24 * Virgo * I/O Psychology Ph.D. Student * Studyblr
334 posts
Thecosmicstudyblr - The Cosmic Studyblr - Tumblr Blog
Got accepted into a Ph.D. program!
Studyblr can’t get rid of me now :)
Here’s to three (ish) more years of reblogging study motivation posts instead of actually studying!!
these are probably the most useful study/productivity tips I can give you right now! I know it’s been really difficult to stick to plans, stay disciplined and keep oneself accountable at the moment, as so much we used to rely on has changed, so I hope this helps some of you!
hey remember to be especially supportive to people with ocd/anxiety related to germs and contamination during the coronavirus situation. we are struggling.
ASL (American Sign Language) Learning Resource List
So, I’ve compiled a list of all the best resources I’ve found during my experience learning ASL.
YouTube Channels
YouTube is a massively helpful resource for me. Here are some of my favorite channels-
Bill Vicars
I cannot stress enough how great this channel is! The majority of his videos are presented as lessons, ranging from 10-40 minutes. I love the format and style of each lesson, and they give you enough time to properly understand each new sign. This was by far my favorite channel.
Kateemaria
Her videos are shorter, but she presents all the information quickly and concisely They’re really good for maybe a quick review, or learning specific categories.
Nyle DiMarco
Modelling aside, he does have some great videos that teach some basic ASL. Just keep in mind he doesn’t have too many videos on ASL yet, so you’ll want to use other resources along with this one.
Apps
I found all of these in the app store, but some might be found elsewhere . I’ve tried several of these, and others I’ve heard great things about.
The ASL App
The majority of this app is free, although you do have to pay $10 or so to get everything else. There’s a slow motion option and, it generally just explains everything pretty well.
SignSchool
Has a really huge collection of words, and has review games to help you learn and memorize. This app is completely free.
ASL:Fingerspelling (Lifeprint.com)
This app was created by Dr. Bill Vicars (from above) and it helps you learn to read fingerspelling. It’s a really great tool for beginners and people looking to touch up or review. He also has
ASL:Numbers (Lifeprint.com)
This app is just like the fingerspelling one, only for learning numbers.
Websites
Lifeprint
This site is basically the ultimate resource. Again, by Bill Vicars. Includes his videos, self-study lessons, Deaf Culture study materials, and other resources.
SignSchool
This is the website for the app mentioned above. Mostly it just explains the app a lot better than I did.
Signing Savvy
An online ASL dictionary as well as a great resource to find videos and other learning materials.
Handspeak
This site is an incredible resource for learning ASL, I honestly cannot recommend it enough.
Books
Please keep in mind I have not read all of these books, some are just ones I’ve heard great things about.
Knack American Sign Language by Suzie Chafin
Learn Sign Language in a Hurry: Grasp the Basics of American Sign Language Quickly and Easily by Irene Duke
Everything Sign Language Book: American Sign Language Made Easy by Irene Duke
A Basic Course in American Sign Language by Carol Padden, Terrence J. O’Rourke, and Tom Humphries
If you find an error or have a suggestion, feel free to comment here or in the doc
WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME ABOUT PRO WRITING AID BEFORE?! THIS THING IS FUCKING GLORIOUS. HOLY SHIT. LOOK AT THIS.
IT GIVES YOU A WHOLE DAMN REPORT ON YOUR WRITING AND WALKS YOU THROUGH HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER AND WHY IT IS SUGGESTING CHANGES. THIS IS JUST A TINY CHUNK OF THE HUGE REPORT IT GAVE ME ON THE FIRST CHAPTER OF ONE OF MY PROJECTS. I AM IN LOVE.
AND IT WORKS WITH SCRIVENER. AND IT IS AFFORDABLE.
WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME?!
Forget overpriced schools, long days in a crowded classroom, and pitifully poor results.
These websites and apps cover myriads of science, art, and technology topics.
They will teach you practically anything, from making hummus to building apps in node.js, most of them for free.
There is absolutely no excuse for you not to master a new skill, expand your knowledge, or eventually boost your career.
