#I found a lot of these online so I’m not 100% sure of many of their sources

[the-thing-inside-your-closet]

Prompts I’ve seen/found online that I have used an inspiration for many things, but mainly DP X DC stuff.

There’s 200 prompts/quotes in there

1. They match each other’s freak to a degree that is dangerous to the public.

2. People often mistake me for an adult because of my age.

3. “I have a solution.”

“Thank goodness.”

“It involves fire.”

“Absolutely not.”

4. Why are you hiding behind me? What did you do?

5. We can’t have a crisis - my schedule is already full!

6. “What’s our exit strategy?”

“Our what?”

“We’re all going to die.”

7. That is a terrible, horrible, incredibly foolish idea. Let’s do it and see what happens.

8. “This coffee tastes weird.”

“That’s probably because it’s not coffee.”

9. “Can I bother you for a second?”

“You always bother me, but go ahead.”

10. “Are you mad?”

“No.”

“So sharpening knives at 2am is just a hobby?”

11. I’m going to give my inner child a gun.

12. Your inability to learn complicated handshakes is tearing this gang apart.

13. I get so affectionate when I’m sleepy it’s disgusting.

14. Leaving a watermelon on someone’s doorstep in the middle of the night is a pretty inexpensive way to occupy a portion of their mind forever.

15. No offence to myself or anything but what the fuck am I doing.

16. I would love to be mysterious but I never shut the fuck up.

17. The divorce rate amongst my socks is astonishing.

18. Adulthood is a scam I want to be a crow.

19. Good morning! God has let me live another day and I’m about to make it everybody’s problem.

20. My house is haunted because I live there.

21. That’s my emotional support entity of questionable moral standing.

22. God released me into the wild and now he’s hunting me for sport.

23. No, no you don’t want to get to know me, I’m better as a concept.

24. I can’t wait until I’m old enough to pretend I can’t hear.

25. Do birds every just fly for fun or are they always on some kind of mission?

26. The older I get the more I understand why roosters scream to start their day.

27. ‘You’ll understand when you’re older.’ I am older and I understand absolutely nothing.

28. Source? It was revealed to me in a delusion.

29. Why do drugs after 30 when you can just stand up too fast?

30. I won’t ever be the bigger person in an argument. God made me 5’ for a reason.

31. This meeting could have been a fist fight.

32. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m never going to have a midlife crisis because my entire fucking life is a crisis.

33. Anyone fancy going off the fucking rails with me I’ve had enough.

34. Go ahead and get in the pond since you wanna act like a silly goose.

35. My life is like a romantic comedy except there’s no romance and it’s just me laughing at my own jokes.

36. Who the fuck decided to call it ‘emotional baggage’ and not ‘griefcase?’

37. I don’t have a nervous system. I am a nervous system.

38. “What makes us human?”

“Selecting all of the images with traffic lights.”

39. Don’t let anyone else ruin your day. It’s your day. Ruin it yourself.

40. The sixth love language is combat.

41. “I just told you 2 minutes ago.”

“I do not control the remember.”

42. Due to not wanting to. I will not be.

43. My flabbers be gasted daily.

44. “Are you seeing anyone?”

“Like a hallucination, a therapist, or a person?”

45. “You’re the most ridiculous person I’ve ever met.”

“Thank you I try my best.”

46. I tried to embrace my inner child today and the little asshole bit me.

47. I think my dark under eye circles are adding to the aesthetic actually.

48. Being smart has never stopped me from being a complete fucking idiot.

49. Next time I’m opening up to someone will be at my autopsy.

50. Too many songs about love. Not enough song about sword fights.

51. “You’re cute.”

“I’m feral and chaotic, don’t touch me.”

52. I’m not as unhinged as I could be and I want everyone to be great full for that.

53. How dare you know stuff about things.

54. “I have a plan.”

“Is it a good one?”

“I have a plan.”

55. “Are you decent?”

“Not morally, but I’m wearing pants if that’s what you’re asking.”

56. I may have the right to remain silent but I do not have the ability.

57. I don’t want to look ‘pretty.’ I want to look otherworldly and vaguely threatening.

58. If you ever feel safe please remember that I’m out there.

59. “I’m too good for revenge.”

“Well I’m not. Give me the gun.”

60. “You know I really feel like we aren’t seeing eye to eye.

“It’s because you’re taller than me asshole.”

61. “They rely on you.”

“I can’t be blamed for their lack of judgment..”

62. Well, aren’t you a little Ray of pitch black.

63. I can get behind murder but I draw the line at misogyny.

64. In my defence your honour, I simply do not vibe with the law.

65. Life is a tornado and I’m just the cow being spun around for cinematic value.

66. You can burn all the sage you want, I’ll be back.

67. I believe in holding grudges. I’ll heal in hell.

68. You know…they make medication for the way you act.

69. I like men with massive, throbbing vocabularies.

70. My swear jar could finance the fucking space program.

71. “Well if you want my opinion-”

“I don’t. I have my own.”

72. I’m awake but not operational.

73. Due to personal reasons I’ll be going back to sleep.

74. The bags under my eyes are Prada.

75. I identify as a threat. My pronouns are try/me.

76. Audacity must be on sale this year…

77. “Have you ever been handcuffed?”

“Sexually or by law enforcement?”

78. I don’t like salad or eye contact.

79. “Come here.”

“Why?”

“Just come here.”

“No you’re gonna hit me!”

80. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“I didn’t throw it.”

81. I have to keep reminding myself that I am an adult and will be charged as one.

82. Apparently ‘spite’ is not an appropriate answer to ‘what motives you?’

83. There is a fine line between my crazy and my intelligence. I use that line like a jump rope.

84. I don’t know where you got your opinion but I hope you kept the receipt.

85. Sometimes when I close my eyes…I can’t see.

86. Is being stupid a profession or are you just gifted?

87. Some days the supply of available curse words is insufficient to meet my demands.

88. I’m running out of reasons to not stab you.

89. When I said ‘how stupid can you be?’ It wasn’t a challenge.

90. Love at first sight? Tired, boring. Love at first assassination attempt? Spicy.

91. I’m sorry I don’t take orders. I barley take suggestions.

92. And that’s a wrap on another day where I acted like I knew what I was doing.

93. Now if you’ll excuse me…tonight’s bad decision isn’t going to make itself.

94. I take super hot showers to practice burning in hell.

95. I wanna be 14 again and ruin my life differently. I have new ideas.

96. Don’t be ashamed of who you are. That’s your parent’s job.

97. Being an adult is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.

98. If I’m ever murdered, feel comfort in knowing I ran my mouth until the bitter end.

99. My spirit animal would fucking eat yours.

100. Some people will only like you if you fit inside their box. Don’t be afraid to shove that box up their ass.

101. I wonder if people look both ways before getting on my fucking nerves.

102. If I was a bird, I know who I’d shit on.

103. Giving a fuck doesn’t really go with my outfit.

104. I’m not insulting you, I’m describing you.

105. Life is full of disappointments and I just added you to the list.

106. And then I decided to take a detour to deliver an ass beating.

107. I wanna contribute to the chaos.

108. I’m gay and also stronger than all of you. So don’t try any shit.

109. With all due respect, which is none

110. What, pray tell, the fuck?

111. My arson charges don’t define me.

112. Those are bold words for someone in stabbing range.

113. I don’t understand your specific kind of crazy but I do admire your total commitment to it.

114. I am not above slashing my own tires to avoid going to this family brunch.

115. I don’t want to heal my inner child I want them to get revenge.

116. In order to insult me I must first value your opinion. Nice try though.

117. There’s someone for everyone and the person for you is a psychiatrist.

118. Keep rolling your eyes, maybe you’ll find a brain back there.

119. I think my guardian angel drinks.

120. In my defence, I was left unsupervised.

121. I believe in you. I also believe in Bigfoot so don’t get too excited.

122. If you figure me out I want an explanation.

123. I don’t think I meet the height requirements to ride your emotional roller coaster.

124. When killing them with kindness doesn’t work, try voodoo.

125. Another fine day ruined by responsibility.

126. You call them swear words. I call them sentence enhancers.

127. Stop petting my peeves.

128. What a year this week has been.

129. Don’t follow me I don’t know where I’m going.

130. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I am awake.

