The Skellingcorner

[sweetlittlevampire]

[just-shower-thoughts]

If a ghost can open cupboards and break things, why not just take a pencil, find paper, write exactly why it’s unhappy, and tape the message on the fridge.

[agwitow]

It just became second nature to close all the cupboards first thing in the morning (even though they’d been closed the night before). Which was when things escalated from banging cupboard doors to actually breaking things.

Faucets, door handles, curtain rods ripped from the wall… all the repairs started to add up.

“Look, I didn’t mind having an ethereal roommate, but I can’t afford to keep fixing all this shit. Here’s a pencil and some paper. Just write what’s bothering you–I doubt you could put anything that would be more expensive than having a plumber come out to replace all the faucets again.”

The next morning there’s a scrawl line at the top of the page that devolved into an angry scribbling mess that tore through the page. Two cupboard doors were entirely ripped off.

“I don’t want to get someone in to banish you, but this is ridiculous. Just tell me what you want.”

The second piece of paper is ripped into shreds and several knives are embedded in the wall.

A careful examination of the paper scraps show that it had the same scribbles as the first piece.

A quick trip to the library and a stop at a store later, there are kindergarten workbooks on learning to write spread across the counter.

“Look, I don’t know if you’re just being difficult, but I hope not. So I got an audiobook on learning to read and write, and here are some workbooks for kids–don’t get mad–to teach them their letters. Just press play on the stereo, and work through the books at your own pace. I’ll get more when you finish.”

The first workbook is half-completed before being ripped to pieces, but at least there was no other damage. Replacing it is significantly cheaper than replacing cupboard doors.

It takes awhile, but eventually the workbooks progress to a fifth grade level. These ones are starting to be more costly (they’re bigger, for one thing), but it’s not even the money anymore. Little notes scrawled in a shaky hand appear on the steamy bathroom mirror

Have A gooD dy

Or written in ketchup on the counter (that was a frightening sight the first time)

You R out of MLK

And then one day there’s a message taped to the fridge. The spelling and penmanship isn’t the best, but it’s legible and even signed.

Dear Occupente,

I have haunted this spot for ovr three huner hudre 300 years. My bones are dust and I am fergotN. I do not have wants to trap me. I am here 4 ever.

I am bord. Lonly.

I am sorrY 4 breaking things.

We be frends?

Syncerly Eloise

[tygermama]

I love you, Eloise

[moonlightcaughtyoureye]

@vamp-prince-mikhael

[writingwithcolor]

[tangzhuang]

I’m putting it out there that using round wide eyes to implicitly state innocence and purity in a character; and small “slanty” eyes to convey dishonesty and deceit in your antagonist is actually racist lmfao.

I see some of you bring out this concept in you character designs over and over and yeah it’s not a conscious thought process but thinking “this is the evil character who is morally decrepit - how should I really bring that out in their image?” And then linking that immediately to drawing smaller eyes is racist yellow peril derived stereotyping.

I’m sure most of us have been guilty of this at some stage including myself so can we all just grow up and leave this bullshit behind in this year? 谢谢

[shwetanarayan]

Other “evil” looks based in bigotry:

- dark/heavy/thick eyebrows (racism/antisemitism)

- hooked noses vs “cute”/button/patrician (ditto)

- faces described as angular (as opposed to like strong-boned or whatever)

- “swarthy” complexion (thanks tolkien)

- blonde hair/blue eyes = hero/ine

- accents.

- “shifty eyes” iirc, I remember learning they just indicate a lot of thinking, which could be lying, yes, orrr dealing with a second language/unfamiliar dialect, or dealing with NTs as someone who’s not, or trying to figure out if the authority figure is trying to get you to agree to something they can use against you, or…

[laurellynnleake]

Bigotry around disability that often intersects with racism includes making villains or “shifty” characters dramatically scarred and/or having acne/acne scars, missing eyes or limbs/digits, walking with a limp and/or cane, missing and/or crooked teeth (this one can also be pretty classist, and “buck teeth” and a gap between the front teeth have a history of anti-Asian and anti-Black caricature behind them, respectively), overweight in a way that’s portrayed as “disgusting” proof of their “greed” or like moral decay or whatever, etc! 

