Katherine Frances's Blog, page 357
June 14, 2015
Writing Research - The Middle Ages
Middle Ages (or Medieval period), lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. It began with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and merged into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: Antiquity, Medieval period, and Modern period. The Medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, the High, and the Late Middle Ages. [1] [2]
Names
Society & Life
Timeline - Middle Ages: 500 AD - 1500 AD
Medieval History Timeline
Middle Ages - History
Medieval Children - Daily Life for Children in the Middle Ages
BBC - What Medieval Europe Did With Its Teenagers
Childhood in Medieval England
Daily Life in England in the Middle Ages
Feudal System
Medieval Life
Medieval Education
Life in a Medieval Castle
Middle Ages Castle
Medieval Occupations - Jobs
Rooms in Medieval Castle
Officers & Servants in a Medieval Castle
The Middle Ages - Town Life
The Middle Ages - Feudal Life
Village Life in the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages - Homes
The Middle Ages - More About Homes
Medieval Life - Housing
Medieval - Homes for the Rich
Medieval Manor Houses
The Middle Ages - Religion
Middle Ages Religion
Medieval Chivalry
Middle Ages Women
Noble Women in Middle Ages
Education and Literacy
Employment - A Woman’s Work
Marriage, Romance, and Women in Medieval Times
Life in a Medieval Village - Marriage
Middle Ages - Marriage, Pleasure and Consummation
Divorce and Medieval’s Women’s Rights
During Medieval Europe, how taboo was incest and homosexuality?
Any noteworthy examples of tolerance towards homosexuality in the Medieval Ages?
How common was it for people of color to live in Medieval Europe, and how were they treated by both white commoners and nobles?
How were elder people regarded and treated in the Middle Ages?
How were disabled people (mentally or physically) viewed during the middle ages and were deformed babies ever killed at birth?
How were people of small stature treated or perceived during the Middle Ages?
Middle Ages People
Medieval History - Knight’s Life
The History of Knights
Becoming a Knight
Knights Templar
Uses of Herbs in Medieval Life
Life in a Medieval Monastery
Medieval Monastery
Daily Life of a Monk in the Middle Ages
Medieval Monks
Medieval Monastery Map
Medieval Technology
Trade and Travel in the Middle Ages
Medieval Deaths, Funeral Rites & Rituals
Medieval and Renaissance Fact and Fiction
ORB: The Online Reference Book for Medieval Studies
ORB: Web Sites Relevant to Medieval Studies
Odin’s Castle of Dreams & Legends - Medieval History
Kingdom of Atlantian A&S Links: Main
SCA, Inc. - Research & Resource LinksCommerce
Currency and Banking in the late Middle Ages
Money in the Middle Ages
Medieval Price List
Medieval England - List of Prices of ItemsEntertainment & Food
Medieval Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Medieval Art
Art History Resources - Medieval Art
The Middle Ages - Music
Ballads: Exploring the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages - Arts & Entertainment
The Middle Ages - Medieval Music
Medieval and Renaissance Instruments
Entertainment in the Middle Ages
Medieval Entertainment
Medieval Sports
Medieval Games & Pastimes
Recreation & Leisure
Toys in the Middle Ages
The Joust
A Medieval Tournament
Medieval Literature
More Medieval Literature
Middle Ages: Books and Literature
Medieval Stories
Medieval Weddings
Meals & Etiquette
Medieval Cookery
Gode Cookery: A Compilation of Medieval Recipes from Authentic Sources
Mythical Plants of the Middle Ages
Medieval Food & Cooking
Middle Ages Food
Middle Ages Food Recipes
Compilation of Medieval Recipes
A Little Culinary History - Medieval Cookery & Food
Medieval SCA Recipes Cookbook
Medieval Food
Medieval Drinks
Kingdom of Atlantian Brewers Guild - Recipes
How did people get fresh water in the Middle Ages?Hygiene, Health & Medicine
The Middle Ages - Health
Medieval Health
Middle Ages Doctors
Medicine in the Middle Ages
Medicine History in the Middle Ages
The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Medicine in the Middle Ages
Famines of the Middle Ages
Medieval Diseases
Health and Medicine in Medieval England
The Black Death, 1348
The Black Death - Bubonic Plague
Survival of the Black Death
Was there anything that existed in Middle Ages that would have been able to prevent and/or cure Bubonic Plague (AKA Black Death)?
How did doctors and carters protect themselves during the Black Death?
In the times of the Great Plague, did doctors know about the concept of contamination?
Why did certain regions of Europe escape the Black Death?
