#exercise resources
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
literaryvein-reblogs · 6 months ago
Text
Writing Notes: Exploring your Setting
Tumblr media
(Excerpted from the Young Novelist Workbook) ⚜ Basics: Setting
PART 1: Settings That Create Moods
Mood - the feeling of your novel; its emotional quality.
You can also think of the mood as how you want someone to feel while reading your novel. 
Examples: playful, serious, mysterious, tense, warm, dangerous, joyous
The setting of a novel - where and when the story takes place. As you know, most novels have more than one setting.
Usually, the author decides to have one large setting.
Example: Los Angeles in 1995
and then many smaller settings
Examples: The laundromat where the characters hang out on the weekends, or the classroom where they get in a fight
Settings do more than serve as a backdrop to the action in your novel. They can also create or enhance the mood of your novel. 
Example
If you wanted to create a creepy mood for a scene in your novel, you could start with something like: 
"A dead tree stood alone in a dark field. Its branches creaked in a cold wind, and in the distance, something howled.”
These images remind us of dark, disturbing things, and show the reader that the scene of the novel is “creepy” without having to tell them directly.
Describing the Setting: A Sample Exercise
Describe the settings that would help create each of the moods listed below.
Try to write 2 or 3 sentences for each mood.
Include specific details about the sights, sounds, sensations (and maybe even smells) of the settings you choose:
Creepy, Joyous, Suspenseful/tense
Now make up 2-3 of your own moods and describe a setting that would go along with each one. 
The last step is to apply your new skills to your upcoming novel.
Think of a scene from each section of your novel.
Then, write or list details to describe a setting that will help create the right mood for each scene.
Example: You might set your climax on the edge of a crumbling cliff at sunset in the middle of a thunderstorm. 
A setting from your set-up:
A setting from your inciting incident:
A setting from your rising action:
A setting from your climax:
A setting from your falling action:
A setting from your resolution:
Now you have settings to enhance the different moods that will be in your novel.
PART 2: Settings That Reinforce Characters
Another advanced writing trick is to show things about your characters just by putting them in specific settings.
Examples: If you were writing about a mysterious person, you might place them in a dark mansion on a hill outside of town; if you were writing about a musician, you might place them in a messy room filled with instruments, speakers, and microphones.
Sample Exercise
For each of the following characters, try to come up with a setting that will reflect or reinforce what you imagine about them.
As you write, try to be as detailed as possible.
Don’t forget colors, sounds, and even smells.
Focus on where the character is.
The shy new kid in town:
A secret scientist superhero:
A character from your novel:
Another character from your novel:
Source ⚜ Writing Notes & References ⚜ On Setting
650 notes · View notes
prompt-heaven · 1 year ago
Text
100 different AUs
academic au
alien au
alpha/beta/omega au
amnesia au
apocalypse au
artist au
arranged marriage au
assassin au
athlete au
babysitter/nanny au
bakery au
bartender au
billionaire au
bodyguard au
bodyswap au
bookstore au
bounty hunter au
brother's best friend/dad's best friend au
camgirl au
camp counselor au
chef au
circus au
coffee shop au
cowboy au
cult au
dark au
deserted island au
dog walker au
dystopian au
enemies to lovers/rivals au
fairy tale au
fake relationship au
fantasy au
farm au
firefighter au
fisherman au
flower shop au
friends with benefits au
ghost au
grocery store au
guardian angel au
haunted house au
historical au
hitchhiker au
holiday au
hospital au
hunter/prey au
kidnapping au
law enforcement au
library au
lifeguard au
lumberjack au
mafia/mob au
maid/butler au
magic au
master/slave au
mechanic au
mermaid au
model au
modern au
monster au
mundane au
music store au
neighbour au
office/coworker au
paranormal investigator au
pen pal au
pirate au
prison au
private detective au
reincarnation au
road trip au
rockstar au
roommate au
royalty au
scientist au
sex worker au
single parent au
slasher au
soulmates au
space au
spy au
stalker au
stepcest au
street racer au
sugar daddy au
superhero au
surfer au
tattoo artist au
teacher/professor/tutor au
time travel au
treasure hunter au
undercover au
vampire/werewolf au
veterinarian au
vigilante au
wedding planner au
western au
witch au
yandere au
3K notes · View notes
completelylegal · 8 days ago
Text
the ONE BIG THING THEY DONT TELL YOU WHEN YOU START WRITING is that you gotta be OKAY with deleting and editing. Not just prepared for it, not steeling yourself enough for it, you have to be OKAY with it. It has to be NORMAL. You have to go into it thinking that EVERYTHING is a rough draft that will be part of a CONTINUOUSLY EVOLVING piece.
