𝕮𝖆𝖓𝖞𝖔𝖓 𝕸𝖔𝖔𝖓

Theseus: Yeah, why?

Shoutout to those who dread being around family that likes to attack everything you are, believe, feel. Having to put up with them is no cakewalk.

Shoutout to those who’ve already got depression and the seasonal aspect just seems to make it worse

Shoutout to those who don’t have a boyfriend/girlfriend and are tired of being asked that question. Whether you’re single by choice or not, it’s absolutely your business. Also, not having one doesn’t make or break you, your life isn’t lacking anything

Shoutout to the people with vaginas being constantly asked when you’re gonna have babies. Whether you want kids or not, that is your decision. And fuck anyone who decides “you’ll change your mind one day”. Kids are not for everyone.

Shoutout to those whose sexualities are anything but straight and have to deal with family possibly assuming things about you. Once again, your business and you don’t owe anyone a damn thing.

Shoutout to those whose families reject you, or want to change you. Your life is yours alone. I am so sorry they’re toxic to you.

Shoutout to the college dropouts who’ll never hear the end of it from family, those struggling with school, considering dropping out, those who just can’t handle school. College is a choice,and it’s not for everyone.

Shoutout to those who don’t want to come out of their rooms during the holidays. Put yourself first, take care of yourself. You are not obligated to socialize with family.

Shoutout to the mentally ill whose conditions might be made worse this season because of family, friends, your environment, etc.

Shoutout to those who know their family and/or friend gatherings will end in tears, fights, or violence. I’m sorry you have to deal with that.

Shoutout to the abused, those whose hurt doesn’t take a holiday. We’re here for you as best we can be.

Shoutout to those who don’t have the funds to afford gifts or holiday celebrations. I understand how that weighs on you, how bad it feels not to be able to contribute when you really want to. No, material things aren’t everything but let’s stop pretending they don’t make some people feel pretty good, if only for a while

Shoutout to those who won’t be able to be seated around a table this holiday season because there’s very little to eat in the first place. If you can manage, please don’t be ashamed to ask for help, or to visit soup kitchens and such. 

Shoutout to those who want to be with loved ones but can’t because you can’t afford to visit them, or you have to work, etc.

Shoutout to the lonely, to those who don’t have family or friends to spend the time with. I’m here for you and I know countless others here on Tumblr are too. Just reach out.

Shoutout to those who don’t celebrate anything and these days are just ordinary days for you.

anne:

As writers, we want our work to hold weight — for our characters’ actions, emotions, and desires to resonate with and impact our readers. But how do we make that happen?

The most helpful advice, in my experience, has been to:

Make the internal become external, and

Make the external become internal.

Let’s talk about what that means and how these tips can help you add emotional weight to your story.

1. Make the internal become external

To “make the internal become external” is to take the interior aspects of your character (their fears, desires, pains, and epiphanies) and find ways to express them with external actions. For example:

If Marcos realizes his girlfriend doesn’t truly love him, don’t just make him mope; have him throw the engagement ring he purchased into the river.

If Amelia feels overworked and stressed at her new job, don’t just show her exhausted in bed; show her bailing on plans with the people she cares about or giving up her favorite pastimes.

If Kara is afraid to get onstage and perform as Lady Macbeth, don’t just have her wait in fear; make her run out on the show on opening night.

By expressing your character’s emotions and realizations through clear external actions, you add weight to what they’re going through.

2. Make the external become internal

The goal here is similar, but reversed. Where before you were taking an internal emotion and accentuating it with action, now you’re taking the external elements of your story (plot, character actions, external conflicts, etc.) and making them have internal ramifications for your characters. For example:

If Thomas gets slapped by his older sister during a disagreement, don’t just move on like it never happened; make it change the dynamic of their relationship for the rest of the story.

If Davy’s new boyfriend excessively dotes upon him, don’t just have him awkwardly brush him off; make Davy tentative and uncertain because he’s never been in a healthy relationship before.

If Anna loses the championship match of a tennis tournament, don’t just have her grudgingly accept defeat; make her feel crushed because of her impossibly high expectations for herself.

By taking external actions or events and tying them to your character’s deepfelt emotions and, when possible, their core struggle, you add weight to what happens in your story. Everything starts to matter, and that makes for captivating storytelling.

A Final Word

I want to clarify that I’m not telling you to make your characters act and react in ways that don’t make sense for them. Always stay true to your characters. 

But I do encourage you to always look for opportunities to merge the internal and external aspects of your story — because that’s the key to telling stories with true emotional weight.

Good luck, and good writing, everybody. :)

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