I am half Scottish and half Japanese- I hand-sewed this kimono from men’s dress shirts and boxer shorts.

What did she do: THAT Who is she: THAT BITCH

Maya Caulfield recently completed a handmade kimono that celebrates her half Scottish and half Japanese ancestry in one eclectic garment. Created in a traditional kimono silhouette, the fabric is sourced from different types of plaid, from tartan to buffalo check. “I don’t usually make textile art,” Caulfield tells My Modern Met via email, “but I do make my own clothes on occasion and I always make sure that they are very personal to me and one of a kind—I don’t want to sew something that someone else would have in their closet.”

Maya Caulfield Instagram /  Woman Hand Sews Eclectic Kimono to Honor Her Japanese and Scottish Ancestry

Make your deaths mean something

I was beta reading a book for a friend from the NaNo group where I live and during a certain part of the book, I sensed that someone in the story was going to die. I’d never read anything by her, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from the immanent death and it made me a bit nervous. (I even messaged her on Facebook to tell her that I would be disappointed if she “Romeo and Juliette-ed” the story.

After finishing the story, I thought it would be a good idea to write a bit about using death in your stories. What kinds of pitfalls you might encounter and how it can help your story grow.

Fiction vs Reality

Death is a fact of life. I’m sure you’ve heard this quote from Ben Franklin: “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

It has become a bit cliche, but that doesn’t change the truth in the quote. If you ignore the revolving door of certain fictional characters, everyone is going to die.

In fiction, death is less permanent. Harry Potter (and Voldemort for that matter) died at some point in the novels. Jean Grey and death are old friends that visit from time to time. (Although Magneto has been dead more times.)

So what does this mean for your story? Here are a few suggestions:

Let’s consider a popular fictional death-Gandalf the Grey.

Gandalf is the leader of the company because of his knowledge Middle Earth. He has long wandered the highways and byways of the world and knows many of the secret places. When he leads the company to the mines of Moira, it is because the path is secret and will hide them from prying eyes.

The problem the story encounters is that Gandalf has become a crutch to the story. If he remains, then every problem can and will be solved by him. No one will grow, and the story will stagnate.

Gandalf’s death brings about many changes. Here are a few of them:

Gandalf’s death is the catalyst for all of the action that takes place afterwards.

What purpose does death serve in a story?

Gandalf is just one example of a death in a story, and death can serve many purposes in a narrative.Let’s consider some of the ways that death can have an impact on your narrative:

Avoid cliches

Let’s take a moment to talk about cliches. Cliches are everywhere, and there are more of them every day. So how did cliches get to be so cliche in the first place?

A cliche is kind of like peer pressure-Everybody’s doing it. That’s how it became a cliche. In fact, every cliche was once an original idea, and everybody loved it. Just think, there was once a movie audience that had never seen any of the horror cliches, and they were amazed and shocked by the jump scares, and other overdone tricks that we groan about.

The problem with originality is that after someone sees it and wants to use it for their own project, there’s the danger of everyone wants to try it too. Before long, that unique take on the world has become overdone and boring. 

What’s worse is that people are going to forget who had the original idea. If you look at the Lord of the Rings, it’s just like so much of the fantasy stories out there these days, but don’t forget that Tolkein wrote his books when the world of fantasy was young.

So what does that have to do with death in your story anyway?

Common Death Cliches

Hopefully that gives you some food for thought about death. (Yes, I am well aware that 'food for thought’ is a cliche, but I wanted to check if you were paying attention.)

If you have other questions, let us know, and feel free to give us some feedback on the post.

Billy

I made a post that has gotten almost twelve thousand notes.

What your favorite book series as a child says about you

The Little House on the Prairie: you love cottagecore, are a plant mom, and possibly have a thing for older men.

The Chronicles of Narnia: you are still chasing the high that these books gave you. If you were religious when you read them, you still are and it's because of these books. If you weren't, then you're a queer atheist who hates to love these books.

Warriors: You're either clinically insane or somehow turned out normal.

City of Ember: You are really disappointed that nobody talks about these books anymore. You love a good conspiracy theory.

Percy Jackson: To this day you are still obsessed with the Greek gods.

— From 1936 Newbery Medal winner Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrei Brink

Just create the thing you want to create. Because who's going to stop you? Oh, it's you yourself? Well you can't let that bastard win, can you?

