G O D D E S S

kara. nineteen. twin peaks enthusiast.

[onlylivingirlinny]

To help move away from summary and toward ANALYSIS, it’s important to incorporate strong verbs into your writing when discussing the writer’s rhetorical choices. Below is a list of verbs that are considered weak (imply summary) and a list of verbs that are considered strong (imply analysis). Strive to use the stronger verbs in your essays to help push yourself away from summary and toward analysis: ex “The writer flatters…” NOT “The writer says…”

Weak Verbs (Summary):

says 

explains

relates 

states 

goes on to say 

shows 

tells 

this quote shows

Strong Verbs (Analysis):

Argues, admonishes, analyzes, compares, contrasts, defines, demonizes, denigrates, describes, dismisses, enumerate, expounds, emphasizes, establishes, flatters, implies, lionizes, lists, minimizes, narrates, praises, processes, qualifies, questions, ridicules, suggests, supports, trivializes, vilifies, warns       

Powerful and Meaningful Verbs to Use in an Analysis (Alternatives to Show): 

Acknowledge, Address, Analyze, Apply, Argue, Assert, Augment

Broaden

Calculate, Capitalize, Characterize, Claim, Clarify,Compare, Complicate, Confine, Connect, Consider, Construct, Contradict, Correct, Create, Convince, Critique

Declare, Deduce, Defend, Demonstrate, Deny, Describe, Determine, Differentiate, Disagree, Discard, Discover, Discuss, Dismiss, Distinguish, Duplicate

Elaborate, Emphasize, Employ, Enable, Engage, Enhance, Establish, Evaluate, Exacerbate, Examine, Exclude, Exhibit, Expand, Explain, Exploit, Express, Extend

Facilitate, Feature, Forecast, Formulate, Fracture

Generalize, Group, Guide

Hamper, Hypothesize

Identify, Illuminate, Illustrate, Impair, Implement, Implicate, Imply, Improve, Include, Incorporate, Indicate, Induce, Initiate, Inquire, Instigate, Integrate, Interpret, Intervene, Invert, Isolate

Justify

Locate, Loosen

Maintain, Manifest, Manipulate, Measure, Merge, Minimize, Modify, Monitor

Necessitate, Negate, Nullify

Obscure, Observe, Obtain, Offer, Omit, Optimize, Organize, Outline, Overstate

Persist, Point out, Possess, Predict, Present, Probe, Produce, Promote, Propose, Prove, Provide

Qualify, Quantify, Question

Realize, Recommend, Reconstruct, Redefine, Reduce, Refer, Reference, Refine, Reflect, Refute, Regard, Reject, Relate, Rely, Remove, Repair, Report, Represent, Resolve, Retrieve, Reveal, Revise

Separate, Shape, Signify, Simulate, Solve, Specify, Structure, Suggest, Summarize, Support, Suspend, Sustain

Tailor, Terminate, Testify, Theorize, Translate

Undermine, Understand, Unify, Utilize

Validate, Vary, View, Vindicate

Yield  

[jadewxst-blog]

1. it was 6 AM when i set myself on fire, a blacktop prayer that burned like vodka when i walked six blocks home with no shoes on and yesterday’s mascara still stuck to my lashes 2. it’s been three months since that July third, the morning that i melted pavement and destroyed the tissue in my lungs as you slept soundly in your bed 3. i want you to know that i have not forgotten, that i have been burning my name into all of your bridges so you will never go anywhere without a reminder of the person you killed in your bedroom 4. and as this flame burns itself out and my fingerprints wear down to nothing i find there is comfort in being the product of a tragedy that nobody will ever want to touch

unheard hymns (via jadewxst)

[jadewxst-blog]

1. it was 6 AM when i set myself on fire, a blacktop prayer that burned like vodka when i walked six blocks home with no shoes on and yesterday’s mascara still stuck to my lashes 2. it’s been three months since that July third, the morning that i melted pavement and destroyed the tissue in my lungs as you slept soundly in your bed 3. i want you to know that i have not forgotten, that i have been burning my name into all of your bridges so you will never go anywhere without a reminder of the person you killed in your bedroom 4. and as this flame burns itself out and my fingerprints wear down to nothing i find there is comfort in being the product of a tragedy that nobody will ever want to touch

unheard hymns

[jesperfahey]

[danger]

[immortallionheart-a-deactivated]

Writing Body Language

How to Improve your writing

This is something that happens every day in your life. A shift of your eyebrow in skepticism, or the way your lip may twitch to a half smile cause you’re trying not to laugh. These behaviors are vital for writing in character, because not only do the allow you to visually see what is happening but it is also reaffirming whatever emotion your character is showing.

So why should you write it?

