The Skellingcorner

sleepyclover-blog

people are allowed to leave you.
people are allowed to break up with you.
people are allowed to love you but not want to be with you.
people are allowed to not want to talk to you.
people are allowed to put their happiness before yours and do what makes them happy even if it does not include you.
people are allowed to move on from you.
people are allowed to fall in love with someone else.
people are allowed to not want you in their life.
people are allowed to do whatever they want to better themselves and become the version of themselves they are trying so hard to love.
don’t be bitter towards someone who is only trying to be happy.

la-vie-en-lys janiedean

“before talking about egypt” post

bloglikeanegyptian

because i’m really tired of rhetoric regarding egypt on this website, and because i’m tired of repeating the same things over and over, here’s a post of things every person who posts something about egypt should be aware of before opening their big fat mouths:

egyptians do not ascribe to western racial constructs. repeat this several times. egyptians aren’t white, or black, or white-passing, or brown until they’re forced to identify under these by westerners. like “poc” these terms are meaningless without something to compare it to. when you call people living in their own country “poc,” you sound like an idiot.

before mouthing off about “ancient/real egyptians” and “modern coloniser egyptians,” this is what egyptians look like:

but they also look like this:

and this:

none of these are considered “more egyptian” than the other, and if we don’t do it, frankly you shouldn’t.

(i had to take some of these off a government propaganda video, i hope you’re happy. also watch it, it’s pretty catchy.)

here is egypt on a map: (x)
as you can see, egypt is located in northern africa. this makes egypt an african country. it is also usually included in the politically vague “middle east,” or more accurately the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. egypt is a culturally arab country. this makes it african and arab. egyptians identify as both without issue. it is not a big deal, nor is it up to you to tell us what to identify as.

egypt has also had the same borders for around 5000 years, give or take, due to the nile being a major factor in where the concentration of populations are. therefore ancient egyptians were also north african, with close interactions with the kushite kingdom in the south, where Sudan is now. got it? ancient egypt, geographically = egypt + sudan. we know exactly where ancient egypt was located. they were nice enough to write everything down.

egyptians were never enslaved by americans or taken to america. while the egyptian diaspora is large, most egyptian immigrants are recent first or second generation. this means that egyptians have no claim to african american history, and vice versa.
nubian egyptians still exist. they are a minority in upper (southern) egypt that faces erasure, oppression and discrimination.

before deciding that ancient and modern egyptians are two separate species, please remember that egyptians still use the same farming tools, agricultural calendar, and even words as ancient egyptians. we even celebrate the the longest running holiday in history.

before blaming “arabs” for “changing egypt’s ethnicity”* please remember that by the time Muslim conquests arrived in Egypt, Egypt had already been occupied by the Greeks and Roman Byzantines for several hundred years, not to mention intermixing with Hyksos, Assyrians and Kushites since the Late Intermediate period. Egypt has always been diverse. despite that, even wikipedia will tell you that vast majority of egypt’s population is ethnically egyptian.and here’s another source. and another. shut up about this already.

the Egyptians have been in place since back in the Pleistocene and have been largely unaffected by either invasions or migrations. As others have noted, Egyptians are Egyptians, and they were so in the past as well. (x)

the purpose of this is not to deny that under US-centric classifications, most ancient egyptians would be considered black*, because they most certainly wouldand white-washing of ancient egypt is prevalent and harmful*, but to assert that modern egyptians are not a separate ethnicity from their ancestors and that separating “modern” and “ancient” egyptians is equally harmful, and denies egyptians a connection to their own heritage.
here are some posts i’ve made to clarify how race works in egypt*

Arab is a cultural term, not an ethnic one. Identification as Arab is based on linguistic, political and cultural influences*, not ethnic ones. Egypt identifies as Arab today due to the arab nationalist movement in the 1950s, which was a response to British colonialism.*

you cannot appropriate ancient egyptian “culture”. stop telling white people they can’t wear cleopatra outfits. this is what our tourism industry is based on.*
appropriating our heritage,stealing our artefacts*, and claiming our history as your own does not fall under “cultural appropriation”* and it is really harmful and annoying.

