Hey So First Off, Absolutely Love Your Blog. I Have Learned So Much And I Can Hardly Wait To Implement

BREAKING NEWS:

I am very worried for Moon's state of mind and Lunar's immediate safety.

(I have become too invested in these shows...maybe.)

If you live in America you know

well fuck

Okay. Today's News. *Taps stack of papers on desk so hard I crumple them*

I loved the little glimpse into the past on The Sun and Moon Show today, and they were both very innocent in their own respects.

"Time to open up a hole in space!"

Moon... I wanted to say, "Don't do impulsive things because you can," but that would make me a hypocrite.

Anyhow, in other news, someone better come and check on Sun right now because the weak stitching holding his sanity together is about to pop. (I can see Puppet's on their way...)

Okay, bye. *Runs out of the news station before I get arrested for trespassing*

How to Make Your Writing Less Stiff Part 3

Crazy how one impulsive post has quickly outshined every other post I have made on this blog. Anyway here’s more to consider. Once again, I am recirculating tried-and-true writing advice that shouldn’t have to compromise your author voice and isn’t always applicable when the narrative demands otherwise.

Part 1

Part 2

1. Eliminating to-be verbs (passive voice)

Am/is/are/was/were are another type of filler that doesn’t add anything to your sentences.

There were fireworks in the sky tonight. /// Fireworks glittered in the sky tonight.

My cat was chirping at the lights on the ceiling. /// My cat chirped at the lights on the ceiling.

She was standing /// She stood

He was running /// He ran

Also applicable in present tense, of which I’ve been stuck writing lately.

There are two fish-net goals on either end of the improvised field. /// Two fish-net goals mark either end of the improvised field.

For once, it’s a cloudless night. /// For once, the stars shine clear.

Sometimes the sentence needs a little finagling to remove the bad verb and sometimes you can let a couple remain if it sounds better with the cadence or syntax. Generally, they’re not necessary and you won’t realize how strange it looks until you go back and delete them (it also helps shave off your word count).

Sometimes the to-be verb is necessary. You're writing in past-tense and must convey that.

He was running out of time does not have the same meaning as He ran out of time, and are not interchangeable. You'd have to change the entire sentence to something probably a lot wordier to escape the 'was'. To-be verbs are not the end of the world.

2. Putting character descriptors in the wrong place

I made a post already about motivated exposition, specifically about character descriptions and the mirror trope, saying character details in the wrong place can look odd and screw with the flow of the paragraph, especially if you throw in too many.

She ties her long, curly, brown tresses up in a messy bun. /// She ties her curls up in a messy brown bun. (bonus alliteration too)

Generally, I see this most often with hair, a terrible rule of threes. Eyes less so, but eyes have their own issue. Eye color gets repeated at an exhausting frequency. Whatever you have in your manuscript, you could probably delete 30-40% of the reminders that the love interest has baby blues and readers would be happy, especially if you use the same metaphor over and over again, like gemstones.

He rolled his bright, emerald eyes. /// He rolled his eyes, a vibrant green in the lamplight.

To me, one reads like you want to get the character description out as fast as possible, so the hand of the author comes in to wave and stop the story to give you the details. Fixing it, my way or another way, stands out less as exposition, which is what character descriptions boil down to—something the audience needs to know to appreciate and/or understand the story.

3. Lacking flow between sentences

Much like sentences that are all about the same length with little variety in syntax, sentences that follow each other like a grocery list or instruction manual instead of a proper narrative are difficult to find gripping.

Jack gets out a stock pot from the cupboard. He fills it with the tap and sets it on the stove. Then, he grabs russet potatoes and butter from the fridge. He leaves the butter out to soften, and sets the pot to boil. He then adds salt to the water.

From the cupboard, Jack drags a hefty stockpot. He fills it with the tap, adds salt to taste, and sets it on the stove.

Russet potatoes or yukon gold? Jack drums his fingers on the fridge door in thought. Russet—that’s what the recipe calls for. He tosses the bag on the counter and the butter beside it to soften.

This is just one version of a possible edit to the first paragraph, not the end-all, be-all perfect reconstruction. It’s not just about having transitions, like ‘then’, it’s about how one sentence flows into the next, and you can accomplish better flow in many different ways.

4. Getting too specific with movement.

I don’t see this super often, but when it happens, it tends to be pretty bad. I think it happens because writers feel the need to overcompensate and over-clarify on what’s happening. Remember: The more specific you get, the more your readers are going to wonder what’s so important about these details. This is fiction, so every detail matters.

A ridiculous example:

Jack walks over to his closet. He kneels down at the shoe rack and tugs his running shoes free. He walks back to his desk chair, sits down, and ties the laces.

Unless tying his shoes is a monumental achievement for this character, all readers would need is:

Jack shoves on his running shoes.

*quick note: Do not add "down" after the following: Kneels, stoops, crouches, squats. The "down" is already implied in the verb.

This also happens with multiple movements in succession.

Beth enters the room and steps on her shoelace, nearly causing her to trip. She kneels and ties her shoes. She stands upright and keeps moving.

Or

Beth walks in and nearly trips over her shoelace. She sighs, reties it, and keeps moving.