And I mean this in every part of writing.
I’ve spent HOURS stuck on sentences I didn’t want to revise, chapters I didn’t want to admit didn’t fit into my narrative, even whole PLOTLINES that I had previously mapped out.
The point is, if you’re stuck because it feels wrong, it feels wrong for a reason.
and as a writer, you have to be used to the thought that not every idea needs to be there. because that’s how you end up refining the story you want to tell.
278 notes · View notes
rewritingrosie · 27 days ago
Text
LOOKING FOR A WRITING COMMUNITY?
INVITE LOADING . . .
Rune & Ruin * social is dedicated to helping creatives like you! Our community is gentle, pro-liberation, and safe for LGBTQ+ members, always — and we’re temporarily open to new members again!
If you’re interested, come check us out at the LINK HERE.
Tumblr media
ABOUT THE SERVER..
With an emphasis on establishing closely-knit, high quality support systems, our 17+, lovingly-crafted community is an easy home for all those who have an interest in creative writing, including screenwriters, artists, beta readers, and editors. All are welcome!
We has an invaluable amount of resource channels and forums accessible to members, updated near-daily. Exchange advice from aspiring, published, and debuting authors, join informal sprint contests, seek or sell commissions, and gossip about your favorite reads! You get what you put in.
At the end of the day, your safety, and comfort is our priority! We have an 18+ channel for mature literature and writing discussions, vent channels, and a variety of roles and aesthetic emotes for you to express yourself with. We host periodic events, including author collabs and ( yes!! ) book giveaways.
WHAT IF I’M IN AN CREATIVE BLOCK?
In * rune & ruin • social ଓ, there is no quota to produce. Take it slow. Just being involved is more than enough! We want to nurture you, not overwhelm you.
BIG SERVERS CAN BE INTIMIDATING. WHAT DO YOU DO TO REMEDY THAT?
Well, despite us being nearly 350+ members, most of us are split between several time zones. We prioritize healthy interactions, so it isn't like a sudden onslaught of self-promos between writers — no posting and dipping.
Most of our community members have known each other for several years now, and we really do care about building genuine friendships. If you interact with the prompts, chat revives, or even in casual conversation, it is very easy to bond with people here. That being said, staff is always here to help you with acclimating.
IS THE LINK EXPIRED? NOT WORKING?
If you have any difficulties, you can dm here, or on discord! My username is the same as it is on here, @rewritingrosie !
with love,
rosie !
145 notes · View notes
galwednesday · 5 months ago
Text
USA Ballot Measures Nov. 2024
41 states (and Washington DC) have ballot measures this year! Even if your state's electoral college result isn't in question, you may have ballot measures to vote on alongside the presidential election and state-wide elections.
Below the read more link is an alphabetical list of each state with ballot measures. Each state name links to the Ballotpedia.org page for that state's ballot measures, which will be updated with new developments as election day nears (some ballot measures are still tied up in court as of when I'm making this post in late September, so the approved ballot measures may change before you vote). Ballotpedia has information on each ballot measure, including what a yes/no would mean, arguments for and against, who supports/opposes each measure, and the full text of the measure.
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Utah
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
But wait, there's more!
We also have 2024 ballot measures for:
Washington, D.C.