131. I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

132. Please don’t interrupt me while I’m ignoring you.

133. Everyone has the right to be stupid but you’re abusing the privilege.

134. I just know I will die trying to pet something I shouldn’t.

135. At this point, if a clown invited me into the woods, I’d just go.

136. I told him to take care of his eyes because they’re the only balls he has.

137. The trash gets picked up tomorrow. Be ready.

138. My last words will probably be sarcastic.

139. We don’t have time to unpack all that.

140. I may have committed light treason.

141. How is ‘pretty boy’ supposed to be an insult? I’m the prettiest goddamn boy in this town.

142. I’m not interested in being polite or heterosexual.

143. “Based on statistical evidence, I’m immortal.”

“How so?”

“Haven’t died yet.”

144. I’m just here to establish an alibi.

145. Take the day off from being the bigger person and choose violence, you deserve it.

146. Forgive and forget? I’m neither Jesus nor do I have alzheimers.

147. People are so ungrateful. No one ever thanks me for having the patience to not kill them.

148. “I can see your bra.”

“Fucking good it was expensive.”

149. Sir, that’s my emotional support knife collection.

150. My idea of ‘help from above’ is a sniper on the roof.

151. “We’re surrounded!”

“Excellent, we can attack in any direction!

152. Lord give me patience or an untractable handgun.

153. Step back! I’m a professional idiot!

154. “Trust your gut.”

“I have anxiety. My gut is always telling me to abort mission.”

155. Keep your morals away from me.

156. Your existence gives me a headache go stand over there.

157. What, from the bottom of my heart, the fuck?

158. My heart is not a home for cowards.

159. Underestimate me so I can embarrass you.

160. “It’ll be easy. You just have to seduce them.”

“You’re kidding, right? I’m about as seductive as a cabbage.”

161. You’ve got heart, kid. Several hearts. Honestly, I’m a little scared of you.

162. It takes a very special kind of idiot to pull off what you just did.

163. I’m no doctor - but I think he’s dead.

164. I love you. You enormously stubborn pain in the ass.

165. “What brings you here?”

“A continuum of terrible choices.”

“You’d be surprised to know how often people say that.”

166. “I thought we agreed to tell each other when we were bleeding internally.”

“That’s a very specific promise I don’t remember making.”

167. “Did you really google how to flirt with a girl?”

“What? How’d you know that?”

“You do realise there’s a search history?”

168. “I’m gonna…”

“If you kick down the door, I swear…”

“I’M GONNA PUNCH IT WITH MY FOOT!”

169. “Is it still murder if I give them a heads up?”

“That’s a threat.”

“Damn.”

170. Surprise! I’m back from the dead! Isn’t that exciting?

171. Don’t mind me, I’ll just be in the corner, having another existential crisis.

172. I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong.

173. You’re important to me you piece of shit.

174. “Why are your hands purple?”

“That’s a very good question.”

175. Can someone turn off the sun please?

176. “I had a thought.”

“Oh no.”

“I swear it’s a good one this time!”

177. I’ve met bread smarter than you.

178. “Please stop getting shot, it stresses me out.”

“Oh, well if YOU don’t like it.”

179. Dude, we are not asking the dragon for directions.

180. You’ve got as much charm as a dead slug.

181. For you, I could steal the stars - but I can also get them through legitimate means, if that impresses you more.

182. I am under no obligation to make sense to you.

183. You smile like an idiot when you’re talking to them.

184. Don’t you sign to me in that tone.

185. Excuse me. I have to go make a scene.

186. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Don’t care. Shut up.”

187. Now that I made it weird, I’m going to make my exit.

188. So uh, I noticed you’re kinda naked. Is that intentional or…?

189. “Do you trust me?”

“No.”

“Smart man.”

190. Well, if you’d woken up properly the first time I kicked you, I wouldn’t have had to do it four more times.

191. “I have NEVER been so insulted.”

“You don’t listen much, do you?”

192. “Don’t you know who I am?”

“Yup. I just don’t care.”

193. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into. I just thought it would be amusing.

194. I would tell you to be yourself but that almost got us killed last time.

195. “Why aren’t you worshipping me, mortal?”

“Not interested. Thanks.”

196. “I’d rather be dead.”

“Then I have some good news for you.”

197. “Did you hear that scream?”

“Yes, I’m the one who screamed.”

198. “What happened to your-”

“I lost a bet.”

“Why-”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

199. Reading way above my grade level didn’t get me as far in life as I had hoped.

200. Due to foreseen circumstances well within my control I will be late.

[reyesranch]

I feel like atp even if there were plans to make bvddie canon theyre gone now. if tim minear is even half as petty as I am he would see that reaction and go u know what fuck you u actually don't get what you want now cause ur acting so goddamn entitled. like when tarlos fans got mad about the deleted scenes instead of appreciating them being released and his reaction was to say "okay fine then I just won't release deleted scenes anymore" (like I'm sure it was mostly a marketing decision but part of me thinks they intentionally released a scene about bucktommy just to prove a point.) idk man it's just really upsetting as a bi man to see the absolutely vile shit bvddie stans are saying and even tho I love the ship I now never want it to go canon cause they've fuckin ruined it

hey anon, at first let me agree with the fact that i do in fact also love bvddie a lot and i still love reading fics for them, the edits of them are fantastic and the fanart is S tier. it’s a great pairing with a lot of potential there IF the writers decided to ever go there but…

huge answer below

yeah, i agree. i honestly think before tommy was introduced again in 7x03 and the kiss in 7x04 that in my brain, bvddie was the most logical endgame for buck until it wasn’t.

i came into the show shipping bvddie much like a lot of new fans to the show but instead of hopping onto the tommy anti express hate train i found myself falling in love with buck and tommy together. at first i was still on board with bvddie still being endgame but as each episode aired after 7x04 i became faced with the reality of the situation (at least the way i see it) that bvddie might always be fanon and that’s ok because fandom keeps ships alive whether they’re canon or not. some of the biggest ships EVER are non-canon (i mean, cmon spirk? one of the OG MM ships?) so it didn’t really deter me from enjoying bvddie to this day. what HAS deterred me from interacting with bvddie content is toxic bvddies. i don’t like using the lil nicknames, idc if other ppl do, whatever, but i prefer just referring to certain kinds as just toxic plain and simple.

toxic shippers have made it difficult for anyone who multiships to interact with bvddie content. while there are incredibly nice & welcoming bvddie endgamers out there, it doesn’t overshadow the hateful ones in my online experience at least. i’ve blocked so many ppl over this ship discourse, which ive never had to do with any other fandom before the extent i have with 911. everyday i still find new ppl to block, you go under almost any comment section on the 911 insta and its filled with nasty comments abt tommy and only caring abt whether bvddie will be canon in s8. people projecting their hatred of tommy/lou onto the cast/crew of the show when it’s be said and proven time and time again that it’s quite the opposite. now im certain there’s bad apples in the bucktommy side as well, but from what ive seen online so far it is not nearly to the caliber of the bvddie side. ive blocked maybe a handful of bucktommy’s for being hateful towards eddie or being toxic overall, but ive probably blocked over 100+ toxic bvddies. i can only imagine it’d be worse if i was active on 911 twt which i’m not (thank god) but i have ventured into the tags before on there and let me tell you, it’s fucking horrifying how gross ppl are over there. twt is a cesspool for fandom anyways tho, the fucking asshole of fandom, it’s a septic tank really.

now im my own opinion which could be completely untrue of course, but just basing my thoughts on what i’ve seen online and interviews and such, tim seems to be really happy about bucktommy and idk how ppl believe otherwise. tim has expressed he loves LFJ and wanted him back on the show. tim showed up on set for the kiss scene. tim posting an entire youtube vibe abt bucktommy being soulmates that touches on the invisible string theory and explains how they accidentally found buck’s perfect match. tim sharing the deleted tommy scene is also huge but im waiting to see if he releases more (because i remember seen somewhere that he said there’d be more?) and if he does then great but it’s also still pretty telling to me after the whole karaoke fiasco.

oliver has said nothing but praises towards buck’s queer storyline. he quite literally said if you dont like it then watch something else. despite ppl saying he’s never interacted with bucktommy content online, that’s a lie because he has liked fanart of them.

aisha, kenneth & tracie have all expressed how they like tommy/lou and love working with him.

