The Skellingcorner

[writingtipsandtricks]

writefortheking.wordpress.com

Five Ways to Twist the Chosen One Cliche

Many, many popular books use the “Chosen One” storyline. The basic idea is that some unsuspecting, ordinary character is actually a hero (often, but not always, a prophesied hero) and is the only o…

[writingtipsandtricks]

-Sherry

[shwetanarayan]

Why does diversity so often get accused of existing just for diversity points?

[shiraglassman]

I think some people pick the marginalizations of their characters based on the dictates of the plot. Stories where a character’s marginalizations are not the main focus of the plot sometimes get accused of having them deviate from the assumed whiteness/straightness/etc. just for diversity points. But I just figured out why they think this way.

They’re using their plots to decide the characters’ identities.

For example, if they want to write about familial oppression, they make their protagonist a member of a group they associate with strict parents and conservative customs It doesn’t occur to them that a story about an overbearing father doesn’t need a stereotypical ethnic group to back it up. So when they see someone writing cheerful hijabis or who are totally chill about gayness and have good relationships with their parents or whatever, they’re like “wait, this hijabi woman is happy. If she’s happy, then why did you need to make her Muslim? YOU MUST BE DOING IT FOR DIVERSITY POINTS.”

[shwetanarayan]

I think there’s a second part to it, too.

While marginalized people are going “I want to see someone like me in fiction for a change”, we get talked over by the much louder “I’m BORED with the same old straight cis white dudes!!!!”

 - Which, yeah marginalized people do sometimes say this, but I think it’s mostly shorthand for “I’m tired of being excluded everywhere all the time; do we really need EVERY protag to be a straight cis white dude or a straight cis white woman upholding patriarchy”.

But more often, and much more loudly, I see people of immense privilege saying it and meaning it literally. They are bored. They want our existence to be acknowledged (but not too much!) primarily for their entertainment. And of course, they are the ones who get heard.

So then if that’s all people are hearing about diversity (because they’re not actually listening to or understanding marginalized people) the conclusion is “marginalizations get included for coolness points because [privileged-default] people are bored”

Which leads to exactly what you’re talking to, up to and including sheer bewilderment at the idea that we might just want to write people like ourselves doing things outside the allowed single narrative; that there could be any gaze other than the straight cis white male gaze.

[iguanamouth]

[euclase]

House martins are the cutest because they have fuzzy lion paws that make them look like fierce little griffins.

[iguanamouth]

oh no

[visinfocat]

The Shapes of Stories, Kurt Vonnegut’s theories about archetypal stories.

[sushinfood]

[arcanime]

hey, if you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make a gif but doing it traditionally in photoshop is too hard, you should look at this.

gifcam is an app designed to make making gifs easy. all you have to do to record a gif is size the window and hit record. it has a built in editor and it saves with low filesizes and many options.

the best thing about the whole deal is that its completely free. yeah. thats right. you wont pay for anything and you’ll never have to

you can download gifcam here, and if you want, you could reblog to spread the word about this awesome software

[delcat]

I have been given unreasonable power

[tramampoline]

i am too powerful now

[fawnsmosh]

I need this.

[sushinfood]

GIFCAM IS 100% SAFE AND FUN TO USE! IT’S A FANTASTIC TIME SAVER, TOO!

[fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment]

terribleminds.com

The Zero-Fuckery Quick-Create Guide To Kick-Ass Characters (And All The Crazy Plot Stuff That Surrounds 'Em)

When writers are tasked with creating characters, we are told to try these character exercises that entreat us to answer rather mad questions about them: hair color, eye color, toe length, nipple h...

onioneye

[reyairia]

[chutzpadik]

warning signs a Strong Female character is only strong for the sake of the male gaze:

• (does something badass) ahahaa yeah i have like eight brothers
• aggressively into the mediocre self-insert white guy lead
• “MAN UP”

[angryanticolonialist]

• “what are you, a girl?!” to her male co-workers

[actualmenacebuckybarnes]

• super competent but still not the main lead
  
• the only woman in the group of all men
  
• has a random changing scene/half nude scene/sex scene even though none of the male characters show that much skin
• wears a form-fitting, impractical suit+high heels while the male characters get practical clothing
• fights the ~sexy~ female villain sidekick while the male lead fights the actual big bad
• has a scene where she is forced to act like a honeypot and walks down the stairs in a gorgeous/tight dress and the male lead is like “ahhhhh” 

[reyairia]

• After dismissing the lame male lead as incompetent during most of the movie, she suddenly grows feelings for him when he proves how much better he is than her at The Thing, effectively becoming the trophy reward even if she was already happily dating someone else.
  

[mirandaadria]

THE PROPER WAY TO APOLOGIZE

Don’t say, “I’m sorry this offended you”.
Instead say, “I’m sorry I was offensive.”

Don’t say, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Instead say, “I didn’t mean to hurt you, but intent means nothing because the damage is already done.”

Don’t say, “It was just a joke.”
Instead sat, “Some things should not be joked about.”

Don’t say, “I wouldn’t try to hurt anyone like that.”
Instead say, “I realize I hurt people with my words, and I’m sorry.”

Don’t say, “I‘ll remove the joke if it bothers you so much.” (if posted online)
Instead say, “Yes, I said this, and it was wrong, and now I know not to say things like this again.”

Don’t say, “Well other people weren’t bothered by it.”
Instead say, “Well some people weren’t bothered by it, but others were, and their concerns are just as valid and worthy of consideration.”

Stop accepting passive apologies that do not show the offensive party actively taking responsibility for their mistakes.

[nimblesnotebook-blog]

[shannaraland]

King Ander ♡

[psych2go]

[psych2go]

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[violetroad]

Everything I’m going through…in one perfect post. Thank you @psych2go

[psych2go]

Hey! You’re welcome!