hiii ^_^ i was wondering if you had any advice for writing Deaf/deaf/HOH characters? And how it mightâve affected their childhood ?
Hi! I have this previous post: Deaf Characters. Additional notes:
Hearing loss in children can be present at birth (congenital) or develop later in childhood (acquired).
Congenital hearing loss can be hereditary (genetic) or caused by infections during pregnancy, including infection with cytomegalovirus or rubella.
Hearing loss is more common in babies who are in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Hearing loss can be an isolated condition or a feature of a syndrome that causes additional symptoms.
Genetic testing can help determine the cause of hearing loss in some cases.
Acquired hearing loss can be caused by infectious diseases, such as meningitis or recurrent ear infections, as well as trauma and certain medications.
Depending on its cause and origin, the hearing loss can be:
Sensorineural, a permanent type of hearing loss which occurs when the inner ear (cochlea) or the auditory nerve is damaged or malformed
Conductive, which occurs when the sound canât travel through the ear because of earwax build-up, a foreign body lodged somewhere in the ear, build-up of fluid or a punctured eardrum (Conductive hearing losses may be treated in some cases with medicine or surgery.)
Hearing loss is categorized as mild, moderate, severe or profound depending on its severity.
Symptoms
Reduced hearing, such as inability to hear faint sounds
Failure to respond to sound
Delay of language and speech development in young children
Unclear speech
Mild, progressive or temporary deafness may be difficult to identify as children often adapt extremely well, for example, by learning to lip-read.
However, any hearing loss, even if itâs temporary or mild, can have a big impact, particularly in the early years when children are developing their speech and language skills.
Glue ear (i.e., occurs when the middle ear becomes filled with sticky fluid), although usually temporary, affects a childâs ability to hear. Temporary hearing loss can easily be mistaken for stubbornness or being naughty.
Look out for the following signs which may indicate glue ear, mild or progressive deafness:
Changes in behaviour for example becoming withdrawn or frustrated.
Red ears in babies and/or pulling at their ears.
Delayed speech and communication development.
Mishearing and mispronouncing words.
Not hearing what's going on if there's background noise.
Not responding when called.
Problems with concentrating, tiredness and frustration that affects their behaviour.
Difficulties with reading and learning.
Wanting the volume of the TV higher than other members of your family.
In childhood:
They face daily struggles to be understood, even by their own family. This can understandably lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness and frustration.
Often a deaf child is the only deaf person in their family, their school or even their whole community, so thereâs no one to share their feelings with.
Deaf children are sometimes bullied or experience stigma, discrimination or inequality because of their deafness.
In stressful situations, many deaf children are left anxious because no one has adequately explained the stress inducing situation to them.
This trope is the reason "villains act, heroes react"; the villain needs to be doing something evil or the hero has no evil to thwart.
Some popular examples of Evil Plans:
Take Over the World: This is the most popular villainous scheme of all. The scale of conquest can vary depending on the setting and (or) the villainâsome warlords are content to settle with conquering a city, a kingdom or nation, while Science Fiction or Fantasy overlords will go for nothing less than galactic, universal or even multidimensional domination.
The Evils of Free Will:Â A popular means to this end: by robbing everyone of their free will, they will have no choice but to serve their rightful ruler.
Assimilation Plot: Let's turn everyone into a single entity, whether they wish it or not.
Earth-Shattering Kaboom: Why take over the world when you can blow it up? Like Take Over the World, the scale of destruction also varies depending on the setting â some villains are content with merely destroying a city or kingdom (particularly if they feel the city or kingdom has somehow wronged them â i.e., revenge), while Omnicidal Maniacs may well wish nothing less than to destroy the entire universe or multiverse.
Kill All Humans. Related tropes: Feeling Oppressed by Their Existence: A character wants to get rid of a particular person or group of people just for existing. Absolute Xenophobe: Wants to destroy all other sentient life (human or otherwise). Omnicidal Maniac: Wants to destroy absolutely all life, sentient or not. Final Solution: The intentional extermination of a species/demographic is the answer to fix a perceived issue. Humanity's Wake: The outcome of this trope should the opposing species succeed in eradicating us.
In Their Own Image: Not happy with the world the way it is? Try tearing it down, and building it back up as something even greater.
The End of the World as We Know It: Not so much destroying the world or humanity as really screwing up civilization; though the former two may be involved in the bargain.
A God Am I: Forcing everyone to acknowledge their godhood (actual godlike powers optional).
Godhood Seeker: Make your character an actual deity.
Immortality Seeker: Pursue the quest for eternal life, no matter what foul deeds are needed to make it happen.
A Plot in Deed: Steal the deed to a plot of land and you'll own it, so why not steal the deed to somewhere good?
MacGuffin: Steal an ancient artifact with untold powers. This is usually done in the pursuit of one of the other Evil Plans.
Sealed Evil in a Can: Release the source of all Evil from its prison. This rarely goes well for the villain attempting it.
Revenge: You know that guy that wronged you in the past? It doesn't matter how petty or misplaced your grievance is, it's payback time. Time to kill him, or make his life a living hell.
Get-Rich-Quick Scheme: If you're already rich, get richer. Any scheme is fair game in the pursuit of the profit margin, be it theft, blackmail, or auctioning the world off to hungry demons. Unfortunately, this lust for wealth falls prey to poor planning.
Utopia Justifies the Means: You know how people keep hurting themselves and each other? Make them stop, by whatever means are necessary. No ill will required! Just like in Take Over the World, The Evils of Free Will often gets put into play here.
Dystopia Justifies the Means: People hurting each other? That's exactly what your society needs. Use all the means at your disposal to create a nightmarish dystopia where the forces of evil run rampant and people live in constant terror and corruption, just the way the villains like it.
Poke the Poodle:Â Their idea of evil is harmless behavior like cheating at Solitaire, jaywalking on an empty road, chewing gum in Singapore, pulling the "do not remove" tag off of your mattress, hiding your toothpaste, drinking the milk directly from the carton...
Parasocial Interaction (PSI) - semblance of interpersonal exchange whereby members of an audience come to feel that they personally know a performer they have encountered in mass media.
Parasocial Relationship (PSR) - generally defined as a relationship in which one member of the relationship isnât aware of the otherâe.g., a fan loves a celebrity, but the celebrity doesnât know they exist. Not restricted to celebrities, PSRs also exist between people and fictional characters, whether portrayed by an actor or not.
PSRs tend to occur because of our natural tendency to link to others.
PSIs are thought to have a psychological effect similar to that of face-to-face communication.
Over time, PSIs with a performer may lead audience members to develop a parasocial relationshipâa one-sided sense of connection with the performer.
The first examinations of parasocial relationships came in the 1950s, when psychologists tried to understand how television viewers reacted to the hosts, MCs, and TV personalities speaking to them directly out of the screenâa novel concept at the time.
It caused concern that viewers at home wouldnât be able to tell the difference between the relationships they had with a television personality and ones they had with ârealâ peopleâ âvictim[s] of the 'magic mirror'â as Richard Horton and Donald Wohl described in the 1956 paper.
The term parasocial interaction first appeared in the writings of American sociologists Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl in the 1956 article âMass Communication and Para-Social Interaction: Observations on Intimacy at a Distance.â The article describes how PSIs may gradually lead to the formation of a parasocial relationship.
Most theoretical work attempting to define and differentiate PSIs and parasocial relationships was published in the latter half of the 20th century.
Generally, modern sociologists and media theorists agree that the concepts are distinct but deeply related.
The Parasocial Interaction Scale, devised in the 1980s in order to better quantify PSIs and parasocial relationships, asks subjects to answer questions about both phenomena.
PSIs occur when audience members feel that they are actively interacting with a mass media personality.
Human brains appear to process PSIs in much the same way as real-life interpersonal interactions because of the novelty of technologically mediated encounters.
While people do recognize the artificiality of the media apparatus, their perception of PSIs causes a real psychological reaction.
PSIs are strongest when a media personality cultivates the illusion of interpersonal intimacy.
Certain genres, programs, and celebrities have purposely fostered such a sense of intimacy in their tone and setting.
For example, TV talk shows have their hosts directly address the camera as if in conversation with each viewer, creating the illusion of face-to-face closeness.
Situation comedies manufacture familial settings that viewers grow more and more accustomed to.
Certain podcasts and radio showsâespecially those crafted around one or more hostsâadopt an informal tone resembling that of a gathering of friends.
As PSIs become increasingly frequent, many audience members enter into a parasocial relationship built on comfort, satisfaction, and commitment.
In contrast, Horton and Wohl posited, people whose encounters with mass media figures are infrequent may feel detached and even cynical when they do encounter those figures.
Indeed, the researchers suggested, audience members must tune in regularly and of their own volition for the relationship to become parasocial.
Such relationships bridge genre and style. In one key study, researchers found that commitment levels (measured on a scale used for interpersonal relationships) for viewers of both fictional and nonfictional television programs were predicted by how invested the viewers were.
Consequently, when a program went off the air, committed viewers experienced higher levels of distress, dubbed a âparasocial breakup,â than uncommitted viewers.
Audience members often have a parasocial relationship with the same celebrity without feeling jealous of one another; in fact, in many cases, sharing their dedication to a mass media persona brings people closer together.
While parasocial relationships can enrich your life, these one-sided affairs can also hurt you.
They won't love you back. "They're like fake food. They taste good, but they have no nutritional content and won't meet your needs. You need to love and be loved in return to thrive," social scientist and professor Arthur C. Brooks says.
