#bibles

[dduane]

I have been trying to write fic (well, smut) set in a world where certain things are slightly different to serve the fic's plot.

However, each time I try I have run into a problem: my head insists I need to justify the changes - I need to know comprehensive details about how the world works so I can ensure everything is consistent and not too f'd up.

So I get bogged down, and don't write a word. What do?

In your position, I’d sit down and write myself a bible.

This is how I did my prep for Barbie: Fairytopia.* And how I’ve done it for various works of fic presently on AO3… and how I’m doing it right now for the new Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rats of Sumatra III project. I was taught this art by my animation story editors at Hanna-Barbera, and it’s stood me in good stead. (Peter and I pulled down our first miniseries assignment from a company that told us “we gave great bible.” And that was true.) 😄

When I say “bible” I don’t necessarily mean something that thick! (Though some of mine have been pretty hefty, with one TV project’s bible running more than a hundred pages… because I knew I had skeptical and underinformed TV execs to convince about something historical.) For the kind of purpose we’re describing here, your prep bible could be quite short: maybe looking like a bullet-pointed “shopping list”, five or ten pages long. It can be just as long or short as it needs to be to cover all your salient points.

The idea is simply to put down, in concrete form, a list of the main “different things” you need to know and remember about your alternate universe when you’re working in it. This is where you do your justification work, in as much or as little detail as you need to convince yourself you’ve got the necessary bases covered. The virtual “stage manager” who sits at the back of the theater of the Writing Department in your mind, judging when things are right, will be your guide here, and will advise you as to when you’ve got enough and it’s time to stop. And once this stuff is down on the page, you’ll be a position to judge critically whether everything makes enough sense to work with, and slots together correctly.

This is also a bit like (for the prose part of a project) outlining, in that it’s incredibly freeing. Once you’ve got this background nailed down, you know you can safely turn your attention away from it and get down to the serious business: drama, and the character interactions that express it. (And inevitably as you’re doing the bible writing, you start getting ideas for how the substrate you’re laying down is going to affect the conflicts between and among the characters. The bible stage can be incredibly fruitful this way.)

It would be facile to describe the bibling process as “getting the easy part over with first”. Because sometimes it’s not easy! But it’s worth doing first, because having done this first relieves you of the ongoing anxiety caused by knowing you may have to keep inventing or rationalizing stuff on the fly. (Which can produce the kind of micro-blocks that a writer can generally really do without.) …Not that you’re not going to be inventing things on the fly anyway: that’s a normal part of the writing process. But the biggest and most obvious issues will have been handled already, and you’ll know they have; which is always a weight off one’s mind. And the fewer of those weights you have loading you down, when you’re in the midst of the labor of composition, the better.

Anyway, give it a shot and see how it works for you. And then you can, like the rest of us smut writers, get on to the really pressing business: making sure you haven’t lost track of where all the characters’ arms and legs (and things) are when you’re writing those hot steamy sex scenes. 😏

Hope this helps!

*ETA: My remit on this job did include creating a bible for them. But I write a rough-draft one for myself first, including various meta that I needed but they didn't.

[animentality]

[thingstrumperssay]

Fun fact: Oklahoma's education rank is 49 as of 2024. Right in front of Mississippi. So the lack of proper grammar for a superintendent isn't surprising in the least.

Also forcing prayer in public school is against the constitution, for the record.

[hdslibrary]

Off with his Head

We recently hosted a class session where students explored English bibles and their illustrations. One image in particular was reproduced in a multitude of variations: the heroine Judith slaying enemy general, Holofernes. Depictions of this scene from the book of Judith have been popular for many centuries, with varying levels of gruesomeness.

This image, from an 18th century narrative version of the bible features a calm and smiling Judith handing the head to her equally unbothered maid, while the neck of Holofernes gushes gore.