Local ballot measures
Check the full Ballotpedia.org list of local ballot measure elections in 2024 to see if there are any in your area!
221 notes · View notes
novlr · 19 days ago
Text
Tumblr media
85 notes · View notes
abirddogmoment · 4 months ago
Text
thinking about how much time and mental effort I put into making sure my dog is exercised and enriched every day vs the new (largely north american) trend of never walking your dog because "they get enough during the day" (it's one hour of high arousal sports training) (where they sit in a crate for 40 mins of that) (and maybe a romp in a postcard-sized backyard if they're lucky) ((it's not enough for most dogs)) ((they're bragging about it))
52 notes · View notes
art-appreciation-dog · 5 months ago
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Neck muscles from different angles by Shape Foundations
60 notes · View notes
miodiodavinci · 5 months ago
Text
im being so so brave but also i am gripping you by the shoulders and leaning in and letting you know i am so tired of being brave
#my job has invented new and even more agonizing ways to make itself stressful to endure#and that isn't even counting the fact that i've now seriously fucked up my wrist transporting 30lb boxes up and down stairs#or the fact that i occasionally get piercing shoulder pains if i'm not super careful about how i use the hand truck#or the fact that whenever i come home on mondays my entire lower body is so sore that i can't move beyond a weak shuffle#it's the fact that my boss has no sense of organization#so my supervisor and i are basically salvaging or starting from scratch every week#it's the fact that some of our clients are asking for things we're not even contracted to provide#like access to our company materials or additional resources outside of our scheduled bookings#and that there's this constant looming threat of 'ohhh don't be bad at your job!! or else we'll lose our contract with these people!!'#but 'bad at your job' in this case means 'not bending over backwards to accommodate the least accommodating circumstances possible'#like 'hey you need to lead this training exercise meant for 20 people except actually you only have 4 people'#'and actually none of them are familiar with the prerequisites for this training or have any experience with the skills'#'and also none of them want to be there and half of them just Don't Do These Things as a rule'#'and if you try to make them do anything they don't want to do (even if it's literally the point of the training) they Will leave'#'and then we will no longer have enough clients to pay you'#like. what am i doing. this company was not designed to work with this format. we're not an arts and crafts group or a club meeting#hi so i wrote this post before starting weekend work prep#it has been 3 hours now#im still not done#i haven't eaten and my wrist hurts so bad#i need to.................. take a break................................
29 notes · View notes
emi-irl · 21 days ago
Text
taking care of yourself 101
here is a (mostly) comprehensive list of things that I have learned within my past 3 (almost 4) years now of being independent.
PART 1 : physical health
1.) get your basics down. drink water, eat good food with nutrients, get quality sleep, and move your body in some way. these are the building blocks of a pleasant existence, the bare minimum required to feel at peace in your flesh suit.
1.a) drink water. this is important because you need it to survive and for your brain to function properly. dehydration has negative effects on vigor, esteem-related affect, short-term memory, and attention. I've noticed within myself that when I'm dehydrated, my drive to get things done tanks, and I feel like I've failed everyone I've ever loved. so, add your MIO if you have to, but drink it.
1.b) eat good food with nutrients. do this in any way that works for you. blend your veggies into a pasta sauce, drink smoothies, eat and entire spinach salad, etc. and also make sure you're getting adequate protein intake. aim for whole food sources as much as possible to ease any tummy trouble, but do what works for you. whole food sources typically make me feel the best, and actually feel fueled for my day, so I tend to aim for 80% whole food, 20% processed.
1.c) quality sleep. this one is difficult for a lot of us, seeing as 1 in three adults suffer with insomnia, but do what you can. magnesium glycinate has done wonders for me, as well as sticking to consistent sleep/wake times when possible, and sleeping in a slightly cool room. getting sunlight in my eyes in the mornings is also great, but this winter I've been doing that less because of the cold, so don't stress too much about it. sleep is so important for brain and body recovery, and for overall health. lacking sleep can make overall existence feel bleh and you won't even know why.
