M0th-b0nes - Hi :)

I'm reading again about the early days of the 1948 Nakba, and I'm just... at loss for words (cw: rape, child murder)

The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, by Ilan Pappé (2006, p. 90)

And, continuing on p. 91:

After getting over the initial shock and heartbreak of this tweet and this reply, it hit me that (and I don't know if this is a cultural thing here in the middle east or an Islamic one)

A child has to be named even if they're stillborn.

For a child to not be named, that means there's no one left to name them. They were killed along with their entire family.

I hoped I was wrong, but I checked the list of victims of Israeli attacks and found this:

Israel has ended 47 Palestinian bloodlines over the course of this genocide (or perhaps more), so you might think that this little detail isn't that important, but I don't think we should get used to cruelty of this proportion, no matter how consistently Israel commits it.

The number of victims isn't just a number. These are people with full lives and hopes and dreams.

It's enough of a disaster that these families were wiped out, but in murdering them, Israel didn't just deprive them of their lives, hopes, and dreams. It deprived them of even the dignity to name their children.

It continues to deprive the remaining Palestinians of their most basic human rights.

What did the Palestinians do to not deserve food or water or electricity?

What did their *newborns* do to not deserve lives or at the very least names?!

This is the most harrowing form of terrorism I can think of. The genocidal Israeli occupation is the most despicable terrorist organization the world has had the displeasure of knowing.

The whole world should be deeply ashamed that it's not only allowing such heinous war crimes to be committed, but in a lot of ways, it's enabling them.

I don't know how anyone can be neutral about this.

Stand with Palestine, stand against the occupation. Against genocide.

ربنا يتقبل الأطفال دول و أمهاتهم و عائلاتهم اللي الاحتلال قتلهم معاهم شهداء، و ينتقم من إسرائيل و أي حد بيمكّنهم أشد انتقام في الدنيا قبل الآخرة.

Creating a Distinct World

@kaulayauwrites said:

what is, in your opinion, the best way to world build? how can you avoid writing a bland, archetypal universe or copying an already existing one? sorry if I’m not being clear, haha, and thanks so much!

Hey there, thanks so much for your ask! I honestly love talking about the world-building process, so I’m really glad you sent this; let’s dive right in!

Best Way to World-Build?

In my opinion, there isn’t a best way to world-build. The “best” process depends on what is needed and what you’ll actually need to know for your writing. What follows isn’t necessarily what I would call the best way, but it’s a good way to cover your bases and opens up a lot of options for going in-depth with details. (It’ll be a bit of a long list, but definitely worth it in the long run.)

For each country you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:

Name

Capital and major cities, and locations

Border shape

3 most common landforms

Historical sites or places that mean a great deal to the people living there

General economic scheme (ex. capitalist, Communist, Socialist, etc)

Most important laws

Major differences from the character’s homeland

Military setup (different branches, enlistment age, etc)

Climate

Relations with surrounding countries

Societal norms (gender roles, public & professional behavior, etc)

Stance on LGBT+ rights, and treatment of LGBT+ people

Most and least respected professions

Common religions

Stereotypes about this country (any and all)

Common pastimes and hobbies

Popularity of sports, movies, and other forms of entertainment

Genres of music (and possibly stereotypes of people who listen to them)

Language(s) spoken

Beauty standards and the commercialization of them

Commercialization that feeds off of the peoples’ insecurities

For each city you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:

The “aesthetic” (think of it the way NYC’s aesthetic is taxis, skyscrapers, and nightlife)

Public opinion of street performers

Any recreational centers and common activities

Popularity of a town counsel or the idea of opening to the public for improvement ideas

How well-known the city is by everyone around it, or how much of a tourist attraction it might be

State of educational buildings

Percentage of unemployment versus those who are actively searching for jobs, and how this affects the city’s reputation

3+ popular businesses, maybe food or clothing stores

The way business is generally conducted

Opportunities for nightlife (etc. bars, night clubs, etc)

Usual daytime attire, usual nighttime attire

Any sort of tradition (ex. sharing dreams in the morning, praying before meals, etc)

Stance on more advanced technology

Treatment of different age groups

Again, cliches and stereotypes that might exist of people who live there

Most common architectural style (ex. modern, Victorian, etc)

Commonly seen colors

Any inflation that might exist, local economic troubles

People’s opinion on the government as a whole (then in-depth, if you want)

As you can see, these two lists are very open-ended. I can’t go too far in-depth with world-building ideas and explaining, because it’s all up to you to create this world. Every single item on this list here can be expanded into tons of different things, but if your goal is just to cover your bases and explore needed details then I think this would be a good place to start.

Making Your World Distinct

This can be pretty tough, honestly. There’s (almost) always a world themed around something out there that’s probably more well-known, famous even. Let’s start with everyone’s favorite wizarding world, that of the Harry Potter books. Your world can be as interesting and different as it gets but because it includes wizards, someone out there is always going to relate it to Harry Potter. So how can we avoid this?

There’s one proven way to this this, especially if you don’t want to change your world. Accentuate any and all differences that would set your story apart from a more well-known world. Maybe our wizards’ spells depend on a material transaction, or they won’t work. Maybe there’s some sort of wizarding god who must be pleased to cast a successful spell. Not so much like HP anymore, huh?

Just remember, there’s a huge difference between world-building through details and world-building through exposition. Both are acceptable, but both have their own appropriate time to be utilized. Take a break from telling the reader flat-out how this thing works, and instead reveal it through the world’s details. Not only does this help treat your readers like the competent individuals they are, it also immerses them so much in the world that there isn’t much of a chance to compare your world to others.

