#Unnecessary complex fit

[mizumi-kahago-art]

Cringetober Day 3: Unnecessary complex fit

Doing @icryinks Cringetober.

I decided to do Yin, Yang's sister of one of Magical Girl Universes, for that one. I did overcomplicate her design some more.

↓  OG Design under read more:  ↓

[dummy-energy-drink]

OMG I FINALLY FINISHED DAY 3

IT'S NOT THAAAT COMPLEX AND I APOLOGIZE BUT IT TAKES ME A LONG TIME TO EVEN THINK OF AN OUTFIT FOR HER

Oh yeah this is my cutie scene girl oc, her name is Izzie hehe

I'll catch up soon enough, let's hope‼️d=(^o^)=b

[somehow-a-moth-like-rat]

Okay I had no time to actually create something decent but I forced myself to get it done 😵 this is bad and it is so rough I hate this

I need to get better at drawing faster

[bookwyrminspiration]

Me 🤝 You (Writing overly complicated stories for a silly little prompt)

I may not be doing the pride month prompts for keeper (mainly because I forgot how half of the characters act in canon and don’t feel like reading the books again), but I have a 4k word fanfic written for one single prompt. It also has about 20 characters to try and juggle. So, I feel your pain.

Anyway, I hope that you are able to finish the fanfic, either as a fluff fic or as the complex one you are currently writing. I look forward to reading it.

I think over complicating things is a skill I'm expert level in at this point--have you seen what happened to the wings au?? But yes, we are shaking hands rn :)

I hope your fic goes well! For your sake I hope the 20 characters aren't all at once, because I've done that before and...oh man. It is so much to keep track of all at once. But if they are, god speed soldier for the battle ahead.

I'm sure I'll be able to finish my fic, I just have a lot of decisions to make and things to work out in the process. Which I keep going back and forth on. Like if I try and fully follow through on this idea, do I keep it as part of the dialogue prompts, or will it reach a certain point where I want to post it as its own thing? And if I do that, should I then write the quick fluffy fic for the prompts instead? but also there's nothing wrong with having overly complicated prompt fics--but also maybe this idea would work out better if i wasn't trying to tie it into a specific dialogue prompt. but also maybe the challenge makes it interesting. that's kinda what's going on in my brain rn--i just have to make the decisions and then follow through.

but thank you! I hope you enjoy it whenever I get it all sorted and figured out and posted. and I wish you lots of writing luck for your own work <33

[3hks]

How to Write an IMPACTFUL Backstory

Honestly, writing and reading about backstories is probably one of my favorite parts of a character's story! It's a strong foundation for a character's goals, motives, thoughts, and actions! Its most powerful effect, on the other hand, is its ability to change one's view on a character. So, then, how do we write such an impactful past?

For beginners, the more tragic the backstory, the better. While this does hold some truth, let me re-iterate that it's for beginners. The idea behind it is that a pure, devastatingly pitiful backstory is unique and pulls at your reader's heartstrings. Unfortunately, instead, we're left with an origin story that feels superficial, overly-dramatic, unnecessary, and shallow. However in this post, I will give you some tips on how to avoid creating such 2D backgrounds and actually bring your character's past to life!

First, your character's backstory can be made with whatever components you choose, but the key is that you must balance them out correctly. Additionally, the majority of the time, you do want their story to stick out, so I suggest trying to come up with something original! It's much harder than it sounds, but honestly, every other protagonist has dead parents at this point. Be creative, add details, and don't be afraid to let your character go through things if you feel that it's fitting!

Second, don't extend their past for too long. The point of introducing the backstory is to elaborate on a (few) certain event(s) that affected your character the most and forever changed their lives. Keep it centered around one, or at most, a couple events.

Next, most writers tend to use sadness and/or to fuel the character, but it should not be overbearing and excessive. Alternatively, it should feel GENUINE. Not dramatic, but genuine. Different genres do form different types of backstories, yes, but the core concept behind it should be something natural. It should be something that your readers will be able to understand; something authentic. They should feel some sense of relatability, even if it's just a little. This could be like family issues, broken friendships, betrayals, leaving someone, mental struggles, loneliness, etc. Complexity can surround these concepts, but the basic, fundamental ideas should still be present.