These visual markers often get layered on top of the above racist stereotypes to make a character’s design seem more “untrustworthy” or “creepy” or “unsettling,” hypersexualized/fetishized/desexualized, “aggressive” or “passive”, “mean and “scary” or “cowardly and despicable”, and so on and so on - always ask yourself and your subconscious WHY they do these things!  And ABSOLUTELY hold yourself accountable for this, (my fellow white artists especially!!!)!  Fighting the racist messages we’ve taken in our entire lives takes work, and it takes time, and it’s always worth doing. 

[its-a-writer-thing]

Injury Profiles: Sprained Ankle

[scriptmedic]

Hey everyone! I’m starting a new series of posts with injury profiles, injuries you can almost drag-and-drop into your stories to enhance your drama, give your characters new obstacles, and add a dash of realism to your tales!

Also, this post first appeared on Patreon. Want to see the freaking future? Consider becoming a Patron today!

What Is It?

An ankle sprain is an injury to the muscles that control the foot. The “ankle” as we typically describe it is the joint where the bones of the lower leg (tibia and fibula) join with the tarsal bones of the feet (the heelbone and bones of the mid foot). The bones further down along the sole of the foot are the metatarsals, and the toes are a set a phalanges (just like the fingers).

The ankle joint, like the wrist joint, is a complex set of muscles, tendons and ligaments that allow for not only substantial motion and weight bearing, but for stability and flexion of the foot.

When that joint becomes injured due to improper flexion, the tendons over-stretch and become injured. The damage causes local inflammation, swelling, and significant pain.

Unlike the wrist, the ankle bears the entire bodyweight of the character involved in it, so the character may limp or be unable to walk at all.

The ankle will be painful, almost always swells, and in some cases may have significant bruising on the ankle and foot. In severe cases bruising can extend up the side of the calf.

How Does it Happen?

Ankle sprains typically occur when the foot is planted improperly. Many times it’s due to rough terrain, stepping off a curb, or characters simply not looking  where they’re stepping.

Usually, the foot rotates inward and underneath the leg as weight is applied. (This is called an inversion injury.)

Usually the pain is immediate and progresses quickly, but sometimes the sprain isn’t immediately apparent. Someone can “roll” their foot underneath their leg, feel pain for a minute or two, and then feel fine, only to wake the next day with swelling, bruising, and pain.

First Aid

First aid of a sprained ankle will involve NICER: NSAIDs (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen, …), Ice, Compression, Elevation, and Rest. (This is also known as RICE treatment).

NSAIDs: Your characters will want painkillers to manage the pain, but also to reduce inflammation. Whatever analgesic is common in their area will suffice, and these meds are available over-the-counter. Your character will likely not require opioids like oxycodone for pain management.

Ice: For the first few hours after the injury, your character will want to apply ice or a cold pack for 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off. This is to reduce swelling over the next few days.

Compression:  an ACE wrap, roller gauze, or tape can be used to compress the ankle (as long as the toes below it maintain circulation; medically-inclined characters will watch the color of their foot and how long it takes blood to return to toenail beds after compression of the nail).

Elevation: To reduce swelling, the characters will want to elevate the limb as often as possible. They may place pillows under it to sleep, and rest the leg on their desk or table (or another chair) to keep fluid from pooling in the foot and ankle.

Rest: The ankle will need time without weight on it in order to heal.

Definitive Care

Characters will by-and-large be able to get away without seeing a physician, but if the pain and swelling don’t improve within a week, they’ll need to get an X-ray to make sure they don’t have an ankle fracture. Severe pain over either side of the “ankle bones” (the lateral and medial malleolus, which are actually the distal end of the tibia and fibula) is another indication that the ankle will need X-rayed.

Otherwise, this is one your characters can treat at home (or wherever they’ve acquired their newfound limp).

Surgery / Hospitalization

Unless there are extreme complications (such as tendon rupture, fracture, or compartment syndrome), this injury will not require surgery.

Features of Recovery

The ankle will slowly heal over 1-6 weeks depending on the severity of the injury. The character may work to maintain flexibility in the ankle by a very simple form of rehabilitation: tracing the alphabet with their big toe on the affected side.

