I hate to say this, and like, rain on everyone’s parade, but after scrolling past three posts about it on a writing tag …

If you are looking up synonyms to exchange words out in your story with the purpose of sounding smarter, more sophisticated, or complicated to your reader, you are probably abusing the thesaurus.

Now, if you *want* to do this, I mean, you can write whatever or however you want! But I just want you to know that this is frowned upon if you are trying to write at a professional level.

I have an old article on this somewhere …

If you want to look at the original article…

https://www.septembercfawkes.com/2018/08/how-to-use-thesaurus-properly.html

Want an ask about your writing and characters? No problem! Reblog this post with an emoji for a corresponding mystery question in your inbox!

🌦 Clouds

🌳 Tree

🦋 Butterfly

(accepting requests until April 30th, 2025)

Hmm... clouds please! 🌦

reblog if you’re okay with people writing fanfics of your fanfics and/or fanfics inspired by your fanfics

Everyone clap for non consensual body modification everybody loves a character whose body has been altered against their will

really like that specific pose where someone is about to get backhanded. they don't even have to actually get slapped actually its better if they dont. just drawing the hand back in warning and having them shut up immediately. its good.

Op, my dear, me too. I have a very vivid memory of being held down by 5 or 6 men to give me a single shot. I have a deep-seeded distrust around anyone wielding a needle, especially if they claim it won't hurt, I have heart palpitations in the weeks leading up to a jab...

But tattoos? It's different. I have three. I want more. Those needles don't bother me. They're significantly smaller, they don't penetrate the skin as deep.

Scratch your nail over your arm, put a little more pressure than when you're just scratching an itch — That's roughly what it will feel like for most of the time.

The needle is so small and moves so fast, you don't even see it. All you'll see is the black lines it leaves on/in your skin (that is if your artist isn't hunched over it like a very focused shrimp).

Discuss your fears with your artist. They'll be honest with you. They'll give you placement advise to reduce pain, pre-care and aftercare advise, and most importantly; They'll remind you to just say it if you need a break. They'll remind you to relax, etc.

And my pain tolerance isn't exactly the highest either. But I've been through it 3 times now, and it's always been worth it.

Get that tattoo OP. You'll feel so good about it. The work of art, something personal, and a permanent reminder that you overcame your fear. You did that, and now you can show the world that you did.

So go get inked and wear it like a badge of honour.

"I don't want to read this" is totally valid.

"This is disgusting to me" is totally valid.

"I don't want to read this because it is disgusting to me" is totally valid.

"I don't think anyone should be allowed to read or write this because it is disgusting to me" is authoritarian.

"I don't think anyone should be allowed to read or write this because it is disgusting to me" is authoritarian.

Bro, blocking someone and then using their tag like this is, all offence, weak as fuck. Like all you had to say was, na bro I don't promote pedo protags on this here blog, because I wholly agree with the premise of your argument given contexts (i.e., writing abusive relationships to show the evils, great; writing abusive relationships to show the romance, yikes).

This response is so, so comically shitty within the context of that tag, oh my god.

"I don't think anyone should be allowed to read or write this because it is disgusting to me" is authoritarian.

"I don't think anyone should be allowed to read or write this because it is disgusting to me" is authoritarian.

and

are both authoritarian viewpoints to hold and express, even if you don't have the power to enact them.

If you hold these viewpoints you are holding authoritarian viewpoints.

DUDE IT’S PEDO FICS EVERYBODY THINKS THEY’RE NASTY

Let me explain this to you in simple terms.

Something being nasty is not a good reason to ban fiction about it.

If we accept that "something being nasty is a good reason to bad fiction about it" then we give a foot in the door for all the people who truly, genuinely believe that queer people are nasty to ban all queer literature.

This is not about defending bad people this is about defending the freedom of good people from tyranny, you moron.

I think if you take it to its logical extreme. Say, banning people from writing stories of sexual abuse. That could then be said "well ANY talk about sexual abuse is bad."

And from that, you could ban books that talk about it irl. Or books like how to recover after being abuse. If its not something to be discussed AT ALL.