Clarke, Laurence. A Compleat history of the holy Bible, contained in the Old and New Testament : in which are inserted the occurrences that happened during the space of four hundred years, from the days of the prophet Malachi to the birth of our blessed Saviour ... London : Printed for the author ... , 1739-1740.

[whencyclopedia]

The Letters of Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles

Paul was a member of the Jewish Pharisees in the 1st century CE, who experienced a revelation of the resurrected Jesus Christ. In this vision, Jesus commissioned him to be the apostle (herald) to the Gentiles (non-Jews). After this experience, he traveled widely throughout the Roman Empire, spreading the "good news" that Jesus would soon return from heaven and usher in the kingdom of God on earth.

In the New Testament, we have 14 letters traditionally assigned to Paul, but the scholarly consensus now recognizes that of the 14, seven were written by Paul:

1 Thessalonians

Galatians

Philemon

Philippians

1 & 2 Corinthians

Romans

2 Thessalonians, Ephesians, and Colossians remain debatable among some scholars. The other major letters (1 &2 Timothy and Titus) were most likely written by disciples of Paul’s, using his name to carry authority. The letters that have survived range between 52 and 60 CE, and although we cannot pinpoint when Paul’s letters were collected, Clement, a bishop in Rome in the 90s CE, quoted from 1 Corinthians.

The Nature of the Letters

We understand these letters to be circumstantial. They were not written as systematic theology or as treatises on Christianity. The letters are responses to specific problems and circumstances as they arose in his communities. Paul spent time in cities establishing a group and then moved on. He received letters and sometimes reports with detailed questions or advice on how to settle conflicts. Unfortunately, when Paul’s letters were saved and circulated, the original letters from the communities were not preserved. The reconstruction of the original problems can only be determined by Paul’s responses.

Known as the most famous convert in history (from the Acts of the Apostles), Paul did not actually undergo conversion. Conversion assumes changing from one religious system to another, but at the time, there was no Christian system for him to convert to. Paul himself was ambiguous when it came to his self-identity:

To the Jews I became like a Jew... To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) ... To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) ... I have become all things to all people. (1 Corinthians 9:20-22)

In relation to what happened to Paul, it is better to follow what he says, in that he was 'called'. This is the tradition of the way in which the Prophets of Israel were called to their individual missions.

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12).

Paul argued that this experience gave him as much authority as the original circle in Jerusalem (Peter, James, and John). Paul’s call to be the Apostle to the Gentiles was shocking because, as he freely admitted, he had previously "persecuted the church of God" (Galatians 1:13). He never really explained what he did, nor why he did it. It is in Paul’s letters that the name Jesus is combined with Christ, the Greek for the Hebrew messiah ("anointed one"). Understood as a title, "Jesus the Christ", it became common as a phrase that indicated his identity and function.

Continue reading...

[x-heesy]

𝙰𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚣𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚙𝚜 (17𝚡𝚡)

#vintagebooks

#bookstagram #book #books #bookstagrammer #bookclub #booklover #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #bookphotography #bookish #booklove #bookcommunity #booklovers #bookobsessed #bookgram #bookporn #buch #bucharest #bücherliebe #bücher #buchliebe #bücherwurm #büchersüchtig #buchverrückt #bucharestmyhome #büchersucht #bücherwelt #librarylovers #librarynerd #libraryart #librarylove #librarybooks #libraryporn #librarylover #libraryofsouls #librarydesign #libraryofbookstagram #librarytime #libraryofinstagram #libraryprogram #librarygram #booksbooksbooks #bookslove #booksaremylife #booksandbooks #booksaddict #bookslover #booksforever #bücherliebe #bücherwurm #büchersucht #büchernerd #bücherverrückt

𝚂𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔: 𝙵𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚜 & 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜 - 𝙳𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚣 𝙺𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚡 𝚋𝚢 𝙽/𝚊, 𝚁𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚊

[byfaithmedia]

Pray for Israel 🇮🇱

[cryoverkiltmilk]

Another post I refuse to acknowledge posting limits of.

