darkwizard20
30 posts
Latest Posts by darkwizard20
Compared to other colors found in nature, true blues are pretty rare—but the indigo milk cap (Lactarius indigo) has just that! This vibrant mushroom gets its color from a pigment that is a derivative of guaiazulene, a dark blue crystalline hydrocarbon. You would think that its blueness is a marker for toxicity, but the mushroom is actually edible—although its color fades to a grayish hue when it’s cooked.
Photo: Andrey Loria, CC BY-SA 4.0, iNaturalist
Is your favorite color violet? Then meet your new favorite animal: the Violet-backed Starling (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster)! It lives in open woodland and riverine habitats in parts of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It mainly snacks on fruits and seeds, but will also munch on the occasional insect. Males can be seen sparkling in the Sun with their iridescent violet plumage on full display. Females have brown or olive green plumage.
Photo: Timmcclurg, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist
How to Stop Hating Everything You Write
1. Don't be afraid of making mistakes.
Quit judging yourself for every mistake you make along the way. Whether you're writing fiction, fanfiction, or nonfiction, just write. If you can't correct your errors as you go, that's okay. When I don't have the brainpower to multitask, I focus on the writing stage one step at a time. Just write!
2. Don't aim for perfection.
"It's not ready if it's not perfect." That's a lie. When you're in the process of writing, it's best to concentrate on getting your thoughts on paper.
3. Seek feedback and learn to receive it.
Join lively communities with active writers or forums that host events inviting writers to share their work for critique. Not every critique is constructive; learn to discern which feedback to take on board and which to ignore.
4. Read, read, read.
You can't give what you don't have. You learn a lot from reading similar pieces in your chosen genre. Reading is also a source of inspiration that fuels your writing process.
5. Cut yourself some slack.
Writing is no small feat. It takes talent to formulate a story with your mind and skill to visualize it for others to see. Do you love writing? Then keep doing it because it takes practice.
Looking for a supportive community dedicated to helping you grow as a writer? Join the Writers Universe server and thrive!
— subtle physical affection prompts 𓆩♡𓆪
i hope everyone is having a great new year so far! enjoy :D
pushing strands of their hair out of their face
brushing the dust of their clothes
wiping off a food stain near their lips (bonus: you lick it off your fingers)
briefly tracing the lines of their palms
patiently helping them put their shoes on
teasingly playing with the string of their hoodie
nose boops
comparing hand sizes
accidentally grazing their hands as both of you are reaching for the same object
gentle massages for their shoulders
delicately putting your hand on their back
playful stabs with your fingers onto the side of their waist
ever so light forehead pecks
2025 glow up
Drink water
Fraternize with no one. Live in complete isolation so as not to risk being disappointed ever
take walks
what the whole "please comment on fic you like, it will encourage more writing" vs. "fic writers shouldn't be writing for engagement and validation" debate fails to really grasp, for me, is that comments shouldn't be boiled down to "engagement and validation" in the first place. by which i mean: comments aren't payment for a service, they are communication and connection. they represent the audience reaching back.
i don't write just for myself. are you kidding me? the point of storytelling, to me, is to present certain narrative arguments and produce or encourage an emotional response to them. That communication is essentially useless if there's no endpoint, no listener. To me, there is no point if I'm not communicating with someone. When I write, I am talking to a reader. If you've read anything I've written, then I was talking TO YOU.
you are well within your right to consume fic as ~content~ and withhold your "payment" out of a sense that the writer should be satisfied at having created anything at all in an unresponsive void. but please be aware that it feels really good when you talk back.
I love pretending to be normal in social settings bc it’s like how long will it take until they find out a screw is absolutely loose. how long can I keep this going for
i do write for attention, actually, because that's a normal reason to create art
Maybe being good at social media should not be the main qualifier for all creative work
author’s notes today: hey guys so just a warning there isn’t 100% explicit verbal consent even though they’re both really into it so remember this is FICTION, also they don’t use a condom :((( but in real life safe sex is important!!! please be safe out there everyone
a/n back in the day: kept thinking about ____ stabbing knives through both of _____’s hands to pin him in place while they fucked so here you go lol =P
Things Real People Do in Dialogue (For Your Next Story)
Okay, let’s be real—dialogue can make or break a scene. You want your characters to sound natural, like actual humans talking, not robots reading a script. So, how do you write dialogue that feels real without it turning into a mess of awkward pauses and “ums”? Here’s a little cheat sheet of what real people actually do when they talk (and you can totally steal these for your next story):
1. People Interrupt Each Other All the Time In real conversations, nobody waits for the perfect moment to speak. We interrupt, cut each other off, and finish each other's sentences. Throw in some overlaps or interruptions in your dialogue to make it feel more dynamic and less like a rehearsed play.
2. They Don’t Always Say What They Mean Real people are masters of dodging. They’ll say one thing but mean something totally different (hello, passive-aggressive banter). Or they’ll just avoid the question entirely. Let your characters be vague, sarcastic, or just plain evasive sometimes—it makes their conversations feel more layered.
3. People Trail Off... We don’t always finish our sentences. Sometimes we just... stop talking because we assume the other person gets what we’re trying to say. Use that in your dialogue! Let a sentence trail off into nothing. It adds realism and shows the comfort (or awkwardness) between characters.
4. Repeating Words Is Normal In real life, people repeat words when they’re excited, nervous, or trying to make a point. It’s not a sign of bad writing—it’s how we talk. Let your characters get a little repetitive now and then. It adds a rhythm to their speech that feels more genuine.
5. Fillers Are Your Friends People say "um," "uh," "like," "you know," all the time. Not every character needs to sound polished or poetic. Sprinkle in some filler words where it makes sense, especially if the character is nervous or thinking on their feet.