Much of human communication is non-verbal which means you need to also translate this non-verbal reaction in a post. It allows you to greatly enhance the emotions of another character and always another person to ‘visually’ see how they feel in a post. Most of all, this will add depth and volume to your post to make it feel more real. IT will make your character feel like a human instead of just another fictional person you look at from above.

Below you will find a list different type of emotions and what sort of body language can be exhibited to them.

Three ways to accent an action.

When writing about emotions, there are different ways to verbally write them out. Each one is unique in their own way, allowing you to show more about the emotion.

Emphasize the Emotion. But doing this, you are expressing both the emotion and the body language. We’ll use a simple example. It’s short and simple yet you can sense he is happy. John felt so happy that he was humming a tune while walking down the hall.

Complicate the Emotion. Sometimes, even when you are feeling one emotion, deep down rooted underneath the facade of it all, there is actually an underlining emotion they feel. This is something you have to truly express otherwise no one will know. John felt so happy that he was humming a tune while walking down the hall. However, it was obvious by the way his nose crinkled that he was disgusted by the actions beforehand. Instead, John covered it up by appearing pleased today.

Contradict the Emotion. This is a little different than complicate. Contradicting means that you are claiming one thing when in fact its the other. In many ways, this has a variety of uses, from inner depth of the truth to what you see in person, or someone creating a wall. It could be considered a lie, but when is anything that easy? John felt so happy that he was humming a tune while walking down the hall. In truth, once he was in the classroom, his shoulders slumped and a pout crossed his lips when no one was around, showing just how displeased he was with the situation.

Remember that you do not always have to contradict or complicate anything. Sometimes all you need to do is emphasize and that will be just fine. You don’t always have to have an underlining complicated for an emotion to make it more enhanced.

Do be afraid to use the Thesaurus to also improve an emotion. Such things as “happy” is a nice emotional word, but think of how much more powerful it is when you heard some is “overjoyed” or “content.” She how these emotions matched up with a body language can give two different styles of happiness? Mix and match to find what works best for your character at the time.

More In Depth Information

What I’ve stated above is more of a simplistic overview. IF you truly want to improve yourself, go to this

LINK HERE

To see just how much body language can reveal about a person. You will find things such as how a person lies, how the eyes reaction, the positioning of a person in personal space, mouth, and head body language and so much more.

Use these resources to greatly increase the reactions of your character to another and create a more life-like world.

[machatnoir]

It’ll be useful!

[inkskinned]

he is sitting on your front step and lighting a cigarette even though he would never let you touch one because “they’ll kill you,” he said, he is leaning back on his elbows and giving you that crooked smile that reminds you of an empty blue sky and you want to ask him if he’s ever really going to be happy or you’re supposed to pretend you don’t know that he’s going dark again you want to ask if maybe the problem is really that he doesn’t feel anything much less love or it’s actually just that you’re not good enough but god, this boy is a spinning top and a bad choice wrapped up in one, a sense of disaster in the trail behind him, he makes you feel exactly the same way as when you were seven and at the top of a hill on your brother’s bike and halfway down the brakes stopped working but you sit there and your tongue is tied and he’s so incredibly unsolvably sad inside and it’s something so even though you want to speak you say nothing.

“he’s so beautiful and it’s sad he never saw himself the way i saw him. i loved him, i really love him.” // r.i.d (via inkskinned)

[rowooned]

rich kids plot where the two heirs of new york’s most affluent families are set up for an arranged marriage to secure each bloodline’s extravagant and eventual limitless funds therefore they’re forced to accustom the other in their new lives and soon enough these two brats fall in love after realizing how lonesome they’ve been this entire time (◡‿◡✿)

[5000letters]

Maybe if I’d fucked you more and loved you less I could have left this battlefield wearing just bruises and teeth, but I’m sure that even the cavalry knows that there’s a crack in my heart and it’s been leaking your name ever since we stopped fighting this fight. What I’m trying to say is: you win. It’s all yours. I’m tired and I tried. I’m tired and I love you. I’m tired and I didn’t mean to.

Azra.T  (via musingisms)

[thisisanindiemusicblog]

Visit Original Link

The Wombats- Greek Tragedy

[elysianrps]

I really want a one night stand where she snuck out before he woke up and he tried looking her up but he didn’t even know her full name, so he moved on. Move on years down the road and he’s just gotten engaged and at the engagement part he’s introduced to her sister that’s been living overseas for the past few days, but who is it, that girl from all those years ago. Better yet, meet her child, wait, why do they his eyes.

[toxiicisms-blog]

can i have a plot where muse a is this rich guy and he’s in a relationship but he also has a side girl aka muse b who he sees often and makes sure she’s taken care of and pampered and basically she’s his stress relief, his “baby girl” and he always visits her when he comes home from business trips and also sends her to places in his own private jet to come see him whenever he wants and she’s basically his secret and it all starts out as fun and games and cuteness and sexiness until muse b wants more ( an exclusive relationship ) and muse a can’t give it to her pls!!