They might contribute to loneliness and isolation if you rely on them too much. Loneliness and isolation are linked to increased risks of many chronic health problems such as depression, anxiety, dementia, and heart disease, and even premature death.
They might have a negative influence on you. Are you picking up unhealthy ideas from the people you follow? Brooks says this should be a special concern for parents whose kids have parasocial relationships: The messages kids glean might be at odds with your values â perhaps because they are controversial political or adult themes.
Two red alerts:
Ask yourself if you're too attached. For example, are you skipping dinner with friends because you prefer watching a TV show with a character you care about and want to connect with?
Be wary. "If someone is trying to brainwash you, saying, 'I'm your friend, you can trust me,' that person is using a personal social bond to get you to do something â like vote a certain way," Brooks says. He points out that social media stars try to establish parasocial relationships with followers to get more clicks and make money. "That's what the new economy is all about â monetizing parasocial relationships on a mass scale," Brooks says.
A PSR that starts with healthy boundaries, can turn sour when a mob mentality forms, resulting in harassment.
PSRs are natural and not inherently unhealthy.
But, as Stever says, âAnything that can be true about a regular social relationship can be true about a parasocial relationship. Are they positive? Can they be good for us? Absolutely. Can they be negative? Can they be toxic for us? We all know examples of that.â
Inciting incident of a story - the event that sets the main character/s on the journey that will occupy them throughout the narrative.
Typically, this incident will upset the balance within the main characterâs world.
In classic detective films like The Big Sleep, for example, the inciting incident is the detective being asked to take on a new case.
In moments big and small, an inciting incident changes the life of a character, and the ensuing story is the fallout from that change.
Tips for Using Inciting Incidents in Your Writing
A compelling inciting action can be the difference between a gripping story and a forgettable one. Here are 3 techniques to make sure youâre writing the most effective possible beginnings to your stories:
Keep to your timeline. To make your reader or viewing audience emotionally invested in an inciting incident, make sure it takes place during the timeline of the story youâre telling. When an inciting action is a past event that others make reference to, it lacks the visceral truth of an incident that the audience has experienced.
Let your inciting action stimulate something sustainable. Your inciting plot point should drive a character to behave a certain way throughout the narrative. Make sure that the driving force will be sustainable throughout the full course of your story. A detective driven to solve a complicated case will sustain throughout the story. A man bitter about not getting the last slice of pizza could potentially be funny, but it wonât sustain a particularly long story.
Make your inciting action cause a noticeable shift in your character. A compelling inciting action will make your character take actions she would not have otherwise. In The Fugitive TV series, Dr. Richard Kimble loses his wife to murder and, worse still is accused of that murder. These traumatic events change Kimble, and they launch him onto a quest so compelling that it sustained four full seasons of television.
An inciting incident exists to launch a story.
If Shakespeare had begun Romeo and Juliet somewhere in the midst of the young loversâ courtship, the story might have been entertaining, but it would have lacked the emotional stakes created when the two protagonists first lay eyes on each other in the playâs inciting incident.
It inspires the protagonistâs central motivations throughout the story.
In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, the protagonist Charles Marlow finds his motivation when he learns about a Mr. Kurtz, in the storyâs inciting incident.
The story goes on to detail Marlowâs obsessive quest to find Kurtz, and the horror he encounters when he finally finds him.
Every event that follows within the timeline of the story achieves its significance insofar as it relates to Marlowâs inciting action.
Types of Inciting Actions in Literature
As a general rule, inciting actions fall into one of 3 categories.
Causal inciting actions. Inciting actions involving a deliberate choice made either by the protagonist or about the protagonist. This deliberate choice informs all story elements to come. An example of this is Luke Skywalkerâs recruitment in the original Star Wars film from 1977. The inciting action is the first step in Luke taking the archetypal âheroâs journey,â as famously described by Joseph Campbell.
Coincidental inciting actions. Inciting actions stemming from random chance, coincidence, or a protagonist âbeing in the right place at the right time.â In C.S. Lewisâs Chronicles of Narnia series, the children inadvertently stumble upon a magical land through a portal in the back of a wardrobe. This chance discovery leads to all subsequent actions in the story.
Ambiguous inciting actions. Inciting actions that occur under circumstances that are not fully explained. The audience is left to guess whether the protagonist is placed in her situation by choice or by chance. Such inciting actions are common in thrillers and mysteries like The Sixth Sense, and the true story is rarely revealed until the very end of the film.
Hi! Love your blogs. I couldn't find anything on 'vampires' in your references. I was wondering if you could cover this illustrious yet monstrous figure? Many thanks!
Writing Notes: Vampires
Vampire - (in popular legend) a creature, often fanged, that preys upon humans, generally by consuming their blood. They have been featured in folklore and fiction of various cultures for hundreds of years, predominantly in Europe, although belief in them has waned in modern times.
Common Depiction:
A bloodsucking creature
Rises from its burial place at night, sometimes in the form of a bat, to drink the blood of humans.
By daybreak, it must return to its grave or to a coffin filled with its native earth.
Tales of vampires are part of the worldâs folklore, most notably in Hungary and the Balkan Peninsula.
The disinterment in Serbia in 1725 and 1732 of several fluid-filled corpses that villagers claimed were behind a plague of vampirism led to widespread interest and imaginative treatment of vampirism throughout western Europe.
Vampires are supposedly dead humans (originally suicides, heretics, or criminals) who maintain a kind of life by biting the necks of living humans and sucking their blood; their victims also become vampires after death.
These âundeadâ creatures cast no shadow and are not reflected in mirrors.
They can be warded off by crucifixes or wreaths of garlic and can be killed by exposure to the sun or by an oak stake driven through the heart.
Origin. Creatures with vampiric characteristics have appeared at least as far back as ancient Greece, where stories were told of creatures that attacked people in their sleep and drained their bodily fluids.
Tales of walking corpses that drank the blood of the living and spread plague flourished in medieval Europe in times of disease.
Cultural historian Christopher Frayling points out how the vampire myth is a parody of the Christian resurrection and a âsatanic versionâ of transubstantiationâthe Catholic belief that during Holy Communion the bread and wine change into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
The vampire myth allows us to examine societal taboos we arenât always able to discuss. âItâs about wanting a demon lover to take you over; about desiring undesirable things,â Frayling explains. âIt transposes them into this myth in a rather pleasurable way.â
Hatred of Garlic. Many cultures have long believed in the extraordinary powers of garlic; from ancient Egypt to Romania, garlic has been used as a natural insect repellent, a natural antibiotic, and as protection against other preternatural evils. Modern belief in garlicâs curative powers against vampires likely comes from these more ancient beliefs.
Literary Examples
The most famous vampire is Count Dracula from Bram Stokerâs novel Dracula (1897).
In the 20th century Anne Riceâs novel Interview with the Vampire, published in 1976, notably introduced the world to vampires that were brooding and self-loathing and squabbled like humans.
Modern vampire treatment in popular culture is usually divided into cycles.
The Malignant Cycle (1922-1948): The vampire is treated as a creature of pure horror, as popular in the early films like Nosferatu and Universal films.
The Erotic Cycle (1950-1985): The vampire is considered evil but alluring, like in the Hammer Horror films.
The Sympathetic Cycle (1987-2001): The vampire is seen as a tragic monster to be pitied, but still feared, though they can sometimes be redeemed, usually by becoming human once more.
The Individualist Cycle (2003-present day): The vampire can be bad, good, or in between, much like humans, and their transformation to vampirism does not imply a change in morality.
In modern vampire literature, the shift from the vampireâs legendary Gothic characteristics to a more romanticized heroism becomes apparent.
The 20th and 21st centuries brought about a new version of the classic vampire.
This creature distances itself from the dark, horrifying being and grows into a more desirable partner (both romantically and socially) than its predecessors.
As was seen in the vampire literature of earlier centuries, the vampire was always the one who attacked because of repressed sexual desires.
Instead, now the human poses the larger threat for the modern vampire to have the ability to control his blood lust because the human now seemingly has control over the vampireâs sexual agency.
The female characters have been refashioned from being threatened to posing more of a (sexual) threat. Examples:
Isabella Swan from The Twilight Series and Gabrielle Maxwell from the Midnight Breed novels actively seek a sexual relationship with their vampire counterparts and are even willing to abandon their identities and constantly risk their lives for a chance to become part of the vampire world.
This contrasting presentation of the vampireâs romantic characteristics could be associated with the time periodâs viewpoint of sexuality.
Instead of the repressed sexuality that were apparent in 18th and 19th century works, the modern Byronic vampire is not the main villain who presents danger to those around him.
The vampires are the now the victims who are tasked with repressing their desires, while humans seek to fulfill their desires in becoming a part of the vampire world.
Some Vampire Tropes
Animorphism: Vampires commonly turn into bats (or other nocturnal animals, such as wolves).
Chinese Vampire: An undead being from Chinese Mythology called the jiang shi, depicted as a hopping vampire/zombie that feeds on chi.
Cross-Melting Aura: Some vampires are powerful and evil enough to repel or destroy holy weapons.
Daywalking Vampire: Contrary to most depictions, some vampires may actually be immune to sunlight.
Horror Hunger: A person starts to feel intense cravings for blood after being turned into a vampire. How well they're able to resist these urges can vary.
Missing Reflection: Vampires often do not reflect any image in mirrors. Sometimes extends to not appearing in photos, films or videos as well.
