abscondita est inventum

where the mind may be both enlightened and inspired, should its owner know how to navigate the map.

[mothmansbignaturals]

hey tell me fun facts about pirates

[mothmansbignaturals]

this is everything i could ever want

[ms-mazarin]

Words to replace said, except this actually helps

I got pretty fed up with looking for words to replace said because they weren’t sorted in a way I could easily use/find them for the right time. So I did some myself.

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

Edit: People, I’m an English and creative writing double major in college; I understand that there’s nothing wrong with simply using “said.” This was just for fun, and it comes in handy when I need to add pizzazz. 

How to write a kissing scene

So you want to write a kissing scene, huh? Well, sit down children and allow me to inform you.

What’s the scene?

If you want this kiss to mean anything, it can’t just be thrown at the readers; it needs to be set up.  The scene you set will also set the mood for the kiss.  Consider the following:

Are they alone?  Around others?

Depending on the previous question, what’s the importance of the number of surrounding people?

Are they standing or sitting?

What time of day is it?

Are they at an event?

Closing the distance

Alright, this is a biggie.  How do these two get close enough to kiss?  There are many ways to do this and each one has its benefits.  If the closing is slow and steady, this usually indicates a soft/passionate/unsteady kiss.  However, if the closing is fast or sudden, this usually means a hard/assertive kiss (possibly from months/years of romantic or sexual tension).

The five senses

Sight: Sight is probably the easiest of the senses; simply write what is seen.  If you write from one character’s point of view, write what they see.

Sound: This could be either background noises or a character’s heart beating or anything else.  If the kiss continues, you could possibly include soft moans or other noises if they seem appropriate to your character.

Smell: Describe what your character smells.  It could be the way their perfume or cologne smells, or you could describe their natural scent.

Touch: This is an important aspect to describing the kiss.  You could choose to describe how the character’s skin feels.  Or you could describe how the character’s lips feel against the other character’s.

Taste: Taste has a very broad range and is generally not as easy as it sounds.  There are many description words and tastes to use.  It is important to the mood what description you choose.

Body language

Heads: Most people tilt their head when they kiss.  Of course, your kiss does not have to happen this way.  Usually when characters do not tilt their head it creates awkward bumping foreheads, which could be what you want if you want an awkward first kiss (these are effective for teen kisses).

Eyes: Eyes open or closed?  Open creates either an awkward or tender kiss.  While closed creates a passionate or pleasurable or just about anything kiss.

Noses: Noses are invading appendages that get in the way of perfect kissing.  Henceforth, no kiss is perfect so don’t write them that way.  Noses will always get in the way.  Even when your characters tilt their heads, noses can still brush the side of their faces.  Now, your characters will probably not notice them (unless they’re the type to notice everything) unless they have an awkward kiss.

Lips: LIPS! You’re writing a kissing scene, of course lips will be important to the description.  Are they soft or hard, chapped or smooth, is your character even a good kisser? You could also include if maybe they taste like some kind of food, or if they are wearing chapstick.  Lips are important.

Tongues: First kisses usually don’t include tongue; neither do quick kisses.  Think about what type of kiss you’re trying to convey

Breathing: Your characters are human (unless they aren’t).  They need to breathe.  But how has the kiss affected their breathing?

Bodies: Bodies are stupid, messy things that bump and rub and bounce.  How are your characters responding to the kiss?  Are they pulling closer or pushing away?  Are they clenched tight or flowing loosely?

Hands and Arms: During a kiss, hands could be floating in the air (awkward or surprise kiss), or they could be everywhere on the other character’s body at once.  Possible places to put hands that are not on the other character’s body could be surfaces near the characters, the character’s own body, or they could just be in the air.  But if you’re looking for contact, they could be running their fingers through the other character’s hair, holding the back of their head or neck to keep them close, rubbing their back (or further down), or just wrapping their arms around the other character.

[baratheonwrites-deactivated2014]

HOW TO: NAME CHARACTERS EFFECTIVELY

babynames.com

might look a bit weird in your search history, but it’s the most helpful and informative site i’ve found for naming characters. search by letters, meaning, nationality, and syllables, among other things. has intriguing name lists — from harry potter names to oscar winners.

social security archives

helpful especially for characters in specific era’s, or in specific demographics. holds archives of the united states’ names dating back to the late nineteenth century. also charts the popularity, and other statistics, of names.

surname generator

very, very helpful for last-minute surnames. wouldn’t recommend for any important, significant, or completely solidified characters, simply because there’s no telling the nationality or origin of the name that comes up.

global naming customs

tracks family names as well as given names through nationality, ethnicity, origin, and popularity, shedding light on the subject of why. huge insight on the origin of naming and what it really means for the individual

some more helpful links

“hispanic last names: why two of them?”

psychology today’ “what do names tell us”

re: china; “so many people, so few surnames”

re: female surname choice (or lack thereof)

surname database

[clevergirlhelps]

20000names. You can search by ethnicity, gender, origin, and meaning.

[heartlessharless]

5 ways to increase/decrease suspense in your writing

[hiddentrove]

heartlessharless:

Suspense is one of the trickier parts of writing to manage effectively because, as the author, you can’t experience your story the way a reader does. If you don’t have enough suspense, it can be difficult to keep your readers interested. If you have too much, frustrated and stressed-out readers might throw your book against the wall. Too much suspense can even backfire - if you try to keep your readers constantly on edge, they can stop taking things seriously and the end result is as though you never included any suspense at all.

So how can you tell if you’ve reached the right balance? Unfortunately, I can’t answer that for you. Some things really do require feedback from honest and insightful readers. Once you have that feedback, however, there are easy tricks to adjusting the level of suspense without a drastic re-write. Here are my five favorite methods.

Promises and Payoffs

INCREASE SUSPENSE by promising something huge and then giving your reader something unexpected. To borrow an example from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, imagine a teenage boy and girl sneaking into an empty building. Everything from the costumes to the lighting is designed to make you uneasy about the girl’s safety but, in the end, she’s the vampire. Give the audience something sensational and they won’t be disappointed that you didn’t deliver on what you originally promised.

DECREASE SUSPENSE by promising less than you plan to deliver. For example, if you plan to kill off a character as they walk through a dark alley, let them worry about being mugged rather than murdered. Not only is it less suspenseful, the payoff is more shocking.

Characters are Crucial

INCREASE SUSPENSE by shifting the focus to a character who’s more involved in the action or one who has more at stake. Even if you have a single POV character, another can come in and demand that character’s attention, along with the readers’.

DECREASE SUSPENSE by focusing on a character who’s more concerned with a secondary goal. Subplots are a fantastic way to give your readers some room to breathe.

Calm vs. Chaos

INCREASE SUSPENSE by cutting back on the action. Suspense flourishes in the quiet moments when your characters have time to think and to anticipate what may be in store for them.