[fuckmaniknowbuthey]

twin peaks: the missing pieces (david lynch, 2014)

[princessofpoldark]

[artofroleplaying]

forget the good girl meets bad boy plots seriously give me all the bad girl meets bad boy and makes him succumb to his knees and plays hard to get and drives him crazy and he’s never been this into someone and she enjoys the attention so much and IF YOU’RE WILLING TO BE DARING, THIS COULD BE M/M AND STILL BE SO MUCH FUN pls dance your way into my inbox or like this and i’ll just rain headcanons and feels on you pls- 

[writing-questions-answered]

Guide: How to Make Simple Writing More Vivid

ohpossibilities asked: Hi, my writing seems to be too simple sometimes. I try to make it look and sound professional, but it seems it’s not enough. Any tips?

[writing-questions-answered]

There are many aspects of writing that set great writers apart from those who need more practice. One of the biggest is the way in which words are used–whether they are just words describing something, or whether they render that something in detail so vivid that it plays like a movie in the reader’s mind. “The girl woke up in the morning. She got dressed. She didn’t want to go to school, but she went anyway.” These words do tell a story, but it’s a boring story, because the description is so basic. “Her eyes opened and immediately squinted against the bright amber light that came through her window. Coffee and fried bacon hung heavy in the air, so she forced herself out of bed and pulled on fresh clothing. The bus would be there before long, and though she’d sooner swim in lava than spend another day at Greenstone High, there were a shocking lack of volcanoes in Connecticut.” * * semi-auto-biographical. ;) So–definitely a slight improvement simply because the scene is more vivid. We can imagine this girl squinting in the morning light, and we can almost smell the bacon and coffee in the air. Most of us can probably commiserate with the feeling of wanting to do anything else besides go to school. So this gives us something to grab onto, whereas the other attempt leaves us cold. There is a really wonderful book by Rebecca McClanahan called Word Painting, which I highly recommend to anyone wanting to make their writing sound more professional.  Here’s some of my favorite advice from the book. Examples are my own: 1) Use description to make the world of your book more real to the reader than the space they are currently inhabiting. 2) Try not to describe things by labeling them. Instead, describe the attributes that lead you to the label. Instead of saying, “She was petting Max the cat.” You could say, “She put her hand in Max’s soft fur and felt the rhythm of his purring.” 3) Describe a subject or object in motion, even if it isn’t in motion. A child who is running could have bouncing curls. A man who is sitting can be reading or smoking. Snow on the ground can be melting or glittering.

4) Be sure to use the right, most appropriate word for an object. Don’t call a coffee mug a “glass.” Don’t describe your female mercenary as having “porcelain” skin, because “porcelain” implies fragility. You could just say she’s “fair-skinned” or that “her skin was as pale as white marble.“ 

5) Sometimes, describing what isn’t there is more interesting than describing what is there. For example: You could say, "The rest stop was silent and the highway was abandoned.” But it sounds a little more interesting to say, “There was no sound coming from the highway now. No thundering semi-trucks, no rumbling motorcycles–not so much as an errant screech or piercing car horn.” 6) Use active instead of passive prose. Passive: “The fence is being painted by the girls.”  Active: “The girls are painting the fence.” Here is a great explanation of active versus passive voice. 7) Don’t use filtering devices if you can help it. Words like “felt,” “saw,” “observed,” “noticed,” etc, take the focus away from what’s happening. “Her stomach clenched when the man drew his gun,” is much more effective than, “She felt her stomach clench when she saw the man draw his gun.” 8) Avoid unnecessary suffixes, like -ful, -ment, -tion, -ance. For example, “Her tearful face was a demonstration of the candidness of her demeanor,” is really clunky. “Her tears demonstrated her candor,” sounds a lot better and is much more to the point.

There is sooooooo much more in the book. That is really just the tip of the iceberg. So, if you can get it, do! Be sure you have sticky notes, a notepad, or a highlighter so you can mark the great information as you come to it.

Go through your writing and see what you can change, then keep all of these tips in mind as you write in the future. Write as much as you can, because your writing will get better with practice.  ETA: Also, check out this fantastic post by Christian Seehausen at Write Wild, which details three golden rules for description.

[chinaofrps-deactivated20180604]

ashleys1x1s:

who wants to do one of those “we used to date years and years ago and we were in love and all that but we broke up for whatever reason and now we’re seeing each other for the first time and there’s obviously still some feelings/tension there but whoops one of us is engaged/in a serious relationship so i guess we have to try to be friends huh” plots with me