Baby Yasuke

Writer, Artist, Poodle Dad. Exploring hobbies in my spare time.

[kacchixx]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Two more and we are done!!

Backburner Chapter Eight in a device near you or that corny ass shit in old commercials

[writingwithfolklore]

Writing Resources to use instead of AI

For coming up with character names:

Behind the name (my absolute fav)

Allows you to choose the origin of where you want the name to be from, whether you want a more feminine vs masculine vs androgenous name (as voted by users), random surname generator, and clicking on the name gives you important info like if there are any famous people with the same name, where it’s from, how common it is, and how people tend to see it, etc.

You can also search their name database by letter or meaning or origin, so if you know you want a character who has a name/surname that starts with an A from Ireland, there’s a whole list for you to choose from.

Census sites

Especially useful if you’re looking for a name from a specific place and/or time period. Just search “(country) census (year)” and you’ll find a database of real people who lived in that place at that time. No one can ever call your names unrealistic again.

For coming up with place names:

Fantasy name generator

This site can basically come up with any name for any person, place, or thing you might ever need. There are also specific generators for different fandoms if you’re looking to make an OC in an established world.

For finding that one word on the tip of your tongue:

One Look Thesaurus

This is my go-to. Not only can you find synonyms like a regular thesaurus, but you can also describe words like “unhappy smile” or “quiet laugh” to find the more specific word you’re looking for.

WordHippo

Works as a thesaurus (very similar to One Look) but also includes search options for words that rhyme, words that contain a specific letter or are a specific length, different word forms, sentences with a specific word etc. etc. It's like Thesaurus++

For coming up with ideas:

Word cloud

When I need to inspire a new idea, I write down all the things I’m interested in (hauntings, academia, lesbians, etc.) and put them into a word cloud to shuffle them next to each other. Sometimes seeing a concept in a new context can spark new ideas!

WWF Discord

This is my discord channel (shameless plug) for when you need to brainstorm off other people but don’t have anyone irl to talk to. We’re also happy to read and give feedback on writing, answer writing questions, or just chat!

For visualizing places and characters:

Pinterest

Pinterest can at times be a bit too sterile for my tastes, but if you use the right words, you can find more realistic photos of places. For example, adding “aesthetic” after basically any word will bring up a more broad collection of photos to help you flesh out places.

This is also a great way to find photos of people and fashion to help visualize characters. I’m bad at describing clothes, so I usually collect photos of outfits to help me know what my characters are wearing. Searching up “character inspiration” will collect more interesting photos and drawings of people who might not exactly be of our world.

(However, to make Pinterest not show you AI results, you have to go into your settings and check the “reduce AI” box. Luckily, it does mostly work.)

Death to Stock

Like pinterest but completely AI free (hooray!) Only drawback is that you have to pay a monthly subscription (about $20 CAD).

Cosmos

Very similar to pinterest but slightly more "artsy". I'm not super familiar with this one but I believe all the photos are human and you can save them and create collections with a free account.

Dupe Photos

Royalty-free stock image site with very Pinterest-core photos!

Minecraft

If you haven’t built your entire fictional city in Minecraft instead of writing, why not? It’s fun.

The Sims

This one is dual purpose because you can not only create your characters in Create a Sim, but you can design their houses. If you really want to go for it, you can bulldoze all the lots in your town and build your world from scratch.

Hero Forge

This character creator is intended for making D&D minis, so it has more fantasy-like options over the Sims if your characters are a bit out of this world.

House Plans.com

I was introduced to this resource through the comments on this post and it has quickly become one of my favourite things to use. If you struggle with the layout of buildings, this site lets you choose beds/baths/sq ft etc. and will show you house plans created by designers that most closely match your specs. You can also search by style instead if you're more interested in the aesthetics.

For checking grammar:

Grammar Girl

Easy to follow definitions and examples, and if you learn better by listening, every article comes with a podcast to follow along with instead.

Grammar Monster

This one is my favourite for checking grammar rules because there’s tons of examples in graphics that helps for any situation.