Furthermore, be sure that their backstory makes sense. Even if you're introducing it through quick, brief flashbacks, ultimately, you want the reader to have all the pieces to solve the puzzle.

Last but not least, make your backstory feel personal to your character! Build it in a sense that if it were to go to any other character, it wouldn't have an effect that's as severe. Make it targeted to its owner. While this is something that can be difficult to execute, it really provides insight to your character, and is an easy way to add some intricacy to a simple backstory! A good place to start is thinking about the things personal to your character. For instance, this could be their past before the event, people they care about, their morals, etc. Then, add it in said event so that it pushes and/or challenges your character in a way that makes them re-evaluate that value.

There you go! Here are my personal tips on how to upgrade your character's backstory and have it really impact your reader! Be creative, keep it centered around a couple things, make it genuine, and make it targeted to the character!

Happy writing~

3hks <3

[theemporium]

random wee quinn blurb i wrote instead of doing uni work! enjoy!🤠

.

When it came to being a captain, Quinn Hughes fit the role perfectly.

He was committed to the team and to the sport, his hockey IQ was through the roof and he was a beloved member of the team. He wasn’t loud or demanding, he was the kind of guy that would sit back and observe and notice the little things that would help make the team better. He was the kind of guy that led his team to the playoffs, despite the doubts pushed against him for being named captain. 

Quinn Hughes was the kind of guy who could voice exactly what he wanted, what he expected and what he wanted to achieve. On the ice. 

Off the ice? Not so much.

His brothers liked to joke it was emotional constipation and, truthfully, Quinn didn’t think they were far off. It was different on the ice, he felt like he was in his element and he was in control and he knew what to expect. But opening up about his feelings otherwise? It was just more of a struggle.

The boys on the team made constant remarks that it was surprising Quinn even managed to ask you out in the first place. But where he lacked expressing his feelings in words, he showed in other ways. 

Which was how this whole mess started. 

The first gift was waiting for you in the lobby of your apartment complex when you came back from work. The receptionist handed it to you with a smile, waving you off as you carried the box upstairs and ripped it open the second you were through the door. 

It was a hoodie, one you had been eyeing for a while but had been a little too expensive for you to justify buying on a whim. There was a note in the box too, nothing overly romantic or affectionate. Just a sweet ‘you’ll look so pretty in this –Q’ that made you beam nonetheless. 

You had made sure to slip it on before your next call with Quinn, eager to watch his face light up when he noticed you wearing his gift. You just didn't realise it would kickstart a new obsession for the boy to send you gifts on a whim.

The gifts continued to pour in, no matter how much you insisted to Quinn that they were unnecessary. He would wave you off, mutter something about not even getting that much, just purchasing things that reminded him of you. You gave up on the argument every time because Quinn was too sweet and earnest to disagree with otherwise. 

But it was relentless. One package would be clothes, the next would be a nice perfume, and the next would be some jewellery. There were flowers and gift baskets and candles and decorative pillows. Some of them were things you needed or had been meaning to purchase yourself, others were just thoughtful things that Quinn knew you would like but never treat yourself to.

At some point, Quinn had started to send a few to your workplace, just when he knew you had been having a tough week or knew you would need to have it handed to you directly. Which was how your coworkers had caught wind of the situation. 

“When you said you had a boyfriend, I didn’t realise you meant a sugar daddy,” one of them had joked as she stopped by your office, watching the way you were grinning down at the little message that came with the necklace—laughing to yourself over Quinn’s rambles about choosing the perfect necklace for you. 

“What?” You laughed, your brows furrowed in confusion. “He’s not my sugar daddy, he just likes giving gifts.” 

Your coworker raised their brows. “That is quite literally what a sugar daddy is.”

You didn’t even get a chance to respond before they wandered off, leaving you reeling and picking apart that single thought for the rest of the day until you were able to go home. Quinn was already home, having arrived an hour or so before you. This had been one of the longer roadies of the season and the boy was practically beaming by the time you walked through the door. 

“Hey, babe—”

“Are you trying to be a sugar daddy?” 

Quinn paused, his arms falling to his side as he stood in front of you with a discombobulated look on his face. “What?” 

“I just mean–” You paused, your brows furrowing together. “I don’t want you to become a sugar daddy, if that’s what you are worried about. I like you for you…as my boyfriend.” 