The fact that I’ve seen this post in some form on my dash like 100x and each time there’s new idiots who do not get that you can’t have *some* censorship.

Either you’re for it or you aren’t.

The moment you agree that something should never, ever exist in fiction is the moment that anything can be banned.

Remember a while back how Tumblr banned a bunch of tags, including many popular innocuous ones that even people who are for censorship used and were upset about?

When censorship happens, stuff YOU like can and will be banned. That’s how it works.

Remember how a bunch of people had their accounts terminated here only last year for writing about their own sexual abuse?

When you ban “pedo” topics, say, any talk of child sexual abuse in any form, that means people can no longer write about their own experiences. It means people cannot educate others so they can learn how to protect themselves or get help from these situations.

Censorship is authoritarian. Full stop.

Even if “everyone” agrees something is “gross” and “shouldn’t exist,” that does not fucking matter.

Do you know who generally believes queer people are gross and shouldn’t exist??

The same people who are banning books left and right solely because they have queer characters or relationships.

The same people who attack and kill queer folk for simply exisiting.

This is not just some fandom matter or a case of being chronically online.

Protecting freedom of expression is essential, and if you do not get that, I don’t know what to say to you.

And the people who keep bringing up child sex abuse as a reason for censorship are doing it very specifically because everyone feels like then they HAVE to agree with the person in favor of censorship.

It’s not that there isn’t widespread societal agreement on this. It’s that they want you backed into a rhetorical corner where you feel compelled to agree with them.

Also, like, we KNOW how this shit shakes out in fandom because it's happened before.

In 2007, Livejournal capitulated to the "pedophilia and sex crimes!" cries of (hate group) Warriors 4 Innocence, and you know what communities got shut down? Slashfic communities. Sexual assault survivor support communities. Authors who'd written non-smut m/m fic even got caught up in it. It was DEVASTATING to fandom spaces. I think pretty much everyone knew at least one person whose account was literally DELETED, or were a member of a community that was wiped off the map because they were considerate enough to include topics like "sexual assault" or "BDSM" in the profiles under the badly-named category of "interests" to indicate that posts on said blogs or communities may include discussion of things like that. Even if it was for a SUPPORT group. And it was because a group of religious bigots came to LJ and said essentially "EVERYONE thinks it's gross and that it's promoting CSA, we should ban it."

Like, strikethrough and boldthrough were a large part of what propelled AO3 out of a more unfocused conversation on one person's blog about hosting a site INTENDED for fandom content, into being an actual archive and nonprofit. And it's a large part of why you won't find AO3 banning topics that you find "gross".

Censorship is authoritarian and it will ALWAYS have more collateral damage than you can imagine.

Going to add that fiction which had sexual abuse and communities which played around with it as a writing topic are the very things that protected me from irl sexual abuse when I was a teenager. I was in a dicey situation, and realized that while my situation did not match up to any of the superficial or textbook cases mentioned in passing (if at all) through school, it matched up a LOT to what I'd learned about irl sexual abuse through works of fiction and the rhetoric of my communities. I got out of that situation and dodged what was, in retrospect, one hell of a nasty bullet. If it hadn't been for that "nasty" fiction and those "nasty" communities, I would very likely have been abused, and subject to further violence spiraling out from that abuse.

you can’t have *some* censorship.

Censorship is authoritarian.

I’m going to chime in from a fundamentalist Christian background where censorship had been the norm for decades.

Sexual abuse was widespread, usually marital, but not always.

Abuse THRIVES in silence, it is a key element.

When you have banished all depictions of abuse you hand the abuser free reign to control the narrative around the abuse and frame it however they like and the victim is left with no language to describe what’s being done to them EXCEPT what they’ve been told by their abuser.

"It's harder to lie to me when you can't breathe, isn't it?"

