It should 100% be illegal for companies to make you give them your payment information when you sign up for a free trial version of their product. It is not necessary and there is no good fucking reason for them to do it. It’s blatantly just so they can steal forgetful customers’ money.
Other Words for "Look" + With meanings | List for writers
Many people create lists of synonyms for the word 'said,' but what about the word 'look'? Here are some synonyms that I enjoy using in my writing, along with their meanings for your reference. While all these words relate to 'look,' they each carry distinct meanings and nuances, so I thought it would be helpful to provide meanings for each one.
Gaze - To look steadily and intently, especially in admiration or thought.
Glance - A brief or hurried look.
Peek - A quick and typically secretive look.
Peer - To look with difficulty or concentration.
Scan - To look over quickly but thoroughly.
Observe - To watch carefully and attentively.
Inspect - To look at closely in order to assess condition or quality.
Stare - To look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something.
Glimpse - To see or perceive briefly or partially.
Eye - To look or stare at intently.
Peruse - To read or examine something with great care.
Scrutinize - To examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.
Behold - To see or observe a thing or person, especially a remarkable one.
Witness - To see something happen, typically a significant event.
Spot - To see, notice, or recognize someone or something.
Contemplate - To look thoughtfully for a long time at.
Sight - To suddenly or unexpectedly see something or someone.
Ogle - To stare at in a lecherous manner.
Leer - To look or gaze in an unpleasant, malicious way.
Gawk - To stare openly and stupidly.
Gape - To stare with one's mouth open wide, in amazement.
Squint - To look with eyes partially closed.
Regard - To consider or think of in a specified way.
Admire - To regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval.
Skim - To look through quickly to gain superficial knowledge.
Reconnoiter - To make a military observation of a region.
Flick - To look or move the eyes quickly.
Rake - To look through something rapidly and unsystematically.
Glare - To look angrily or fiercely.
Peep - To look quickly and secretly through an opening.
Focus - To concentrate one's visual effort on.
Discover - To find or realize something not clear before.
Spot-check - To examine something briefly or at random.
Devour - To look over with eager enthusiasm.
Examine - To inspect in detail to determine condition.
Feast one's eyes - To look at something with great enjoyment.
Catch sight of - To suddenly or unexpectedly see.
Clap eyes on - To suddenly see someone or something.
Set eyes on - To look at, especially for the first time.
Take a dekko - Colloquial for taking a look.
Leer at - To look or gaze in a suggestive manner.
Rubberneck - To stare at something in a foolish way.
Make out - To manage to see or read with difficulty.
Lay eyes on - To see or look at.
Pore over - To look at or read something intently.
Ogle at - To look at in a lecherous or predatory way.
Pry - To look or inquire into something in a determined manner.
Dart - To look quickly or furtively.
Drink in - To look at with great enjoyment or fascination.
Bask in - To look at or enjoy something for a period of time.
Calling all aspiring storytellers with hearts full of whimsy! Get ready to sprinkle a touch of enchantment into your scenes with my Scene Wo
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Underused Ways to Show Two Characters Have History
Everyone writes: “We’ve known each other for years!"
But we can do better than that—let's make things actually interesting.
Here are some quick tips for writing two characters with history (without saying, "we've known each for years"):
• They reach for the same object at the same time without looking
• One of them uses a nickname no one else is allowed to use
• They start arguing mid-conversation like the first half already happened
• They move closer when the other looks uncomfortable
• One of them says, “Don’t start,” before the other has said anything
• They know exactly which buttons to press (and press them immediately)
• They unconsciously drift toward each other in crowded spaces
• They anticipate each other’s reactions before they happen
• One quietly moves something (a drink, weapon, chair) because they know the other will reach for it
• Someone might say something, and the other immediately responds with: “You’re still doing that?”
• They suppress laughter at the same time over something no one else noticed
• One character still treats the other based on who they used to be
• A certain place, smell, or song causes them to exchange a look
• Their arguments sound rehearsed, like they’ve had them before
• They touch each other casually without asking (fixing clothing, nudging, taking something from their hand)
• They stand closer than strangers normally would
• They borrow items from each other
• They bring up something embarrassing from ten years ago
• They sit in silence together and it’s either very comfortable or extremely tense
• One of them automatically orders the other’s drink
• They interrupt each other and still somehow finish the same sentence
• One starts a story and the other finishes it automatically
• They argue about the details of shared memories
• They mention people or events without explaining them
• A simple phrase or nickname triggers an entire inside joke
• They notice tiny things about each other no one else would catch
Real history sounds like unfinished conversations, old habits, and arguments that never really ended. When you show shared history (instead of telling) your characters seem that much more alive and believable.
On a similar note: Not all shared history is comfortable. Sometimes shared history means unresolved tension or an old rivalry:
• They refer to something only as “that” or “before.”
• Someone says “You know why.” without explaining further
• Standing slightly farther apart than expected
• Fingers drumming or fidgeting when they’re forced to talk
• Avoiding eye contact for just a second too long.
• A small disagreement suddenly becomes heated.
• One character reacts sharply to something that shouldn’t matter anymore.
• A casual comment triggers silence or defensiveness.
• One character starts explaining themselves but trails off
• One character makes small, cutting remarks disguised as jokes
• They still know each other’s preferences or weaknesses
• They speak in fragments when the past comes up
• They fall into familiar conversations and then awkwardly break them
If you enjoy digging into character dynamics like this, my printable novel planner has detailed sections for relationships, character arcs, and story structure. It’s perfect for organizing a fanfic or mapping out an entire novel!
I think it’s beautiful when what you loved doing when you were 6 finds you again when you’re in your 20s or 30s or 40s or 50s or 60s or 70s or 80s or 90s or
What do you mean “chat” is now referring to ChatGPT and not twitch chat? What? What? What the fuck? No?
When I address chat I am speaking to a presumed Greek chorus of real human people shitposting on their lunch break, not a machine that devours lakes to covert electricity into slop.
identifying a maladaptive coping mechanism is so bitter sweet like that’s great now i know what i need to stop doing. but that’s literally my something
writer culture is knowing you're going to look back on your work and cringe but also knowing you won't improve if you don't write right now so you churn out some bullshit anyways
in general I find that "why did someone behave this way" is almost always answered by "behaving otherwise was too difficult and frightening for them at the time," and then you have to dig into why that is. people behave in ways that feel 1. easy for them (do not require much thought or effort) 2. accessible to them (patterns that have worked many times before) and 3. safe for them (apparently predictable outcome)
this is true even for behavior that is absolutely horrific and totally unacceptable. which can be a tough thing to accept, I think.
ask and ye shall receive:
When I write in Japanese I usually also throw it in google translate to double check that I'm not using the wrong kanji by mistake, and two years ago it gave me very dry and literal translations.
I was doing it today and noticed it had a pretty strong voice added to the output
For reference, to give a dry translation I would put:
Lately I'm into in Hanafuda. Nobody seems to know anything about it here, so they probably wouldn't understand my brilliant jokes. I guess you guys will never be able to understand "Mister November and the Scary Cave".
I have a fluent friend who is able to check my work for me and give me tips on hitting the correct tone (I was going for a comically casual feeling), so I'm confident that I'm expressing the feeling I'm intending. While Google is also hitting the same emotion, I really don't like knowing that it's assigning tone in the first place.
To check if it was editorializing based on informal grammatical choices, I formal'd up the writing to be more polite and remove any non-standard vocabulary.
I'm just like... what is anyone who is translating what I'm thinking into their own language going to think when a translation app decides that it knows my intended tone? When online communication is already so complicated and nuanced? I'm a non-native so I'm spending ages agonizing over 117 characters, but when I'm chatting in English I'm not being so deliberate. How likely is it that tools that 'naturalize' are going to make choices that don't reflect reality and lead to insulting misunderstandings?
I spoke with an English learner just yesterday who thought they were being bullied (they were not, the commenter in question was just excitedly infodumping about sociology) because something was lost in translation, and I wonder if it's because of tools making choices like this.
I'm just a luddite I don't trust stuff like this. stinks of ai asking me if it can rerwrite my email in a more quirky style.
90% of google search ai summaries feel like this guy leaning uncomfortably over your shoulder and pointing at stuff on your screen reading out the exact same text you're already looking at
Just came home from a dinner party with the friendgroup at which several people kept saying "Ask Pedro" or "Pedro will know" and I was terrified that they were referring to an AI like Claude but no, thank fuck, they were referring to a cardboard cutout of Pedro Pascal that someone left upstairs and who has been designated a kind of patron saint status in the household.