“Okay?” Quinn answered, his confusion still clearly written across his face. “I’m sorry, did I miss something? Is there meant to be a punchline or something?” 

“No, it’s just…you’ve been sending a lot of gifts,” you said with a sheepish shrug.

Quinn frowned. “Do you not like them?” 

“No, no, baby, I do,” you quickly corrected, taking a step towards him on instinct. “But I don’t want you to feel like you need to send me them.”

“I know that, I just…” Quinn trailed off, his brows furrowing a little as he tried to string his thoughts together. “I love you. And I don’t say it a lot and sometimes I don’t know how to.”

Your expression softened. “Quinn.”

“I just want to tell you and if I can’t tell you, I show you,” he managed to blurt out, his cheeks tinted pink as he spoke. “I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable or anything. And I don’t want to be your sugar daddy.” He paused for a second. “I don’t think I’m old enough to be one.”

You snorted. “I don’t think there’s an age requirement.” 

Quinn’s lips twitched upwards. “I just like getting you stuff.” 

“I like the stuff you get me too,” you murmured, a little shy as you finally closed the distance between you both. “Although, we need to talk about boundaries because the lingerie to my workplace was stressful. I felt like a criminal trying to sneak that box to my car without anyone noticing.”

“Yeah,” Quinn winced a little, feeling his face heat up more. “There was a mix up with addresses. Sorry about that.” 

“Uh huh,” you grinned, leaning forward so you could press a kiss to his cheek before your lips ghosted over his ear. “I did look really good in it though.”

Quinn swallowed harshly. “Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” you grinned. “Wanna see?” 

You couldn’t even hold back your laugh as Quinn began tugging you towards the bedroom, eager and impatient.

.

[deception-united]

Before you kill a character...

Consider the following.

Does it advance the plot?

Killing off a character should serve a purpose in propelling the story forward. It could introduce a new conflict, escalate existing tensions, or trigger a series of events that drive the plot in a new direction. If the character's death doesn't contribute to the overall narrative arc, it might feel gratuitous or unnecessary.

Does it fulfil their personal goal?

Each character has their own arcs and objectives within the story. If the character's death aligns with or resolves their personal journey or goal, it can add depth and closure to their character arc. Conversely, if their death feels disconnected from their goals or character development, it may come across as arbitrary or unsatisfying.

Does it emphasise the theme?

The death of a character can highlight or support key themes by demonstrating their consequences or illustrating the moral dilemmas faced by the remaining characters. A well-executed death can deepen the audience's understanding of the story's themes and add layers of complexity to the narrative.

Does it motivate other characters?

Character deaths can serve as catalysts for growth or change in other characters. The loss of a loved one or ally can drive characters to reevaluate their beliefs, make difficult decisions, or embark on new paths. The impact of the death on other characters can reveal their strengths, weaknesses, and relationships, adding depth to the story's interpersonal dynamics.

Does it create realism?

The inclusion of death can lend authenticity to the story world. If the character's death feels earned and plausible within the context of the narrative, it can enhance the story's credibility and emotional resonance. However, if the death feels contrived or forced, it may strain the reader's suspension of disbelief.

Is it a fitting recompense?

In some cases, characters may meet their demise as a consequence of their actions or decisions. If the character's death serves as a form of justice or retribution for their deeds, it can feel narratively satisfying and thematically resonant. However, if the death feels arbitrary or disconnected from the character's arc or the story's events, it may feel unsatisfying or even unjustified.

Don't kill off a character for the sake of shocking the reader or invoking sadness; when considering whether to kill off a character in your story, it's crucial to ensure their demise serves a purpose beyond mere shock value or convenience. Ensure each character serves a purpose that enriches and enhances the story to avoid having to eliminate them solely for convenience. Don't use death as a means to remove an extra or irrelevant character—you shouldn't have them in the first place, if they're disposable. Doing so will undermine the depth and integrity of the narrative.

