#all of this talk of active choice vs passively doing nothing is reminding me of the trolley problem

[stealerofthe2ndbraincell]

I think the funniest thing to me about The Understudy is why the misdirection involved (to me at least) works so well.

It makes such a show of the story it's "retelling" that you really don't notice how different it is until the very end.

(this is a long, tired ramble btw. Underrated episode <3)

A major aspect of Macbeth is how, despite the obvious involvement and influence of the Witches and Lady Macbeth, he is ultimately the one who makes the decision to kill Duncan and continue to act and kill afterwards. He made the active choice to murder.

The Understudy originally presents itself as a "retelling" (?) of the Shakespearean Macbeth story through through a theatre group performing that very play. Jim, as the understudy to Tony's Macbeth, is meant to embody the Macbeth to Tony's King Duncan. Jim even appears to have similar visions/hallucinations throughout (I don't know what to really call those). His fiancée and fellow understudy Laura takes the role of Lady Macbeth (both literally and figuratively).

However, our Jim, unlike Macbeth, never makes that act. He remains pretty passive throughout the whole story.

Everything by the end of Act II seems to suggest that things are going to play out the way of Macbeth. Laura and Jim's situation is established, (their financial position, the upcoming wedding and their desire to take that main lead) and the seed of violence has been planted by Laura, similar to Lady Macbeth herself.

Even Act III seems to follow that narrative, with the "King Duncan" character of Tony (ironically playing Macbeth) being taken down from his role of authority - with Tony having his juice spiked with vodka and unable to perform.

Laura offers Jim the dagger, now being seen as bloody by Jim....

....And he doesn't take it. He doesn't do anything and eventually Tony takes it back

Jim soon gets another opportunity to take the lead and make Tony rest, as encouraged by Laura. Once again, Jim panics, refuses to act, which lets Tony go back on stage (although that does lead to Tony's ultimate downfall).

This rejection of the spotlight, despite wanting it, is an active diversion from the original Macbeth story. Although his lack of action does mean Tony is put out of commission, he never actually makes the conscious decision to harm him unlike Macbeth.

This consistent passivity of his also keeps that point of conflict between him and Laura's own ambition, which includes possibly my favourite interaction in the episode.

"I'm there if they want me"

"What!? Stuck in the corner of the room, like a television on standby?"

"Yes."

Jim is essentially the anti-Macbeth. Whereas Macbeth seems to want more than what he already has, Jim is not only seen as much lower in that social area than Macbeth ever was, but he is content that way. He wants the lead role Tony has, but also has zero want to push for it, especially not as much as Laura would want from him.

Then the scene cuts and Tony, too injured to perform, is replaced by Jim. His understudy gets the lead. Macbeth takes the crown from Duncan. And he never did anything to get it.

The closest Jim ever does to making an active choice is rejecting dinner with Laura (admittedly in a pretty prick-ish way but still), before thanking her for getting him the role in the first place implying he thought she caused Tony's accident, which is an opinion he openly states near the end.

In his version of the story, Lady Macbeth is the one that killed Duncan. Or at least that's what Jim believes.

Up to the final act, whilst there have been these cracks here and there, the episode still seemingly follows the Macbeth narrative structure.

Then Kirstie gets involved at the very end and any pretense is dropped entirely.

(side note: this whole final scene is such an underrated unnerving bit. Rosie Cavaliero is insanely good)

Arguably, although the notion of it being a direct Macbeth retelling is destroyed by now, Jim learning about Laura's suicide seems to parallel the scene where Macbeth is informed of his wife's suicide also (even though Laura and Jim were no longer together, which may parallel the emotional distance between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth at that point in the play). However, once again, our Macbeth doesn't act. Kirstie says her piece, reveals she stole Laura's ring, kisses him, leaves and all Jim really does is go back on stage.

I should note that, although this scene is Kirstie casually confessing to her involvement throughout the timeline of this episode, she isn't a fully reliable source of information.

A way this can be seen is through how she seems to speak for both Laura after her death and for Jim.

"Looking after Tony is the price I pay for what I did. Just as Laura's death is the price you pay".

"That was nothing to do with me"

"I know it wasn't. Your career had to come first. You told her that"

Jim never did that. That whole previous scene was pretty douche-y of him but by the end he clearly shows the appreciation for what he thought Laura did for him - getting him this role.

Whilst we can't be sure that Kirstie is referring to the scene just beforehand (as they seem to have broken up between scenes), judging by the content of that scene and the lack of immediate animosity from Jim in regards to Laura throughout that scene and how unaware he was of her fate, I doubt what Kirstie says is true.

Kirstie not only assumes Laura's motivations and speaks for her but she places the responsibility on him for his inaction on the same level as own active choice to harm Tony.

Essentially, Jim's lack of action being unlike the point of Macbeth as an underrated bit of foreshadowing for how The Understudy diverts from and completely flips the Macbeth play on it's head, but the obvious parallels in character and story beat act as a good misdirection from this.

(One question I do have is what is up Jim? His visions, which only occur when he seems to picture himself in the role of Macbeth, don't amount to a conclusion besides that misdirection and expanding on his own anxieties about taking up the lead role. But, in the context of the episode itself, what was up with that?)

[galadrieljones]

The Walking Dead: Episode 4.12, “Still” Rewatch

So I rewatched “Still” in honor of the Stilliversary tonight. My thoughts are not related much to Team Delusional stuff, more so just thoughts and idle analysis, but I had fun and definitely did not cry.

Here we go!

Beth is already feeling it, right away, after the trunk scene, ie: what he must think of her. She’s just another “dead girl” who needs to be protected. It is both insulting and embarrassing at the same time.

Daryl misses that squirrel and breaks an arrow! Dammit, Daryl. This is just another trial, but it’s interesting in how we see Daryl in like rote provider mode, and yet he makes a mistake.

The suck-ass camp begins with some Garden of Eden imagery: While Daryl skins and cooks the snake, Beth is admiring the beauty of a ladybug crawling on a leaf. The music is actually full of wonder. Beth sees the beauty in the natural world while Daryl sees it only for what he can use. It is an essential masculine vs. feminine moment, in terms of their individual themes, and what propels them and their actions. Their masculine and feminine energies will be subverted later though, and well-complicated, because the writing is good.

Beth brings up Hershel’s death early: “He’s not exactly around anymore so...” She wants to have a drink, maybe to rebel against her father, maybe to honor his memory, maybe to seal her own fate. It is a complicated choice for Beth. It’s not just some “dumb college bitch” moment. She knows this, but how is she supposed to communicate it to Daryl?

Daryl is like an animal eating that snake while Beth tries to talk to him. Literally, out of body. I imagine being her and just like, Ugh. Gross, dude. Then, when she leaves, Beth totally expects him to come after her. When she doesn’t see him right away, she mutters, “Jerk.” She called him a jerk in season 3, too, after he takes off with Merle. I think Beth is used to being treated nicely by boys. Ofc, Daryl, while he may not be an overt gentleman in his scarfing of that disgusting snake, was there watching her the whole time. 

“You wanna spend the rest of our lives staring into a fire and eating mud snakes? Screw that. We might as well do something.”

I sort of missed this before, the mention of “the rest of our lives.” It is a small acknowledgement that they are now “stuck together.” Ofc, Beth’s idea is to “make the most of it,” to go out into and DO something! Embrace the future! Daryl sees only the here, the now, and the past. He would prefer to stay still.

Unrelated but: God, Daryl is peak hot in this episode. 

Anyway, so, the state of Pine Vista, and what happened there. Jfc. It’s very ugly and very sad. The Dogtrot seems a reference to a dogtrot house, which is an old Appalachian style home. Basically like two shacks connected via a breezeway. I see some sort of backcountry types having moved in here and tortured the rich folk. There is evidence that “fun” was had. “Rich bitch,” etc. Maybe it’s the same psychopaths who tormented the OG Terminus crew, ultimately turning them into crazy cannibals.

Beth finds the Washington D.C. spoon. Why?? It’s such an odd, pointed shot, with a slow zoom. Is that where we’ll find her? Does anybody else know anything about this?? Anyway maybe this is a TD post lol.

Beth finds that bottle of wine and it’s a shame she has to break it! I remember feeling so bad about that the first time I watched this episode. Like NO BETH YOUR BOOZE!! She uses it to stab the shit out of that walker though, and to defend herself. She’s kind of pissed at Daryl for not helping her, again used to only the kindest of attention from boys. But Daryl isn’t like other boys (lol). He was there the whole time, once again, but he let it play out, because he knew she could do it. I like that her first (almost) drink here sort of has to become a weapon instead. Nothing is ever easy! And sometimes, the environment IS best observed, not in terms of its beauty or promise, but in terms of how its use can best be served to survive.

