Matt Clang's mindboggle @mattwritesthings - Tumblr Blog

News No More

For the most part I stopped paying attention to the news. Some might argue that you shouldn’t give up on news, that staying informed is vital in this day and age. In some social circles uttering something like this is akin to heresy, as a certain level of knowledge about the world is expected, hell, required. A certain implied standard of behaving as a responsible member of society. In any case,…

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#self care #mental health

Paper Book Elitism

Ever since eBooks became popular, there have been and onslaught think pieces on how they will bring the downfall of paper books as we know them. That dark prophecy hasn’t come to pass just yet, and I doubt it will in foreseeable future. Not surprising since every new technology has its detractors and doomsayers. Both have their place and there is no need for a fight to the death. Peaceful…

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#ebooks #accessibility #disability

Selfcare

I struggle with mental health. Not anywhere near as much as other people but I struggle still. It took me quite some time to take a hard look at myself and make an attempt to get better. Recently things have been looking up, and I am happy to say that I am in the best place I have been for maybe years. A change in perspective and nudging from my sister didn’t hurt. I didn’t care for myself at…

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#mental health #mental illness #self care

Not dead

I am back from the dead. I now write over at

https://denofqueerthoughts.wordpress.com/

See you there. Maybe.

Disability Representation

Representation is near and dear to me. Unfortunately, disabled characters are frequently ignored. Whenever creators decide to include one or two, there is a good chance they are badly written. I’m here to fix that, or at least nag writers with incessant but targeted complaints. What makes a good disabled character, anyway? I’m glad you asked. It’s shockingly simple: write them as a person, just…

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#disability #representation #writing #Writing tips

Female characters should look like superheroes, not supermodels. Here's how.

#female characters #character design

thewritershandbook

Last month I experimented with a few different approaches to help increase my writing productivity, and during the process discovered I could free up far more writing time by making a few simple changes. Want to do the same? Keep reading!

#productivity

“writers always know exactly where they are going with their work!”

r u sure

“no writer does anything by mistake, it’s all very strategic”

r u sure

“they use symbolism in everything. for example, a simple sentence symbolises directness and-”

R U SURE

entropyalarm

The best moments in writing is when you discover you did something absolutely genius by complete accident.

#funny

lizard-is-writing

Slowing Your Story Down

Anonymous asked: How do I know if my plot is moving too fast? And if I feel it is too much too early, how can I slow it down? I don’t want to bore readers but I’m worried I’ll run out of story.

I have run into this problem more than once and the easiest way I’ve ever gotten around it is by writing my first draft quickly so I can get the story written down. If your plot is moving way too fast and it’s your first draft, don’t worry. That’s the time you shouldn’t worry about the pace all that much.

Worry about pace in your second draft. This is something I swear by because I have written fast, shallow drafts that are maybe 20,000 words, and by the time I’m finished with a revision, it’s about 60,000 words. (I know 60,000 is pretty short for a novel, but that was more of a pet project for a friend than an attempt at writing something to publish. I’m proud of it nonetheless). So where did that 40,000 or so words appear from between the two drafts?

Reimagine the story with vivid scenes. In a quick first draft, the first thing that drops out for me is always description, a lot of the details about the setting, and action the characters can be doing in each scene. My first drafts are full of characters sitting around talking. It’s so much more interesting to make them do something. Working one scene at a time makes a big difference. I’m not anxious about it because I already know what’s going to happen next so this part of the revision is actually pretty fun.

Time to flesh out minor characters. You know what the protagonist is doing, now take a look at what everyone else is doing. While a lot of times I’ve considered some of this and have an idea of what is going on in the lives of all the minor characters, in the revision, I have to draw that out further.

Extra scenes needed? Sometimes the story is really moving too fast. In those cases, I first look to see where I can add some kind of lull in the story. If the protagonist has just escaped the clutches of evil, I try give them a moment to catch their breath. This is a great moment for the protagonist to process whatever just happened and it will help with the pacing of the story.

#writing #revision

demiidoe

Platonic crushes are stressful.

#relationships

thecharactercomma

We don’t always speak our minds. Sometimes we lie. Sometimes we shape our words to protect ourselves or keep our distance. It’s as simple as you talking to your crush, but they don’t know they’re y…

#dialogue

autocorrect-inspired

geisha are absolutely not prostitutes btw

They are the equivalent to strippers here. They never engaged in sex acts but if you look throughout their history they were not treated well. Most being sold into that profession.

autoharpo-deactivated20221011

If by “here” you mean Japan, i’d just like to say that it is well known that not even the average Japanese citizen is aware of the true nature of the Geisha, Geiko and Maiko. they are not strippers and to say things like this is demeaning to the women who work hard and are trained in the arts (dance, music, tea ceremony, etc.).