DECREASE SUSPENSE by giving your characters a big, exciting mess to deal with. Even when that mess causes more problems and puts more pressure on your characters in the long run, you’ve still created an oasis where both they and the readers are too distracted to worry about how the big picture will pan out.

Devil’s in the Details

INCREASE SUSPENSE by concentrating on the details of the setting. Horror movies are great at this - every creak of a door, every shadow across a wall keeps the audience immersed in the experience and tense with anticipation.

DECREASE SUSPENSE by breaking the “show, don’t tell” rule and allow exposition to help you move things along. You don’t need to take readers through every aspect of your story in excruciating detail. It’s okay to gloss over some things and it helps readers relax because they know you’re not going to be springing any surprises on them just yet.

Ticking Time-Bomb

INCREASE SUSPENSE by imposing a deadline that your characters struggle to meet. It’s one of the oldest and most obvious tricks in the book, but very effective.

DECREASE SUSPENSE by allowing your characters to believe that the deadline has been met or pushed back. If they (and the readers) believe that they’ve accomplished their goal or bought themselves more time, it relieves pressure and allows everyone to relax until the truth’s revealed.

[jedhaboy]

Writer’s Resource - Wound Care

[hiddentrove]

cosmicbebe:

It’s probably one of the most common scenarios in a novel, comic, roleplay, script, or otherwise.  Character B gets injured, and Character A knows wound care and takes care of it for them.  But the old fashioned style of thinking runs rampant, especially with ‘classic wound treatment’ being educated generations down, leaving plenty of people unaware of more realistic and recent modern advances in traditional first aid.  

Things To Remember:

Wash your hands.

It’s all too common for this step to be missed in writing.  When wound care comes up, remember that the purpose of it is, underlying everything emotional, to get the wound clean.  Hands not very recently disinfected and sterilized are more likely to cause infection, undermining everything else that Character A hopes to do.  Even if it’s just a sentence or a footnote, remember to add in washing hands – with soap!

Clear the wound.

There are multiple options here, but they all come back to the same thing.  Character A should always clean out the wound with hydrotherapy, which is fancy speak for running water for a very long time.  Flushing a wound can be done with a non iodized salt solution, a dilution of very mild soap, or even plain but it must always come back to WATER.  Run the wound under water for a few minutes to clean out dirt, bacteria, and loosen any debris stuck inside.  Character A can and should use clean, sterile tweezers to remove this debris if the water is unable, then pat the wound dry with gauze.  

Keep the wound clean.

Antibiotics are a necessity with any and all wound care.  From petroleum jelly, a store bought antibiotic like neosporin or polysporin, or any other ointment.  However for a lesser known and just as realistic option, remember you can also use ( with or alone ) sugar.  On burns, deep gashes, cuts, or just about anything, packing the wound with sugar would let Character B’s body begin to heal without fear of bacteria, because the highly concentrated medium of sugar will not allow bacteria to survive.

If stitches are necessary.

Is the wound is deep enough to go to fat, muscle, bone, or other structures?  Does it go right over a joint?  Is it on the hands, fingers, or around the mouth or eyes?  Have minutes passed without the bleeding slowing?  These are prime locations that will medically require stitches – be it to assist the wound in closing, or stop natural motions from ripping left alone gouges wider.  Stitches, or sutures, traditionally use thread made of silk or nylon and a curved needle with suture scissors to assist in the special kind of stitch that specially holds wounds together.  

If Character A needs to stitch a wound together, their knowledge may vary, and they may not have the correct tools.  But here are some things you can make sure they know.  Make a knot on each stitch, to better hold it in place.  Hold the skin together while stitching, don’t trust the thread to pull both sides in by itself.  If the flesh is ragged on each side, they may need to cut clean edges, mostly to insure that the stitches don’t tear out and the wound is even.  Removal comes days later, with cutting each stitch besides the knot and pulling it out – it should tug, but be painless.

Wrap the wound.

That old belief that a wound should see fresh air is an absolute lie, as proven by many doctors over the years.  Wounds should be kept constantly covered, and damp.  Studies show that a covered, damp wound healed in 12-15 days while an air exposed, dry wound healed in over thirty.  Not only this, but covering and dampening the wound brings less chance of scarring.  Use wound dressings like wet to dry gauze ( which is just as common as traditional ), then wrap in a bandage, even two if necessary.  

For long term wound treatment.

Whether Character A keeps a constant eye on B, or if Character B is on their own, they should both keep up wound treatment for realism.  Each day change the bandage and gauze, or more, if found to be constantly wet.  Use daily hydrotherapy to clean out dead cells and drainage from the wound.  Pack with more sugar or antibiotic ointment.  Lack of doing this would cause Character B an infected wound, likely turning to an abscess, and undo all the previous work.

Things to Avoid:

Put the alcohol down.

Since we’re not in the wild west and Hollywood is a liar, NEVER use strong antiseptics, vinegars, or alcohol to clean a wound.  All things such as white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, vodka, rubbing alcohol or iodine can burn and cause irreparable damage to the skin and flesh, increasing the healing time substantially.  

Never applying pressure.

Between each stage of wound treatment, Character B should be applying pressure with a sterilized hand and clean towel or gauze to the wound, preferably with it above their head.  This lessens the chance of bleeding out and allows the blood to slow, but not halt.  

Don’t be afraid of pink.

A wound a doctor would be satisfied with seeing is the kind that scares most people: pink, red, and just on the right side of bloody.  Any other colors, too little, or too much blood are all red flags for wound treatment.

Don’t be afraid of the doctor.

Unless Character A is a doctor, there may come a time where they have to admit their skills aren’t enough.  If you can see bone, then the wound may need muscle stitches as well as skin.  If it’s extremely swollen, the inflammation has gone from healthy to concerning.  If it’s hot or has a stench, there’s a serious infection.  Draw the line at a smart place, and let a doctor take over.  Even in the fictional world.  

[berrybird-blog1]

Helpful things for action writers to remember

Sticking a landing will royally fuck up your joints and possibly shatter your ankles, depending on how high you’re jumping/falling from. There’s a very good reason free-runners dive and roll. 

Hand-to-hand fights usually only last a matter of seconds, sometimes a few minutes. It’s exhausting work and unless you have a lot of training and history with hand-to-hand combat, you’re going to tire out really fast. 

Arrows are very effective and you can’t just yank them out without doing a lot of damage. Most of the time the head of the arrow will break off inside the body if you try pulling it out, and arrows are built to pierce deep. An arrow wound demands medical attention. 

Throwing your opponent across the room is really not all that smart. You’re giving them the chance to get up and run away. Unless you’re trying to put distance between you so you can shoot them or something, don’t throw them. 