Tempus Fugit - Time flies! Oh, yes. Yes it does lol.

Daryl and Beth both need to escape their old selves here. Beth with her pretty cloths and Daryl stealing the cash and the jewels. They need to shake that shit off. Burn it all down, if you will. I think this episode we mostly associate with Daryl changing and having his epiphany, but Beth changes, too. She is just quieter at it.

It is 3 o’clock! The grandfather clock is this interesting motif that puts pressure on the situation literally while also bringing the symbolic pressure of time passing, running out, etc. It makes us feel detached from reality, like this is a purgatory episode. I like when The Walking Dead does this, like when they take us to a new place in which we become critically aware that this thing we’re watching is fiction, and by the rules of fiction, anything (ANYTHING) can happen.

“I know you think this is stupid, and it probably is, but I don’t care.” She just is who she is. She doesn’t give a shit what he thinks. I think that attracts Daryl to her in this moment and emboldens him. I think Daryl actually really cares what other people think of him, that he is keenly self-aware in this way. We see this fear manifest as Merle in Chupacabra, ie: that the rest of the group thinks he’s a “freak,” a piece of “redneck trash,” and that they’re all “laughing behind [his] back.” Meanwhile, Beth is just like, “You probably think I’m just some dumb bitch. But guess what, Daryl? I DON’T CARE.”

Beth sitting at that bar trying to clean out glasses: “Who needs a glass?” She clutches the bottle longingly and then cries. I would argue she is thinking of Hershel and the line of questioning that arises in this moment. Should she do this? Is she betraying him? This moment also contradicts what she tells Daryl in 4.1. “I don’t cry anymore Daryl.” This is the moment that breaks him.

Beth keeps trying to make him feel normal, while they’re walking to the shine shack. She thinks he used to be a motorcycle mechanic. But Daryl’s normal is not hers, and he doesn’t really do small talk. In these little moments, we see him being who he is. Daryl is really good at being who he is when who he is revolves around passivity and silence.

They go from country club to moonshine shack. What we see is how a class divide might differ in longevity. A country club full of walkers, made out of humans who turned against each other, every bottle dry in the house vs. an empty shine shack, no death in sight, absolutely full of booze. When societal protections collapse around us, it is the ruthless and the bereft who will know how best to survive. It’s like Beth sad about Daryl, being “made for this world.” 

They are trapped! Tropes. So many romantic tropes! Lol at people who would like to ignore that any of this happened or that Bethyl was never canon.

This: 

Anyway, I think Daryl is actually pretty mean to Beth toward the end here, out on the porch, like the way he treats her, kind of tugs her around physically. He doesn’t hurt her, but he is not gentle. This puts things into harsh perspective for Beth, as I do think that, while he is not right in how he handles her here, he is right in some ways about who she is. She is not naive but she is used to protection and safety and relying on others, the same way he is used to the opposite of those things. Both of them need to learn how to exist from the other side. 

Beth also sees what’s going on, however. I think she also might be used to this sort of quasi-violent, performative, drunken behavior. Her dad was a drunk. I think it’s interesting that so much of this episode hinges on alcohol in Hershel’s wake. I always thought this might be one reason Beth is drawn to and accepting of Daryl. We only really see Hershel while sober (I mean, mostly). We never saw him in his deep element of alcoholism, but Beth did. She is not innocent to vices or men spinning out of control. It’s why Beth responds to Daryl’s whole insane story about the tweaker and Merle with, “You miss him, don’t you?” She doesn’t care that Merle was a degenerate drug addict. He was Daryl’s brother who died. She has loved and lost an addict, too.

Before, Daryl was just “drifting.” In this episode, Beth gives him a quest. I think that’s very important. She also gives him something to look forward to:

“You got away from it.”

“I didn’t.”

“You did.”

“Maybe you gotta keep on reminding me of it sometimes.”

The hint at their future: “You gotta keep on reminding me,” he says, counting on them staying together. Beth is so kind to him here, too, even doting as she talks about him being the “last man standing.” I can’t imagine a girl has ever treated Daryl like this. I think she scares the living shit out of him.

Daryl suggests they go back into the shine shack, but Beth says they should burn the place down instead. Again, stillness vs. action. See their complimentary traits: Daryl is passive. He needs someone to tell him this is okay. Beth is active. She does what she wants. It is uniquely antithetical to their gender roles and subverts the power dynamic we might otherwise expect from a relationship like this: Daryl is older and a man. Ofc he should be the more aggressive, assertive one. The actor. But he’s not. It’s Beth who makes their choices in this episode. Daryl follows her and protects her along the way. 

The ending is so happy. Oh my god. Anyway.

Thank you for humoring me. Happy Stilliversary!! 😭🥺❤️

[mbti-notes]

I'm an isfj. I know someone with serious mental illness and I don't feel very compassionate when I hear about his life. I feel pity, I feel very helpless/powerless and angry, I feel guilty, or I feel uncomfortable and want to turn away coz it's scary that people's lives can go really badly. I feel really selfish being like that and I don't want to be this kind of person. How can I nurture more compassion?

Assuming typical brain development, you are born with the capacity to empathize. Empathy is an important part of human genetic history because we needed it for survival, specifically for successful cooperation. To work together well, we must understand each other well, we must support each other’s efforts well, and we must help each other contribute well. As with any raw, inborn capability, it’s up to you to develop it to its higher potential through the choices that you make. Your choices have decreased your ability to empathize. There are two common obstacles to overcome in the process of empathy development:

1) Egocentrism: People at low levels of ego development aren’t able to empathize because they aren’t able to recognize other people as subjects. Do you understand the difference between a subject and an object? Many people only know the difference in theory but can’t apply it. In English grammar, a subject is the “active” part of the sentence, e.g., the person who is doing something. By contrast, the object is the “passive” part of the sentence, e.g., the person who is having something done to them. This basic grammatical structure belies the framework that the mind uses to understand relationships in the world.

Everybody has their own experience, which means that your understanding of reality begins from your own personal vantage point - you see yourself as a subject, experiencing and doing things in the world. Your vantage point includes things like your self-concept, thoughts, feelings, ideas, beliefs, values, judgments, schemas, triggers, past experiences, etc. When you look out into the world through your vantage point, you don’t see the world as it is, rather, you merely see the world as it gets interpreted through the content of your vantage point. A simple example: When you look at a painting, what happens? All you see is a canvas with some colored paint smeared all over it? If that’s all you see, then you’re either not human or you don’t have a personality. No, for instance, as ISFJ, you see the colors and whether you like them, you see the image and how it makes you feel, you see the style and how it compares to the aesthetic styles that you’re already familiar with, and so on. 

The same principle holds true when you deal with people. You, the subject, acts upon the other person, the object, with the contents of your vantage point. You don’t see people as they really are but only as you want/expect/hope them to be - it’s all about you. For example: You think about how they make YOU feel, when in fact, they’re not purposely doing anything to make you feel anything. You think about who they remind YOU of, when in fact, they bear no relation to the people you’ve known before. You think about whether YOU are better/worse than them, when in fact, they are simply a person with strengths and weaknesses just like you. And so on.

There’s nothing wrong with having your own vantage point, as we all have every right to our own existence. However, the problem arises when you never learn or never acknowledge that there’s more to the world than your own vantage point, which means that you are, in essence, completely confined by it psychologically. In short, your vantage point gets in your way instead of aiding you. Egocentrism makes it difficult to empathize because you don’t really see people, rather, you only ever see aspects of yourself as you constantly project the contents of your vantage point onto them. This creates ego drama, as you are more concerned with your experience and how you’re reacting than what’s actually going on with the other person. When you’re not grasping the truth of someone, how can you know the most appropriate way to relate to them, comfort them, help them, or guide them, especially when their experience is very different from yours? You’ll be grasping at straws.

Therefore, empathy requires the ability to transcend egocentrism, essentially, to stop approaching the world as though your own experience is all there is (oblivious) or all that matters (narcissist). To have meta-awareness of your egocentrism and understand how it holds you back (in limiting your perception and distorting your judgment) is to create the space to choose differently, i.e., to refuse to be a slave to ego drama. When you finally wake up fully to the fact that you aren’t the center of the world but rather only one equal part of a greater whole, you will possess the humility that is necessary for empathy. Humility refers to the ability to put yourself into the right perspective. A genuinely humble person knows their rightful place because they are no longer a slave to the ego dramas that create craving for strength and superiority and/or fear of weakness and inferiority. Humility allows you to stop treating people like objects and respect them as subjects in their own right. In other words, their experience is just as important to them as yours is to you, and you are both fully equal in that respect, so you know to honor their existence, as you honor your own. This is the basis of the classic golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

What does humility look like in real-life relationships? It looks like LISTENING. To be a good listener is to listen without all the biases, prejudices, and judgments of your ego dramas. Reasonable and sound judgment comes only AFTER you have collected all the facts, which requires listening - only then should you be trying to apply what you know to their experience. But you won’t be capable of listening well if your ego drama is always twisting the facts or if your ego drama always gets triggered every time you interact with someone. To truly hear someone is no small feat. Not everyone who talks about their struggles wants “help”. A lot of human problems arise from never feeling truly seen and heard. Therefore, to be a great friend is, first and foremost, to have the ability to see and hear someone and receive their experience without judgment. Once you are capable of listening empathetically, compassionate action naturally follows.