Sometimes my sketches are neat and tidy. Sometimes they are... less so.

kind of a big fan of throwing characters into a cage. also they're branded and tied up. but their eyes are you know, feral and they're going to snap at any second

i just got struck with this idea

servant/slave whumpee accidentally dropping a glass and being forced to kneel on the shards <333

please someone write this ... im

I read servant/slave and immediately thought about Ian before he became a vampire 👉👈

CW: vampire whumper, servant/slave whumpee, punishment, begging, mind control/hypnosis (covert, magic influence?? idk), hurt and comfort :3

Ian looked around Lord Gethin’s bedchamber a last time after doing his daily tasks. The bed was pristinely made, the floors were clean, the hearth burned brightly, warming the room, the carpets and furniture were perfectly aligned...

But his eye fell on the crystal glasses placed on a decorative table alongside the wall. He had never seen Lord Gethin use them. The matching decanter had never seen a drop of wine either, but that didn't mean he could allow the precious set to collect dust.

Ian walked towards the table, picking up the four glasses in one hand and the decanter in the other so he could take them downstairs for cleaning. He turned towards the bedroom door, not wanting to risk damaging the set in the narrow and dark servants corridor, when a tall figure suddenly stood in the middle of the room.

Ian jumped, one glass slipping from his fingers, and in a clumsy attempt to save it, everything else followed. The crystal shattered as soon as it made contact with the stone floor, the crash ringing in his ears as he anxiously looked up at the tall man in the room.

"F-forgive me, my lord," he said breathlessly, "I-I shall clean it up at once!"

He turned towards the small, hidden door in the corner, wanting to disappear in the narrow corridor after seeing Lord Gethin’s disapproving look, but of course he couldn't get away with it that easily.

"That was my favourite set."

Ian took a shaky breath to try and calm himself, before turning back with his head bowed down.

"I-I’m begging your pardon, my Lord," he said, "I should have been more careful."

"That crystal was a gift from an Eastern European nobleman, it was one of a kind," Lord Gethin continued, "actions have consequences, Ian. Kneel where you stand and I might consider forgiving you."

Ian hesitated. With his head bowed he could see the floor, and the crystal shards covering the floor where he stood. He also spotted the hem of Lord Gethin’s robe as he had stepped closer when Ian didn't immediately obey. He saw his hand, slender with aged, pale skin, putting his fingers underneath his chin and tilting his head up.

Ian looked up, locking eyes with Lord Gethin as he shuddered. Not out of fear. It was something else that he couldn't quite put his finger on as he was too distracted by the improvised torture at his feet, yet he felt oddly calm, finding some comfort in Lord Gethin’s touch.

"Kneel, Ian."

Without breaking eye contact, Ian slowly lowered himself onto one knee. Lord Gethin’s hand slid from his chin and stroked past his cheek and then...it was gone and all that was left was pain.

Ian gasped as the shards crunched under his knee, tears springing to his eyes. He couldn't stop himself from whimpering as he had to adjust his position before putting his other knee through the same pain.

He caught himself trembling, maintaining eye contact with Lord Gethin, who still looked at him disapprovingly. His whole body shook as he tried to think of any other way to please him so that the punishment may come to an end. And just as he was struggling to think of something, of anything, Lord Gethin gave him a way out.

"Beg."

Ian couldn't hold back his tears anymore, letting them roll freely down his face. Whether it was the sadness for disappointing Lord Gethin or the joy for a chance at redemption he didn't know, but he knew they made him look more desperate, which was exactly what Lord Gethin seemed to be craving.

"H-have mercy, my lord!" Ian pleaded, "I-I didn't mean to break your crystal, I knew it was precious to you, which is why I was having it cleaned regularly. I-it was an accident, my lord, I beg of you to have mercy. I-I’ll do anything to atone!"

He instinctively shuffled forwards, sobbing as the crystal shards cut more painfully into his knees and shins. Desperately reaching out and grasping and clutching at Lord Gethin’s robe.

"M-mercy, my lord! Have mercy!"

He peered up at Lord Gethin’s face, trying to spot any signs of forgiveness through his tears, until Lord Gethin suddenly put a hand on his head, tousling his hair.

"You're so good to me, Ian," he said, "I know you didn't break my crystal on purpose."

"Th-thank you, my lord," Ian mewled somewhere halfway between a sob and a whine.

The gentle tousling of his hair suddenly switched to a painfully tight grip and Ian promptly quieted down, realising he had spoken out of turn.

