YOU’RE TOO YOUNG AND YOU CRY ‘TIL YOU’RE SOAKING WET

I cannot understand how some people "don't know how to portray Gaz" in fics, if we literally have this clip

Like, it's enough to understand so much! His sense of humour, his relationships with Kate and Price, his sarcastic chill energy. It's all right in front of you, just open your eyes!!

This story in the local paper is utterly infuriating

Of course the cat was allowed to free roam 🙄

This is 100% the cat owner's fault. It is natural for dogs to chase and kill cats and most dogs would do the same given the chance. Prey drive is not the same as human aggression and a dog who kills cats is not necessarily dangerous.

Of course everyone in the comments is attacking the dog owner and saying the dog needs to be euthanised because it killed a cat. When are cat owners in the UK going to take responsibility for their animals? If you let your cat roam then anything bad that happens to it is YOUR fault.

watch this. this is literally what love is.

I’ve heard mortal men argue for immortality before, but even the best of men I’ve ever seen ended in misery. That jolly, old, fat man who brought joy to poor children across the world, has been missing since the Great War. It is believed the cruelty consumed him. You would fare no better.

I keep seeing people making fun of using growled, hissed, roared, snarled etc in writing and it’s like.

have you never heard someone speak with the gravel in their voice when they get angry? Because that’s what a growl is.

Have you never heard someone sharply whisper something through the thin space of their teeth? Or when your mother sharply told you to stop it in public as a kid when you were acting up/being too loud? Because that’s what a hiss is.

Have you never heard a man get so blackout angry that their voice BOOMS through the house? Because that’s what a roar is.

Have you never seen someone bare their teeth while talking to accentuate their frustration or anger while speaking with a vicious tone? Because that’s what snarling is.

It’s not meant to be a literal animal noise. For the love of god, not every description is literal. I get some people are genuinely confused, but also some of these people are genuinely unimaginative as fuck.

words and actions that affectionately scream ”you’re mine”

prompt list by @novelbear

"you're my everything."

suddenly pulling them toward you to wrap them in a hug

^ or to plant a firm kiss on their forehead, lips, or cheek

"i love the idea of growing old with you."

defending them from getting teased because "you're the only one allowed to laugh at them"

"who needs friends? i have you."

making a little scrapbook of every treasured memory together and giving it to them

getting them cute matching jewelry, clothes, etc.

"i'll choose you always. no matter what."

putting the word "my" in front of their name when calling for them

"you're all i ever needed."

firmly holding their hand in public

bragging about them to others whenever they make an achievment

^ "that's my [name]! that's my partner! i'm dating them!"

(jokingly) sulking and moping when someone else gets the slightest bit of attention

holding them in your lap (even if there's plenty of space/seats)

"you know you're stuck with me, right?" "thank god i am..."

back and forth talking all night about the future

"you're all mine, you got that? i'm not sharing."

Creating a Distinct World

@kaulayauwrites said:

what is, in your opinion, the best way to world build? how can you avoid writing a bland, archetypal universe or copying an already existing one? sorry if I’m not being clear, haha, and thanks so much!

Hey there, thanks so much for your ask! I honestly love talking about the world-building process, so I’m really glad you sent this; let’s dive right in!

Best Way to World-Build?

In my opinion, there isn’t a best way to world-build. The “best” process depends on what is needed and what you’ll actually need to know for your writing. What follows isn’t necessarily what I would call the best way, but it’s a good way to cover your bases and opens up a lot of options for going in-depth with details. (It’ll be a bit of a long list, but definitely worth it in the long run.)

For each country you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:

Name

Capital and major cities, and locations

Border shape

3 most common landforms

Historical sites or places that mean a great deal to the people living there

General economic scheme (ex. capitalist, Communist, Socialist, etc)

Most important laws

Major differences from the character’s homeland

Military setup (different branches, enlistment age, etc)

Climate

Relations with surrounding countries

Societal norms (gender roles, public & professional behavior, etc)

Stance on LGBT+ rights, and treatment of LGBT+ people

Most and least respected professions

Common religions

Stereotypes about this country (any and all)

Common pastimes and hobbies

Popularity of sports, movies, and other forms of entertainment

Genres of music (and possibly stereotypes of people who listen to them)

Language(s) spoken

Beauty standards and the commercialization of them

Commercialization that feeds off of the peoples’ insecurities

For each city you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:

The “aesthetic” (think of it the way NYC’s aesthetic is taxis, skyscrapers, and nightlife)

Public opinion of street performers

Any recreational centers and common activities

Popularity of a town counsel or the idea of opening to the public for improvement ideas

How well-known the city is by everyone around it, or how much of a tourist attraction it might be

State of educational buildings

Percentage of unemployment versus those who are actively searching for jobs, and how this affects the city’s reputation

3+ popular businesses, maybe food or clothing stores

The way business is generally conducted

Opportunities for nightlife (etc. bars, night clubs, etc)

Usual daytime attire, usual nighttime attire

Any sort of tradition (ex. sharing dreams in the morning, praying before meals, etc)

Stance on more advanced technology

Treatment of different age groups

Again, cliches and stereotypes that might exist of people who live there

Most common architectural style (ex. modern, Victorian, etc)

Commonly seen colors

Any inflation that might exist, local economic troubles

People’s opinion on the government as a whole (then in-depth, if you want)

As you can see, these two lists are very open-ended. I can’t go too far in-depth with world-building ideas and explaining, because it’s all up to you to create this world. Every single item on this list here can be expanded into tons of different things, but if your goal is just to cover your bases and explore needed details then I think this would be a good place to start.

Making Your World Distinct

This can be pretty tough, honestly. There’s (almost) always a world themed around something out there that’s probably more well-known, famous even. Let’s start with everyone’s favorite wizarding world, that of the Harry Potter books. Your world can be as interesting and different as it gets but because it includes wizards, someone out there is always going to relate it to Harry Potter. So how can we avoid this?

There’s one proven way to this this, especially if you don’t want to change your world. Accentuate any and all differences that would set your story apart from a more well-known world. Maybe our wizards’ spells depend on a material transaction, or they won’t work. Maybe there’s some sort of wizarding god who must be pleased to cast a successful spell. Not so much like HP anymore, huh?

Just remember, there’s a huge difference between world-building through details and world-building through exposition. Both are acceptable, but both have their own appropriate time to be utilized. Take a break from telling the reader flat-out how this thing works, and instead reveal it through the world’s details. Not only does this help treat your readers like the competent individuals they are, it also immerses them so much in the world that there isn’t much of a chance to compare your world to others.

Tl;dr—World-building isn’t really something that can be explained for you by someone else. There are certainly questions that exist to help you, but following a guide that works for someone else might not work for you. Explore the details! (And let the reader explore them, too!)