stop buying into the idea that nonviolent activism is useless, rather than (by far) the most effective form of protest

stop falsely claiming that BLM accomplished nothing and that most citizens “don’t care” when people are murdered by the state

start understanding that most of your neighbors care about your rights, and their own

1. Know why you’re overwriting.

Overwriting usually comes from fear—fear the reader won’t feel enough, understand enough, or care enough. When you know why you’re adding too much, you can fix the cause instead of just cutting words.

2. Remove repetition, not emotion.

If multiple sentences express the same idea, keep the strongest one. You’re not deleting feeling—you’re sharpening it.

3. Trust the reader to understand subtext.

Readers don’t need every emotion spelled out. Actions, reactions, and choices already communicate more than explanation ever could.

4. Use one concrete detail instead of many vague ones.

Specific sensory or physical details create stronger emotion than listing abstract feelings. One image lets the reader do the emotional work.

5. Filter description through your character’s perspective.

Your character won’t notice everything, especially in intense moments. Limiting description to what they would notice keeps scenes tight and immersive.

6. Cut intensifiers immediately.

Words like very, really, and extremely weaken prose instead of strengthening it. Strong verbs and images do the job better.

7. Let dialogue stand on its own.

Dialogue already carries tone and emotion through word choice and rhythm. Adding explanations often flattens its impact.

8. Keep metaphors purposeful and rare.

Too many metaphors compete with each other and slow the scene. One strong comparison is more memorable than several decent ones.

9. Read your work out loud.

Overwriting becomes obvious when you hear it. If a sentence feels long, heavy, or tiring to say, it likely needs trimming.

10. Ask what the paragraph accomplishes.

Every paragraph should move the story forward, reveal character, or raise tension. If it doesn’t, it’s probably indulgent filler.

11. Edit separately from drafting.

Overwriting is allowed in early drafts. Clean prose comes from revision, not self-censorship while writing.

12. Cut more than you think you should.

°∞°w°∞°

°°oOwOo°°

^^ʌɅwɅʌ^^

'';;w;;''

°°𖦹 ꩜ ~ 𖦹 ꩜°°

Chaser

P’urhépecha

Maya

Ok. Having said that, let’s move on to the “fire hockey” game itself.

The game is called Uárhukua Ch'anakua, meaning “stick competition”, although the name can change depending on the region were it’s practiced.

The ball, or zapandukua, is made of wood, stone, or rubber wrapped with cotton fabric that is left soaking on petroleum for a few days before the game, when it’s ignited.

The sticks, or uárhukua, are also made of wood. Their size and weight varies depending on the player preferences.

Originally there was no time limit, so one match could last for days. Nowadays they last about half an hour (or until the first score is made).

Each team has five players and at least three reserves. Substitutions are unlimited but have to be notified to the judges so they can decide when it’s pertinent to make the change without interrupting the game.

It is a game of honor. If a player gets penalized or expelled, it not only means dishonor for them, it means dishonor for their team.

It is kind of a Big Deal, with actual tournaments taking place on the P’urhépecha region and other places like México City.

The Uárhukua is usually played at night because the fiery ball symbolizes the sun moving through the sky. You can imagine just how impressive it looks to have a literal ball of fire bouncing across the field.