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whyylois · 2 months
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How to write dual sided characters.
Dual sided characters, the way I write them, are how they act around one person or group and another way with a different person or group. They can flip it on or off like a switch. They tend to be manipulate in order to get to their end goal.
This could very well go to actions where they act like they are on the side of the antagonist and show actions for the protagonist.
Have a clearly defined character reference for them and how they will act. For example: how loyal are they to B and how loyal are they to C? Show a clear difference between B and C to demonstrate the dual sidedness.
What does this character want in the end? Consider the other characters and conflicts to paint a picture of how they will act in these situations. If the character is a person of power, think about what they will do to preserve their image in public vs. when all eyes are off of them.
What is their backstory? This is big if the setting is further into the future after the event. This serves two purposes that can build character and sets goals for the character.
Allows a very crafty character to shine for good or malicious intent. This character can easily wrap everything around their finger and pull strings all though simple manipulation techniques. If they can succeed in manipulating one person, they can soon have a whole cast of people under their spell and use that to their ultimate advantage. A puppet master controlling several puppets in a show situation.
Are they torn between something? This is very good as you can torment the character as much as you like with the thing they are torn between. They might act like they enjoy being bad around the wrong group and when alone they might wear that mask then drop it when the other half of them takes over, pulling them to the other side of what they're torn between. In the end the character will have to make a decision and the stakes are up to you in terms of how dire they are.
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whyylois · 2 months
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How to write a cane user character
(Written by a cane user)
A few months ago, I wrote a small guide on good disabled characters and why they were good that gathered quite the attention, and I thought that doing another more specific guide this time would be interesting for writers or just people that are curious ! This guide will include general informations, some things to do, some things to avoid and some ideas that might revolve cane users's lives.
Things to know about cane users
Cane users are pretty diverse, and putting us in little boxes usually isn't the best idea if you want to make a character that has substance and isn't just "the disabled one". Here some infos about cane users that might be helpful knowledge !
Canes don't have ages. Most cane users in media are portrayed to be old, but truly, anyone can have the need to wield a cane ! I've been using mine ever since I was 17.
Can users can have a large variety of problems for their canes. Some canes are used to avoid pain from effort. Some canes are used for balance purposes. Some canes are to make walking less exhausting (works the same as walking sticks !) And sometimes, it's multiple problems at once.
Not everyone needs their cane 24/7. Some always need it, some can make small efforts without it but overall often need it, and some people, like me, can spend quite a lot of time without it. I almost never use my cane in my house, and mostly take it outside !
People with canes can run. We're not necessarily slow, I'm even faster than a lot of my friends.
Not using a cane can come with consequences, but not always. Some people might be able to walk without a cane but then suffer horrible consequences, but for others, canes are just a commodity for specific occasions.
Canes don't have to be looked down upon. Look at some characters with canes that look cool as hell ! Arsène Lupin, Roguefort Cookie, Brook ... Their canes serve their style !
We can be pretty healthy. Some people can have canes just because they were born with a bent leg and that's it. Our cane doesn't define our health status.
Canes aren't a curse. Think of them as something positive. It's a tool to make our lives better. You don't see someone sitting on a chair and think "awh, it's sad that they need a chair". It's more something like "hey it's cool that this chair is here so they can sit down"
Things to do
Make them use their cane. And when I mean use, I mean that canes are just funky long sticks usually made out of metal. Have fun with it ! Let them use it as a weapon ! Trust me, one hit in the knees with a cane and you're DOWN. Use it to reach stuff that's too high for everyone ! Have fun. Be creative.
Let them decorate their cane. It's an extension of their body ! You usually put on clothes that you like, don't you ? It's the same for a cane. If they like cutesy stuff, let them paint in it pastel colors ! If they like a more flashy style, add some stickers on it ! If they're a fancy person, give them a beautiful crafted cane with jewels on it !
You can make them a little shy or uneasy about their cane. Some people don't feel worthy of confident enough to wield one. It's not rare to see people think they're "not disabled enough to do so"
But on the other hand, you can do the complete opposite !! Make them proud of that cane ! Make them act like they're feeling pretty and more confident with it ! One thing i like to think about with my own cane is that I look like a cool gentleman. That boosted my confidence immensely.
Things to avoid
Don't make it their whole world. And by that, I do not mean that their cane shouldn't be a defining trait of their personality. Think of Toph from ATLA. She is blind, and you usually can't think of her character without describing her as blind. However, that isn't her entire personality trait. Make cane users have a goal in life, friends who enjoy them for who they are and not just pity them, have fun ... Don't just make them the disabled one.
Don't try to make the character's life just a plain disaster unless it's the focus of your story and you really know what you're talking about. Having a character who's always in pain, who feels bad about relying on their cane and/or who's angry at the entire world for being disabled is a REALLY tricky subject to use if you don't want them to be either a mass of unhappiness and angst for no good reason or some inspirational porn of the character who inside is deeply tortured but outside keeps up a facade because they shouldn't cry to avoid making others uneasy.