You can learn interactively at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home. It’s hard to imagine how much easier it can possibly be.
Honestly, what are you waiting for?
Take an online course
edX — Take online courses from the world’s best universities.
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what are your all time favorite poems? I know this is an unfair question but shrug emoji
god… so many … will start w/ the ones i have memorised then go from there. big love emoji💛
good mirrors are not cheap by audre lorde
compensation by sara tesdale
touched by an angel by maya angelou
october by louise glück
holdfast by robin beth schaer
invitation by mary oliver
the ineffable by delmira agustini
for grace, after a party by frank o’hara
three women by sylvia plath
a nude by edward hopper by lisel mueller
silence by wong may
splittings by adrienne rich
the man who can only paint death by erica jong
heart’s limbo by carolyn kizer
moments by mary oliver
poem for haruko by june jordan
lady lazarus by sylvia plath
still do i keep my look, my identity … by gwendolyn brooks
the sentence by anna akhmatov
the burning girl by mary karr
med-term break by seamus heaney
the second coming by w.b. yeats
sorrows by lucille clifton
portrait by louise glück
having a coke with you by frank o’hara
rhapsody in plain yellow by marilyn chin
the glass essay by anne carson
the waste land by t.s. eliot
i am not your princess by chrystos
i will wade out by e.e. cummings
duino elegies: the eighth elegy by rainer maria rilke
aphorisms by alda merini
the teacher by may sarton
michio ito’s fox & hawk by yusef komunyakaa
willow by anna akhmatova
god by langston hughes
corpse song by margaret atwood
the condition by marvin bell
how to build a thing / west 4th by marya hornbacher
since there is no escape by sara teasdale
the fear of oneself by sharon olds
a process in the weather of the heart by dylan thomas
where does such tenderness come from? marina tsvetaeva
leda 1 / leda 2 / leda 3 by lucille clifton
a word on statistics by wisława szymborska
the world is not conclusion by emily dickinson
glory falls by maya angelou
in every life by alicia suskin ostriker
another spring by denise levertov
it is difficult to speak of the night by jack gilbert
the palace of the lowest moon by susan sherman
power by audre lorde
demeter’s prayer to hades by rita dove
the dead calf by wendell berry
wild geese by mary oliver
an empty bed at the asylum by helen s. chasin
the poem as a mask by muriel rukeyser
song by allen ginsberg
the breathing, the endless news by rita dove
service for two by marvin bell
incontinence by susan hahn
a small thing by nancy schoenberger
i’m one by may swenson
my home by nandini sahu
in a northern country by linda pastan
wholesome student life things that we should collectively start romancizing
waking up and being genuinely thrilled to go to class because today is THAT CLASS you love so much you’d like it to never end
coffee breaks with friends, chatting and joking about this particularly hard essay and the prof’s mannerism
coffee breaks on your own, as you absent-mindedly watch the people around you, while thinking about what you’re working on
finding this book you’ve been dying to read for so long, and borrowing it from the library
the feeling of excitement that goes through you whenever you remember The Book is in your backpack
understanding everything during demanding classes and being genuinely interested in the subject
buying a New Special Pen and taking colorful notes that look super pretty
not being able to shut up about your school projects (no your friends dont really care about the intricate details of what you’re working on, they don’t even have the same major as you, but they’re happy to hear you rant with such a burning passion)
actually doing the extra reading and having your curiosity so piqued by what you’re reading that you go on and on and suddenly its 1am and what happened
printing the project you’ve spent so much time and energy on and feeling the paper’s warmth
actually submitting that project without feeling awful about it because you know you did your best and aren’t responsible for what happens next
when you finally finish this Super Hard And Important Essay at like 3am, open the window and feel the cold night air on your burning cheeks and everything is dark and quiet and you can see the moon and you’re at peace with everything for a few minutes
when this professor you admire says you did a great job and/or that you’re talented!!!!