The Medieval Miracles of Healing
Medieval Healthcare
Medieval Feminine Hygiene
Medieval Bathing
Medieval Oral Care
Medieval Skincare
Medieval Births and Birthing
Sex, Contraception, and Sexuality
Birth Control and Abortion in the Middle Ages
Would most medieval women have understood the specific causes of pregnancy?
How were one or more miscarriage viewed in the late Middle Ages?
In Medieval Europe, what would have been the reaction to a person going into a coma?Fashion
The Middle Ages - Clothing
Medieval Clothing
Medieval Pleasant Clothing
Middle Ages Ladies Dresses
Medieval Lord Clothing
Medieval Women’s Clothing
Footwear of the Middle Ages
Glossary of Middle Ages Footwear
Middle Ages Hairstyles
Middle Ages/Renaissance Hairstyles
Medieval Hairstyles
Medieval Cosmetics
Scents of the Middle Ages
Medieval JewelryDialogue
Medieval Glossary
Middle Ages Glossary
Medieval Origins (Words & Phrases)
Writing Medieval Dialogue
The Medieval Speech
Medieval Cryptography
Medieval Illuminated ManuscriptsJustice & Crime
Middle Ages - Major Wars and Conflicts
Law and Order of the Middle Ages
Medieval Warfare
Medieval Military Organization
Medieval Torture
Middle Ages Torture
Medieval Warfare & Arms
Middle Ages Weapons
Europe Medieval Swords
Women at War
Medieval Life - Crime and Punishment
Breakin’ the Law
Feudal Justice
Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages
10 Brutal Judicial Punishments from the Middle Ages
Law in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages Justice & Law
To what extent was torture criticized or objected too in the Middle Ages
What was the public’s consensus on the effectiveness of Medieval torture methods to extract information. Wouldn’t it have been obvious that people are giving in to false confessions in order to stop the pain. Were there any outspoken critics of torture?
Body Language: Eyes
So I stumbled across this really useful thing which I use for writing and wanted to share it with you all.
(source: changingminds.org)
The eyes are often called, with some justification, ‘the windows of the soul’ as they can send many different non-verbal signals. For reading body language this is quite useful as looking at people’s eyes are a normal part of communication (whilst gazing at other parts of the body can be seen as rather rude). When a person wears dark glasses, especially indoors, this prevents others from reading their eye signals. It is consequently rather disconcerting, which is why ‘gangsters’ and those seeking to appear powerful sometimes wear them.
Looking Up
When a person looks upwards they are often thinking. In particular they are probably making pictures in their head and thus may well be an indicator of a visual thinker.
When they are delivering a speech or presentation, looking up may be their recalling their prepared words.
Looking upwards and to the left can indicate recalling a memory. Looking upwards and the right can indicate imaginative construction of a picture (which can hence betray a liar). Be careful with this: sometimes the directions are reversed – if in doubt, test the person by asking them to recall known facts or imagine something.
Looking up may also be a signal of boredom as the person examines the surroundings in search of something more interesting.
Head lowered and eyes looking back up at the other person is a coy and suggestive action as it combines the head down of submission with eye contact of attraction. It can also be judgemental, especially when combined with a frown.Looking Down
Looking at a person can be an act of power and domination. Looking down involves not looking at the other person, which hence may be a sign of submission (‘I am not a threat, really; please do not hurt me. You are so glorious I would be dazzled if I looked at you.’)
Looking down can thus be a signal of submission. It can also indicate that the person is feeling guilty.
A notable way that a lower person looks down at a higher person is by tilting their head back. Even taller people may do this.
Looking down and to the left can indicate that they are talking to themselves (look for slight movement of the lips). Looking down and to the right can indicate that they are attending to internal emotions.
In many cultures where eye contact is a rude or dominant signal, people will look down when talking with others in order to show respect.Looking Sideways
Much of our field of vision is in the horizontal plane, so when a person looks sideways, they are either looking away from what is in front of them or looking towards something that has taken their interest.
A quick glance sideways can just be checking the source of a distraction to assess for threat or interest. It can also be done to show irritation ('I didn’t appreciate that comment!’).
Looking to the left can indicate a person recalling a sound. Looking to the right can indicate that they are imagining the sound. As with visual and other movements, this can be reversed and may need checking against known truth and fabrication.Lateral movement
Eyes moving from side-to-side can indicate shiftiness and lying, as if the person is looking for an escape route in case they are found out.
Lateral movement can also happen when the person is being conspiratorial, as if they are checking that nobody else is listening.