for reference, this is what egyptian traditional dress looks like:

(not super accurate because it differs in different parts of egypt, but you get the idea. surprise, it’s not cleopatra outfits after all!)
here is a list of the absolute stupidest (and most popular) posts regarding egypt i’ve seen on my dash that you should absolutely 100% not reblog ever:

and my personal favorite:

(please do not reblog any of these they have caused more pain and grief to egyptians on this website than exodus ever will.)
so to sum up: don’t tell egyptians what to identify as, don’t tell egyptians what they’re supposed to look like, don’t force egyptians into stupid western racial classifications and don’t talk about egypt unless you have basic knowledge of egypt.

* links with (*) on them lead to posts on my own blog that clarify each point or explain it further, not outside sources. i only have basic knowledge of most issues from an egyptian point of view, but that’s still more than 99% of the people on this website so you might as well listen to me instead of giving the fucking indo-aryan post 75k notes.

Source: bloglikeanegyptian

egypt sjws

fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment nobodysuspectsthebutterfly

thewritingcafe:
“ BASICS:
“ Genres:
• Alternate World: A setting that is not our world, but may be similar. This includes “portal fantasies” in which characters find an alternative world through their own. An example would be The Chronicles of...

Source: nimblesnotebook-blog

genre fantasy list

gifintheflesh

in the flesh saveintheflesh itfedit inthefleshedit simon monroe emmett scanlan emmet j scanlan season 2 S02E05 gif by katie actual puppy simon monroe

zoeyrph

Conquering Six Enemies of Deep Point of View

Some roleplays require you to write in third person deep point of view (different to third person POV). Here’s a few tips that’ll help you with this narrative voice! Please note that this wasn’t written by me, and credit goes here. [x]
So you know the rules of point of view (POV), the difference between first and third person. You understand what writers refer to as “deep POV.” You’ve decided you want to write that way, offering your reader an immersive experience in the thoughts and senses of your character. But when looking at your scenes, how do you know you’re writing deep? And if you’re not, how do you start?
1) Eliminate sense verbs; instead, describe the sense itself. This is the difference between He saw a flower growing through the gaps in the fence and A flower grew through the gaps in the fence. In the first, the reader is seeing the character see something. In the second, the reader is seeing what the character sees. For the same reason, deep POV characters should never remark on their own blushing cheeks or white smile (unless they’re standing in front of a mirror). This principle can be applied to all of the senses, almost all the time. He heard an alarm blaring from the hallway vs. An alarm blared from the hallway. Tell us the coffee tasted too sweet, not that she tasted the coffee.