Reedsy

Among other things, reedsy can connect you to professional editors within your budget.

For writing advice:

One Stop for Writers

This one was recommended from my discord channel and has all sorts of tutorials and resources for the writing craft.

My Blog Directory

Another shameless plug, but if you need writing advice on something specific, you can search through my directory to see if it’s there. If it isn’t, you can always send me an ask about it!

For an alternative to Google Docs:

Ellipsus

Think google docs but without AI. Yay!

Scrivener

A more comprehensive writing software created specifically for writers, however there is a one-time payment to use ($80 CAD).

(will update this list with any more suggestions or resources I discover 😊 Thanks to everyone for your recs!)

[space-wolf]

This scene has never sat well with me.

I've been rewatching some of my favourite scenes from the A:TLA, so I eventually got around to the scene where Zuko asks to join Aang and be his firebending teacher.

There are several heartwarming moments there, from the way we see Aang wondering if he'd done the right thing/almost regretting it immediately after initially rejecting Zuko's overture, to gradually softening during Zuko's second speech and being the first to accept him.

When he asked the rest of the group for their opinions, however, I think he didn't actually consider one of them might still be (openly) against it, and I also don't think he ever realized just how close it came to exactly that.

Katara is especially petty and belligerent throughout this entire episode, and it's plainly written all over her face.

Her whole attitude and behaviour here remind me of this one neighbour I once had, who never voiced his true opinion on any of the proposals for reno/community projects in the neighbourhood. His go-to response was always something along the lines of "If everyone else signs, I will too" or "If the others vote yes, I'll also agree".

You can clearly see that Katara DOESN'T want to give Zuko the benefit of the doubt, and doesn't want him to join them. She's only agreeing so she isn't the only one to vote no (and she looks like the world's stroppiest teenager while doing it).

True, Sokka also says he'll go along with Aang's judgment on the matter. However: compare her expression to Sokka's, who GENUINELY doesn't care one way or another, as long as it gets them closer to their goal.

I know it can be argued that she has reason to be doubtful and angry, since she was willing to give him a chance earlier, back in Ba Sing Se, and probably sees his subsequent actions as a personal betrayal (something no one can really fault her for).

However, it's not the only instance where her vindictive side comes out. It just made me think of her overall character, and is (in my opinion) a great reminder that Katara has quite a temper, occasionally even downright nasty temper. The woman holds grudges like a champ.

(Remember the vicious quip she threw Toph's way, about not being able to see the stars? The girl is blind, and I can't believe nobody called Katara out on her behaviour.)

Okay, yes, she eventually grew (up) and she isn't all bad... but she always retains that borderline savage streak that comes out to surface when things don't go her way. All in all, I still don't see her and Aang being AT ALL compatible, character-wise, and I never will.

[babyyasuke]

To be fair, it’s not like Katara has any reason to trust Zuko at this point. This is still the same guy who:

- threatened to burn down her village

-tied her to a tree and stole her most prized possession

-sided with his psychopathic sister, who KILLED HER BOYFRIEND

-just recently hired a hitman to finish the job

We as the audience know Zuko is on a path to good, but Katara doesn’t have that context. She’s just going off of past interactions with the guy who, in her mind, is the literal embodiment of evil. If anything it’s surprising how quickly the rest of the team is quick to let things slide, but that’s who their leader is: someone who lets the past be the past and is quick to move forward.

I think that contrast is part of what makes Katara/Aang so compatible. Aang is passive, sometimes to a fault. He lets shit slide and avoids direct conflict even if something bothers him. Katara wears her heart on her sleeve and refuses to move on when something upsets her spirit. It’s another way in which they balance each other out.

Even outside of all of that, I just personally think her savage streak is more endearing than annoying. Her stubborness indirectly leads to her discovering Aang. It helps her find a waterbending master. It helps her lead them out of the desert without Appa. Most importantly, it ties into her element. Her emotions flow freely and can change on a dime, just like the oceans she commands. She can be warm like a tropical sea or as cold like an iceberg when she wants to be, and I think it helps her play her role as the emotional anchor of the team really well.