Everyone has something called a “flinch response” when they fight. This is pretty much the brain’s way of telling you “get the fuck out of here or we’re gonna die.” Experienced fighters have trained to suppress this. Think about how long your character has been fighting. A character in a fist fight for the first time is going to take a few hits before their survival instinct kicks in and they start hitting back. A character in a fist fight for the eighth time that week is going to respond a little differently. 

ADRENALINE WORKS AGAINST YOU WHEN YOU FIGHT. THIS IS IMPORTANT. A lot of times people think that adrenaline will kick in and give you some badass fighting skills, but it’s actually the opposite. Adrenaline is what tires you out in a battle and it also affects the fighter’s efficacy - meaning it makes them shaky and inaccurate, and overall they lose about 60% of their fighting skill because their brain is focusing on not dying. Adrenaline keeps you alive, it doesn’t give you the skill to pull off a perfect roundhouse kick to the opponent’s face. 

Swords WILL bend or break if you hit something hard enough. They also dull easily and take a lot of maintenance. In reality, someone who fights with a sword would have to have to repair or replace it constantly.

Fights get messy. There’s blood and sweat everywhere, and that will make it hard to hold your weapon or get a good grip on someone. 

A serious battle also smells horrible. There’s lots of sweat, but also the smell of urine and feces. After someone dies, their bowels and bladder empty. There might also be some questionable things on the ground which can be very psychologically traumatizing. Remember to think about all of the character’s senses when they’re in a fight. Everything WILL affect them in some way. 

If your sword is sharpened down to a fine edge, the rest of the blade can’t go through the cut you make. You’ll just end up putting a tiny, shallow scratch in the surface of whatever you strike, and you could probably break your sword. 

ARCHERS ARE STRONG TOO. Have you ever drawn a bow? It takes a lot of strength, especially when you’re shooting a bow with a higher draw weight. Draw weight basically means “the amount of force you have to use to pull this sucker back enough to fire it.” To give you an idea of how that works, here’s a helpful link to tell you about finding bow sizes and draw weights for your characters.  (CLICK ME)

If an archer has to use a bow they’re not used to, it will probably throw them off a little until they’ve done a few practice shots with it and figured out its draw weight and stability. 

People bleed. If they get punched in the face, they’ll probably get a bloody nose. If they get stabbed or cut somehow, they’ll bleed accordingly. And if they’ve been fighting for a while, they’ve got a LOT of blood rushing around to provide them with oxygen. They’re going to bleed a lot. 

Here’s a link to a chart to show you how much blood a person can lose without dying. (CLICK ME) 

If you want a more in-depth medical chart, try this one. (CLICK ME)

Hopefully this helps someone out there. If you reblog, feel free to add more tips for writers or correct anything I’ve gotten wrong here. 

[ave-aria]

How to apply Writing techniques for action scenes:

- Short sentences. Choppy. One action, then another. When there’s a lull in the fight, take a moment, using longer phrases to analyze the situation–then dive back in. Snap, snap, snap. - Same thing with words - short, simple, and strong in the thick of battle. Save the longer syllables for elsewhere. - Characters do not dwell on things when they are in the heat of the moment. They will get punched in the face. Focus on actions, not thoughts. - Go back and cut out as many adverbs as possible. - No seriously, if there’s ever a time to use the strongest verbs in your vocabulary - Bellow, thrash, heave, shriek, snarl, splinter, bolt, hurtle, crumble, shatter, charge, raze - it’s now. - Don’t forget your other senses. People might not even be sure what they saw during a fight, but they always know how they felt. - Taste: Dry mouth, salt from sweat, copper tang from blood, etc - Smell: OP nailed it - Touch: Headache, sore muscles, tense muscles, exhaustion, blood pounding. Bruised knuckles/bowstring fingers. Injuries that ache and pulse, sting and flare white hot with pain. - Pain will stay with a character. Even if it’s minor. - Sound and sight might blur or sharpen depending on the character and their experience/exhaustion. Colors and quick movements will catch the eye. Loud sounds or noises from behind may serve as a fighter’s only alert before an attack. - If something unexpected happens, shifting the character’s whole attention to that thing will shift the Audience’s attention, too. - Aftermath. This is where the details resurface, the characters pick up things they cast aside during the fight, both literally and metaphorically. Fights are chaotic, fast paced, and self-centered. Characters know only their self, their goals, what’s in their way, and the quickest way around those threats. The aftermath is when people can regain their emotions, their relationships, their rationality/introspection, and anything else they couldn’t afford to think or feel while their lives were on the line.

Do everything you can to keep the fight here and now. Maximize the physical, minimize the theoretical. Keep things immediate - no theories or what ifs.

If writing a strategist, who needs to think ahead, try this: keep strategy to before-and-after fights. Lay out plans in calm periods, try to guess what enemies are thinking or what they will do. During combat, however, the character should think about his options, enemies, and terrain in immediate terms; that is, in shapes and direction. (Large enemy rushing me; dive left, circle around / Scaffolding on fire, pool below me / two foes helping each other, separate them.)

Lastly, after writing, read it aloud. Anyplace your tongue catches up on a fast moving scene, edit. Smooth action scenes rarely come on the first try.

[wehearttutorials]

Pack Images for your previews and editions.

PALE: Efruse (x) (x) (x) Irwinfinite (x) Irwinsrxckme (x) Murdockpd  (x) Queendelrey  (x) Resourcesforbitches  (x) Ssicksadw0rld (x) (x) Stupidcriature  (x) Summer-to-the-spring  (x)

AESTHETIC: Am-diwn  (x) Efruse  (x)  (x) (x) Fattybear  (x) Littledr3ams  (x)  (x) Mermaidawkward  (x) Natieditions00  (x) Ocehans (x) Rockingwithlights (x) Ssicksadw0rld (x) Staroadhoney (x)

PEOPLE/MODELS: Admiremystyle  (x) Caudire (x) Crazylies (x) (x) Edailhan (x) Lonelyhoran (x) (x) Marioantonio23 (x)

MISCELLANEOUS: Andydoogouldingmalik  (x) Burn-the-life (x) (x) (x) Camilarodriguez (x) Efruse (x) (x) Fattybear (x) (x) Harryconutella (x) (x) Inspirecolors (x) Irwinfinite (x) Irwinsrxckme (x) Livingasiwant (x) Maleficeent (x) Markdiamond14 (x) Silly-luv (x) Stupidcriature (x) Upwithebirds (x) (x) (x) (x) (x)

BY COLOUR: Efruse (x) (x) (x) Gloweditions (x) Irwinsrxckme (x) Maleficeent (x) Radiantwh0r3 (x) (x) Realoveps (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) (x) Runawaybitches (x)

FOOD: Burn-the-life (x)

HOLOGRAPHIC: Athzirigomez1d (x) Irwinsrxckme (x)

PLACES: Crazylies (x) Everildwolfden (x) Royalites (x) Summer-to-the-spring (x) (x)

ANIMALS: New-americana (x) Onlywolfs (x)

PLANTS: Efruse (x) (x) Irwinsrxckme (x) Littledr3ams (x)

XMAS: Dreamingtutorials (x) Efruse (x)

[ghcstlight]

CHARACTER TITLES

Once upon a time I had a list like this on my other blog. Basically, this is a list of character titles (but they can also be used for inspiration or ideas). I’m putting this under a readmore because it’s long, but also so I can keep updating it.