realizing two concepts that seemed so far away from each other and that you discovered in wildly different contexts are actually interlinked, then Realizing™ things and linking concepts/works/articles to each other at the speed of light & being super excited about it
being so deeply immersed in your work that you didn’t realize two hours have passed
finding the Perfect Spot at the library
that Pure Joy moment when you FINALLY understand that super obscure sentence/text
when you feel anxious because you’re not done with your homework & the deadline is super tight & your friend tells you they aren’t done yet either
same but with an even more intense relief feeling when you realize you both haven’t even started yet
when the professor starts a new reasoning and you can predict what the next idea/the final conclusion will be
when the professor mention your favorite novel/author/fictional character in class and you feel like your internal screech of joy could shatter glass
the Academic Salt™ that has you like 👀👀
when the professor tears apart an author or scholar you hate and you’re like YES I WANT BLOOD GIVE ME BLOOD
when you learn that Cool New Fact that makes you reconsider your whole life
leaving the library after a long productive day and feeling like nothing is real but experiencing everything more intensely
leaving the library at night after a long study session and everybody has left already and its just you and the long neon-lit corridors then stepping outside and smelling the crisp night wind
feel free to add your own!!!
Hi! So I recently discovered removing the word 'that' from 90% of my writing actually made it more fluid and hardly impacted the readability. Tiny achievement but very proud of myself as a novice writer ^.^ I was wondering if (other than the up/down one) there were any other tiny tricks for removing superfluous words? Thanks!
Great question! Honestly, there are hundreds, but here are a few to get you started.
Words You Can (Usually) Safely Cut from Your Writing
That
Then
Start
Begin
Suddenly
Down
Up
Kind of
Really
Just
Basically
In general, look out for adverbs (actually, really), “hedging” words (kind of, sometimes), and ambiguous words (nothing, everything, someone). Some can be cut; others will need to be revised or swapped out. “That” is a classic offender. “Then” can usually be changed to “and.” It’s only necessary to qualify that an action was “started” if the action gets interrupted, otherwise it can be cut. (”She started to cry” becomes “She cried”).
I have a detailed, exhaustive list of words like this (with explanations!) in my book The Complete Guide to Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, which will be done soon :)
Nice to hear from you & hope this helps!
//////////////
The Literary Architect is a writing advice blog run by me, Bucket Siler. For more writing help, check out my Free Resource Library, peruse my Tumblr Post Guide, or get The Complete Guide to Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. xoxo
Resources for Mending Clothes
We toss out over 80 pounds of textiles each year. These textiles are often made of plastic materials (polyester, nylon), made in unethical conditions, dyed with harsh dyes that often get put into the rivers, etc. Even a single cotton shirt releases carbon emissions and uses tons of water.
So the best thing to prevent the unsustainable growth of the fashion industry is to make sure that your clothing lasts as long as possible. To do so, mending clothing is a must. So here are some resources to help you learn how to do various things, such as sewing a button, to tailoring clothes, or even upcycling old clothing into new styles.
* How to sew on three different types of button
* How to hand sew on a patch on a torn pair of jeans
* How to sew up a hole in an old shirt
* How to sew a simple T-shirt
* How to upcycle old clothing into new clothing
* More upcycle and sewing techniques
* How to repair a damaged sock
* How to do an invisible stitch
* 3 different stitches to work with for different results
* How to make a T-shirt smaller so it fits you better
* How to make repairs to your shoes
These are just a few of the things that you can do in order to make sure that your clothing lasts for a long time. Nobody wants to keep buying new clothing, as it is expensive and wasteful.
So making alterations to your clothing, or fixing small holes hen you see them can be hugely beneficial to your wallet, to garment workers, and to the environment in the long term.
***
If you like what I write, consider buying from:
My Etsy shop for upcycled bags, jewelry, and crafting supplies.
Or
My poshmark for reclaimed clothing.
Types of Literary Criticism
NEW CRITICISM, or: “READ THE FUCKING TEXT”
Also known as ‘practical criticism’.
This theory that was dominant in the US and UK between the 30s and 70s.
A formalist, decontextualised approach to literature where the text is examined independently of other influences.