jlh said she loved bvddie before but is excited to see where buck and tommy go and then on an insta live said she doesn’t think bvddie is happening and was bombarded by toxic fans to the point of ending the live early.

ppl think it’s all some ruse to make it seem like bvddie is never happening so when it does happen it’s a “surprise” ……..

the nasty hate comments are doing nothing but exposing these types of ppl for who they are and that honestly to them, 911 is just the bvddie show to them. the people who run these social media accs for 911 are looking at these comments and cringing, they aren’t running to tim and abc being like “we must give these crazies what they want!” they’re mostly likely being ignored or honestly, as you said, being looked at and just reinforcing their decision to most likely make tommy buck’s endgame so as long as his schedule is open for filming.

what gets me the most about the hate these types of shippers spew online is how they aren’t embarrassed because they are so sooo convinced they will be right one day and therefore their insane, nasty behavior online will be justified. oliver stark literally left twt because of fans like this, people act like he was joking around, that he was shooting the shit probably because “he’s british and british people just have that kind of humor” which yes to a certain extent but let me just add these posts to set an example to why if oliver were still on twt he absolutely would not be happy with the way toxic bvddies are acting right now.

oliver (and ryan&other cast too) being positive abt bvddie never meant it was going to be canon of become canon one day. they do not decide these things, whether they believe it should or not. a lot of bvddie shippers come from previous fandoms where queerbaiting was there, where they were made fun of by actors of their ships, by the creators of the show! so i understand the frustration but oliver is not queerbaiting and buck is not a queerbait character when he quite literally is now confirmed bisexual and in a relationship with a man.

he’s just not the “correct” queer to these people. despite headcanons (hell even i hc eddie as queer!!) eddie so far, in canon, is not queer. by the end s7 he is still shown to not be over shannon and ruins his relationship with his son over this. ryan has stated in interviews he sees eddie as heterosexual, possibly pushing this because of the influx of ship discourse, and he’s glad to see a vulnerable and deep friendship that buck and eddie can have as a straight man and a queer man and how important he thinks it is.

every single thing that points to bvddie never going canon is like they’re being shot point blank in the chest. i get it, your ship not becoming canon sucks, but again, that is what fandom is for! shipping has never been about how canon smth is, there is 20k fics out there for bvddie and they aren’t canon. they can turn that into 40k, 100k, 1M if they really wanted to! instead they use their time and energy posting death threats, wishing death upon a gay character, bullying ppl online for enjoying a ship.

meanwhile from what ive seen bucktommys are rolling with goofy ass spy tommy theories created by antis and making jokes for our own fun.

so yes, i agree overall. they truly don’t deserve what they think they do. we didn’t whine and scream for a deleted scene. they did. we got ours without even expecting it and are having fun.

maybe if they behaved better i wouldn’t be so petty abt it. it’s a shame because of how much potential it has, unfortunately it is just not going that way atm. and even if it does one day, it is not because they paraded online with hate, it is because that’s the story tim and the others wanted to write and abc approved it.

🫳🎤

[rosesradio]

Hi, do you mind if I pick your brain about the pro/antiship thing? I'd like to check first because it's a dumpster fire of a controversy in fandom spaces and I'd 100% understand not wanting to touch it with a ten-foot pole. But also cuz it mentions somethin triggering+disturbing.I've always wondered what another person might think but I usually try to stay miles away from fandom drama, but you seem like, not chronically online about it

lmaoo thank you, i try to make my blog a chill, safe space to come to despite me being. Not chill about anything ever 😅

so here’s the definition of each that i added to the poll:

Proshippers argue that shipping is all fictional, so there is no harm in shipping characters who shouldn’t be together in real life. Anti-shippers argue that fiction reflects and influences real-world beliefs and behaviors, so fans shouldn’t romanticize unhealthy relationships. You can be proship and not ship any problematic ships, or vice versa.

i got these definitions, with my own addition at the end, from a Reddit thread you might find helpful.

so i’ve been in fandom for many years, and up until around 2022 i was mostly what would be considered an anti-shipper.

within the (*gags*) sanders sides fandom, there was a ship called remrom. this was the ship between the characters roman and remus, canonically twin brothers. i never shipped it, not my thing, and it caused a lot of division in the fandom. people would often put on their wattpad (yeahhh wattpad era babey) profiles & even their fics “dni & leave if you ship remrom, go die” etc. i don’t think i put that on my own fics, but i was hostile & blocked people i found shipping it. because how could you ship twin brothers, that’s disgusting!!1!

…the funny thing about sanders sides, though, is that all of the characters represent fragments of one guy’s personality. roman is his creativity, remus is his dark!creativity, etc. the fandom shipped many other pairings with the (non-related) characters, the most popular being Roman and Virgil (anxiety). (Yes this is causing me physical pain to type out thanks for asking 🧍). so all that exposition aside…we were all shipping selfcest. and in a way, is selfcest any worse than incest? i suppose that’s subjective, but it just goes to show a bit of hypocrisy.

i also shipped some “problematic” pairings over the years, but changed them up to be “non-problematic”. for example, i had a billdip fic in which i made bill bodily 15 to match dipper & had him turn magically human (does this make the ship entirely non-problematic? hell no lmao, but as is the way of 15-year-old rose)

so that aside, i joined tumblr in 2022, in the cobra kai fandom. there’s a ship in the cobra kai fandom called silverusso, a ship between an insane(ly hot? don’t look at me ���) karate instructor named silver and the main character, daniel larusso. this ship is extremelyyy toxic on several levels. for one, daniel is freshly 18, while silver is assumed to be in his 30s(?) during karate kid 3 (please watch karate kid 3 but also be sure you’re sober when doing so because the movie is a trip, lol). for another, silver essentially seduces daniel into devolving into a violent robot, primed for silver’s command & corruption.

now for me…i’m not going to get into the details because i don’t want to, but i had experienced trauma somewhat related to the silverusso dynamic the previous year (only with minimal karate, lol). even three years later, i am still impacted by said trauma in small ways. i was honestly insulted by people shipping this ship, because it felt like they didn’t care about victims & were romanticizing and sexualizing situations i was having nightmares about.

that is, until i made some friends in the fandom. i bonded with them on our common interests, and then i got to see a bit more into the silverusso shippers’ heads rather than the horrible things i was hearing about them from others. i learned that they really weren’t that bad people at all, all well-intentioned & respectful of boundaries. some of them were even victims of trauma similar to my own, who used darkfic as a place to vent their emotions. considering i had told very few people of what happened, considering no one really understood, i felt safe.

not to plug, but this is a fic i wrote sort of in that space lol

so anyways, i learned more & more about proshipping ways, profiction, anti-harassment, & anti-censorship. i adopted the take that fiction can be a good place to explore complex emotions or even just compelling ideas.

(because you do not need to be traumatized to be interested in darkfic! in fact, the anti-ship take of “darkfic is okay if you’re recovering from trauma” is often harmful to victims, forcing them to out themselves for a stranger to judge if they’re “traumatized enough” to be “allowed” write darkfic. people should be free to write whatever with no explanation, just respect to others & proper tags/warnings).

i would like to think that the anti-ship ideals are in the best interest of others. they often do speak from a place of wanting to respect trauma victims (even if the hate messages they’ve sent me aren’t very respectful, lol). i can see how easy it is to be swept up into the moral quandary of it all because i’ve been there. in fact, if i saw trauma victims who were anti-shippers today, who felt the same resentment i did in 2022, i would feel sympathy for them and wish them the best in their recovery. darkfic has definitely helped me, though it is not for everyone. (though to those people i would also recommend they block bothersome tags and try to clear it from their mind).

i do wish people would approach actual proshippers to ask the way you are right now, anon. i think the spread of misinformation on how “being proship = shipping only problematic pairings” or god forbid “being proship = being a pedo” means a lot of well-meaning people obviously are disgusted and don’t bother to seek out the actual meaning of the term.

you don’t have to ship problematic parings or like darkfic to be considered proship. in fact, a lot of my mutuals here only like fluff & traditionally “healthy” pairings, but they support people’s right to ship and write whatever they want, provided it stays in its properly tagged lane. it’s just important to not push for censorship on sites like ao3 (one of the last safe spaces for every kind of fanfic), as well as not harass anyone in fandom for what they do with fiction. it’s not proper fandom etiquette, and it’s not a good thing to do.

fictional characters are dolls. real people are real, as are their feelings.

one last thing

i hope all of that answered your question, anon, and feel free to return with any more questions you might have 💌

[90s-2000s-barbie]

I wanted to post my more in-depth thrift tips.

