Sara Raasch's Blog, page 529

kristenmastora7:gallium-knight:Here’s a test:I’m holding a baby in one hand and a petri dish...

kristenmastora7:

gallium-knight:

Here’s a test:

I’m holding a baby in one hand and a petri dish holding a fetus in the other.

I’m going to drop one. You chose which.

If you really truly believe a fetus is the same thing as a baby, it should be impossible for you to decide. You should have to flip a coin, that’s how impossible the decision should be.

Shot in the dark, you saved the baby.

Because you’re aware there’s a difference.

Now admit it

woah.

How I feel about most of the stuff on the internet.

tracyclark:SCINTILLATE has a cover! I’ll be signing these...

tracyclark:

SCINTILLATE has a cover! I’ll be signing these pretty cards at the Vegas Valley Book Festival on Nov. 2nd. Come say hi!!

AHHH I’ll be there!!! SO going to snag one of these :D

thewritingcafe:Guide to Writing SteampunkBASICSPunk...

thewritingcafe:

Guide to Writing Steampunk

BASICS

Punk Genres: most common genres are in italics

Atomicpunk: Optimistic retro science fiction based on the Space Age. Think The Jetsons.
Biopunk: This genre is about altering genetics and DNA. These stories often take place in the near-future in which humans have been altered or in which human experimentation is common.
Candlepunk: Similar to clockpunk, but darker and with less technology.
Clockpunk: Think Da Vinci’s inventions, but more advanced while. This genre follows the aesthetics and technology of Western civilization during the mid to late middle ages, though sometimes it’s set in the Victorian era.
Cyberpunk: Has advanced technology and often focuses on artificial intelligence and the cyber world. The setting is often near-future rather than far-future. Blade Runner is an example.
Dieselpunk: Based on aesthetics and technology between World War I and World War II, sometimes up until the Cold War.
Decopunk: Ranges from the aesthetics of the 1920’s to the 1950’s. Decopunk aesthetic is heavily based on modernism. Less gritty than dieselpunk.
Elfpunk: Basically urban fantasy, but with common high or epic fantasy creatures put in an urban setting rather than vampires and werewolves.
Nanopunk: Similar to biopunk, but biotechnology is less available and nanotechnology is common.
Sandalpunk: Set in ancient worlds, such as Rome, but with advanced technology.
Splatterpunk: Extremely graphic and contains a lot of gore.
Steampunk: This genre gets its name from the heavy steam-powered technology involved. Aesthetics are based on the Victorian and industrial eras of the Western world, though other cultural elements may be used.
Western Steampunk: Similar to steampunk, but with Western (as in Wild West) aesthetics and settings.
So why are there so many sub genres? For starters, they help agents and publishers get an idea of what they’re in for if you’re going through the traditional publishing route. While bookstores usually just put these genres within science fiction or fantasy, you can still market your book through sub genres to reach a specific group of people who are looking for these genres.
 
However, there are a lot of sub genres, most of which many have not heard of. If you’ve written one of these genres and intend to publish it, the best would be to put it under another name (with the exception of steampunk, cyberpunk, and biopunk). For example, if you have written a candlepunk story, you can propose it as fantasy, alternate historical fiction, or any other genre it may fit in. While atomicpunk is quite common, it’s not well known by that name. If you have written an atompunk story, the best way to market it would be to call it retro science fiction.
 
But what’s the difference between punk genres and historical fiction? The technology is a big difference. It’s usually more advanced for the time it’s modeled after.
 
TECHNOLOGY

The technology is one of the defining aspects of steampunk. It’s the basis for the world you’re writing in. For the typical steampunk story, technology will be (of course) steam powered.
 

A Guide to Steampunk Gadgets and Technology
Airship
Steampunk Airships Inspiration
Steampunk Blimps
Technology Steampunk Instructables
Steampunk Technology Inspiration
How Steampunk Works
Steampunk Gadgets
100 Functional Steampunk Gadgets

CHARACTERS & FASHION

Another defining feature of steampunk is the aesthetics and the characters. Steampunk takes the latter part of the word (punk) to mean the opposition of the mainstream, though that’s not always necessary in your story.

