Make getting started as easy as possible (i.e. minimize barriers: if getting up to get a notebook is stopping you from getting started, then write in the notes app of your phone)

Commit to a routine that will work for you. Baby steps are important here. Go with something that feels reasonable: every day, every other day, once a week, twice a week, and use cues to help you remember to start. If you chose a set time to write, just make sure that it's a time that feels natural to you- i.e. don't force yourself to writing at 9am every morning if you're not a morning person

Find a friend or a writing buddy you can trust and talk it out or share a piece of work you're proud of. Sometimes we just get a bit bogged down by criticism- either internal or external- and need a few words of encouragement

The Problem's Not You, It's Your Story (or Outline (or Process))

What it looks like:

I have no problems writing other scenes, it's just this scene

I started writing, but now I have no idea where I'm going

I don't think I'm doing this right

What's an outline?

Drowning in documents

This. Doesn't. Make. Sense. How do I get from this plot point to this one?!?!?! (this ColeyDoesThings quote lives in my head rent free cause BOY have I been there)

Things That Can Help:

Go back to the drawing board. Really try to get at the root of why a scene or story isn't working

A part of growing as a writer is learning when to kill your darlings. Sometimes you're trying to force an idea or scene that just doesn't work and you need to let it go

If you don't have an outline, write one

If you have an outline and it isn't working, rewrite it, or look up different ways to structure it

You may be trying to write as a pantser when you're really a plotter or vice versa. Experiment with different writing processes and see what feels most natural

Study story structures, starting with the three act structure. Even if you don't use them, you should know them

Check out Ellen Brock on YouTube. She's a professional novel editor who has a lot of advice on writing strategies for different types of writers

Also check out Savage Books on YouTube (another professional story editor) for advice on story structure and dialogue. Seriously, I cannot recommend this guy enough

Executive Dysfunction, Usually From ADHD/Autism

What it looks like:

Everything in boredom/understimulation

Everything in intimidation/procrastination

You have been diagnosed with and/or have symptoms of ADHD/Autism

Things that can help:

If you haven't already, seek a diagnosis or professional treatment

Hire an ADHD coach or other specialist that can help you work with your brain (I use Shimmer; feel free to DM me for a referral)

Seek out neurodiverse communities for advice and support

Try body doubling! There's lot's of free online body doubling websites out there for you to try. If social anxiety is a barrier, start out with writing streams such as katecavanaughwrites on Twitch

Be aware of any sensory barriers that may be getting in the way of you writing (such as an uncomfortable desk chair, harsh lighting, bad sounds)

And Lastly, Burnout, Depression, or Other Mental Illness

What it looks like:

You have symptoms of burnout or depression

Struggling with all things, not just writing

It's more than a lack of inspiration- the spark is just dead

Things that can help:

Forget writing for now. Focus on healing first.

Seek professional help

If you feel like it, use writing as a way to explore your feelings. It can take the form of journaling, poetry, an abstract reflection of your thoughts, narrative essays, or exploring what you're feeling through your fictional characters. The last two helped me rediscover my love of writing after I thought years of depression had killed it for good. Just don't force yourself to do so, and stop if it takes you to a darker place instead of feeling cathartic

#writing #creative writing #writer problems #writing advice #writing community #writing a book #writing problems #novel writing #on writing #writing tips #writing help #writers on tumblr #writers block #female writers #writers of tumblr #writers blog #adhd writer

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nobodysuspectsthebutterfly · 2 months

Text

FYI artists and writers: some info regarding tumblr's new "third-party sharing" (aka selling your content to OpenAI and Midjourney)

You may have already seen the post by @staff regarding third-party sharing and how to opt out. You may have also already seen various news articles discussing the matter.

But here's a little further clarity re some questions I had, and you may too. Caveat: Not all of this is on official tumblr pages, so it's possible things may change.