Explores the essential elements of language, imagery, symbolism, figures of speech, ambiguity, irony, paradox.
Pretty huge span of approaches - for example, within Shakespearean new criticism you had A.C. Bradley’s character-based critique, Harley Granville-Barker’s study of stagecraft, G. Wilson Knight’s exploration of image and theme, and L.C. Knights’ suggestion that Bradley is a douche and Shakespeare was a poet, not a dramatist. (Yeah, fuck you, Knights.)
HISTORICIST CRITICISM, or: “IT’S ALL ABOUT THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT, DUH”
Funnily enough, this approach believes that historical context influences interpretation.
Stuff like: religion, political idealism of the time, cultural shifts, social attitudes, war, colonialism (although that’s a whole other bag of cats, see below), pop culture references and in-jokes, and anything that might have influenced the text during the era in which it was written.
Within historicist criticism there should be a distinction between text and context; history is the background that the text passively reflects.
Buuuut often this approach reveals more about the critic’s political/social/personal values than the period they are studying. Natch.
LIBERAL HUMANISM, or: “STORIES ARE JUST A REFLECTION OF THE AUTHOR, DUDE”
Popular at the beginning of the 1900s - literature and art are timeless, revealing a universal truth about humanity.
Like, writers are totally free agents whose intentions shape the meaning of their writing, man.
Like, human consciousness shapes language, culture and society, NOT the other way around.
MARXISM, or “WE’RE ALL SLAVES TO THE ECONOMY”
A criticial theory systemised in the 20s, based on the materialist philosophy of Karl Marx (1818-83) and Friedrich Engels (1820-95) whereby the material circumstances of life are determining factors in the individual’s experience.
So, like, the economic organisation of society shapes culture, politics, philosophy, religion, education, law and art.
So, like, fuck liberal humanism; people are shaped by their environment, NOT the other way around. Authors and their works are basically products of society.
These guys believe that art reflects changing economic conditions and class values. There’s a little cross-over with historicist criticism in the approach that literature should be interpreted within the context of the period and its political inflections - often with a focus on the lower classes.
Get yourself familiar with the Marxist concept of ‘ideology’ - a function which ‘naturalises’ the inequalities of power through a complex structure of social perceptions which renders class division invisible.
Yeah. It’s heavy, dude.
STRUCTURALISM, or: “LANGUAGE IS EVERYTHIIIING!”
Based on the linguistic theory of Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913)
Takes a similar approach to Marxism in the belief that language shapes humanity, culture, communication, and the way we perceive the world. Yay, go language.
Structuralism was a radical theory during the second half of the 20th Century whose central argument opposed liberal humanist ideas (Recap: lib-humans reckoned that human consciousness creates language and culture - structuralists reckoned the complete opposite. At this point everyone is basically being completely contrary for the sake of it.)
POST STRUCTURALISM, or “WE’RE SORT OF ON THE FENCE ABOUT LANGUAGE SO JUST GO WITH IT”
A critical theory prominent in France in the 1960s, primarily associated with philosopher Jacques Derrida and critic Roland Barthes - a reaction against structuralism as well as a development of it. <sigh>
Ok, so this language thing? How about we agree that reality is constituted through language BUT language itself is unstable and beyond our control. Like, language is an unreliable narrator, yeah? Yeahhh.
Essentially, it’s language that speaks, not the author. So let’s call it THE DEATH OF THE AUTHOR because we are needlessly dramatic.
So, like, literary texts don’t present a single or unified view and the author cannot claim authority on interpretation. (The curtains are blue…)
You can trace a whole thread of critical development here from formalist criticism to structuralism to post-structuralism and later to deconstruction - all of which are concerned with the ambiguity and contradictions within text and language. To make it even more confusing, new historicism (see below) can also be seen as post-structuralist since it places stress on a text’s connection to culture rather than relying on the autonomy of the text itself.
Time for a stiff drink.