Turning Back Human: A common goal for people who've been involuntarily vampirized and don't want to stay this way.
Undeath Always Ends: When even undead vampires can still die.
Voluntary Vampire Victim: Someone willingly lets a vampire feed on them.
Wooden Stake: Stabbing or impaling vampires through their heart with a sharp, pointy wooden stick is the classic method for killing them.
Sex - a physical bonding activity that can be an important part of many types of relationshipsâincluding monogamous, polyamorous, and open partnershipsâbecause it can offer increased emotional intimacy, a stronger self-image for each partner, and stress relief.
Avoid looking for a one-size-fits-all solution to sex in a relationship; you can have a strong, healthy relationship regardless of the amount of sexual activity.
While many people require frequent sexual activity for a strong romantic relationship, many othersâincluding asexual individuals and those with low libidosâenjoy deep and meaningful partnerships without using sex as a key component.
Benefits of Sex for a Relationship
In relationships in which each partner feels sexual desire and wants to be sexually active, a healthy sex life can offer significant benefits, including:
A stronger self-image: Sexual activity is a physical act that emphasizes the pleasure your body can give and receive; mindful, regular sex can increase confidence, self-esteem, and body positivity for each partner, allowing you to carry these feelings into other areas of your life.
Increased intimacy: Sexual activity is a type of physical intimacy that releases the hormone oxytocin, which produces feelings of emotional connection and intimacy. Therefore, sex can deepen the bonds between partners and foster feelings of closeness, emotional well-being, and relationship satisfaction.
Stress relief: Good sex is a stress-relieving activity that releases endorphins, producing feelings of relaxation and satisfaction that can help melt away the stresses of a difficult day. In the same way, sexual satisfaction and orgasm can help foster better sleep.
Talking About Sex With Your Partner (or Partners)
Communication about sexual intimacy is vital in any healthy sexual relationship because it allows each participant to build a connection that is more in tune with each partnerâs desires and comfort zones. Here are a few tips to help you talk to your partners about sex:
Avoid critical statements. Itâs normal for sexual partners to be sensitive when talking about intimacy (especially if itâs your first time communicating like this), so be as kind and positive as possible. Rather than saying, âI wish we had more oral sex,â try a more encouraging phrasing like âI love it when you go down on meâit would turn me on a lot if you did it even more.â Avoid phrasing that could sound accusatory; where possible, frame your comments as âI-statementsâ or âwe-statements.â For example, try âI would love it if we triedâŚâ or âWould it be fun if we triedâŚâ rather than âyou-statementsâ like âYou shouldâŚâ or âWhat if you triedâŚâ to shift the focus and tone.
Avoid focusing on sexual frequency. You can have a good sex life regardless of the amount of sex you engage in; itâs about staying in tune with each partnerâs interests and sexual desires. This may mean less sex but higher-quality sex, or it may mean planning masturbation sessions when one partner isnât feeling in the mood. When you talk about sex with your partner or partners, keep in mind that the goal is mutual wellness rather than more sex.
Be open and honest. Talking openly and truthfully is essential for a healthy sexual conversation. The information you share helps your partner or partners improve their understanding of your sexual preferences and encourages them to share their desires honestly. Being up-front and honest about your feelings around sex will create a safe space for you to develop your sexual relationship together; the best sex is sex that is collaborative and trusting.
Choose a calm and comforting moment. Sex can be a difficult and sensitive subject for many people, so ensure conversations about sex happen in spaces that feel safe and relaxed. Avoid initiating the conversation during or immediately after a difficult moment; instead, try talking during a relaxed cuddling session or in a room other than the bedroom. This creates a safer, less charged space for open discussion.
Discuss libido and interest. Sex is only a beneficial part of a relationship if each partner wants it. If you find that your partner seems less interested in sex than you are, sit down and have an honest conversation with them. Ask if there are things in their life that seem to get in the way of their sex drive, if there is a type of sex theyâre interested in that you havenât explored together yet, or if they have a major sexual turnoff they havenât shared yet. Investigate the other areas of the relationship you could improve together to work toward a healthier sex life.
Involve a sex therapist. If you or your partner or partners struggle to communicate about your sexual relationship or insecurities, consider consulting a sexual health professional to help facilitate the conversation and help you work toward a healthier bond and better sex.
Source â More: Notes â Writing Resources PDFs â "Beautiful" Words â Part 1 2
Ambivert - a person who shows a balance between the introvert and extrovert personality types.
There are 3 main personality types:
the introvert, a quiet person who prefers solitude,
the extrovert, an outgoing person that likes socializing, and
the ambivert, a person with a combination of introverted and extroverted traits.
Many ambiverts can dial into specific personality traits when necessary.
For instance, some extroverted ambiverts can handle being the center of attention, attending major social events, or making small talk in social situations.
Introverted ambiverts can handle more alone time and need more recovery after being the life of the party.
Characteristics of an Ambivert
An ambivertâs personality traits tend to be less extreme than either side of the introvert/extrovert spectrum. Some common characteristics of an ambivert include:
Balanced: The ambivert advantage is that they contain both introverted and extroverted traits. This balance makes ambiverts good listeners while maintaining energetic engagement, which means ambiverts can be particularly effective persuaders.
Flexible: Ambiverts are better at mood regulation than other personality types and can dial into their various traits when necessary. Self-regulating emotion is a unique trait that allows ambiverts to pivot to whatever emotion the work situation calls for. They can have conversations with their co-workers while also understanding the value of quiet time. They can work well alone or collaborate successfully in a team setting. Ambiverts are like chameleons and can be highly adaptable in either business or social situations.
Confident: Ambiverts have the necessary confidence to become effective at sales without coming across as arrogant or bossy. Ambiverts can use their introverted side to analyze a situation and appeal to a customerâs emotions while using their extroverted traits to persuade them towards a sale.
How would you go about writing someone with mental issues? Conditions like schizofrenia?
There is a lot of awful takes that essentially end up being caricatures while actual people wity the condition are often quite chill. It's difficult to do them justice while also not being able to fully understand how it is
Writing about Mental Health Conditions
Questions to Ask When Reporting on Mental Health
Is mental illness relevant to this story? If not, there is no need to mention it.
What is your source? Donât rely on hearsay to report that a person has a mental illness. If you are reporting on a specific condition, make sure you are talking to a mental health professional to provide the facts. Mental health organisations like the APA can connect you with experts to discuss a wide range of mental health and substance use disorders, as well as the medications and techniques used to treat them.
What is the most accurate language to use? See below for advice about language that is specific and avoids derogatory terms.
Choose Your Words Carefully
The words you use to write about mental health are very important, and can help reduce stigma around mental illness if carefully chosen.
ONE. Focus on the person, not the condition. The basic concept is that the mental health condition (or physical or other condition) is only one aspect of a personâs life, not the defining characteristic.
Preferred:Â She is a person with schizophrenia.
Not preferred:Â She is schizophrenic.
TWO. Be specific. Mental illness is a general condition. Specific disorders are types of mental illness and should be used whenever possible (see below for a brief list and definitions of common disorders).
Preferred:Â He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder
Not preferred:Â He was mentally ill
THREE. Avoid derogatory language. Terms such as psycho, crazy and junkie should not be used. In addition, avoid words like âsufferingâ or âvictimâ when discussing those who have mental health challenges.
Preferred:Â She has a mental health illness. She has a substance use disorder.
Not preferred:Â She suffers from mental illness. Sheâs a drug abuser.
Common Mental Health Terms
The following are definitions of some of the most common mental health disorders. For more complete descriptions, consult Understanding Mental Disorders: Your Guide to DSM-5 or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Addiction - a chronic brain disease that causes compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences.
Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders - the overuse of alcohol or drugs leading to effects that are detrimental to the individualâs physical and mental health, or the welfare of others.
Autism Spectrum Disorders - a range of complex developmental disorders that can cause problems with thinking, feeling, language and the ability to relate to others.
Bipolar Disorder - (also commonly known as manic depression) is a brain disorder that causes shifts in a personâs mood, energy and ability to function.
Depression - a common and serious medical illness that causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed; it can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.
Eating Disorders - illnesses in which people experience severe disturbances in their eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions; anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are the three main types.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)Â - an anxiety disorder in which people have recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions).
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Â - a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape or other violent personal assault.
Schizophrenia - a chronic brain disorder with symptoms that can include delusions, hallucinations, trouble with thinking and concentration, and lack of motivation.
Facts about Mental Illness
Misconceptions and myths about mental health are unfortunately common. The following are a few facts about mental illness in the United States, as well as key resources for the latest statistics on mental health:
In any given year, more than 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. has a diagnosable mental disorder.
One in 20Â adults has a serious mental illness.
One in 6 adults has a substance use disorder (including alcohol use disorder).
Half of all chronic mental illness begins by age 14.
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death for all ages and the second leading for people ages 10 to 34. It is more common than homicide.
Most people with mental illnesses are no more likely to be violent than those without a mental health disorder. In fact, people with a mental health disorder are at significantly higher risk of becoming victims of violence compared to the general population
Excerpted from The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH):
Write often about mental health challengesâthe greater awareness generated about mental health, the more chance there is of helping people who have problems associated with these illnesses.
Let us know if you are looking for story ideasâwe have lots of them and would be more than happy to share these ideas with you (you can find their contact details here).
We are asking for your help in reducing the stigma around mental illness including addiction because stigma is a huge problem for people living with mental illness.
