CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CUPS❤️ Ingredients🍎: CHOCOLATE LAYERS ½ Cup Melted Coconut Oil ½ Cup Cacao

motoko kusanagi

simon the driller

kenpachi ramasama

beese churger

How To Digest Books Above Your “Level” And Increase Your Intelligence

the elusive 7 act Structure

New Jersey is perfectly located.

Can you guys hear my Dutch accent at all in these audio posts

I've been reading Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, and it's gotten me thinking about how worldbuilding is multilayered, and about how a failure of one layer of the worldbuilding can negatively impact the book, even if the other layers of the worldbuilding work.

I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, so I'm going to talk about it more broadly instead. In my day job, one of the things I do is planning/plan development, and we talk about plans broadly as strategic, operational, and tactical. I think, in many ways, worldbuilding functions the same way.

Strategic worldbuilding, as I think of it, is how the world as a whole works. It's that vampires exist and broadly how vampires exist and interact with the world, unrelated to the characters or (sometimes) to the organizations that the characters are part of. It's the ongoing war between Earth and Mars; it's the fact that every left-handed person woke up with magic 35 years ago; it's Victorian-era London except every twelfth day it rains frogs. It's the world, in the broadest sense.

Operational worldbuilding is the organizations--the stuff that people as a whole are doing/have made within the context of that strategic-level world. For The Hunger Games, I'd probably put the post-apocalyptic nature of the world and even the existence/structure of the districts as the strategic level and the construct of the Hunger Games as the operational level: the post-apocalyptic nature of the world and the districts are the overall world that they live in, and the Hunger Games are the construct that were created as a response.

Tactical worldbuilding is, in my mind, character building--and, specifically, how the characters (especially but not exclusively the main characters) exist within the context of the world. In The Hunger Games, Katniss has experience in hunting, foraging, wilderness survival, etc. because of the context of the world that she grew up in (post-apocalyptic, district structure, Hunger Games, etc.). This sort of worldbuilding, to me, isn't about the personality part of the characterization but about the context of the character.

Each one of these layers can fail independently, even if the other ones succeed. When I think of an operational worldbuilding failure, I think of Divergent, where they took a post-apocalyptic world and set up an orgnaizational structure that didn't make any sense, where people are prescribed to like 6 jobs that don't in any way cover what's required to run a modern civilization--or even to run the society that they're shown as running. The society that they present can't exist as written in the world that they're presented as existing in--or if they can, I never could figure out how when reading the book (or watching the film).

So operational worldbuilding failures can happen when the organizations or societies that are presented don't seem like they could function in the context that they are presented in or when they just don't make any sense for what they are trying to accomplish. If the story can't reasonably answer why is this organization built this way or why do they do what they do then I see it as an organizational worldbuilding failure.

For tactical worldbuilding failures, I think of stories where characters have skillsets that conveniently match up with what they need to solve the problems of the plot but don't actually match their background or experience. If Katniss had been from an urban area and never set foot in a forest, it wouldn't have worked to have her as she was.

In this way (as in planning), the tactical level should align with the operational level which should align with the strategic level--you should be able to trace from one to the next and understand how things exist in the context of each other.

For that reason, strategic worldbuilding failures are the vaguest to explain, but I think of them like this: if it either 1) is so internally inconsistent that it starts to fall apart or 2) leaves the reader going this doesn't make any sense at all then it's probably failed.

The Big Tights Co. and Their Amazing Tights

Confession: we have a crush on a company that makes tights. The Big Tights Company’s tights start with a plus size that is designed to fit a UK dress size 22 to 32; they’ll fit a US dress size 20-30 and stretch to fit 60 inch hips, 32 inch thighs and have a depth (gusset to waistband) of up to 28 inches. That’s right! They considered the depth of the panty area, so your tights actually don’t go sliding down your butt! Their extra plus size is designed to fit a UK dress size 32 to 42; they’ll fit a US dress size 30-40 and stretch to fit 90 inch hips, 40 inch thighs and have a depth (gusset to waistband) of up to 32 inches.

Available in a beautifully opaque option and a sheer that is basically Photoshop for your legs, the styles from The Big Tights Company are comfortable, gorgeous and actually fit. We don’t have anything else to add beyond ecstatic flailing.

♥Lucy Socks by Sock Dreams • Free Shipping in the US • $5 International Shipping Find us on facebook | twitter | pinterest | instagram | sock journal | g+

I love it when people try to claim representation in fiction is being taken “too far” to the point where it’s no believable. They’re like: 

“What’s next, a mixed-race immigrant on the autism spectrum?” Hi, my name is Rachel, also known as Rachna, and I’m a mixed-race immigrant on the autism spectrum. 

“What’s next, a transgender Latino man with chronic pain?” What, you mean my former colleague, Marco? 

“What’s next, a Black Jewish lesbian?” Bitch, I know I three Black Jewish lesbians, WHAT’S YOUR FUCKING POINT?

Antonio's Route

Spoilers for anyone who hasn't played his route, Diego's or Vanessa's yet!

Finaly! We get some confirmation for the multiple hints that MC isn't a normal human!

Besides the bombshells dropped about the MC's parents and ancestor we knew the family wasn't normal but now we have something even bigger.

Also, I would like to name Antonio MurderVamp Husband.

She-Ra Where’s Micah?

So, obviously the rumors of Micah’s death is greatly exaggerated or misunderstood. We’re never shown exactly how he ‘died’ we just know he did and Angella feels responsible since it is implied it was her plan or decision that lead to his supposed death. Which is why Angella has a fear of making another bad decision that she didn’t make any decisions leading ( or contributing) to the original Princess Alliance to fall apart.

So, Micah isn’t dead. Then where is he? If he was a prisoner of the Horde he would’ve been used as a bargaining chip by them already. To get Angella and Castaspella to comply with whatever demands in order to ensure Micah’s safety. Both have a strong emotional and personal relationship with Micah, they would’ve done it. Two kingdoms submitting with little to no resistance at the same time would be a huge advantage for The Horde.

I theorize Shadow Weaver somehow has him under her own secret and private improsonment. Without Hordak’s or anyone else’s knowledge. Why would Shadow Weaver hide this from Hordak?

Simply because Shadow Weaver cares about her own magical power first and foremost. Even if giving Micah to Hordak would gain her approval and favor, Shadow Weaver has shown again and again, Hordak and his mission means nothing to her. Hordak is simply convenient for her goal.

The way she used Glimmer as a living magic battery while crude, but given the rushed circumstances she seemed to be comfortable and at ease with the situation. While showing disregard for Glimmer’s physical well being during this, it shows she has the knowledge to perform this and a lack of empathy to take magic from other’s regardless if it’s hurting them.

It also helps show that she’s hypothetically done it to Micah and possibly still did while she was in the Frightzone. Shadow Weaver probably has a complex spell or magical device that’s keeping him imprisoned (and out of sight) but alive enough to serve as a magic battery. Her being kicked out of the Frightzone has possibly cut her off from his magic.

Though, if he’s not being held by Shadow Weaver he’s possibly stuck or trapped in whatever area of the mission he ‘died’ in or he has amnesia as a result of the injuries he received on said mission.

so I got into grad school today with my shitty 2.8 gpa and the moral of the story is reblog those good luck posts for the love of god