🐍

we all know who is this

oh my god, he takes his helmet off when he’s required to wear armor and he’s all sweaty underneath and his hair is sticking to his forehead and the sides of his face and his cheeks are completely red and his eyes still have that spark of wild adrenaline in them, oh my godddddd

---

Romantic Student Things

Locking eyes in the hallway like it’s a damn movie scene, except the only soundtrack is the sound of someone dropping their binder and cursing loudly in the background.

Scribbling little notes in the margins of textbooks, but instead of love letters, they’re inside jokes and sarcastic insults that somehow make them fall harder.

That moment when they both reach for the same book in the library and freeze... her fingers brushing his, the air between them suddenly too much and not enough all at once.

Staying up way too late to study together, but absolutely failing because they keep finding excuses to talk about literally anything else except what’s actually on the exam.

Leaving anonymous notes in each other’s lockers, but instead of sweet nothings, it’s absolute nonsense like “Your hair looked aggressively good today” and “You’re dangerously close to making me fall in love with you, stop it.”

Sitting next to each other in class, acting completely normal, while their knees are pressed together under the desk and their hearts are losing their minds over it.

Having full-on mental breakdowns over finals together, only for one of them to randomly say, “I think I might love you.” Because academic stress and emotional realizations go hand in hand, apparently.

Passing handwritten notes in class, except they’re not just notes, they’re confessions hidden inside random doodles and lyrics that will mean nothing to anyone else but them.

Accidentally falling asleep next to each other while studying, and waking up to realize their hands are still tangled together like some kind of cruel joke the universe is playing on them.

Finding the one place on campus where they can be alone, an empty classroom, a forgotten stairwell, a rooftop and making it theirs. Because stolen moments always feel more real than anything else.

That absolutely insane moment when they see each other outside of school for the first time, no uniforms, no backpacks, just them, and suddenly, they’re seeing each other differently.

Staying after school to “work on a project”, but the only thing getting worked on is their ability to pretend they’re not completely, recklessly, falling for each other.

Supporting each other during nerve-wracking presentations by holding eye contact across the room, because if one of them crashes and burns, at least they’ll have company in hell.

That heart-stopping moment during graduation when they realize this might be the last time they ever get to see each other like this, in this life, in this stage, before everything changes.

Finally saying screw it and kissing in the middle of campus, because the real test wasn’t their exams, it was this.

Here’s the Show, Don’t Tell freebie book and my newsletter.

Hello! I've been getting more and more tips for writing thanks to your post about character flaws in my FYP. I was wondering, do you have any posts about character strengths/virtues? Thanks!

Rin's Character Strengths Masterpost ✨

Hey there, fellow writer! 💖 So glad my character flaws post found its way to you! You've asked about one of my FAVORITE topics to explore - character strengths and virtues! And guess what? I've been meaning to write this companion piece for ages, so THANK YOU for the nudge!

Let's dive DEEP into character strengths that go beyond the basic "brave protagonist" or "loyal sidekick" tropes we see everywhere in fiction. Because memorable characters need memorable strengths!

Why Character Strengths Matter Just As Much As Flaws

We often focus SO much on giving characters interesting flaws (which, yes, super important!), but their strengths are what make readers root for them and fall in love with their journey. Strengths are what make your character SHINE in those pivotal moments! ✨

The key is making these strengths SPECIFIC, NUANCED, and sometimes even PROBLEMATIC. Yes, strengths can cause problems too - that's where the juicy storytelling happens!

Beyond-Basic Character Strengths for Your Characters

1. CONTEXTUAL COURAGE 🔥

Not just "bravery" but courage that manifests in specific contexts:

Social courage (standing up to peer pressure)

Intellectual courage (questioning deeply held beliefs)

Physical courage despite specific fears

Quiet courage (the kind that doesn't look heroic but IS)

Moral courage (doing the right thing when it costs them personally)

Creative courage (risking failure and ridicule for their art/ideas)

2. RADICAL EMPATHY 💭

Not just "understanding others" but:

The ability to understand even villains' motivations

Cross-cultural empathy that bridges different backgrounds

Empathy that extends to those completely unlike themselves

Empathy that causes them to make difficult choices others wouldn't

Empathy that allows them to anticipate others' needs before they're voiced

Empathy for those society has taught them to fear or distrust

3. ADAPTIVE INTELLIGENCE 🧠

Not just "being smart" but:

Pattern recognition in chaotic situations

Intuitive problem-solving under pressure

Cultural adaptability when thrust into unfamiliar environments

Emotional intelligence that helps navigate complex relationships

Street smarts that complement (or replace) formal education

The ability to translate complex concepts for different audiences

4. CREATIVE RESILIENCE 🌱

Not just "bouncing back" but:

Finding unconventional solutions to setbacks

Using humor as a coping mechanism during dark times

Transforming trauma into strength without romanticizing it

Building community resilience, not just personal

Learning from failures rather than being crushed by them

Maintaining hope in seemingly hopeless situations

5. PRINCIPLED FLEXIBILITY 🌊

Not just "having values" but:

Knowing which principles to bend and which to hold firm

Adapting moral frameworks to new information

Navigating ethical gray areas without losing their core

Growing their values through experience rather than rigidity

Finding compromise without betraying essential beliefs

Recognizing when rules must be broken for a greater good

6. DISRUPTIVE KINDNESS ❤️

Not just "being nice" but:

Kindness that challenges systems of oppression

Unexpected kindness that changes enemies' perspectives

Kindness as a radical choice in brutal environments

Kindness that requires genuine sacrifice

Kindness that sees beyond surface behaviors to underlying needs

Kindness that doesn't expect recognition or reciprocation

7. CONSTRUCTIVE SKEPTICISM 🔍

Not just "questioning things" but:

The ability to discern truth from manipulation

Healthy doubt of authority without cynicism

Critical thinking that leads to solutions, not just criticism

Questioning their own assumptions first

Seeking multiple perspectives before forming judgments

Recognizing patterns of deception or misinformation

8. STRATEGIC VULNERABILITY 💧

Not just "being open" but:

Knowing when vulnerability creates connection

Sharing weaknesses to build trust at critical moments

Using personal stories to help others feel less alone

Admitting mistakes to model growth for others

Asking for help when independence would be destructive

Showing emotion strategically to influence outcomes

The Strength Spectrum: Make It Complex!

Remember that any strength exists on a spectrum! The most interesting characters have strengths that sometimes function as weaknesses depending on the context.

For example:

Loyalty becomes enabling when taken too far

Curiosity becomes recklessness in dangerous situations

Honesty becomes cruelty without empathy

Ambition becomes destructive when ethics are compromised

Compassion becomes self-destruction without boundaries

Independence becomes isolation when connection is needed

Confidence becomes arrogance without self-reflection

Cautiousness becomes paralysis when action is required

Strengths in Character Arcs 📈

The MAGIC happens when you show how strengths evolve throughout your story:

The Dormant Strength - A character doesn't know they possess it until circumstances force it out

The Misused Strength - They have the strength but are applying it in harmful ways

The Costly Strength - Using this strength requires genuine sacrifice

The Transformative Strength - This strength fundamentally changes who they are

The Shared Strength - They teach/inspire this strength in others

The Rediscovered Strength - A strength they lost faith in that returns when most needed

The Evolving Strength - A strength that changes form as the character grows

The Collaborative Strength - A strength that only emerges when combined with another character's abilities

Writing Exercise for You! 📝

Take your protagonist and identify:

One strength they've always had and rely on

One strength they don't know they have yet

One strength that's actually causing problems

One strength they'll need to develop to overcome the main conflict

One strength they admire in someone else

One strength they've lost and need to reclaim

Genre-Crossing Character Strengths

These strengths work across ALL genres:

Perceptive Pattern Recognition - Seeing connections others miss

Adaptive Authenticity - Remaining true to themselves while evolving

Constructive Conflict Navigation - Using disagreement to build stronger relationships

Radical Responsibility - Owning their part in problems without self-flagellation

Generative Listening - Hearing beyond words to underlying meanings

Intentional Impact Awareness - Understanding how their actions affect others

Courageous Vulnerability - Risking rejection for authentic connection

Principled Pragmatism - Finding workable solutions that honor core values

Remember that in ANY genre, your character strengths should connect to their internal journey as much as their external conflicts. The most compelling characters have strengths that are tested, lost, rediscovered, transformed, and ultimately deepened through their story arc. 🌟

The most powerful character strengths aren't superpowers or extraordinary abilities - they're deeply human qualities taken to their most compelling expression. They're the things we recognize in ourselves but rarely develop fully. That's why they resonate so deeply with readers across all genres and age categories.

