I thought this was a joke but wow no Trump really actually did threaten to shut down Twitter because it “silences conservative voices,” a claim inspired by the fact that Twitter attached a fact-check to a couple of his tweets.
I was gonna say “peak 2020 is not knowing right away if this is satire” but joke’s on me because it’snotsatire
lot of people harbor the subconscious opinion that poc (especially black people) have to be grateful and trip over themselves with thanks for every crumb they get. that’s why you have people angry at john boyega rightfully talking about how he doesn’t fw star wars. that’s why you have people telling you not to criticize any “representation” or “diversity” in books and on tv. y’all are projecting this “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” mentality onto us not realizing that we aren’t getting fucking fed.
“you need to be grateful for what you have” = we want to provide the bare minimum and nothing more so stop complaining
File this under “super obvious yet I always seem to forget it.”
I don’t write romance (I totally respect people who do, though!) but this is also great writing advice in general! What is preventing the protagonist from achieving their goal?
Why can’t these two people be together now?
Why can’t the mystery be solved now?
Why can’t they overthrow the evil overlord now?
If you don’t have a solid answer for these questions, that’s a good indicator that the plot could use some more work.
Also test your answer a little bit. If it’s as thin as they’re just refusing to sit down and have a simple conversation, you might want to re-think how things are going.
As a beta reader/editor, I tend to ask this question a lot: “Why are they doing it this way when there’s a much easier path available?” That’s not to say that they should take the easier path, because that would usually be boring. Instead, the point is that the question needs an answer–either eliminate the easier path or give them a very clear reason for not taking it. (And if I’m asking the question, that reason isn’t as clear as you think it might be.)
I find it very difficult to root for characters who have a sensible option available and just don’t take it. If the only reason is “Because there wouldn’t be a story otherwise,” you haven’t actually found the story yet.
“i know your pizza order” “you have freckles on your ears” “you make this face when you’re tired” “you order green tea on a good day black on a bad day” “you always make that face before you try something” “the tips of your ears turn red when you’re angry” “i knew you’d say something” “you must be exhausted to miss the class” “your favorite pie is pumpkin, right?” “i know your phone number, don’t worry” “you miss me, i can tell” “you fiddle with your pens when you’re bored” “you don’t like converse unless they’re high tops” “your favorite cereal is cinnamon toast crunch and you first ate it when you were 8”
being known is being loved.
Every time my husband stops to pick up food and doesn’t ask me what I want because he knows what I always get I feel it in my heart.