Eyes may also move back and forth sideways (and sometimes up and down) when the person is visualizing a big picture and is literally looking it over.Gazing
Looking at something shows an interest in it, whether it is a painting, a table or a person. When you look at something, then others who look at your eyes will feel compelled to follow your gaze to see what you are looking at. This is a remarkable skill as we are able to follow a gaze very accurately.
When looking at a person normally, the gaze is usually at eye level or above (see eye contact, below). The gaze can also be a defocused looking at the general person.
Looking at a person’s mouth can indicate that you would like to kiss them. Looking at sexual regions indicates a desire to have sexual relations with them.
Looking up and down at a whole person is usually sizing them up, either as a potential threat or as a sexual partner (notice where the gaze lingers). This can be quite insulting and hence indicate a position of presumed dominance, as the person effectively says 'I am more powerful than you, your feelings are unimportant to me and you will submit to my gaze’.
Looking at their forehead or not at them indicates disinterest. This may also be shown by defocused eyes where the person is 'inside their head’ thinking about other things.
The power gaze is a short but intense gaze that is used to impose one’s will on another, showing power without aggression.
It is difficult to conceal a gaze as we are particularly adept at identifying exactly where other people are looking. This is one reason why we have larger eye whites than animals, as it aids complex communication.
People who are lying may look away more often as they feel guilty when looking at others. However, when they know this, they may over-compensate by looking at you for longer than usual. This also helps them watch your body language for signs of detection.
The acceptable duration of a gaze varies with culture and sometimes even a slight glance is unacceptable, such as between genders or by a lower status person.
Non-visual gaze patterns (NVGPs) involve rapid movements (saccades) and fixations while we are 'inside our heads’, thinking. Rapid movements happen more when we are accessing long-term memory and fixations more when we are accessing working memory. This is useful to detect whether people are thinking about older events or recent events (or old events that are already brought to working memory).Glancing
Glancing at something can betray a desire for that thing, for example glancing at the door can indicate a desire to leave.
Glancing at a person can indicate a desire to talk with them. It can also indicate a concern for that person’s feeling when something is said that might upset them.
Glancing may indicate a desire to gaze at something or someone where it is forbidden to look for a prolonged period.
Glancing sideways at a person with raised eyebrows can be a sign of attraction. Without the raised eyebrow it is more likely to be disapproval.Eye Contact
Eye contact between two people is a powerful act of communication and may show interest, affection or dominance.Doe Eyes
A softening of the eyes, with relaxing of muscles around the eye and a slight defocusing as the person tries to take in the whole person is sometimes called doe eyes, as it often indicates sexual desire, particularly if the gaze is prolonged and the pupils are dilated (see below). The eyes may also appear shiny.Making Eye Contact
Looking at a person acknowledges them and shows that you are interested in them, particularly if you look in their eyes.
Looking at a person’s eyes also lets you know where they are looking. We are amazingly good at detecting what they are looking at and can detect even a brief glance at parts of our body, for example.
If a person says something when you are looking away and then you make eye contact, then this indicates they have grabbed your attention.Breaking eye contact
Prolonged eye contact can be threatening, so in conversation we frequently look away and back again.
Breaking eye contact can indicate that something that has just been said that makes the person not want to sustain eye contact, for example that they are insulted, they have been found out, they feel threatened, etc. This can also happen when the person thinks something that causes the same internal discomfort. Of course, a break in eye contact can also be caused by something as simple as dried out contacts or any new stimulus in one’s immediate area, so it’s important to watch for other signals.
Looking at a person, breaking eye contact and then looking immediately back at them is a classic flirting action, particularly with the head held coyly low in suggested submission.
Long eye contact
Eye contact longer than normal can have several different meanings.
Eye contact often increases significantly when we are listening, and especially when we are paying close attention to what the other person is saying. Less eye contact is used when talking, particularly by people who are visual thinkers as they stare into the distance or upwards as they 'see’ what they are talking about.
We also look more at people we like and like people who look at us more. When done with doe eyes and smiles, it is a sign of attraction. Lovers will stare into each others eyes for a long period. Attraction is also indicated by looking back and forth between the two eyes, as if we are desperately trying to determine if they are interested in us too.
An attraction signal that is more commonly used by women is to hold the other person’s gaze for about three seconds, Then look down for a second or two and then look back up again (to see if they have taken the bait). If the other person is still looking at them, they are rewarded with a coy smile or a slight widening of the eyes ('Yes, this message is for you!’).
When done without blinking, contracted pupils and an immobile face, this can indicate domination, aggression and use of power. In such circumstances a staring competition can ensue, with the first person to look away admitting defeat.
Prolonged eye contact can be disconcerting. A trick to reduce stress from this is to look at the bridge of their nose. They will think you are still looking in their eyes.
