BluCherries

[syn4k]

burning text gif maker

heart locket gif maker

minecraft advancement maker

minecraft logo font text generator w/assorted textures and pride flags

windows error message maker (win1.0-win11)

FromSoftware image macro generator (elden ring Noun Verbed text)

image to 3d effect gif

vaporwave image generator

microsoft wordart maker (REALLY annoying to use on mobile)

you're welcome

[mmelete]

[carby]

[lialucis]

@machveil !!!

[machveil]

[guiltfactory-moved]

[spell-bloom]

Hey here's some free Sims games. Don't pay for digital media in this economy.

Sims 1

Sims 2

Sims 3

Sims 4

Sims Medieval

Here is also all non-PC sims games. As well as links to a variety of emulators:

PS2

PS3

XBOX

XBOX 360

PSP

DS

Wii

GameCube

Game Boy Advance/Other emulator

EDIT (2/11/25) I completely forgot that Vimm's Lair got a lot of games nuked recently, here is a link to the 🏴‍☠️ games megathread.

[spell-bloom]

REBLOG THIS VERSION ALL LINKS WORK 👹👹👹👹

AND REMEMBER TO USE A VPN

[dreamsy990]

i saw someone say nobody needs to know what a .txt file is anymore. what the fuck is the world coming to

[dreamsy990]

unironically i think we need to bring back computer labs because APPARENTLY some people WERENT taught basic computer literacy and internet safety in school

[dreamsy990]

things about computers/the internet i think kids should be formally taught in schools because theyre important to know and the amount of soon to be grown adults i know who know NOTHING about any of these is quite frankly almost all of them (and resources to learn if you dont know these things, because its never to late to get better with computers)

how to troubleshoot by yourself when you have a technical problem

what common file types are

some very basics on how to use ""developer tools"" on your computer (because i cant think of a better way to refer to them) like task manager and command prompt (and their mac equivalents, terminal and activity monitor ofc)

how to read and understand a privacy policy and what your personal data is, as well as what it being collected actually means and steps you can take to keep it private

how to understand terms of service (hey. if you have trouble with reading legalese and worry about being able to understand these policies anyways, here's a site that gives basic summaries of privacy policies and ToS)

what a cookie actually is

internet privacy and your digital footprint!! seriously i dont know why we stopped teaching people that they shouldnt be putting their entire real identity online in a world where your online actions can ruin you irl

basic safety measures like antivirus software (and why you should use it or if the built in one on windows or mac is enough for you) and backing up your computer (also a mac guide)

common keyboard shortcuts (and on mac)

as an additional note: things i think everyone should know on computers and the internet but schools may bit hesitant to teach about for whatever moral/legal standards schools pretend to operate on

vpns and adblockers! (btw for most of these where you can pay for things im purposefully not recommending any specific software but seriously just use ublock origin for an adblocker)

how to not get a virus while pirating something

what a temporary email is and when to use one

red flags that you shouldn't trust a website (and how to quickly check the security of a site)

what javascript on a website does and how to disable it to get around paywalls

[moramew]

A small list of random ass sites I’ve found useful when writing:

Fragrantica: perfume enthusiast site that has a long list of scents. v helpful when you’re writing your guilty pleasure abo fics

Just One Cookbook: recipe site that centers on Japanese cuisine. Lots of different recipes to browse, plenty of inspiration so you’re not just “ramen and sushi” 

This comparing heights page: gives you a visual on height differences between characters

A page on the colors of bruises+healing stages: well just that. there you go. describe your bruises properly

McCormick Science Institute: yes this is a real thing. the site shows off research on spices and gives the history on them. be historically accurate or just indulge in mindless fascination. boost your restaurant au with it

A Glossary of Astronomy Terms: to pepper in that sweet terminology for your astrophysics major college au needs

[moramew]

Adding to this since I’m working on a shifter au one-shot:

Canine Body Language

Feline Body Language

[moramew]

More:

Cocktail Flow: a site with a variety of cocktails that’s pretty easy to navigate and offers photos of the drinks. You can sort by themes, strengths, type and base. My only real annoyance with this site is that the drinks are sometimes sorted into ~masculine~ and ~feminine~ but ehhhh. It’s great otherwise.

Tie-A-Tie: a site centered around ties, obviously. I stumbled upon it while researching tie fabrics but there’s a lot more to look at. It offers insight into dress code for events, tells you how to tie your ties, and has a section on the often forgotten about tie accessories

[moramew]

Even more:

Types of High Heels: A page describing twenty five different types of high heels. It gives a description and pictures. Shake it up from just “stilettos and kitten heels”

Random Job Generator: Exactly as it says. The site offer more generators like characters, plots, or town names.