Hope this helps you craft characters with rich, nuanced strengths! Let me know if you want me to dive deeper into any of these - I could talk character development ALL DAY! 💖

~ Rin. T.

marketing promotion are literal hell, esp you're introvert. wdym i need to chat, call with everyone, and adapt to their interest. *sigh, get up, open sns and still done it*

Kyoto 京都 // JiYeon 지연

Writing Notes: Anatomy of Letterforms

Aperture—the opening of a not entirely closed, somewhat rounded space within a character (such as in ‘c’).

Apex—the topmost intersection where two strokes terminate.

Arc—a curved portion of a stroke.

Arm—a horizontal or upward stroke that does not connect with a stem on at least one end.

Ascender—portion of the lowercase that rises above the x-height.

Axis—the imaginary line bisecting the upper- and lowermost points where a stroke becomes thinnest.

Baseline—the line on which the letters of a font seem to rest.

Beak—a serif-like terminal in some serif type designs.

Bowl—the curved part of a letter surrounding a counter.

Bracket—a curved or wedge-like connection between a serif and the main stroke.

Cap height—the distance from the baseline to the top of the uppercase letters.

Character—a symbol with a unique linguistic meaning, such as a letter, number, punctuation mark, etc.

Counter—the typically rounded negative space partially or fully enclosed by part of a letter.

Crossbar—a horizontal stroke bridging two other strokes.

Cross stroke—a typically horizontal stroke crossing the stem of the lowercase ‘t’ or ‘f’.

Crotch—the inner angle where two strokes connect.

Descender—portion of the lowercase which extends below the baseline.

Finial—the tapered terminal of a curved stroke.

Foot—the end of a stem or stroke resting on the baseline.

Gadzook—a decorative detail connecting the letters in a ligature but is not a stroke essential to either letter.

Glyph—a unique drawing of a character or characters as a single unit. (For instance, a single character may have more than one glyph, like the y’s below. Or there may be multiple characters in a single glyph, as in a ligature.)

Ink trap—additional space added where two strokes form an acute angle, done to avoid ink build-up in that spot when the character is printed. It’s a space designed to literally trap excess ink.

Joint—the place where a stroke joins a stem.

Leg—the short, often diagonal, downstroke of letters like ‘R’, ‘K’ and ‘k’, typically resting on the baseline.

Lobe—a curved or rounded projection from the stem or main portion of the letter.

Loop—the bowl below the baseline on a double story lowercase ‘g’.

Neck—also known as a collar or link, the stroke that connects the top and bottom portions of a lowercase ‘g’.

Overshoot—portion of a letter pushing just beyond a line of measurement to achieve the appearance of being the same height as comparable letters.

Sans serif—without serifs.

Serif—a small stroke added to the end of a main stroke.

Shoulder—the curve at the beginning of a downward stroke, such as in ‘m’, ‘n’, or ‘h’.

Spine—the primary curved stroke of the letter ‘S’ or ‘s’.

Spur—a small protrusion off a main stroke.

Stem—the main, typically vertical, stroke of a glyph.

Stroke—a line forming part of a written or printed character.

Swash—an addition at the end of a stroke intended to beautify or add other visual interest to a glyph beyond what is necessary to define a character.

Tail—the descending, often decorative, stroke of the ‘Q’, and sometimes ‘R’ or ‘K’.

Tittle—the dot on the ‘i’ or ‘j’.

Vertex—the bottommost intersection where two strokes terminate.

X-height—the height of the lowercase without ascenders or descenders, usually typified by the height of the letter ‘x’.

Terminal—the end of a stroke:

Abrupt—the stroke ends without taper or embellishment.

Ball—the stroke finishes with a circular shape.

Calligraphic—the stroke finish gives a strong indication of the shape of the writing instrument used to form the letter.

Foxtail—the end of the stoke widens before curving around and ending in a point, similar to the shape of a fox’s tail.

Lachrymal or Teardrop—the stroke finishes in a teardrop shape.