Sometimes liars, knowing that low eye contact is a sign of lying, will over-compensate and look at you for a longer than usual period. Often this is done without blinking as they force themselves into this act. They may smile with the mouth, but not with the eyes as this is more difficult.Limited eye contact
When a person makes very little eye contact, they may be feeling insecure. They may also be lying and not want to be detected.In persuasion
Eye contact is very important for persuasion. If you look at the other person and they do not look back at you, then their attention is likely elsewhere. Even if they hear you, the lack of eye contact reduces the personal connection.
If you want to persuade or change minds, then the first step is to gain eye contact and then sustain it with regular reconnection.Staring
Staring is generally done with eyes wider than usual, prolonged attention to something and with reduced blinking. It generally indicates particular interest in something or someone.
Staring at a person can indicate shock and disbelief, particularly after hearing unexpected news.
When the eyes are defocused, the person’s attention may be inside their head and what they are staring at may be of no significance. (Without care, this can become quite embarrassing for them).
Prolonged eye contact can be aggressive, affectionate or deceptive and is discussed further above. Staring at another’s eyes is usually more associated with aggressive action.
A short stare, with eyes wide open and then back to normal indicates surprise. The correction back to normal implies that the person would like to stare more, but knows it is impolite (this may be accompanied with some apologetic text).
When a person stares at another, then the second person may be embarrassed and look away. If they decide to stare back, then the people 'lock eyes’ and this may become a competition with the loser being the person who looks away first.
The length of an acceptable stare varies across cultures, as does who is allowed to stare, and at what. Babies and young children stare more, until they have learned the cultural rules.Following
The eyes will naturally follow movement of any kind. If the person is looking at something of interest then they will naturally keep looking at this. They also follow neutral or feared things in case the movement turns into a threat.
This is used when sales people move something like a pen or finger up and down, guiding where the customer looks, including to eye contact and to parts of the product being sold.Squinting
Narrowing of a person’s eyes can indicate evaluation, perhaps considering that something told to them is not true (or at least not fully so).
Squinting can also indicate uncertainty ('I cannot quite see what is meant here.’)
Narrowing eyes has a similar effect to constricted pupils in creating a greater depth of field so you can see more detail. This is used by animals when determining distance to their prey and can have a similar aggressive purpose.
Squinting can be used by liars who do not want the other person to detect their deception.
When a person thinks about something and does not want to look at the internal image, they may involuntarily squint.
Squinting can also happen when lights or the sun are bright.
Lowering of eyelids is not really a squint but can have a similar meaning. It can also indicate tiredness.
Lowering eyelids whilst still looking at the other person can be a part of a romantic and suggestive cluster, and may be accompanied with tossing back the head and slightly puckering the lips in a kiss.Blinking
Blinking is a neat natural process whereby the eyelids wipe the eyes clean, much as a windscreen wiper on a car.
Blink rate tends to increase when people are thinking more or are feeling stressed. This can be an indication of lying as the liar has to keep thinking about what they are saying. Realizing this, they may also force their eyes open and appear to stare.
Blinking can also indicate rapport, and people who are connected may blink at the same rate. Someone who is listening carefully to you is more likely to blink when you pause (keeping eyes open to watch everything you say).
Beyond natural random blinking, a single blink can signal surprise that the person does not quite believe what they see ('I’ll wipe my eyes clean to better see’).
Rapid blinking blocks vision and can be an arrogant signal, saying 'I am so important, I do not need to see you’.
Rapid blinking also flutters the eyelashes and can be a coy romantic invitation.
Reduced blinking increases the power of a stare, whether it is romantic or dominant in purpose.Winking
Closing one eye in a wink is a deliberate gesture that often suggests conspiratorial ('You and I both understand, though others do not’).
Winking can also be a slightly suggestive greeting and is reminiscent of a small wave of the hand ('Hello there, gorgeous!’).Closing
Closing the eyes shuts out the world. This can mean 'I do not want to see what is in front of me, it is so terrible’.
Sometimes when people are talking they close their eyes. This is an equivalent to turning away so eye contact can be avoided and any implied request for the other person to speak is effectively ignored.
Visual thinkers may also close their eyes, sometimes when talking, so they can better see the internal images without external distraction.Damp
The tear ducts provide moisture to the eyes, both for washing them and for tears.
Damp eyes can be suppressed weeping, indicating anxiety, fear or sadness. It can also indicate that the person has been crying recently.
Dampness can also occur when the person is tired (this may be accompanied by redness of the eyes.Tears
Actual tears that roll down the cheeks are often a symptom of extreme fear or sadness, although paradoxically you can also weep tears of joy.