Glossary of Hosiery Terms: Figure out what is what on a pair of stockings.

Men’s Dress Shoe Guide: A quick guide describing the eight most common types of men’s dress shoes. Pics included.

Types of Women’s Coats: Descriptions and pics of various different types of coats.

[8writingblock8-blog]

WRITING REFERENCES

[rederiswrites]

There really really ought to be a book about how the staple crops of different civilizations shape and influence those civilizations, and I really want to read it.

[alexseanchai]

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky and A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage (three are alcohol, three have caffeine) are not quite that, but may still be of interest?

[rederiswrites]

I read Salt back in the day and it's so so good, second the rec. I have heard of 6 Glasses and not read it but I am sure I would probably love it. Gotta see if the library has it. Thank you!

[pandorasquillandquotes]

Gonna throw Empire of Cotton by Sven Beckert in the ring here! You'll never see the modern world the same way again.

[vaspider]

A Short History Of The World According To Sheep by Sally Coulthard blew my mind. So many things are tied to wool and sheep and weaving and so many words and phrases are tied to wool, people have no idea.

Example words which come from textiles/weaving, if not specifically wool (go look them up!): subtle, shoddy, tabby, Brazil, rocket, twit, warped, going batty, on tenterhooks, text...

[foxofninetales]

I'll throw in a rec for Pickled, Potted, and Canned by Sue Shephard - a very interesting look at food preservation and how the availability of different types of food preservation shaped cultures and cuisines.

[electronsprotonscroutons]

Sweetness and Power is this but for the topic of sugar

[magneticdeclination]

The Lost Supper: Searching for the Future of Food in the Flavors of the Past might also be up your alley. It's about "forgotten" foods and staples. They talk about different types of wheat, sauces, veggies, etc and a little about the cultures from whence they come

[doctornerdington]

Also: Much Depends on Dinner by Margaret Visser. One of my favourite books.

[bitchwhoyoukiddin]

DO I HAVE A SERIES FOR YOU. University of California Press has a gift for you and it is a 80+ book series on food studies. There are even some that are open access (legally free), but the rest are in libraries.

I also highly recommend Frostbite by Nicola Twilley. It’s about the impact refrigeration has had/is having on food preservation and culture, globally. It was one of my favorite books of this last year.

[sstrawbearri]

@residentwordsofaffirmationdealer

[ladyloveandjustice]

Great Cassandra Cain fic Recommendations (Continued)

Time for some Cassandra Cain fic recs! But first, check out my first post of Cass and Steph fic recs. Second def check out fantastic nonsense fic recs post, I love pretty much all the Batladies stuff on there.

I'll also give myself a nod and say I do my own Cass fic too! My fic This is Home is a series of oneshots focusing on Cass and Babs' relationship, and she plays a big role in my other Batfanfic too.

Stolen Soul by GalaxyOwl13

Cass doesn't feel like herself. She had pleaded for someone to fix her. But now that she’s been fixed, she wishes she had stayed broken.

and the beaten dog cried love by Murderless_Crow

She is in the room where pain happens, both to her and everyone around her. She is in the room where she is shown love, how to give and how to take.

Last, Lonely, and Wretched by Havendance

Trapped under Deathstroke's influence, Cass makes her escape when she is suddenly transformed into a cat. A.k.a: the angstiest ever fic where Cass gets turned into a cat and gets petted and called a good girl a lot.

Five Times Cass Got a Gift (and 1 Time She Gave Herself a Gift) by thedunce

Cassandra Cain learns about bats, thinks about names, and receives presents.

Sparks In Dark Waters by LananiA3O for Loxare

When the drug "Soul" appears on the streets of Hong Kong, Black Bat knows that her investigation is going to lead her to an old enemy: Doctor Death. What she does not know, is that it will also lead her to Thailand and to an old friend: Leslie Thompkins.

Words, Words, Words by MinaHarkerMyBeloved

Cass knows the world in sight and action, seeing and doing, until suddenly there are words, and this seriously trips her up.

Cass and Steph

you do not have to be good by Luvo

"Stephanie picks up her knitting needles, and Cass looks down at her lap, where her hands are still clenched into fists. Perfect form for punching someone, she notes with resignation. For breaking a nose, for knocking out teeth. She can feel all the calluses on her fingers from years of handling weapons, she can see where her nails are broken from fighting. There are things that Cass needs to live. This thing that she finds herself wanting? It isn’t one of them. She wasn’t built for it anyways. “Hey,” Stephanie says suddenly, “do you want to learn how to knit?”