You were just sucked up and abducted by a UFO. The alien inside addresses you, “Is this translator working? Listen. I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend for three days so my parents will get off my back about it.”

Beijing home price slide fans China property sector alarm

MOOD

I have absolutely no interest in being "Good"

And I have even less interest than that in being "Just like everybody else"

This is the story that Mystique deserves in the X-Men movies. She's not meant to be making jokes with Magneto in the Blackbird like the "cool kids" in the back of the classroom. She's not meant to be Xavier's lapdog.

Mystique took charge of the Brotherhood after teaching Blob how to use his powers to escape a cell designed to contain him. She collected a team that was more dangerous and capable than Magneto's original team.

She took the steps to protect her team by letting the US government use them as Freedom Force.

None of the movies come close to understanding her. Besides, we need Destiny in the upcoming MCU.

That's actually gothically romantic as fuck. Conan the Barbarian 100

<3_<3

That is 100% like something my gf would come out with while snuggling me through one of my Bad Brain Days

Hold on, I have an incorrect quote to make real quick

SHARE IT :D

So Lex, buddy, here's the thing Promises you make to the people you love are not supposed to be genie contracts you try to rules lawyer your way out of. Action Comics 319

Holy shit, that third panel.

Clark

Is

Pissed.

That is an incredible display of anger for him, especially for the time period.

That woman, bless her heart and soul. Loved Luthor, found something in that man that was worth giving her heart away for And he...LIED to her. Used her as a prop just to get back at Clark. Let her mourn, let her get trotted out as effigy for her entire planet. Gave her trauma on her heart that will never really go away, betrayed her trust.

Lex's obsessive and self-destructive loathing of Superman really is a perfect example of what a sad and utterly pathetic life it is to define yourself only by what you hate. Whether its motivated by ego or bigotry or a mix of both, every version of Lex is consumed and destroyed by their stupid hatred of Superman

He cannot get through a day without obsessing about Superman. Cannot enjoy anything, cannot love anything, cannot feel anything other than his obsessive need to kill Superman.

He's got a fucking PLANET that adores him, a woman who loves him, but none of that is enough for him because he still just HAS to beat Superman

For all his scientific brilliance, Lex is an idiot

Clark got married to a spitfire of a woman who doesn't let him get away with nothin Has a family around him that swells every day with love and joy, albums upon albums stuffed with memories of children that he knows in his very heart of hearts will someday surpass him He can feel his boots on his parents' land and hear their voices in his ears and lay flowers at their graves because of that one little, alien secret Lex will never understand Most days? Clark doesn't bother to think about Lex at all

And the irony is that Lex is utterly convinced that Superman must be just like him

The only interest Superman has in Lex is a desire to stop him hurting and exploiting others. Other than that Superman has other things to be doing and thinking about

Clark's made a life of love and joy and warmth for himself while for all his wealth and power Lex's life is utterly hollow and empty

Wow there’s some fucking bullshit going on in the replies here. Moderate your fucking spaces on the internet, kick racists and other bad actors to the kerb or you risk losing everyone else. This guy has the right of it (scroll up to top).

Quit thinking you need to be fair to unfair voices

For anyone who can’t/won’t read that twitter thread, it’s by Michael B. Tager (@IamRageSparkle) and it says: 

I was at a shitty crustpunk bar once getting an after-work beer. One of those shitholes where the bartenders clearly hate you. So the bartender and I were ignoring one another when someone sits next to me and he immediately says, “no. get out.”

And the dude next to me says, “hey i’m not doing anything, i’m a paying customer.” and the bartender reaches under the counter for a bat or something and says, “out. now.” and the dude leaves, kind of yelling. And he was dressed in a punk uniform, I noticed

Anyway, I asked what that was about and the bartender was like, “you didn’t see his vest but it was all nazi shit. Iron crosses and stuff. You get to recognize them.” And i was like, ohok and he continues.

“you have to nip it in the bud immediately. These guys come in and it’s always a nice, polite one. And you serve them because you don’t want to cause a scene. And then they become a regular and after awhile they bring a friend. And that dude is cool too.

And then THEY bring friends and the friends bring friends and they stop being cool and then you realize, oh shit, this is a Nazi bar now. And it’s too late because they’re entrenched and if you try to kick them out, they cause a PROBLEM. So you have to shut them down.