1.d) moving your body. you do not have to be a gym goer who lifts weights, (although it is great for your health,) and you don't have to be an olympic level athlete in whatever sport. moving your body is a necessity, just like breathing. humans are active creatures, its a requirement! so, do whatever movement feels best for you and that you enjoy doing. yoga, walking, swimming, ice skating, pilates, stretching, soccer, volleyball, running, playing just dance, as long as you like it, do it!! the endorphins released in your brain when you participate in physical activity do wonders for your mood and mental health, and having a well functioning cardiovascular system and any sort of muscle mass will help you tons as you age.
PART 2 : mental health
2.) let the things that hurt you, hurt. relax around your pain as much as possible. feel its weight. only then can you let it go. for years, I repressed my trauma. I kept it in its little box, I refused to bat an eye at the horrors laid within it, I made myself guarded and "strong" in the face of it. after doing this for over a decade, it manifested into physical ailments that no doctor could figure out, and an inner turmoil that soiled relationships and made me feel like a horrid no good person. I didn't understand why someone yelling made me want to sob, I didn't get why slammed doors made my chest sink to the bottom of the ocean, and I didn't know why I continued to hurt the people I cared most about. only once I opened there box did it all start to unfold.
2.b) let the things that hurt you, hurt. the more you try and shift away from the pain that is settled deep within you, the more it appears in your day to day life. the more you try and repress tears and keep yourself from thinking about it, the worse it will be when its finally time to face it. if you feel the need to cry, cry. if you feel the need to rant, or yell or scream, to wallow in misery, or sob about how its unfair and life is hard, don't keep yourself from it. let the emotion have its moments. only then may it pass.
2.c) relax around your pain as much as possible. babies can survive tumbles down stairs, and people who are intoxicated are more likely to survive a car crash, and the more you tense in the face of your pain, the more it will hurt you. practice Yoga Nidra, deep breathing exercises, and learn what being relaxed feels like in your body. anything else will work its way out from there.
2.d) some more practical tips. get your thoughts out, talk to people, or put it on paper. learn your triggers and start to understand their root. practice mediation and breathing exercises. if you're a menstruating person, learn and understand the different phases of your cycle. stay off a screen as much as possible, and instead indulge in hobbies. get as much sunlight as you possibly can. get outdoors and interacting with nature as much as humanly possible. sit quietly with yourself frequently.
PART 3 : environmental health
3.) keep your space clean. do your laundry. weed out unhelpful relationships. create a routine for yourself. your environment effects you in more ways than you probably realize, and once you start to fine tune it, the better you will feel.
3.a) keep your space clean. I can admit, this one is still a major work in progress for me. it's probably the aspect I currently struggle with the most. my advice is to start small, and really take note of your habits. always have dirty clothes on the bathroom floor? put a basket in there. have trouble keeping things tidy? figure out your most relocated items and give them homes. trouble doing maintenance cleaning? give yourself small rewards whenever you complete difficult tasks. don't feel the need to completely overhaul-Marie-Kondo your life if that's not your thing. start small. go from there.
3.b) do your laundry. this one is probably my second biggest struggle. but, knowing I have clothes clean gives me a peace of mind like no other. figure out what aspect you hate the most and try and hack it. hate bending down to fold laundry? do it standing up at a table. have trouble getting yourself to switch it? take it to a second location (laundromat, partner or parents home, etc.) so you are forced to do it within a certain time frame. then, sit back and enjoy clean socks and underwear.
3.c) weed out unhelpful relationships. have people in your life who constantly make you doubt the person you are, who have bad habits you don't want to associate yourself with, or who keep you in the box of the person you've always been? its time to reevaluate. the people you spend your time around have an effect on you whether you like it or not, so filling your circle with people who uplift and support you, who help you to push through rough patches, and you can feel overall good around is essential. remember you don't owe anyone anything. block the number. remove the friend. do what you have to do for your best version of self, and better people will start to fill those gaps.