Wedge—the stroke has a serif-like wedge added to it.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Enemies/Friends to Lovers & more Masterpost

Enemies to Lovers (and vice versa)

How to write Enemies to Lovers + Dialogue Prompts

Oblivious Enemies to Lovers Prompts

Enemies to Lovers: Falling for the flirt

Enemies to Lovers: Co-worker Edition Part I

Enemies to Lovers: Co-worker Edition Part II

Enemies to Lovers: Meet Ugly College Edition

Enemies to Lovers: Drama Club Edition

Enemies to Lovers: Apocalypse AU

Enemies to Lovers: Band Edition

Enemies to Lovers: Assassins Edition

Enemies to Lovers: Martial Arts Edition

Enemies to Lovers: Given up on life

Lovers to enemies

Reasons for lovers turning to enemies

Exes to Lovers

Exes to lovers prompts

Exes to lovers dialogue

Friends to Lovers

Reluctant allies to friends to lovers dynamic

Friends to lovers Prompts

Flirty friends to lovers Prompts

Friends with benefits to lovers Prompts

Friends to Lovers Ideas

Best friends to lovers Prompts

Childhood friends to lovers Prompts

Childhood friends to enemies to lovers Prompts

More:

Enemies to friends with benefits Prompts

Enemies to friends Prompts

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Writing Notes: Detective Story

References (Elements; Subgenres; Tips; Some Vocabulary)

Detective story - one whose plot hinges on a crime that the characters investigate and attempt to solve.

Also called “whodunnit” stories or crime stories.

Most detective stories are written from the point of view of a detective.

5 Basic Elements

A Detective

Usually featured as the protagonist.

Spend time thinking about your detective’s personality, their motivations, their background, their strengths, and their weaknesses. You’ll want your detective to be unique among the other detectives out there.

A Crime

Most detective stories revolve around a central crime or string of related crimes.

Since the crime will be the catalyst of your short story or novel, it should be interesting, memorable, and seemingly unsolvable—that way, readers will be so tantalized by the mystery of it that they’ll need to keep reading.

A dead body is a very common crime in detective fiction, but there are plenty of other options—from robberies to disappearances.

Suspects

Many detective stories include an array of suspects that could have committed the crime (either they have weak alibis or have a history of lying).

Your suspects are a vital part of your detective story; they serve as red herrings (or distractions) that will direct readers’ attention away from the true culprit.

Some mystery novels don’t have any suspects—this is a deliberate choice by crime writers that serves to heighten the tension in the story, but if your story doesn’t have any suspects, find creative ways to keep the case from going cold.

An Antagonist

The person whose goals are in direct conflict with the antagonist’s.

Traditionally, the antagonist is the true culprit for the story’s crime (or crimes), but that’s not who your antagonist has to be; the antagonist of your story could be a police officer who wants to solve the crime first or someone who knows the identity of the culprit and is trying to cover it up.

A Setting

The setting is a very important part of any detective story because the action in most detective stories takes place on the streets of its location.

Therefore the stories are inextricably linked to the time and place they are set in and are memorable because of those details.

5 Subgenres

Here are just a few subgenres that fall under detective stories

Police-department procedurals. Focus on police work and often feature homicide investigators and other departments of a local police force.

Cozy mysteries. These have a lighter tone than traditional detective fiction and avoid explicit depictions of the murder. They are often set in a small town and focus on puzzle-solving rather than suspense.

Hardboiled detective stories. These stories are usually dark and explicit, featuring a veteran detective who treats violent crimes matter-of-factly.

Thrillers. Emphasize suspenseful storytelling, often featuring chase scenes or murder sprees that the detective must stop before the time runs out.

Locked-room mysteries. Feature crimes that, at the outset, appear impossible—for instance, a murder taking place in a seemingly locked room with no other way in or out.

5 Tips for Writing a Good Detective Story

Interesting Motivation

The motivation of the culprit is one of the most crucial and prominent parts of detective work—what readers want to know even more than who committed the crime is why they committed it.

Nothing spoils a good detective story more than an uninteresting or unbelievable motivation (for instance, a serial killer who is just “pure evil” and has no discernable reasons for murdering) or an unmotivated confession.

In the same vein, your detective should also have a strong motivation for being in this line of work—it’s not easy, and many people wouldn’t be able to stomach it.

Learn about Detective Work

Readers want to feel immersed in the world of your detective story—whether it’s the world of the law or the seedy underbelly of a small town.

That’s why it’s so important to get the details right when crime writing—so you can keep the reader’s attention with believable plot points.

Do the research to make sure that you know who would be the first to make it to the scene of a crime, how detectives would go about tracking people down or questioning them, and what role forensics would play in your crime scene, so that your readers don’t spend any time wondering if what they’re reading is accurate to real life.