Or: knitting as a metaphor for love, guilt, patience, penance, life, death, growth, grief, and sometimes, is also just knitting.

The above is part of a phenomenal Cassandra Cain centric fic series called "Your place in the family of things", so you might want to read all the fics in order here.

AND THEN I HAD SO MANY OF CASSSTEPH FICS I DECIDED IT WOULD BE EASIER TO MAKE A SEPARATE POST. Please see HERE for the rest of them

Cass and Babs

More Then Half Way To The Middle by RubyAndNanaAO3

Cassandra Cain is stubborn and so is Barbara Gordon, these two things don't always mix. But when an incident on patrol brings back some unpleasant memories for Cass, Babs learns there are worse things than meeting the new Batgirl in the middle.

Knight in shining armor by Fleur_de_Violette

Barbara never considered herself the damsel in distress type. But when men invade the clocktower, it’s a good thing she’s got a knight. A dark, silent knight. Whumptober day 3: held at gunpoint.

Apocalypse by GalaxyOwl13

Apocalypse (n.):

A prophetic revelation. The end of a world.

(Cassandra still has nightmares about killing.)

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely by Luvo

Walk through the room again. Forget what you have learned, and slam your shins into the table once more. Stop and pause and breathe, this is not a step backwards. The work you have done has not gone to waste. Or: healing has its ups and downs

The above is part of a phenomenal Cassandra Cain centric fic series called "Your place in the family of things", so you might want to read all the fics in order here.

Cass and Bruce

All That You’ve Got by hawkzees

A mission gone wrong. It’s nothing Batgirl can’t handle.

To Sleep by SpiritoftheArctic

Cass thinks back upon her actions on a recent mission, and regrets it all. You could be reared by David Cain, and trained as Batgirl, and not recognize the intense self-loathing and the slipper slope fallacy when your own mind commands it.

Cass and Bruce and Babs

I wanted a lullaby by Luvo

Bruce and Barbara, on the subject of one Cassandra Cain once more.

(Look, I could probably just put "all Luvo's fics" since they're all so good...if there's any not in here it's probably because I either haven't read them yet or am saving them for a future posts)

Cass/Brenda

Equinox by shobogan

Cassandra needs to balance her past, present and future.

Make Me Over by hawkzees

In that crowd, with hearts screaming as loud as the music, she felt the backs of her black Mary Janes getting trampled. It made her stumble a little, but caught her balance back quickly enough. Right now, she knew that Brenda was the only one who could sweep her off her feet.

the touch of a ghost by laufire

Cass Cain Week, Day III: Silence | Music.

Cass and Dick

when drawing is reality, and reality is fiction by DontTouchTheSun

Dick has deemed himself Cass' pop culture tutor, but an attempt at movie night ends with crickets. So it's time for round two: this time animated. DC G4G prompt: Cassandra Cain is enraptured by animated movies (she is unimpressed by most live-action acting but finds animated acted and voice acting convincing)

Now It's All Within My Reach by GalacticHawks

Cass turned to face him. "I need your help with something." "Oh?" Nightwing raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall with crossed arms. "What's the problem?" "I need you to teach me how to drive." There's a gap in Cass's knowledge and she aims to fix it.

Cass and Damian

Hidden by lurkinglurkerwholurks for DawnsEternalLight

He could see the bubbles leave his mouth, white against black water. Then he was spinning end over end, the world washed of everything but the rumble-tumble and the blur of light and dark. He was screaming. He was scared. He was going to die.

Cass and Tim

Heavy Enough to Make a Sound by tothefiniteyou

Tentatively, keeping the boy inside her peripheral view, she takes hold of the spoon, dips it into the odd-looking food that’s stuck between blood and not-blood, and lifts it to her lips. Swallows. Bad. It tastes awful. Years of training and self-restraint are all that keep her from spitting it out and throwing the utensil across the room like it’s something poisonous, something that’s going to harm her. But the kid—Tim, she reminds herself, tongue unconsciously moving as she sounds the word out to herself in her head—is just so… expectant. It bleeds into his entire demeanor. She doesn’t like the biting bits—the little black specks that crunch between her teeth, making her tongue feel funny. She doesn’t like how watery yet paste-like its consistency is, her toes curling, feeling a chill that won’t come wanting to crawl down her spine. It hardly tastes like anything, and therefore, it tastes gross. It tastes like nothing, and to be honest, it’s kind of disgusting, but it’s the best thing she’s had in—forever, she thinks. It’s warm. It’s warm, it’s warm, it’s warm.

tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine by Luvo

Robin talks to him, voice coming quietly through the phone speakers, he offers him sympathy, condolences, tells him that things will get better, that no one deserves to die. Cass imagines what he looks like, on the other end of the call. She thinks he’s probably on patrol himself, maybe crouching on top of a building, maybe sitting somewhere as he talks. She wonders if there’s a wrinkle between his brows, if he's wearing any of his other tells when he says, “Death is never the answer.” She watches his words do their work regardless, as the man steps away from the edge of the roof, hands the phone back to Cass. Cass is glad she called Tim. He’s better at lying than she is.

The above is part of a phenomenal Cassandra Cain centric fic series called "Your place in the family of things", so you might want to read all the fics here.

Cass and Jason

Ophelia in Retrograde by Thingsareswinging

On the television, the camera pans across Gotham’s skyline, and Jason’s mind goes blank. The clocktower, Babs’ new base of operations, is a smoking ruin. Scrambling up, mashing the mute button on the remote, he rushes to the desk in the corner, wrenching open his laptop, fingers shaking as he activates the nuclear option. Putting the headphone to his ear, relief floods his chest when he hears Barbara’s voice for the first time in three years, then sours when he can process well enough to hear what she’s actually saying. It’s not Barbara that’s dead. It’s Robin.

Cass and Duke

Moments Between Moments by sepia_stained_sunset

Sometimes, Duke looks back on his time following the Cursed Wheel and marvels that he didn’t end up on the slab at one of Gotham’s many mortuaries. Or, Duke Thomas doesn't need to be tested to prove his worth. Cassandra Cain understands this better than anyone else.

Crossover!!!

follow the stars by Runespoor

Cassandra Cain meets Anthy and they are catapulted in the past. As you do.

Cass meets Anthy from Revolutionary Girl Utena. This is so niche and specific to my interests. Amazing.

[remnantglow]

classic scifi novels by men r always like. page 1 here’s a cool scifi idea i had. page 2 i hate women so much it’s unreal

[remnantglow]

ALT

ALT

ALT

guys if one more person leaves a tag like this on my post im gonna lose my mind. There Are Science Fiction Authors Who Are Not Misogynistic Men

[remnantglow]

ok i’ve gotten one too many ‘this is why i don’t read sci-fi’ comments so here’s a rec list for the people convinced all science fiction is bad and misogynistic (with something for everyone, hopefully!):

(also, btw, the book links are to the Storygraph, which includes content warnings for each one!)

smth funny and lighthearted about a security robot who’d rather watch TV then do its job? all systems red by martha wells (first novella in the The Murderbot Diaries series, 6 books, ongoing)

a complex, intricate political space opera following a warship AI who’s lost (almost) everything? ancillary justice by ann leckie (first in the Imperial Radch trilogy) (fun fact! bc of space linguistics reasons, all characters in this series are referred to with she/her pronouns, making gender a non-factor - it’s really cool!)

a dark story about travelling between parallel universes and a woman who is dead in almost every single one? the space between worlds by micaiah johnson (standalone) (SO good, i don’t get to recommend it often enough!!!)

a story about grief and letting go, and a unique take on alien invasion? the seep by chana porter (standalone novella)

hey, how abt some dystopian YA, for old times sake? specifically, one with sapphics and sick mechas? try gearbreakers by zoe hana mikuta (first in duology)

or, if you’d prefer something a bit less angsty, YA about a ragtag group of teens and a space heist? the disasters by m. k. england (standalone)

alternate history steampunk that blurs the line btwn science fiction and fantasy? the black god’s drums by p. djeli clark (standalone, novella)

a dark gone girl-esque thriller about clones? the echo wife by sarah gailey (standalone)

poetic sapphic romance and time travel? this is how you lose the time war by max gladstone and amal el-mohtar (standalone)

a hopeful utopian future and a human-robot friendship? a psalm for the wild-built by becky chambers (novella, first out of two) (this author’s got a whole bunch of hopepunk sci-fi novels in general, if that’s smth you’re looking for!)