3.d) create a routine. if you're a human, your brain loves predictability. it loves having a pattern. even if its something as simple as you wake up in the morning and drink tea, your mind will thank you for it. plus, being on a consistent routine makes your day to day life easier. you don't have to think about what you're going to do, you just do it. start by making a morning and a night routine for yourself, and make two versions. one is the bare minimum required on any given day, and the other if for when you're feeling great and have the time for some extras. and remember to revisit the drawing board frequently to adjust it to work best for yourself.
PART 4 : general life advice
4.) do things that bring you genuine joy. eat warm bread, sit in a sunny windowsill, compliment a stranger, play video games, draw silly little guys, take a million MacBook selfies, whatever puts a smile on your face. don't keep yourself from life's subtle pleasantries. relish in the fact that you are alive with a heart that beats and a mouth that can smile. take note of the small joys you experience in your day to day. within such lies life's meaning.
5.) keep hygienic. brush your teeth, wash your face, shower frequently, wear deodorant, etc. you don't have to do anything super crazy for this one, but keeping up on hygiene is a good way to build self confidence and overall honor yourself. you are a person worthy of care. remember to treat yourself like it.
6.) listen to your intuition. this one takes a good amount of practice, but learn to differentiate good vs bad feelings in your body, and use that signal to guide you. take a lot of time in silence with yourself, learn to hold your opinions sacred, and get to know yourself. ask yourself questions like its a first date, and take note of your answers.
THATS ALL FOR NOW FOLKS!! I may make a part two depending on how I'm feeling, and feel free to ask any questions! my ask box is open. love y'all, and have a great day <3
9 notes · View notes
literaryvein-reblogs · 2 months ago
Text
Writing Notes: Compelling Characters
Tumblr media
Characters & Goals
“Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.” –Kurt Vonnegut
Characters should almost always have clear goals, even if these goals are not immediately made obvious to the reader.
Without goals, characters lack motivation—that is, they have little reason to do anything interesting.
For this reason, many writers connect the main character's goals to the main conflict in the story. This generally means that the main obstacle to those goals plays a key role in the plot as well (for instance, in the form of a villain).
Often, the main character is most interesting and when confronting his own shortcomings in pursuit of his goals.
There are a few ways to construct this character-plot connection:
CHARACTER-FIRST APPROACH
Constructs a story’s plot for a character that already exists.
It asks a writer to build a character that they find interesting and then assemble the plot around them.
Example: A character who is struggling to overcome a phobia might, as a plot element, come into contact with the thing she fears. Success in this instance would mean that she doesn’t let the fear overcome her.
PLOT-FIRST APPROACH
Starts by defining the major conflicts the writer wants to include in a piece of fiction and then builds a character who will be motivated by those conflicts.
Example: A writer could decide to explore the effect of a catastrophic storm on a city before writing a main character. A character that would feel motivated by this conflict would be one with a connection to the city or to someone living in the city. Therefore, the son of someone who went missing in the storm would likely be a good focal character for this story.
Small Goals & Big Goals
Though it’s important for characters to have at least one big goal, it can be boring for the reader if a character is totally preoccupied with a single motivation.
Strong characters generally have two or more goals of varying sizes that they might confront separately or at the same time.
The reader excitedly anticipates your character's success or failure in achieving their goals.
Believability
Another factor that can contribute to a successful character is an element called “verisimilitude,” also called “believability.”
When writers talk about believability, they talk about whether the constituent parts of a character make sense and feel cohesive.
Example: We might expect a character who gets paid minimum wage to struggle to pay her bills, so if we see her driving an expensive car or spending several hundred dollars on a meal at a fancy restaurant, we would question these details.
There are, of course, stories in which these situations could exist, but the reader would need to know what allowed them to happen (inheritance from a late relative, perhaps, or an irresponsible approach to personal debt).
