dahliaornelas

[dahliaornelas]

Well I like it but it’s not very well written. Also it’s a visual mess. The plot doesnt make any sense and the creators suck and its politics oscillate from mildly problematic to frankly baffling. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. However. the character

[dahliaornelas]

🇨🇦recall of frozen pet food due to deadly bird flu contamination🇺🇸

Voluntary Recall of Northwest Naturals Brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe Raw Frozen Pet Food Due to HPAI Contamination FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-December 24, 2024 Portland, Oregon, Northwest Naturals is voluntarily recalling one batch of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after it was tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus. Consumption of raw or uncooked pet food contaminated with HPAI can cause illness in animals. To date, one case of illness in a domestic cat has been reported in connection with this issue. The recalled product is packaged in 2-pound plastic bags with “Best if used by” dates of 05/21/26 B10 and 06/23/2026 B1. The product was sold through distributors in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MI, MN, PA, RI and WA in the United States, and British Columbia in Canada.

This recall is being conducted in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Salem, Oregon.

some emphasis mine. although it says one batch, it is not listed how big that recalled batch is. given the lengthy list of states (and province), it seems like a lot.

also not mentioned in the recall is the fact that the "one case of illness in a domestic cat" resulted in death. which is pretty fucking important information here. the oregon department of agriculture (ODA) had the following to say about their investigation.

“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” said ODA State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other.”

the oregon health authority (OHA) also reports that to date, no human cases of bird flu have been linked to this pet food.

the best by dates of the recalled pet food extend well into 2026, so it is going to be an ongoing challenge to get this contaminated food out of people's freezers before it can do more harm and cause more pet death.

as always, when it comes to contamination like this, it is likely that more than just the one cat has been or will become infected. whether human or feline, illness from food contamination is very under-reported.

Consumers who have purchased the recalled product should immediately discard the product and contact the place of purchase for a full refund. For additional information or questions, customers may contact Northwest Naturals of Portland at info@nw-naturals.net or 866-637-1872 from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM PST, Monday through Friday.

high quality for the front, potato quality for the back. not sure why.

this recall was announced on december 24th, meaning a lot of people probably missed it, and potential emails about the recall may have gotten lost among a torrent of holiday marketing. bird flu can be transmissible through contaminated raw meat, unpasteurized cream or milk, and contact with infected animals.

although very unlikely, the US CDC reports that it is possible for a human to become infected from contact with an infected mammal. one person got sick from a pet cat in 2016, and another person got sick from a cow in 2024. no person-to-person spread has been confirmed in the united states.

right now, the main risk from this contamination is pets getting sick.

help keep pets safe! check those freezers!

[dahliaornelas]

i've said it before and i'll say it again. writers are always told to 'show, don’t tell,' but sometimes you just have to tell. no one needs a poetic paragraph about how the sky is an emotional metaphor for your protagonist’s angst when you can just say, 'he was sad.' trust your instincts. you know when to show and when to tell.

[dahliaornelas]

You need at least a little bit of an inflated ego to try to be a professional creative. This does not mean that you love yourself. It means that you think people ought to pay attention to what you’re doing.

[dahliaornelas]

luigi mangione, the SUSPECTED (innocent until proven guilty) united healthcare shooter, has been charged with terrorism. that’s right. a man who supposedly shot ONE SINGLE PERSON is being charged with terrorism. because in america, billionaires lives matter enough that a SINGLE rich man’s death is considered a terrorist act against this country. think about that.

[dahliaornelas]

[dahliaornelas]

having fun with some new lil guys

“What do you want?” “Strength," said Avalorn, hefting another log into the blaze. "To protect those I love.” Like I couldn’t before. The demon cocked its head, long hair falling to the floor, pooling around it in liquid shadow. “A lie,” it murmured. “Try again.” Avalorn wiped his hands on his trousers, transferring their blood-ash stain. His lips flaked like pork crackling. The heat was immense; the fire an insaitable eruption of red, hunger growing for every vampyr it was fed. Their corpses could no longer be mistaken for human. A monster was a monster, no matter whose skin it wore, but Avalorn preferred seeing the leeches like this: charred shapes in the heart of the blaze, indistinguishable, conglomerated into a many-limbed beast. “Power,” he croaked. “I want power.” The demon grinned. Avalorn could scarcely see it through the shimmer of heat haze. It looked as amorphous as the dead he’d been tasked with burning. “Still, you lie. To me, or to yourself?” Avalorn shut his eyes. Ash spun like fireflies around him, tiny red motes, their kiss as hot and hateful as the secret locked in his chest. “I – I…” “Yes?” “I don’t want to be afraid anymore.”

