Ten Things That Are Ok, Even Good, To Eat Before You Sing

this was gonna be a tutorial and i guess it still is but if anything it’s just a really long and drawn out “essay” on drawing people with epicanthic folds. one of my biggest pet peeves is people drawing asian people exclusively with the same type of eye they’d give white people or anyone else who typically doesn’t have the fold! however i know that most people are taught with the standard white person eye (google image search for “eye” and it’ll all be pictures of white people’s eyes) so learning to draw epicanthic folds is a consciously learned thing. 

therefore i bring you this, which attempts to break the mechanics of epicanthic folds down into something that’s a bit easier to digest and implement in your own art! 

style can be argued i guess but it’s not that hard to stylize eyes with folds if you do proper observation and research. eyes with epicanthic folds are as diverse as eyes without so it’s not like you have to adhere to a strict model for them (although many people think that you have to) and all it takes to distinguish the two in stylized art (and even in semi/realism once you think about it) is a few lines! like i said this is a learned process but it’ll make your asian characters (and characters of other races even) a bit more interesting and believable.

Spent the last two days working on this little archery guide in art and writing. Considering the rise in popularity of archers in pop culture this hopefully  comes in handy for a bunch of fandoms.

quick proportion tips

- eyeballs are an eyeball width apart - ears align with the top of your brows to the bottom of your nose, and are the center-point of a profile view - lip corners line up to the center of each eye - hands are roughly the size of your face - feet are the same size as your forearm - elbows are aligned with your belly-button - your hands reach down mid-length of your thighs - both upper and lower legs (individually) are roughly the same size as your torso  (this is all rough estimates for proportion! feel free to add more to help others)

How to Write Successful Dialogue

@albino-troll-ninja asked:

Got any feedback/advice/links for someone who wants to make lengthy, relatively action-less dialogues between characters more than just “‘Loren ipsum,’ he said.” “'Ipsum lorem’, she replied.” for forty paragraphs?

No problem!  I love dialogue, so I’m happy to be of assistance in this department.  

Here are my personal rules of thumb:

1.  Allow the dialogue to show the character’s personality.

If you really think about your conversations, it can be telling exactly how much of someone’s personality can shine through when they speak.  

Allow your character’s persona, values, and disposition to spill over when they speak, and it will make for a significantly more interesting read for you and your reader. 

For example:  let’s take a look at a mundane exchange, and see how it can be spruced up by injecting it with a good dose of personality.

Exhibit A)

“How was your day, by the way?”  asked Oscar, pouring himself a drink.

“Not too bad,” replied Byron.  “Cloudy, but warm.  Not too many people.”

“That’s nice.”   

Exhibit B) 

“How was your day, by the way?” asked Oscar, pouring himself a drink. 

“Ugh.  Not too bad,” groaned Byron, draping himself on the couch.  “Warm, but dreary.  Gray clouds as far as the eye could see.  Not anyone worth mentioning out this time of year.”  A pause.  “Well, except me, of course.”

“Hmmph,” said Oscar, glancing over his shoulder.  “If it were me, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Isn’t that better?  Already, the audience will feel as though they’ve gotten to know these characters. 

This works for longer dialogue, too:  allow the character’s personal beliefs, life philosophy, and generally disposition to dictate how they talk, and your readers will thank you.

Of course, this example is also good for giving the reader a general sense of what the characters’ relationship is like.  Which brings me to my next point:

2.  Allow the dialogue to show the character’s relationship. 

Everyone is a slightly different person depending on who they’re around.  Dynamic is an important thing to master, and when you nail it between two characters, sparks can fly.

Work out which character assumes more of the Straight Man role, and which is quicker to go for lowbrow humor.  Think of who’s the more analytical of the two and who’s the more impulse driven.  Who would be the “bad cop” if the situation called for it.  

Then, allow for this to show in your dialogue, and it will immediately become infinitely more entertaining.

Example:  

“Alright,” said Fogg, examining the map before him.  “Thus far, we’ve worked out how we’re going to get in through the ventilation system, and meet up in the office above the volt.  Then, we’re cleared to start drilling.”

Passepartout grinned.  “That’s what she said.” 