Tl;dr—World-building isn’t really something that can be explained for you by someone else. There are certainly questions that exist to help you, but following a guide that works for someone else might not work for you. Explore the details! (And let the reader explore them, too!)

He's telling the kids: "A rocket is coming cover your ears." Then he tells them to remove their fingers once it's gone. At the end of the video, since the girl is wearing Messi Argentina jersey, he jokes with her saying: "They don't appreciate you anymore messi, they don't respect you anymore" to make her smile.

This is a famous influencer from gaza: Ahmed alhenawi. He came to gaza for his wedding which was a week before the genocide. The little girl here is his sister in law, and the little boy is their cousin who's staying with them since his mother was killed by Israeli bombardment.

This is the same girl who said: I wish I could just get killed right now, because I'm so exhausted. You know what's good though? They postponed examinations!

These people need you, never stop talking about Palestine. Speak up. If they find it in themselves to smile and joke during this and not fall into despair so can you. STOP THE GENOCIDE.

Writing Prompt #2427

"You need to stop pushing yourself like this."

"Then we need someone else to do the work I do."

Hello dears I hope you are all well please help me!!!

I am Ahmed Halas from the besieged North Gaza, I have created my campaign to help my family and save them from the suffering they are living. Our lives, hopes and ambitions have been destroyed, our livelihood has been destroyed, we have lost dear friends and many relatives, our house has been completely destroyed, we live in a plastic tent in the middle of an UNRWA school and we suffer from the heat of the sun which causes headaches, migraines, body allergies and many diseases. There is no food, water, medicine or basic life requirements and the prices are terribly high, we cannot afford to buy anything.

In the meantime, this fundraising campaign has been started so that people can donate so that we can regain momentum in case the unfortunate circumstances cannot be fixed. Ahmed Halas and his family have already registered and are likely to be called to leave soon. This money is for their evacuation. Let's aim to evacuate them all together!!!

gofundme.com

Donate to Helping the Helles family achieve a better future, organized by Ahmed Hells

Hello dears I hope you are all well please help me!!! I am Ahmed Halas … Ahmed Hells needs your support for Helping the Helles family achie

Ahmed's message:

Hello, I am Ahmed from the Gaza Strip, I am still alive after ten months of war. This is my fifth war too. But this war is unlike any other. I am trying to raise money for me and my family, as we are determined to leave to safety while this disaster continues. We want to leave the Gaza Strip towards Egypt through the Rafah crossing and Hala Company.

This was a very difficult decision for me, but this is my fate and the fate of my family. I feel ashamed to ask you to donate enough to save me and my family of 20, most of whom are young children, by raising enough money to reach safety. "Hala Company details are at the bottom of the article." Please participate, even if it is a small part. Donate any small amount, share my photos, share your story, anything that makes a difference. I have complete hope in you and your generosity.

Father Fathi suffers from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, and son Mahmoud suffers from back and cartilage pain, which is why he does not have a medical mattress due to sleeping on the floor, which makes him feel severe pain.

Oh my God, what happened to us, I lost my memories and dreams that I have dreamed of for a long time, my house where I lived my childhood, nothing remained inside it, it was a pile of fire, and I lost my source of livelihood and my baby clothes store was completely destroyed, which led to the accumulation of debts that I was committed to from merchants that I obtained a few days before the current wave of war.

Note: Ahmed will try, when the circumstances are complete and I collect a sufficient amount and I am able to reunite the entire family here in Gaza, by moving my family to a safe place and regaining some comfort or trying to go to Egypt, knowing that the cost per person now is $ 5,000 for an adult and $ 2,500 for a child. The price may fluctuate. Please help us by donating even the simplest things or by participating in our campaign, and I will be grateful to you

gofundme.com

Donate to Helping the Helles family achieve a better future, organized by Ahmed Hells

Hello dears I hope you are all well please help me!!! I am Ahmed Halas … Ahmed Hells needs your support for Helping the Helles family achie

Domestic incompetence is going to kill men

I keep seeing people making fun of using growled, hissed, roared, snarled etc in writing and it’s like.

have you never heard someone speak with the gravel in their voice when they get angry? Because that’s what a growl is.

Have you never heard someone sharply whisper something through the thin space of their teeth? Or when your mother sharply told you to stop it in public as a kid when you were acting up/being too loud? Because that’s what a hiss is.

Have you never heard a man get so blackout angry that their voice BOOMS through the house? Because that’s what a roar is.

Have you never seen someone bare their teeth while talking to accentuate their frustration or anger while speaking with a vicious tone? Because that’s what snarling is.

It’s not meant to be a literal animal noise. For the love of god, not every description is literal. I get some people are genuinely confused, but also some of these people are genuinely unimaginative as fuck.

World Building Master List

Now that we’re finished with the World Building Blog Series, I’ve assembled a master list of all the post for your convenience

Language

Technology

Taboos

Marriages and Relationships

Legalities

Geography and Weather - The Basics

Geography and Weather - Plot Relevance

Transportation and Travel

Architecture

City Planning

Medicine - The Basics

Medicine - Sex and Reproduction

Medicine - Mental Health and Disability

Magic - The Basics

Magic - Healing

Magic - Combat

Magic - Animals and Shapeshifters

Clothing

Food

Entertainment

Jobs and Education

Military and Law Enforcement

Crime

War

Religion - The Basics

Religion - Holidays and Sacred Sites

Religion - Worship

Children

Races and Species

History

Flora and Fauna

Government