6. Not Everyone Speaks in Complete Sentences Sometimes, people just throw out fragments instead of complete sentences, especially when emotions are high. Short, choppy dialogue can convey tension or excitement. Instead of saying “I really think we need to talk about this,” try “We need to talk. Now.”
7. Body Language Is Part of the Conversation Real people don’t just communicate with words; they use facial expressions, gestures, and body language. When your characters are talking, think about what they’re doing—are they fidgeting? Smiling? Crossing their arms? Those little actions can add a lot of subtext to the dialogue without needing extra words.
8. Awkward Silences Are Golden People don’t talk non-stop. Sometimes, they stop mid-conversation to think, or because things just got weird. Don’t be afraid to add a beat of awkward silence, a long pause, or a meaningful look between characters. It can say more than words.
9. People Talk Over Themselves When They're Nervous When we’re anxious, we tend to talk too fast, go back to rephrase what we just said, or add unnecessary details. If your character’s nervous, let them ramble a bit or correct themselves. It’s a great way to show their internal state through dialogue.
10. Inside Jokes and Shared History Real people have history. Sometimes they reference something that happened off-page, or they share an inside joke only they get. This makes your dialogue feel lived-in and shows that your characters have a life beyond the scene. Throw in a callback to something earlier, or a joke only two characters understand.
11. No One Explains Everything People leave stuff out. We assume the person we’re talking to knows what we’re talking about, so we skip over background details. Instead of having your character explain everything for the reader’s benefit, let some things go unsaid. It’ll feel more natural—and trust your reader to keep up!
12. Characters Have Different Voices Real people don’t all talk the same way. Your characters shouldn’t either! Pay attention to their unique quirks—does one character use slang? Does another speak more formally? Maybe someone’s always cutting people off while another is super polite. Give them different voices and patterns of speech so their dialogue feels authentic to them.
13. People Change the Subject In real life, conversations don’t always stay on track. People get sidetracked, jump to random topics, or avoid certain subjects altogether. If your characters are uncomfortable or trying to dodge a question, let them awkwardly change the subject or ramble to fill the space.
14. Reactions Aren’t Always Immediate People don’t always respond right away. They pause, they think, they hesitate. Sometimes they don’t know what to say, and that delay can speak volumes. Give your characters a moment to process before they respond—it’ll make the conversation feel more natural.
Important note: Please don’t use all of these tips in one dialogue at once.
introvert x extrovert things for your otp 🧸
a prompt list by @novelbear ᵔᴥᵔ
extrovert knowing all the cool places to eat/have fun in town and loves showing introvert everything on dates
^ in turn, introvert loves to show extrovert all the best movies, books, or other cute little hobbies (like bracelet making, baking)
introvert listening to extrovert ramble about literally anything with the biggest smile on their face
"why don't we go out for lunch?" "we went out this morning.." "to check the mail??"
extrovert coming home to find introvert all bundled up in blankets on the couch and can't help but attack them with kisses
introvert introducing extrovert into the world of journaling
"how could you keep up with so many groupchats?" "i'm only in three." "only?"
extrovert watching introvert get closer with their friend circle and feeling so proud/happy
extrovert buying the introvert a set of headphones so they can zone out when needed
^ "oh my god no, why are you crying? i thought this would help, i'm sorry." "i love you. so much."
introvert going to an event with extrovert and ending up having more fun than they do
^ "i told you that you'd have a great time." [playfully] "shut up."
extrovert taking on certain responsibilities that introvert might dread more often (like the grocery shopping for example)
"didn't you order fries with that?" "yeah, but it's fine." "i can say something-" "don't you dare."
extrovert secretly reading a book/watching a movie that they know introvert has been obsessed with so that they can engage in a meaningful conversation about it later
Lesser-known steps of the writing process:
Finding all the paragraphs where you used some hyper-specific word more than once
Rearranging paragraphs that you swear you wrote in the right order but turned out to be totally backwards
Going for a walk, coming up with the perfect line, and forgetting it as soon as you get home and open your laptop
Creating a separate document where you can dump all of those nice sentences that no longer fit in anywhere
Waking up in a cold sweat because so-and-so was supposed to be barefoot but never actually took his shoes off
in my mind youtube isn’t a social media because i don’t talk to anyone on there. that’s just where video is :)
narrator who's terrible at social cues & describes every facial expression as "unreadable"
being self aware suuuucks like yeah this thought pattern/behavior is stupid and pointless and a symptom. i know this. [does it anyways
i dont see why i cant start a trend, so here goes. lets try to build back our attention spans. lets try to focus on just one thing for as long as possible. lets not watch those "asmr for people with adhd" videos where they fuck up adhd folks even worse. lets resist the urge to reach for our phones when watching a movie. lets read the articles we reblog, even when theyre boring. i know its hard, i have adhd too, but its worth it. i also know that this hard work doesnt always seem super impressive to other people, so id love for yall to tell me in the tags or replies if youve done something, no matter how small, for your attention span. you deserve to feel like youve taken back some of what social media has ripped from you
dear people with OCD: the next time you have spiraling & intrusive thoughts, what-ifs, or catastrophizing scenarios, I am sending a cardigan-wearing 46-year old NYU professor directly into your brain and he says "Aaaaand scene!!!" and he claps his hands slowly. and he says "Wow. Wow. Powerful stuff. Evocative imagery. A little bit post-modern, a little bit hysterical realism in the vein of Don Delilo but let's pause right here." and you will recognize your thoughts as a perplexing avant-garde film shown to an audience of 15 liberal arts students who are now trying to get a good grade and sleep with their professor.
the blog is coming I swear!! be patient 😚