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AULI'I CRAVALHO in MEAN GIRLS

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AULIʻI CRAVALHO as JANIS ʻIMI’IKE in Mean Girls (2024)

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닥터슬럼프 | Doctor Slump E4 ° I can do this much for a friend, right?

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Park Hyung Sik as Ahn Min Hyuk & Park Bo Young as Do Bong Soon 1.03 | Strong Girl Nam Soon (2023)

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Show, don’t tell

"Show, don’t tell" means letting readers experience a story through actions, senses, and dialogue instead of outright explaining things. Here are some practical tips to achieve that:

1. Use Sensory Details

Tell: "The room was cold."

Show: "Her breath puffed in faint clouds, and she shivered as frost clung to the edges of the window."

Tell: "He was scared."

Show: "His hands trembled, and his heart thudded so loudly he was sure they could hear it too."

2. Focus on Actions

Tell: "She was angry."

Show: "She slammed the mug onto the counter, coffee sloshing over the rim as her jaw clenched."

Tell: "He was exhausted."

Show: "He stumbled through the door, collapsing onto the couch without even bothering to remove his shoes."

3. Use Dialogue

What characters say and how they say it can reveal their emotions, intentions, or traits.

Tell: "She was worried about the storm."

Show: "Do you think it'll reach us?" she asked, her voice tight, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt.

4. Show Internal Conflict Through Thoughts or Reactions

Tell: "He was jealous of his friend."

Show: "As his friend held up the trophy, he forced a smile, swallowing the bitter lump rising in his throat."

5. Describe the Environment to Reflect Mood

Use the setting to mirror or hint at emotions or themes.

Tell: "The town was eerie."

Show: "Empty streets stretched into the mist, and the only sound was the faint creak of a weathered sign swinging in the wind."

6. Let Readers Infer Through Context

Give enough clues for the reader to piece things together without spelling it out.

Tell: "The man was a thief."

Show: "He moved through the crowd, fingers brushing pockets, his hand darting away with a glint of gold."

7. Use Subtext in Interactions

What’s left unsaid can reveal as much as what’s spoken.

Tell: "They were uncomfortable around each other."

Show: "He avoided her eyes, pretending to study the painting on the wall. She smoothed her dress for the third time, her fingers fumbling with the hem."

8. Compare to Relatable Experiences

Use metaphors, similes, or comparisons to make an emotion or situation vivid.

Tell: "The mountain was huge."

Show: "The mountain loomed above them, its peak disappearing into the clouds, as if it pierced the heavens."

Practice Example:

Tell: "The village had been destroyed by the fire."

Show: "Charred beams jutted from the rubble like broken ribs, the acrid smell of ash lingering in the air. A child's shoe lay half-buried in the soot, its leather curled from the heat."

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NANCY DREW — SEASON 1 EPISODE 18, “THE CLUE IN THE CAPTAIN’S PAINTING”

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EVERY FEMALE CHARACTER THAT I LOVE (in alphabetical order) SARAH CAMERON - OUTER BANKS When people get close to me, I feel trapped. And I bail. And then I blame them for it.

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— Nikita Gill

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FRODO in A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE (2024) dir. Michael Sarnoski

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i hope you’re happy but not like how you were with me...

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– Noor Unnahar, Instagram account "noor_unnahar"

[TEXT ID: / [Lemons] / My father's mother loved lemons. Years after her passing, / we run out of everything, but never / lemons. / Nothing else shelters grief / better than memory. / It's my father way of saying, / even in your absence, you will be / cared by me. / END ID]

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everyone should always be memorising poems. being able to recite a poem is a fun way to make everyone around you roll their eyes.

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Sylvia Plath, "Love Letter"

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OLIVIA COOKE as Pixie Hardy in PIXIE (2020) dir. Barnaby Thompson

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making a collection

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❝I’ll do my best too. So please don’t ever think again about wanting to die. ❞

❝ I was not wrong, was I? I’ve done enough, right? Hey, Nick. I lived a happy life. It might have been shorter than others, but when I met you and was dearly loved by you, I thought I was definitely alive. So, I’ve done enough, right? I love you. ❞

❝ Florence, you really gave it your all. You did your best. Flo, you did well. ❞

[florick reimagined] the last 10 years

❝ I found a dream. My life, from the point of view of someone else, they might see it as an ordinary, boring life. But I have you by my side. I used to think of wanting to die but you made me realize that I want to live and it’s because of you that I will keep this life. From now on I’ll be there to protect you. So please stay with me.❞