Weeping can be silent, with little expression other than the tears (indicating a certain amount of control). It also typically involves screwing up of the face and, when emotions are extreme, can be accompanied by uncontrollable, convulsive sobs.
Men in many culture are not expected to cry and learn to suppress this response, not even being able to cry when alone. Even if their eyes feel damp they may turn away.
Tears and sadness may be transformed into anger, which may be direct at whoever is available.Pupil Size
A subtle signal that is sometimes detected only subconsciously and is seldom realized by the sender is where the pupil gets larger (dilates) or contracts.
Sexual desire is a common cause of pupil dilation, and is sometimes called 'doe eyes’ or 'bedroom eyes’ (magazine pictures sometimes have deliberately doctored eyes to make a model look more attractive). When another person’s eyes dilate we may be attracted further to them and our eyes dilate in return. Likewise, when their pupils are small, ours may well contract also.
A fundamental cause of eye dilation is cognitive effort. When we are thinking more, our eyes dilate. This helps explain 'doe eyes’ as when we like others people, looking at them leads to significant thinking about how we may gain and sustain their attention.
Pupils dilate also when it is darker to let in more light. Perhaps this is why clubs, bars, restaurants and other romantic venues are so dingy.
People with dark irises (the colored circle around the pupil) can look attractive because it is difficult to distinguish the iris from the pupil, with the effect is that their dark pupils look larger than they are. People with light irises make the pupils easier to see, so when their pupils actually do dilate then the signal is clearer to detect, making them more attractive 'at the right time’.
The reverse of this is that pupils contract when we do not like the other person, perhaps in an echo of squint-like narrowing of the eyes. People with small pupils can hence appear threatening or just unpleasant.Rubbing
When a person is feeling uncomfortable, the eyes may water a little. To cover this and try to restore an appropriate dryness, they person may rub their eye and maybe even feign tiredness or having something in the eye. This also gives the opportunity to turn the head away.
The rubbing may be with one finger, with a finger and thumb (for two eyes) or with both hands. The more the coverage, the more the person is trying to hide behind the hands.
Whenever I try to write really meaningful, emotional scenes, I want them to be a little slower, more descriptive and everything, but they always come out too short and quick?
Here’s a few things you might try doing.
1. Use the setting to build up (or, alternatively, contrast) the mood.
Imagine a funeral taking place on a cold, rainy day. Or a couple breaking up in a park on a bright sunny day. Having your characters take note of their surroundings - realizing how fitting it is, or feeling strange that their life is falling apart and everything around them is so normal - can help build up the emotional atmosphere in the scene. Pay attention to what your characters are sensing.
2. Pay attention to what your characters are saying. Or not saying. If they’re emotional, then they probably have a lot on their minds. Have them speak it. Or start to say what they want to say, but cut themselves short.
3. Show, don’t tell. And really push the showing. Use your characters’ thoughts, observations, feelings, sensations, etc., to let the reader experience their emotions through them. Be sure you’re not just telling us they’re sad, or angry, or etc.
"I do not over-intellectualize the production process. I try to keep it simple: Tell the damned..."
“I do not over-intellectualize the production process. I try to keep it simple: Tell the damned story.”
- Tom Clancy (via tonedeafwriter)
- Tom Clancy (via tonedeafwriter)
"When I am lonely for boys it’s their bodies I miss. I study their hands lifting the cigarettes in..."
“When I am lonely for boys it’s their bodies I miss. I study their hands lifting the cigarettes in the darkness of the movie theaters, the slope of a shoulder, the angle of a hip. Looking at them sideways, I examine them in different lights. My love for them is visual: that is the part of them I would like to possess. Don’t move, I think. Stay like that, let me have that.”
- Margaret Atwood (via oofpoetry)
- Margaret Atwood (via oofpoetry)
dark-tarou:
A portrait of my Queen of the Dead OC! uouwebsite |...
A portrait of my Queen of the Dead OC! uou
website | deviantart | facebook | twitter | society6 | inprnt
writeworld:
Writer’s BlockA picture says a thousand words....
A picture says a thousand words. Write them.
Mission: Write a story, a description, a poem, a metaphor, a commentary, or a critique about this picture. Write something about this picture.
Be sure to tag writeworld in your block!
"And when your lungs catch flames once you realize I’m loving someone else, I won’t be there to save..."
“And when your lungs catch flames once you realize I’m loving someone else, I won’t be there to save you.”
- madisoncweeks (via wnq-writers)
- madisoncweeks (via wnq-writers)