Even then, unless Beth is a chronically clumsy character or this near-trip is a side effect of her being late or tired (i.e. meaningful), tripping over a shoelace is kind of boring if it does nothing for her character. Miles Morales’ untied shoelaces are thematically part of his story.

Sometimes, over-describing a character’s movement is meant to show how nervous they are—overthinking everything they’re doing, second-guessing themselves ad nauseam. Or they’re autistic coded and this is how this character normally thinks as deeply methodical. Or, you’re trying to emphasize some mundanity about their life and doing it on purpose.

If you’re not writing something where the extra details service the character or the story at large, consider trimming it.

—

These are *suggestions* and writing is highly subjective. Hope this helps!

I don't know if this will make any sense, but:

Do you know that trope where a recently adopted introvert is dragged into their extroverted friend's house or room, and it's like,

"Oh. So this is how they live."

And bonus if their family shows up and embarrasses them, or the introvert sees something that reveals something about their friend that they didn't expect-

Okay, I'll shut up now.

information:

John Oliver clip

tumblr post with sources

post with a video breakdown

via nowthisimpact on Instagram

breakdown post

All In With Chris Hayes clip via MSNBC

*Please add any additional sources you may have and find useful*

I encourage everyone to not only be aware of Project 2025, but educate yourself on exactly what is — a nearly one thousand page document by Conservatives that describes the creation of an authoritarian state and dismantling of major necessary agencies (EPA, Department of Education, etc), as well as including a plan to remove those who hold high government seats and replace them with loyalists who have little to no experience in that field.

An estimated 41 million Gen Z teens will turn eighteen before this election. Please make sure you are registered to vote by November, and be sure to get to the polls on November 5th.

a list of 100+ buildings to put in your fantasy town

academy

adventurer's guild

alchemist

apiary

apothecary

aquarium

armory

art gallery

bakery

bank

barber

barracks

bathhouse

blacksmith

boathouse

book store

bookbinder

botanical garden

brothel

butcher

carpenter

cartographer

casino

castle

cobbler

coffee shop

council chamber

court house

crypt for the noble family

dentist

distillery

docks

dovecot

dyer

embassy

farmer's market

fighting pit

fishmonger

fortune teller

gallows

gatehouse

general store

graveyard

greenhouses

guard post

guildhall

gymnasium

haberdashery

haunted house

hedge maze

herbalist

hospice

hospital

house for sale

inn

jail

jeweller

kindergarten

leatherworker

library

locksmith

mail courier

manor house

market

mayor's house

monastery

morgue

museum

music shop

observatory

orchard

orphanage

outhouse

paper maker

pawnshop

pet shop

potion shop

potter

printmaker

quest board

residence

restricted zone

sawmill

school

scribe

sewer entrance

sheriff's office

shrine

silversmith

spa

speakeasy

spice merchant

sports stadium

stables

street market

tailor

tannery

tavern

tax collector

tea house

temple

textile shop

theatre

thieves guild

thrift store

tinker's workshop

town crier post

town square

townhall

toy store

trinket shop

warehouse

watchtower

water mill

weaver

well

windmill

wishing well

wizard tower

Angel's Playtime AU Master Post

A Master Post made by popular demand that I will TRY to keep updated with every post about Angel, my transmasc religious Poppy Playtime OC:

This one, the one on tiktok and everywhere- This Angel.

-=The Comics=-

Protip: If an event in the canon game is not shown in the comics, it's safe to assume it's because the event is similar or identical to the canon game's version, and therefore did not need to be drawn

Angels Don't Let Each Other Fall - Saving Huggy

Code or Bunny - Saving Bunzo

A Mother's Memory - Saving Mommy Long Legs

The New Plan - Filler Funny Comic

The Crash - Meeting Catnap

The Crash Aftermath And Impossible Promises - Meeting Ollie

Home Sweet Nightmare - Red Gas Nightmare Sequence

Saving Does Not Always Mean Living - "Saving" Miss Delight

Passing Out and Cuddle pile - Saving The Small Critters

The Nose Button - Filler Funny Comic

I Would Never Leave You Behind - Saving Dogday

The First Attempt (Pure Imagination) - Failing to Save Catnap

Try Try Try Again - Saving Catnap Part 1

I Want To Save You - Saving Catnap Part 2

-= Extra Pictures =-

Protip: These are pictures I drew outside the comics. Sometimes they're canon to the plot and I'm just drawing them with more detail- and sometimes I am just drawing something for fun. Not everything is canon to the story if it's one of these links.

Original Concept Art | Art Trade With a friend | Bottom Surgery Joke | Naptime With Bunzo and the Wuggys | Piggyback Ride | Spider Mom | Get Scruffed Idiot | Angel's Full Toy Design | Hold Da Babies | Cuddlepile Upgraded | Poppy's Puppy Eyes | Angel's Revenge | Kickin' Fights The Sun | Eve and The Serpent | Angel's Ref

Are fedoras really that bad?

YES YES THEY ARE

Dialogue Thing #13

"Come on, get up! You're gonna be late for..."

"...What?"

"Why...why is your bed...why is your bed full of weapons...!?"

"..."

"What... what is that stuff on them...?"

"... Do you really want an answer to that?"