africanfuturism, coming-of-age, and cool jellyfish aliens? binti by nnedi okorafor (novella, first in trilogy)

spicy lesbian cyborgs? and shall machines surrender my benjanun sriduangkaew (novella, first in the Machine Mandate series, 6 books)

cosmic horror with an autistic scientist, cyborg angels and AI gods? the outside by ada hoffmann (first in trilogy, 2 books are out)

also, if you’re a fan of Janelle Monáe, may i draw your attention to the fact that they’ve recently come out with a Dirty Computer short story collection, each story co-written with a diff writer?

this list is long enough, but have some more authors (who are not cis men) also worth checking out: rivers solomon, yoon ha lee, charlie jane anders, aliette de bodard, xiran jay zhao, mary robinette kowal, corinne duyvis

and finally, not all older/classic scifi is written by crusty old white guys who hate women!!! some iconic authors i’d particularly recommend looking into are ursula k. le guin, octavia e. butler, samuel r. delany and vonda n. mcintyre 🥰

[bajoop-sheeb]

PLEASE for the love of the universe read anti-colonial science fiction and fantasy written from marginalized perspectives. Y’all (you know who you are) are killing me. To see people praise books about empire written exclusively by white women and then turn around and say you don’t know who Octavia Butler is or that you haven’t read any NK Jemisin or that Babel was too heavy-handed just kills me! I’m not saying you HAVE to enjoy specific books but there is such an obvious pattern here

Some of y’all love marginalized stories but you don’t give a fuck about marginalized creators and characters, and it shows. Like damn

[spid3rgrrrl]

If anyone has any recommendations give them to me please!

[bajoop-sheeb]

Gladly! The pieces on this list aren’t limited to specifically anti-colonial science fiction and fantasy, but they do center related and relevant topics, themes, etc.

Anything by NK Jemisin. She is the best speculative fiction writer of her generation and probably the best speculative fiction writer alive. She is easily one of the best writers working right now, across all genres. That’s not hyperbole. She deserves all the hype.

Anything by Octavia Butler. She needs no introduction. Her short fiction is incredible; “Bloodchild” is one of the pieces that inspired me to write.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon. Excellent. Just read it.

The Radiant Emperor duology by Shelley P. Chan. It broke my heart and it'll break yours.

Babel by RF Kuang. You’ve probably already heard of this book because Harper Voyager marketed the shit out of it and was right to do so. It’s very, very good. Kuang writes a compulsively readable story, that’s for sure.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo.

So Long Been Dreaming: Post-Colonial Science Fiction and Fantasy (anthology) edited by Nalo Hopkinson.

Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora (anthology) edited by Nalo Hopkinson.

Severely underhyped books of assorted speculative genres:

The Blood Trials by NE Davenport. Given the current chokehold romantasy has on the public it’s insane to me that this book hasn’t sold a billion copies.

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez. It’ll change you.

The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera.

The Lesson by Caldwell Turnbull.

Read widely. Read diversely. People of the Caucasian persuasion need to stop getting pissy when the story doesn’t immediately center them and they don’t automatically relate to everything the character says and does and is. Just let yourself get swept in the story—even if it touches on (gasp!) racism—and maybe, just maybe, it’ll reveal something to you.

Or maybe not! Marginalized sff authors do not have to and should not have to educate their readers. But if I see one more white person complain about how Black characters are fundamentally annoying because they complain too much I’m going to fling myself into the sun

Thanks for coming to my ted talk I didn’t want to do it but here I am

[teeth-and-spackle]

Don't forget Aliette de Bodard! Especially her Xuya and Dominion of the Fallen series.

Zen Cho is my other favorite - Sorcerer to the Crown and The True Queen, and also Black Water Sister.

[coffin-flop]

Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements is a fantastic collection of short scifi stories written by a variety of social justice activists

Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson is so intricately plotted, I really enjoyed the world building in it, the back of book blurb says "The rich and privileged have fled the city, barricaded it behind roadblocks, and left it to crumble. The inner city has had to rediscover old ways — farming, barter, herb lore. But now the monied need a harvest of bodies, and so they prey upon the helpless of the streets. With nowhere to turn, a young woman must open herself to ancient truths, eternal powers, and the tragic mystery surrounding her mother and grandmother. She must bargain with gods, and give birth to new legends."

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland is a YA alternative historical fiction zombie novel in which the American Civil War is interrupted by a zombie apocalypse, and a young Black woman must find her way in a world where the living may be more dangerous than the undead. (it's the first of a duology)

Everfair by Nisi Shawl is a steampunk alternative history, which explores the question of what might have come of Belgium's disastrous colonization of the Congo if the native populations had adopted steam technology as their own. (also part of a series)

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline is a great ya dystopian book about a world where people have lost the ability to dream and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America's Indigenous people, and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world. But getting the marrow, and dreams, means death for the unwilling donors.