Research jobs common in the Victorian age and add steam to it. Your characters will revolve around their setting and their clothing may be a part of that too.

Steampunk Archetypes
Steampunk Clothing References
Steampunk as Aesthetic
Steampunk Character Inspiration
Steampunk Character Building
Characters, Personalities, and Personas

READING

Best Steampunk Books
Steampunk
Best Steampunk and Gaslight
Favorite Steampunk/Alt History
Best Fantasy, Steampunk, and Science Fiction BDSM
Asian Steampunk
Buttkicking Female Steampunk
Best Steampunk YA Books
Best Unknown Steampunk
Steampunk Adventures
Gay Steampunk
Best Vampire Steampunk
Steampunk Novels and Short Stories
Best of Cyberpunk
Best Cyberpunk Books
Books with Cyberpunk Themes
Books About Video Games and Virtual Reality

MORE

Researching Steampunk
A Brief Introduction to Steampunk
Steampunk Tropes
What is Steampunk?
So You Want to: Write a Steampunk Story
Steampunk Inspiration
8 Tips and Tricks Every Steampunk Writer Should Know
Writing Steampunk Fiction Tips
Kady Cross Shares her Secrets to Writing Steampunk
Tips for Successfully Creating Steampunk
Steampunk Wiki
List of Writing Steampunk Resources
Steampunk: a List of Themes
How to Write Steampunk
Writing Steampunk
Tips for Writing Steampunk

CYBERPUNK

Cyberpunk
Technology in Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk Technology
History of Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk Esstentials
What Happened to Cyberpunk?
Cyberpunk Fashion (2) (3) (4)
Cyberpunk Attitude

inbedwithbooks:the-whole-damn-batch:its-like-electricity:ga...

inbedwithbooks:

the-whole-damn-batch:

its-like-electricity:

gardenofroses24:

itsoktobegay101:

What I Won’t Tell You About My Ballet Dancing Son

by Ashleigh Baker

When you ask him about sports, he’ll raise his blue eyes to mine and press his lips together. I’ll nod to assure him it’s safe, he’s okay, this isn’t the school lunch table where the kids can taunt.

“I dance,” he’ll say. “Ballet. This year I’m doing hip hop and tap and jazz, too, but ballet is my favorite.”

Try as you might, progressive thinker that you are, modern and open-minded for all the decades you carry, your eyebrows will move up a quarter of an inch.

“Oh!” You’ll tilt your head and hopefully you’ll smile. For a heartbeat you’ll spin through a lexicon of words and phrases, seeking the correct positive acknowledgment.

And I’ll hold my breath as your eyes meet mine over his shaggy blonde head of hair, a wordless prayer as we wait for the moment of reaction. What does one say to a seven year old boy who is built for carrying a football but wears ballet shoes?

Will you be the one who nods, intrigued, silently assuming his parents must be dancers, or that we’ve exploited our child in an attempt at our own anti-sexism statement?

Or perhaps you’ll be the one who asks incredulously what his dad thinks of him doing ballet, because what dad would be okay with a son who dances?

Maybe you’re the family friend who repeatedly assures him it’s acceptable to enjoy ballet – after all, NFL players have been known to take a few ballet lessons it will be valuable when he plays real sports in a few years.

What if you’re the man who scoffs in the face of my little boy’s uncle, declaring loudly that you would “beat that boy’s ass” to cure him of whatever it is that makes him want to dance?

You could be the distant relative who eyes him curiously at gatherings, making frequent mention of the need for masculinity and “boyish” pursuits, taking care he doesn’t accidentally grab the pink piece of cake because, “What are you, a girl?!” followed by a quick inhale and, “So Troy, are you still doing that ballet thing? How’s that working for you? You have any girlfriends there yet?”