2) Poor Emotional Intelligence: I have already written about this, so you should read the articles provided. It’s obvious from your description that you have poor emotional intelligence. The development of emotional intelligence is correlated with the development of the F function, so you struggle with using Fe properly. Being confronted by your friend’s struggle with mental illness, your emotions get triggered, your ego dramas start playing out, and in the end, you are stuck in your own head trying to make sense of what’s happening. Your attention isn’t on your friend, is it? You’re not really listening.

It’s common for people who struggle with empathy to frame the problem as “me versus them” - either I protect my own experience or I surrender to theirs. This defensive attitude is rooted in egocentrism. There’s “me”, there’s “them”, and there’s “us”. When you are egocentric, all that really matters to you is "me”, and "they” are only important insofar as they impact you. In “me vs them” mentality, you don’t want to feel any negative disruptions from the outside world, so you close yourself off to emotional influence (a common symptom of Ti loop). By being defensive, you are directly hampering Fe development. Without healthy Fe, establishing a sense of “us” in a relationship is impossible, because the wall of defensive fear never allows anyone to actually reach you. But what about the other side of F dysfunction, such as the people pleasers of the world? They are also egocentric in that they only care about their craving for acceptance and affirmation - it is still ego drama all the same. People pleasers give the illusion of not caring about “me” to get what they want from “them”, but it is actually all about ME and getting them to like ME, not about “us”.

When you have poor emotional intelligence, you aren’t able to accept and resolve your own feelings and emotions, which results in them becoming self-inflicted obstacles - they get in the way of good judgment. Having good emotional intelligence means knowing how to put feelings and emotions into the right perspective, such that they inform you to make BETTER decisions. Resistance to your own emotional life means damaging your decision-making ability as well as resisting all the negative things out in the world. When you encounter negativity in someone else, it reflects back to you your own negativity, and thus begins your ego drama of fighting and trying to bury the negativity in yourself. You are at least aware enough to honestly describe what you feel when you encounter someone that triggers you, but you don’t have the ability to resolve those negative feelings.

One of the main problems of poor emotional intelligence is not being able to tell the difference between thoughts and feelings. Feelings are simple, all you have to do is say, “I feel sad” or “I feel guilty”. That’s it. That’s a feeling. Once you start to say more, once you start to talk about the feeling, then you’re having thoughts. Feelings need not become anything more than what they are, and they come and go like the wind. But thoughts are complicated because they are about analyzing, evaluating, believing, speculating, etc. Thoughts stick to you in the form of ideas and beliefs, and they impair your judgment when you’re not addressing the underlying negativity that creates them. People often try to think their feelings away (i.e. rationalization), which doesn’t resolve anything and even spins you out of control.

You say that you feel guilty when hearing about his suffering. If you feel guilty, then feel guilty. Do you believe that there’s something wrong with feeling guilty? Is it not normal to feel bad for having more than someone when you’re an empathetic person who hopes that everyone can find their happiness? You say that hearing your friend makes you feel uncomfortable because you’re scared of confronting negativity. If you feel scared, then feel scared. Do you believe that there’s something wrong with feeling scared? Is it not normal to feel scared when imagining negative things that could threaten your survival? Why do you view feelings as abnormal or as something to be banished out of yourself? It’s a form of self-loathing.

From these two examples, do you understand that it is your own inability to accept yourself and your feelings that is the root of the problem? As SJ, it is typical to be more concerned with being “proper” than being real, so you consistently deny the truth about yourself because you don’t want to see the many ways that you are “improper”. Resisting your negative feelings and the truth that they reveal about your impropriety only feeds the negativity as you start judging yourself harshly, calling yourself “selfish”, thus your negativity escalates into ego drama and throws you for a loop. By contrast, if you were to simply allow your feelings to inform you about the truth of what’s happening with you and accept that truth gracefully, there would be no need for negative feelings to turn into a big ego drama. 

In the history of psychology, the humanist psychologist Carl Rogers was perhaps best known for his ability to empathize very deeply. He said: “If I let myself really understand another person, I might be changed by that understanding. And we all fear change. So as I say, it is not an easy thing to permit oneself to understand an individual.” 

If you fear change, if you fear your heart being disrupted, if you fear confronting what is strange and unknown to you, if you are easily threatened by difference or negativity, if you fear feeling the heavy moral responsibility of helping someone in need, then you will fear the act of empathizing with people, because they may, at any moment, say/do something that turns your world upside-down. It is that fear which keeps you closed off and stuck within yourself, refusing to empathize when you clearly have the ability to empathize. It’s up to you to acknowledge the fear, accept it, and let it go. Until you make that conscious choice, you are merely stuck on your side of the wall, never able to truly see past it. Only by letting someone into your world, being emotionally strong enough to feel touched without feeling undone, can you establish a connection with them. Once you’re connected to someone emotionally, compassion comes easily (and that is the basis of having a healthy F function). 

[bledmagic]

**the following is no way indicative of direct rp interactions & is solely referring to the personal canon to idrylla. if your muse wants to refer to the closeness of one of the companions listed here by all means, unless you are holding another rper muse in mind as that connection is different & not based upon these by the interactions idrylla & that muse has had. however if you would like to base interactions on these descriptions with your muse def lemme kno & we can plot on this further !

idrylla is not the only focus of the story, they are one of many that line the cast of our main tale & the interactions between idrylla & these characters drive the story forward or back. as the game still rests within the area of early access & there are hints from datamining of future companions this list is not complete nor is it going to contain anything proper beyond act 1 in terms of connections. with the previous statement said, here is each of our companions & the relationships held with idrylla as per the canon to their character & me. **i will note if i have romanced a npc like this, as the game is in early access n just like in who’s line is it anyway the choices n points dont matter there is no canon romance for idrylla at this moment in time. 

LAE’ZEL: idrylla has very few memories of the nautilus. their capture, their containment, & the escape itself is somewhat of a blurry mess. what they do remember is lae’zel. they remember her face, her struggling, her escaping that pod. they saw the moment the mind flayer infected lae’zel & the fear held within the githyanki’s features. all of this is unspoken between the two, but for idrylla it’s spurned a lot of emotions that have boiled down to pushing idrylla to get close to lae’zel & be quite defensive of her with strangers( shadowheart can make a few insults as a treat, lae’zel in return can make some serious threats in return as a treat ). it is with the first weeks of travel idrylla can be found hanging out along side lae’zel like a safety net, finding the familiarity of their escape as a bridge to base a friendship upon. despite that link that idrylla has tied between them they find lae’zel absolutely delightful in every way possible & considers lae’zel probably the closest friend idrylla has had in years, the honesty lae’zel shows in the most blunt way a refreshing change from the passive aggressiveness of the wizards guild peers. beyond all this, lae’zel is also the first githyanki has ever known & has prodded the poor warrior with a multitude of questions to absorb the info like a weird elf sponge, even going out of their way to learn on their own & ask lae’zel about later on. idrylla holds lae’zel’s opinon in high regard & often will ask her or look to her for her advice & even if not followed takes it in consideration. anyways they are best friends. ( lae’zel: we are not ‘friends’ / idrylla: you’re right. we are best friends, pal. / lae’zel: tch. ) **lae’zel has been romanced 

SHADOWHEART: while idrylla did try to save shadowheart from her pod, idrylla also has particularly failed at every turn to get shadowheart to even attempt to trust them. traditionally anyway. since the common ground of the parasite & needing to team up & trust each other has failed to get shadowheart to loosen up, idrylla has taken the approach to just be a utter nuisance to shadowheart. often chiding the other with jokes or teases, stirring up trouble between shadowheart & lae’zel, forcing shadowheart to go talk to people at parties( notable example is when idryl forced shadowheart to dance with them at the big fun tiefling celebration party in which shadowheart was so emabrassed she probs would have died on the spot if she wasnt actually having fun the whole time ), etc etc. shadowheart stresses idrylla out, so tightly wounded & clearly bothered by something that is clearly at times more dire than the worm in their brain. it activates idrylla’s older sibling mode near instantly as often the fussing of the other reminds idrylla very warmly of their younger siblings, one being very similar to the uptight cleric. when shadowheart does breakdown some of those walls & reveals her religious beliefs idrylla presents themselves as very accepting. while agnostic themselves, they do make a point to show they hold no ill will to shadowheart & support them, but more importantly wants shadowheart to learn to rely on them from then on to be more honest about anything. it’s after this shadowheart tends to be less antagonistic toward idrylla. but only a little less.

