#blog: inspiration

[fitz-higgins]

Queer gaze in art and photography of the past

Konstantin Somov, A Reclining Man, 1936. Somov was gay, and quite openly. Here he painted his lover and muse Boris Snezhkovsky

Paul Cadmus, Jerry, 1931. Cadmus painted Jared French, another artist, while they, as a couple, were travelling around Europe

Alice Austen, Gertrude Dancing, 1899. Alice Austen, a pioneering female photographer, met Gertrude Tate in 1897. They lived together, travelling, throwing tea parties, and riding automobile, until Alice's death in 1952

Wilhelm von Gloeden, Two Men Talking, c. 1895. Von Gloeden was famous for his homoerotic photography and made Italy popular among gay men and lesbians. Although this photo is likely just that, a photo, its meaning is clear

Louise Catherine Breslau, The Toilette, 1898. Breslau lived with Madeleine Zillhardt, fellow artist, for over forty years. She drew her often, like in this tender painting. There's now a street in Paris called Place Louise Catherine Breslau & Madeleine Zillhardt

Andreas Andersen, Hendrik Andersen and John Briggs Potter in Florence, 1894. Andersen depicted his brother Hendrik, a sculptor and the lover of Henry James who caled him his beautiful Henrico. Hendrik met artist John Potter before James, in 1894, through his brother Andreas. The three travelled together in Italy

[fitz-higgins]

5% of Henry's letters have this sentence

“Excuse this blot but a bee scared me just then.”

An amazing explanation for smudged ink I came across in an October 1, 1897 letter from Rachel (a teenage girl in finishing school in Philadelphia) to her cousin Jack at Yale.

[hayatheauthor]

10 Non-Lethal Injuries to Add Pain to Your Writing

New Part: 10 Lethal Injury Ideas

If you need a simple way to make your characters feel pain, here are some ideas: 

1. Sprained Ankle

A common injury that can severely limit mobility. This is useful because your characters will have to experience a mild struggle and adapt their plans to their new lack of mobiliy. Perfect to add tension to a chase scene.

2. Rib Contusion

A painful bruise on the ribs can make breathing difficult, helping you sneak in those ragged wheezes during a fight scene. Could also be used for something sport-related! It's impactful enough to leave a lingering pain but not enough to hinder their overall movement.

3. Concussions

This common brain injury can lead to confusion, dizziness, and mood swings, affecting a character’s judgment heavily. It can also cause mild amnesia.

I enjoy using concussions when you need another character to subtly take over the fight/scene, it's an easy way to switch POVs. You could also use it if you need a 'cute' recovery moment with A and B.

4. Fractured Finger

A broken finger can complicate tasks that require fine motor skills. This would be perfect for characters like artists, writers, etc. Or, a fighter who brushes it off as nothing till they try to throw a punch and are hit with pain.

5. Road Rash

Road rash is an abrasion caused by friction. Aka scraping skin. The raw, painful sting resulting from a fall can be a quick but effective way to add pain to your writing. Tip: it's great if you need a mild injury for a child.

6. Shoulder Dislocation

This injury can be excruciating and often leads to an inability to use one arm, forcing characters to confront their limitations while adding urgency to their situation. Good for torture scenes.

7. Deep Laceration

A deep laceration is a cut that requires stitches. As someone who got stitches as a kid, they really aren't that bad! A 2-3 inch wound (in length) provides just enough pain and blood to add that dramatic flair to your writing while not severely deterring your character.

This is also a great wound to look back on since it often scars. Note: the deeper and wider the cut the worse your character's condition. Don't give them a 5 inch deep gash and call that mild.

8. Burns

Whether from fire, chemicals, or hot surfaces, burns can cause intense suffering and lingering trauma. Like the previous injury, the lasting physical and emotional trauma of a burn is a great wound for characters to look back on.

If you want to explore writing burns, read here.

9. Pulled Muscle

This can create ongoing pain and restrict movement, offering a window to force your character to lean on another. Note: I personally use muscle related injuries when I want to focus more on the pain and sprains to focus on a lack of mobility.

10. Tendonitis

Inflammation of a tendon can cause chronic pain and limit a character's ability to perform tasks they usually take for granted. When exploring tendonitis make sure you research well as this can easily turn into a more severe injury.

This is a quick, brief list of ideas to provide writers inspiration. Since it is a shorter blog, I have not covered the injuries in detail. This is inspiration, not a thorough guide. Happy writing! :)

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!

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[fairytaleprincessart]

[minimalist-quotes]

Better to admit you walked through the wrong door than spend your life in the wrong room.

[fitz-higgins]

Monty and Henry would absolutely buy (and possibly make) these

1930s “i’m the guy that” pinbacks

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

“writing fanfics is something I do in my free time for fun. I will not treat it like a job and will instead treat it like a hobby because that’s what it is.”

also how it feels being a fanfic writer:

[4theitgirls]

youtube channels to motivate you this semester

♡ abao in tokyo - study with me’s & playlists

♡ advika singh - study & productivity vlogs

♡ allie c. - medical school vlogs

♡ carrot td - study with me’s

♡ celine - study with me’s

♡ deaana - medical school, study with me’s, stationary, etc.