I had an ask a while ago asking for my advice on tips. And I’ve had this in my drafts for a while just to make sure I really added everything I wanted to. So I’ve been going to thrift stores and garage sales my whole life but really picked it and collecting up as a hobby in 2009. Starting with basics. When I personally thrift, I go to local flea markets, thrift stores, garage sales, church sales, goodwills, any place near by that re sells used items. It’s cheaper in person than looking online. 100%.

My Main Rules:

Never pay full price. This stuff is USED and older for that matter. I don’t care if people think it’s rare, it’s used. Some things are on their last legs of life. I can’t tell you how many times I bought a vintage item or even clothes and they break, tear ex as soon as u get home, test it out, wear it then it breaks! It happens!) always keep that in mind. I also like to keep E6000 clear glue around just in case it’s something I can fix. (If u also try E6000, make sure to follow instructions on bottle exact and it will hold up forever. I glued heavy glass and it’s still together years later)

Only possibly think of spending a little more if the item is in a box and old stock or if it’s super meaningful to you. BUT if u use my tips, u can find old stock in boxes cheap even or decent priced when thrifting. I only pay little more or seek something out if it’s meaningful to me or extremely sentimental. (Old favorite toy or I got rid of and want back, something I always wanted and can now cause I’m 30! Ex….) 😂 otherwise, I don’t buy if the price isn’t right.

If you aren’t sure if it’s actually vintage, look for the year on the item, tag ex, or if u have a phone, look it up, look up the brand! Some super old stuff don’t have years on them too so keep that in mind, helps to use google.

I feel like if u go thrifting enough, u will find whatever you are looking for eventually so if the price isn’t right, don’t buy! You will probably see it again eventually and if you also do this as a hobby, u have a lifetime to come upon it again. lol

Go when u can afford it or really want to. I use to go WEEKLY, I would find things every week cause they constantly have different stuff. lol but now I have bills now and things are expensive, so it’s just not realistic for me anymore. I go once or maybe twice a month if I’m lucky. BUT I will admit, u will find a lot of items if u go weekly and can get first dibs but it can get pricey as it all adds up of course.

Leave no stones unturned. So when I go to the thrifting, I look EVERYWHERE. I spend HOURS. lol Sometimes u find the best stuff in the weirdest spots! I found a ADULT Powerpuff girls sweater from 2000 in the kids xl section! I’ve found vintage bedding on random clothing wracks. Sometimes things get moved, you will be surprised on what u will find.

So this use to be one of my rules when I had a better phone plan lol but if I feel like I’m questioning a price on an item, I use to look it up on eBay or google. (If you use eBay, their is settings they show what items actually sell for and not just what they r listed as. THIS HELPS. Sometimes people put insane prices but they definitely aren’t selling for that much! Helps to see the actual value if u need to.)

If u go to garage sales or flea markets, don’t be scared to ask for prices or make offers. If u like it, ask! If the price isn’t right, just say thanks and go on ur merry way. Key is always be nice and respectful if they don’t budge on price. You’ll probably see it again. lol. Least u asked! I use to be too shy to ask and I’d regret it! Also I’d go home empty sometimes cause of it. But now, I seem to really connect with people and try to be nice, talk to them like a potential friend! Sometimes the interaction makes my day and I can get a laugh out of some people. Even sometimes being nice and funny person can go a long way with others. One time I went to a small town and it was the last day of garage sale weekend and people just seemed so nice and liked me, they gave me stuff for free it kept happening throughout the day! lol Sometimes people won’t budge on prices though and that’s fine. And other times, people just want stock or items gone! lol They want money, they don’t wanna take the junk back inside their home and I get it! lol for example, one place gave me stuff for free cause she was trying to get rid of kids toys, her kids had so much she gave me stuff for free, some powerpuff girl plushies for 25 cents! One time, I had a guy tell me a doll I was looking at was worth $200. (Which He was right they sold for that much in box, I looked it up when I got home) he said was worth $200 but he was asking $20 cause he wanted it sold. He had no attachment and needed extra cash as he kept buying to resell but hasn’t sold much. I told him she’s cute but idk. I kept looking at his other items. Finally when I walked away, he shouted $10! I bought her up! lol One day, I bought a giant box of McDonald’s toys, (second photo from top right above the TMNT bag) for $2 for the entire Box!! Completely full! Was a family at the flea market that was just having a garage sale so to speak, they were moving so they didn’t want anything! lol Also an example too of the opposite scenario, an older lady was selling all spice girls dolls in box for $80 dollars all together (at the time the whole lot was cheaper on eBay, they were $45 for the lot and this stuff wasn’t popular so it just wasn’t selling at the time.) I asked price of baby spice alone and she wouldn’t split the band. I said ok thanks and went on my merry way! I later in life got 3 of the girls for $10 to $6 a piece in box. lol

HAVE FUN. This is my hobby. I’ve been doing this as a hobby since 2009! Of course it takes a while to get as much as I have. But I really only recommend thrifting if u REALLY enjoy it and collecting. You really have to enjoy it and to keep going! It’s like a treasure hunt to me! I do it as a collector cause it’s a blast. I‘ve met such interesting people, I’ve seen such cool things even if I didn’t bring it home and couldn’t afford the item. It’s fun! It’s so exciting to find something on a shelf u haven’t seen in years. Also fun to find things u forgot existed or just speak to u personally! I literally buy anything that just feels like it belongs with me anymore. I fall in love with the moment I look at it. I use to think, oh people will think I’m weird? and I still remember those items I passed up YEARS later and say why did I leave that behind? lol 😂 It’s such a cool hobby. I can tell u what I paid for just about everything! 😂 I remember it all cause I really do love it and I LOVE deals.

Also, all the pictures above are mine and things I thrifted, do not steal! If u have any questions about how much I paid for some of these items, or have any questions in general, don’t be afraid to ask. If u wanna know tips about thrifting on toys, clothes, ex, please ask! I will try to help to the best of my knowledge. The 2nd photo, 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th photo are perfect examples cause it’s everything I got at ONE flea market or thrift store, just one stop. Sometimes I find full collections! Each photo are from different days but are definitely good examples. Also if I forget anything I feel is super important to add, I’ll probably post another part 2 or something. ❤️ hope this helps someone.

I think it it would be cool, if any followers decided to thrift or if you use any of my tips and find some cool stuff, to make a post and tag me! Show me ur cool finds, what tips helped the you the best if u feel like adding that.

[xoxochb]

— prue’s official 1k love letter ꣑ৎ‧₊˚.

💌 - dedicated to: all of my lovely followers and mutuals 🫶🏼🫶🏼

if you haven’t seen from my various posts about it then long story short I’ve hit 1k followers! I know for every new 100 followers I’ve hit that I’ve written notes like this whether they’re short or long. unfortunate for you, I’m a writer, so this one is going to be very long, my props to anyone who’s about to read all of this you’re a real one 🤞🏼

I’ve been using tumblr for nearly a year now. It started as a simple blog where I would just make silly pjo posts because I had been re entering that phase from middle school. after a while I started reading fics the lovely writers made on here and I became addicted to them to be honest. now, I’ve always been a writer at heart, when I was little I used to staple papers together and write silly childish books and at school I would always go above and beyond with creative writing assignments. after a while of being here I received a request from one of my early followers asking for a fic. I was new to this whole “sharing my work online” kinda stuff but nonetheless I proceeded to write it for her. It didn’t get many notes but it got enough for more people to come into my inbox and ask for more of my writing. since then I have been an avid riordanverse writer though most of the fandom has diminished by this point I’m still here to serve the people

over this time I’ve been on tumblr I’ve had some issues and I got accused of something that wasn’t true at all and received tons of hate over this (situation is resolved don’t worry). and if you’re still here reading this I suppose that you’re one of the many followers that didn’t leave me over this. but besides this slight issue I’ve met tons of great people on here and I’ve made many friends and found people who love my writing and love seeing my posts. honestly I think joining tumblr and sharing my work on here has been one (or probably only LMAO) of the best decisions I’ve ever made and it makes me incredibly happy to be thanking you all for helping me reach one thousand followers, it’s truly unreal to me and I am beyond words grateful for everyone who’s helped me achieve this accomplishment (I’m giving you all virtual forehead kisses rn 😙😙). I wish I could put into words what I’m feeling… but just imagine happy times, like, infinity!!!

anyways I’m gonna wrap this up because I swear I could ramble on and on all day but I’m pretty sure nobody would listen or read for that long plus I’m basically just talking about the same thing, anyways… again thank you so so so much for one thousand followers it truly means a lot and I will never thank you enough for this <3

with much love, prue 🤍🤍

[ifyoucandaniel]

You. Person. You like. Batman. How does one that exists in a country where comic books r ridiculously unaffordable understand the Batman world enough to read fanfiction of it.