WYLL: idrylla noted early on that the “”””stone”””” that rests in his socket has a heartshaped looking pupil & annoyingly( to everyone except wyll himself ) calls him hearteye. as a baldurian they are very well versed in knowing the various tales & stories of the blade of frontiers. wyll is idrylla’s favorite drinking companion & the two get along like a pair of bros in a budding bromance that will make the fans go crazy. wyll holds a hard sense of justice that idrylla tends to think of a buzzkill at times, but does value the pull of morality his chiding holds considering her own moral standing at current is fuzzy at best. she does truly worry about how skiddish he tends to be about his guarded secrets & once learning upon the truth they promise to aid them in his quest to save his ‘totally not devil girlfriend’ & when wyll protests about such a title idryl simply responses ‘oh no i totally get it, hearteye.’ with a laugh & wink. idrylla also has wyll teach them the use of the blade, taking those teachings & applying them to their learnings of the staff as a weapon vs a channel for magic. often one can see them sparing in camp on down time. wyll is also the only one of the companions who gave idrylla a proper condolence when idrylla’s less than tragic backstory is revealed to the the companions, to which idrylla who was properly touched thanked him with a hand to their heart & a ‘aww, thanks man. you’re a real one.’

ASTARION: idrylla is far softer on astarion than they should be & they will deny it. usually such a judgement of letting astarion getting away with ( in most cases, literally ) murder is preceded by a loud groan or sigh. it’s not that idrylla wants to dull astarion’s sparkle, but more of a general worry. the more idrylla learns of him, the more & more they just feel bad( astarion: i rather be spared of pity, thanks / idryl: it’s not pity. i don’t pity you its just. well hearing that shit that happened to you ? makes me sick, man. horrible things to go through. makes me want to hit something. ). but the primary worry is what will happened to their newfound friend once the parasite is extracted, will astarion burn up in the sun ? prevented from hanging out with them at bars ? will they not be able to find something for him to eat on the journey they set on ? idrylla has no real way to comfort astarion in the face of his past & it makes them uncomfortable. all that can be offered is a arm about his shoulder & a ear to listen.  beyond all this, however, the two get along disturbingly well. idrylla’s current fuzzy moral standing & general pull to do really stupid things setting a stage for the two of them to act in their own chaotic fashion. the two make comments with each other that would make people wonder if they share a braincell. idrylla often pulls lae’zel into their shenanigans much to her dismay. the fact that astarion is a vampire spawn has absolutely zero negative effect or reaction from idrylla. **astarion has been romanced

GALE: i hate these two. considering gale being a wizard busybody i have to do the most divergent shit with this mf. love this catdad, anyways here go. gale & idrylla absolutely know of each other prior to the events of the game & have a loving rivalry friendship thing going on. they have met a few times due to the wizarding guild( take in mind, this wizard guild is something im developing for idrylla & is not canonical to the game ) of which gale would visit, but is not apart of, due to his associations. the two never had a proper moment of conversation prior but are as i said, very aware of each other at least in terms of their talents in magic. so whilst there is a pre-established link between them they are without a doubt strangers. their rivalry comes out at any time magic is spoken about or knowledge thereof. a interesting change in demeanor for idrylla who, for all intents & purposes before & during the events, tended to not have a proper ambitious or know-it-all bone in their body. the two will often agree about magic or purposely disagree. they speak of other wizards & generally are capable of working together to figure out spells or something magical in puzzles. when gale says that idrylla knows nothing about the weave, it took everything in idrylla to not set him on fire. when faced with the truth about gale’s utterly stupid need to consume magic & the reason behind it, idrylla simply just starts smacking him on the arm & calling him an idiot( considering idrylla’s recent expulsion from the wizarding guild spurred on by peers that are  power hungry & would do whatever they could to get ahead, the ordeal of gale sits very heavy on idrylla. while they does apologize later & explains the why. ). over time the two have gotten less antagonistic to each other & more or less bicker for the fun of it, showing that the two have found themselves more or less comfortable with each other & in their aventures found respect in each other’s talents. so far anyway. idrylla has threatened to steal gale’s cat( in jest to make gale wig out. )

[seenashwrite]

Dear Nash, I've finally figured out the perfect question for you. I'm in a pickle. No- not an *actual one*, though most of our conversations end up involving pickles for some reason. But that's besides the point. Thing is, I've got writers block. I've just passed the stage of denial and have come to accept that this is what I've got. So question is- do you have any tips for overcoming writers' greatest dilemma?

The interns and a handful of your fellow Nashooligans who are currently milling about NashHole, Inc. Headquarters have turned their heads, eyes widened and brows creased-and-or-raising at my Dean-channeled, supes-confident outburst. Mainly because they have, on more than one occasion, seen me stomping about and cursing under my breath at this dilemma, but my darling L-Dubs, you have sought out the ideal oracle for this, as I hold the map and compass needed to escape Deadly Dullsville. 

Oh, and - I’m assuming you’ve tried the usual, which is typically the advisement collective of walking away from it for an hour or two, standing and stretching, getting a change of scenery [taking tablet/laptop to another room/location], listening to music, and/or working on a different story…. yeah, they’re about 60/40 on the “Worked For Nash!” scale, too.

The TL;DR of the breakdown below can fit under the umbrella […ella, ella, ey, ey, ey] of my do-not-pass-go, do-not-collect-$200, top-of-the-pops rule:

Writer, Know Thyself

Get egotistical, get self-absorbed, get haughty with this - draw from reader feedback if need be to do so, if it doesn’t come naturally - and remind yourself of what the Lips Style-In-A-Sentence would be. For me, more often than not, I get props for the cadence of my writing, both dialogue and plot flow, so I guess mine would go something like…

Nash was conceived in a laboratory with equal parts Sorkin and Sherman-Palladino, adopted and raised by Whedon and Fisher, christened the godchild of Tarantino and Fey, and often told bedtime stories by Rhimes and the Coen Brothers, all of whom served to have her drinking and snarking and looking crookedly at the world far too early.

“But, Nash! All of those people are screenwriters. Stories aren’t in the visual medium. You’re off your rocker!” 

Hmmm… am I?

[The above question was completely rhetorical, no one answer. Ahem.]

Now, here’s the Dean says “HELL, NO!” thing I’ll get out of the way right now:

Don’t go reading other fanfic, and don’t read books/stories/etc. [meaning: published authors’ stuff] that are in the genre wheelhouse of the type of story you’re struggling through, because we’re looking to spark a light bulb moment here, and you don’t want to moth around someone else’s glow accidentally. 

And speaking of your story’s genre, I’m not talking about those bullshit, too-vague genre categories in fanfic of “angst”, “fluff” and “smut”.  You know what I’m driving at - what’s the chewy center of your story? Is your story focus on characters’ interpersonal dynamics? Mystery? Humor? 

So:

(1) Know your plot

You’ve got a tag line for yourself - what’s your tag line for the story?

This is not necessarily a summary, though it could serve as one if it provides enough detail, sure. This is more what we’d see on the movie/TV “poster” in our minds. The story that’s next out for me is called “The Bell-Watcher’s Daughter”, and my tagline for it would be something like “The only way to make sure you never get buried alive is to never get buried at all.”

It’s not supposed to tell the plot, it’s just supposed to entice. It’s kinda like blogs that have bothered to do a “title” thing - mine is “A Supernatural Fanfiction Experiment”. We’d have to do a poll to determine who clicked because of that & that alone, but the point is a tagline should immediately draw some curiosity, be it positive or negative or “….the f*ck does that mean?”. 

(2) Kick-offs & Wrap-Ups

If you haven’t done so already - and get this done right damn now - flesh out in doc/on paper your opening & your ending. They may not stay this exact way, the concrete ain’t set, the leaves haven’t turned, but the point is the story has a start point and an end point - no sense in trying to gun the engine if you ain’t even got on the road, and the destination is unknown.

Both for opener & closer, same gist applies. In examples below, I’m stealing a handful from my own stories because laziness, not because I think I’m the awesomest who ever awesomed. And these aren’t the only ways to start/end a story of course, because caveats, exceptions, blah-blah-biscuits, but we’re trying to spark your brain, here.

If they aren’t in active voice, then make ‘em an intriguing passive, but regardless, both should lean into prompting the reader to go on.