[hiddentrove]

A TO C

The Abdicator

The Abomination

The Abrasive

The Accommodator

The Ace

The Achiever

The Acolyte

The Acrobat

The Activist

The Admiral

The Adventurer

The Advisor

The Advocate

The Aggressor

The Agitator

The Almighty

The Alpha Wolf

The Altruist

The Amateur

The Ambassador

The Ambitious

The Analyser

The Analyst

The Anarchist

The Angel

The Annihilator

The Antagonist

The Apothecary

The Apprentice

The Architect

The Aristocrat

The Armed

The Artful

The Artisan

The Artist

The Ascended

The Assassin

The Asserter

The Assistant

The Associate

The Audacious

The Avenger

The Awakened

The Backstabber

The Bandit

The Banshee

The Barbarian

The Barber

The Baron

The Bear

The Beast

The Beastly

The Belle

The Benefactor

The Beneficiary

The Berserker

The Betrayer

The Binder

The Blacksmith

The Blister

The Bohemian

The Bombardier

The Bonecrusher

The Brain

The Brawler

The Brigand

The Brutal

The Brute

The Buccaneer

The Builder

The Campaigner

The Candidate

The Captain

The Caregiver

The Caretaker

The Carpenter

The Cat

The Catalyst

The Cavalier

The Centurion

The Challenger

The Chameleon

The Champion

The Changeling

The Chaotic

The Charismatic

The Charmer

The Chaser

The Chef

The Chief

The Child

The Chosen

The Cipher

The Clairvoyant

The Cleaner

The Clear-Sighted

The Cleric

The Clever

The Clumsy

The Cold-Blooded

The Collaborator

The Collector

The Commander

The Commando

The Committed

The Companion

The Competitor

The Composer

The Confidant

The Connoisseur

The Conqueror

The Conspirator

The Consul

The Contender

The Contractor

The Contrarian

The Cook

The Cool-Headed

The Coordinator

The Corrupted

The Corsair

The Cougar

The Count

The Courtesan

The Coyote Man

The Craftsman

The Crafty

The Critic

The Cruel

The Crusader

The Crusher

The Cunning

The Customer

The Cutthroat

The Cynical

D TO F

The Dama Rossa

The Damned

The Dandy

The Dangerous

The Dauntless

The Deacon

The Deadly Shadow

The Deathless

The Debater

The Deceiver

The Deconstructor

The Dedicated

The Defender

The Defensive

The Demolisher

The Dependable

The Deprogrammer

The Designer

The Despot

The Destroyer

The Destructive

The Devastator

The Developer

The Devoted

The Dexterous

The Diplomat

The Director

The Discoverer

The Distractor

The Doctor

The Drake

The Dreamer

The Drunkard

The Duellist

The Duke

The Dutiful

The Eager

The Earl

The Eccentric

The Efficient

The Elder

The Elitist

The Elusive

The Emissary

The Emotionless

The Empath

The Emperor

The Enduring

The Enforcer

The Engineer

The Entertainer

The Enthusiast

The Entrepreneur

The Epicure

The Eradicator

The Escape Artist

The Ethereal

The Evader

The Exalted

The Examiner

The Executioner

The Executive

The Executor

The Expert

The Explorer

The Facilitator

The Faithful

The Famous

The Fashionista

The Fearless

The Fencer

The Fierce

The Fighter

The Firebrand

The Fixer

The Fleet-Footed

The Fool

The Footpad

The Forger

The Founder

The Fox

The Freelancer

The Frozen

The Furious

The Fury

G TO J

The Gargoyle

The Gatecrasher

The Gatekeeper

The General

The Generous

The Genius

The Genuine

The Ghost

The Gifted

The Giver

The Gladiator

The Glutton

The Godlike

The Good Samaritan

The Governor

The Great

The Grenadier

The Grunt

The Guardian

The Gullible

The Gunner

The Gunslinger

The Hacker

The Hallowed

The Hammer

The Hard-Boiled

The Hard-Hearted

The Harlequin

The Healer

The Heart

The Heartless

The Heir

The Hellequin

The Helper

The Helper

The Herbalist

The Hessian

The Highlander

The Hired Gun

The Hoarder

The Homewrecker

The Honourable

The Hunter

The Huntsman

The Hypocrite

The Iconoclast

The Idealist

The Illusionist

The Illustrious

The Imitator

The Immortal

The Impaler

The Impassive

The Impersonator

The Improviser

The Impulsive

The Independent

The Individualist

The Indomitable

The Infamous

The Infiltrator

The Initiate

The Innovator

The Inquisitor

The Insane

The Inspector

The Intimidator

The Intrepid

The Inventive

The Inventor

The Investigator

The Invisible

The Irrational

The Jackal

The Jaguar

The Jester

The Judge

The Justicar

K TO M

The Killer

The Killing Machine

The Kind-Hearted

The King

The Knife Thrower

The Knight

The Landowner

The Landsman

The Leader

The Legate

The Legend

The Legionnaire

The Leviathan

The Liar

The Liberator

The Lieutenant

The Lifeguard

The Living Myth

The Logician

The Logistician

The Lone Wolf

The Lost

The Loyal

The Loyalist

The Lucky

The Luminous

The Lurker

The Lustful

The Machine

The Magician

The Magnate

The Magnificent

The Magus

The Maiden

The Majestic

The Malevolent

The Manipulator

The Marauder

The Marine

The Marksman

The Marquis

The Mass Murderer

The Master

The Masterful

The Mastermind

The Matriarch

The Matron

The Maverick

The Meat

The Mechanic

The Mediator

The Medium

The Megalomaniac

The Mentor

The Mercenary

The Merciless

The Mermaid

The Mimic

The Mindless

The Mistress

The Mobiliser

The Mole

The Monk

The Monster

The Motivator

The Motivator

The Mountebank

N TO P

The Naturalist

The Navigator

The Neutraliser

The Newcomer

The Night Stalker

The Nightmare

The Ninja

The Noble

The Nobleman

The Nurturer

The Observant

The Observer

The Officer

The Omnipotent

The One

The Operative

The Opportunist

The Optimist

The Orchid

The Originator

The Outgoing

The Outlaw

The Outstanding

The Overseer

The Paladin

The Paragon

The Pariah

The Pathfinder

The Patient

The Patriot

The Patron

The Peacemaker

The Pearl

The Perfectionist

The Performer

The Persuasive

The Phantom

The Philanthropist

The Physician

The Pilferator

The Pilgrim

The Pilot

The Pioneer

The Pirate

The Pitiless

The Planner

The Plunderer

The Poacher

The Pointman

The Poisoner

The Practised

The Praetorian

The Preacher

The Precise

The Precursor

The Prefect

The Pretender

The Priest

The Prince

The Princess

The Prisoner

The Privateer

The Problem Solver

The Prodigy

The Producer

The Professional

The Proficient

The Prolific

The Promoted

The Promoter

The Prophet

The Protagonist

The Protector

The Provoker

The Prowler

The Psychic

The Punisher

The Punk

The Puppet Master

The Puppeteer

The Pure

The Pyrotechnician

Q TO S

The Quartermaster