NEW HISTORICISM, or “IT’S THE CIIIIRCLE OF LIIIIIIFE - ART AND HISTORY ARE STUCK IN AN INFINITY LOOP”
A term coined by Stephen Greenblatt (Shakespeare-critic-extraordinaire) in the 80s - a reaction against old historicism (where text is a reflection of historical background) and a move away from Marxist and post-structural theories.
New historicism asserts that the text is an active participant in historical development.
So, like, art and literature help to create the cultural values of the period in which they are produced. BUT, we are also formed and tied to cultural ideologies, so it ain’t all about the text.
Involves close reading of the text, taking into account political ideology, social practice, religion, class division and conflict within society.
A pessimistic take on Foucault: the belief that we are ‘remarkably unfree’ of the influence of society and socio-political power operates through the language of major institutions to determine what’s normal and demonise ‘otherness’.
Seriously. Fuck society.
CULTURAL MATERIALISM, or “WE NEED A BRITISH VERSION OF NEW HISTORICISM”
We can’t let the Americans monopolise this kind of criticism.
Goddamn Greenblatt.
So consider this: how much freedom of thought do we actually have? Does culture shape our identities or can we think independently of dominant ideologies? Huh? Huh? Are we saying anything new yet?
Basically, a historicist approach to political criticism with a revised conception of the connection between literature and culture.
Culture is a complex, unstable and dynamic creature which offer the opportunity for the radical subversion of power and society.
Unlike historicism or Marxism, cultural materialists believe the author is able to achieve a degree of independence from prevailing structures of power and discourse.
Often demonstrates optimism for political change - once again, critical theory reflects the critic’s personal opinions and hopes for change in present day society. Literary criticism can change the world, man.
Some crossover into feminist/queer/post-colonial theory, because FUCK ALL THOSE OLD WHITE GUYS.
FEMINIST THEORY, or: “LET’S RECONSIDER 100 YEARS OF CRITICISM FROM A PERSPECTIVE THAT ISN’T CIS/MALE”
Following the women’s movement of the 1960s, feminist theory was established in the 70s and 80s and founded on texts Le Deuxieme Sex by Simone de Beauvoir and Sexual Politics by Kate Millett.
Explicitly political – similarities to new historicism and cultural materialism - challenging the subordinate position of women in society and deconstructing/contesting the concept of essentialism, whereby men and women have intrinsically separate qualities and natures.
Often seen as an attack on the Western literary canon and the exclusion of female writers throughout history. Focuses on female characters and authors, exploring the influence and restrictions of patriarchy, and constructions of gender, femininity and sexuality (both in text and culture).
Feminists influenced by post-structuralism tend to disregard the positive discrimination of women writers, claiming “it is language that speaks, not the author.”
Feminism and psychoanalytical theories (esp Freud and Lacan) contributed to the erosion of liberal humanist ideas, redefining human nature and the concept of child development, and exploring the psychology of patriarchy and male-dominated culture.
GAY/LESBIAN CRITICISM AND QUEER THEORY, or: “LET’S RECONSIDER 100 YEARS OF CRITICISM FROM A PERSPECTIVE THAT ISN’T CIS/MALE/STRAIGHT”
During the 80s, queer theory was influenced by post-structuralist ideas of identity as being fluid and unstable, and investigates the role of sexual orientation within literary criticism from a social and political viewpoint.
An opposition to homophobia and the privilege of heterosexual culture and an exploration of themes that have been suppressed by conservative critical theory.
A look at LGBQTA, non-binary characters and authors and their influence within a historical, political, religious and social context.
The end of ‘gal-pals’ and ‘no-homo’, fuckboys.
POST COLONIAL THEORY, or: “LET’S RECONSIDER 100 YEARS OF CRITICAL THEORY FROM A PERSPECTIVE THAT ISN’T WHITE”
A critique on the English canon and colonial rule with a focus on canonical texts written during periods of colonisation.
An exploration of cultural displacement/appropriation and the language and cultural values thrust upon/developed by colonised people.
Post-colonial theory gives voices to colonial ‘subjects’ and looks at the impact on individual and collective identity, as well as the complexity of colonial relationships and interaction.