–> A single, kicky sentence  with no extraneous qualifiers:

“Dean stared down the barrel of the gun.”

“Sam smiled, closed the book, and returned it to the shelf.”

“The rotted orphanage had been haunted since the day the foundation was poured.”

“When Dean walked into the library, all shuffling slippers and sips of coffee, she began to read aloud.”

“She paints the roses before burning them.”

….OR…..

–> A paragraph of a few poignant sentences/thoughts:

“I inhaled deeply, letting my eyes close and my head rest atop my folded arms. I’m not sure how long I was like that, thinking too hard, trying to recall the scent. Never even heard the approaching footsteps.”

“The sky was different in Texas. He couldn’t speak to Arizona or Colorado or Nevada, or even Mexico, but he knew what he knew.  It was something about the way the sun cut through, something about the tint of the blue.”  

“He made sure he was out of state again, staying in a dingy motel in a bad part of the random city he’d selected. And he thought hard on the couple he’d chosen to spare as he laid quietly atop the stained bedspread, eyes closed and smiling. Even when he heard the dogs begin to howl.”

Okay, okay, okay. We got you squared away. We got our start and stop. Now to the journey in between, which is where you’re stalled. Here’s how you focus to bust out of that dirt-nap, Beatrix Kiddo-style.

Writer’s Block boils down to FLOW - you had a rhythm, then you lost it. And you gotta have it. We want readers to be able to see this in their minds, like they’re watching it unfold in front of them literally or on a stage or on a screen, be it TV or movie, right?

While they don’t write in long-form, screenwriters gotta know how to get in and get out regarding setting and tone, and they gotta know how to write dialogue that can flow off an actor’s tongue, so here’s some resources to peruse [and, y’know, it’ll get different gears in your mind whirring, if nothing else].

I direct you to three hubs that breakdown these very things - the gottas and the don’t gottas alike:

(1) Cinema Sins

Jeremy & co. know their stuff, these are quick watches, these are fun, and while it’s all couched in humor [about 20% of the “sins” are purely for goofball purposes/are part of recurrent shtick], they make phenomenal points. 

These are gonna dial in on common storytelling missteps like gaps that should’ve been filled vs. wasting time on something else, superfluous elements, trope-y laziness, overdoing a given thing, repeating what’s already been stressed - if these things are happening in your story, they’re slowing down your brain and distracting you, so cut-cut-cut. Comb through what you’ve got and if there’s a shred of doubt as to whether you wanna re-tool fill-in-the-blank & keep it, chuck it into another document for the time being. 

Why I Recommend? - Too Much Of Something = A Block

ETA: Well, not so much “add” as “replace”.....

Since I wrote this response, I’ve noticed that Cinema Sins seem to have lost their way/don’t seem to know what they want to be any longer. While there are moments of snark and funny in a given video, they just come off as.... deflated, I’ll call it. They fall back on their recurrent shtick more and more frequently than prior, and I confess I’m confused as to their movie choices (minus the ones that relate to an upcoming movie release) for some time now. 

While they’ll still point out the things that keep happening over and over again, not just in the movie at hand but across storytelling in general, I feel like it’s gonna be too cumbersome for you to seek the solid examples out - and for me, too, ‘cause I ain’t hunting for ‘em!

I would instead recommend Red Letter Media. I’ve long been a subscriber of theirs, agree with easily 90% of their observations, and everything about their vids are so conversational and fun. And, they’re gonna be a good overall resource because they believe without solid plots and characters, you’re sunk - all the bells and whistles won’t mean a thing if the story and the people within it are crappily done. 

(2) Every Frame A Painting

This dude’s an editor, so structure is the name of the game. It can be a deep dive, and not all will be applicable to the written form, so pick and choose vs. a playlist launch. The crux of the messages have to do with - as you’ve likely guessed from the name - how scenes are framed.

Translation to writing: how you’re describing things that happen in between your dialogue. Whose eyes we’re seeing through, whose emotions are most important when we [readers & characters] experience fill-in-the-blank, should this moment be filled with cacophony or melody or pin-drop quiet, why this is happening here instead of there in the story.

Why I Recommend? - Inefficient Descriptions of Setting/Action/Perspective = A Block

(3) Lessons From The Screenplay

This is the money shot: Technique, technique, technique. Why was that scene so tension-filled even though nothing particularly dramatic was happening? How the hell did I end up rooting for that unlikable character? Holy moly, there were clues pointing to that twist! 

These are short in length while dense in info, yet he presents them in an intelligent and understandable manner. He’s fair on flaws, but those aren’t the focus. Titles of his offerings include…..

“The Control of Information”

“Creating the Ultimate Antagonist”

“Empathy for the Anti-Hero”

“How to Evoke Emotion”

“Telling a Story from the Inside Out”

“Controlling Information”

Why I Recommend? - Unwitting Sloppy Technique = A Block  

Bottom line: I think we tend to believe writer’s block boils down to what’s missing - those big ol’ white spaces in docs & all - but more often than not, what’s already there needs purging. Clear your path. Change your shoes. Trip less.

So sayeth the Nash, so say we all.

[ivelostmyspectacles]

a DAMN GOOD IGNIS MOMENT.

But really, the more I watch it the more I realise it’s not only a fantastic Ignis moment, it’s a fantastic Chocobros moment in general? REALLY LONG POST AHEAD + UNFINISHED GAMEPLAY WRITING BUT THIS SCENE

Lemme start with Ignis because duh (if you’ve seen anything out of me the past two weeks, it’s probably been Ignis related). He’s been pretty passive about losing his eyesight up until this point. He calls it a minor sacrifice in the grand scheme of things. When Noctis and Gladio fight on the train, Ignis says nothing, even though part of the argument is his own injury. He only tries to stop Gladio by saying his name; Prompto is the one who tries to break it up (more in a moment. anyway not that Ignis really could break it up rn but you know) He’s been optimistic enough about it, though. “I’ll manage somehow” when you invite him into the mines. “This is considerably harder than I expected” he says about fighting. But sometimes you hear the boys say something and Iggy just sort of sighs. They’re dancing around him, and his injury, and the argument, and this scene is where it culminates.

The first time he actually says that it isn’t okay is because of their friendship hitting a low point, rather than his actual injury. But he is so, so aware of that injury and how it has the potential to drag them down. He still says “I would remain with you all. Til the very end” because these are his brothers and he damn well plans to, but that said.

This is the first time we hear Ignis raise his voice, I think. Not including battle cries and the like. Which is saying a lot because this boy is very, very calculated on his emotions. (ie later on when Prompto falls off the train, you hear the very audible difference in Noctis’s voice vs Iggy’s) He’s Crownsguard, Noctis is his king, he will do anything for him, and believes he has no reason to complain even if he has gone blind. But that’s a Big Thing. His yelling in this scene exactly “I know full well!” is finally, finally his frustration coming out and it’s triggered because of their bickering (or anti-bickering, since they aren’t really... speaking much).

He says he is willing to bow out if he starts to slow them down, which imo is like asking him to suffer a physical injury all over again (he is Crownsguard, Noctis is his king, he will do anything for him) but he still will DO IT because he won’t be a burden.

He goes on to give Noctis what, I think, is a much needed confidence boost. “A king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back” and in the opening sentences for the next chapter, it literally uses those same words to describe Noct’s reaction to Ardyn’s trick: never looking back. (Also never looking back is exactly what Ignis is doing right now, which is why the choice to focus the camera so much on his scars in that moment is AMAZING.)

He continues with that to tell Gladio that Noct will be king and he will rule, but “only once he’s ready”. And this is SO important. Gladio’s interaction with Noct is painful at least and rage inducing at worst (more below) but not only does Noct need to hear this, Gladio does, too. They can push Noctis into that throne but he will never be able to lead until he is ready, and that involves coming to terms with some very, very heavy stuff that’s been happening. Everybody doesn’t handle grief the same way and they’re all having a hard go at it in very different ways thanks to the events of late.

So all of this makes this the DAMN GOOD IGNIS MOMENT. But it’s also really good for the rest of them, both in mentioned ways and others, but since I’m apparently waxing poetic 

Prompto, Gladio, and Noctis under the cut ↓ (note: 150% zoom for easier reading)

Okay, Prompto, my dear, sweet Prompto. Literal ray of sunshine. Prompto isn’t one for confrontation. This boy is our peacekeeper. We see him trying to get Gladio and Noctis to stop fighting on the train. He still takes photos while they’re in the mine “I took some more pictures today... do you want to see them?” “No. Not really” “Yeah, okay” (paraphrasing, I was busy crying over the fact that all of our recipes are gone), he is endlessly cheerful, and when they finally get to the tomb, he says “We did it! Together!”. He spends most of the time in the mine helping Iggy, too; every time Iggy fell, Prompto was there to help him back up.