Many characters who see physicians after ankle sprains will be given crutches to keep weight off the affected ankle.

Capabilities Retained

The use of the body above the hips is unaffected. Cognition is unaffected. Characters may be able to perform non-physical jobs (like writing, editing, graphic design, …), depending on how/if they commute. They may be able to take short walks.

Disabilities

Characters with sprained ankles will suffer from limited mobility. They may be completely unable to bear weight with the affected ankle and may require crutches, or may simply have a severe limp that improves as the injury heals.

Walking: May be slowed or may cause a limp. Will be painful. May slow recovery.

Running: Likely impossible in most stages of healing. If attempted, will set recovery back at least a week.

Stairs: Characters with ankle sprains will likely have a difficult time with stairs and rough terrain.

Hiking: Characters with very mild sprains may be able to hike short distances, but the act will aggravate and worsen the injury.

Potential Complications

Severe ankle sprains may cause rupture of the Achilles tendon, which may require surgical intervention.

Ankle sprains may come with ankle fractures, which will require a cast/boot and mobility device (crutches or a wheelchair).

Total Recovery Time

Mild sprains: 1–2 weeks.

Moderate sprains: 4-6 weeks.

Severe sprains: 8-12 weeks.

---

I hope this was useful!

xoxo, Aunt Scripty

disclaimer    

Becoming a Patron lets you see the freaking future. Have you considered becoming a clairvoyant?

Free eBook: 10 BS “Medical” Tropes that Need to Die TODAY!  

[writerswritecompany]

Writing For Children – 12 Practical Tips To Get You Started

[lumpalindaillustrations]

✨✨Pink lady process ✨✨

[writingwithcolor]

“Next Village Over” Face Mixed Woman

My mother is Black, Puerto Rican, Possible Native American (see below) and Danish. My father is Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and German. I have a look that a Military boyfriend once told me military intelligence called “One Village Over” because I could be dropped in lots of countries and blend in as a local.

Something that needs saying: Back in the day, in the South, it was safer to be Native American than Black. In some cases, people’s “Cherokee” ancestors may have been Black or Mixed Race people who wrote themselves down as whatever the local tribe was in self defense. This may not have always been the case, but I feel it needs to be said with all the romanticizing of ancestry and “my great-great-great grandmother was a Cherokee Princess!” Holy crap. I’m a romantic, yes, and some stuff really is better with princesses, but your family tree isn’t necessarily one of those things.

Culture: My mother raised me more Puerto Rican than anything. I am very very stereotypically Western feminine in many ways and I was planning a Quince Años. Sadly, my 15th birthday would have been 09/26/2001. Yup, 15 days after the Twin Towers were hit. I felt it was heinously inappropriate, growing up in a DC suburb, to have a massive party and celebration of life that close to such a tragedy. So I cancelled.

I have regretted it ever since. I am the only girl cousin for a few generations. I watched, however, as my Latinx classmates went off to buy a pink dress, or white if you were super traditional, tried on tiaras and took waltz lessons. It always felt a little like my womanhood had been forgotten. I was coddled by my family until I was in my mid-twenties, and, even though I hit puberty shockingly early (9 years old), I was always the “baby”.

I am now nearing 30 and have decided to fix this. My mother and I embraced the writings of Jill Connor Browne in my teen years and I feel that “if no-one has (crowned me Quinceañera) by now, it’s high time I do it myself.” Being mixed race, I’ve always come at my cultural heritage at an angle, so the fact that I am not traditionally Christian, not a teenage girl, and using a Geeky theme seems oddly fitting.

Daily struggles: 

“Where are you from?” (Virginia.)

“What race are you?” (Mixed. Most people don’t believe me if I tell them.)

“I just love *insert whatever race they think I am here* women!” (Just stop. That isn’t a compliment. Even if you get it right. Some women have a kink for being fetishized. Not me.)

People speaking Spanish to me. Sometimes they change it up and use Korean, Greek, Tagalog, Kreyol, or some other language I only know by sound. (I speak English, a tiny bit of Spanish, a little French and only enough German, Japanese and Latin to get in trouble at parties. Stop assuming I speak a language because you think you know my Ethnicity.)