We can accomplish this by dispelling some of the negative stereotypes that follow people who have mental illness such as: people with mental illness including addictions are all potentially violent and dangerous; are somehow responsible for their condition; and have nothing positive to contribute.
Labels matter. Donât describe a person with a substance use disorder as a âheroin addict,â âdrug user,â or âalcoholic.â Defining a person by their disorder makes the disorder become that personâs âmaster statusââthe reader or viewer will only see the person as defined by the illness not by who they really are as an individual.
Help reduce stigma by not leaving the person out when describing an individual. When a person is called a schizophrenic, the reader will only see the disorder and conjure up mental images that are likely negative and stereotypical. The same can be said for a person who is called a âmanic-depressive or a "depressed person.â Chances are they could be receiving treatment for these symptoms and are in fact not feeling depressed at all.
Exploring Mental Health in Fiction
As fiction writers, we take normal, everyday conflict and crank it up to a 10 to make our stories compelling.
In a mental health focused novel, itâs the absence of and quest for mental health thatâs the meat of the story, the source of the conflict at its heart.
What drives the plot is not what happens in the story, but the interplay between external factors and the heroâs response to them.
There are dos and donâts to writing about neurodivergence or mental illness that will make your characters and their struggles ring trueânot flat and stereotypical.
Origin of Your Characterâs Mental Health Issue. This can be rich in terms of your story creation. Even if you only hint at it in the narrative, as an author, you need to understand the root cause of your characterâs struggle before you decide what the manifestation will be. Family quirks, trauma, relocation, immigrationâall of these can impact mental health.
Your Own Past and Life and Family. The old write-what-you-know adage can prove fertile ground for character development.
Understand the Role Mental Health Will Play in Your Story. Is the story about mental illness? Based on something very familiar that you know well? Is the book set in a psychiatric hospital? Is the condition a side issue, a challenge that makes your protagonistâs life a little more complicated?
Be Accurate and Avoid Stereotypes. If you are not writing something autobiographical, drawing on your own personal experiences, make sure to do your research. Interview people, read articles by and about those with the psychological challenges you intend to feature. Make sure to keep it three-dimensional, even if your book is about being mentally ill. No one is just depressed or just anxious. No character is the sum of their quirks and ticks. Make sure any character with a mental health issue is well-rounded and interesting in other ways.
Donât Be Afraid to Lean Into the Humor. Par for the course with mental health issues are misadventures, foibles, and overcorrects that can end in comically disastrous results. As long as readers can laugh with rather than at the mix-ups, itâs all good. In fact, if everything we wrote about mental health were tragic, if everything we wrote about trauma were traumatic, the work would be pretty hard to stick with as a reader or as a writer. Whatever story structure you employâclassic three-act, spiral, or what have youâa well-drawn main character is essential. The interplay between the self (Passenger B for example), her circumstances (air turbulence), and others in her life (the frightened son and the maddeningly calm Passenger A) creates conflict, obstacles to resolution. Your heroâs place on the mental health continuum gives her texture and relatability. Her mess-ups, embarrassments, and misunderstandings are what resonate for readers and make your work thrilling, agonizing, and yesâsatisfyingly fun!
Characters with Mental Illness. The megalomaniacal CEO. The sociopathic killer. The suicidal teen. The anxious woman self-medicating with booze and pills while caring for her demented mother. As writers, we invite these characters into our stories because they are true-to-life and because their psychological problems invite curiosity and compassion.
To avoid stereotyping and caricatureâand to keep your story believableâtry these 5 strategies and tips:
Make the character relatable. Although common, mental illness is not the norm, so characters with such disorders, especially psychoses, are imbued with âotherness.â The writer must provide a way for the reader to relate to the character despite the illness and because of it.Â
Keep the narrative front and center. Stories work best when they are spun around a person and a set of relationships, not an illness. Even âissues booksâ are successful only when the story focuses on what happens to a particular cast of characters. Mental illness can be debilitating and all-consuming, but it does not define a person. That job still rests with the writer.
Balance internal and overt symptoms and behavior. The internal world of a mentally ill person is fascinating but can readily overwhelm the reader. It doesnât take pages of suicidal ideation, obsessive thoughts or internal word salad to deliver the message of an altered mental state. Go easy on the subjective "craziness" and opt instead to show how others are reacting (or not) to what is going on inside the ill personâs head. Also, not all mentally ill people have insight; they donât necessarily know that their behavior and thoughts are abnormal. Obviously, if the person doesnât realize they are ill, or if they become confused about it, then they might be an unreliable narrator. This can be a powerful tool but it is important to know upfront what relationship your character has with his or her illness, how that affects the interplay of external and internal worlds and the access others have to the characterâs problems. It can be as complicated as you wish, but donât leave the reader behind.
Specify the disorder, at least in your head. Generalized âcrazinessâ does not exist. A mental illness can elude diagnosis, or have a complicated diagnosis, but as a writer, you should try to pinpoint the disorder, even if your character is never properly diagnosed. Why? Disorders are defined by specific behaviors and cognitive flaws, so the more you narrow down the diagnosis, the more you know about how your character might behave, feel and think. For example, mania is evidenced in several disorders, including bipolar disorder, drug-related disorders, and some sub-types of schizophrenia. Knowing the underlying problem has ramifications for your characterâs other behavior, their prognosis, treatment, and whether the problem might have a genetic component.
Get the details right. For instance, relief via medication, if it comes, can begin after 2 weeks but the maximum effect can take 8 weeks. Details like this matter not just because they satisfy knowledgeable readers but also because spreading misinformation about mental illness does everyone a disservice. Mental health is a rapidly changing field, so ensure your information is correct for your time period. Terminology, diagnosis, treatment options, and prognosis can be vastly different from one decade to the next.
Fortunately, there are resources at your disposal:
Consult the relevant version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), the official guide to mental disorders. The American Psychological Association updates it periodically, so use the one corresponding to your setting.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is also an excellent resource;
Seek out mental health professionals and those who have first-hand experience with the disorder (patients and/or loved ones) to lend authentic details;
Visit online forums, but be discreet, respectful, and appropriately cautious.
As with all research, donât rely on a single source.
The credibility of your story is worth the extra time it takes to gain a deeper understanding of your mentally ill characters.
Knowledge, profound knowledge, engenders respect and compassion, two traits we all could use more of, both as writers and as people.
Writing about Your Own Mental Health
Writing about mental health is one thing, but making yourself vulnerable and disclosing your own illness, especially a serious one, is another.
First-hand accounts, though, are essential in making this national discourse authentic and true to life.
Writing to explain your experience to someone else can help you understand it better as well, leading to additional closure.
Writing fosters personal sense-making, especially when you learn how to reframe your experience more positively.
Exploring meaning in your traumatic experience through writing can mark a turning point in your recovery.
Your increased awareness and articulation of feelings and thoughts can be beneficial to others who may be going through a similar experience.
hey i was wondering if you had any tips for writing dialog in a sci-fantasy world? or just sci-fantasy concepts. thanks!
Writing Notes: Science Fantasy
Science Fantasy - (sometimes referred to as technofantasy) a subgenre of speculative fiction that includes elements found in science fiction and fantasy.
Though speculative works can be traced back thousands of years, the science fantasy genre began to take a clearly defined shape in the 19th century with works from authors like H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Mary Shelley. These giants of speculative fiction dreamed up gadgets and gizmos, fantastic monsters, and flying ships aplenty.
At the time, the stories they wrote were referred to as "scientific romances," which basically equated to fantastic explorations of scientific concepts and technologies. Or rather, they created works of science fiction that relied upon and embraced fantasy elements to fill in the blanks.
Science fantasy has fluctuated a bit in application over time, especially during the Golden Age of Science Fiction, in which works of strictly hard science fiction were more celebrated, but the tradition never really went away.
Science Fantasy works take traditional Fantasy and Science Fiction tropes and throw them in a blender, purposely creating a setting that has the feel of both.
Expect to see a lot of classic Fantasy tropes (e.g. warriors with swords, dragons, wizards, castles, and elves) AND a lot of standard Science Fiction tropes (e.g. spaceships, aliens, lasers, scientists, robots, and Time Travel).
The fundamental difference between science fiction and fantasy lies in the realm of plausibility:
Science fiction takes what we know about scientific facts and technologies and proposes situations that might arise from the development of these ideas.
Fantasy focuses on the impossible or implausible, presenting situations and settings wholly dependent on magical and supernatural elements.
Fantasy and science fiction speculate on realities that differ from ours by magical OR scientific means.
Science fantasy speculates on realities that differ from ours by magical AND scientific means.
Science fiction focuses on what the future might hold for us based on science and technology:
How would society change if medical knowledge eliminated the aging process?
What are the consequences of climate change?
Science fantasy does the same but throws the fantastic into the mix:
What if a supernatural being offered us immortality?
Can we fix climate change with magic?
However, donât confuse science fantasy with soft science fiction, which does not offer explanations for how its technology works, but also does not use magic to explain technology. Some works of fiction might occupy a fuzzy gray area between the two.
Fantasy explores the magical and supernatural without speculating about science or technology:
What would a world with dragons be like?
What if vampires lived among us?
Science fantasy throws science, technology, and futurism into the mix:
What if we discovered a planet with dragons?
How would society exist in a future with vampires?
Science fantasy may also arguably describe character oriented stories where the fantastic elements are very subtle and are common to both science fiction and fantasy.
