if someone ain't crying I don't care

someplace to post my writing and muse about whump sideblog for @historymakesmeangry Kellybear42 on AO3

[whumpadump]

I'm a simple woman

[painwithoutplot]

is there literally anythinggg better in stories than "oh my god that's a person"

[cy-cyborg]

Forgetting your character is disabled isn't a "good representation" flex: Writing Disability Quick Tips

[ID: An image with “Writing Disability quick tips: Forgetting your character is disabled isn't a good representation flex” written in chalk the colour of the disability pride flag, from left to right, red, yellow, white, blue and green. Beside the text is a poorly drawn man in red chalk looking down confused at his leg, one is drawn normally, the other is drawn to resemble a basic prosthetic. He has question marks above his head. /End ID]

For a while, I was involved in the booktok and Tik Tok writing communities, specifically parts of the community focused on more diverse books and authors. During this time, I noticed a reoccurring pattern when people were highlighting stories featuring disabled characters, or even promoting their own books, and that was how often people would say "I kind of forget they have [insert disability here] because they're such a badass."

The intention behind this statement is (usually) good, with people trying to show that their disabled characters are self-sufficient and don't fall into the tired old sad/helpless disabled person trope, however, you can - and very much should - do that without erasing your character's disability. If you find yourself forgetting your character is disabled, or your beta and pre-release readers are commenting about forgetting it, then there's a good chance that's exactly what you've done - and as a disabled person myself, if I see that statement being used in your marketing in particular, it's a giant red flag and a sure fire way to make sure I give the book in question a skip.

Remember, disabilities (especially major ones) are a part of your character's identity, and they're important regardless of the character's personal relationship with it. Even if your character doesn't specifically identify with the label of disabled or doesn't really care that much, it's should still be impacting their daily life, even in small ways. If you're finding yourself forgetting about a major part of your character's identity, it might be a good idea to check and make sure their disability is having an impact on the character.

I see this comment most often with amputee characters, and to me, it's a pretty consistently good indication that the author has treated their character's prosthetic as a cure rather than the mobility aid it is. It's far from unique to amputees, mind you (I talked about this a lot when I was discussing the character of Toph from Avatar), but it's when I tend to see it the most. Remember that mobility aids and other forms of assistive technology and assistive magic (if it's a fantasy story) are just that: they're aids, they assist, they shouldn't be cures.

Of course, this wasn't unique to Booktok, I've seen it on nearly every other social media site with a writing and book-focused community at some point, but Tik Tok was just where I spent the most time and it seems to be where I see the most people specifically gloating about it.

[exuberantocean]

I wish more shows with whump had consequences for that whump.

It's so annoying when they are magical 100% healed and better in the next episode (or even worse, later in the same episode).

[erdarielthewhumper]

Tbh I think even more annoying than that in and of itself is when a show is inconsistent about the consequences or lack thereof. Like if a show just never really carries the consequences through, sure, whatever, part of the format, i'll learn to expect that, even if it's a shame. But if it sometimes carries the consequences over, but sometimes doesn't... then i'll easily get my hopes up and therefore end up that much more disappointing

(Ngl it's one of my pet peeves with BBC Musketeers, as much fun as I have with the show; it's quite inconsistent about whether injuries carry through for a while or disappear very quickly, and i just find that a lot more frustrating personally than if it just consistently had injuries disappear instantly)

[389]

[arsonarena]

reblog if you like to see your own characters tortured

[msfcatlover]

Wait, wait… lemme go get my favorite Jonny Sims quote real quick…

[traegorn]

WHAT IS THE POINT OF INVENTING FAKE PEOPLE IF YOU CAN'T GIVE THEM TRAUMA?

[opiates]

[whumpyspaghetty]

Le prix du danger (1983) - WHUMP

François Jacquemart is a participant in " The Price of Fear", a TV show that offers a selected candidate the chance to win a large sum of money.. if they manage to survive a manhunt with live ammunition, filmed and broadcasted live.

[whumpadump]

Put your whumpee in a hospital that isn't dedicated to helping them and is more interested in getting more money. Have doctors that aren't dedicated to help, have them barely show up, have them want to do as little work as possible. Have nurses that are annoyed with your whumpee wanting help (whether it be medicine, a treatment, tests done, or even a drink of water, being cleaned, and wanting a blanket), that are burnt out with their job and are careless. Make healing unaccessible to your whumpee until they (or their caretaker) stands up for themselves or even leaves the hospital for someplace (like their caretaker's home) that actually cares about them more then their money

[angelusfangs]

question for whump/hurt/comfort enjoyers. do you like it better when the whump is believable (i.e things happening that, realistically, are somewhat reasonably survivable) or do you like it when the writer just goes ham and you suspend your disbelief and don't care if it's realistically survivable?

realistic or suspension of disbelief?

realistic

suspension of disbelief

secret third option/tell me in the tags

Voting ended onJun 12

[literarystarfish]

I love a dazed, out-of-it, purely broken whumpee. One who is so gone and dead to the real world, they don’t notice a single thing going on. Perhaps it’s a learned coping mechanism to get through the torture. Whumpee, who is pliant to whumper’s will and clocked out to the pain not because they want to, but because it’s the only way they get through it all. Perhaps it’s what whumper was waiting for—finally breaking them into an impossible, unrecognizable shred of a being doing barely more than living despite it all.

Whumpee, so mentally broken and having physically given up so completely that they are numb to anything happening to or around them. They see and hear and feel nothing.

Not whumper.

Not whumper’s continued torture.