…..i’m going to be so brave and vulnerable with you guys for a second here: i read fanfiction before i read the comics.

do i recommend? not really, however i had the same problem where it was too expensive to buy every single volume i needed to read to get into them, i didn’t have ANY idea of where to start, and i actually stumbled across the fanfiction before i really realized what i was getting into. initially i watched like,,, so many youtube’s on the chronological order of batman comics and very quickly realized there was so much i didn’t even know where to begin. however, now i either read them online through, ahem, illegal means, or i use the DC universe app and just read through the individual volumes! i know i’m going to be the worst batman fan ever when i say this, but since you’re so right and comics are ridiculously expensive and unattainable (seriously tracking down the issue where tim and kon meet for the first time was a pain in my ass), i say just read the fanfiction?? like it’s hella confusing at first, but it’s so worth it because the found family and the tropes are just so good. and a lot of fics are so AU they can be read with no knowledge of the DCU. i’m not saying DONT read the comics, but it can take AWHILE to catch up on all the content of the past like 80 years to understand every character and their story, and personally i was way too impatient to stop reading fics and start reading every comic connected to the batfam. but also, again, i did not realize what i was getting into until i was already hooked and confused as fuck, so maybe take it with a grain of salt :)

but for sure if you’re wanting to read the comics first (good choice, but lots of content and WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU START) i say read that shit online lol. if anyone has an easier way of accessing them, i am begging to hear it, but what i typically do is go to twitter or here and search what i’m looking for (like chronological order of young justice comics, or chronological reading order for tim drake, whatever i’m wanting to find) and then usually people have blessedly compiled a list of all the issues by name and number and i can find them online that way! figuring out where to start and what’s canon and what’s old stuff that they’ve decided doesn’t count anymore is,,,, rough. i still don’t always know what’s going on with what’s new 52 and what’s pre :’)

if you’re just wanting to know enough to get by with reading the fanfics, i say either just jump in and have a sink or swim moment where you just figure out what you don’t know and look it up on fandomwiki, or you can also like watch youtube’s of the characters entire story arcs?? i don’t know if that’s normal but i do that a lot for fandoms lol. i did the full sink or swim where i just completely figured things out through osmosis and was very confused for a BIT. ummm otherwise i’d say read a few comics that are central to the characters and? maybe read some wikis??? depends on how confused you wanna be lmfao

but it’s worth it!!! 100% the vibes are so good and i don’t think i’ve ever consumed more content for a fandom in like ever :D the characters and the tropes and the angst and the found family 🤌 it’s all very good and very worthwhile

[tennessoui]

Hey Kit!! This past year when the Acolyte came out, my heart broke and I decided to step away from Star Wars. It’s fine that others liked it but personally I didn’t; actually to be frank, I REALLY didn’t like it. Star Wars and Anakin got me through a lot, so watching Disney take an actual shit on his origin and then his redemption ark by half-assing the lore, felt like a punch to the gut, and I had to step away. (This is my personal opinion, if you or others liked it that’s great! I just didn’t). However, when I saw that u published the body politics au, I decided to sit down and catch up on all your fics (btw I love the Hanahaki one!), and it got me back into the fandom. I’m glad one shitty (imo) show didn’t push me away permanently and I have you to thank for that. I’ve met so many great people thru Star Wars and made a lot friends so it had really been kind of hard to turn away from it. I just really wanted to say thank you. your writing is, as always, too beautiful and inspiring to ignore. Star Wars means so much, and I’m so thankful that your work was able to help me look past all the stuff that made me unhappy with it. I hope you have a wonderful day!!

this is very kind to send to me and a very nice morning read! i admit, i actually have not watched the acolyte, though not for any particular reason. i've definitely heard mixed reviews about the show and its take on the jedi order and the sith, which have been sorta sad to read cause i do like the jedi (though i guess i never label myself as pro-jedi cause like? they're the good guys? you're not like. pro-percy jackson or something right? pro-katniss everdeen? you just sorta read the book and you're like oh yeah these are the good guys. might find aspects of a character annoying but i'm definitely not supposed to be rooting for the Capitol or smething right)

but i've also heard from other people that as a pew-pew show, it delivers on that front! lightsaber fights are cool and everyone has a funky haircut that they pull off somehow which does feel quintessentially star wars

my general view of the disney plus star wars shows is that i'll watch the ones that strike my fancy, and if one of them doesn't then i won't. the star wars disney execs produce a lot of content (and i truly mean content, i.e. material to be consumed - not necessarily art) and a lot of it i'm probably never going to watch. it wasn't made for me, and i definitely get the lurch and disappointment you may feel if you look forward to something for ages and then it's not what you wanted in a thousand small ways or a handful of big ways. i think that's especially hard to guard against nowadays when trailers for tv shows rely more on aesthetic and punchy one-liners and brief second cameos than they do explaining the actual story of the show

but you can be a fan without loving the direction some shows go in or the choices directors make!! if that looks like only watching shows that have been peer-reviewed, or if that looks like ignoring everything but a small corner/subset of a massive fandom, or if that looks like turning from the media itself and diving further into fanart and fanfiction and interacting with people online then that's what it looks like! especially now that the world of canon star wars media isn't just 6-9 movies + 2(?) non trilogy movies, you should absolutely go about watching star wars content with a you-first mindset 100%

you know how many people were disappointed in the obi-wan kenobi series?? soooo many because he was a sad little pathetic and broken man with greasy hair. but that's exactly how i like my obi-wan kenobis, so i was thrilled every episode lol but i'm sure other people hated it and boycotted and whatever. but i found my corner of the fandom who also enjoyed that and it's been wonderful <3

so anyway thankyou so much for your very kind words i hope none of that sounded too preachy i was mostly trying to agree with you that it's really great that one (shitty) show did not keep you away from the fandom forever and that you're back!!

welcome back :)

[hogmilked]

bought like actual skincare products for the first time in years and have some notes.

the whole anti-aging cosmetic industry is really hard to avoid. i was getting stuff at a marshall’s (discount store, carries a lot of overstock from brands) to save money and it took me almost an hour to find a handful of products that weren’t advertising “anti-aging” and “youthfulness” when i just wanted a cleanser, toner, and sunscreen to help with both peeling skin and greasiness

no seriously. i found ONE facial sunscreen that didn’t have retinol or hyaluronic acid or collagen or any of that stuff in it. it was tucked away in the men’s section with beard oil and cologne because apparently facial sunscreen with no added bullshit is only for men, and women (this is borderline a fast fashion store it’s highly gendered) can only protect themselves from skin cancer if it also makes sure they never develop a smile line

so many of those serums and creams and shit are bullshit anyway. hell a lot of people can just do a wash and sunscreen and be all set. at most a basic cleanser, basic moisturizer, and sunscreen are the absolute most you need. i threw in an exfoliating toner to help even out a couple gnarly acne scars and help with how flaky my skin gets sometimes. if your skin needs more than that, you really should probably just go to a dermatologist or look for actual dermatologist’s advice instead of dumping a bunch of random oils and serums and creams n shit you saw on tiktok or instagram on your skin and hoping the benefits listed on the box will be true for you

IN MOST CASES no amount of skincare products can make up for lifestyle change. i decided to put a little more work in because the lifestyle changes i need to make to help be less oily (i literally get so greasy it makes my eyes burn) and flaky aren’t currently feasible, so i’m trying to give my skin a bit of a boost, but literally the best my skin has ever felt was when i was just drinking a shit ton of water and eating super well

other people’s skincare will rarely work the same on anyone else. everyone’s skin needs are different. when i was in high school i had a gnarly abrasion/chemical burn under my eye because i had tried a routine i saw online that was way too rough and overbearing for me. again, you 100% don’t need a 30 step routine

that being said, i used a $4 korean cleanser, a $6 glycolic acid toner (exfoliant), 100% pure african shea butter, and some sunscreen formulated for use on the face. my skin feels great. my acne doesn’t itch as much. the toner was the most expensive part. the beauty industry is a scam

[quicktimeeventfull]

Yes, for sure! Okay so I took this down initially to gather up some resources but I’ve come to realize I don’t actually have that many specific ones on hand. I always want to caveat that this is just the way I learned/write and it won't work for everyone -- I was/am a slow learner who needed a lot of guidance and so this is all targeted towards that.