Hope this was helpful! Happy writing ❤

Previous | Next

[knife-moth-mc]

a non-comprehensive but pretty long list of specific things about the baby is you that i think are good or make it good art in some way

The specificity of “what the fuck are you doing on the ground writhing in pain”. I feel like a more normal thing to say would be something like “Are you okay???” It’s very This Gun That I Have In My Right Hand Is Loaded

The layered voices when dave denies being pregnant

The fact that john’s immediate next question after “who’s the father?’ is “who’s the baby?” as if that’s in any way a question that makes sense

Woooooo….. police sirens police sirens…… wooooooo……

John meowing fully unprompted

The extremely Homestuck-specific euphemisms throughout

“I’m not even born yet, that’s not fair!”

Karkat showing up out of absolutely nowhere

Karkat voice “I must be the…. mmmmmidwife.”

Karkat immediately interrupting the unfolding baby situation to sing a little song about his hatecrush on john

Rose’s VA’s ooc lines just kind of thrown in there at what initially seems like random but if you pay attention it makes a certain kind of rhythmic sense

The reveal that rose is pregnant being followed by a betrayed “Rose!” said by both dave and rose

“Suck that bitch’s dick!” “I’m going to—That’s not what I’m doing! That’s the opposite of what I’m doing!”

Hearts. And minds. And souls. And hearts.

The genuinely catchy sung section of the rose rap

The slant rhyme of serengeti with spaghetti

Dave basically turning to the camera to say “incest is bad” before immediately proposing to his sister

The pathos of rose’s confession that she lied about being pregnant, followed by dave’s extremely flat, emotionless reassurance

“Being pregnant might be against the rules of the MSPA forum but shipping us together is not, for some reason”

Bro showing up to provide a new conflict now that all the rose stuff is resolved

The conflict being specifically that he wants to eat babies

“He’s never tried to eat my babies before” implying that there were previous babies

Bro’s forbidden technique being just “words that rhyme with themselves” and then him almost instantly fucking it up

“Actually, a fight sequence was entirely unnecessary, so it was deleted, and what happens is that in the end, it turns out Bro was a robot, I mean… it was just complex, given the fact that this is a normally simple story about, you know, like a thirteen year old boy giving birth to his bre—best friend. It didn’t fit the archetypes, so I’m going to move on to the next song, and you can just… chillax a little bit.”

KC Green (the guy who made This Is Fine and I Guess and a bunch of other well-known images used as memes) being there completely unexplained to lead a sing-along. Like it makes sense historically but in the album itself it just kinda happens

Andrew hussie being directly addressed by name just to really drill in the fact that this is pointed commentary

The very confident implication that babies are a different species entirely

compiled because @420technoblazeit doesn't know how to appreciate this masterpiece

[suzukiblu]

alone, please, whimper

General Kara Zor-El's baby cousin went to a planet named Earth on a diplomatic outreach mission, found out Kryptonians have borderline unmatchable superpowers under the right environmental conditions, and got involuntarily cloned by some narcissistic asshole with a god complex.

Twice.

Also he got married to something called a "reporter" and didn't even invite any of the family to the wedding, the little brat. Uncle Jor and Aunt Lara were beside themselves. Of course Kal decided to wait until his thirties to have his rebellious phase.

And of course now General Kara Zor-El has two "teenage" boys that look exactly like Kal-El on her doorstep, and both of them look very unhappy to be here.

To be fair, if Kara had spent her entire incredibly short and incredibly unsafe life with very impressive superpowers and then gotten dumped on a planet where she didn't have access to most of them anymore, she'd also be less than thrilled. Apparently they're still a little telekinetic, but nowhere near as telekinetic as they'd be under a yellow sun.

The first one is Experiment Thirteen; the second one is Subject Match. Thirteen is a worse brat than Kal ever was and Match is somehow an even worse brat than that, which is quite a feat for a kid who explicitly thinks of himself as a weapon without free will. Thirteen, meanwhile, has too much free will and is determined to make it everyone else's problem.

And Kal, inexplicably, has decided to make them both Kara's problem while he argues with the Council about why they should be granted asylum and citizenship on Krypton. Apparently, the Earthlings who made them are not particularly fit guardians, and when hasn't Kal seen an injustice and thrown himself on it?

Which, speaking of injustices . . .

"Please tell me you two have actual names besides 'Thirteen' and 'Match'," she says with a sigh, eyeing the pair of them and the concerningly small bags they're both carrying. Kal had damn well better have shipped their actual luggage separate, if that's all they've got on them.

"No," Thirteen mutters stiffly, his jaw visibly tightening.