[dahliaornelas]

If you’re having writers block…READ!!!! CONSUME MEDIA

I feel like I don’t hear that given enough as advice for writers block..just read? Watch tv? Movies? Find inspiration in media.

Writers block is a lack of inspiration, so go collect more.

[dahliaornelas]

Remember Luigi is currently innocent

Couldn't Be Any Conflict

[dahliaornelas]

Writemas 2024 Day 4

Thanks to @agirlandherquill for hosting this wonderful event!

Tari's Note: We're already on day 4 and I'm growing more invested in this story by the day!! I also have a masterlist for it now in case you want to read this story from the beginning! Also, please excuse any typos and continuity errors! I’ll be writing these directly here so they’ll have minimal editing. Thanks for understanding.

Prompt(s): "You've never looked at me like that before." and Aching Synopsis: Rae sees Emily again, but their encounter is anything but brief. Genre/age group: adult contemporary Word Count: 0.7k

Rae should be on her way home by now. She had finished her day at the woodshop, had helped Henry close up shop after he twisted his ankle, and had leftovers in her fridge for dinner.

Then why was she on her way to the local grocery store? Well, one person was to blame, and her name was Ginny. After agreeing to drive Henry home, Ginny called Rae, saying she needed something urgent from the grocery store. She even messaged her a list of four items that, in Rae's opinion, were not that urgent. Still, as a people pleaser and as someone with nothing better to do, she agreed to help her best friend with this shopping spree.

As soon as she stepped inside the establishment, she waved at Charles by the register and grabbed a small basket to carry with her. The music carried through the empty store, and she hummed the tune under her breath as she checked Ginny's list on her phone. She needed to grab milk, eggs, carrots and apples, and then she'd be out of here.

Rae collected the carrots and apples, then the eggs (she took twelve, just to be safe) and when she went to the milk aisle, she almost tripped on her feet.

Emily stood a few steps away, her light brown hair falling over her shoulder in a thick braid as she wore the thickest jacket Rae had ever seen. She focused on her phone as she typed, glancing at the milk cartons in front of her before shaking her head and typing some more.

Rae approached the milk cartons slowly, trying her best to ignore Emily nearby. She couldn't. Her eyes kept drifting to the woman next to her using the calculator app on her phone to try and figure out which milk carton was effectively the cheapest one to buy.

Some things never change, Rae thought as she let out a small laugh. That was enough for Emily to lift her eyes to her, and for the smile to die on her lips.

Rae's heart ached in her chest the more she stared at Emily. She had changed. The last time she had seen her a few days ago, she couldn't make out most of her features. Now, under the harsh grocery store lights, she noticed everything: the dark circles under Emily's eyes, the septum piercing, the rosy cheeks and smudged mascara, and the most heartbreaking hazel eyes Rae had ever seen. They were more green now than she remembered.

Their staring contest was interrupted when another customer entered the aisle, eyeing Emily with suspicion. Emily offered a polite smile before the old woman huffed and lifted her chin, walking away with all the indignation only an old woman could carry.

"Do I look like I'm about to rob this place?" Emily whispered under her breath.

"Henrietta knows you're back," Rae said, dropping the basket on the floor. "I'm pretty sure every old woman in this town has you on their watchlist."

"That explains the death stares." Emily returned to her calculator app and Rae grabbed one of the milk cartons from the top shelves.

"Take this one," she said, extending it to her. "It's two cents more expensive than the cheaper one, but the flavour is better."

Emily locked her phone and saved it on her jeans. "I would've figured it out, but thanks." She grabbed the milk and bit her lip, and Rae couldn't resist but stare at her mouth. Emily smirked. "You've never looked at me like that before."

"Like what?" Rae asked, meeting her eyes. The regret spilling from them made her hold her breath.

"Like you miss me," Emily said as a matter of fact. She blinked, probably realising the words she had said out loud, and her cheeks became an even brighter shade of red.

Rae hated how much her entire body reacted to it, how much those words destroyed all the barriers she had spent the past few days building, how one look from Emily took her back to a different time, a time when they weren't this cold and cordial with each other.

"Thirteen years is a long time to miss someone," Rae said, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice. She grabbed the basket from the floor and took a few steps back. "Stay well, Ems."

She disappeared towards the register, only to realise she had forgotten to get the milk for Ginny.

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© mxxnlightwriting 2024 All Rights Reserved. Copying, reposting, translating and/or modifications of my work are strictly prohibited.

[dahliaornelas]

Writemas 2024 Day 3

Thanks to @agirlandherquill for hosting this wonderful event! I'm having so much fun!

Tari's Note: Day 3, here we go. I'm having so much fun with these, and if you're reading them, I hope you're enjoying them too. Also, they're all connected, but you don't need to read the previous ones to enjoy it. Also, please excuse any typos! I’ll be writing these directly here so they’ll have minimal editing. Thanks for understanding.

Writemas Day 1 | Day 2

Prompt(s): A cabin & She had never felt so alone in her life  Synopsis: Emily's run to the supermarket gets cancelled after a small incident. Genre/age group: adult contemporary Warnings: Word Count: 0.5k

The upper and bottom floors were cleaned, and Emily's list of tasks to complete was dwindling. Back home, this would've made her smile, but in her grandfather's cabin, the prospect of finishing them meant she'd have to face the real world again soon, and she'd rather stay hidden for a little while.

As she danced around the kitchen to the music blasting from the living room speakers, she went over the pantry and fridge and made a list on her phone of everything she needed to buy at the nearest supermarket.

A few days ago, she would've been tempted to head into the small grocery store in town, but after her encounter with Rae, she didn't want to risk seeing her again. She didn't want to risk seeing anyone who might remember her for that matter.

Emily finished her grocery list and, after looking out the large windows overseeing the frozen lake, she decided it was worth it to go to the supermarket today. She still had a few hours of light to spare and no major task to keep her busy for the rest of the day.

The next major task would be a hard one to go through, and she was hoping her sister would come to help her with it. Based on how their last couple of phone calls had gone, her sister wouldn't step foot in this place any time soon.

Emily wanted to convince herself she was okay being here by herself, but she had never felt so alone in her life. She missed the laughter and the conversations booming in these walls, the in and out of people as guests came to visit before going on their merry way.

Now, sitting at the large dinner table every night to only the sound of her cutlery echoing in the room, she wondered whether it was worth keeping this place after all.

After changing into some warmer clothes, she grabbed some reusable bags from one of the kitchen drawers and left to her car parked inside the garage. She sat on the driver's seat as the gate rolled up, drowning the small garage with light.

As she turned the key, a strange squeaking sound came from the front of the car and she struggled to start her car. Emily did it again, getting the same result.

"You've got to be kidding me," she whispered under her breath, turning the key once more. Nothing. "Oh, come on! It's not even that cold!"

Yet, it was cold, and the car had been stuck in this garage for a week.

Emily slumped back on the car seat and glanced at the reusable bags next to her. She chewed on her lip, pondering her options. She could go back inside, call a mechanic, and go grocery shopping tomorrow (if she was lucky). Doing so would require her to undress all these layers and do this all over again tomorrow.

Or she could go today into town and only get the basics. She was already dressed, the bags were next to her, and she was truly not in the mood to have to do this all over again tomorrow.

"Fine," she said to herself as she grabbed the bags and stepped out of the car.

She walked into town with two reusable bags under her arm and her heart rushing to her throat in anticipation of the worst.

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© mxxnlightwriting 2024 All Rights Reserved. Copying, reposting, translating and/or modifications of my work are strictly prohibited.

[dahliaornelas]

The people using this expansionist rhetoric, and those in the media who are downplaying its use, should be wiped from the face of the planet.

No peace for tyrants.

[dahliaornelas]

I have 16 revised scenes to type up and 1 to rewrite before mdr draft 2 is put to bed. Do we think I can finish by the end of the year…

[dahliaornelas]

merry christmas from Carlos and Paz :]

[dahliaornelas]

Avoiding therapy speak in writing

I think we all know by now that therapy speak is irritating and unrealistic, especially if you are writing in a fantasy world that doesn't even have modern psychology.

Part of the reason that it is so annoying is that it is the definition of telling instead of showing: characters are just plainly informing us of their feelings rather than making us work for a better understanding. It's cheap and boring. Instead of making your characters seem like complex individuals with their own hangups and difficulties, they seem like plot points programmed to tell us things.

But obviously, you want to put these people in situations and have them talk about it! How do you do that without sounding maudlin? Here are some options.

Listen to real arguments/conversations

I cannot stress enough how important it is to listen to how actual real human beings talk to each other during heightened emotional states. They don't have to be nasty abusers, and they don't have to be perfect angels, just everyday people doing their normal thing.

Of course, I'd hope you're not seeing people argue all the time, but if you do happen to see it, listen carefully and notice how people actually address their problems. Think back to tough conversations that you have had, even if you wouldn't classify them as arguments. Consider how people acted and reacted to one another. Notice how normal humans talk about issues outside of therapy, even intelligent and emotionally evolved people.

I've had years of therapy, and even I do not talk in therapy ways about my issues when I'm talking to my family or friends. It just feels cheesy and fake outside of that particular setting - plus, it freaks other people out and can seem kind of manipulative. Try talking like that in a real conversation and see how uncomfortable it is. You'll understand why avoiding therapy speak is important.

Consider the character's own hangups

Just as everyone has their own unique speaking style and mindset, so do we all have our own argument styles. These are often informed by our pasts and upbringing; they are as varied as our own histories. However, there are a few different options.

Someone with a happy upbringing may be more assertive and willing to address their problems because they had that demonstrated to them as children.

A spoiled child will grow up to be a demanding adult who refuses to give any quarter.

Those who got yelled at a lot as children may shut down and fawn to avoid getting hurt.

Someone who grew up in a violent household may mimic that behavior and get incredibly aggressive when upset.

Individuals whose parents didn't teach them emotional regulation will lash out and get loud.

Manipulative people may stay very calm and gaslight the other person, or they may get hysterical to garner sympathy and make people focus on comforting them.

Someone who has gone to therapy may revert to their original argument style, or they may imperfectly apply what they have learned in a way that feels a bit unnatural. They may start out with rage, then force themselves to calm down through grounding techniques.

People who have been coached through previous emotional outbursts could demand a time out, then fail to actually calm themselves down.

Some may refuse to acknowledge they are upset and insist, in increasingly forceful terms, that they are fine.

Others may get quiet or crack a joke to ease the tension, but it doesn't really help.

Keep each confrontation short

IRL, emotional confrontations are generally not that long. They don't go on for hours and hours, though it can feel that way. No one is going on and on about their feelings and sharing every little detail of how they feel (at least not that I know of personally, maybe other people are different).

Even the worst arguments I have had, the real nexus of the argument was maybe an hour or two, though the fallout lasted much longer. I'd say there was an hour maximum of real, active confrontation, preceded or followed by hours/days/weeks of simmering frustration.

Why? Because arguments are exhausting. You don't have the energy for that in the heat of the moment. Yes, feuds and fights can last years, but each actual confrontation is short.

For longer, more serious issues, hash it out over a few sessions rather than all at once. It's rare to get everything out of the way immediately unless the characters already have a strong, loving relationship.

Show incongruencies

Especially for more reserved people, they will likely have their emotions leaking all over the place but won't actually say anything. As such, focus on body language while keeping the conversation more focused on the plot. For example, Character A might be crying but still trying to argue their point about whatever is going on.

Address physical complaints instead of emotional ones

In many cases, people will use "I'm tired" or "I didn't sleep well" or "I'm not feeling great" as shorthand for whatever is actually bothering them. It relieves pressure by not making them talk about upsetting matters while still addressing their discomfort in some form.

You should also consider the fact that some people can't connect physical sensations to feelings, so they may genuinely feel ill and not really understand why. This is especially common in people who can't emotionally regulate or have been through trauma.

For myself, I tend to somatize my feelings, so I might not feel upset, but I will feel physically sick. My stomach will hurt, my chest will get tight, or I'll get a headache, but my emotional state will seem calm. This isn't all that unusual, and many people experience this to different degrees.

As such, you can have your character say that their stomach hurts, or that they have a headache and can't discuss this anymore, or that they need to go lie down because they're dizzy. If we know they're relatively healthy, this can be a clue that they're getting overwhelmed but either cannot pinpoint their emotions or don't want to discuss them.

Let characters advance and retreat

A lot of the time, someone will address a scary emotion and then retreat again, sometimes over a period of hours, days, or even weeks. This is normal: most of us don't have the emotional fortitude to forge ahead through something difficult all in one go. Character A may say something vulnerable, then change the topic, laugh it off, say they're done discussing it, or even leave the situation.

Leave emotions partially unaddressed

Again, it's rare for someone to spill out everything they're feeling all in one go. As such, have Character A address the most important thing - or the least important, depending on their level of emotional maturity - and let it be done for then.

They might say their small piece, but when someone tries to probe deeper, they don't have an answer, or they get "stuck" on that one emotional level and cannot go further.

If Character B keeps pushing, then they may get incredibly upset and push back, or retreat.