Gonna have a lot to do with politics, history, social ideology, religion and international/race relations, obvs. Stay woke.
I have that one adjective on my mind but what’s the word? I try Google and the dictionary/thesaurus and still can’t find it. Sometimes even the easiest of words can be a struggle; it happens. Eventually it came to me or I made a discovery in something I was reading. These are those words, with added extras that I thought would be good to use. To be updated if I find more.
A: abhorrent, abrasive, absurd, abysmal, accrue, adage, affirm, affront, aghast, agitate, agony, amicable, amid, ardent, ascend, audacious, autonomy
B: balk, baritone, benevolent, bereft, bewilder, bitter, blanch, bravado, brisk, bristle, broad, brusque
C: chaste, chortle, clench, clinical, cohesion, coil, command, complacent, compliant, condescend, contemplative, copious, cordial, covet, coy, crass, croon
D: debauch, decisive, deign, denigrate, derisive, derision, desolate, despair, detest, devotion, dilate, diminish, discern, disdain, disgruntle, dismissive, distraught, droll, dulcet, dull
E: effusive, elate, elation, embolden, enigma, enrapture, ensue, enthrall, errant, ensconced, evasive, exacerbate, exalt, exasperate, exemplary, exhale, exposition
F: feign, ferocity, fervor, fizzle, flinch, flippant, flourish, flummoxed, fluster, forlorn, fragile, frail, frantic, frown, fury, futile
G: gasp, gilded, glower, grim, grimace, grotesque, gruesome, gulp, gurgle, guttural
H: halt, haphazard, haughtily, heinous, hiss, hoarsely, holistic, huff, hyperbolic
I: immaculate, impenetrable, impervious, imploring, imposing, inadequate, incandescent, incredulous, indescribable, indignant, indomitable, inebriate, incessant, infallible, innocuous, insipid, intense, intone, intrinsic, invasive, irrefutable, irrevocable
J: jitter, jolt, jovial
K: keen, kinetic
L: languid, lewd, limb, listless, lithe, livid, lolled, lull
M: macabre, magnificent, malice, masochist, merriment, ministration, monotony, murmur, myriad
N: nondescript, nonplussed, novice
O: obliterate, obscure, obstinate, obtrusive, obtuse, ominous, oneiric, onerous P: painstakingly, palpable, passive, pertinent, phlegmatic, placid, plaintive, platitude, pliant, plied, preen, proffered, pulse, punitive Q: quaint, quirk, quiver R: rapid, rasp, recoil, renowned, repetition, resign, reticent, retort, reverberated, ruminating, ruthless S: sardonic, savage, scrutiny, seedy, semantics, sentient, serene, sheen, shudder, simmer, smug, snarl, sneer, snickered, solace, sooth, sordid, spasm, spur, squeak, staccato, stammer, stave, stern, stoic, stoked, strain, stricken, stroke, stubble, stunning, succinct, sullen, sultry, surge, susceptible, sycophant
T: tacit, taciturn, taut, tawdry, tender, tentative, thrash, thrill, thrive, throb, toneless, trembling, tremor, tumultuous, twitch U: utter, utile V: validity, vehement, venal, versatile, visceral, vitriol, void, voracious W: wean, whim, whimper, whir, wholly, wicked, winced, wistful, writhe X-Z: None
if you have your textbooks on pdf also I would love to read those!!
great! ok so here is a link to a dropbox i made, some of these are textbooks i used for class and some of them are textbooks i just like found online at some point :-) enjoy
and while we’re at it you didn’t ask but i also have a dropbox with a bunch of language textbooks for various languages which can be found here !! :-) (includes: ASL, arabic, chinese, croation, czech, danish, dutch, estonian, french, german, hebrew, hungarian, icelandic, italian, lithuanian, norwegian, portuguese, romanian, russian, spanish, swedish, tagalog, and turkish)
How To Perfect The Tone In A Piece Of Writing
The tone in writing is one of the most important characteristics of a piece of writing. Books, poetry, songs, articles, any writing whatsoever; the tone is everything. That being said, there are a lot of ways in which writers can either mess it up or completely forget to set the tone. Below is a guide to setting the tone to come across exactly how you want it to.