Geisha became what they are known as today in the mid-1700s. the first actual geisha were men and they entertained shogun and samurai (and other wealthy men) with dance, music and the art of tea ceremony and theater. when courtesans were losing money to these male geisha, a few of them broke away from being in the sex business and became female geisha. therefore, geisha as an occupation never was a thing of the sex trade/prostitution and absolutely NOT stripping.

let me dispel some common misconceptions:

so, geisha were never prostitutes, never perform sex acts or even accept relationships/marriage proposals until after they retire from being a geisha (usually in their 30s, tho some women stay geisha until death by choice).

while geisha in the past (we are talking almost 100 years ago by now) have been given to Okiya (geisha houses) by their families, it was usually due to the families inability to afford their child and rather than let the child be homeless and starve, they gave them to an Okiya where they would live a much better life (Okiya housed other geisha within that Okiya’s special “familiy”; the Okasan–”Mother”–of the house protected them, gave them a comfortable living, fed them, sent them to all their classes, spent money on their personal kimono and make-up, and who arrange their finances and plan their parties and events). Nowadays, and pretty much since the 1940s, Geisha become Geisha by choice and enter into the profession after they graduate middle school (it is even required in most cases that they complete at least that level of schooling before becoming a Geisha) willingly.

GEISHA wear their Obi belts tied tightly in the back to hold together their Kimono; these belts are so long and heavy that the Okiya hires a male dresser to assist in tying these Obi every night before a party or event. a geisha could not strip or easily take off her many layers of Kimono/undergarments and so the assumption that they are strippers just doesn’t make any sense. a traditional courtesan or TAYUU/OIRAN wore her Obi belt loosely tied in the front so that she could easily untie it for a customer.

There is no empirical evidence of there being any such thing as “mizuage” (as referred to by Arthur Golden in ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’) in the geisha world. there is however evidence of the ritual of mizuage in the Tayuu (or Oiran depending on the region, i think) courtesan tradition. a courtesan who was being initiated would have a ceremony where wealthy men bid for her virginity, with the highest bid being the winner. These Tayuu (or Oiran) are absolutely NOT in any form in relation to a Geisha. i will also mention that prostitution in Japan has been illegal since 1959, officially.

“Comfort Women” from the WWII era were prostitutes that told American GIs that they were “geisha” in order to make more money and to play on the exoticism that was so popular in the US at the time. this is where a big portion of the “Geisha are prostitutes” misconception came from.

“Hot Springs Geisha” and Bar Hostesses in Tokyo are trained in a similar way to traditional Geisha in that they have skills in the art of conversation and even some musical skill, however these women are NOT Geisha. “Hot Springs Geisha” are also known to engage in sex acts with hot springs patrons (though it is frowned upon) and so bring another incorrect image of sex-acts to the name of Geisha.

While there have I’m sure been cases of abuse from an Okasan to her Geisha throughout the history of the profession, this is usually not the case, and to say that “many or all Okasan are abusive and manipulative to their Geisha” is ignorant and offensive.

DO NOT READ “MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA”!! If you already have, I would strongly suggest you read other books on the subject of Geisha. Arthur Golden (a white man) wrote this book to make money off of the many misconceptions about Geisha, Geiko and Maiko. Everything he says about the Geisha tradition is incorrect, from the part where he explains why “some Geisha” wear lipstick only on the bottom lip (this actually signifies that a Maiko has only been in training for under a year) to his horrible, offensive and incorrect description of a Geisha going through mizuage. He interviewed a very well-known geisha named Mineko Iwasaki for his book, which he then exploited and changed around for his benefit. She even tried to sue him for libel for taking stories from her personal life, twisting it and turning it into a book that lies about the fundamentals of being a Geisha. I would recommend reading, “Geisha, A Life” by Mineko Iwasaki. she has written about what it really means to be a Geisha.

Here are is a picture of a Geiko (a fully-fledged Geisha who has completed most of her training and has become a professional):

Here is a picture of a Maiko (a Geisha-in-training who is still an apprentice and usually works alongside her “Older Sister” or her assigned Geiko partner; her Older Sister is in charge of most of a Maiko’s social training):

Here is the difference in dress between a Geiko and a Maiko:

Here is a Tayuu courtesan (high end prostitute); this profession no longer exists, any modern photographs of one is of an actress for historical theater purposes. Notice the Obi belt tied in front and the overall difference in dress. This was what courtesans looked like:

This is a photo of “Hot Springs Geisha” in the 60s. Notice the women serving drinks and entertaining men at the tables:

Here is a picture of an Ozashiki (party, event or gathering where Geisha are hired to entertain with music, dance, conversation and drink serving) today. It is much, much, much different (and more expensive) than an average hostess bar, and takes place within an Ochaya (traditional teahouse). As you can see, men are not the only ones who have booked an Ozashiki with Geisha:

Please do not spread misconceptions about these hard-working women artists. They deserve respect and have persevered for centuries with women at the forefront of these professions. Not only are these women trained to entertain party patrons, but they are also highly skilled in theater and the performing arts. Surrounding the Geisha are women wigmakers, female Shamisen, drum, flute ensembles, hairdressers, kimono artisans, well-respected dance/music/tea ceremony teachers, jewelry and hair accessory makers, Okobo and Zori footwear artisans, teahouse staff and Ozashiki planners, instrument craftsmen, and many, many more. If you would like to know more about Geisha, there are many books written by former Geisha out there.