“Oh, for the love of God – REALLY, Jean.  Really!?  We are PLANNING a goddamn bank robbery!”

Some more questions about dynamic to ask yourself before writing dialogue: 

Who is more likely to talk and who is more likely to listen? 

Who would talk with their mouth full of food and who would politely wait to swallow?

Is their relationship fraternal/sororal?  If so, who would be the “little sibling?”

Is one of them a bit of a mother/father figure to the other? 

Who more frequently gets irritated with who?

Who has the more understated sense of humor?  Who’s a bit more juvenile?

Who’s better educated?  Does it show when they speak?

Who’s a bit more pretentious/full of themselves?

Who interrupts more?

Who swears more?

This can also be a valuable tool to cluing your reader in on who the characters are as people: 

3.  Think about what this dialogue can tell the reader.

It’s better to fill the reader in more gradually than to waist your valuable first chapter on needless exposition, and dialogue is a great way to do it.  

Think about what your characters are saying, and think about ways in which you can “sneak in” details about their past, their families, and where they came from into the discussion.  

For example, you could say:

Tuckerfield was a happy-go-lucky Southern guy with domineering parents,

and bore everyone to death.  

Or you could have him say: 

“Sheesh.  All this sneakin’ around in the woods late at night reminds me of being back in Kansas.  Good times, man, good times.”  There was a pause, before he added,  “‘Course, it wasn’t nearly so fun when I came home late for curfew and had to sleep on the front step, but y’know.  Life happens.”

Isn’t that much better than the omnipresent monotone?

Dialogue is also a great way to fill in potential plot holes early on, by having your characters talk them out and explain them. 

Moreover, dialogue can also be used to foreshadow, offer relevant hints about the climax, or provide information necessary for the resolution.  

So use it wisely!  

4.  Sprinkle in mini-actions throughout. 

Even in actionless dialogue, no one actually does nothing.  In my case, for example, I stim a lot.  I play with my hair.  I play with eating utensils.  It’s probably very annoying for those around me, but you get the point.

Less fidget-y folks might not do this as much, but they rarely sit totally still during conversations, either.  So occasionally add in these mini-actions, and it will make your characters feel a bit less like disembodied voices or floating heads.

For instance:  

Jo leaned back in her chair rolling her stiff neck from sitting still for so long.  “…So the way I see it,” she continued.  “Even if Pheris Beuller’s Day Off didn’t take place in Cameron’s imagination, Pheris was clearly a sociopath whose behavior shouldn’t be glamorized.”

“Ha.  As if.”  Avery paused to sip her root beer.  “Pheris,” she began, raising an index finger.  “Was clearly emblematic of counterculturist movements such as the Beat Generation, and his disregard for the capitalistic dogmas imposed upon younger generations is something to be admired.” 

“For Christ’s sake, will you two lighten up?”  scoffed Leo, counting out bills for the pizza.  “We were talking about which movie we wanted to watch tonight.  Jesus.”

5.  Remember how people actually speak.

In real life conversations, people don’t speak in paragraphs.  Alright, some people might, and this can actually be interesting as the personality aspect of a certain type of character.  

But generally speaking, people don’t speak in paragraphs, or as though they’re writing thought-out prose or letters.

In real conversations, people stutter.  They laugh at their own jokes, repeat words or phrases, and lose their train of thought.

Naturally, you don’t have to illustrate in your writing exactly how chaotic and mundane human speech can be, as writing would be pretty boring in general if it was strictly limited to miming reality.  But it’s good to keep in mind that your characters are talking, not writing in purple prose.

Exhibit A: 

“When I was a young boy, my mother and I had a most tumultuous relationship,” said Marcus.  “She saw me as a hallmark of her past failures, and took every opportunity to remind me as such.”     

Exhibit B:

“My mom, when I was kid, we had what you’d call a sort of tumultuous relationship,” said Marcus.  “Nothing I ever did was right for her.  She, uh – I think she saw me as sort of a hallmark of her past failures.  Took every opportunity to remind me of that.”    