Which leads into him being defensive over Ignis when Gladio says he doesn’t agree that he should continue with them. (“We’ll be there” which at this point it’s basically only Prompto taking 90% of Iggy’s care into his hands, Noct’s too numb and Gladio does help out in cutscenes rather than gameplay) When he tells Gladio that Ignis should be free to choose, look at his face. This is the closest thing we’ve seen to our ray of sunshine being angry at one of his friends (iirc, it’s been a long couple weeks). It’s not even a down and out screaming match, it’s not pushing and shoving, it’s just that look on his face. I’m not even sure how to describe it. The point is he isn’t standing there being peacekeeper; he’s standing up for Ignis now. (Which I wish we saw more of this because you know this boy loves his friends more than he loves his own life.)

When Ignis says the bit about Noct being ready, Prompto spins on Gladio and nods. (it looks like a nod, even if it wasn’t intentional I’m sticking to that) It’s that kind of yeah moment. You know, when someone’s being ignorant and they get told and you’re like WHAT NOW. Ignis is telling Gladio something he doesn’t want to hear and Prompto is actively agreeing without needing to trip over words that ring with confrontation himself.

I would normally say he’s getting an attitude, or growing a spine, but neither of those are particularly accurate especially because Prom does have a spine (that Niff weapon thing they use to fight Leviathan! jumping out of the train to help Noct fight! going after Ardyn! this is all just in the same chapter or two!) but he’s not sitting there and being silent around his friends when this serious situation has come up. And he really hasn’t had a chance to speak up about anything as serious because this is the first time the Chocobros have been fighting, anyway, so this is also a good growth scene for him.

Onto Gladio. He is not my favourite person right now. Will he redeem himself? I’m sure. Will that make up for my opinion of him now? Who knows. (this is my first playthrough) But regardless of if you love Gladio or hate Gladio at this point in time, he does have his reasons for acting the way he is - even if it is, imo, misguided anger. That’s a whole different post, though.

When Ignis says “when Noctis is ready” (this is integral, people, lol) yes, he is subtly telling Gladio that he needs to back down a bit and yes, that isn’t what Gladio wants to hear because Noctis is their king and he should be handling it better. But this is also a lesson Gladio desperately, desperately needs to learn just then.

Above I said everyone handles grief differently and Gladio’s handling it in his way and Noct’s way of handling it is pretty much not handling it at all, so it makes it seems like he isn’t making any progress. But here Ignis calmly, ideally tells Gladio “He’s going at his own pace. He needs to do this himself. You need to let him do this himself. He will.” I feel like this is Gladio getting reminded that Noctis is only a twenty year old who’s just lost his father, his fiancee, and let one of his best friends receive a life-altering injury. He’s king, and he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, but he is human. I feel like Ignis is the one who can get through to Gladio the most and even though Gladio blatantly looks at Noctis when he says that they had better all be ready, it isn’t nearly as aggressive as his previous “get your head out of your ass”.

And when they leave the mine, Gladio says that they can stop at Tenebrae if it’s going to help Noctis move on. Granted he doesn’t say “if it’ll help you”, just “if it’ll help him”, but still: growth.

And Noctis, who has surprisingly the least amount of meta inducing action in this scene, gets to hear what he needs to hear. When you talk to Gladio before entering the tomb you get the message that Gladio’s words have lit a fire in Noctis’s heart even if you show frustration (idk what happens if you pick show resolve) but personally I feel like he gets so much more out of what Ignis says.

“Only once he’s ready.” Only once you’re ready, Noct. (I N T E G R A L)

(And here’s the thing: he’s saying almost exactly the same thing Gladiolus is, but in a different way. He’s still saying you need to move on and face what’s happened to be our king. But he is also saying when you’re ready. Because it won’t work otherwise.)

There’s just so much about this scene that I love? And a lot of probably comes out as disjointed but that’s my take on this moment. It’s literally painful because the whole game has been one giant road trip full of fun and food and photos and fish and now this happens all at once but this is. so. real. It’s subtle enough but there’s so much crammed into this minute and a half that reminds me, despite the flaws, just how freaking amazing this game is.

[fivewrites]

5557 Reviews Your Fanfic #1: Number Five Privet Drive by GuestPlease

Hello, friends, I am 5557 on Ao3 and I review your fanfiction if you want me to.

This is my first review of the series, so let’s dig in! (I got rid of the numbers, because I felt like they weren’t working. And I’d rather just talk anyway.)

Number Five Privet Drive by GuestPlease

@notherefortheanonhate

Fandom: Harry Potter ( I’m happy to concrit anything, though I cannot speak for character or plot development on properties that I am unfamiliar with. I can only speak to technical work. However, I have read Harry Potter, and am decently familiar with the details. )

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Tags: None

Optional info:

Is English your first language? Yes

How long have you been writing for? 5 years

Are you 18+? Yes

Do you want publish / write professionally one day? No / maybe

Technical Style / Formatting: Mostly good. The spacing between paragraphs is a little odd. It’s not unreadable, but if you’re going for double-spaced format, each new line of dialogue should be double-spaced. Right now, there are groupings of dialogue that are single-spaced, and then a double, and then more singles.

There is an odd tense choice in the second paragraph, “Minerva McGonagall will readily admit that she was one of the most recent hatstalls in Hogwarts history. She does not admit, under any circumstances, that the Hat was quite insistent upon placing her in Slytherin House for a solid three minutes.” is in present tense, while the story is written in past tense. I mean, it could technically slide, but when you switch to present tense for these facts, it sort of implies that the character is “currently alive” and is more first-person-ish than third person. It’s not 100% wrong, but it changes the viewer’s “feel” of the narration.

It’s important to watch tense switching so as not to confuse your readers, but especially so in the first few paragraphs of your fic. The occasional typo or punctuation error throughout a story doesn’t mean much, but you really want the opening to be very clean, because a picky reader might be turned off right away. Show your best work up front to draw them in!

Pace: While the story sets up the plot right away in the very first paragraph and doesn’t meander or wax on, it is a little on the brusque side. The idea is that the Dursleys are horrible, therefore put Harry in a better home next door. I’d like to know just what disgusts Minerva so much. What is the business that she sees muggles doing and what are her opinions on it? We can use this space to get a good view of both the environment Minerva is in and Minerva herself when we get a bit of description of her actions and reactions.

Overall the pace is fast. A little too fast in some of the heavy dialogue areas, but I feel like too fast is a way better problem than too slow. More can be added as needed.

Dialogue: More of a technical note, but I’ll put it here, When splicing action between dialogue, watch the use of periods vs commas. If the sentence is “He’s over there,” she said, reaching for her umbrella, “beside the door.” Then commas should be used instead of periods. A period is a full stop and should only be used if the action of the speaker is separate from the dialogue.

“He’s holding my umbrella,” Minerva laughed. - We are saying that she said this while laughing.

“He’s holding my umbrella.” Minerva laughed. - We are saying that she said this in a normal voice, and then laughed, separately.

Characterization: I like the info about Minerva and the sorting hat. Adds interest to her character.

While I like the idea of a wiley, intelligent Minerva, Dumbledore… well he kinda puts the dumb in Dumbledore. He very passively accepts Minerva’s sudden change of address, even though Dumbledore is a very intelligent man with connections to muggles and the potters. I could see him going along with her but… he just gives up so easily. I need more of a mental tussle between them to believe it. I mean, at least Minerva is self-aware in the next sentence that this is an odd character choice.

I’m interested in who Malcolm and Robert are and if we get more info in these characters after their sudden naming. (I apologise if these are canon characters and I have forgotten)

She felt a sense of duty overtake her, that she should call out to Mrs. Forsythe and demand the baby, but she stopped herself. Nothing good would come of that child in her home, though whether she was thinking of herself, or even of the child, she didn’t know.

Petunia’s sudden reversal is a bit disappointing. Again like with Dumbledore, she gives up without a fight in the very same paragraph, when I want to see her meddle or sneak or spy. I hope she has more role in the future chapters, as it was a bit odd to see her accept her neighbor taking in her nephew without any sort of comment or action. Petunia is nosy and judgemental, and these actions imply that the neighbor woman is saintly in her books.

Flow / Prose Style: There are a lot of clunky adverbs in there, that don’t add much.

“Dumbledore twinkled merrily” “Dumbledore laughed jollily” could easily have the same impact if merrily and jollily were removed. Instead of using an adverb, which is a “tell” try “showing” with an action.

“Of course. He’s been taking care of young Harry all day, they’re nigh inseparable!” Dumbledore laughed, twirling the ends of his long beard with his pinky finger. - This shows us that he is merry and jolly without having to literally say it.

