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The volume of your voice does not increase the validity of your argument.

Steve Maraboli (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

she raised an eye indeed to the beauty of Gilgamesh, or, Ishtar did nothing wrong

One of the canons I follow just introduced its version of the goddess Ishtar as a character. From what little I’ve been able to read translated so far, I like her a lot. But a lot of the fandom has been kind of losing its shit over what a horrible character she must be based partly on very limited and biased in-universe evidence but mostly on cherry-picked selections from the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Did I mention Gilgamesh in this canon is a huge fan favorite? Yeah.

Anyway, I’ve spent most of the past year researching the mythology surrounding star goddesses of love and sovereignty in the Ancient Near East, starting with Inanna and her near-counterpart Ishtar. So I am well-placed now to explain why, in fact, Ishtar did nothing wrong in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

I mean, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. She’s a goddess, and ancient deities are frequently assholes just in general. But it’s not entirely untrue either. See, you can’t divorce stories from their culture entirely; you need to know a little about the culture of ancient Babylon to understand the Epic of Gilgamesh. It turns out that in context, the whole matter of Ishtar’s advances on Gilgamesh and subsequent reaction to his rejection of her is way more complicated than it appears.

Under the cut: a brief lesson in ancient Sumerian and Babylonian religion and the explanation of why Ishtar did nothing wrong.

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as a procrastinating overachiever i feel like i don’t necessarily “half-ass” things, it’s more like a “3/4 ass”. like overall did i do pretty well? yeah. did i reach my maximum potential though? i think the fuck Not.

Writing Prompts to Get to Know Your Characters Better

I’ve created a list of 48 different scene prompts to get more familiar with your characters and their relationships, that are more fun (in my opinion) than lists of deep questions to ask yourself about them. Feel free to do as many (or as few) if you want. If you answer any, please tag me!

Individual Characters

Write a description of them from the point of view of their best friend or a person who has a crush on them.

Write a description of them from the point of view of a person who absolutely hates them.

Write their earliest or favorite memory.

Design what their Instagram page would look like. (Yes, even if they’re from a time when they don’t have Instagram.)

Write their death scene, even if you’re not planning on killing them within the piece.

Alternatively, write them a eulogy or obituary.

Your character is in high school, and has become valedictorian and has to give a speech at graduation. Write it.

Write a letter of recommendation for this character. For what? I don’t care. Write it.

Your character has a YouTube channel. Write the script for their most watched video.

Write the notes written on the doctor or therapist’s clipboard after a meeting with the character.

Your character has been arrested. Write the news posting.

What song did your character make an embarrassing dancing video to as a child?

Your character has become a celebrity and is on a talk show, telling the story of a traumatic childhood memory…

One-On-One Friendships

First meeting scene has been done so many times. Write the first fight instead.

Write a series of text conversations between the two.

How would they behave at an elementary school sleepover?

One friend has been detained–arrested, grounded, detention, you choose–and the other is trying to convince the detainer to let them out.

The two decide to enter the school talent show, solely for the $50 Cheesecake Factory gift card prize.

For whatever reason, they must pretend to be siblings. Bonus points if they are different races or just look nothing alike.

One friend got evicted, and has to live with the other for a week.

They’ve been working on a joint bucket list since they became close. Write the list.

One is extremely drunk and the other must stop them, as they have decided that now is the time when they just have to…

Your characters reunite in a nursing home in their 90s after not having seen each other for at least a decade.

A creep hits on one of them, and as friends do, they pretend they’re dating to ward off said creep. Only problem? Said creep keeps showing up.

The maid of honor/best man speech.

Friend Groups

They’ve been in a car together for 6 hours on a road trip, and someone tries the dreaded “Are we there yet?”.

A group picture goes horribly wrong. Write the scene– or draw the picture if you’re a visual artist.

It’s middle school. There’s a snow day. Everyone goes sledding. And then…

Compile the memes that are most commonly sent in the group chat.

They discover one of them has never seen Star Wars. Write the following discourse and movie marathon.