Do not, and I repeat, do NOT try to heal them, especially in a magical way. Bad idea. A lot of disabled people's goal isn't to be healed. It's to live a normal life. Making it so the ultimate goal for them is to be healed makes it as if they were worthless as long as they were disabled. Making their situation better physically or mentally is one thing. Curing them completely is really bad. "But some disabled folks want to be cured !" True, true. But if you are able bodied, I'm not sure if you can have the right mind to understand all of the complex details about this situation that leads to someone's life choices and the end result may look like you think the only thing that can make disabled people happy is being freed from their condition. I think it's best to just avoid it altogether. If you need a more nuanced idea, try to give them a solution that still has a few downs ! For exemple, a prosthetic that feels like a real arm, acts like a real arm and basically replaces it perfectly is a full cure. But a prosthetic that takes time to adjust to, needs repairs sometimes and doesn't look 100% like an arm can be a better narrative choice
Smaller thing, but don't make the handle uneasy to wield if you draw the character design. You can decorate most of the cane, but if you have chunky spiky decorations on the place you're supposed to clench your hand over, you're gonna hurt yourself. I've seen quite a lot of jewel handles or sculpted metal handles and usually their not good. If it's detailed metal, your hand will end up cramped in little parts and it can hurt. If it's a jewel, it's so easy for it to slip out of your hand it's unpractical.
List of tropes/ideas of scenes/details about canes to help you write new situations !
If you walk with a cane during winter, you can't put your hand in your jacket to get warm and there's a high chance your hand will get freezing. So after a long walk, you get an excuse for another character to hold their hand and warm them up.
If the handle is metallic, you get the opposite problem during summer. You can burn yourself so easy ! Easy accident if you want someone to help and get closer to the disabled person without it necessarily involving their disability.
Canes are SUPER useful when you're walking upon heights. They make things really easy, just like hiking poles on mountains ! I live on volcanoes and whenever we clim on a harsh slope, I'm always the first to get up there. Good moment for your character to get a boost of confidence if they get all the way up somewhere before their friends !
The first time using your cane feels magical. If you have chronic pains, it makes you feel like your pain disapear. If you can't walk right, it feels like everything is suddenly alright. The moment where a character chooses to wield a cane can be huge for character development. It's a moment of fear because of the impact a cane has on their appearance, but also a moment of confidence and relief.
Canes fall. All the time. And after a while, it becomes fucking comical. Trust me, putting a cane against the wall, seeing it fall and doing it three times again in a row while it doesn't want to stay up makes you embarrassed but also makes you want to laugh because of how stupid it looks.
When you get a cane, you stop being invisible. When you walk outside, generally speaking, people don't look at you. They don't care about you. But when you get a cane, people start to stare at you for no other reasons that you have a cane. Half of them are just curious, especially if you're young. The other half has a very specific look. The "oh, you poor thing" look. Which is, trust me, particularly awful to get, especially when you're just existing and doing nothing special. How does your character react to this ? How do they feel about it ?
I believe that is all I had in mind. I may add some more details in the future if I get other ideas, but this should already be a good start. I would be thrilled to answer questions if you have some, either in my askbox or through DMs.
I will tag this post with characters holding canes that aren't necessarily considered cane users but that some people may be interested in writing as such. Feel free to tell me if you'd like to see tags being added !
Edit : I'm highly encouraging everyone to look at the tag section under this post where a lot of other can users are sharing their experiences !!
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whyylois · 2 months
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whyylois · 2 months
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noticed a dip in posts about palestine on my dash, so i think it deserves to be said again: palestine is not a trend. caring about genocide is not a trend. there are still reports about humanitarian aid trucks intentionally blocked off from gaza, meaning so many fucking gazans, a big portion of them children, are just bleeding out with no help. it just came out recently that israelis disguised as women and medics infiltrated a west bank hospital, at which point they killed 3 palestinians (whom they claim were militants. right). these people are living day to day without even the most basic utilities. anyone who claims to have “activism fatigue” needs to question why they’re so severely lacking in the most basic forms of compassion. you don’t get to just grow bored of talking about palestine. please never stop calling attention to the genocide happening full force in front of us.
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whyylois · 2 months
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Big fan of characters realizing they don't get to die. They have to live. And grow. And be a person. And deal with shit they thought they'd never have to. And be fucked up about it. I would like more of this. Enough dying for honor or as redemption. It ain't. You're just a corpse. There is no moral value in dirt time.
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whyylois · 2 months
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I've recently started harbouring a mad love-hate relationship with music streaming services
because on the one hand, of course I want to support artists directly and not be at the complete mercy of income from streaming services
but on the other hand, my taste in music is so unpredictable and hectic that I feel like I'd spend way more money trying to buy every single album/song from every artist I want to listen to, especially since I have a tendency to have a brand new playlist every month based on my mood
yes, of course this isn't sustainable, but unfortunately, such is the era I grew up in
(and yes, I am fully aware that this is a massive First World Problem lol)
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whyylois · 2 months
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every two months or so i fall in love with a new noah kahan song as if i'd never listened to it before
this month's instalment: paul revere
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whyylois · 2 months
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whyylois · 5 months
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Cathy Linh Che, interviewd in "The Rumpus Mini Interview Project #144" [ID'd]
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whyylois · 6 months
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Marin Sorescu, "Getting Used to Your Name" (trans. Gabriela Dragnea) [ID'd]
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whyylois · 6 months
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I cannot believe Tai Verdes wrote such a sad getting-over-a-breakup album and then finished the whole thing with the Certified Bop (tm) that is AOK
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whyylois · 6 months
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Characters co-owned w @_magic.stardust_ on IG 😌✨ (a couple more comics abt this on my account already)
I'm not a very positive person, i have a LOT of doomer tendencies. I feel everything like it's cranked up to the max, and as you can imagine it doesn't feel great. Every day throws more atrocious things in my face, and i can't ignore it 🥲
I see other people feeling the same way. We dissociate and numb ourselves by watching, playing, buying stuff. Hateful movements are gaining traction and climate change has its foot in the door
And it's all happening either way, to some degree. I feel like shit, and i'm sick of that. I might as well have a little bit of hope, otherwise i'll go bonkers 😭 Do we continue doomering our way through life or ignoring things altogether, or do we choose to hope a little?
That's why i'm looking into Solarpunk and am thinking of taking any readers (and myself) on a little journey through a better world, and how it might work, through a series of mini-comics I'm posting here. I don't have all the answers (no one person ever does), and i don't hold any pretenses that this kind of world is going to be our future. But i often hear "You love critiquing the status quo, but what do you propose instead?" I'd like to find out too. Here's to something we can hope for, no matter how slim the chances are! Because as I said, i might just lose my mind otherwise ☠️
P.S for new peeps: this is an AU with me and my friend's OCs, so all characters are genderless and go by they/them. It's not identical to our world in that regard, but other than this fact we try to keep it more or less realistic 🤙
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I spent a thousand krillion hours on this and the other Solarpunk comics, consider throwing 2$ at me on Buy Me A Coffee to raise my spirits :] I'm not doing well mentally these days, but people's appreciation helps a lot. Thank you very much!
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whyylois · 6 months
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Pssst
Hey, are you an artist or writer with WIPs?
Come here... I got a secret for you pssst come ‘ere
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whyylois · 6 months
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not another introduction! :o
and just as the seasons change, so too does the cycle of me using this blog begins again lol
heyo and welcome to a happy little storm! call me lane (yes, as in, 'lois lane' lol), and this here is my writeblr/studyblr sideblog! (my main is @aielylois, which is where I share my original poetry)
quick 3 (facts) about me:
20s, they/them/siya pronouns (and yes, that's the Filipino siya)
Pinoy-Poet-PhD student (helluva combo, I know lol)
based in Aus (which always was and always will be Aboriginal land)
why am I back on my blogging bullshit? well, I started my PhD recently and I just wanted somewhere where I could vent into the void anonymously and not worry about my 'reputation' as an aspiring academic lol
of course, anonymity is a luxury, but I hope this blog is far-removed enough from any semblance of my being that I can just vaguepost into the void lol
but if you do somehow recognise me: I urge you to not XD
I don't have the patience nor the time to make aesthetic posts, so be prepared for vagueposts featuring [redacted]! (both literally and metaphorically XD)
all my main tags are below the cut, but hey, my inbox is open if ya want to chat! just allow 3-5 business days for a response XD
take care, lane (-ylm)
my tags
all my original posts
specifically my rambles/rants/misc lol
my studyblr posts
my original writing
my OCs // The Crew > The Crew wip page // Anagolay Lost
my original poetry
music I listen to (and talk about lol)
books I've read / am currently reading
movies I've watched
creds
icon: this picrew by hiiragi_0118 on Twitter
sidebar: Etienne Girardet on Unsplash
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whyylois · 6 months
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girl (gnc) help I've been away from tumblr for so long they're sending me tumblr tips and tricks or some shit 😭
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whyylois · 6 months
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Via @Ed_Solomon at Twitter. Here's a clearer copy, in case (as a result of the looming Twitpocalypse) the original goes missing.
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whyylois · 1 year
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Prompts: vision of the future - letsescapril on ig // write a poem where the last word of every line combines to create its own 'secret' line - @cgcpoems // divine intervention - little_indigocloud on ig // to be a person - amykaypoetry on ig
[alt id under the cut]
human, err(or)
They say to err is to be human and I cannot help but think that it is all I have. to stray off the beaten path to seek what cannot be seen- to err is to be skewed to be slightly off the pace because life isn’t straight or narrow and the future isn’t actually in front of you. You pull it from the aether and spin it with your own hands, hold on as it sinks in and pray to your deity of choice that They stay out of it. For this life is about believing you can conjure control out of chaos and I cannot help but think that unexpected is all that I am for what is the most unexpected thing in this irrational world than to be alive
-ylm
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