The Queen

The Quick Thinker

The Raider

The Ransacker

The Rationaliser

The Ravager

The Realist

The Reaper

The Rebel

The Recruit

The Referee

The Reformer

The Regulator

The Relentless

The Renegade

The Reptile

The Researcher

The Resourceful

The Respectful

The Responsive

The Resurgent

The Retracer

The Risen

The Ritualist

The Rival

The Robber

The Roboteer

The Rogue

The Romantic

The Rookie

The Runner

The Ruthless

The Sacrificial Lamb

The Sadist

The Sagacious

The Sage

The Saint

The Salty

The Sandman

The Savage

The Savant

The Saviour

The Scavenger

The Scholar

The Scientist

The Scoundrel

The Scout

The Seeker

The Seer

The Sentient

The Sentinel

The Sergeant

The Serial Killer

The Servant

The Shadow

The Shaman

The Shank

The Sharpshooter

The Shirker

The Shopaholic

The Show-Off

The Sickle

The Silent Shadow

The Sinister

The Siren

The Sceptic

The Skilled

The Skirmisher

The Slaughterer

The Slayer

The Sleepwalker

The Slugger

The Sly

The Smuggler

The Sneaker

The Sneaky

The Sniper

The Socialite

The Soldier

The Sorcerer

The Soul

The Specialist

The Spectre

The Spender

The Spiritualist

The Spy

The Stalker

The Stalwart

The Steadfast

The Stowaway

The Strategist

The Strong Man

The Stunner

The Sunbringer

The Supervisor

The Supporter

The Surgeon

The Survivor

The Sweetheart

The Swift

T TO Z

The Tactician

The Tank

The Target

The Teacher

The Technophile

The Temptress

The Terror

The Theorist

The Thespian

The Thief

The Thinker

The Threat

The Timewalker

The Titan

The Torch

The Tormenter

The Tracer

The Tracker

The Trailblazer

The Trainee

The Trapper

The Traveller

The Treasure Hunter

The Trickster

The Troublemaker

The Troubleshooter

The Trustworthy

The Truth Seeker

The Truthful

The Unassailable

The Uncompromising

The Undying

The Unethical

The Unlucky

The Unruly

The Unseen

The Unstoppable

The Untouchable

The Unwavering

The Unyielding

The Upstanding

The Usurper

The Vain

The Valkyrie

The Vanguard

The Vanished

The Vanquisher

The Vengeful

The Venomous

The Versatile

The Veteran

The Vicious

The Victim

The Vigilant

The Virtuoso

The Visionary

The Vizier

The Volunteer

The Voyager

The Vulture

The Wanderer

The War Dog

The Warder

The Warrior

The Watchdog

The Wayfarer

The Wealthy

The Widowmaker

The Wingman

The Wise

The Witch

The Wolf

The Wondrous

The Wound

The Wrestler

The Zealot

[mxdam-a]

i saw a post on my dash with image sites that basically was like “it’s okay to use pictures off pinterest etc. for your edits because it’ll be hard for the original photographer to find and sue you,” which, um, made me a bit annoyed, so here is a list of 100% free stock photo sites, many of which have quite aesthetic-y photos! please do not steal photos in your work, guys!

freeimages

pixabay

pexels

publicdomainarchive

gratisography

picography

stocksnap.io

unsplash

everystockphoto

morguefile

flickr commons

deviantart’s resources section (check creators’ pages for specific terms of use)

[indiewritingrefs]

dictionary of purple prose, for all your extravagant word needs:

[hiddentrove]

(source)

A

abeyance – (noun) a state of temporary disuse or suspension.

accismus – (noun) a feigned refusal of something earnestly desired.

acherontic – (adj.) Acheronian, Acherontic, Stygian (dark and dismal as of the rivers Acheron and Styx in Hades).

acquiesce – (verb) accept something reluctantly but without protest.

acumen – (noun) the ability to make good judgements and make quick decisions.

aesthete – (noun) a person who is appreciative of and sensitive to art and beauty.

afflatus – (noun) a divine creative impulse or inspiration.

akimbo – (adverb) with hands on the hips and elbows turned outwards.

amicable – (adj.) characterized by friendliness and absence of discord.

alphitomancy – (noun) the use of barley as a means for divination.

apocryphal – (adj.) [of a story or statement] of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true.

approbation – (noun) approval or praise. See also: approbatory (adj.)

arbalest –  (noun) [historical] A crossbow with a special mechanism for drawing back and releasing the string.

ardent – (adj.) very enthusiastic or passionate; [archaic] burning, glowing.

arras – (noun) a wall hanging made of a rich tapestry fabric, typically used to conceal an alcove.

arrogate – (verb) take or claim (something) for oneself without justification.

ascendancy – (noun) [mass noun] occupation of a position of dominant power or influence.

atrabilious – (adj.) [literary] Melancholy or irritable.

aubade – (noun) a poem or piece of music appropriate to the dawn or early morning.

avarice – (noun) [mass noun] extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

B

bagatelle – (noun) 1. a thing regarded as too unimportant or easy to be worth much consideration; 2. a short, light piece of music, especially one for the piano.

balbutient – (adj.) [literary] stuttering, stammering.

baleful – (adj.) threatening; menacing.

ballast –

battologize – (verb) to repeat (a word, phrase, mannerism, etc.) excessively.

becalmed – (adj.) [of a sailing ship] unable to move through lack of wind.

bedeck – (verb + object) to decorate.

belliferous – (adj.) someone or something waging war or creating a warlike condition.

bibacious – (adj.) addicted to drinking alcohol.

bibliobibuli – (noun) to be drunk on books.

bibliophagist – (noun) one who reads books omnivorously.

bibliosmia – (noun) the act of smelling a book for pleasure.

bilious – 1. (adj.) affected by or associated with nausea and vomiting; [of a color] lurid or sickly. 2. (adj.) spiteful or bad-tempered.

billets-doux – (noun) [dated, humorous] a love letter.

bivouac – (noun) a temporary camp without tents or cover, used especially by soldiers or mountaineers.

bloviate – (verb) talk at length, especially in an inflated or empty way. Also, bloviation(noun), bloviator (person; noun).

bonhomie – (noun) cheerful friendliness; geniality.

book-bosomed – (noun) a person who carries a book at all times.

brigandage – (noun) a gang that ambushes and robs people in forests and mountains.Also, brigand (noun), brigandry (noun).

bumptious – (adj.) irritatingly self-assertive.

bulwark – (noun) a defensive wall; an extension of a ship’s sides above the level of the deck.