Keep reading

rph rpa rpc rpcw zotipsgenerously rphelp

nimblesnotebook-blog

Do you want to publish through the traditional route? Well getting a literary agent can definitely help you there!
A literary agent is someone who represents authors and their books. They work on commission, so they only get paid when you get paid,... — Do you want to publish through the traditional route? Well getting a literary agent can definitely help you there!
A **literary agent** is someone who represents authors and their books. They work on commission, so they only get paid when you get paid, and they’re always looking for a manuscript to fall in love with. Here are just a few things a literary agent can do:
Some agents will help you polish up your manuscript before submitting it to editors at publishing houses (this may include light editing or suggestions for changes)
Agents can negotiate contracts for you since they know the publishing industry a lot better than most authors
Agents submit your work to editors for you
Some agents will work with sub-rights (audio books, translations, movie rights, etc.) and some will have other agents at their agency to do that for you
Agents can match you with the right publisher (assuming the publisher takes you on too)
Not all authors need a literary agent, but they can be quite helpful. However, some publishing houses (mostly the larger ones) will not work with authors who do not have a literary agent for a number of reasons.
Once you’ve found the agents you want to contact (you can find them through sites such as querytracker), it’s a good idea to make sure you have everything right. Here is a checklist to go through before you send out your query letters.
**1) Is your manuscript the best it can be?**
Above I mentioned some agents may be editorial, but this does not mean they want your first draft. They want to see the best you’ve got. If they fall in love with your story but see that it needs some changes or editing, two things might happen:
They may ask you to revise and then resubmit. If this happens, when you resubmit your query mention that they asked for revisions.
They may offer representation and, if you accept, work with you to polish up your manuscript. Some agents are more editorial than others.
**2) Is your query letter the best it can be?**
Your query letter and your sample pages work together as the ticket to representation. Some agents do not get past the query letter, so it has to be superb.
Follow all of the submission guidelines when it comes to the query letter. Some agents have vague guidelines and some have more detailed guidelines. Read them carefully.
**3) Is this agent open to submissions?**
Check! Sometimes agents will close their submissions, just like I close my ask box. They often list on their website if they are open or closed to submissions. If you *really* want that agent, wait until they’re open to submissions before you start querying at all.
**4) Does this agent take your genre?**
Of all the complaints I’ve read written by literary agents, getting queries for a genre they don’t represent seems to be one of the most common ones. Most agents will list what genres they want/don’t want on their website, but it’s always a good idea to look at books they represent (also listed on websites) to learn more about what they look for in certain genres.
**5) Is your synopsis the best is can be? (uncommon)**
It’s not common for agents to ask for a synopsis at the query stage, but it does happen. Even if the agents you’re querying do not request a synopsis, have one ready. They may respond to your query with a request for sample pages, a full manuscript, and/or a synopsis with either of those.
**6) Is your manuscript complete?**
DO NOT start querying agents when you’ve only finished half your manuscript. If they want to see your full manuscript, they want it right away, not six months later.
**7) Is the agent’s name spelled right?**
Double check. Triple check. Spell their names right when you’re writing your query letter. Don’t ever write “to whom it may concern”. And yes, starting a query letter with a specific salutation means that each agent gets an individual letter. Don’t send mass emails.
**8) Does this agent take authors in your area?**
Most agents will take international authors, but some will only represent authors from certain countries.
**9) Sample pages?**
Most agents ask for sample pages of your manuscript. These can vary from the first five pages to the first fifty pages. Sometimes they ask you to send your full manuscript with the query.
Make sure that you’ve included the right amount of sample pages. Agents often let you go over the page limit if you need to finish a sentence or a paragraph, but that’s it.
Check the submission guidelines for information on how to attach the sample pages. Some agents want them pasted in the actual email. Some prefer an attached file.
If you paste in your sample pages, look them over for formatting issues. Do the same to your query letter.
**10) Is your manuscript formatted properly?**
You need to have your manuscript ready if an agent asks for it. Some will have specific instructions and others will not. Some will want you to send it as a .doc, some will want a .pdf, and some will not care what file it is as long as they can read it on their phone.
Be ready to format your manuscript in a different way or to make it a different type of file.
Here is a guide to a generic format that is pretty much acceptable anywhere. However, if you are sending your manuscript digitally, you can leave out your mailing address.
**11) Did you include your contact information?**
Sign your query with your name, email, and phone. Even though most queries are done through email now, you should include your email. If you are using a pen name, you can do this:
Sincerely,
[legal name]
[email]
[phone]
Writing as [pen name]
**12) Did you follow submission guidelines?**
Do it. Follow the guidelines. There are a select few authors who have written unconventional queries, but those are rare cases.
**Make sure the subject line is right**. Some agents may ask for specific subject lines. For example, if an entire agency shares on email, you may be asked to put an agent’s name in the subject line. Others might ask you to write “query” and others might ask you to put the genre.
**Make sure you included everything**. The query, the sample pages, the synopsis, etc., make sure you have it all.
**Make sure you used the right email**. Some agents have emails listed on their website for non-query contacts and emails listed specifically for queries. Check to make sure you’re sending your query to the right email.
**Don’t include extras**. Many agents ask that you not send attachments for virus reasons or just because they have no need for them. Don’t include your personal drawings or maps or extra writings or anything else that wasn’t asked for.
**13) Is this agent right for you?**
You’re starting a business relationship when you accept representation. Some authors stay with their agents for decades. Make sure that the agents you’re querying are agents that you can see yourself working with. Look at their other books.
If an agent calls you to offer representation, don’t be afraid to ask questions about them and how they work with authors. And remember, you do not have to accept right away, especially if you have other agents looking at your manuscript. You can ask for a week or two to think about it.
You should also make sure you’re not querying a scam agency. This website lists several agents, both good and bad. If they have a “not recommended” next to them, don’t query them.
**14) Are you keeping track of your queries?**
Above I linked you to a website called querytracker. This website has features that help you track your queries. However, you can also create your own way to track your queries.
Here are some things to put on your query tracking chart:
Who you sent your queries to
When you sent your queries
When the agent responded (if they responded at all)
Whether the response was a pass or a request for more
Who you sent your manuscript to
When you sent your manuscripts
When the agents responded
Whether the response was a pass or an offer of representation
**15) Who are you sending queries to?**
Lastly, you should pace your querying. Pick just a few agents at a time to send queries to. Some agents always respond and others do not. Those who do not respond to rejected queries sometimes list how long writers should wait before calling it a rejection. This can be anywhere from two weeks to a few months.
If you get rejections from all the agents you sent queries to in the first round, try revising your query or even your manuscript. Then send out the next round. If you get rejections from all of them too, do some heavier revisions on both your query and your manuscript.