Examples could include Paranormal Romance which just happens to involve Applied Phlebotinum, Time Travel or Artificial Intelligence.
Many such stories strive to keep the fantastic elements understated (often in the form of minimal Special Effects) in the interest of focusing on human drama.
Examples of Science Fantasy
R. L. Stine's Goosebumps: A kids' horror anthology series which features various sci-fi or fantasy monsters in each book.
The Twilight Zone: The earliest TV series in America to show the line between Fantasy and Science Fiction get blurred, from ghostly flying saucers to tales of a man who could create anything with a tape recorder.
Artemis Fowl: This is a major part of the premise, as the novels focus on Artemis' interactions with magic and the fairy folk while both sides make use of highly advanced technology. It's squarely between the two as well.
Subgenres of Science Fantasy
Sword and Planet. A popular genre in pulp fiction magazines, sword and planet stories send a human protagonist to a planet where they must contend with an alien society, usually with a sword in hand. It has the vibes of sword and sorceryâbut in space. Not all sword and planet is science fantasy, but a sizable portion of it is. Example: A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Science and Sorcery. Proposed by the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, consists of stories wherein two distinct realitiesâone grounded in science and the other one of magicâinteract with one another. This could include supernatural beings from another dimension invading a future Earth or an intrepid star traveler slipping through a portal to a mythical realm. Example: City of Bones by Martha Wells.
Magipunk. These stories blend magic and technology to create a fantasy science where magic either enables technology or is considered another form of technology. Think of flying machines powered by wizards or sentient war machines imbued with and controlled by the spirits of the dead. This subgenre can itself house many subgenres, several of which fall under the punk genre as well, like steampunk or magipunk (also known as magepunk, aetherpunk, or dungeonpunk). It can even include a "harder" punk genre like cyberpunk, but with stronger fantasy elements. Example: Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone.
Dying Earth or Planet. This subgenre doesn't always mean the stories are about the end of our Earth, though the rise of climate fiction would make it seem so. Beyond that, it can often mean any fictional planet in the ever-expanding universe, or it could even be referring to some other world that exists in a different time and place. Sometimes, the "dying world" can be an abstract representation of a clash between an old way and a new way, too. So given these various circumstances for a Dying Earth, a solution can manifest itself in infinite waysâas you might imagineâand each one being equally techno-fantastic. Example: The Book of the New Sun series by Gene Wolfe.
Weird Fiction. A mutation of speculative genres like cosmic horror, dark fantasy, and science fiction. As such, it tends to leave the reader feeling curious, disturbed, fascinated, or some combination of the three. The genre got its start with the likes of authors such as Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft and continues with modern mavens including Jeff Vandermeer and China MiĂŠville. It is often considered a subgenre of horror, but enough elements of prescient technologies and fantastic entities are present to shelve it under science fantasy, too.
Writing Tips: Science Fantasy
Identify a focus. What do you want to stand out about your story, or what central concept should everything revolve around? Examples: Star Wars started with the heroâs journey and built out from that. Shadowrun wanted to be a fantasy version of cyberpunk.
Choose complementary tropes. Take the elements you know and love from both science fiction and fantasy, and start mixing them into something that makes sense for your story.
Avoid the kitchen sink approach. It might be tempting to sweep both shelves into the pot. After all, we love everything about science fiction and fantasy, so we want to include it all. However, this can create a jumbled mess or something that has so much going on that each ingredient canât be properly appreciated. It can be done, but it takes a masterstroke to do it well.
To write dialogue in this genre, consuming media (e.g., books, films, TV series, screenplays) related to science fantasy might help inspire you, such as the examples above or your own favourite books, films etc in this genre. And you can find more examples in the linked sources. Hope this helps with your writing!
Boredom - A state of weariness or ennui resulting from a lack of engagement with stimuli in the environment.
It is generally considered to be one of the least desirable conditions of daily life and is often identified by individuals as a cause of feeling depressed.
It can be seen as the opposite of interest and surprise.
Thereâs a distinction to be made between the state and the trait.
State boredom - feeling bored in a specific situation
Trait boredom - how susceptible one is to boredom. This is correlated with self-control, anxiety, depression, and substance use.
Boredom can show itself in many ways. A few common experiences:Â
Lack of interest in activities
Unable to stay interested for more than brief periods
Unable to rest or relax
No feeling of excitement
Difficulty staying motivated
Boredom is subjective and varies among different people. It can come out of both internal and external factors. Some common causes of boredom include:Â
Understimulation: When a situation or activity is monotonous, itâs difficult to become engaged with it leading to boredom (Chin et al., 2017). This often happens when people are not intellectually challenged or stimulated which makes it hard to pay attention.
Overstimulation: When an environment is too overwhelming or chaotic, we tend to struggle to focus on anything which leads to boredom (Westgate, 2019).Â
Lack of meaning: Feeling like what youâre doing lacks value or a sense of purpose is another common cause of boredom. (Westgate, 2019).
Level of difficulty:Â Boredom also sets in when a task is either too easy or too difficult. Either way, itâs hard to pay attention (Westgate, 2019).
Isolation or Loneliness:Â Being alone or feeling disconnected from others can contribute to boredom. Human beings are social creatures and interactions with others often provide engagement and stimulation.
Personality traits: Some personality traits are associated more highly with boredom. These include neuroticism (emotional stability) and extroversion (Martin et al., 2006). As someone who leans toward introversion, Iâm generally just fine being alone a lot. But since extroverts generally have a higher need for social interaction, being alone all day could quickly feel isolating leading to boredom. The observation that some of us are more prone to boredom than others led to the development of the Boredom Proneness Scale.
Age: Studies show a negative correlation between age and boredom. That is, the younger you are, the more likely you are to become bored (Chin et al., 2017). This also suggests that your boredom proneness can change throughout your life.
Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):Â Also not surprising, people with ADHD, who have trouble paying attention, are more prone to boredom (Malkovsy et al., 2012).
Mental State:Â Emotional states like stress, anxiety, or depression can impact a person's ability to engage in activities, potentially leading to feelings of boredom.
Lack of creativity: Engaging in activities that do not require creative thinking or problem-solving can lead to boredom, especially for people who thrive on mental challenges.
Expectation mismatch: Boredom comes when we have high expectations for an activity, environment, or experience, and it fails to meet those expectations (Anderson et al., 2022). The problem is that even when something does meet our expectations, repetition causes it to become boring. Our many electronic distractions may alleviate boredom in the short term, but they can make it worse in the long term.
In a Relationship. When a relationship is new, we may think thereâs no way it could get boring. But if you stay in the relationship long enough, the excitement and novelty wears off. This can be a good thing if the excitement is replaced with feelings of comfort and contentment. But if it leads to boredomâs cousins, complacency and disconnect, it could be telling you something needs to change.
Strategies couples can try to reduce boredom (Harasymchuk & Fehr, 2010):Â
Try new activities
Learn something new together
Talk to your partner, have meaningful conversations
Limit screen time, which can lead to emotional disconnection
Go out with friends
Consider your partnerâs good qualities
Spend time apart/take a break
At Work. According to research in the Journal of Applied Psychology, trying to suppress boredom at work prolongs its effects, but alternating boring and engaging tasks prevents tedium from spilling over and reducing overall productivity. Task meaningfulness may mitigate the effects of boredom suppression on future mind-wandering.
Can I "die of boredom"? Boredom canât kill youâbut it may be correlated with dying earlier. A study of 7,500 British adults found that people who were often bored at work were more likely to die earlier and 2.5 times more likely to die of heart disease than those who werenât bored. They also reported less physical activity and poorer health, which could be a link between boredom and mortality.
Some methods that may resolve boredom:
Regulating Cognitive Demands Try to only take on tasks that you can mentally handle. Do not overwhelm yourself with too much stimulation.Â
Adjusting Cognitive Resources. Try to see what your stressors are and what your mental capacity is for taking on new tasks. Make sure that you feel well-equipped to handle the responsibilities and donât overload yourself.
Managing Goal Values. Journaling is a good way to understand what your goals are and what tasks are the most meaningful to you. This will help you focus on activities that have meaning to you, stimulate your mind, and keep you engaged.Â
Switching Activities. This is the easiest way to solve boredom because it stimulates your attention and helps you focus on new activities.Â
Once youâve discovered the root cause for your boredom, there are other activities you can try to stay engaged. These activities include:Â
Writing an oc who's a prostitute? What's the job like? The measures they'll take? It might be lengthy, but stuff like virtual, brothel and escort work?
Writing Notes: Prostitution
Prostitution - the practice of engaging in relatively indiscriminate sexual activity, in general with someone who is not a spouse or a friend, in exchange for immediate payment in money or other valuables.
From the 1980s, the more neutral term sex worker was increasingly employed to describe those involved in commercial sex activities.
"Prostitute" and "sex worker" are shorthand for what is argued to be the more accurate term: âa provider of sexual services for material gain.â
âPimpâ - males who act as intermediaries between client and worker in the exchange of sexual services; he may or may not be in an additional relationship to the woman.
âMadamâ - a female brothel-keeper.
The designations âpimpâ and âmadamâ are charged terms. Their usage was common in some historic places and times.
Prostitution is a very old and universal phenomenon; also universal is condemnation of the prostitute but relative indifference toward the client.
Prostitutes may be female or male or transgender, and prostitution may entail heterosexual or homosexual activity, but historically, most prostitutes have been women and most clients men.