"We have project designations," Match informs her like he's delivering a mission report. "Names are unnecessary."

Kara wonders what superpowers she'd get if she went to this "Earth" to punch a few of the local Thinkers. Just as a mental exercise, that's all.

"Rao's sake," she says. "Kal didn't even give you any?"

Match looks irritated, and Thirteen's jaw goes very, very tight.

Dammit.

[jumexju]

MIRAGE

Fic Type !! : Headcannons

CW !! : None

Note !! : This is my own interpretation & headcannons for L, if youn like em just keep scrolling -_o

✦ MASTERLIST

Personally, I think he's on the aroace spectrum, it just makes sense to me. Its not that he can't experience love or sexual attraction, It just happens very rarely for him, since 1) He's busy [cuz of the whole 'world renowned detective' thing :3 & 2) He strikes me as the type of person to value having deep friendships more than romantic relationships

L is canonically someone who is analytical and logical 99.99% of the time so emotions, i feel, wouldn't come as easy to him as they do to others because of that.

It's not that he doesn't understand them, it's more so that he sometimes doesn't see the reason for them? (not sure how to expand on it) Personally I believe that he sometimes sees emotions as unnecessary or 'in the way'

I also believe him to be autistic. L has a lot of traits (like biting his nail, rubbing his toes, & fidgeting with his lip, which in an autistic person would be called stimming). Also, some fans of the series who are on the spectrum say the same which basically further solidifies this since it comes from actual autistic people themselves (note: I'm not autistic but I've had friends who are so it just makes sense to me)

I said this before in an earlier post but I headcannon L to be a metalhead/goth (def projecting BUT CAN U SEE THE VISIONNN???) Like, almost the whole soundtrack for the Death Note anime is Goth Rock, Death Metal & Visual Kei so it just fits him so well (esp for Misa, but thats for another post ^^)

He would probably listen to Metal bands like Deftones, Loathe, Slayer, Type O Negative, & Kittie

+ VKei bands such as NIGHTMARE (they made the opening & closing songs for Death Note ep1-25 ^^!), DADAROMA, MEJIBRAY, The GazettE, Buck-Tick & gulu-gulu

As for goth bands, I think he'd listen to Joy Division, Pink Turns Blue, Christian Death, & London After Midnight. (Hanté & Mareux too but they're Dark Wave so thats a whole other thing)

L & Misa are in a qpp (in my head) and you can't tell me anything different

Despite not having much interaction between the both of them in the whole manga/anime, I believe the complexity of both characters would compliment each other perfectly. (I am aware they are often shipped together but I personally cannot see them being romantically involved) Their relationship would be past that of basic friendships but not exactly crossing into the romantic relationship category

(I need to draw them together so bad adfasuieprffasdkfj)

I think thats it (unless something else hits me and I write another thing of these c: )

[hairscare]

cringetober day 3: unnecessary complex fit

ive been meaning to draw marcys star outfit but i kept putting it off bc of how detailed it is so its perfect for today

[xemmez]

are you exhausted of trying to find a good systems-focused discord server and ONLY finding discourse pits? are you tired of joining system servers that are either WAY too negative or ONLY positive no negative allowed? do you feel like it’s difficult to find system spaces where you fit in due to your own unique complex relationship being a system? ME TOO‼️ and so do most of the systems i’ve spoken with over the years.

so, i finally cracked and made BRAINLOOP which is a cozy little discord server where all types of systems can discuss their own unique experiences, get advice from others, and post both their possible failures and accomplishments throughout their life. it’s difficult living as a collective of people, so it’s nice to find that support with likeminded individuals.

we have channels for everything you could think of AND also system discussion chats, no unnecessary discourse allowed. your identity is not an arguing point here — so PLEASE no syscourse individuals allowed, i’m begging. let us just talk about systemhood and Exist.

https://discord.com/invite/N9CZa2H7

(tumblr links aren’t working rn so you’ll have to copy and paste the link above)

[jollmaster]

Regarding clothes..this is perhaps a silly question but because of the not-so-covered breasts some female characters had in your rewrite it made me wonder how common is it to wear clothes in Hell? I can imagine Overlords have access to clothing, but what about the average Sinner? How do they cover themselves? Do they even have anything to cover themselves with?