(noun) 1. heavy material, such as gravel, sand, or iron, placed in the bilge of a ship to ensure its stability; a heavy substance carried in an airship or on a hot-air balloon to stabilize it and jettisoned when greater altitude is required; something providing stability or substance. 2. gravel or coarse stone used to form the bed of a railway track or the substratum of a road; a mixture of coarse and fine aggregate for making concrete.

(verb + object) to give stability or form.

C

canaille – (noun) [derogatory] the common people; the masses.

candelabrum – (noun) a large branched candlestick or holder for several candles or lamps.

carafe – (noun) an open-topped glass flask used for serving wine or water in a restaurant.

censure – (noun) the formal expression of severe disapproval.

chantage – (noun) the extortion of money by blackmail.

chthonian – (adj.) relating to or inhabiting the underworld.

codex – (noun) 1. an ancient manuscript text in book form. 2. an official list of medicines, chemicals, etc.

cogswoggled – (verb) Slang. Used similarly to “I’ll be damned.”

colloquy – (noun) 1. formal a conversation 2. gathering for discussion of theological questions.

conclave – (noun) a private meeting.

concatenate – (verb) to link together as in a chain. (noun) a series of things depending on or resulting from each other.

concupiscence – (noun) a strong, sexual desire; lust.

corpulent – (adj.) (of a person) fat.

cozen – (verb) to trick or deceive. See also: cozenage.

crapehanger – (noun) a person who sees the gloomy side of things; pessimist.

cunctation – (noun) someone who delays or procrastinates.

curvet – (noun) a graceful or energetic leap.

cynosure – (noun) a person or thing that is the center of attention or admiration.

Keep reading

[museinspo]

could you please list underused girl names? i'm kinda stuck with names and i'm tired of repeating names :-/

penny, saskia, alannah, teagan, indigo, avonelle, cassidy, aspen, kiana, constance, felicity, gigi, hannah, indiana, amanda, london, antonia, serena, octavia, estelle, tara, eliza, pandora, ainsley, georgina, nadia, paris, fatima, harlow, fiona, cleo, lana, anieka, pippa, cadence, brynn, kelsey, andrea, vienna, mariana, holly, kendall, astrid, mirabelle, connie, selina, kalani, sabrina, nova, yasmin, zahara, raven, daria, esmeralda, aaliyah, rion, mckinley, iris, tessa, margot, dinah, karissa, aubrey, bridgette, sylvie, blair, lucy, phoebe, seraphina, dahlia, renae, kylie, willow, yovanna, hayley, delaney, elizabeth/libby, savanna, rosie, farrah, emilie, vera, olivia, ellen, eden, tallulah, doutzen, alicia, desirae, josie, naya, piper, azalea, mallory, amara, esme, robyn, devon, jaymie, simone, daphne, vanessa, marisol, rory, bonnie, giselle, althea, elle, rosalie, shiloh, priya, frankie, athena, olympia, malia, ramona, lux, greta, sheridan, imogen, spencer, darcy, cambrie, ophelia, brooklyn, leighton, claire, viviana, charlotte, nicola, haidee, melody, rose, jane, louise, hazel, saffron, ruby, bryony, delta, juno, freya, katarina, maddyson, nora, layla, helena, elise, delilah, eleanor, polly, roxanne, tabitha, viola, amber, reagan, barbara, mikayla, bethany, allison, niamh, kirsten, arden, belinda,  kirstie, cassandra, tayla, crystal, ellen, talia, violette, gemma, wendy, belle, holland, lydia, johanna, catalina, celine, natascha, priscilla, lily, zara, primrose, zoey, alessia, breanna, bianca, natalia, dakotah, sophie, scarlett, claudia, rita, donna, aurora, cara, kiera, arizona, bailey, alessandra, chloe, daisy, elsa, alexis, collete, emilia, gia, harley, india, vivienne, penelope, quinn, poppy, harper, julia, nicole, haven, lola, misha, skyler, naomi, stella, mila, harlow, karlie, north, carmen, heidi, reilly, sonia, toni, sydney, tatiana, tory, valentina, and yvonne.

[z-co]

Hello! A lot of you have been asking me where and how I’ve learn multiple languages and well, after a few hours of digging through my browser history and bookmarks, I was able to collect all of these resources. I have personally used all of these, so I can assure you they are useful! If there is something wrong with a website or a link, please let me know. Also, if you have any questions or if you want a learning buddy, my ask box is open. (I speak English and Spanish. I’m learning Korean, German, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Italian, and Esperanto)

Note: Learning a new language requires a lot of dedication, more than you actually think! Especially if you’re learning multiple languages at the same time. It isn’t impossible, but it will take time. And by time I mean months and/or years! So please, be patient. Take your time. Don’t rush. Keep in mind that you will mess up and that’s okay. Practice as much as you can. Practice out loud. Talk to yourself if you can. It doesn’t matter if people think you’re crazy. They won’t be thinking the same when you become a polyglot, so don’t mind them. This is for you and your future.

Get started:

Everything listed below is FREE! Some sites do require you to sign up, but that’s for you to keep track of your own process.

Tips to get you started

Language Hacking tips (blog)

More language hacking tips (blog)

The Polyglot Project (Library with foreign books that lets you translate while reading)

How to Learn Any Language

Effective Language Learning

Ankidroid (flashcard maker)

Multiple languages, one website

Duolingo (Latin American Spanish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Turkish, Norwegian (Bokmål), Ukrainian, and Esperanto)

BBC Languages (40 languages)

Learn A Language (18 languages)

Conjuguemos (French, German, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Spanish)

L-lingo (21 languages)

101languages (167 languages)

Languagepod101 (31 languages)

Foreign Services Institute (44 languages)

My Languages (95 languages)

Surface Languages (43 languages)

Lingualia (Spanish)

Linguanaut (16 languages)

OmniGlot (All languages [basic info for some of them])

Memrise (Various languages) (flashcard system)

Livemocha (Various languages)

Polyglotclub

Sharedtalk

Interpals (specify in your profile you only look for language exchange because there can be some creeps in this one)

Couchsurfing

Babbel

Specific Languages

Korean:

Learn to read Korean in 15 minutes! - Really helpful as well

Learnkoreanlp - Focuses on grammar

k-is4korean

Talktomeinkorean

Learn-korean

korean-flashcards - Focuses on vocabulary

Easytolearnkorean

Korean.go.kr/ - Focuses on pronunciation

Lang-8 - Community to correct your entries

Dongsa - Conjugations for verbs

Howtostudykorean- EXTREMELY helpful when it comes to learning hangul and writing structure!

hangulpractice - This blog has some useful posts.

letstteok-korean

Talktomeinkorea (YouTube channel)

fluentkorean

sweetandtasty

seoulistic - For culture lessons

GenkiKorean

Korean Word Game

English-Korean Vocabulary Quizzes

Hangul Keyboard - This is also EXTREMELY helpful with Hangul/romanization. It also converts any romanized syllables into hangul

Korean - Reddit threat

Chinese/Mandarin:

Hackingchinese

Chinese-tools - Pretty helpful with pronunciation.