The Getaway by Lamar Giles is a very intense YA dystopian horror that takes place in the future, in which a teen boy and his family work and live at a Disney-esque resort, which provides safety from the upheaval in the outside world.... until the trouble in the outside world gets worse and the most rich members of the board and up moving in and locking the resort down, leaving the families who live & work on the resort at the mercy of the wealthy board owners who control it.

Not a book and not exactly scifi (although some of the stories are scifi) and not always anti-colonial (but a lot of the stories have anti-colonial themes) , I really love the Nightlight Podcast hosted by Tonia Ransom, which is a podcast of horror stories by Black writers and performed by Black actors

not fiction, but semi-related nonfiction I'd rec is Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women's Speculative Fiction by Sami Schalk

[homoqueerjewhobbit]

Throwing in The Kingston Cycle by CL Polk, basically everything I've ever wanted in a fantasy novel. Like if the author had my checklist.

[h0wl-1n-7h3-n1gh7]

Reblogging to reference later~

[thepioden]

Chai tea bag + lil but of brown sugar + apple cider packet + 16 oz. mug of hot but not quite boiling water

it will not Fix You but like. maybe. maybe.

[thepioden]

tags by @eridan-ampora

[thepioden]

Update: this is the best post I've ever made because everyone is sharing their Warm Beverage recipes in the notes. Go check the notes for more Warm Beverages That Will Fix You.

[azalea-blooming]

[Image ID/ Tags saying “I would like to submit mint tea bag + half a mug of water + half a mug of milk + packet of hot cocoa for your consideration as well. /End ID]

[GIF ID/ A man leaning forward, pointing approvingly. It is captioned “You, keep talking.” /End ID]

[batgirlpurpleedition]

2026 WILL BE THE YEAR OF STEPHCASS

2026 WILL HAVE A STEPHANIE BROWN SOLO

2026 WILL BE THE YEAR WE GET CASSANDRA CAIN CANONICALLY BEING A LESBIAN

2026 WE WILL FINALLY GET TOM KING OFF OF WONDER WOMAN

2026 THEY WILL DO A NEW GODS ONGOING WRITTEN BY RAM V AND LIGHTRAY WILL COME BACK

2026 THEY WILL GET THAT NAZI OFF OF GREEN LANTERN AND AQUAMAN AND WE WILL GET GOOD COMIC BOOKS

2026 WILL BE THE YEAR OF YURI

2026 WE WILL GET A NEW GREEN ARROW BOOK WRITTEN FOR ONE MILLION YEARS BY AN ACTUAL LEFTIST WHO ACTUALLY HAS READ ARROWFAM BOOKS AND IT WILL BE GOOD AND MIA DEARDEN & CONNOR HAWKE WILL BOTH PLAY PROMINENT ROLES IN IT

2026 WE WILL GET MAPS AS CASS'S ROBIN

2026 DAMIAN WILL BE AN ADORABLE LITTLE POTATO WHO HANGS OUT WITH STEPH

2026 WILL BE THE YEAR OF YURI

2026 WILL BE THE YEAR OF WOMEN

2026 WE WILL HAVE AN ONGOING, MAINLINE SERIES IN DC COMICS CENTERED AROUND A BLACK LEAD CHARACTER

EVERYONE RB TO MANIFEST 🕯️

[akajustmerry]

may 2026 bring us closer to a Palestine liberated from zionist occupation, and a Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan free from proxy exploitation. May 2026 see more people gain the courage to make the world a little better than before. May we all remember to tend seeds whose trees we may never sit beneath. Consider donating to/sharing The Sameer Project, or Khartoum Aid Kitchen or Focus Congo. All power to all the people. Happy new year.

[enki2]

[noadventureshere221b]

LISTEN TO ME. THIS IS COMPLETELY TRUE. THEY WORK EXACTLY THE SAME. GET THOSE INSTEAD.

[starpains]

on “the blond,” “the older man,” and other crimes against third-person limited

You know that thing where a story is written in tight third person limited — we’re meant to be inside someone’s head, seeing the world through their thoughts — and then suddenly the narration says “the blond frowned” or “the shorter woman sighed” about a person the POV character knows really well?