Look up “Most likely to” challenges on YouTube, write down the best questions, and use them with the group. Even better, write a scene where the group is using them with each other.

Write your characters as overly passionate PTA members planning the next school fundraiser.

One of them goes out of town, and the group has to watch their house/plants/pet/kid while they’re gone.

A member of the group was minorly wronged. Everyone decides to enact petty revenge.

The wedding was going so well, until the rest of the friends decided to make the reception a little more interesting.

One friend works at a restaurant. The rest decide to eat there while the friend is working. Describe how the group gets the friend fired in one night.

For whatever reason, nobody can go home for Thanksgiving. They decide to have Thanksgiving together instead.

Romantic Relationships

Write a breakup scene. Doesn’t matter if they’re not going to break up in your piece.

Write the moments when they each knew.

One’s meeting the other’s parents for the first time, and accidentally lets slip that…

The siblings/friends scheming together about how to get the two to date without being creepy.

Write the stupidest argument they’ve ever had.

What text message conversation is framed in their apartment/house?

Somehow kill one of them, and let the other react.

It’s Valentine’s Day. The couple goes out to eat, when both of their exes walk in… with each other.

The Mario Kart match neither of them is allowed to talk about.

They’re not speaking. Write the development of the fight only through conversations with the buffer friend.

Write a proposal scene, even if you’re not planning on them getting married in your piece.

They return to the place where they first met/kissed/dated. Somehow, the place has been changed, and not for the better.

We mostly agree that Will is very similar to Sarcean — he can’t tell the truth to save his life, he’s sneaky, calculated, smart, and we can’t forget his thing for blondes. But if that’s the case, how similar is James, simply personality-wise, to Anharion? How does that impact the story? James is capable of so much spite and anger and viciousness, especially at betrayal, what does his almost romantic feelings at the memory of Sarcean mean?

“Victor Nikiforov’s exhibition piece this year is an original composition entitled, Look, Babe, I Didn’t Mean To Leave The Dishes In The Sink, It Won’t Happen Again, Promise. He choreographed it himself.”

Hard Times, Charles Dickens

This is 1 of 15 Evergreens editions by Alma Books you can vote on with your likes/reblogs. The five Alma Classics that receive the most notes will comprise our next giveaway, generously sponsored by Alma Classics! (Here’s our current giveaway.)

booty calls arent biz calls, kids (more fake subz here)

DO NOT REPOST.

Some Basic Friendship Skills

Dos

1. Talk about things that interest others, and not just things that interest you.

2. Share the conversation. Don’t talk over others, interrupt others, or seek to be the centre of attention.

3. Be interested in what other people have to say. Ask open questions, and try to find out more.

4. Notice when people do well, and make the effort to praise them for it. Try to be an affirming, and encouraging, friend.

5. Be respectful, considerate and polite. Be sensitive to the feelings of others.

6. Think before you speak. (Sometimes it’s better to say nothing than to speak your mind and upset or offend).

7. Learn how to ask for what you want and need in a non-threatening, and non-defensive way. Don’t react; and don’t pick needless arguments.

8. Try to understand the perspective of others – and don’t just assume that you are right and they are wrong.

9. Look out for others – and be a trusted friend

10. Back off, don’t dominate, and give your friends some space.

Don’ts

1. Don’t brag about what you’ve done or what you’ve got.

2. Don’t put others down.

3. Don’t judge and stereotype people.

4. Don’t take over the conversation. Let others tell their jokes, and have their say.

5. Don’t try to control other people, or to make them do what you want them to do.

6. Don’t talk, or gossip, about others.

7. Don’t make jokes at others’ expense.

8. Don’t demand perfection – allow your friends to be human, and to sometimes make mistakes.

9. Don’t be sensitive and quick to take offense.

10. Don’t be mean or stab others in the back.

Money Cat is the soundest financial investment you can make!

Reblog him now and money will find you (probably after payday). Remember to pay your new found wealth forward and share your own Money Cat experience!!!