(1) "I heard they already have access to my data and it doesn't really matter if I opt out"

From the 404 article:

A new FAQ section we reviewed is titled “What happens when you opt out?” states “If you opt out from the start, we will block crawlers from accessing your content by adding your site on a disallowed list. If you change your mind later, we also plan to update any partners about people who newly opt-out and ask that their content be removed from past sources and future training.”

So please, go click that opt-out button.

(2) Some future user: "I've been away from tumblr for months, and I just heard about all this. I didn't opt out before, so does it make a difference anymore?"

Another internal document shows that, on February 23, an employee asked in a staff-only thread, “Do we have assurances that if a user opts out of their data being shared with third parties that our existing data partners will be notified of such a change and remove their data?” Andrew Spittle, Automattic’s head of AI replied: “We will notify existing partners on a regular basis about anyone who's opted out since the last time we provided a list. I want this to be an ongoing process where we regularly advocate for past content to be excluded based on current preferences. We will ask that content be deleted and removed from any future training runs. I believe partners will honor this based on our conversations with them to this point. I don't think they gain much overall by retaining it.”

It should make a difference! Go click that button.

(3) "I opted out, but my art posts have been reblogged by so many people, and I don't know if they all opted out. What does that mean for my stuff?"

This answer is actually on the support page for the toggle:

This option will prevent your blog's content, even when reblogged, from being shared with our licensed network of content and research partners, including those that train AI models.

And some further clarification by the COO and a product manager:

zingring: A couple people from work have reached out to let me know that yes, it applies to reblogs of "don't scrape" content. If you opt out, your content is opted out, even in reblog form. cyle: yep, for reblogs, we're taking it so far as "if anybody in the reblog trail has opted out, all of the content in that reblog will be opted out", when a reblog could be scraped/shared.

So not only your reblogged posts, but anyone who contributed in a reblog (such as posts where someone has been inspired to draw fanart of the OP) will presumably be protected by your opt-out. (A good reason to opt out even if you yourself are not a creator.)

Furthermore, if you the OP were offline and didn't know about the opt-out, if someone contributed to a reblog and they are opted out, then your original work is also protected. (Which makes it very tempting to contribute "scrapeable content" now whenever I reblog from an abandoned/disused blog...)

(4) "What about deleted blogs? They can't opt out!"

I was told by someone (not official) that he read "deleted blogs are all opted-out by default". However, he didn't recall the source, and I can't find it, so I can't guarantee that info. If I get more details - like if/when tumblr puts up that FAQ as reported in the 404 article - I will add it here as soon as I can.

Edit, tumblr has updated their help page for the option to opt-out of third-party sharing! It now states:

The content which will not be shared with our licensed network of content and research partners, including those that train AI models, includes: • Posts and reblogs of posts from blogs who have enabled the "Prevent third-party sharing" option. • Posts and reblogs of posts from deleted blogs. • Posts and reblogs of posts from password-protected blogs. • Posts and reblogs of posts from explicit blogs. • Posts and reblogs of posts from suspended/deactivated blogs. • Private posts. • Drafts. • Messages. • Asks and submissions which have not been publicly posted. • Post+ subscriber-only posts. • Explicit posts.

So no need to worry about your old deleted blogs that still have reblogs floating around. *\o/*

But for your existing blogs, please use the opt out option. And a reminder of how to opt out, under the cut:

The opt-out toggle is in Blog Settings, and please note you need to do it for each one of your blogs / sideblogs.

On dashboard, the toggle is at https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/blogname [replace "blogname" as applicable] down by Visibility:

For mobile, you need the most recent update of the app. (Android version 33.4.1.100, iOs version 33.4.) Then go to your blog tab (the little person icon), and then the gear icon for Settings, then click Visibility.

Again, if you have a sideblog, go back to the blog tab, switch to it, and go to settings again. Repeat as necessary.

If you do not have access to the newest version of the app for whatever reason, you can also log into tumblr in your mobile browser. Same URL as per desktop above, same location.

Note you do not need to change settings in both desktop and the app, just one is fine.

I hope this helps!

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