So yeah, she can be an asshole but it’s part of what makes her interesting and I personally wouldn’t change a thing about it (the Toph thing was objectively absurd though I hope she apologized for that off screen)

[babyyasuke]

As I’ve gotten back into writing, one thing I’ve learned is to never delete the scrapped WIP. Make a scrap pile folder and keep all the work you hate there. Within that junk is a gem of an idea you can use later on.

I just saved myself from the writers block I’ve been having all week because I remembered a scene I wrote a few years back when my characters were still woefully underdeveloped. Adding my revised characters back into the scrapped scene has given me a bunch of new paths to take these characters and their story.

So yeah. Your work isn’t junk. It’s a surprise tool to help you later.

[sprucestairs]

perks of writing:

its fun

i can do literally whatever I want

cons of writing

i just forgot the word "passenger" and had to search for "cargo synonym referring to a person"

[tenderwatches]

sometimes you need dialogue tags and don't want to use the same four

[tenderwatches]

now for all your bodily perception needs

[destination-is-animation]

With my rekindled interest for A:TLA (which I loved growing up, and now the hyperfixation is in full swing), I wish more than anything for something slice-of-life with the gaang. Animation would be amazing, but I'm perfectly thrilled to have comics, and theories, and stories, and just about anything that lets them be together and be them.

Because I can never have enough of group dynamics with people that are simultaneously brilliant and also playing hot potato with the one brain cell.

And also the group dynamic where everyone is totally aware that their friend is totally capable of being a badass with their mindblowing skills while also 100% committed to trouncing whoever tries to hurt them.

(And besides, slice-of-life can include feats of badassery and battles just as much as shenanigans. Because with the Avatar, a master waterbender, a brilliant tactician and warrior, the Greatest Earthbender in the World, a prince- turned-fugitive-turned-dragonfire-wielding Firelord, and a Kiyoshi Warrior, what else could one expect?)

[brainstreams]

[solidsmax]

KATARA Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (2026) dir. Lauren Montgomery

[feefal]

A calm, perfect evening to touch grass with your undead dog? companion

[ariesrin]

Writing tips: He said, she said...

Readers don't tend to notice 'said', while it's there in the sentence, it doesn't give the sentence any life. It gets the job done, mostly...

Here are some options to try!

whispered / muttered / mumbled → soft or secretive

shouted / yelled / barked → anger, urgency

growled / hissed → danger, teasing, frustration

murmured / breathed → intimacy, vulnerability

snapped / barked / snapped back → irritation, defensiveness

laughed / chuckled / giggled → laughing, fun, playful or flirty

asked / questioned / queried / inquired → curiosity, questioning

demanded / insisted → authority or control

sighed / groaned → fatigue, exasperation, longing

When you're looking to replace said, think about why. You'll generally want to do this when you need the following:

when the tone of the line needs more context.

when you want to show emotion instead of telling it.

when your character’s body language, action, or expression can do the talking instead.

Take a look at the scene you're writing, is the character saying their line? Or are they yelling it? Screaming it? Are they enraged, or perhaps is their voice a broken whisper from grief?

That being said, you shouldn't always avoid using 'said.' It's easy to read in long sentences, and it keeps the focus on the dialogue rather than the rest of the scenes. That may be beneficial and a key component to parts of your story.

[solidsmax]

Water, her tribes gather strength from the moon and flow with the tides. Earth, a kingdom of unshakable will. Reliable and strong. Fire, a nation capable of great destruction, but also of great warmth. Air, peaceful nomads with the power of a hurricane, but the spirit of a gentle breeze. For generations, the Avatar, the one master of all four elements, kept the nations in balance.

[yzomiris]

Spooky girl and Space boy

[nohardheroes]

AVATAR in ZODIAC SIGNS

Avatar: Aang, the Last Airbender

[paper-lilypie]

something something just my luck

[joshinin]

My Childhood all grownup :,)

[theunfortunate-author]

my daily affirmation as an author