oh, I really like this question 💕 it's interesting!

different trivia: clothing in the Underworld

• in general, clothing in Hell can be a reflection of status: it depends not so much on shape as on type of fabric/the complexity/embroidery and jewelry

• nudity isn't sexualized or considered as something shameful or ridiculous, so no one will say anything if the prince/princess comes out naked and barefoot (clothes emphasize the status, but not give it to anyone)

• for many highborn women bare breasts reflect their honorable position as a matron or mother of many children (it based on the sacredness of fertility cult and the connection of breasts with feeding) + this is beautiful ( ° )( ° )

• younger demons, inferior creatures and imps are often absolutely naked, local climate on many areas allows it

• children aren't clothed at all

• from time to time demons favor certain fashions, imitating the favored style of different historical periods, and it's extremely rare for it to be anything later than the early 18th century

• Rosie admires european style: a lot of first sinners in Cannibal town were europeans from 19th century (british and irish mostly)

• older demons consider her to be excessively innovative

• because of the claws and hooves, a lot of hellborns don't care about shoes and boots

• Charlie isn't shy about nudity, but since she's a noble demoness + interacts closely with people who have some taboos, she has to dress up

• sinners dress as they want and in whatever they want, because over the centuries they have somehow developed local production, and learned to weave, skin animals and barter

• most of all they prefer their mortal life style, which helps to save sanity partly

• the state of clothes indicates how stable the sinner is (degree of wear and tear, dirt, blood, torn, etc.)

• some items become unnecessary or are rearranged to fit the new physiology when changes due to decay occur: for example, Niffty doesn't need to wear underwear, Alastor can't wear hats, Angel Dust restitches sleeves on shirt

• no one here cares if any sinner is naked, — clothes are purely their concern

[ladyofthe-lake]

"Stand Down" — a Suptober24 drabble

Day 14: Fave Episode (Lazarus Rising*)

Summary:

Castiel’s been watching over Dean for nearly 30 years. Now, he finally gets the chance to intervene.

*my first idea for this (Mystery Spot) got too long and convoluted and I gave myself a headache so have some thoughtful Castiel I guess

Ever since the human year 1979, Castiel’s job has been to watch over one human: Dean Winchester.

When he asked why, he was given an answer similar to what he’s heard once before, at the beginning of humanity: “We have plans for that one.”

Castiel is used to this; he’s not given the higher details of the plan, but he follows his direct orders and this is acceptable. The Heavenly plan is more complex than Castiel could grasp; more important than he himself is.

He’s told that one day, he will have an important task when it comes to the Winchester. For a long time, though, his orders are not specific enough to include details. Castiel interprets “watch over,” then, in a literal sense: he does nothing, never interferes. He simply watches and waits for further orders to come.

The life of a human is strange. It’s very small; to Castiel, it could fit on the head of a pin. And yet the gravity with which they treat everything — they are completely unaware of their position within the cosmos and all of time.

Castiel watches and does not interfere when the demon Azazel drips blood into the younger Winchester’s mouth. He mentions it to another, a fellow angel in the garrison, but is told that since it isn’t his charge, it isn’t Dean, there’s no need to worry nor, even, to pay much attention.

But it’s hard not to watch the things and people around Dean. His father and brother are the axis around which Dean’s life tilts; though Castiel is afraid for him and his proximity to the tainted child, his father doesn’t seem to notice that anything is strange. Castiel can see it clearly, but humans are not such keen observers.

Castiel watches and does not interfere as Dean’s life bounces between motels across the country; as he brushes with death again and again; as he makes his first sawed-off as a young teenager; as killing monsters becomes second nature; to Castiel, this is all new. A learning experience, to be able to find out about human life through careful observation of one human in particular. He watches Dean as he would a fly trapped in a glass. He is interested, but he does not lift the glass. He doesn’t think to.

It’s been 28 years of this — a small blip in time — when Castiel is given further information. This happens only moments before Dean signs the demon deal to bring his brother back to life in exchange for his own soul; a moment that Castiel watches with apprehension, confusion. The Winchesters seem to enjoy playing with the rules of life and death, but this seems egregious, not to mention unnecessary. Castiel is not sure why Dean is so intent on saving his demon blood brother, who’s already caused him so much grief.