Suspension of Disbelief
Stories that take place outside of a realistic modern setting will generally require some extra work on the part of the writer to make them believable.
This is because of an idea called “suspension of disbelief.”
This refers to the tendency of readers to challenge details of a story that seem out-of-place, but not to question those details if they are presented with enough contextual justification.
Example: A story contains people who can fly with human-size wings. The reader would need to learn early on that this is a normal event that occurs in the story world. A reader who unexpectedly encounters flying humans three-fourths of the way into a short story could easily be baffled by this development, and might also consider it a cheap cop-out if it's used to resolve a plot conflict.
Adding Physical Detail
In addition to planning your characters thoughtfully, you must also sketch them coherently on the page.
Careful selection of physical and environmental details will make some of your character’s traits visible to your reader without you having to tell them outright what you mean. Examples:
A character who is disorganized might have wrinkled clothing or might consistently arrive late to appointments.
An introverted character might bring a book or notebook everywhere they go and might also stay out of crowded spaces (or feel uncomfortable in those spaces).
Symbolic Meanings
Be aware of the other meanings that a detail can bring into a piece.
A physical detail, especially one that appears multiple times within a work, might also develop symbolic meanings in addition to its literal meaning.
Writing Exercise
In a short vignette, and using only physical details (e.g., characters' clothing, appearance, or body language), make it clear to a reader that a character is experiencing one of the following conditions: worry, hunger, grief, joy, confusion, lack of sleep, anxiety, homesickness.
The word you chose should not appear in your vignette, nor should any synonyms.
Adding Personality
Broadly, “personality” refers to the collection of beliefs, thought patterns, and other mental qualities that dictate a character’s actions.
A personality trait could be the character’s bubbly disposition, their self-deprecating humor, or the fact that they’re always nervous.
When constructing a character, it’s important to think about how she would react in a number of situations.
Here are some questions to help you discover your character’s personality traits:
Is he fond of attention, or does he avoid it?
Is she curious to learn more about a topic/location/person, or does she keep to herself?
How big of a role does fear play in his day-to-day activities?
How does this character react if things don’t go the way she wants them to?
Does he think that he’s more intelligent/less intelligent than others around him?
Does she think she’s average? How would she define “average?”
How does he feel about making decisions?
Does she make decisions quickly or slowly?
Does he tend to regret decisions they’ve made?
It’s helpful to connect these traits to elements from the character’s life or past.
Example: A character who grew up with a controlling parent might have difficulty making decisions once they start living on their own.
Personality traits might also overlap with physical traits.
Example: Talking too loudly or too softly or interrupting others.
It’s also important to make sure that your characters aren’t good at everything they come across.
Doing so will reduce your story’s believability because—let’s face it—no one is good at everything.
To this end, you should allow your characters to fail at something, whether that something is huge or inconsequential.
Writing Exercise
In a short vignette, deliver some news to your character.
The news can be good or bad.
It can affect just the character, or the entire world population, or any number of people in between.
How does this character react?
Who do they tell, if anyone?
How do they interact with the space they’re in (e.g. punch a wall, hug a stranger)?
Try this exercise several times with the same character but different contexts (e.g., the character receiving the news alone versus receiving it in a public place) to see how they react under different circumstances.
CAUTION: Using Fictionalized Versions of Real People
It’s common for writers to borrow details from real life—the shape of a stranger’s chin, a classmate’s clicking of their pen during a quiet exam, or the restaurant server’s shrill laugh, to give just a few examples—but a writer should be wary of recreating an entire person on the page.
There are legal reasons not to do this, of course, but there is also the danger that a story filled with too many real-life people and events will be flat and boring.
Fiction should generally be a healthy mix of the ordinary and extraordinary.
If the mix is skewed too far in one direction, the reader can find the piece too unbelievable or too boring.
Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ Writing Worksheet: Conflict Lists: 170 Character Quirks ⚜ +600 Personality Traits ⚜ 100 Sensory Words
259 notes · View notes
lynxfrost13 · 6 months ago
Text
Oh goodness… first time trying to do weights in a LONGGG ass time..