That’s called antonomasia — using a descriptive label instead of a name. And it’s fine when we’re talking about strangers: “the cashier handed her the receipt,” “the tall guy blocked the door.” The POV character doesn’t know their names, and we just need a quick way to tell people apart.

But the moment it’s used for someone the POV character already knows, it breaks immersion. Because that’s not how our minds work. We don’t think “the older man smiled at me.” We think “Mark smiled.” Or maybe “my boss” if that relationship matters in the moment.

Third person limited means the narration sits inside someone’s perception. Their inner monologue is the story’s voice. So when you switch from “Mark smiled” to “the blond smiled,” you’ve pulled the camera away from their mind and turned it into an outside shot.

If you want to create distance or irritation, you can do it on purpose —

“The idiot from accounting emailed again.”

That’s character voice. That’s judgment. That works.

But otherwise?

As soon as your POV character knows someone’s name, use it. While we do tend to worry about repetitions, names rarely register as such to the readers.

If you need variety for rhythm, use relational or emotional identifiers that make sense in their head: her friend, his partner, their teacher, the person they loved.

Because inside someone’s thoughts, there are no “blonds” or “brunettes.”

There are only people they know.

[wisteria-lodge]

Really good explanation of the fundamental problem with this type of writing.

(and why it's one of my huge pet peeves)

[arkadijxpancakes]

Yes, this is a really good explanation!

In addition to this, let's do some troubleshooting:

1. the text reads repetitive

When a text reads repetitive, this is most likely caused by a monotonous sentence structure. A common example for this is, when most sentences start with a name or pronoun. It can also mean that the narrative is lacking in details.

In this case, replacing names and pronouns with epithets won't help.

Instead, it's better to try some of the following stuff:

switch up the sentence structure

add descriptions, where appropriate (can be descriptions of characters, actions, objects, places, smells, sounds, etc.)

sprinkle in actions and descriptions in between dialogue (or dialogue in between actions)

dialogue-tags can go at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of a dialogue-segment (they can also be skipped, as long as it is clear who is talking)

skip/remove segments that are unimportant or redundant

2. the text is confusing

This can happen, when multiple characters in a scene use the same pronouns, and it's not clear who a pronoun is referring to.

The thing is: Adding epithets will probably not work. Each epithet will give readers another variable to juggle when deciding who is who. Now, they don't just have to remember names and pronouns (and maybe nicknames), but also epithets.

At worst, epithets will make a text more confusing. This tends to happen, when multiple epithets are used for the same character or when epithets are not destinct. Common culprits are epithets that are based on height (most franchises don't come with height charts or have pretty small height differences between characters) and hair color (most franchises will feature multiple characters with the same hair color).

If a text is confusing, it's besser to look at the POV itself. Chances are, it's not clear enough. Narration in third person limited is almost as close to the POV-character as narration in first person. Or, to phrase it differently: As an author, you want to breathe down your POV-character's neck.

This means:

A lot of confusion can be cleared up by sticking to the perspective of the POV-character. It's the POV-character who is experiencing - seeing, feeling, hearing, smelling, doing - things. The third person-narrator should not be privy to the experiences of any character that isn't the POV-character, and should keep their distance accordingly.

When using multiple POVs, avoid head-hopping. Head-hopping is when the narration switches between POV-characters within the same scene (and sometimes the same paragraph or sentence). It's better to only change POVs between scenes or chapters.

Characters can often be identified by the actions they are doing. When Bob and Charlie are in the kitchen and Bob is doing crosswords, while Charlie is cooking, readers will understand that it's Charlie who is cutting the veggies.

Structuring actions around characters can also help. When a character is described as going through a string of actions, readers will be able to follow that string, even without constant reminders that it's still the character who is doing it. (So when Charlie cuts his veggies, then goes on to fill a pot with water and then searches for his ringing phone, readers will be able to follow that string of actions.) It's similar to writing dialogue: As long, as the dialogue is uninterrupted, readers will understand that it's still the same character who is doing the talking, even without putting a "said Charlie" at the end of each sentence. So look at who is described as acting at what point in a scene. Use names, when the acting character changes. (So when the narrative switches back to Bob as he throws the pencil on the table, because this crossword sucks, mention his name.) If it's a hectic back-and-forth between characters, it can be a good idea to untangle that a little bit. (Unless the scene being hectic is the point, of course.)

[look-up-later]

Does anyone have examples to help illustrate what these mean?