My suggestions are: 

Strunk & White: The Elements of Style for grammar. There are other grammar books out there but I like this one because it’s really stuffy and strict and I trust the reader to figure out what is/isn’t worth taking into account. 

Steering the Craft by Ursula K Le. Guin: I’m going to be so honest, I have not actually read this but I’ve paged through it and it seems really good

How Not To Write a Novel by Sandra Newman & Howard Mittelmark

The Masterclass writers series is incredibly expensive but some of the courses are available through libraries or other methods

Also this is for children but Gonna Bake me a Rainbow Poem was foundational for me at ten & I don’t see why it couldn’t help someone older. 

More broadly, I listen to writers when they talk and try to pick and choose what’s useful to me. I prefer the advice of genre writers because I feel most of them really understand their craft as a craft; imo a lot of literary writers are so good at what they do they have no idea how they’re doing it. YMMV on this. I would highly recommend reading the forwards and afterwards of novels. I also like the director's commentaries of movies.

I also find instructional art resources extremely useful! Visual artists know how to describe things and imo they’re better at it than most writers. Like, here, I’ve just googled ‘How to draw light’ and this is a better description of how light affects an object than you’ll find in 99% of writer’s resources. I would also check your local community. If there are writer’s events, take advantage of them. Libraries and bookstores are good places to look. Head down to some book launches and listen to the authors talk.

Also ok this tends to be a bit of a sensitive topic online, but: if you want to improve it’s generally a good idea to seek out critique and negative feedback. A critique circle is a good way to do this. You can find them organized by communities (ex. a library, a university) or you can make one with your friends. If you’ve got people you trust, you can ask them directly to tell you what they didn’t like. I don’t know how far along you are in your writing journey — 'I did not like this' or 'I found this boring' etc might not be useful information at first but eventually it will be because you’ll learn how to identify points of friction in your own work; if you're earlier on you might need to seek out more guided critique and that is 100% fine. You will eventually get to the point where you can diagnose your own writing. (On this note: if you are posting your writing online I would highly recommend differentiating comments from critique -- I'm talking about directly solicited feedback from people who personally know you and want the best for you.)

One of my main pieces of advice is that it takes time to improve your writing skills. There are ways to improve more or less efficiently but at the end of the day time and practise is the key. It is normal to go through up and downs and it is normal to sometimes feel stuck but if you keep working at it you WILL get better. I am not a quick learner and it took me upwards of ten years before I was writing anything people consistently wanted to read BUT I see people improve exponentially faster than that all the time. Probably you will improve faster than I did. But maybe we will improve at the same speed and that is OK too. 

Other random tips: 

Do exercises that target specific skills which you are weak at 

Carry around a notebook and write down things you see as accurately as you can & transcribe conversations. In regards to the latter, would recommend developing really bad handwriting to prevent people from reading over your shoulder. 

Write things, including completed stories, that are above your current skill level. Get them as good as you can then let them go. They are unlikely to meet your standards. Figure out what didn’t work and try them again later. You do not need to publish these

[autism-resources]

Do you have any tips for making friends as an autistic adult?

Thank you so much for sending this in after I deleted the first ask, it’s really awesome of you and I really appreciate it! 😁 I looked online for articles and guides to making friendships. Here are the autistic adult-specific resources I found:

This is a guide that I found quite helpful:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/family-life-and-relationships/making-friends/autistic-adults

This one has some interesting tips, though they might not all apply to you because they’re based on someone’s experiences. It’s a linear guide which I appreciated:

https://themighty.com/topic/autism-spectrum-disorder/how-to-make-friends-autism

This one is technically for teens, but I found it quite helpful, especially if social cues are hard for you:

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/making-friends.html

This is not necessarily going to have good info in the article because I just skimmed it so I’m not sure. I included it because it has a lot of links and resources which might be helpful. Asan is listed in it and I don’t support asan because of their racist actions:

https://autismandhealth.org/?a=pt&p=detail&t=pt_aut&s=aut_meet&theme=dk&

This article has many different strategies for making social connections as an autistic person. Also if you find images helpful it has very cool illustrations, but they are completely not required to understand if that doesn’t work for you. This is my favourite of all the resources I found:

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Friends-if-You%27re-Autistic?amp=1

I also researched beyond the category of autism to making friends as a disabled adult and found some cool stuff. Also if you’re multiply disabled this stuff might address other things you encounter:

This is an article about making friends from a disabled adult’s perspective:

https://disabilityhorizons.com/2019/04/how-to-make-new-friends-when-you-have-a-disability/

This is an article which guides you through 8 ways to make friends that are accessible to disabled adults:

https://www.endeavour.com.au/media-news/blog/8-ways-to-make-friends-when-you-have-a-disability

Here are a few places I found for virtual connection:

The Hiki app is a friendship and dating app for autistic people over the age of 17. I’ve never used it but a quick search showed me mostly positive reviews.

This is support and social groups for autistic adults for free. It appears to be current but I’m not 100% sure. TW it uses the term aspergers:

https://www.aane.org/resources/adults/support-groups/

There’s also meetup.com which I have no experience with but is recommended in a few things I read:

https://www.meetup.com/topics/autistic-adults/

My perspective

For advice I have, find environments where the social structure is comfortable for you. My example is that I like sports and can feel comfortable in athletic settings if I’m not triggered. Primarily though, don’t de-value yourself as a person people want to be around.

Autistic people often face a lot of messaging that affects self image and esteem in regards to friendships and relationships in general. Give yourself respect and grace, that stuff is really hard when it’s internalized so remember to call yourself on it. 💗

Also @through-thick-and-quinn you and I have had a lot of exchanges on here and you’re genuinely one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, I’d like to talk whenever, and consider you a friend.

[forestdeath1]

Hello! I was going to put this in my previous ask, but I realized it probably deserved its own so you can answer privately if you wish.

Your astrology analysis is brilliant. I love Sirius’s and I love Walburga’s so so so much. I was curious, how do you work them up? Do you have past knowledge or is there a website you use and then you just embellish to fit it into each character’s lives better? I ask bc there’s a bunch of HP Ocs I’ve been working on in my own expansion of Wizarding Greece. I’ve only found one site that’s good, but I don’t think I could find it. Theres also the thought that maybe I’d need to write out their personalities and how they change and pinpoint a birthdate for a zodiac sign that way. What do you think?

Hi!!! Thanks a lot!!

With Sirius it was easy — we know his birth date. Plus, for me he’s 100% a Scorpio ascendant, so it was pretty easy. I picked an approximate time using online rectification. Someone on Tumblr who knows more about astrology once told me they think Sirius has a different ascendant, but I don't care, for me, he’s Scorpio rising 😁 I don't take astrology THAT seriously.

With Walburga and Orion, it was harder — because we have their birth year and their "character", and I had to make it all fit.

With Walburga, I always knew I wanted her to be a Taurus, but a Taurus with challenging aspects. I wanted her Sun in the 10th house, and I considered a few other options, so those were the limits that reduced my search time. Plus, I was looking for an unstable and challenging moon — there weren’t many options (to my unprofessional eye, I’m sure professionals can think of many more options!!!). I settled on Scorpio, which narrowed it down to almost two days. Then I just built a chart online for each possible date/time, but there weren’t many options left. Leo ascendant and the sun in the 10th house, and many aspects fit very well. Since I’m not a professional, that was enough for me 😁

As for my completely original characters, I don’t worry about dates/aspects. I just come up with their sun sign and sometimes their moon, after developing their character. And I just know how the signs generally look in different planets, and I always read more online ofc! It’s also important to consider aspects and houses, but I’m too lazy to do it for OCs.