While the dialogue is ok, and seems in character, the first chapter has a lot of back-and-forth and not much action. As said above, it’s nice to weave action in between your dialogue to 1) show how the character feels and 2) gives the reader a sense of where they are and what they are doing. Too long without any environmental description and the reader forgets where we are and what we’re doing. Give us a reminder from time to time.

“I believe so. Sadly, he took Lily and James Potter with him.”

“We’ve all lost someone.” At that moment, a distant roar was heard. The noise became louder as an enormous motorcycle with a matching sidecar landed in the middle of Privet Drive skidding a bit.

At some points, dialogue attribution is not sufficient enough to tell which character is saying what. Just needs a few more tags here and there. As well, the jump to the action is very sudden, to the point of jarring. Give me more blended action and reminders of where the characters are and what they are doing.

the enormous man perched on top of the bicycle, handed a small bundle (about the size of a particularly intricate vase) to Dumbledore.

This is an interesting metaphor. I did a post on this, and I believe it would fall under category 3: Not unheard of, but would it be the character’s most likely reference? Minerva doesn’t seem like a person who has an interest in intricate vases. If the story were from Dumbledore’s POV, it would absolutely make sense. But Minerva is a straight-edged teacher, and I wonder if a school reference would make more sense here. “No larger than a History of Magic textbook” etc.

I wanted to say that the voice overall is very active and urgent and the narrator does not slip into passive voice. It is a pleasure to read prose that stays active and gets to the point, even if it feels a bit rushed in some places. I’d much rather be left wanting more details than slogging through endless exposition.

Or a solicitor, she had trouble telling the two apart these days. Though most solicitors didn’t include infants.

This line is hilarious! Excellent! Very on-point.

Story: This is an interesting plot idea in its simplicity. It’s been done before (but what hasn’t in the Potter fandom) especially with stories like Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. What will make this story unique and interesting is how you handle it and how you handle the characters and their growth over the course of the plot. Focus on the minute details of Harry’s earlier life and how that breaks off into the alternate universe differences in a butterfly effect of cascading changes.

[meraenthusiast]

Capital Gains Tax 101 For High Income Earners

Pros and Cons Of Capital Gains Tax

One of the most overlooked areas high-income professionals seem to miss when developing a financial plan involves TAXES.

Why? Because taxes are NO fun (unless you’re a CPA) and who wants to focus on an expense, right?

As a high income earner, your largest expense during your career is going to be income tax (active income).

This is the income that you trade your time for each day. Sounds like fun, right?

As a young doc fresh out of training and full of energy, we think, “Taxes? Who cares about taxes? I’m going to be a RICH doctor! I’ll make plenty of money to buy whatever I want and pay my taxes with no problemo!”

But what happens when we get a bit older and somewhat wiser? We start to think, “Taxes? Yeah, it’s something that maybe I should start to look at. I don’t really know much about them as my CPA has always done ’em for me. Maybe it’s time to take it upon myself to figure out that tax code thing.”

Want To Build Wealth?

If you want to build wealth, real wealth then listen up.

I don’t care at what point of your career you’re at now; but you have a choice to make.

Option #1 or #2?

Choose below:

Continue to work HARD for your money (trading time for it)

Have your money work HARD for you

Which is it?

Don’t worry. You’re not going to be graded as there is no right or wrong answer.

It all comes down to personal preference. If you want to work for another 30+ years and don’t mind residing in the 40+% tax bracket then, by all means, choose Option #1.

If you want to work SMARTER and not necessarily harder, then #2 is your choice.

It all boils down to how you handle your money and not just taxes.

Let’s dive in…

Assets vs Liabilities

I realize that we need to discuss the pros and cons of capital gains tax but stay with me while I make a few points first.

I think it was Robert Kiyosaki that said, “If you want to be rich, start spending your money on assets — things that make you money over time.”

Maybe it was Grant Cardone?

Doesn’t matter. The point is that what you spend your money on makes a BIG difference on your taxes.

How?

If you purchase an asset such as real estate, you can LOWER your taxes via depreciation.

You can’t do that when you purchase a new AMG. Sorry!

Let’s take a look at some things you should focus on investing in while others you should avoid.

The Best Assets For High-Income Earners

I’m BIG on trying to better myself both personally and professionally. One of my favorite past times is reading and listening to podcasts.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite assets that have paid off in the long run:

Books on personal finance, investing, real estate etc.

Conferences in my field of work (dental surgery)

Online courses

Real estate syndications

Index funds

Healthy food

The Worst Liabilities to Avoid

Just because you make a lot of money, it doesn’t give you a free pass to buy whatever you WANT when you’re serious about building wealth.

Consider avoiding:

The Doctor house

Every new tech gadget that hits the market

Expensive cars, boats, ATVs

High dollar clothes, watches, accessories, etc (items that make you LOOK rich even though you’re not)

When You “Can” Buy Liabilities

If you chose Option #2 above then remember, I want you to work smarter and not harder. Life’s too short.

Do I want you to have everything on the Liability list above? Yes, if you do too. But I want you to purchase them how the rich do and NOT the poor.

The key is to buy these liabilities with money you’ve made from your money (passive income), not your actual money (active income) yourself.

Does that make sense?

Here’s a video that explains it from Grant Cardone geared toward the high-income folks (rappers, ball players, doctors, etc)

He teaches that, “Instead of spending your money (active income) on Rollies, Pateks, Lambos, Richards and other BS, use your investment income to purchase instead.”

Make Your Money Work For You

Proverbs 21:20 – “The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.”

Unfortunately, most of the physicians and dentists I know only know how to make money treating patients.

They haven’t ever taken the time to learn how to make money work for them.

The #3 wealth lesson out of 7 in George Clason’s book, The Richest Man in Babylon, is to “make thy gold multiply.”

The point he’s trying to make is that we should treat each dollar as our own “worker” as it has the ability to produce other workers. We want them to multiply thus having THEM work hard and NOT us.

This reminds me of a quote from Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, “Money is my military, each dollar a soldier. I never send my money into battle unprepared and undefended. I send it to conquer and take currency prisoner and bring it back to me.”

Basically, every dollar is like a small seed that can we can plant and will eventually sprout more dollars.

This is the essence of having “money work for you.”

How Does This Lower My Taxes?

Now that we understand in order to work smarter and NOT harder, we must make our money work FOR us.

So how do we do this?

How does it help our taxes?

Great questions.

I want to help you do BOTH, free up your time and also lower your bill to Uncle Sam.

Think about all of the taxes you currently pay. I’m not talking about sales tax, property tax, occupancy tax or income tax.

I’m focusing more so on investments.

VTSAX

Let’s say you want to invest in a Vanguard Index fund such as the Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSAX).

If this is outside of a retirement account, you’d have to pay income tax on your wages first, then invest. If you’re like most, in order to invest $1,000, then you’d have to make about $1,400 (40% tax bracket).

Once you start taking money out, you have to pay capital gains tax. There’s another tax.

Then when you exit this world, the government hits you again with an inheritance tax.

So if we’re taxed literally to death our entire lives, don’t you think it’s smart to want to try to do something about it now while we can still enjoy ourselves? I do.

Our main focus should be on purchasing assets now, during our working careers, that allow us to begin to build passive income to replace our expenses.

It’s the passive income that we should focus on as the IRS treats it differently than your active income. When I say differently, I mean that it’s taxed at a MUCH lower rate than what you’re used to.

Which brings us back to the subject of capital gains and the pros and cons of capital gains tax.

What is Capital Gain Tax?

According to Investopedia, a capital gain occurs when you sell an asset for more than you paid for it.

That means:

Capital Gain = Selling Price−Purchase Price

Just as the government wants a cut of your income, it also expects a cut when you realize a profit on your investments. That cut is the capital gains tax. 

Didn’t I tell you that we were going to be taxed to death!

According to IRS.gov, almost everything you own and use for personal or investment purposes is a capital asset.

Examples include:

your home

personal-use items like household furnishings

stocks or bonds held as investments

How much these gains are taxed depends on how long you held the asset before selling.

What Is Short-Term Capital Gains Tax?

Short-term capital gains are taxed as though they are ordinary income.

What this means is any profits received from the sale of an asset you held for one year or less is taxed at your normal income tax rate.

What Is Long-Term Capital Gains Tax?

Long-term capital gains tax are based on profits received from the sale of an asset you held for more than a year.

Depending on your taxable income and filing status, the long-term capital gains tax rate is 0%, 15% or 20%.