literary agents writing advice publishing

makebeliever

Hello followers & fans, since my favourite resources site has recently/temporarily closed I have gotten a few asks about where to go now, so I made a small list of resources to get us by. (most of the galleries were updated using farfarawaysite content)

Full Gallery: Contains high & med-res promo stills & posters, along with screen captures, cast images & more.
Gallery: Mostly high & med-res promo stills & posters.

Game of Thrones

Full Gallery | Gallery | Gallery | More

Screen Caps: 1 + 2

Vikings

Full Gallery | Gallery | Gallery | More

Screen Caps

Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit

Full LOTR Gallery | Hobbit Gallery

Screen Caps

Note: Please follow the sites rules & give credit.

gotedit lotredit vikingsedit resources masterlist links mine gif I know there are many out there so these are just the choice few I have used enjoy!

legit-writing-tips

Legit Tip #143

Far too often, authors expect their readers to blindly agree with/follow along with whatever the protagonist plans, thinks, or does by the virtue of them being the protagonist of the story. This is a bad idea for plenty of reasons, the biggest among them being the fact that you can’t control the way your reader thinks. So what’s the best way to address potential flaws in your hero’s plans or way of thinking (or even to highlight those flaws in instances where your hero is in the wrong)?

By introducing the skeptic character. The skeptic enters the narrative to raise those important questions, forcing your hero to either -

A. Gain some introspection and realize he is in the wrong.

B. Ignore said skepticism at his own (potential) peril

C. Prove that he was right

Various characters serve as the skeptic in Harry Potter, though the role is most often taken up by Hermione (and occasionally characters such as Draco Malfoy in the series’ darker moments).

In Hermione’s case, she often serves as the skeptic in instances where the characters must make hard decisions between whether to accept and follow along with authority or to break the rules and do what’s right. The interesting thing about that is the fact that you can be certain the trio is on the right path depending on whether or not Hermione is fully on board. (For example, Hermione agreeing to help recover the stone in Book 1 vs. Hermione’s frustration with Harry in Book 6.) In this regard she very much serves as the skeptical voice of reason as opposed to emotionally driven Ron or duty-bound Harry.

I specifically point out Hermione because I want to make it clear that skeptics don’t necessarily have to be antagonists or rivals within a story (even though they most often fill that role). Malfoy and Snape present opposing ideologies and give the reader a more complex understanding of the morality issues at play in the story. Minor rivals (like the Hufflepuffs in Harry’s 4th year) point out legitimate flaws in Harry’s character and help you develop a better understanding of the character as more than just a “hero”.

So bring in skeptics, and don’t be afraid to make those skeptics right on occasion. A hero who is always in the right is a boring hero.

writing writing tips characterization

yourfavouritedoll

Added another 1k words to the novel after a very, very long break.

it's a slow process but we'll get there