"Nevertheless, it did break," he slowly continued, "but you may make it up to me."

"A-anything, my lord," Ian whispered, too afraid to speak up too early again.

"Oh I know," lord Gethin said, "but first, give me your arm."

He released the grip on his hair, allowing Ian to sit back a bit, before gingerly holding up his right arm. Lord Gethin took his hand, pressed a gentle kiss on his knuckles, turned it over and exposed a set of sharp-looking fangs before biting down on the inside of his wrist.

Ian could only gasp. He already couldn't remember the event as it was happening, his eyes were glazed over, as if the bite had put a spell on him, one that made him more pliable...

When Ian came back to his senses, the first thing he noticed was the burning pain in his knees and shins. He inhaled sharply, face twisted in pain as the smallest movement aggravated even the smallest cut.

"Ian! Can you hear me?"

"What..."

His voice was hoarse, and his throat felt raw, as if he had gone to sleep with a stuffy nose and breathed through his mouth all night.

He managed to open one eye, recognising one of the other servants hovering over him with a concerned expression on his face.

"H-Henry?"

Henry nodded, seeming relieved that he was recognised, before helping Ian sit up. He looked around. The crystal shards were now swept up into a little pile, sitting next to a bucket, waiting to be disposed of. Ian himself was sitting on the carpet, his tights bloody and torn from the knee down.

"W-what happened?"

"His lordship said you fainted and fell into the crystal you dropped," Henry explained, "just stay seated, once I've cleaned up I'll take you downstairs to tend to you. I've already sent a message ahead to Albert to make you some tea."

"Th-thank you, Henry," Ian said, rubbing his eyes a bit, wondering why they were crusted, "Sorry to give you extra work."

"Don't you worry about that, I'm happy to do it, honest," Henry said.

Ian just nodded, lowering his hands and finding he had two odd cuts on his right wrist as well.

I must've tried to catch myself and caught a shard or two instead.

He was also trembling. Had he fallen ill or something? He didn't feel ill, just a little off. Either way he just sat quietly while Henry carefully scooped the last of the crystal shards into the bucket before placing it in the servants corridor along with the broom. After doing that, he came back for Ian, making sure to hold him by his left arm as he helped him to his feet.

"Can you stand?"

"Yes, I believe so," Ian said, yet Henry didn't let go of him, continuing to support him as he took him downstairs through narrow passages and down steep stairs until they reached the kitchens.

Henry sat Ian down at the kitchen table, where a teapot and Ian's favourite cup were already waiting for them. Henry poured it for him, before handing him the cup.

"Drink."

Ian gingerly took the cup and tried a small sip, while Henry bent over and took a closer look at Ian's legs, very gently picking at the torn fabric.

"I shall have to clean these wounds, then we'll wrap it in some clean linen and you should rest for a day," he said, "I'll take over your tasks until you're healed enough to work again."

"Thank you, Henry," Ian said quietly, "really, I'm sorry to create more work for you."

"Don't be sorry, Ian. Get some rest while you can, we can't have you falling ill as well."

He put the back of his hand against Ian's forehead, feeling his brows furrow as his brother looked at him confused.

"As well?" he repeated, "Who else has fallen ill?"

Henry lowered his hand, seeming confused as well.

"No one," he said, "I don't know why I said that. I must still be shaken from seeing you on the floor."

"Please, do not worry for me, Henry," Ian said, "I feel perfectly alright now. I'll rest the rest of the day, and I'll be good to go again come morning."

"You're the captain of this ship..." Henry said with a shrug, before standing up straight, "Drink your tea, I shall fetch you some water to clean up."

"I thought I was the captain," Ian mumbled into his tea before taking a sip. Henry didn't seem to have heard him, as he was already halfway across the kitchen to get that water.

more characters with superpowers who look into the whole superhero thing and decide "hm no i do not want to participate in this actually"

to be clear i'm not saying they turn to supervillainy. they just look at their superpower-based career options and decide to go in an unrelated direction. dental hygienist. supply chain management. HVAC technician in surprisingly high demand

promise of obedience