Chinese Open courseware

Chinese Language - Reddit threat

Chinese Textbook

Chineasy

Learn Mandarin

Chinese Hacks

yoyochinese

How can I learn Chinese

Why is Chinese so damn hard?

Japanese:

Learn Japanese I / II - YouTube

Guidetojapanese

Free Japanese lesson

Japaneseclass.jp

thejapanesepage

Japanesepod101

Tofugu

Erin’s Challenge!

Jplang

Yesjapan

Marugoto - Includes culture lessons

Kana Invaders - Fun game for learning Kana

Another great masterpost for Japanese - So many resources!!!

Esperanto:

Note: I did a research and supposedly Esperanto is an easy-to-learn language that helps you with other languages.

Esperantofre

Esperanto “library”

Esperanto Grammar

Esperanto (Duolingo)

German:

Learn German Online

German Language Guide

Mission Berlin - Mystery adventure game

Basic German

Deutsch Lernen

Slow German

Kids’ Games - For vocabulary

Italian:

MIT Open Courseware

Italian Language Guide

Italian Grammar

Italian For Beginners - YouTube

Latin:

Some Latin grammar

Latin Course - YouTube

Portuguese:

Oneness

Ta Falado

Portuguese (Duolingo)

French:

Learn French Guide

Coffee Break French

University of Texas: Francais interactif

Podcastfrancaisfacile

French Language Guide

Lingopolo/french

Le Journal en français facile

News in Slow French

Francolab

Cliffs Notes

Native French Speech

French Podcast

Spanish:

Spanish - About.com

@spanishskulduggery

Study Spanish

Cliffs Notes

Destinos

One Minute Spanish

One Minute Spanish (Latin America focused)

Thai:

Learn Thai Podcast

Woman Learn Thai

Let’s Talk Thai

Thai 101

Lingopolo/thai

Arabic:

Books to Learn Arabic

Mandinah Arabic

Arabic Verbs (PDF)

al3arabiya

Arabic Pronouns (PDF)

Arabic Alphabet / Also Here / And Here!

Arabic For Language Exchange

Peace Corps

Hindi:

A Door Into Hindi

Learning Hindi

NYU Hindi Course

Quillpad - Great for typing

Namaste Dosti

SU Hindi Course

ispeakhindi

Hindi Script

Vietnamese:

VietnamesePod101

Survival Phrases

seasite.niu.edu

Learn Vietnamese Online

Greek:

Some Greek Grammar (New Testament)

Romanian:

Rolang

One Minute Romanian

Welsh:

Say Something in Welsh

Welsh Vocab

Dutch:

Lingopolo/dutch

Learn Dutch

Russian:

Speak Russian

Russian Alphabet

Taste of Russian

Master Russian

Russian Open Courseware

Russian Handwriting

Swedish:

Klartext

SwedishLingQ

Survival Phrases

That’s it. That’s all I have right now. I’ll try to search for more and will keep updating this list! If you have a request for a specific language, just send me an ask. Have fun and good luck! 

[madlori]

Writing advice you're not going to like.

People sometimes send me Asks wanting writing advice.  I suck at it.  I don’t really know how I do the writing, or how one should do the writing, or what one should do to get better at the writing.  All I can ever think to say is “write a lot of stuff and you will get better at the writing.”  Which is true, but hardly a bolt from the sky.

Well, as it turns out, I do have one piece of Legit Writing Advice, and I am going to share it with you, right now.  If you were in any of my writing workshop groups at a con, you’ve heard this advice already.

Warning: you’re going to fucking hate it.  But if you do it, you will thank me.

If you have a piece of fiction you’re serious about, something you might want to actually shop around, or just something you really are into and want to make it as good as you can…do NOT edit it.

Repeat.  DO NOT EDIT.

REWRITE.

As in, print out the whole fucking thing and re-enter it, every word (or use two screens).  Retype the whole thing.  Recreate it from the ground up using your first draft as a template.  Start with a blank page and re-enter every. single. word.

I hear you screaming.  OH MY GOD THAT’S INSANE.

Yes.  Yes, it is.

It is also the most powerful thing you will ever do for a piece of fiction that you are serious about.

Now, let’s get real.  I don’t do this for most things.  I don’t do it for my fanfiction.  But if it’s something original, something I might like to get to a professional level - I do it.  You absolutely COULD do it for fanfiction.  It’s just up to you and how much time you want to sink into a piece.

You can edit, sure.  But you WILL NOT get down to the level of change that needs to happen in a second draft.  You will let things slide.  Your eyes will miss things.  You will say “eh, good enough.”

The first time I did this, on someone else’s advice, I was dubious.  Within two pages, I was saying WHY HAVE I NOT BEEN DOING THIS ALL THE TIME.  I was amazed at how much change was happening.  By the time I got to the end, I had an entirely different novel than the one I’d started with.  When you’re already re-entering every single word, it’s easy to make deep changes.  You’ll reformat sentences, you’ll switch phrases around, you’ll massage your word choice.  You’ll discover whole paragraphs that don’t need to be there at all because they became redundant.  You’ll find dialogue exchanges that need reimagining.  Whole plot points will suddenly be different, whole story arcs will reveal their flaws and get re-drawn.

You cannot get down to the fundamental level of change that’s required just by editing an existing document.  You have to rebuild it if you really want your story to evolve.  You will be AMAZED at the difference it will make.

It will take time.  It will seem like a huge, Herculean task.  I’m not saying it’s easy.  It isn’t.  But it is absolutely revolutionary.

Try it.  I promise, you will see what I mean.

*PSA: Tipsy!Lori wrote this post.  In case you couldn’t tell.

[wonderful-language-sounds]

Free Online Language Courses

Here is a masterpost of MOOCs (massive open online courses) that are available, archived, or starting soon. Some are short, some are very interactive, some are very in-depth. I think they will help those that like to learn with a teacher or with videos. I checked each link to make sure they are functioning.