♡ dear mimi - study vlogs

♡ dia - medical student vlogs

♡ dr. rachel southard, do - medical school & residency vlogs & talks

♡ emily feng - medical school vlogs

♡ emilystudying - dental school & study vlogs

♡ emma grace - nursing school vlogs

♡ emmalilyn - study with me’s

♡ ginny - study vlogs

♡ hyobin - medical student vlogs

♡ leighton sanders - nursing vlogs

♡ lucky penny - study with me’s

♡ lunardazes. - uni study vlogs

♡ madi’s nursing journey - nursing school & nursing vlogs

♡ mango oatmilk - study with me’s

♡ maria silva - study & hospital interning vlogs

♡ merve - study with me’s

♡ mishujo - study & productive vlogs

♡ nada - study & productivity vlogs

♡ ray hon - study with me’s

♡ sab yang - medical school & study vlogs

♡ sean study - study with me’s

♡ sierra lyn - nursing vlogs

♡ studymd - study with me’s

♡ study to success - stationary, study with me’s, study hacks, etc.

♡ tani study - study with me’s

♡ yours truly, chloe - study vlogs

♡ yulma - study with me’s

[fitz-higgins]

The 1930s were known as the Pansy Craze in the US, because gay men became incredibly visible in big cities. So, of course Monty and Henry would buy such rings and wear them along with their signet rings (which have a whole story of their own)

Pansy ring, 1930s.

[fitz-higgins]

We were washing, we were dressing,

In the morning we were kissing,

And our night was full of love.

We were drinking, like two brothers,

And did not take our masks off.

And these masks were sweetly smiling,

While our eyes were not aligning,

And our lips were mute for once.

Playing Faust in the lamplight,

As though never knowing of night,

Those are night men, they're not us.

– by Mikhail Kuzmin

Kuzmin was a poet and an openly gay man who also wrote diaries that offer a glimpse into the life of a writer and homosexual of the early 20th century. His poetry and prose was often based on his own life. See, for example, an entry for July 25th, 1906:

We were waking up, washing up, I laid the table thoroughly [...] When we greeted each other with a kiss and sat for tea, as if with some relative, nephew, guest, sweet, obliging, modest, to feed, to entertain [him] after the night of love – it was delightful. I have a passion for the man I love to exist and be [with me] not just for the moments of love. Then I played Faust and Schubert

[Translations are all mine]

[mindfulstudyquest]

gentle reminder you can rise up from everything. you can recreate yourself. nothing is permanent. you are not stuck. you have choices. you can think new thoughts. you can learn something new. you can create new habits. all that matters is that you decide today and never look back.

[academic-vampire]

𝔰𝔬 𝔰𝔴𝔢𝔢𝔱 🍵

[fitz-higgins]

Things Monty would buy in an instant

Hukin & Heath, Toast rack, 1927. Silver. England. Via artsmia

[lynnsdarkuniverse]

[juliaxyn]

surviving on caffeine and novels. ...

[hayatheauthor]

10 Flaws to Give Your Perfect Characters to Make Them Human

If you're tired of the usual vices like arrogance or impatience, here are some unique (or at least less basic) character flaws to give your perfect characters: 

Pathological Altruism

A character so obsessed with helping others that they end up doing more harm than good. Their inability to let others grow or face consequences creates tension.

2. Moral Narcissism

A character who sees themselves as morally superior to others, constantly justifying selfish or harmful actions because they believe they have the moral high ground.

3. Chronic Self-Sabotage

A character who intentionally undermines their own success, perhaps due to deep-seated feelings of unworthiness, pushing them into frustrating, cyclical failures.

4. Emotional Numbness

Rather than feeling too much, this character feels too little. Their lack of emotional response to critical moments creates isolation and makes it difficult for them to connect with others.

5. Fixation on Legacy

This character is obsessed with how they’ll be remembered after death, often sacrificing present relationships and happiness for a future that’s uncertain.

6. Fear of Irrelevance

A character-driven by the fear that they no longer matter, constantly seeking validation or pursuing extreme measures to stay important in their social or professional circles.

7. Addiction to Novelty

Someone who needs constant newness in their life, whether it’s experiences, relationships, or goals. They may abandon projects, people, or causes once the excitement fades, leaving destruction in their wake.

8. Compulsive Truth-Telling

A character who refuses to lie, even in situations where a lie or omission would be the kinder or more pragmatic choice. This flaw causes unnecessary conflict and social alienation.

9. Over-Identification with Others' Pain

Instead of empathy, this character feels others' pain too intensely, to the point that they can’t function properly in their own life. They’re paralyzed by the suffering of others and fail to act effectively.

10. Reluctant Power

A character who fears their own strength, talent, or influence and is constantly trying to shrink themselves to avoid the responsibility or consequences of wielding it.

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors! Instagram Tiktok

PS: This is my first short-form blog post! Lmk if you liked it and want to see more (I already have them scheduled you don't have a choice)