Here is a short video of a Geisha performance, it is the annual Miyako Odori (”Cherry Blossom” Dance):

Thanks.

gion-lady

GEISHA FAQ

autoharpo-deactivated20221011

ref

autocorrect-inspired

^ I still want to thank this person for giving me a knowledge blast so I can correct other people for having my original opinion.

#japan #geisha #occupations

dr-archeville

"Marvel must think we're all idiots."

National treasure George Takei is going in hard on Marvel. The social media icon took to his Facebook account to post about Marvel’s casting of Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One in the upcoming Doctor Strange film. He initially focused on the backpedaling done by Marvel in which they cast blame on the Chinese market as their reasoning to avoid association with Tibet. “So let me get this straight. You cast a white actress so you wouldn’t hurt sales … in Asia? This backpedaling is nearly as cringeworthy as the casting. Marvel must think we’re all idiots,” writes Takei. “Marvel already addressed the Tibetan question by setting the action and the Ancient One in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the film. It wouldn’t have mattered to the Chinese government by that point whether the character was white or Asian, as it was already in another country. So this is a red herring, and it’s insulting that they expect us to buy their explanation. They cast Tilda because they believe white audiences want to see white faces. Audiences, too, should be aware of how dumb and out of touch the studios think we are.”

In the comments, Takei argues that the casting is representative of a deeper systemic problem of casting white actors in Asian roles:

To those who say, “She an actress, this is fiction,” remember that Hollywood has been casting white actors in Asian roles for decades now, and we can’t keep pretending there isn’t something deeper at work here. If it were true that actors of Asian descent were being offered choice roles in films, these arguments might prevail. But there has been a long standing practice of taking roles that were originally Asian and rewriting them for white actors to play, leaving Asians invisible on the screen and underemployed as actors. This is a very real problem, not an abstract one. It is not about political correctness, it is about correcting systemic exclusion. Do you see the difference?

He also addressed various reader rebuttals. For one, he wants to point out that the idea of “color-blind casting” (that casting should occur without regard to a person’s race or ethnicity) only works if there were equity in Hollywood. The end result here is simply that there are fewer actors of Asian descent getting major studio roles.

I fear you miss my point. I’m not against colorblind casting. That is to say, when there is a role that can be played by a black actor or an Asian one (such as Hermione in the play in London), then I welcome it. But here we are talking about the systematic erasure of Asian faces from film and media. It is so prevalent that even when there IS an Asian role that could be played by an Asian actor, it is given instead to a white actor. Do you not see the issue here? We are talking about systemic exclusion, lack of opportunity, and invisibility of a whole segment of our society, because Hollywood is afraid to take chances with ethnic actors. Instead, we are the butt of jokes (as the Oscars telecast showed) or are cast only in certain roles that continue to marginalize us and send signals to society that we are not leading men and women. I have a real problem with that, and I’m the happy exception to all of this. But I feel for my fellow Asian American actors who cannot find work because what little work there is gets “whitewashed” for others to play.

Thank you, Mr. Takei.

#representation

revelation19

What do angels actually look like per the bible?

Well, according to Ezekiel 1 they might look something like this…

According to Daniel 10 something like this…

According to Isaiah 6…

In Ezekiel 10…

Again in Ezekiel 10…

Basically, when the people writing Scripture tried to describe what they saw when they saw an angel… they run into the end of their imagination… they can never quite seem to fully explain it because they had trouble even comprehending what they saw, let alone being able to describe it to someone else.

musiqchild007

revelation19

Yeah, that’s usually how people responded to seeing them in the Bible…

the-unreadable-jimanjikles

There’s a good reason why angels’ standard greeting is ‘Do not be afraid’.

glitterbomb-goblinking-blog

I used to listen to this radio show and one thing I remember because it was so funny was a Christmas special where an angel showed up to tell the shepherds about the birth of Christ. The conversations went:

Angel: “FEAR NOT.”

Shepherds: *screaming*

Angel: “I SAID FEAR NOT.”

Shepherds: *screaming LOUDER*

Angel: “WHAT PART OF FEAR NOT ARE YOU NOT UNDERSTANDING?”

#angels #religion

refinery29

Watch: Leslie Jones gave a touching tribute to Whoopi Goldberg about why representation matters

Gifs: The View

stillrestlesstymes

Just beautiful <3 @lemonade-time

medie

oh my god. Imagine being Whoopi and hearing that though.

Well, when I was nine years old Star Trek came on,“ Goldberg says. “I looked at it and I went screaming through the house, ‘Come here, mum, everybody, come quick, come quick, there’s a black lady on television and she ain’t no maid!’ I knew right then and there I could be anything I wanted to be.” - See more at: http://www.startrek.com/database_article/goldberg-whoopi#sthash.gKeuf3XI.dpuf

That’s three generations. Nichelle Nichols to Whoopi Goldberg to Leslie Jones.