Prostitutes are often set apart in some way:
In ancient Rome they were required to wear distinctive dress;
under Hebrew law only foreign women could be prostitutes; and
in pre-World War II Japan they were required to live in special sections of the city.
In medieval Europe prostitution was licensed and regulated by law, but by the 16th century an epidemic of venereal disease and post-Reformation morality led to the closure of brothels.
International cooperation to end the traffic in women for the purpose of prostitution began in 1899.
In 1921 the League of Nations established the Committee on the Traffic in Women and Children, and in 1949 the UN General Assembly adopted a convention for the suppression of prostitution.
In the U.S. prostitution was first curtailed by the Mann Act (1910), and by 1915 most states had banned brothels (Nevada being a notable exception).
Prostitution is nevertheless tolerated in most U.S. and European cities.
In the Netherlands many prostitutes have become members of a professional service union, and in Scandinavia government regulations emphasize hygienic aspects, requiring frequent medical examination and providing free mandatory hospitalization for anyone found to be infected with venereal disease.
Prostitutes are very often poor and lack other skills to support themselves; in many traditional societies there are few other available money-earning occupations for women without family support.
In developing African and Asian countries, prostitution has been largely responsible for the spread of AIDS and the orphaning of hundreds of thousands of children.
It is difficult to generalize about the background or conditions of prostitutes because so much of what is known about them derives from studies of poorer and less-privileged individuals, people who are more likely to come into contact with courts and official agencies.
Much more is known about streetwalkers, for example, than about the higher-status women who can be more selective about their clients and work conditions.
Based on available studies, though, it is reasonable to assert that female sex workers often are economically disadvantaged and lack skills and training to support themselves.
Many are drawn at an early age into prostitution and associated crime, and drug dependency can be an aggravating factor.
They frequently are managed by a male procurer, or pimp, or by a supervisor, or madam, in a house of prostitution.
Health hazards to prostitutes include sexually transmitted diseases, some of which may be acquired through drug abuse.
Male prostitution has received less public attention in most cultures.
Heterosexual male prostitutionâinvolving males hired by or for femalesâis rare.
Homosexual male prostitution has probably existed in most societies, though only in the 20th century was it recognized as a major social phenomenon, and its prevalence increased during the late 20th and early 21st century.
Prostitution during the Victorian age gained an unprecedented amount of attention from both British society and their government.
Although issues of prostitution were, and are often still, seen in black and white, there were many cases where prostitution was either a supplementary activity or the only available avenue of employment.
It was an unsavory profession, and, unfortunately, it was often considered a necessary evil.
However, it is important to note that although it was an activity highly frowned upon by upper class women in society, these same women were the first to rally to the cause of those âfallen womenâ that were being exploited by the government.
The popularity of issues concerning prostitution eventually lessened over time, but the resulting influences sparked by feminist movements involved in prostituteâs rights created a ripple effect that can be seen even today.
Working & Living Conditions. Key factors have shaped the working and living conditions of sex workers across the globe since the beginning of the 17th century.
These include the degree to which women were bound or âfreeâ, or were able to exercise power in relation to employers and clients. Related to this is the location of individual women within the sex industryâwhere they existed within any particular hierarchy based on the class of clients, ethnicity, and so on.
Market forces have also been major determinants of the pay and working conditions in the sex industry. Shifts in the economy have impacted sex workers as well as other workers, affecting both the demand for sexual services and the supply of women willing to sell sex.
A third major influence on sex workersâ lives has been the responses to prostitution of the community in which they worked. This has included both informal and official responses which often determined where and how women could sell sex and under what circumstances.
The formation, expansion, and disintegration of nations and empires have had a similar impact on the market for sex and have contributed to official responses to prostitution.
Finally, developments in technology and medicine, especially since the early 20th century, have contributed to significant changes in the ways in which sexual services are delivered and also impacted the health of sex workers.
Prostitution is considered to be a profession of high mobility; it is almost tempting to say that probably every prostitute migrates at least once in her lifetime.
Despite this fact, the share of prostitutes in the flows over and across the continents has been widely neglected in migration studies.
Migration is thought to be a âbasic condition of human societiesâ and âcentral to the human experience [and] the major forces for historical change.â
Nevertheless, many studies focus solely on the movements of European male settlers. In particular, labour migration was long held to be a male domain, keeping up the idea of males as breadwinners and the main actors in history.
Hoerder offers up the critique that migration studies emphasize âthe westward flow of agrarian settlers and neglect [the] moves of workers and of womenâ
Changing places is a lifetime experience of women involved in the sex sector, and in many cases, they travel far more than people in other sectors.
The Social Profiles of Prostitutes. There is no shortage of media
portrayals of prostitutes. Yet the images that inform our opinions regarding sex workers tend to be largely negative, depicting them as either criminals or as victims.
Today, the latter perception prevails: sex workers are stereotypically seen as:
young,
migrant girls with
no education and
no alternatives.
The most conspicuous types of prostitutes tend to be overrepresented, while those operating in private have largely been overlooked.
In addition to which, the âfactsâ about the sex workers represented in the sources may not always be entirely correct, as they might have told their interlocutors what they believed would best serve their needs, rather than what was true.
The social profiles of sex workers have changed considerably over the course of the last 400 years.
Prostitute populations have become more heterogeneous in terms of their origin, race, age, family situation, educational level, and professional backgroundâalbeit at different paces.
Example: Migrants did not suddenly appear in the western European sex trade after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Rather, they were always present, and always overrepresented in the prostitute population. What actually changed over time are the distances covered.
Similarly, prostitutesâ ages have altered in tandem with developments in society at large, most notably lengthier childhoods and a later start to working life.
While it is definitely true that certain people have limited options for survival, the high degree of diversity among sex workers clearly shows that prostitution cannot be reduced to a profession of the destitute, or one which people passively end up in.
In fact, people who are not members of so-called âvulnerableâ groups might be more numerous in the sector than anticipated because of their invisibility.
The sex industry is highly stratified, and individuals with better prospects take the places at the top of the hierarchy more often than those with limited possibilities.
These women have chosen to use their bodies to create a financial surplus, and they are thought to face fewer dangers than the prostitutes working at the lower end of the market.
It seems easier for people to accept that these women actively chose their profession, and harder to view them as passive victims.
However, their underlying reasons are not necessarily different from the masses employed at the industryâs margins.
Although some women are forced into prostitution against their will one way or another, this is certainly not the case for all sex workers, let alone the majority.
Most prostitutes are driven by opportunity, and the fact that most
have fewer opportunities than their contemporaries does not change that.
Simply put, prostitution can be emancipatory.
It can be a positive choice, rather than just a negative one.
Profile characteristics do not explain why people use their bodies to earn an income, but they do explain why certain people end up in the most visible and least rewarding sectors of the profession.
Brothel - a building in which prostitutes are available; bordello
Bordello - (somewhat literary) a building in which prostitutes are available
Public brothels were established in large cities throughout Europe.
At Toulouse, in France, the profits were shared between the city and the university; in England, bordellos were originally licensed by the bishops of Winchester and subsequently by Parliament.
Stricter controls were imposed during the 16th century, in part because of the new sexual morality that accompanied the Protestant Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. Just as significant was the dramatic upsurge of sexually transmitted diseases. Sporadic attempts were made to suppress brothels and even to introduce medical inspections, but such measures were to little avail.
By 1915 nearly all states had passed laws that banned brothels or regulated the profits of prostitution.
After World War II, prostitution remained prohibited in most Western countries, though it was unofficially tolerated in some cities.
Many law-enforcement agencies became more concerned with regulating the crimes associated with the practice, especially acts of theft and robbery committed against clients. Authorities also intervened to prevent girls from being coerced into prostitution (âwhite slaveryâ).
Prostitution is illegal in most of the United States, though it is lawful in some counties in Nevada.
In most Asian and Middle Eastern countries, prostitution is illegal but widely tolerated: Among predominantly Muslim countries, Turkey has legalized prostitution and made it subject to a system of health checks for sex workers, and in Bangladesh prostitution is notionally legal but associated behaviours such as soliciting are prohibited. In some Asian countries the involvement of children in prostitution has encouraged the growth of âsex tourismâ by men from countries where such practices are illegal.
Many Latin American countries tolerate prostitution but restrict associated activities (e.g., In Brazil, brothels, pimping, and child exploitation are illegal).
This was a bit difficult to summarise, but I tried to include a wide range of information from different sources. In general, take into account the setting of your story so you can choose which of these references would be most appropriate to use as inspiration for your writing. Do go through the links above because there are details I wasn't able to include here that might be more suitable for your specific story. Hope this helps!
can you make a couple reasons on why two characters would be enemies? Tysm!!!
Character vs. Character Conflict
also referred to as person vs. person, man vs. man conflict, or protagonist vs. antagonist
Power struggles -Â In many instances, conflicts arise due to issues of power. For example, one person or group desires control over another, leading the other to fight back against injustice.
Oppressive authority figures -Â Often, this is where the man vs man conflict overlaps with man vs society. Here, characters facing oppression from authority figures (such as an authoritarian regime) undertake resistance to achieve liberty.
Revenge -Â A protagonist feels as if they have been personally wronged by another character and vows revenge, setting up a complication that needs to be resolved when the two finally come face-to-face.
Love triangles -Â Two characters find themselves in love with the same person, leading to an unwanted rivalry driven by jealousy of one another and the desire to win the heart of the person they both love.