[whatareyoureallyafraidof]

[socialjusticefail]

This article is about a state superintendent ordering bibles for AP US Government class.

I would say other good texts that should be ordered for the US Government class are the Federalist Papers that were published, the treaty that mentioned the US is not Christian, and other writing by early politicians in the US on how our government is suppose to work.

[ausetkmt]

More INCORRECT White Interpretations of Black Culture

they again admit that they are not initiatied and in their opinion there is no requirement to be a part of an ancestral Religion, yet this is all about Ancestors Working For You - so NO,

Stop This and Learn about your Ancestors if you were not born with African ancestors, because your ancestors will be waiting for you wherever you may choose to worship them. Just Leave ATR Out of it.

[hdslibrary]

Framed

We found a glittering surprise when we opened this volume from 1501/02. The book contains the Latin text of the biblical book of Ezekiel, along with commentary by the 13th century Dominican priest, Hugh of St. Cher.

The decorated letter here (the only one found in this volume) has a frame border which itself echoes the framing of the biblical text by its commentary.

Biblia latina cum postillis Hugonis de s. Charo. [Basel : Johann Amerbach for Anton Koberger, 1498-1502]. (v.5)

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Rolling Stone:

Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, but the idea that he has a broad “mandate” to do whatever he wants is pretty dubious given that as of Monday he didn’t even crack 50 percent of the popular vote. Nevertheless, the president-elect’s elected followers are behaving as if the rules no longer apply — from Republican senators readying themselves to punt on their “advice and consent” role in vetting Cabinet nominations, to Oklahoma Ryan Walters Superintendent Ryan Walters ordering the state’s schools to play students a bizarre video of himself railing against the “radical left” and praying for Trump.

“President Trump has a clear mandate,” Walters told CNN on Monday when asked what gives him authority to order the video played. “He wants prayer back in school. He wants radical leftism out of the classroom. He wants our kids to be patriotic. He wants parents back in charge with school choice. We’re enacting upon that agenda here in Oklahoma.”

The video — in which Walters tells students that “woke teachers unions” are pushing “a hatred for this country” before bowing his head and praying for “President Donald Trump and his team as they continue to bring about change to the country” — has elicited outrage in Oklahoma. At least seven superintendents are refusing to play the video, and Genter Drummond, the state’s Republican attorney general, has said Walters cannot mandate schools play the video for students.

“There is no statutory authority for the state schools superintendent to require all students to watch a specific video,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement. “Not only is this edict unenforceable, it is contrary to parents’ rights, local control, and individual free-exercise rights.”

CNN’s Pamela Brown also asked Walters about a petition to impeach him that has been signed by nearly 15,000 people. Walters attacked her for “pushing a left-wing narrative” before claiming he gets his authority to order schools to show the video from the Constitution.

[x-heesy]

𝚅𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚙𝚜 (17𝚡𝚡~18𝚡𝚡)

#vintagebooks

#bookstagram #book #books #bookstagrammer #bookclub #booklover #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #bookphotography #bookish #booklove #bookcommunity #booklovers #bookobsessed #bookgram #bookporn #buch #bucharest #bücherliebe #bücher #buchliebe #bücherwurm #büchersüchtig #buchverrückt #bucharestmyhome #büchersucht #bücherwelt #librarylovers #librarynerd #libraryart #librarylove #librarybooks #libraryporn #librarylover #libraryofsouls #librarydesign #libraryofbookstagram #librarytime #libraryofinstagram #libraryprogram #librarygram #booksbooksbooks #bookslove #booksaremylife #booksandbooks #booksaddict #bookslover #booksforever #bücherliebe #bücherwurm #büchersucht #büchernerd #bücherverrückt

𝚂𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔: 𝙵𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚜 & 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜 - 𝙳𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚣 𝙺𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚡 𝚋𝚢 𝙽/𝚊, 𝚁𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚊