brains spilled

it/they autistic queer AND dumb

[joequinones]

Harley & Ivy!

I posted these on Twitter last night. Figured I’d share them here as well. 

Above are some costume redesigns I put together for a Harley & Ivy miniseries at DC last year. It was turned down unfortunately, but I had a lot of fun designing their costumes.*

Alas.

(*The Ivy design was a branch off (heh) of my redesign of the character for my Batman: Black and White short – designs above)

[getcreamedon]

SHE LOOKS SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MYGFODDSSS

[clownsinlove]

what do you think about punchline x joker?

I usually forget she exists until someone brings her up. I despise the Punchline idea, it’s a blatant cash grab to make money off people wanting the Jarley idea with that being too tainted by canceling.

Even if the idea was to make a healthy version of Joker x Harley (which would never be in-character for Joker), they did the opposite. Where Harley was a strong, intelligent doctor with her own personal power who saw through Joker’s public act and was taking advantage of him at first - Punchline actually is a teenage fangirl with no basis of personality outside of her devotion to Joker as an idea. Harley loves Joker as a person, Punchline is just obsessed with the image of “The Joker”.

And the mere idea that Joker would be non-abusive with someone he tRuLy LoVeS who is this ultimate “not like other girls” girl is inherently victim blaming. It implies that Joker abused Harley because he didn’t love her enough or she was too weak and that’s utter bullshit. Joker is abusive because he’s The fucking Joker. Not because he doesn’t love the woman he spent a decade with (something NO ONE has managed to do) and let closer to him than anyone.

[getcreamedon]

This perfectly sums up how I feel about Punchline/Joker. I'm def gonna do my own analysis on them too tho

[getcreamedon]

Joker/Harley Quinn: Parenting

+ Character Analysis

Something I've NEVER bought was that Joker didn't notice Harley going missing for a year. And I'm talking about when she was pregnant. There is no way in hell that he didn't notice she wasn't gone.

I'm just saying the Joker is very observant. He's a genius. He'd notice if his favorite little Harlequin went missing. The Joker had a part in creating her, which makes her his. And I SEVERELY doubt the fact that he wouldn't notice his prized creation went missing. I think he would know, and he would have found out easily. He wouldn't let her get away from him that long, especially since he'd (in my opinion) assume she left him.

What I've always wondered is HOW he'd react to being a father. How would he react to having a DAUGHTER? What would he do with her? Leave her alone? Kill her? Track her down and take her for himself? If he decided to keep her, how would he raise her? The idea of the Joker as a father is fascinating, and I'm sure others would be intrigued to see it too.

Because it's canon that the Joker does have paternal instincts. Here are some examples:

These are just a few select examples, but it's enough to show he's capable of being a fairly decent father. He wants the best for his child. He wants his child to have the happy childhood he never had, and it honestly touched me to my very core. The fact that the Joker, the most prolific, terrifying and truly evil villains of Gotham is capable of raising a child in a normal way (at least his level of normalcy) is amazing. I want to see more of it. Because this isn't the only instance of him being a not shitty influence on kids surprisingly enough.

Probably one of, if not my favorite interaction the Joker has had with a child. He's not aggressive, there are no scare tactics, he's not rude, he's genuinely kind. He actively engages and has a conversation with him about his torture bugs and his birthday, giving him a little pep talk about how everyone is a freak to make him feel better. I also just love little weirdo kids.

Though, I don't believe the Joker would waste his time on a child who doesn't want to be evil like him. Who isn't already corrupted and dark. I think if his child wasn't like him, he'd be disappointed. I even think he'd kill said child, which is why I'd love to see him with a child that's like him. Who admires him. Who looks up to him as their hero. I feel like too many people do the trope of "I'm not like my parents, I'm good".

I'd like to see Joker with a daughter, a girl, just to see how he'd react. It's different than raising a boy, that's for sure. And I truly do not know how he'd react to a girl. I guess it just depends on the Joker, really.

But I don't just want the Joker to raise his kid on his own, I want to see Joker and Harley as parents. I want to see what their dynamic would be like while raising a kid.

I don't think we've ever had a real, proper glimpse of the Joker and Harley as parents; not even when they made Joker Jr. That was strictly to toy with Batman's mind, to break him.

I can imagine what Harley would be like as a mother. But, again, this is all my interpretation. I'd love to hear what others think about Joker and Harley being parents. What it'd be like for their kid. What kind of childhood they'd have.

I don't think the Joker would want/have the patience to raise a child (a HUMAN child) from birth to grown adult. The Joker can deal with a lot of things, but constant screaming, crying, shitting, pissing, farting, feeding/making baby food and just having to raise a baby would be hell, and he'd get impatient fast. Even if Harley was the one taking care of her. He'd wait until the kid can at least talk coherently and do things on her own. Like use the restroom. And change clothes. And eat by herself.

Harley would be beyond ecstatic when finding out he actually wants a child, and wants to raise one with her. But at the same time, I feel like she'd still be a little reluctant, because it's the Joker. Harley isn't stupid, we all know this, and I know she'd value her own daughters safety before taking her in to live with them. They would have to have a serious conversation. More serious than either of them have ever been about anything. Having a child and raising one together is a BIG fucking deal, especially since they're both one of the most wanted super criminals in the world/Gotham. Raising a kid while being in their "profession" would be hard as shit, and they both know that. But I know Harley would agree after setting some ground rules.

Harley knows exactly what would happen when/if she brings her daughter to live with them, and to be raised by them. And with a child around, I think the violence on their relationship will die down a bit, but they'd still be just as deranged and brutal as the villains they are, while still being fun. Because they would be such fun parents.

The most important thing for Joker as a father would be his kid having a "good sense of humor", which Harley fully supports. Whether he'd admit it or not, he'd grow a soft spot for his daughter, and just like with Harley, he'd resent her for that. The Joker does not like feeling affection for others. He doesn't like caring for anyone but himself. Which is the main reason he's tried to kill Harley so many times (and that is established in canon). Am I saying that the Joker would magically turn into a better person and become a good guy for his daughter? No. Lmao. The thought is laughable.

And I'm not saying the Joker isn't capable of forming bonds with others. I'm saying the bonds he forms arent healthy. The Joker isn't capable of having a fully functioning healthy relationship. Not with anybody. And that includes Batman. The Joker isn't capable of "healthy". It's just not in his nature. You know that. I know that. And Harley knows that too. Harley isn't capable of forming healthy relationships either, from what I've noticed. She always has unhealthy attachments to others, like Ivy, and Joker. Would the same go for her daughter? Not fully. What's healthy to Joker and Harley is not the normal version of healthy – especially to other parents/people in general.

Another thing is the Joker values himself above all. He is number one. And having a child, something that has his DNA in it, would awaken something in him. A realization. That's his own flesh and blood. There is a part of him in his child. She is a part of him. He made her. With another person.

Joker values his creations more than many things, but a child is a whole new level of creation. This isn't something he created by himself; this is a shared creation. And sharing a creation with someone (especially Harley) THAT big would be a huge eye-opener. Not in the way of him changing morally, but realizing that something isn't only his. It's not just a toy he gets to play with and occasionally lets Harley play with as well, this is their child. Their responsibility. Their flesh and blood combined to make a mini-version of both of them. I want to start writing headcanons and stories, of just more analyses of Harley and Joker as parents, individually or separately, it doesn't matter. Joker and Harley have both been a comfort ship of mine ever since I was little, and their characters are equally as fascinating. I want to rewrite their story, I want to make them into my own and bring their characters back to glory properly.

Thank you for reading my autistic ramblings (I am not saying that to insult autistic people, I am actually autistic and these characters have been my special interests since I was a fetus) and Im always open to discussion about Joker and Harley, or just questions about anything related to DC (that revolves around Batman [specifically Joker and Harley tee-hee] but also about Poison Ivy, Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd, Damien, etc.)

[moonlit-sunflower-books]

writing morally gray characters

[@/moonlit_sunflower_books on ig]

we all love a good morally gray character, from kaz brekker to helene aquila. but there are things that make them stand out and make the reader genuinely root for them, as well as ways to make them more realistic, that can really help when writing a morally gray character.

disclaimer: i’m not a professional, just a student who writes for fun, and anything written here is based on my personal experience and opinion. you should always do your own research as well, and i am open to respectful discourse!

give them boundaries

one of the most important aspects of any morally ambiguous character is that they aren't entirely unhinged. it's unlikely a character will be willing to murder someone they love, or that they would betray someone unless they are getting something in return. any character has their limits. the goal of your plot is to push them beyond that limit, break them, and force them to stitch themselves back together.

give them a moral compass

many people misunderstand "morally gray" and confuse it for "does whatever the hell they like". possibly because one of the first lines in six of crows is "kaz brekker didn't need a reason" and kaz is bookstagram's favourite example of a morally gray protagonist. but actually, everything that kaz does through the novels only proves that he always has reasons. for absolutely everything that he does.

the difference is that it's not for the Greater Good and Evil.

morally gray characters are often selfish, but will have their own idea of what is considered right and what is considered wrong. for example, helene aquila thinks that it is wrong to disobey one's country. that doesn't mean she thinks it's right to murder, it's just what is done. so she doesn't question it.

make them justify their own actions

any morally gray character should be sympathetic, and this is achieved by having them justify their actions.

<six of crows spoilers ahead> if we saw kaz rip out someone's eyeball or drop someone out of a lighthouse window into a harbour without context, we'd probably think of him as completely unhinged /hyp. but the reader justifies his actions in their mind because kaz's narration justifies the action to himself: he is getting vengeance for inej. <six of crows spoilers end>

essentially, the character's narration should justify their own actions. they murdered someone? it was for revenge. they stole something? they've been starving for weeks. they lost their temper? the blow-up is the culmination of decades of internalised anger. make sure that the reader sympathises with your character by justifying their actions.

don't make them dark haired and brooding

okay okay yes i am a simp for dark-haired morally gray white boys but you know what? sometimes it'd be refreshing to see someone else be morally gray!

give me a morally ambiguous black girl or mother figure or indian character. the world has enough kaz brekkers and severin montagnet-alaires and cardan greenbriars (although i will say that i love all three of them from the bottom of my heart)

but helene aquila was a very pleasant change from all of them!

show them being Good

there is a difference between "morally gray character" and "villain whose actions are justified by the fandom" *cough* the darkling *cough* and it's really important to show that a morally gray character can be objectively good - or at least have pure intentions

for example, jude duarte murders people - Bad. but then in the next chapter, she'll go and have a picnic with her sister or try to save a human girl trapped into slavery - Good.

a morally gray character is not a character who gets a redemption arc, but rather a character whose actions blur the line between good and evil. their character development will not necessarily be going from bad to good, but going from unhinged to self-aware or from revenge-driven to loving.

[em-dash-press-deactivated202410]

The Ultimate Creative Writing Resource List

After writing for quite nearly my entire literate life ~and~ getting a creative writing degree, I've put together a comprehensive list of the sites and blogs that I've found most useful! Check it out, we've got—

An Insanely Detailed Character Creation Sheet: use this page to learn everything you've ever wanted to know about your character and more. It never fails to make me consider something about them I wouldn't have thought of otherwise.

A Character Avatar Creator: if you know what your character looks like and want a visual of them for notes/cork boards/Google Docs, this site will let you personalize them almost as much as a Sims game.

Pinterest: if you don't know what your character looks like and need inspiration, search for pictures of people who inspire you. Definitely have done this more often than not because I can never seem to pin down (pun intended) my character's exact appearance. Really helps with things you might forget while writing, like the shape of their eyebrows, how their hair lays or even how they stand.

A Map Creation Website: it's meant for fantasy worlds but I've used it for my historical fiction novels! Super customizable even without paying for it. It also saves your work in the free version, which has saved me when I forgot to upload copies to where I keep all my story stuff.

Grammar Girl: have any questions about where to put that semicolon or when to use italics? Grammar Girl is literally used by English teachers because it's that accurate. Check your work or put as many commas in that manuscript as your heart tells you to anyway. I've done both!

Grammarly: this is another way to check your grammar, especially if you use the Chrome extension. It automatically checks your basic grammar, spelling, and readability while you type in Google Docs or another browser-based text document. Note that it isn't foolproof and sometimes will suggest things that don't make sense. Use your best judgement when it highlights things!

Word Hippo: do you feel like you've used one word too often in your story? I use Word Hippo daily for both my creative and professional writing to avoid repetition. When I can't think of a synonym or antonym on my own, it has a billion suggestions for adjectives, verbs, nouns, etc. It can even help you find words that rhyme! Make your character a poet. Nothing can stop you.

Text-to-Speech Reader: it's always easier to catch minor line errors when you read something out loud, but if you don't feel like doing that, this site will read your story for you. There are multiple voices to choose from, so have fun listening to your hard-won stories while you edit.

Background Noise—Coffee Shop: I always lose myself in stories when I have this video playing in the background. It's like I'm in a coffee shop or cozy restaurant booth, but without spending money.

Background Noise—Tavern Fireplace: same vibes as a coffee shop, but with fireplace crackling.

Background Noise—Rain Shower: listen to rain patter against your window with some thunder in the background.

Background Noise—Cozy Fireplace and Rain Shower: combine your favorite sounds in this extra long video of a wood-burning fireplace and a distance rain shower. Perfect for anyone who doesn't want to hear extra loud thunder.

Background Noise—Forest Sounds: is your story taking place outdoors? These sounds will make you feel like you're in the woods with your characters.

Background Noise—Blizzard Sounds: constant blizzard winds may easily make you feel removed from the world so you can focus on your work.

Background Noise—Interior Plane Cabin White Noise: the pleasant hum of a plane cabin is what I often write to. There are no loud take-off, landing, or passenger sounds either.

Background Noise—Christmas Music From Another Room: I found this video when quarantining for Christmas with my husband in 2020. It ended up being one of my favorite writing background videos of that year. It features lyric-less songs on vinyl, plus muffled talking, which was a definite perk for the year+ we spent inside.

Background Noise—Lo-Fi: when I'm not sure what I want to write to, I use this playlist. It has the perfect low-key beats for writing less-intense scenes or working on plot, characters, mapping, etc.

Tumblrs With Fantastic Writing Tips: I have a few favorite tumblrs I loooooove and have followed on various blogs for many years. They regularly answer submitted questions and have organized tags, so if you're wondering about something, you'll likely find an answer by searching their blogs! Check out @fixyourwritinghabits @heywriters @wordsnstuff for expert-level help, guidance, and inspiration.

Tumblrs With Writing Prompts: while there are many prompt websites and blogs, my favorite prompt tumblrs are @daily-prompts and @creativepromptsforwriting for their variety and creativity!

Other resources...

Goodreads: consistently reading is part of exercising that creative muscle in your brain. Goodreads will help you keep track of everything you've read, are reading, and want to read. Find your next inspiration and the latest updates on what's coming out soon from your favorite authors.

Poets & Writers Contests: this site is always posting the latest creative writing contests for all genres. It also has free submissions, so don't worry if you can't afford entry fees for now.

The Writer: you'll also find great contests (both free and paid) at The Writer. Explore their site to discover other great resources too, like writing getaways and publishing tips.

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Enjoy and I hope this helps! Feel free to reblog and add other resources that you use for your writing. I'd love to find more!

[getcreamedon]

Bro I admit, I have some problematic ships but if you're actively defending horrendous shit (like p3d0philia/abuse/etc) or even being just straight up h0m0ph0bic, then please, do us all a favor and kick the fucking chair