Identity issues: I don’t JUST identify as Latinx. I am also Black and White. I have had doctors default to assuming I’m White, which might kill me if they misdiagnose me because “you can’t possibly have that disease! You aren’t Black/Spanish enough.” Of course, it’s just as troubling when they decide I’m Latinx and immediately hand me a doctor/nurse who starts speaking Spanish at me, because I forgot most of my Spanish when circumstances put me in a French immersion school.

Also, there is a stereotype that Latinx people are uneducated or are lazy about education and will find any excuse to slack off at school. I read everything I can. Always have. I come from a very well-to-do Puerto Rican family and my mother was a scientist’s daughter, so I was not allowed to be a lazy student. It always confused my classmates that I was in advanced English and History, but in Special Education Math and Science. Surely, if I was Special Ed., I must be a “lazy, troublemaking Latina”. At least one teacher had this impression as well, and seemed to go out of her way to treat me as such, as well as dismissing my depression as “needing to think positive”. I am still shedding that baggage and trying to teach myself that I am not stupid or lazy or a troublemaker.

Tropes/Stereotypes I’m tired of seeing:

“Spicy Latina” (I identify as Latinx. But, I was born shy, and sass and sex appeal do not come naturally to me. Latinx people can be confident and sexy and sassy, but please, make them more than that and don’t let that be all of them.)

Lazy Latino Criminal/in-the-making (Plenty of Latinx folk are studious and lawful. We aren’t all illegals and most illegals are just trying to make a living, so really? How lazy is that?)

Strident Catholic Latinxs (I was raised Episcopalian and am now Unitarian Universalist leaning towards Spiritualist/Low Christianity. My relatives in Puerto Rico are mostly Episcopalian, Baptist and Lutheran.)

All Latinx Witches are Brujos (Brujeria is Central American. Other cultures may have their own different syncretic faiths, because they have different cultures backing them. Yoruba is not Igbo is not  Asante. Mexico is not Cuba is not Brazil.)

Thanks for your time!

[fandonetrash]

[psych2go]

You can follow FaceBook here

[its-a-writer-thing]

[midenianscholar]

As a young writer, I didn’t know the difference between plot and narrative — or how to make both work for the most compelling hook, arc, and story. Lucy Christopher at Bath Spa University was the first to sit down with me and really explain it.

You need both plot and narrative hints to hook a reader. It’ll take a lot of revisions to get the balance of this right, but hooks that instantly immerse you in the story have this in common: Plot and narrative are working together.

In the opening of Hugo, for instance, the action (plot) that changes everything is when our protagonist tries to steal a mechanical mouse and is caught. But the reason he’s stealing the mouse is his narrative “goal” — he wants to repair the only thing left from his father (so, boiled down, he wants family). The story doesn’t give all of that right up-front, but lets it unfold. The hint is the hook.

So, what do I mean: Plot vs. Narrative?

Keep reading

[alexreadsboooks]

Day 24 of #marchmonthofmythology was Dionysus - Recommend a book from your country
*
Good morning! I really hope my favourite god can forgive me for posting this a day late.
Anyways, I ended up picking two. My copy of Perfume by Patrick Süskind is battered and well read at this point. I first read it back when the movie came out and it’s been a favourite ever since.
The other book is a collection of poems by someone from my grandparents’ village, written in their local dialect of Luxembourgish. The title “Up to here the Mosel was red” is a reference to a legend about the chapel that’s a bit before the village if you come from Trier. According to that legend when the Romans killed Christians in Trier, the blood of the martyrs turned the river red up to the point where later the chapel was built (it’s also named Martyrs’ chapel after that). That would have been about 30km of river I believe which seems a little excessive even by Roman standards 😅
Are there any books from your region that you would recommend?
*
*
#bookstagram #bookish #booklover #bookworm #booklr #books #bibliophile #marchbookchallenge #bookstagrammer #booklove #booksofinstagram #instabook #read #reading #reader #buch #bücher #lesen #bookstagramfeature  #bookphotography #leser #igbooks #bookishallure

[writerswritecompany]

[the-enchanted-storybook]

[did-you-kno]

Saturn is especially eerie…

Source