Some Things To Note
Tone is the character or attitude of a text that invokes emotion in the reader
There are two things you want to ask yourself when reading a text and studying the tone:
How does the text make you feel?
and
How is the text designed to make you feel?
Things That Create Tone
There are several different elements in writing that create the tone. Here are a few:
Body Language
How your characters act, interact, and speak all play a large role in how your readers perceive your story. If your characters are speaking cryptically, fidgeting, and the tensions are high, your readers will feel the suspense.
Volume (Dialogue Tags)
How loud people say things is a big indicator of how they mean for it to come across to whomever they’re talking to. It’s the same this with dialogue. While it’s important not to overdo it with the dialogue tags, you must also use them to your advantage. It’s kind of when you’re writing a script and you sometimes feel the need to add a note for the actor to say something a certain way in order for them to portray what you envision. Use specific dialogue tags sparingly, but use them well.
Context
The context of the situation is everything. If your reader doesn’t know what’s going on and your main character is super relaxed all of a sudden when they thought they were in the middle of a very stressful situation, it’s going to give them very weird vibes. Knowing where the character is, how they feel, and having some idea of what’s about to go down is imperative to creating the right tone.
WORD CHOICE
Word choice is the main way you can set the tone in your story. You must be clear, intentional, natural, and consistent with the way you choose how you phrase things in your story. We all have certain associations with specific words and using those associations will bode well for you.
Clear Word Choice…
Be clear before anything else when setting the tone. Portray what you need to in order to create the scene itself and put the reader in the story. Then change what words you’re using in order to make the reader feel a certain way. However, never sacrifice clarity in exchange for the use of a fancy word. If your read doesn’t know what you’re saying, what good does it do anyway?
Intentional Word Choice…
Be intentional when you’re deciding where to switch out words and where you decide to really hit the reader with a huge wave of tone. Don’t just fling words anywhere there’s a gap in the hopes that it will accomplish the same thing as intentionally injecting words where it will pierce the reader’s soul. See what I mean?
Natural Word Choice
While it’s important to choose words that fit the tone, they must flow naturally with the dialogue and descriptions. Don’t just slap your reader in the face with “OMG Becky did you hear what that brat Jessica said about you and your bae? She’s such a vacuous shrew!” because that’s not exactly natural is it?
I have a whole post called Improving Flow In Writing that expands on this quite a bit.
Consistent Word Choice…
Be consistent in your word choice. Don’t use the same words over and over again, but don’t go from calling dogs to “canis lupus familiaris”. Well.. unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Examples Of Tones
Some of you might be a little fuzzy on what I mean by tone in the first place, so here are a few examples of tone:
Comedic
Suspenseful
Enticing
Desperate
Terrifying
Happy
Dramatic
Romantic
Etc.. You get the picture.
Request a prompt list/writing advice/playlist/study help post here
DnD Resource Library
I definitely did not just spend two hours creating a 5-page google document listing all my book-marked DnD resources organised by topic that you can check out here…
Topics include: make your gaming accessible; creating player characters and npcs; map design; encounter building; worldbuilding, making homebrew content, and music & immersion
(Full link for those on mobile: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TCHdojKAkUc9Us6WFCitg7q1F1CH37xEkHGv_Jziho4/edit)
i’m taking an introduction to disability studies course this semester and because my instructor is incredible, all of the material we’ve been reading is available as pdfs, so i decided to start a google drive of that plus some other pieces i’ve collected. if you want to check out some disability lit it’s here!
it’ll be updated about weekly through december with what we’ve read in class that week. if you have any pdfs you’d like to share feel free to send me a dm and i’d love to add them!
i made a folder on googledrive for poetry&relevant literature that i find myself coming back to when i need to ground myself again. most are fairly well known so it’s also a good place to dive into literature if you haven’t already. all should be free to download but let me know & i’ll try to do something about it. hope some of you get just as much from these authors as i have.
