RHAENYRA And ALICENT + Art

no thoughts, just "where is duty, where is sacrifice" and the way that alicent clings to abstract constructs like religion, honor, duty and sacrifice because her material life is so concretely terrible and empty. to have loved someone so dearly, and watch them be what you perceive as free while your entire personhood is reduced to a womb and made to serve the realm, a vessel for the rotting king to use and abuse. to not exist as a person for yourself but in only in service to others as you are ordered by your father under a patriarchal structure..........and then the contrast of that quote, which summarizes all of alicent's anguish and agony, to the classic, "what is honor compared to a woman's love? what is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms...we are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love.".................but alicent doesn't have love, not anymore. duty, honor, these concepts - they're all she's got, and the lack of the very elements that make them meaningful has corroded her inside and out. so: honor, duty, sacrifice, all without love. and here we are.

rb to make a trans person feel loved 💕

Editing Junk Words

There are words that (most of the time) are best to be left out of or changed in your draft. So CTRL+F your draft and get into the nitty gritty!*

*what you keep or change is up to you and your writing style. :)

Very

Would you rather someone say you’re very good or that you’re AMAZING. Changing “very ____” to one word usually hypes it up and gets the point across better. Check out my list of alternatives!

Just

Good to keep some in 1st Person especially, but it can saturate your writing very quickly. So be careful! 

Really

Can be replaced by alternatives of “very ___” in a lot of cases. More likely to appear and seem natural in 1st Person, but you do you.

Said

Not always the bad guy, but if you need something new, check out my alternatives for “said”!

In order

“In order to achieve this plot…” can be “To achieve this plot…” and perform the same effect, if not more effectively. 

That

A typically casual and informal filler word. If you don’t need it or don’t feel it fits, cut it!

Quite

Works best in dialogue, not really anywhere else.

Seemed

This is pretty boring and lacks intricacy IMO. Check out my alternatives for “seemed”!

Thing

Not always a junk word, but it can be. Use your discretion. 

Utilize

“Utilize” is a more pretentious version of “use”. But if it’s put in a pretentious character’s dialogue/narration and the shoe fits… utilize it.

Got

“She got bananas” is way less interesting than “she bought bananas” or “she stole bananas” or “she harvested bananas”. The word “got” cuts out an opportunity for details/characterization. Replacing it lessens repetition as well.

Went

Shares similarities with “seemed” and “got”. It kills a chance for more detail. Check out my alternatives for “went”!

it’s not catra’s fault her sworn nemesis is so pretty scorpia!!!!

Have lost the ability to think of anything but this stupid ass show 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

teehee

perfect angel who is the actual treasure of my heart

what people think is hard about writing: describing the joy, love, beauty, grief, loss and hope that form the richness of human experience

what is actually hard about writing: describing basic actions such as turning, leaning over, reclining, gesturing, saying something in a quiet voice, breathing, getting up from chairs, and walking across rooms