Have Character B point out the feelings

Works especially well if the other character is a close companion or a parental figure. Often, people who know us really well will have better insight into our emotions than we do. Or, we might have good insight into our emotions but are still too afraid to open up. Having Character B point out the issue gives Character A grace to be more honest.

I can't tell you how many times I've been really upset, so I've distracted from the issue by getting angry about something completely different. Then, my mom will gently point out that I'm not actually crying about my new plastic cup being broken or whatever; I'm actually upset about XYZ. In that moment, I realize I've been caught out and admit that yes, that's what I'm really upset about.

Have Character A address it with a third character

Who among us hasn't gone to someone else to talk about our feelings? Having a third party serve as a sounding board is normal. Sometimes, Character A will feel such catharsis from this conversation that they don't address it as thoroughly with Character B.

Of course, you can use this to your advantage and create more tension if the third character gives bad advice or is biased.

Remember that just because the third party responded well does not mean that Character B does. You also have to avoid omniscience and remember that Character B wasn't privy to that conversation.

Have one confrontation be a stand-in for a larger one

I always think about the "The Iranian Yogurt Is Not the Issue" post when I think about this. Often times, things like not doing the dishes or whatever aren't actually the big deal: it's lack of boundaries, communication, or respect. A minor argument can be shorthand for a larger one that is too challenging for the characters to tackle.

This isn't just creating drama for the hell of it, though; it's about exploring the larger issues without making the characters lay it out on the table. A good reader will be able to see it's not about the Iranian Yogurt as long as you set up the relationship well.

Currently, I am writing a story where Uileac and his sister Cerie go to rescue Uileac's husband, Orrinir. On the way there, Uileac idly comments on how he wonders where a waterfall comes from because he's trying to distract himself from thinking about the fact that his husband is kidnapped and possibly dead.

Cerie, being pretty wound up too, starts arguing with him about it because she's like "why is this relevant? We're kind of too busy to think about geology right now!" Uileac gets annoyed at her for being so aggro, and she gets annoyed at him for being so irreverent. Both of them are upset about something completely different, but they're too scared and panicked to actually address that, so they release their frustrations by complaining about waterfalls.

Those bad vibes have to go somewhere, but neither of them are very good at talking about their feelings (though very good at stuffing them down). As such, they take the pressure off by sniping at one another. You've probably done this too, when you get into a dumb argument about something absolutely pointless because there's something you don't feel strong enough to discuss.

There's also the fact that if you're mad at someone about something but feel it's too stupid or petty to discuss, that frustration will leak out and everything else they do will annoy you, leading to a bunch of irrelevant arguments.

Use "reaffirmation" gestures

I talked about this in a different post, but after an argument, the "make up" stage doesn't always involve going "ohhh I forgive you" and big hugs and kisses, especially when the two characters aren't emotionally mature.

Instead, Character A makes gestures that reaffirm the relationship. This could be offering to do something Character B needs, making plans for later, or changing the topic to discuss something the other character cares about ("how are your cats doing?") etc.

Note that these "reaffirmation" gestures aren't the same as the cycle of abuse. This is more when two characters have had a difficult emotional conversation but aren't really sure how to continue being emotionally open, so they revert to something safer that still shows they care. They're not over-the-top gestures either, but more a special attention to something the other person loves. Knowing what the other person loves also demonstrates the depth of their relationship.

As always, I can't tell you what to do with your writing.

You are the crafter of your own story, and if you want people to talk like therapists for whatever reason, that's your choice. However, we want characters to feel like real people, and most real people don't lay it all out on the table every single time they're upset. If they do, they might be trauma vomiting, which is icky in and of itself.

Healthy communication isn't always perfect communication. People can have strong, loving relationships and still get things wrong - we're human. Having people calmly and rationally and easily talk about their feelings every single time is not only kind of boring, but it also feels weird, because unless we're primed to discuss those difficult topics and know we're perfectly safe, we're not going to do that.

People don't even do that in therapy, where they are paying for the service of talking about their feelings! Therapists also don't always do that IRL!

We're humans, and your characters need to feel like humans as well. That means letting them be imperfect communicators and using context clues rather than making them do all the work for the reader.

[dahliaornelas]

[dahliaornelas]

Really can't go wrong in fantasy with a giant skeleton being part of the environment. I'm talking colossal, part of the scenery bones.

Oh yes, let me wonder what the hell it is, how it died, how long it has been there. Let me walk on its ribs pathways, climb inside an eyesocket, look at where it fused with the nature around it.