Endlessly Torn Between A Bruce Who’s Brutalism And Savagery Is Just Barely Concealed By His Genuine

2016’s Top Books

How many lists can Dan and Phil appear on? Here’s another.

1. The Harry Potter series     by J. K. Rowling 2. Percy Jackson & the Olympians     by Rick Riordan 3. The Raven Cycle series +1     by Maggie Stiefvater

4. The Mortal Instruments series     by Cassandra Clare 5. The Captive Prince Triology     by C. S. Pacat 6. A Song of Ice and Fire Series −3     by George R. R. Martin 7. A Court of Mist and Fury    by Sarah J. Maas 8. The Foxhole Court    by Nora Sakavic 9. The Amazing Book is Not on Fire −3    by Dan Howell and Phil Lester 10. Pride and Prejudice −1     by Jane Austen 11. The Throne of Glass series −1     by Sarah J Maas 12. The Trials of Apollo series     by Rick Riordan 13. Carry On     by Rainbow Rowell 14. The Warriors series +2     by Author Collective 15. Six of Crows     by Leigh Bardugo 16. The Infernal Devices series −8     by Cassandra Clare 17. The Lunar Chronicles series     by Marissa Meyer 18. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard     by Rick Riordan 19. Lady Midnight      by Cassandra Clare

20. Wreck This Journal    by Keri Smith

The number in italics indicates how many spots a title moved up or down from the previous year. Bolded titles weren’t on the list last year.

Warmth

Chapter 2

It had been a normal day for Michelle, until she found the Russian giant on the sands of her favourite beach.

Now, Seychelles had not had the quietest upbringing. Her history, especially after her independence, was dominated by coup after failed coup, more a spectacular mess than anything else. Not surprising, really, considering who her parents were. But, also being who they were, there had been lessons - dozens of boring, boring lessons - on, apparently, How To Survive ( it was more, she thought, How to Best Pick Fights and Not Make Friends, but meh. Europeans.) She’d been given a handbook too, underlined and highlighted, with stapled-in pages no less dog-eared that the rest, probably something passed down among her various pseudo-siblings, but that was besides the point. The point was, Seychelles did not follow most of the rules, but some she did, if only to be particularly safe.

So, naturally, the last thing she was expecting was to run into one of the countries on the ‘Avoid At All Cost’ list, lying on her beach, not realising that he was well on his way to getting very nicely sunburnt.

“Don’t be the reason someone feels insecure. Be the reason someone feels seen, heard and supported.”

— Cleo Wade

フラワー

Other people’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.

Les Brown (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

Something that needs to be said, over and over again

PSA

I love every fanfiction author on earth !!! Thank you so much for using your own time to provide us with a free(!) story to read that is 10x better than every book I have read put in one!

For long fic writers: Your detailed fics are so amazing and you amaze me every single time with the amount of research and time you have put into your beautiful works! Whether I am looking to kill time or just want something to distract me you have provided me with that, and I am so glad we have writers like you!

For short fic writers: Your fluffy/angsty/smutty/all of the above fics are so nice to read after a long day! When I just need something small because I don’t have the energy for something long, you wrote something for yourself and shared it with us, and I am so glad that we have writers like you!

If you write fluff; Thank you so much! I love reading your self-indulgent fics. They are so sweet and adorable and those characters definitely would do that.

If you write angst; Thank you so much! I love reading your painful fics. I’m always excited to see how it will end and if things will ever get better.

If you write smut; Thank you so much! I love reading your own fantasies(or realities, or just what you chose to write). They make me smile and blush.

If you write romance; Thank you so much! I love reading about my otp falling in love over and over. Even if it is cliché, it’s also unique and I’m still  surprised each time.

If you write about platonic relationships; Thank you so much! I love reading about my favorite best friends and siblings. You bring something not often seen and your courage is amazing.

If you write crack; Thank you so much! I love reading your random fics. They make me laugh time and time again and even if they are weird and ooc, they are amazing too.

If you write anything else; THANK YOU SO MUCH! Whatever it is you write, it is amazing and I love it. 

I know my singular opinion doesn’t mean much when there are millions of people on this earth, but I want it to be heard!

I LOVE FANFICION WRITERS. YA’LL ARE THE REAL MVPS.

Giveaway Contest: We recently reached 50,000 followers, and as a way of thanking you, we’re giving away FIFTY (50!) vintage paperback classics by Albert Camus, John Steinbeck, Carson McCullers, Toni Morrison, George Orwell, Ray Bradbury, Jane Austen, and so many others! Won’t these look lovely on your shelf? :D To win these classics, you must: 1) be following macrolit on Tumblr (yes, we will check. :P), and 2) reblog this post. We will choose a random winner on January 20, at which time we’ll start a new giveaway. And yes, we’ll ship to any country. Easy, right? Good luck!

who the FUCK told society that depression and awkwardness is cute and adorable

þ!

A feature of English which I think is stupid,

If we’re carrying on with this game,

Is how we abolished the thorn and replaced it,

With two letters that meant the same.

The þ was a letter, amazing, astounding,

Perfect in every respect,

Representing the ‘th’ sound and shortening words,

The one thing it didn’t expect;

One day T and H went and burgled its meaning,

And then, thanks to the printing press,

Its symbol mutated and morphed into Y,

Which is pointless, I must confess.

Þoughtlessly, the þ was forgotten,

Þreatened as the language evolved,

Þankful for þose who knew of old English,

A topic where it was involved.

It only survived in Modern Icelandic,

In English it’s treated with scorn,

And as barely anyone knows it exists,

Please try to remember the thorn.

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.