Examples are the best way to get a feel for what all âman vs. manâ conflict encompasses, so hereâs a short list of ideas:
Two lovers arguing over disagreements
Knights engaging in a dramatic jousting tournament
Two siblings fistfighting over the TV remote
A corporate employee pranking their coworker
A hero finally facing off with the villain in a battle to the death
Two parents battling over custody of their child
A person getting mugged on their walk home from work
Two competitors trying to ruin the other personâs ability to compete
Two shoppers fighting over who gets to buy the last copy of a video game on the shelf
Examples: Man vs. Man Conflict in Literature & Film
The miller's daughter outsmarts Rumpelstiltskin
Cinderella is freed from the household of her evil step-mother
Greek Mythology: Theseus slays the minotaur
Rebecca: (The Second Mrs. de Winter vs. Mrs. Danvers) After a whirlwind romance with an English Aristocrat, a naĂŻve American woman arrives in Cornwall as the new lady of Manderlay, an opulent coastal estate. But no sooner than she drops her bags at the doorstep, she is met by Mrs Danvers, a frosty housekeeper whoâs still intensely obsessed with the first Mrs. de Winter, who died on a sailing trip less than a year before. Convinced that her employerâs new wife intends to replace her beloved Rebecca, Mrs Danvers starts a sneaky campaign to undermine the second Mrs. de Winter.
The Great Gatsby:Â Self-made millionaire Jay Gatsby wants nothing more than to win over his childhood crush, Daisy Buchanan. Standing in the way of Gatsbyâs goal is Daisyâs husband, Tom Buchanan, an old-money cad with a mile-wide mean streak.Â
The Prestige: Christopher Nolanâs The Prestige features two rival magicians in Victorian England, each determined to master a mind-bending illusion: teleporting a person from one side of the stage to the other in an instant. One magician (Borden) is secretly a pair of twins sharing a single identity to protect their trick, while the other (Angiers) clones himself onstage each night and murders his original to keep the performance seamless. The fierce competition pushes them to start cutting moral corners, sacrificing relationships and even their own mental and physical well-being (or replicas thereof) in pursuit of the perfect illusion. The rivalry is used to highlight how ambition, when pushed to the extreme, can corrode even the most gifted and passionate hearts.
Othello. In Shakespeareâs play, Othello is in conflict with his confidant, Iago. Iago believes that Othello is after his wife, a conflict that only deepens when Othello promotes another man over Iago. Slowly, Iago begins to take measures to destroy Othello.
The Old Man and the Sea. In this classic Hemingway tale, the fisherman Santiago is having a streak of bad luck. He is so unlucky that his apprentice, Manolin, is forbidden by his parents to go fishing with Santiago. Although Santiago wants his apprentice to go fishing with him each day, Manolin needs to learn to fish from someone who is more successful.
Robinson Crusoe. When the bookâs titular character is marooned on an island after a shipwreck, he encounters the islandâs locals, who are cannibals. Crusoe first wants to kill them but decides against it; his reasoning is that the cannibals donât think that what theyâre doing is wrong. In confronting a group of people with wildly different values and views from his own, Crusoe faces the ultimate character vs. character conflict.
Character vs. character conflict - two characters have motivations, desires, needs, or beliefs that place them in opposition with each other.
This type of literary conflict places characters in a situation where these motivations and beliefs are tested.
While the conflict may be resolved with one character defeating another, it can also be resolved through persuasion or conversion.
This is an external conflict (rather than an internal one), meaning that characters face resistance from a force outside themselves.
How to Write a Character vs. Character Conflict
A character vs. character conflict can provide tension in a story. This type of conflict can also be used to highlight or expose certain charactersâ strengths, weaknesses, and deeply held beliefs. Use the following tips when creating a character vs. character conflict in your writing:
Decide which two characters will be in conflict. Flesh out their desires, motivations, and the source of their conflict. Think about their lives and their histories. Write a detailed backstory for each character, and include factors like family, what they have lost in life, how they have been hurt, and what their most cherished memories are. This may seem like a lot of detail and it may not even come up in the story itself, but these charactersâ full backgrounds will help you create a richer and more realistic conflict.
Next, decide how your plot will lead these two characters into conflict. If your characters donât know each other yet, create a scene in which they come together. If they already know each other well, think of how your story can bring the topic of their conflict to the forefront. Maybe one is keeping a secret from the other, for example, and the conflict will begin once the secret is revealed.
Make your conflict matter. If your characters are arguing over ice cream flavors, it will be hard for the reader to get invested. Giving the conflict real stakes is what keeps readers interested and also allows you to create greater insight into your characters. You can continually escalate the stakes of the conflict throughout the story to create more tension before your final resolution.
Consider combining your character vs. character conflict with other types of literary conflicts. Other types of external conflict can place your characters in conflict with nature, society, technology, or the supernatural. Perhaps you want to include a subplot in which your characters are in conflict with an external force; alternatively, you can also give your characters an internal conflict, in which they are struggling with their own beliefs or values.
do you have any tips for writing realistic superheroes? A character like batman for instance
Writing Notes: Superhero Fiction
Superhero Fiction - a style of fiction that focuses on protagonists with superhuman capabilities.
Typically the superhero main character exists in a version of our present day world, only with carefully chosen fantastical alterations.
This produces a natural overlap with the genre known as urban fantasy, which combines fantastic worldbuilding with grounded gritty elements of todayâs world.
Necessary Tropes
You generally need superpowers â although of course Batman got around without them. But then, some might say that his Crazy-Prepared abilities, superhuman level of easily accessible monetary wealth, and alleged company favouritism are superpowers in and of themselves...
At very least, then, we can say that you need characters who have abilities that are above and beyond those of most average people.
Even Badass Normal superheroes such as Batman and Iron Man still have such abilities as near-genius level deductive insight, martial arts skills and engineering genius that sets them apart from everyday civilians.
Superheroes also generally require the Secret Identity - a public superhero identity and a private civilian identity.
This is not uniform, however, and there's many superheroes who only have one (and even for those who have both, sometimes it's the civilian identity that's the mask, and the Superhero form is the real "them").
Costumes and code names are also iconic for the genre.
Common Plot Elements of Superhero Fiction
No two pieces of superhero fiction are quite the same, but many common elements connect the touchstones of the genre. Here are a few iconic superhero tropes:
An urban metropolis setting based on New York City. New York was Americaâs capital of culture and media during the Great Depression and World War II, just as comic books were surging to life. As such, many superhero comics were set in New York or in very close approximations such as Gotham City.
A superpower, often enabled by a specialized item. Superheroes can do things that ordinary humans cannot. Often these superpowers are made possible by fantastical items, such as Supermanâs cape or Iron Manâs mechanized suit of armor. Not all superpowered items are clothing-related, but capes are a common element of superhero fiction.
A dramatic origin story. Writers of superhero fiction take pains to explain how their protagonists attained their powers and why theyâve chosen their path in life. Some superhero origin stories are tragic, like that of Bruce Wayne losing his parents before becoming Batman. Others are more circumstantial, like the story of Peter Parker being bitten by a radioactive spider and becoming Spider-Man.
A secret identity. Many superheroes lead dual lives in the everyday world, surrounded by people who never suspect their vigilante alter ego. Whether itâs Superman moonlighting as newspaper reporter Clark Kent, or Batman hiding behind the character of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, a superheroâs ânormalâ persona includes a carefully concocted mix of similarities and differences from their heroic alter ego.
A supervillain adversary. Superheroes have fantastical powers. So do their adversaries, who commonly categorized as supervillains. In some cases, supervillains are just as famous as the superheroes they fight. The Joker, Loki, and Magneto serve as examples. Some of the best superhero books feature adversaries that are in fact anti-heroesâmisfits with a renegade ethos like Catwoman who thrive on misanthropic behavior. Just like the heroes, most of these bad guys also employ a secret identity. For instance, most of the time, Spider-Manâs nemesis the Green Goblin is industrialist Norman Osborn.
An iconic sidekick. A hero can rarely save humanity without some help. Thatâs why Batman has Robin and Captain America has Bucky Barnes.
A superhero story can take on many forms, including superhero novels, superhero movies, and the hallmark of the superhero genre, the comic book.
Many literary historians consider the Great Depression and World War II era to be the golden age of superhero comics. Audiences enjoyed their escapist plots, their strong moral ethos, and the booksâ affordable cost.
The comic book boom continued into the Cold War era, which also spawned comic booksâ close cousins, graphic novels.
Superhero filmmaking is now enjoying its own golden age, as the first two decades of the 21st century have been dominated by Hollywood blockbusters adapted from classic twentieth century comic books.
In one way or another, we've enjoyed stories about superheroes for centuries.
Tales about men and women blessed with extraordinary powers and abilities using those gifts to champion the innocent and battle the forces of darkness have circulated throughout mythology and literature since ancient times.
However, the idea of what we today think of as the superhero has its origins in the pulp magazines and comic strips of the 1930s, and its genesis with the 1938 debut of Superman, who over 80 years later remains in regular publication as a comic book as well as the subject of cartoons, films, TV shows, and more besides.
You can find more tropes in this genre here to help you create your character. And more tips here that provides a guide on the common themes, possible subversions, and pitfalls when using these tropes. Hope this helps with your writing!
Hii, so, i am going to write an au where my characters get sent to an asylum, one a child star and the other some student. How are the proceeds in the ins and outs of these things?