The 2020 Capital Gains Tax Brackets

Long-Term Capital Gains Tax Rate Single Filers (Taxable Income) Married Filing Jointly Heads of Household Married Filing Separately 0% $0-$40,000 $0-$80,000 $0-$53,600 $0-$40,000 15% $40,000-$441,450 $80,000-$496,600 $53,600-$469,050 $40,000-$248,300 20% Over $441,550 Over $496,600 Over $469,050 Over $248,300

Image source – IRS.gov

From the chart above, most high income earners typically fall into the 15% or 20% categories.

Capital Gains Example

I like to play a game with my kids that involves picking stocks based on past values.

So for instance, I’d say, “Kids, here’s three different stocks. Which would you invest in ten years ago with $1,000?”

After they pick, I then reveal the current stock price. Some are HUGE wins and some aren’t. The point I’m trying to get across to them is that it’s nothing more than a guess.

So let’s play a different version of the game with you.

Let’s say you lucked up and bought 100 shares of Tesla stock (TSLA) at $20 each. You noticed less than a year after purchasing, your investment took off like a “rocket” and you wanted to sell.

But then you remembered reading this article regarding the pros and cons of capital gains tax and decided to hold off until just over a year.

Great news! You sold your original investment for $1,000 per share! Now let’s assume you fall into the 15% long-term capital gains tax category.

The table below summarizes how your gains are affected.

HOW CAPITAL GAINS AFFECT EARNINGS Bought 100 shares @ $20 $2,000 Sold 100 shares @ $1000 $100,000 Capital gain $98,000 Capital gain taxed @ 15% $14,700 Profit after tax $83,300

In the above example, you have to give $14,700 of your profit back to Uncle Sam. He’s going to get his, trust me.

But remember it could have been worse if you’d have followed your initial reaction and sold the stock less than a year after purchasing.

In that situation, your profit would have been taxed at your ordinary income tax rate (short term capital gains tax), which can be as high as 37% or $36,260.

Pros and Cons Of Capital Gains Tax

Whenever it comes to the subject of taxes, it’s always best to check with your CPA or real estate attorney.

Thus far, we’ve learned that:

Capital Gain = Selling Price − Purchase Price

A capital-gains tax is assessed when a capital asset is sold for profit.

Depending on an investor’s individual tax needs, many utilize strategic techniques for either taking a capital gain or loss.

It’s for this reason that capital gains taxes can have both pros and cons.

Pro – Tax deferment

One of the reasons I love being a real estate investor has to do with taxes. Specifically the deferment of those little critters. As a real estate investor, you don’t pay taxes on the equity gained until the year that the property sells (for a profit).

Likewise, an investor that purchases stocks, bonds or mutual funds doesn’t pay until either the assets are sold or a distribution is taken.

Think about your income tax. Uncle Sam wants it EVERY year. It’s gotten so large for us that we pay monthly just to be able to stomach it. 🙁

Con – Reduced profits

The IRS classifies a capital asset as basically everything you own for personal use or investment purposes.

As we’ve learned today, we’re taxed whenever these assets are sold for a profit.

The disadvantage of this tax is that it can reduce the overall profits realized from the sale of the asset.

Are You Ready To Learn More About Lowering Taxes?

Join the Passive Investors Circle today.

The post Capital Gains Tax 101 For High Income Earners appeared first on Debt Free Dr..

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[northshorehealthandfitness]

4 Things I Learned Shadowing Tony Gentilcore

One of the biggest honors for me is when other fitness professionals take time out of their schedule to come shadow me or observe what I do at CORE.

Truthfully I don’t feel what I do on a day-to-day basis is altogether revolutionary or going to win me any Nobel prizes in coaching badassery. I mean, I have people deadlift, squat, throw things, and carry stuff, all while listening to some sick techno beats.

No biggie.

However, this was pretty cool and a nice surprise.

Below is a nice write-up by UK based trainer, Stuart Aitken, describing his experience observing me for a few hours a few Saturdays ago.1

Copyright: prapass / 123RF Stock Photo

4 Things I Learned Shadowing Tony Gentilcore

I walked into CORE, Tony’s small private gym in Boston, for a day of shadowing a few weekends ago.

Here are a few of things I saw within the first 30 minutes of being there:

Accommodating resistance.

Accentuated eccentrics.

Advanced periodization.

Complicated exercise terminology.

Of course, this wasn’t what I saw and truthfully, there was was nothing special about the way Tony coached, what was special was HOW he coached.

I often think us fitness professionals can be a bit hypocritical.

We tell clients “play the long game,” “stay consistent and good things will happen” and “don’t search for the magic pill, it doesn’t exist,” yet we think we’re one book or course away from solving all of our career issues.

Tony doesn’t programme any differently than I’ve seen him write about, nor does he have a cueing roster that addresses every single movement issue a client has. He still has clients who don’t push their knees out and who need a quick reminder to squeeze their glutes at the top of a hip extension movement.

Perhaps this is what makes Tony, and really any other coach I know, excellent – the basics, done brilliantly.

1) Client-Centered Coaching

I’m a huge fan of constantly checking in with myself about whether I’m being client or philosophy centered.

Lisa, Tony’s wife, talks about this heavily in her work, but for anyone who is reading who hasn’t heard of this before, client-centered coaching would be where you’re taking into the client’s needs and wants into account.

Philosophy-centered would be where you’re putting your philosophies first and forcing square pegs (clients) into round holes (your programming). An example in my career would be when I started to enjoy some gymnastics and started to ‘push’ gymnastics onto the people I work with.

It’s so easy for us to start pushing clients towards what we think is best for them, but when we think about what encompasses effective coaching, this couldn’t be further from how we know clients are likely to respond best.

Think about someone telling you how to do something – how does that you feel? Yes, at times this type of coaching may be necessary, but for the most part, you should be focused on guiding clients towards the decision that is best for them.

Jenny, who is a mum of three and simply wants to feel better, might enjoy doing some deadlifts, but she probably doesn’t want that deadlift to be the only thing she does in her training. Tony loves deadlifting, but not every single one of his clients is going to deadlift, nor will they all “need” to deadlift.

2) Window Coaching

I learnt this off of Tony at a shoulder workshop he ran in the UK earlier this year. Essentially what it means is if you worked in a facility where everyone who walked by could look in and watch, how do you look?

Are you active or are you passive? Are your arms crossed and are you looking disinterested? Is it your tenth session of the day and you look like the last place you would rather be is in the gym?

At one point Tony was dancing to some 90s rap, and at other points, he was either laughing with clients or actively coaching, if you walked past it would look like the kind of environment his type of client would enjoy being in.

Potential clients are always watching.

3) “Move Well, Move Often, Move Under Load”

It wasn’t actually Tony who said this quote but rather my colleague at Lift the Bar, Gregg Slater, but it sums up how I viewed the way Tony has progressed his clients. All of them could hinge, they all knew how to brace, and breath and they all came in early and got on with their warm-ups.

Before you throw a barbell onto a new clients back for squats, do they know how to create tension in their body? Do they know how to disassociate between their hips and upper back so they can hinge effectively? Can they get even MORE out of their sessions by doing their own warm-ups?

Teaching clients how to move well before you start loading them up will not only have a positive effect on their results, but it’ll also decrease the risk of injury.

4) Communication Skills

One of the brilliant things I watched Tony do with each of his clients was the way he related to them. Whether that be in the type of language he used (swearing vs not swearing for example), how much he listened vs spoke, the type of feedback used or right down to the choice of music, his communication skills were appropriate to the client who was in front of him.

I think this is such an under-appreciated aspect of effective coaching; the ability to wear different coaching hats dependent on who you are communicating with.

You know how Susan loves knitting? Make sure you ask about that new scarf she’s working on.

You know how Jonny is a huge football fan (that’s not American football, by the way, that’s good old British football where you kick the ball with your foot)? Make sure you have a glance at the latest football scores.

This kind of stuff matters and to quote Seth Godin:

“A small thing, done repeatedly, is not a small thing.”

If you’re relating to clients, creating an environment that leaves them feeling great, keeping their goal in mind and delivering a quality service, you’ll do well in this industry.

Tony Changed My Life (<– Note From TG: I Wrote That)

Overall I had a fantastic five hours at Tony’s gym, and I can’t recommend doing this kind of thing more often.

There are always others coaches, who are often more experienced, and within a few hours of you, who you could go and shadow.

An afternoon spent with another coach can keep you fresh, allow you the space to level up your coaching and network with other trainers in and around your area, (and it doesn’t even cost anything!) I can’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be doing more of it.

About the Author

Stuart Aitken is the head of member support at Lift the Bar and host at the LTB Podcast, which are both educational services for Personal Trainers. He also works as a Personal Trainer out of Good Health and Fitness in Dundee, Scotland.

The post 4 Things I Learned Shadowing Tony Gentilcore appeared first on Tony Gentilcore.

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