Which of these is more organic, more easy to visualize, and more telling of character?  Unless the point of this dialogue is to illustrate that Marcus is a gentleman crook of some kind with pristine speaking mannerisms, I’m going to say the latter. 

Best of luck, I hope this helps, and happy writing!  <3

I made a slideshow about how to create a fictional character… I got most of the information from the ‘start writing fiction’ (free) course on the OpenUniversity website and found it incredibly useful so here’s a visual version for you :)

“Pick your battles. Pick… pick fewer battles than that. Put some back. That’s too many.”

— Tsuna at Hibari

“Have we met before?”

“No…no.”

“Then why are you crying?”

okay so my boyfriend is talking about wanting to eat me out. i’m a virgin and i’m worried i might taste weird. what can i do to taste good for him? also any tips for being in a sexual relationship ? thank you.

This is a fun new step in your relationship! Remember that if you’re not ready it’s ok to say so and wait. And if you are ready then that’s also good.

Tasting better

🌼-Eating the right thingsEating certain foods can make you smell and taste better. The big ones for this are pineapples, cranberries, yogurt, celery, strawberries, apple, and parsnips. But especially cranberries (you can just drink cranberry juice you don’t have to eat them it works the same)

🌹-Drink water!!Drinking water is major. It cleans out your system and removes toxins and just makes you healthier in general

🌼- Change your underwearThis might not apply to you but if you don’t already change your underwear everyday you should start. That way your pussy isn’t sitting in anything from the day before that could make you smell worse, taste worse, and put you on track for a UTI or yeast infection

🌹-Shower!Along the lines of the last one, hygiene is super important if you want to look smell and taste your best. Don’t use any harsh soaps usually just water does the trick or a little gentle body wash (go for unscented it’s better for your skin anyways)

🌼- ShaveThis is a totally optional tip and you by no means have to do it but it can be beneficial if you do it before hand (just be careful and don’t do it all the time because it’s better for your vaginal health to have some bush) even just trimming works that way you can feel better without hair in your way or getting in his mouth

Sexual tips and tricks (specifically for getting eaten out)

🌹-ForeplayNo one wants to just jump right in and get it over with unless it’s a quickie before work or something. If you’re in for a long night and you know it then draw it out make him wait or have him make you wait. It makes is a million times better to be super riled up I p r o m i s e. Best orgasm you’re ever gonna have is when you’ve been building up to it for an hour or two. Seems like a long time but never underestimate the enjoyment of making out and the simple joy of figuring out what each other likes

🌼-Show him some loveYour man is gonna be much more willing to do things with you if you show him how much you want him to and what you want to do with him too. Remember that everyone basically thinks only of themselves most of the time so be sure to focus on him a bit before he goes to town with you. This can be anything from kissing or marking or whatever makes him happy.

🌹-Be VocalTell him what you like and don’t like. Don’t hold it back because you don’t want to embarrass him. Both of you will have a much better time if you’re open and understanding. If you like something don’t hold back. Tell him. If you don’t like something speak up. He’s eating you out because he wants you to feel good so tell him if something needs to change to get there. And above all if you become uncomfortable and don’t want to continue, TELL HIM. It’s ok to stop and it’s ok to wait. You don’t need to take this step if you’re just doing it because you feel like you should. Wait a bit and think it over some more. It’s your body and and only you know when you’re ready.

Hope that helped! Shoot me back an ask or a dm and let me know if you have anymore questions I’m always happy to help :)

Singing Tip #4

Learn how to properly pronounce dipthongs when singing. A dipthong is a word that has one vowel, but two vowel sounds.

For example, “light” . It only has one vowel (I) but if you say it slowly you’ll hear that you pronounce it as “ah- eet” .

So when you’re singing, if you have to hold a note on the word “light” you need to be aware that it’s a dipthong. So instead of holding the “I” as “iiiiiiiiii” you should hold the “aaaaaaahhhhh” and then right as you stop, finish with the “eet” sound.

Holding the wrong vowel and under enunciating words can take away from the quality of your voice and leads to a bad performance.

seokjin: jungkook no

jungkook: jungkook yes

namjoon: jungkook no!

jungkook: jungkook maybe

jimin *softly*: jungkook …

jungkook: jungkook no.