Arabic

Arabic for Global Exchange (in the drop down menu)

Arabic Without Walls

Intro to Arabic

Lebanese Arabic

Madinah Arabic

Moroccan Arabic

Read Arabic

Chinese

Beginner

Basic Chinese

Basic Chinese I

Basic Chinese II

Basic Chinese III

Basic Chinese IV

Basic Chinese V

Basic Mandarin Chinese I

Basic Mandarin Chinese II

Beginner’s Chinese

Chinese for Beginners

Chinese Characters

Chinese for Travelers

Chinese Made Easy

Easy Mandarin

First Year Chinese I

First Year Chinese II

HSK Level 1

Introduction to Chinese

Learn Oral Chinese

Mandarin Chinese I

More Chinese for Beginners

Speak Chinese like a Native Speaker

Start Talking Mandarin Chinese

UT Gateway to Chinese

Chino Básico (Taught in Spanish)

Intermediate

Chinese Stories

Intermediate Business Chinese

Intermediate Chinese

Intermediate Chinese Grammar

Dutch

Introduction to Dutch

English

Entire post here

Finnish

A Taste of Finnish

Basic Finnish

Finnish for Beginners

Finnish for Immigrants

Finnish for Medical Professionals

French

Beginner

AP French Language and Culture

Basic French Skills

Beginner’s French: Food & Drink

Diploma in French

Elementary French I

Elementary French II

Français Interactif

French in Action

French for Beginners

French Language Studies I

French Language Studies II

French Language Studies III

French:Ouverture

French Through Stories and Conversation

Improving Your French

Mastering French Grammar and Vocab

Intermediate

French: Le Quatorze Juillet

Passe Partout

Advanced

La Cité des Sciences et de Industrie

Reading French Literature

Frisian

Introduction to Frisian (Taught in English)

Introduction to Frisian (Taught in Dutch)

German

Beginner

Basic German

Basic Language Skills

Beginner’s German: Food & Drink

Conversational German I

Conversational German II

Conversational German III

Conversational German IV

Deutsch im Blick

Diploma in German

German Alphabet

German Modal Verbs

Rundblick-Beginner’s German

Study German 

Advanced

German:Regionen Traditionen und Geschichte

Landschaftliche Vielfalt

Reading German Literature

Hebrew

Hebrew Alphabet Crashcourse

Know the Hebrew Alphabet

Hindi

A Door into Hindi

Business Hindi

Virtual Hindi

Icelandic

Icelandic 1-5

Indonesian

Learn Indonesian

Irish

Introduction to Irish

Italian

Beginner

Beginner’s Italian: Food & Drink

Beginner’s Italian I

Oggi e Domani

Survive Italy Without Being Fluent

Intermediate

Intermediate Italian I

Advanced

Advanced Italian I

Italian Literature

Italian Novel of the Twentieth Century

La Commedia di Dante

L'innovazione Sociale (Check language under translation)

Reading Italian Literature

Japanese

Beginner’s Conversational Japanese

Genki

Japanese JOSHU

Kazakh

A1-B2 Kazakh (Taught in Russian)

Korean

Beginner

First Step Korean

How to Study Korean

Learn to Speak Korean 1

Pathway to Spoken Korean

Intermediate

Intermediate Korean

Latin

Latin I (Taught in Italian)

Nepali

Beginner’s Conversation and Grammar

Norwegian

Learn The Norwegian Language

Norwegian on the Web

Portuguese

Brazilian Portuguese for Beginners

Curso de Português para Estrangeiros 

Pluralidades em Português Brasileiro

Russian

Beginner

Basics of Russian

Easy Accelerated Learning for Russian

Russian Alphabet

Russian Essentials

Russian Phonetics and Pronunciation

Reading and Writing Russian

Travel Russian

Advanced

Reading Master and Margarita

Russian as an Instrument of Communication

Siberia: Russian for Foreigners

Spanish

Beginner

AP Spanish Language & Culture

Basic Spanish for English Speakers

Beginner’s Spanish:Food & Drink

Fastbreak Spanish

How to Self-Study Spanish

Introduction to Spanish

Restaurants and Dining Out

Spanish for Beginners

Spanish Verbs Basics

Intermediate

Español en línea

Spanish:Ciudades con Historia

Spanish:Espacios Públicos

Advanced

Corrección, Estilo y Variaciones 

La España de El Quijote

Leer a Macondo

Spanish:Con Mis Propias Manos

Spanish: Perspectivas Porteñas

Reading Spanish Literature

Swedish

Intro to Swedish

Swedish Made Easy 1

Swedish Made Easy 2

Ukrainian

Read Ukrainian

Ukrainian for Everyone

Ukrainian Language for Beginners

Welsh

Beginner’s Welsh

Discovering Wales

Multiple Languages

ocw.mit.edu/courses : MIT’s open courseware site has assignments and course material available.

utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc: Ancient Languages

fun-mooc.fr: MOOCs taught in French

univesptv.cmais.com.br : MOOCs taught in Portuguese

miriadax.net:MOOCs taught in Spanish & Portuguese

ocwus.us.es: MOOCs taught in Spanish

interneturok.ru: MOOCs taught in Russian

open-marhi.ru: MOOCs taught in Russian

rwaq.org/: MOOCs taught in Arabic

ocw.nthu.edu.tw/ocw/: MOOCs taught in Chinese

ocw.uab.cat: MOOCs taught in Catalan

ocw.tudelft.nl : MOOCs taught in Dutch

ocw.hokudai.ac.jp: MOOCs taught in Japanese

cw.tsukuba.ac.jp: MOOCs taught in Japanese

open.agh.edu.pl : MOOCs taught in Polish

I’ll keep an eye out for new courses and if you know of any, let me know so I can update this list.

Last updated: July 1, 2016

Places where reality is a bit altered:

• any target • churches in texas • abandoned 7/11’s • your bedroom at 5 am • hospitals at midnight • warehouses that smell like dust • lighthouses with lights that don’t work anymore • empty parking lots • ponds and lakes in suburban neighborhoods • rooftops in the early morning • inside a dark cabinet

[solareveille]

playgrounds at night

rest stops on highways

deep in the mountains

[ghostfiish]

early in the morning wherever it’s just snowed

trails by the highway just out of earshot of traffic

schools during breaks

those little beaches right next to ferry docks

bowling alleys

[genesisdoes-moved]

unfamiliar mcdonalds on long roadtrips

your friends living room once everybody but you is asleep

laundromats at midnight

[coolpepcat-deactivated20190924]

what the fuck

[ringingofraevolution]

galeries in art museums that are empty except for you 

the lighting section of home depot

stairwells

[doomgeneration1995]

•hospital waiting rooms •airports from midnight to 7am • bathrooms in small concert venues

[nobodyshere0000]

I drew a visual hair type classification guide. I thought I’d share it here. Mine is between 1b-1c.