If you just need to choose, you can assume all aspects are fine, forget about houses, and just match OCs characters with star signs based on the main descriptions of the sun, moon, and ascendant.

[whomst-the-hell]

How To Write An Essay

from someone who did pretty well in school. and i don’t mean the structure of an essay, because someone probably taught you that in class, i mean the actual process of sitting down to write an essay, which for some reason no teacher has ever addressed (at least to me)

(for the sake of this, I’m going to pretend i’ve been assigned an essay about shakespeare’s depiction of love in Romeo and Juliet, because I feel like thats a relatable point of reference idk)

1: scaffold. go into your document and create an outline in dotpoints of all your arguments. this is also where you put your quotes. (some people might find it helpful to also create some kind of mindmap pre- scaffold, but i tend to just use the scaffold as a mindmap, it depends on your preferred brainstorming techniques) for example, my scaffold might look like this:

intro

point 1: the relationship between love and violence

-friar and the plants

-romeo and juliet eventually die for love

-“starcrossed lovers take their lives” (act 1, scene 1)

-romeo and juliets love is arguably the cause for mercutio’s and tybalt’s death

-“i died under your arm”-mercutio (act, scene)

point 2: etc

this is much less effort than sitting down and actually writing out that paragraph.

the number of dotpoints needed per paragraph varies but as a rule of thumb i’d say 3-5. if you know a lot of information about a topic, only a couple points with lots of depth will do. if not, briefly talk about lots of things.

if you find yourself struggling with motivation, try to make scaffolding a bit fun. meme the fuck out of it. talk abt how romeo was a lil bitch who got the infinitely cooler mercutio killed like a moron. talk abt how much you hate shakespeare. no one is going to see it. IMPORTANT: make sure that you make it easy to find and remove the scaffold later. i do it by writing all my scaffolds *like this* so that i can go through at the end with ctrl+f and find all the **s, which i don’t generally use in the actual essay. you could do something else (maybe pick a number, or some other character) if ** wont work for whatever reason. you could also colour your scaffold so that you can visually see which bits to get rid of.

further things to note: DO NOT WORRY ABOUT PLAGIARISM. if you found a really good paragraph online where someone dissected the language used in the balcony scene, copy and paste that shit directly into the scaffold (remember to include the URL to make citation easy later). that way when it does come time to write this fucking thing, all of your information is in one place and you really just have to decorate it, which is honestly the less important part anyway. you will get more points for a badly written essay with good information than a well written essay with bad information.

another thing i like to do here is calculate roughly how many words i should write per paragraph. for example, if my essay is 1500 words and i’ll have three points, my breakdown may look like this

intro (100)

p1 (433)

p2(433)

p3(433)

concl(100)

i might even break it down further eg

p1: love and violence

-romeo and juliets death (108)

-tybalts death (108)

-mercutio’s death (108)

-friar’s plants monologue (108)

i get these numbers by literally putting them into a calculator. it may seem useless but it’s actually really quick, and it will be infinitely easier to convince yourself to write 108 words about romeo and juliets death than it will be to write 1500 words about the concept of love throughout the play.

(heres the formula for breaking it down btw: intro + conclusion = about the same each, generally smaller than a body paragraph. pick whatever number you think is appropriate for the total word count, minimum 50 words. my rule of thumb is <1000=50, 1000=100, 2000=200, etc. next, [total word count] - [intro+concl] = [body paragraphs]. next, [body paragraphs] / [no. of body paragraphs] = [wordcount per paragraph], next [wordcount per paragraph] / [no. of points]. written out this seems long, but it takes 5 seconds with a calculator- i just use google)

2: actually writing the essay. tragically i cannot give you the magic words to write a perfect essay, but one really good tip that i can give you is this: don’t stop scaffolding when you start writing. personally, i tend to get tripped up on details, and get stuck in one spot. for example: i know what all my arguments should be in my paragraph about love and violence, but i cannot for the life of me think of an introductory sentence. my paragraph might look like this for a while:

*epic guitar intro like in smells like teen spirit* This concept is demonstrated in the eventual deaths of the titular characters, Romeo and Juliet, as foreshadowed in the line “starcrossed lovers take their lives” (act 1 scene 1).

its sort of like skipping a question on a test then coming back to it later. there is no point in struggling over one sentence for hours — often, writing the rest of the paragraph will actually fill in your mental blanks and make it easier to write whatever you were struggling with.

other places ive found this method helpful: quotes. for example:

Romeo and Juliet’s love also caused violence to those around them. This is evident in the death of Mercutio, Romeo’s best friend. **find quote, and include analysis*** This demonstrates Shakespeare’s connection between love and violence.

in my experience, actually searching for a particular quote can throw off my momentum and fuck up the whole process. its been much better to just mark where i want that quote to go and come back later.

you can do this for single sentences or even whole paragraphs. i often write introductions last, because i never know what to say the first go round. you do not need to write your essay chronologically. go through one pass without losing momentum, hit ctrl+f, or find your coloured bits, to locate the problem areas. has writing the rest of it managed to fix the problem? no? try the next highlighted section! go back and forth like that until theres no more highlighted bits.

other assorted tips for writing an essay: don’t worry about repetition. for a lot of people (including me), writing is something that is supposed to sound good. we try to avoid repeating words/phrases too much because it can read as annoying or boring. as anyone who has read an academic paper knows, that actually means you’re on the right track. if your thesis statement is “shakespeare depicted love as a destructive and negative force” the words “destructive” or “negative” should probably be used 2-3 times a paragraph. you really want to hammer your audience over the head with your opinion.

also, as much as possible, try to make whatever the prompt is fun for yourself. this isn’t always possible of course, but it can really make the process easier. i know this wasnt my longstanding example, but as an actual real world example of this, i had to write an essay about the movie gattaca and how it incorporated its political themes into the narrative, and i argued that actually it had done a terrible job at that and that the movie as a whole sucked ass. i got 95%. if you have any kind of strong feelings about the topic, make them fit the question. its much less mind numbing than writing 2000 words you dont actually agree with for the sake of your grade.

if you need to take a break, maybe try working on homework for a different subject. this’ll shake things up so your brain is doing something new, but you won’t exit school mode and lose momentum entirely.

3: editing. dont worry too much. read through it so theres no glaring issues. try reading it out loud — you’re more likely to pick up on clunky sentences or grammar errors out loud. if you really want to do well, have someone else look over it (a classmate/teacher would be best bc they know what info was available to you but anyone will do)

final tips: its better to hand in something unfinished/badly written than nothing at all.

it is 100% better to sit down for five minutes and add 20 words to your essay than not to do anything. you dont have to dedicate your evening to it. progress is progress. a good way to do this is to get word/docs on your phone.

high school isnt life or death - failing this essay will not destroy you.

for essays on an exam, my best tip is don’t worry abt making it pretty. use the first page to make a mindmap. write more info later and use an arrow to show where it should be. it doesnt matter.

this might not work for you, but i hope it can act as a jumping off point to find what does work for you! go forth and conquer!

[she-who-fights-and-writes]

Hello. I finally found it in my heart to write down one of the many stories I've spun in my head. I've been thinking about using Grammarly to help me avoid glaring mistakes, because English isn't my native language and I tend to make a lot of typos. However, I'm a bit afraid to do so with the rise of scary AI stories (deleting works, stealing, etc). I'd be very grateful for an opinion from someone well-versed (or better-versed) in this subject than me. Thank you in advance :)

Hi anon!!

I don’t really know much about Grammarly, and my only expertise on AI has to do with the image-generating kind and not the writing kind haha

I mostly write on Word that’s been downloaded onto my desktop, since I bought Office Suite for about $100 back when I first got my computer. I do think you can get a free Microsoft 365 account and write with Word Online if you’re a student, and there may be other ways to get a free Microsoft 365 account, but to be honest, I’m not sure.

If anyone has any better info on this, please help anon out in the notes!

[goodpointsandbadpoints]

I’m trying to put words to the difference between friends-to-lovers 1 and friends-to-lovers 2. Both are good and fun in their own ways. I’m not trying to say one is better than the other, I’m just trying to distinguish them from one another.

Friends-to-lovers 1: Two people have known each other for a significant amount of time. They have platonic relationship, at least on the outside. But one (or both) are harboring hidden romantic feelings. So they spend part of the story keeping the feelings hidden while performing a platonic relationship (as well as doing plot things). At some point, feelings are revealed and the two begin a romantic relationship.

Examples: 

Always be my Maybe. 

You’ve Got Mail. I’m like 100% sure they’re meant to be in love from online, and then Joe is already in love irl with Kathleen... so yeah there’s already romantic feelings. (there’s also an enemies-to-lovers aspect.)

Spider-Man. Several versions, including the new MCU ones. He’s in love with MJ but is friends with her until, y’know, feelings reveal. 

Yesterday (2019).

With Honors.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Which feels like a hilarious example to put, but it’s true! He really likes her but tries to pass it off as platonic interest at first. 

Chicken Little. I watch a lot of kids movies, okay? Anyway, Abby already has a crush on him from the start of the story, and then at the end Ace says he’s always found her “extremely attractive.” (I love them). 

While You Were Sleeping.

Friends-to-lovers 2: Two people have known each other for a significant amount of time. They have a platonic relationship, and it feels that way on the inside as well. The two have a strong connection, though not a romantic one. They spend part of the story doing plot things and learning more about each other. At some point, the platonic feelings of one person (or both) morph into romantic ones. The two begin a romantic relationship.

Examples: 

Little Women. Specifically Amy’s plot line. 

Howl’s Moving Castle. 

When Harry Met Sally. A staple example of the trope, of course. 

And then all of the other examples I can think of are just canonical friendships that I read as subtextually, potentially romantic, like Spirk or Gimleaf. 

The second one is distinctly demiromantic, and that’s probably why it is the more appealing variation of the trope to me. I’m trying to find a nice slow burn friends-to-lovers fic, but so many of them have the main narrating character already feeling romantic attraction to the other person. I would really love to find something where it starts out completely platonic and changes gradually (or maybe they have a aha! moment) into romantic. 

My mom just pointed out that the enemies-to-lovers trope is more likely to start with no romantic feelings, while friends-to-lovers often starts with hidden pining. 

Another mini thought: I think non-canon ships appeal to me so much because they basically live in the friends-to-lovers 2 area. In the canon material, the characters never have an explicitly romantic relationship. Therefore, I have the room to expand upon that gradual growing of a bond. I can relish the depth of their friendship. (And it feels more like how I experience love: the platonic bond first and foremost.)

[timeslostart]

July 14th, 2021

SUSTAINABLE LIVING - MODERN LIVING AND WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH KNITTING?

Everything in balance...

So recently, due to the worldwide pandemic, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands.  (It’s over a year later and we are still feeling the effects.)  I thought this was a wonderful opportunity to work on some knitting designs I’ve had in the works for a while and prepare for the annual winter craft and trade show I usually attend, however, nothing ever entirely goes as you plan.  KNITTER’S WRIST IS A REAL THING!  I sprained my wrist at the beginning of April and couldn’t knit anything for almost two months.  What’s a knitter to do?

I binge watched Netflix for about a week and then I became very bored.  I needed something to do after my son went to bed other than watch TV.  I saw an advertisement on Facebook for some online courses through a website based out of the UK, that after a bit of research, I found was quite reputable and so my quest for knowledge to end my boredom began.

Among the many courses I decided to sign up for, some to help further my career, others that were just for fun, I found one that I was just plain curious about, Sustainable Living.

Now I am sure you are wondering what this has to do with knitting... a lot actually.  As knitters we get to choose the kind of yarn we use to knit with.  So why not choose a few items that are a bit healthier for the environment.  Wool over acrylic yarn is a great start especially if you buy from a smaller business that is certified organic and ethical.  They are out there and yes they are a bit more expensive than buying from a big box store but I’m okay paying a little more for quality and a healthier environment.  O-Wool is an amazing brand of wool yarn (it is in the name) that is based out of the United States and luckily for me, ships to Canada for a very reasonable price.  If you are interested in learning more about this company and their amazing 100% merino and cotton/wool blend yarns please go to www.o-wool.com for more details.

Another simple change that is easy to make might be looking into using wooden knitting needles instead of metal ones.  However, if you love your metal needles and don’t want to give them up, buying vintage knitting needles from a secondhand store instead of new would also be a great alternative.  I’ve found that they even make wooden yarn needles now which I find very interesting to work with. 

These are just a few little things you can do but if we all start thinking about the little things and making small changes in our everyday lives eventually bigger changes will follow.

Gabrielle Vansteelandt

Times Lost Art

[neurosky]

Hi there- I’m pretty new to Tumblr so I still don’t 100% understand how it works. Also, my head is pretty fuzzy so the writing here might be really stiff and confusing.

I also have PANS/PANDAS. There aren’t many online that talk about it. I was incredibly happy to see your blog and diagnosis (which was pretty recent I think). Congratulations!

My symptoms started many years ago, when I was around 9. My behavior changed, my handwriting got really bad, etcetera. It got much worse when I entered 4th grade though. I remember freaking out over not being prepared for something, and was taken out for the first week. (I only found out about the first week bit again since I barely remembered that). Around this time, my mother was trying to find any kind of help. We eventually found one doctor, but since we lived in the USA we couldn’t afford the care. He actually mentioned PANDAS but we weren’t able to go through with any diagnosis.

I left the school I was at in the middle of 4th grade. Changed again when going into 5th. I barely remember anything from that point in my life. It just kinda sucked a lot. I couldn’t understand what any of the teachers were saying. Couldn’t do my homework. Couldn’t interact with others. We thought it would be better to go back to my first school, so in the middle of that year I switched again.

It was much more settled then. I had my old friends and knew the people there better. I also was in a better place family-wise (was living with my grandparents away from my dad during the other schools era). I still had trouble with things of course. I had to stay in during recess everyday because I was never able to finish my work. I still had trouble interacting with others, but I had old friends this time.

!!!/Warning for choking related thing. Don’t want that to trigger something

Over time I’d develop very specific fears that prevented me from doing things. I had an incident involving choking, and after that eating was incredibly difficult. I’m sure you could also relate to other people thinking you’re overreacting or faking it. My friends’ parents would ask, “why can you eat X but not Y?” My fears would get better over time, but switch out for new ones. They haven’t fully gone away either. I still have trouble swallowing, I have to sleep with my eyes covered in fear of sleep paralysis etc.

//

I started to develop an increasingly intense urge to daydream and pace. I’ve always had it, but it got to a point where it would take up most of my day. Spend hours walking in circles rethinking the same scenario in my head over and over.

8th grade came around and I went to another school again. The one I went to in 5th grade (confusing I know). This time around it was actually a lot nicer. I still didn’t interact with others -only one person a bit- but I was able to do my work well. There would be the one project once in a while that would make me breakdown of course. Especially if it had to do with presenting something. End of that school year though, I moved to Europe.

Moving to a new country was very difficult. I managed the first school year and finished my finals (I wasn’t fluent in the language I genuinely do not know how I passed) but by year 2 I couldn’t handle it. Second week I had to be taken out and we found a special therapist. I wasn’t able to reintegrate well but I could go for an hour a day sometimes.

It took a long time but my therapist was able to get me to a doctor that specializes in autism and other conditions. I went a couple times and after interviews and tests they brought up the idea of me having PANS/PANDAS. One doctor had a colleague that specialized in PANS/PANDAS, and was going to help us see him.

A couple days ago, I just finished my third IVIG treatment. Today, we just got news about all the care and benefits I’ll be able to get. It took very long, but I’m on my way to healing. I’m already feeling better in many areas. I’m nervous, but I’m more hopeful for the future!

I’m so sorry that was so long. And I’m sorry I’m posting this anonymously, I’m just a bit nervous about giving away too much information.

Just know that you aren’t alone! I related so closely to all the stuff you talked about. I read about you eating that salad and it reminded me what I did! Just a small positive thing like that make me so happy. I wish you the best! And it CAN get better!!!

Thank you so much for sharing your story! I'm sorry you had to go through this too, but I'm so, SO glad that you're on the road to recovery now. I totally relate to a lot of what you said too. It's so important to have a community and people who you can relate to.

I'm glad my posts can make you happy!! And you're right, it CAN get better <3