Writing Notes: Asylum
Mental Asylum - the historical equivalent of the modern psychiatric hospital.
The word asylum came from the earliest (religious) institutions which provided asylum in the sense of refuge to the mentally ill.
One of the oldest such institutions was Bethlem, which began in 1247 as part of the Priory of the New Order of our Lady of Bethlehem in the City of London.
Social campaigner Harriet Martineau summed up the poor state of public asylums:
In pauper asylums we see chains and strait-waistcoats, three or four half-naked creatures thrust into a chamber filled with straw, to exasperate each other with their clamour and attempts at violence; or else gibbering in idleness or moping in solitude.
The commonplace use of physical restraints on patients had its roots in the custodial nature of early asylums.Â
The function of mental institutions was simply to keep âinmatesâ in custody.
The keepers were little more than guards and it was not uncommon for patients to be kept in chains or other restraints for most of the time.Â
The extent to which restraints were used varied from one asylum to another, but they were accepted as a necessary part of mental healthcare.Â
 There were several justifications for the use of such restraints:
Restraints could control anti-social behaviour such as tearing clothes and exhibiting lewd or sexual behaviour.
Restraints stopped patients harming themselves or attempting to commit suicide. Patients were frequently strapped into their beds at night to stop them hurting themselves.
Some patients were so worried they would hurt themselves that they asked to be restrained.
Critics said the use of restraints demoralised and brutalised attendants as well as patients.
And the violence used by attendants to put uncooperative patients into restraints only increased the level of violence in the asylum.
In 1829 William Scrivinger, a patient at Lincoln Asylum, was found dead from strangulation after being strapped to his bed in a straitjacket and left overnight without supervision.
The incident persuaded the authorities at Lincoln to abolish all physical restraints and implement a non-restraint system.
Their system was very influential in 1800s asylum reform, and indicative of a wider change in attitude towards mental illness and the care of mentally ill people.
1752. The Quakers in Philadelphia were the first in America to make an organized effort to care for the mentally ill.
The newly-opened Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia provided rooms in the basement complete with shackles attached to the walls to house a small number of mentally ill patients.
Within a year or two, the press for admissions required additional space, and a ward was opened beside the hospital.
Eventually, a new Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane was opened in a suburb in 1856 and remained open under different names until 1998.
1792. The New York Hospital opened a ward for "curable" "insane" patients.
In 1808, a free-standing medical facility was built nearby for the humane treatment of the mentally ill, and in 1821 a larger facility called the Bloomingdale Asylum was built in what is now the Upper West Side.
In 1894, it was moved further away, to the suburb of White Plains and is currently under operation as the Payne-Whitney Westchester Hospital, a Division of the New York Hospital-Cornell Weill Medical Center.
1890. Across America.
Every state had built one or more publicly supported mental hospitals, which all expanded in size as the countryâs population increased.
By mid-20th century, the hospitals housed over 500,000 patients but began to diminish in size as new methods of treatment became available.
The Decline of Asylums. To some extent the Victorian asylums were victims of their own success. With an ever-growing asylum population, it became increasingly difficult to maintain the sort of personalised moral treatment envisioned by the early reformers.
Medical superintendents and reformers started the century with the best of intentions, believing that a scientific approach to improved surroundings, and a humane approach to care could lead to rehabilitation and recovery.
And the new public asylums did make life easier for most pauper patients.
Working in the asylum community gave them purpose and kept them reasonably well fed.
In return for their good behaviour and hard work, they were rewarded with social activities such as plays, concerts and parties.
But with growing asylum populations, superintendents found that the only way to maintain control in the increasingly overcrowded and poorly staffed county asylums was to resort to restraints, padded cells and sedatives. John Conolly, an asylum superintendent, complained that:
the magistrates go on adding wing after wing and story after story [sic], contrary to the opinion of the profession and common sense, rendering the institution most unfavourable for the treatment of patients. [quoted in an article in the Edinburgh Review, 1871]
By the end of the century, the optimism around county asylums had virtually disappeared.
An inspector who visited Hanwell Asylum in 1893 described:
âgloomy corridors and wardsâ,
an âabsence of decoration, brightness and general smartnessâ and
âa want of sufficient ventilationâ, conditions that were in stark contrast to the moral treatment days of asylum superintendents Ellis and Connelly.
His conclusion was damning:
It would be astonishing to find that any cures are ever made there.
By the early 1900s the term asylum had fallen out of favour.
Examples: In 1929, Hanwell was renamed Hanwell Mental Hospital. In 1937, all associations with the old Hanwell asylum were removed as it was renamed St Bernardâs Hospital.
McLean Hospital was founded on Feb. 25, 1811 and intended to treat both physical and mental illnesses, with a separate facility for each.
It was first known as the âAsylum for the Insaneâ. In 1826, The Asylum was renamed in honor of John McLean, a Boston merchant who bequeathed the hospital $25,000, payable on his widowâs passing.
Today, the term "asylum" is typically used to refer to (in international law) the protection granted by a state to a foreign citizen against his own state.
The person for whom asylum is established has no legal right to demand it, and the sheltering state has no obligation to grant it.
It is the protection given by a government to someone who has left another country in order to escape being harmed.
The definition: "a hospital where people who are mentally ill are cared for especially for long periods of time; a mental hospital" is now considered old-fashioned or outdated.
Hi, considering the setting of your story, you may use these references on past asylums as inspiration to create your own. You could also look through the sources above for more information because these are just excerpts. But if your setting is more current, you can get an idea on how modern-day psychiatric hospitals work through firsthand account. If that's not possible, (apart from books, documentaries etc.) you can also find a bit of the process in overviews like McLean's here. They also include more details on inpatient services that could serve as inspiration (e.g., for addiction). Once you find a present-day hospital you like to use as a model in your story, you can go through their website and they usually provide similar information. Hope this helps with your writing!
Introvert - a person who is reserved, reflective, and prefers minimal social situations.
Unlike extroverts who prefer networking and socializing, intense social interactions may leave introverts feeling drained and needing to recharge their energy with ample alone time.
However, introverts donât necessarily lack social skills, they just prefer alone or socializing in small groups.
Introversion is a personality type introduced by noted Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, who theorized that people could be divided into groups based on their distinct attitudes.
These attitudes include introversion and extroversion (which refers to a preference for external stimuli).
Jung believed that while both of these attitudes are present in every individual, one type is generally more dominant.
Characteristics of an Introvert
Reserved: Introverts donât like to be the center of attention and may not be as willing to make new friends or break the ice in large groups, social gatherings, or networking opportunities. However, a common misconception is that an introverted personality is always shy and quiet. Some introverts are more talkative and energetic when they are passionate about something specific, engaged in an activity they love or surrounded by people they know.
Introspective: Introverted personalities tend to spend more time with their own thoughts, which means they tend to think more before speaking. Introverts are often described as more thoughtful or focused than extroverts. This personality type prefers to think and prepare before they act, making them efficient planners.
Solitary: Time alone and away from social settings is necessary for introverts. Social activities can be draining for many introverts, and they may require time to recharge after social events. This solitary time away from the outside world is beneficial to an introvertâs mental health and well-being.
Selective: An introvert may enjoy spending time alone in their inner world, but that doesnât mean they are loners, antisocial, or lack a social circle. On the contrary, an introvert prefers a smaller circle of close friends, leading to more quality and meaningful relationships.
Patient: Introverts are thoughtful decision-makers that are not driven by impulse. They often take their time when faced with a decision to ensure the best result. In sales, this personality type prefers to take their time to strategize and find the best way to appeal to a potential customer.
Are Introverts Shy? Introversion and shyness can overlap for some personalities, but these qualities are distinct. Introverts and shy people avoid being the center of attention and might experience social anxiety. Generally, introverted people can start conversations, make small talk, and navigate social interactions more readily than shy people, especially with small groups. Introversion describes people who prefer higher levels of internal to external stimulation. Alone time is energizing for introverts, but they can still exhibit agreeableness and social skills in social settings.
Signs of Introversion
The following personality traits align with being an introvert. Consider the signs of introversion:
You are comfortable with alone time. Introverts can travel and engage in hobbies alone without feeling the need to share that particular time with others. Introverts tend to focus on their own thoughts.
You prefer smaller social gatherings. Both introverts and extroverts can be sociable, the difference is that the former prefers shorter social situations with smaller groups of people. For example, introverts might enjoy social activities like dinner parties or book clubs.
You think before you speak. Introverts often consider how they want to respond to a question or comment before replying and are likelier to be quiet and contemplative in group settings. If you often think before you speak, you might be introverted.
You value unique experiences. A personality assessment might classify you as an introvert if you prefer special activities specific to your interests that command your emotional and intellectual attention.
Benefits of Being an Introvert
Being an introvert can have advantages. Consider the following attributes and benefits of this personality trait:
Attention to detail: Introverts often care about details others might forget or overlook.
Good listening skills: Introverts tend to think before they speak, which means they can be more thoughtful, wise, and considerate. Introverted people are often effective listeners.
Positive well-being: Engaging in alone time can boost self-esteem and improve mental health.
Strong sense of self: Introverts prefer to spend time with themselves, which gives them more opportunities to reflect on who they are and what they want. Introverts have a strong sense of self. There is a misconception that introverts have a narrow view of the outer world, but introspection can give them a broad perspective.
Quality friendships: Introverts prefer a smaller social group, which means they are more selective about friendships and how they spend their time socializing. Introverts tend to have close friends.