Too Easy

Readers pick up detective fiction because they want to be intrigued by a good mystery—so if your crime is too easy for them to solve, they’ll get bored and likely not finish the story.

Trust in your readers’ ability for logical deduction and don’t give too much away, leaving them guessing and really shocking them.

A Payoff

Try to avoid an outcome where readers will feel let down by the answer.

In the words of S. S. Van Dine, a famous mystery-novel-writing art critic, “A crime in a detective story must never turn out to be an accident or a suicide. To end an odyssey of sleuthing with such an anti-climax is to hoodwink the trusting and kind-hearted reader.”

By that same logic, try to avoid any “deus ex machina”— an impossible-to-solve situation is suddenly resolved with little or no effort from the characters.

Experiment & Innovate

Read lots of detective fiction and then subvert the tropes—

What if your main character is the person who committed the crime, and your bad guy is the detective or official investigator working to solve it?

Or what if your character’s love interest was the victim?

Common Terms in Detective Fiction

Establish a working vocabulary will help improve detective fiction writing

accusation - statement that places blame on a specific person or persons

alias - an alternate name used to conceal identity

alibi - an explanation that removes a person from the scene of a crime when it occurred

angle - specific strategy or way of looking at facts as employed by the detective during an investigation

autopsy - the medical examination of a corpse to determine cause(s) of death

booking - the process whereby a suspect is officially arrested and charged with a crime

case - the investigation of a crime from the time it is reported/ discovered until it is resolved (closed)

charges - specific crime(s) a person is accused of

circumstantial - indicative but not conclusive

clue - anything that sheds light on a particular case

collar - the actual arrest by a police officer

corpus dilecti - the actual body that proves a murder has been committed

crime of passion - a crime committed in a rage of anger, hatred, revenge, etc.

culprit - the “bad guy;” criminal

D.A. - district attorney; works for the government

deduction - conclusion reached through a logical progression of steps

defense - the argument made to show the innocence of the accused person

evidence - material that will prove innocence or guilt

eyewitness - someone who actually observes a crime and/or criminal

felony - major crime (i.e., armed robbery, murder, rape)

foil - the detective’s “right hand man;” he/she is usually quite different in nature. Ex: Holmes/Watson; Nero Wolfe/ Archie Goodwin

frame-up - deliberate trap set to lay blame on an innocent person

habeas corpus - accusor has to produce a body in order to hold a suspect

homicide - the act of murder

hunch - guess; instinct

informer - relays information to police/detective for money (usually)

inquest/inquiry - legal questioning concerning a particular event or action

lead - something/someone that may help move an investigation to a solution

malice aforethought - criminal was already considering a hostile act before the crime occurred

manslaughter - accidental killing

misdemeanor - minor offense

modus operandi - method of operation (m.o.) that a criminal employs during his crimes

morgue - city government building where dead bodies are kept during investigations

motive - reason for committing a crime

perpetrator - offender; criminal

post mortem - the report from an autopsy

premeditation - deliberate intent to perform a crime before it occurs

private eye - private detective

prosecutor - attorney working for the District Attorney; person trying to prove guilt in a courtroom

red herring - a false clue that usually misleads the reader (and often the detective)

set-up - a trap that is designed to catch a criminal or victim

sleuth - detective

statement - official document containing information supplied by witness, suspect, or any other person involved in an investigation

stool pigeon - informer

surveillance - constant visual or electronic monitoring of a person’s activities

suspect - someone who may have reason to have committed a specific crime

tank - jail cell

third degree - intensive questioning of a suspect

victim - person who is hurt or killed as a result of a criminal act

Sources: 1 2 Writing Notes: Autopsy ⚜ Word Lists: Forensics ⚜ Law-Related

my biggest awooga

best friends to lovers — werewolf edition!

important content warnings: 18+ MDNI, monsterfucking, friends to lovers, unestablished mating bond, mutual pining, college/modern AU.

pairing: werewolf!bsf!kiba inuzuka/fem!reader

divider credit: cafekitsune

↳ finding peace in the spontaneous wild (26.2k) — when an accidental encounter with your former childhood best friend leads you to agree to a one-night camping trip consisting of just you two, you discover that there’s more to your friendship than initially meets the eye.

↳ a friend, a mate, and all things in-between (22.8k) — after finding out the truth about the role you supposedly play in kiba’s life, you settle on a compromise of taking things slow and seeing where the wind takes you while you’re at it.

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