Not even caretaker who’d only just rushed in, ready to fight for whumpee, hoping and praying that whumpee hadn’t yet perished, only to see them doing little more than staring up at nothing, eyes dull and unseeing, with their head rolled back, barely reacting more than the involuntary flinches of their body’s nervous system and not because the feel anything happening to them. Looking more dead than caretaker ever thought a still living being could be.

Dazed. Unresponsive. Gone.

And make sure a friend or loved one sees how broken they’ve become.

Yeah. Do that to your whumpees.

[comfortingcatharsis]

An ill or injured character who must be strapped or tied down to the bed and restrained for their own good- repeatedly tearing at wounds and dressings when their hands are free; liable to tear delicate stitches or displace a tenuously-set broken bone with the slightest shifting; deliriously attempting to get out of bed with no regard for their condition- whether through delirium or moving in their sleep or stubbornness to the point of a death-wish; no matter the cause or their distress at the sensation, it's outweighed by the physical necessity of preventing them from moving around.

[yougivemewhumperflies]

Accidental trauma reveal my love. When friends or enemies unintentionally discover Whumpee’s tragic background. For instance

The classic nightmare scene. Whumpee has never slept with people close by for this very reason. Unfortunately, they don’t have a choice this time, and they do, in fact, scream (or cry) in their sleep, in front of someone/everyone.

The person behind the trauma suddenly reappearing in Whumpee’s life. Whumpee losing it—running away, hiding, refusing to engage with anyone. Or even better, trying so hard to pretend they’re okay until they just. Shatter.

Truth serums, spells, and items. Flippantly asking Villain, “Why do you keep doing this?” only to get a gut-wrenching answer in return.

The mind probe. Whumpee is sick/unconscious, and someone does the magical mind probe (I swear this comes up so much in media) to figure out what’s wrong and stumbles on Whumpee’s tragic past.

Teammates unknowingly triggering Whumpee for a while until Whumpee finally just screams it out. The looks of horror.

Also shout out to intentional trauma reveals. For trusting the found family enough to tell them the things that hurt the most.

Any other tropey goodness that results in Whumpee finally getting the comfort they deserve.

[survivesurvivingwhump]

Whumpee who, before being held in captivity by Whumper, was someone with a lot of potential. They were great at what they did and on track to do amazing things. Their life wasn't perfect by any means, but it was what most people would consider pretty damn good. But after finally being rescued after years under Whumper's thumb, they're a shell of their former self who can do very little of what they used to. They feel like they have to start their life all over again and have no idea how long it will take to rebuild, but at least they have Caretaker by their side to help.

oh that’s good, that’s really good.

hits especially hard, I think, if caretaker is someone who was involved in their former life and activity. they were in the same field, colleagues. or teammates. or they competed against each other. or they were friends who met in the same program for their thing. caretaker has always admired and respected them and their skill and dedication - and them personally, too.

and now they aren’t the same. they’re disabled by what whumper did to them - physically or as a result of psychological trauma. they’re not the same person, not the same professional. not the same prodigy.

but caretaker is still there. their relationship survives the lack of whumpee’s talent and accolades. caretaker’s affection, caretaker’s good opinion, caretaker’s respect is not contingent on that thing that used to make whumpee so special. it seems too good to be true. but there caretaker is, holding their hand in the dark, still looking at them with the same warmth as ever.

[golyadkin]

you'll get the urge as an artist or a writer to say out loud the things you're worried about "the proportions are off" "kind of out of character" "i'm not good at summaries" "didn't get as much detail as i wanted" "i made a mistake and here's how" and that's the self-conscious part of your brain telling you "it's bad and if you don't tell them you know it's bad then they'll think you're stupid" but you've got to ignore that little voice and pretend you think it's good or else that little voice is going to ruin your life

[incognito-insomniac]

Some of the best advice I have ever gotten was from a creative writing professor. She said never apologize for your work. Never critic it before someone else does.

Her reasoning was you are the creator. You made your work from nothing and can see all the flaws and seems and holes. But your audience may not see any of it. Maybe they will; maybe they won't. But if you TELL them about the holes and the mistakes and the problems....they will 100% see them. So don't tell them. Don't sabotage yourself just because you think you're not good enough.

[writerwhostayedupallnight]

Name one show that has really good whump that you feel like no one knows about!

Mine is The Magnificent Seven TV series.

@crazylilkitty23, @what-the-whump, @mynightingalecomplex, @99point9percentwhump, @classicwhump, @hurtcomfortguaranteed, and anyone else who would like to participate!

[99point9percentwhump]

Ohhh there's a fair few but Wild Wild West TV series.

I don't think people look into enough cuz it's not traditional western but the whump is brilliant! I adore James getting whumped in all sorts of ways highly recommend!

[whumpadump]

Another TV western to check out is The Rifleman. It's about Lucas McCain, who has settled into the role of being the town's protector, and his son Mark. Every other episodes has Lucas beat up, captured, distressed over his son's safety, etc.

[whumpinthepot]

Whumpee who is unable to take their medication (anxiety, anti psychotic, depression, adhd meds, harder substances they’re addicted to, what have you,) goes through withdrawal sickness. Shaking, nausea, brain zaps, mood swings, sweats, disorientation, body pains, headaches, plus their symptoms coming back full throttle.

This could happen for a number of reasons. Kidnapping, apocalypse, lost in the woods, or even not being able to afford a refill. Any of these reasons would wildly change the outcome too. Especially if it’s cold turkey and not tapered down.

Are they being tortured while experiencing the withdrawals? Are they trying to run from zombies but they’re out of breath and shaking so hard they don’t think they’ll make it? Lost in the woods with double vision, and their symptoms crashing down on them while they stumble around trying to find a way out? Or are they safe at home able to lay under soft blankets while caretaker makes them a cup of tea and puts on a comfort movie?