14 notes · View notes
river-in-the-woods · 9 months ago
Text
A meditation for devouring impurities
This is a visualisation exercise that I have used many times during depressive moods, to great effect. I have found it simple yet profound, and after prolonged practice it has provided me with nigh immediate relief. It is quite visceral in its imagery. Feel free to use it as an addition, not a substitution, for any medical treatment you need. May it serve.
Note: I am using the concept of pure and impure in the totally arbitrary and non-discriminatory sense of, containing only what we wish to contain.
– – –
Begin by visualising a dark, vast space. This represents the inner depths of your mind, so far down as to nearly touch your subconscious, but it is just within the reach of your waking mind.
Then, see your heart floating in the middle of that dark space. Understand that this is your heart, both the physical and mental form of it.
At this stage, I often see a real, anatomical beating heart. If you prefer, see it instead as a crystal or something else, so long as it feels tangible.
Think of the 'impurities' that trouble you. Sorrow, anger, pain, guilt, grief, envy, confusion... Whatever it might be.
At this depth of one's mind, these things take a form that can be felt and touched. They have weight and texture.
Very often I will simply see them as a sort of thick, black, slimy tar that coats my heart in thick layers.
Spend as long as you need to really feel the presence of these things. We are giving them form, so that we can interact with them. What is given form can be transformed.
Now, think of the stars in the night sky. We are working with the concept that stars and starlight is – spiritually and symbolically – the purest substance in existence. For light is fire that penetrates through all space, and it is pure because it contains only itself, and transforms all things into its likeness (light makes other things lighter).
Think of how, in a way, light pierces through darkness and “creates” more light, or the way fire consumes things to create more fire. It simultaneously devours and self-perpetuates. Starlight is then, symbolically containing both the powers of piercing and burning, while self-perpetuating and remaining true to itself.
See the stars descend and take the forms of fierce beasts. Most often I think of wolves. They shine bright and stark against the darkness. They are simultaneously bestial but pure, an ennobled form of the atavistic and animalistic powers.
They crowd around your heart and begin to rip and tear off the black tar, snapping up enormous morsels of it, sharing it amongst themselves in a feeding frenzy. Because the star-beasts are made of pure substance, the impurities cannot withstand their light, and are completely burned away to stardust inside their stomachs.
Spend a good long time on this part. Really feel the weight of the heavy substance being pulled off of your heart, consumed and totally disintegrated.
Finally, after all the tar is gone, the star-beasts lick up the last pieces. Then they dissolve into your heart, filling up any wounds or cracks that were revealed during the feeding.
Since they are made of light and are completely pure and malleable, they simply become whatever part of you they need to be. They fortify and strengthen, heal and soothe. They vitalise you without needing anything in return, because the nature of stars is to shine regardless.
24 notes · View notes
thepedanticbohemian · 2 years ago
Text
Tumblr media
102 notes · View notes
ruiningthesoup · 7 months ago
Text
I find it a bit frustrating that the user base on tumblr has finally clocked on to the idea that posting online is Not Activism and that we have to do something irl, but refuses to popularise knowledge about how to organise (in communities, around campaigns etc) and replicates many of the barriers to organising by positing that not having all the information about a subject is a good reason to disengage lest you should repeat some semantic error.
LISTEN TO ME. YOU WILL LEARN MORE THEORY AND BUILD SUPPORT NETWORKS BY TURNING UP TO A MEETING AND ASKING SOME QUESTIONS. reading theory online is fine and even good! but your political education is not an isolated event! you can and should learn from other people where possible and make up your own mind based on material realities IN ADDITION TO scholarly thought.
sometimes you might be wrong. sometimes you might change your mind based on new information. these are not factors that should stop you from opening your mind to working with others in search of a collectivised future
11 notes · View notes
novlr · 26 days ago
Text
Tumblr media
82 notes · View notes