This is when he is told: the Heavenly plan requires Dean to make this deal. Dean Winchester must be sent to Hell.

Castiel is confused by this, wonders if this doesn’t put the angelic plan in league with the demonic plan, but he doesn’t ask for further information, knowing that to ask would be fruitless. God knows more than he could ever hope to. He must follow orders.

The order, in this moment of Dean’s deal, is simple: stand down. Allow it to happen. Castiel hadn’t realized that, watching from Heaven, his form had been rippling with something akin to human anxiety; that he’d been tightening his wings, preparing to fly down, to stop him.

But when he’s told to stand down, he does.

He stands down while Dean trails across the country with a ticking clock above his head, while Lilith’s rage strikes, while Sam and the demon consort right behind Dean’s back. He stands down when, on that final night, the hounds come for him. His human. Castiel’s wings flutter again and he feels it as a breeze against his back, but he stands down. He watches as Dean’s body is torn to shreds and his soul is dragged into the pit.

He watches Dean in Hell. Alistair’s instruments shine and gleam; they become bloodied and they are cleaned; again and again it happens. Castiel understands what the humans mean when they say they feel fear, concern, sadness. He watches Dean’s soul as it’s broken; slowly and with great intent.

He wonders how this could be the plan; how could this be angelic, how could this be of Heaven?

And then he watches as Dean picks up the instruments himself. The knife is his favorite. Castiel watches as he uses it against all the poor souls that come across his and Alistair’s rack, their chamber in the midst of Hell. The training from John Winchester comes in handy; Dean transforms into something monstrous himself, and Castiel hardly recognizes the Dean that he’s watched all these years as he carves himself into a new form.

Finally, Castiel’s next orders come, and he is relieved. The orders are simple and clear: save Dean Winchester.

This, he can do. Finally.

His wings gather and he takes flight. He brings the garrison to himself and forms a battalion; a group of angels whom he will lead into Hell himself.

This moment has been crouched inside his angelic form, waiting, for a long time; as Dean’s victims cry out in the pit, Castiel’s Heavenly forces cry out in anger, the attack driven past the Earthly realm and into Hell, Castiel leading the way, slashing and eviscerating every demon and crawling thing in his way.

He destroys everything he sees, on his way to Dean. The angels around him fall one by one, and then en masse. Castiel is protected by his righteous certainty, by his anger at the plan that has led to this, by his desperation to save Dean Winchester.

And when he finally reaches him, he puts a hand on his shoulder, grips him tight, and raises him up.

[darcytaylor]

Confirmation bias & idealizing or demonizing people we do not know.

When people are fixed on a particular narrative, they often fall into confirmation bias, and will only seek out information that supports their pre-existing beliefs and ignore anything that might challenge it.

This happens for both fans and haters. When people are invested in either idealizing or demonizing someone, they can become so focused on their viewpoint that any information is either dismissed or reinterpreted to suit their own narrative. Both groups can end up being narrow-minded, cherry-picking moments or actions to scream their stance and disregarding any complexity or growth that doesn’t align with their perspective.

This can create a skewed view that lacks depth and doesn’t capture the full complexity of a situation or a person. I then see people getting trapped in a loop of reinforcing only what they already believe, boxing themselves into limited perspectives.

This pattern is intense in fandoms, and the media. People filter the actions and statements of others through their preferred story, and can sometimes disregard nuances that don’t fit. This has a big impact on empathy, understanding, and fairness because it minimizes the full range of possibilities. Opening up to the whole picture takes effort, but it keeps perspectives flexible and more grounded in reality, which is so valuable for building a genuine understanding of others. A genuine understanding and realization that we don't know these celebrities.

Confirmation bias a mindset that limits understanding and stops people from seeing the full humanity of those they’re invested in or those they are critical of. And it can create an environment where people are less open to considering new information or different interpretations. The extreme focus, regardless of stance, can lead to polarization and, unnecessary drama. Encouraging a more open, balanced perspective can help move away from the intense, often wild ways people engage in these spaces/fandoms.

It is wild how much this can impact empathy - when people are unwilling to consider the whole picture, they risk dehumanizing others, reducing them to caricatures that serve a preferred storyline. We need to understand that in most situations nobody can fully understand a person from the outside looking in. We don't know these people, we have no clue what is actually happening.

