i'm a writer, but i'm just here to feed my current fixations (star wars, at the moment). 22, she/her
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Show, don’t tell
"Show, don’t tell" means letting readers experience a story through actions, senses, and dialogue instead of outright explaining things. Here are some practical tips to achieve that:
1. Use Sensory Details
Tell: "The room was cold."
Show: "Her breath puffed in faint clouds, and she shivered as frost clung to the edges of the window."
Tell: "He was scared."
Show: "His hands trembled, and his heart thudded so loudly he was sure they could hear it too."
2. Focus on Actions
Tell: "She was angry."
Show: "She slammed the mug onto the counter, coffee sloshing over the rim as her jaw clenched."
Tell: "He was exhausted."
Show: "He stumbled through the door, collapsing onto the couch without even bothering to remove his shoes."
3. Use Dialogue
What characters say and how they say it can reveal their emotions, intentions, or traits.
Tell: "She was worried about the storm."
Show: "Do you think it'll reach us?" she asked, her voice tight, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt.
4. Show Internal Conflict Through Thoughts or Reactions
Tell: "He was jealous of his friend."
Show: "As his friend held up the trophy, he forced a smile, swallowing the bitter lump rising in his throat."
5. Describe the Environment to Reflect Mood
Use the setting to mirror or hint at emotions or themes.
Tell: "The town was eerie."
Show: "Empty streets stretched into the mist, and the only sound was the faint creak of a weathered sign swinging in the wind."
6. Let Readers Infer Through Context
Give enough clues for the reader to piece things together without spelling it out.
Tell: "The man was a thief."
Show: "He moved through the crowd, fingers brushing pockets, his hand darting away with a glint of gold."
7. Use Subtext in Interactions
What’s left unsaid can reveal as much as what’s spoken.
Tell: "They were uncomfortable around each other."
Show: "He avoided her eyes, pretending to study the painting on the wall. She smoothed her dress for the third time, her fingers fumbling with the hem."
8. Compare to Relatable Experiences
Use metaphors, similes, or comparisons to make an emotion or situation vivid.
Tell: "The mountain was huge."
Show: "The mountain loomed above them, its peak disappearing into the clouds, as if it pierced the heavens."
Practice Example:
Tell: "The village had been destroyed by the fire."
Show: "Charred beams jutted from the rubble like broken ribs, the acrid smell of ash lingering in the air. A child's shoe lay half-buried in the soot, its leather curled from the heat."
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Here is my small piece of advice/plea for for the future for y'all for today, and I may be lightly skirting an NDA to say it, so please listen:
If you can, buy physical books.
I work in publishing and I'm scared about what the election results are going to mean for the future of books by and about marginalized people, especially books for children. There are a lot of things you can do by trying to get involved locally, especially to mobilize against book bans and laws targeting libraries and schools. Voting with your wallet is still an extremely important tactic, because we're going to be hit with economic issues re: diverse books before we get hit with legal ones. But my immediate concern is what might happen with e-books.
It's already a known problem that if you "buy" a book on Kindle or another e-reader, that you're essentially renting it from that retailer, and if that retailer decides to remove that book, they can wipe it from your device. We also know that servers can be shut down. Content policies can change. It could get very difficult to find a copy of the files to pirate, much less to purchase.
But you can't delete a physical book from the world.
Physical books are about to become very important repositories. Collect them, if you can. Go to library sales. Go to thrift stores. Go to your local bookstore -- and bonus point here: independent bookstores are and will be great hubs for organizing in the coming days. Hell, I'd even encourage you to go through Amazon to send a message that these books are still financially viable. Lord knows the latter doesn't want to advertise them to you.
I know (I know) that physical books are expensive and getting more so. I know space is at a premium in a world where we're being pushed to live in smaller and smaller apartments with more and more roommates. But if there's a book that was important to you, and if it's a book you think a bigot wouldn't want to exist in the world, I urge you to get your hands on a physical copy of that book. If nothing else, to preserve it for the next generation.
ALL of us can be librarians. ALL of us can be archivists. ALL of us can work together to preserve marginalized voices, and to ensure that they are heard.
I love you. Keep fighting. We're in this together.
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hello again (bill clinton limewire voice) my fellow americans
There are a few states that actually have Shield/Refuge laws designed to help trans people fleeing from trans-unsafe states, which also guarantee trans folks access to healthcare. These states are:
California
Colorado
Illinois
Oregon
Vermont
Washington
Minnesota
New Mexico
Maine
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Washington D.C.
Additionally, some states have "trans sanctuary" executive orders signifying safety for trans folks seeking healthcare. These states are:
Maryland
New Jersey
New York
Living as a resident in these states means you are protected by state's rights and state government to continue or begin receiving trans healthcare. These laws have been codified in their states so everything has been a-ok'd by their state governments.
Stay alive. You got this. I love you.
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Reblog to give a trans woman a warm cup of soup
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Please, spread this for those who might need it right now
U.S. suicide hotline: call or text 988 (available 24 hours)
U.S. trans lifeline: (877) 565-8860 (when you call, you’ll speak to a trans/nonbinary peer operator. full anonymity and confidentiality)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357) – provides 24/7 confidential support and referrals for individuals and families facing mental health and substance use disorders, including panic attacks and anxiety.
LGBT National Help Center: (888) 843-4564
Trevor Project: Call (866) 488-7386, text START to 678-678, or chat online.
Take care of yourself and each other. Please stay safe ♡
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NATALIE PORTMAN as PADMÉ AMIDALA STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005)
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Might be in part due to the stress but this news legit just made me cry.
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if you are feeling hopeless right not i do not blame you, but just remember that this is not over. there is more to be done after elections; if we give up hope now we are only dooming ourselves. take the time you need for now to grieve and then pick yourself up when you're ready. as long as we are still here, there is still something worth fighting for
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Reblog to hug prev poster (they need a hug)
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also, polling places aren’t opening the whole day tomorrow. make sure you know when your polling places close and open.
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can you reblog a two-part post in the correct order?
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fundraiser compilation
the posts i've made boosting the campaigns of gazans that have reached out to me have stagnated so i've decided to make a new post to bring more attention to them again. here are the fundraisers:
Abdallah Mousa: GFM ($2,007/$30,000), Paypal. vetted here
Ahmed Alanqar: GFM (€64,577/€75,000) vetted here
Ibrahim Hussein: GFM ($48,970/$100,000), Paypal, vetted here
Mohammed Iwais: GFM (kr615,376/kr800,000) vetted here
Siraj Abu Dayyeh: GFM ($88,082/$150,000 CAD) vetted here
Nour Ashour: GFM (£4,587/£80,000) vetted here
Youssef Al-Habeel: GFM (€25,260/€30,000) vetted here (#406)
i don't really know what to say anymore. i keep trying to find new ways to motivate people to donate but just don't know. there are only a limited amount of ways you can say "please donate to these people who are suffering hell so they can continue to survive". but i'll try again anyways: please, if you have money to spare, donate to one or multiple of these fundraisers. and if you decide to do so make it soon because not only do they need it, don't think "i will donate later" and forget to do it or get busy with something else (cause i know this is the adhd website). don't let your forgetfulness cost people.
and if you can't donate? please just reblog. it's the press of a button. it is genuinely that simple and the least you can do if you cannot donate! please! share, spread it as much as you can to people who can afford to donate now!
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link to the article
siraj's tumblr blog
siraj's gofundme
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