And i was like, ‘oh damn.’ and he said “yeah, you have to ignore their reasonable arguments because their end goal is to be terrible, awful people.” And then he went back to ignoring me. But I haven’t forgotten that at all.

[ID: Screenshot of a tweet from @/AmazonChique that reads ‘Pathfinder FB fan group banned all racist members. The next week, they saw a drop in harassing & threatening posts of ALL kinds. From the mod: “I encourage every community to quit thinking you need to be fair to unfair voices. Get the rot out and you’ll have a healthier community” End ID]

Tolerance is not a moral absolute; it is a peace treaty And peace treaties are not unilateral. They have obligations running in both directions.

You are not bound to tolerate people who have a stated intent to not tolerate you. Nor should you tolerate people who have a stated intent to not tolerate people who are tolerating you.

Thank you for sharing this everyone, for image IDing and all of it, thank you.

Tolerance is not a moral absolute; it is a peace treaty

ok..!

Wow there’s some fucking bullshit going on in the replies here. Moderate your fucking spaces on the internet, kick racists and other bad actors to the kerb or you risk losing everyone else. This guy has the right of it (scroll up to top).

Quit thinking you need to be fair to unfair voices

For anyone who can’t/won’t read that twitter thread, it’s by Michael B. Tager (@IamRageSparkle) and it says: 

I was at a shitty crustpunk bar once getting an after-work beer. One of those shitholes where the bartenders clearly hate you. So the bartender and I were ignoring one another when someone sits next to me and he immediately says, “no. get out.”

And the dude next to me says, “hey i’m not doing anything, i’m a paying customer.” and the bartender reaches under the counter for a bat or something and says, “out. now.” and the dude leaves, kind of yelling. And he was dressed in a punk uniform, I noticed

Anyway, I asked what that was about and the bartender was like, “you didn’t see his vest but it was all nazi shit. Iron crosses and stuff. You get to recognize them.” And i was like, ohok and he continues.

“you have to nip it in the bud immediately. These guys come in and it’s always a nice, polite one. And you serve them because you don’t want to cause a scene. And then they become a regular and after awhile they bring a friend. And that dude is cool too.

And then THEY bring friends and the friends bring friends and they stop being cool and then you realize, oh shit, this is a Nazi bar now. And it’s too late because they’re entrenched and if you try to kick them out, they cause a PROBLEM. So you have to shut them down.

And i was like, ‘oh damn.’ and he said “yeah, you have to ignore their reasonable arguments because their end goal is to be terrible, awful people.” And then he went back to ignoring me. But I haven’t forgotten that at all.

[ID: Screenshot of a tweet from @/AmazonChique that reads ‘Pathfinder FB fan group banned all racist members. The next week, they saw a drop in harassing & threatening posts of ALL kinds. From the mod: “I encourage every community to quit thinking you need to be fair to unfair voices. Get the rot out and you’ll have a healthier community” End ID]

Tolerance is not a moral absolute; it is a peace treaty And peace treaties are not unilateral. They have obligations running in both directions.

You are not bound to tolerate people who have a stated intent to not tolerate you. Nor should you tolerate people who have a stated intent to not tolerate people who are tolerating you.

Thank you for sharing this everyone, for image IDing and all of it, thank you.

Tolerance is not a moral absolute; it is a peace treaty

ok..!

^_____^

<3 The Master being an absolute Mood here <3

It is good to be recognized for your accomplishments.

"The Don't Say Gay Law has been cut down to size in more ways than this.

- LGBTQ+ students and staff may now be protected by anti-bullying and anti-discrimination measures

- Libraries are free to restock LGBTQ+ books

- LGBTQ+ topics may be discussed freely

GO CRY IN A CORNER RON

Florida teachers can discuss sexual orientation and gender ID under ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill settlement

Tags via @bisexualamy - here's what's still out of bounds:

[Text ID:

#lgbtq #to be clear: this settlement applies to school libraries and teachers and anti discrimination #however the court upheld the part of the law that says schools are not allowed to discuss lgbtq topics as part of instruction #basically queer students are legally protected from bullying and teachers can be openly queer and libraries can restock queer books #but they can't assign queer books in class and can't discuss gender and sexuality in health classes and things like that #still a win but this law is still way out of line

/end ID]