[graceshouldwrite]

4 Ways to Get Back Into Your WIP

You know when you might have taken a long break, worked on other projects, talked to other people about it, and basically did EVERYTHING to get yourself back into it, but it’s not working?

Even though you still want to LIKE your WIP and work on it? 

These tips are based on my own experience dealing with that feeling. I went through something like that for around a year, but now, I’m getting past it and returning to my main WIP more excited than I’ve been for a long time! 

1. List out WHAT you don’t like and fix it

COMMON CORE ISSUES:

Plot + Subplots? 

They might seem too (among other things):

lackluster

complex

unnecessary

confusing

You might not know how to:

develop the plots

make them believable

add the scenes you want without giving the book 800+ pages

choose scenes to cut to fit the word count goal...

Characters?

A BIG ONE: some writers try to force themselves to like X character for whatever reason (e.g. based them on a specific aesthetic, felt forced to add specific rep, etc), but they just DON’T. 

Or, maybe:

you don’t know how to develop your characters

their group dynamic is too difficult to write/doesn’t make a lot of sense

your character voices, personalities, or appearances might not be distinct enough

Prose?

You might:

want to add more humour (prose is too depressing and atmospherically dark)

want to add more gravity (prose is too comedic and romantic)

want to shift from past to present tense, want to tell story from another POV, etc. 

Organization?

OFTEN, the book’s just TOO COMPLEX with all the characters, subplots, etc. and it’s too intimidating to try to sort out all the mess that’s your WIP 

SO…

The lists I gave you are most of the big, common issues. Once they’re sorted into SPECIFIC types of problems, don’t they get less intimidating to look at? 

I know you might think, gee, Grace, these problems will take [insert comically large time frame] to solve. 

Well, if you genuinely want to like your project again and work on it, DO IT.

Slowing down your WIP finish date is worth it if it helps you get back into it. If you never get back into the project, you’ll NEVER FINISH IT. Late > never.

Heck, you might not even be too late—you might find yourself back in the passionate fever you were when you started it, and be in the headspace to write furiously :) 

I think you know how to solve these broken-down problems. Some require more sheer line-editing, while others require big executive decisions (e.g. getting rid of a character or rewriting an entire subplot/the plot). But, it will be worth it when you start to love your project again.

2. Remember why you started it 

Before each project, write a STATEMENT OF PURPOSE at the beginning of your doc to remind you why you’re writing this story in the first place. If you didn’t do this, it’s not too late to start one now! 

It could be something as close to heart as “I want to express how unrequited love feels,” or something as grand as like “I want to write a tragic allegory of the political and economic state of the world that explores human nature” (I am projecting in both of these examples, but you get it). 

Something SPECIFIC is a lot better for this than things like: “I told X this story idea and they liked it,” or “I promised to write this for X,” or “I want to tell this story just cuz.” These latter examples probably won’t fill you with passion. 

3. Listen BEYOND your WIP playlists. Look at images BEYOND your WIP aesthetics 

Many people think revisiting your old playlists / boards help, but that often contributes to the staleness!!!! 

Instead, by purposefully expanding your scope of consumed media, you open yourself up to more inspiration and ideas of where you want to take your project.  New images and new songs will give you new ideas on atmosphere, mood, scenes, and so much more. 

4. Compare your WIP to a similar book you like

You know THAT BOOK that comes to mind whenever someone asks you which book is your favourite/impacted you deeply? Think of how your book will impact readers in the same way. All the emotional turmoil and mental enlightenment That Book gave you is what YOU will give to the readers who resonate with YOUR book one day!

The author of the book you’re thinking about went through drafts, edits, and maybe even wanted to give up at some point, (LIKE YOU!) but pushed through it. Now, their book is on the bestseller list/on a bookshelf/a classic (whatever appeals to you)!  Don’t stop before YOUR book is there, too. 

∘₊✧────── ☾☼☽ ──────✧₊∘

instagram: @ grace_should_write

A LOT of this comes from personal experience; I had this mental tussle with my main WIP a while back, so I hope this helps anyone else dealing with the same problem :)

Hope this was helpful, and let me know if you have any questions by commenting, re-blogging, or DMing me on IG. Any and all engagement is appreciated <3333

Happy writing, and have a great day!

- grace <3