[wisteria-lodge]

I want to give this a try. Let's workshop a snippet:

“Wait, you’re magic?” said Arthur, staring at Merlin. He flinched, and dropped the goblet of wine he was holding. Merlin looked fearfully back at Arthur. Then Merlin looked annoyed.  “Yes,” said Merlin.  “Why did you say it like that? And are you going to clean up that wine?” said Arthur.  “So all those near-death experiences that you magically got out of…” said Merlin, in disbelief.  “I’m lucky!” said Arthur.  “No one’s that lucky,” said Merlin.  “So… it was you, doing all of that? Even though it put you in danger?” said Arthur. Then Arthur took a step closer to Merlin. He was soaked, and Arthur saw him shiver.

So... this feels little repetitive, and it's not always clear who "he" is referring to. This is a classic example of the type of things people 'fix' with antonomasia and epithets:

“Wait, you’re magic?” said the prince, staring at his manservant. The brunette flinched, and dropped the goblet of wine he was holding. Merlin looked fearfully back at Arthur. Then the smaller man looked annoyed.

But there are other (better) ways to do this, and I really like @arkadijxpancakes list, so I'm going to see if I can use all of them.

1. Switch up sentence structure.

All of these sentences have a character as the subject, and so the first word of every sentence is 'Name' or 'He.' Consider mixing it up:

Staring across the throne room, Arthur said - “Wait, you’re magic?" A clatter, as the goblet Merlin was holding fell to the ground. Fearfully, he looked up at Arthur. Then his expression changed into one of annoyance.

2. Add descriptions

Can be a fix for repetition, but can also help with tone.

“Wait, you’re magic?” said Arthur. Merlin's face went white. His hands shook, and the goblet he was holding went clattering to the ground. He looked fearfully back at the throne. There was silence in the massive room. Then Merlin's expression slowly changed into one of annoyance.

In this case, bringing up the throne and and size of the room communicate that Arthur has the power in this situation.

3. Sprinkle in actions

You can also essentially use actions as dialog tags.

“Wait, you’re magic?” Arthur twisted himself around in the throne to see Merlin better. Merlin was frozen. The goblet in his hands looked like it was about to fall from his limp fingers. "Yes..." Then the cup did clatter to the ground. "Yes," Merlin said again, only now he sounded annoyed.

4. Dialog tags don't have to go at the end, and they don't have to go on every piece of dialog.

I like to use dialog tags almost as commas or periods, to communicate a pause or a change in subject.

 “Yes,” said Merlin.  “Why did you say it like that?" said Arthur. "And are you going to clean up that wine?” Merlin looked at him in disbelief. “So all those near-death experiences that you magically got out of…” “I’m lucky!” “No one’s that lucky." “So… " Arthur said. "It was you, doing all of that? Even though it put you in danger?”

5. Stick with one POV character at a time.

One of the things that is making my original example a little confusing is it's not super clear who my point of view character is. But, let's just say - it's Arthur, we're going to be looking through Arthur and only Arthur's eyes this scene. That does a lot of my work for me:

“Wait, you’re magic?” Merlin flinched at his voice, something he hadn't done in years. The goblet he was holding fell to the ground, and for a second he looked terrified. Arthur hated it. Then Merlin's expression went back to his much more normal annoyed, and Arthur relaxed.

6. Use action to identify character

 “Yes,” said Merlin.  “Why did you say it like that? And are you going to clean that up?” Arthur pulled his feet up onto the throne so as not to stain his shoes. “So all those near-death experiences that you magically got out of…” Merlin had produced a cloth from nowhere, and was now down on his knees, mopping up wine. “I’m lucky!” Arthur drew back from the sheer intensity of Merlin's cleaning. “No one’s that lucky." More angry scrubbing.

7. Structing actions around character.

“Wait, you’re magic?” said Arthur. Merlin flinched, dropped the goblet he was holding, and looked fearfully back at Arthur. Then started to look annoyed.

[dreamwatch]

How am I only just learning this!?

[livingmeatloaf]

[ID: a cropped screenshot of the AO3 Exclude filter section, reading "Other tags to exclude". "*/reader" and "*/you" have been selected. End ID.]

[westiec]

Wait

[ID: cropped screenshot of the ao3 include filter, reading "Other tags to include:" with "*/James "Bucky" Barnes" selected. /end ID]

IT WORKS

Is this new???? I've been wanting wildcard relationship search for YEARS 😍😍😍

My multishipping ass is about to go ham...

[mysteryteacup]

helpful info for those who need it

[shrinkthisviolet]

Explanation of what this does for anyone confused!

[unexplained-events]

Paintings by John Brosio