You might even be the one who glances over your shoulder, catching my eye knowingly, suggesting in veiled terms that we be “concerned” about our seven year old’s sexuality.

So I catch your eye when you ask him about baseball and soccer, not because I don’t want you to be interested or I’m expecting your reaction to be as nonchalant as if he had said he’s the star of the peewee basketball team. I bore my eyes into yours, conveying with a look my son’s intuitive nature and telling you with silence that I’m not going to answer those questions.

Instead, I’ll tell you about a baby boy who felt music in his soul before he could crawl,grooving to the beat of push-button toys in the church nursery and spawning jokes about his young parents’ need to curb the tendency if he was to become a “good Baptist baby.”

I’ll tell you about a toddler spinning on his head on the living room carpet, the grocery store linoleum, the church foyer tile, eliciting amused comments from strangers about his wannabe break dancing. I’ll tell you of his unquenchable need to move in the presence of rhythm and an obvious inborn ability to feel music.

I’ll revisit the memory of him bounding in the front door on a December afternoon, tossing his kindergarten backpack and, wild eyed, telling us of the music class in which people leaped and twirled to music, strong men jumped high in the air, danced on their toes and lifted ballerinas across the stage. He wore black sweat pants and a white undershirt every day of Christmas break that year, asked Santa for black ballet shoes, watched dozens of online videos of boys’ ballet techniques and by Christmas day had memorized every note and crescendo of the entire Nutcracker Suite.

I’ll laugh and sigh and tell you of his own carefully choreographed dances to specific pieces by Beethoven, Taylor Swift and Mumford & Sons.

I can show you a clip from his first recital, when he was awarded an unsolicited, unexpected dance scholarship and hadn’t a clue what it meant as he smiled and accepted the sheet of paper. I’ll try to keep from beaming, as parents do, and will refrain from repeating every accolade and declaration of talent his instructors have bestowed upon him.

I’ll tell you of the way he glows after a six hour practice, the finesse with which he glides across the floor, the way his very soul leaps from his eyes when he manages a toe touch or perfects a difficult series of steps. I’ll show you a boy who carries himself with grace in manner and spirit, who is strong in character and skill, who is learning of compassion and team effort and how to appreciate the brilliance of life’s beauty.

When you ask my dancing son about this passion he carries and you catch my eye, slightly uncertain how to proceed, I won’t try to convince you this was all his idea or give ten examples of his father’s unwavering pride or waste breath assuring you that my second grader isn’t gay.

I’ll simply tell you what he said to us after his first Nutcracker performance last winter:

“Mama, it feels like my heart is flying when I’m dancing. I think God made ballet because he knew I’d love it.”

That last line. Wow. How powerful.

This has me in tears!

We fight so hard for women to be accepted in other sports, and it is a worthwhile fight, but do we ever consider the fact that in sports like dance and gymnastics, guys are given the same amount of disrespect? 

I know a guy whose son was an alternate for the Olympic gymnastics team, and it was like it shamed him.  How could that be embarrassing?

But, uh, speaking as a former ballerina, parents should be more worried if their son is heterosexual and in ballet.  Because once he gets to be a certain age, he’s gonna be surrounded by girls who see his magnificent legs in tights every week.

What I hit after about 25k words.

ALERT!!! ALERT!!!

lbardugo:

lauragmaldon:

THERE IS A FLIPPIN SYNOPSIS FOR RUIN AND RISING ON GOODREADS1

This is true.

FINISHED DRAFT OF BOOK 2. FINISHED DRAFT OF BOOK 2.

And now, I collapse.

geardrops:vixyish:joeydeangelis:janettesnakehole:frightva...

geardrops:

vixyish:

joeydeangelis:

janettesnakehole:

frightvale:

I’ve fucking died. I’m dead. A dead guy over here. Big dead-o. Ole Dead Bones. Cause of death: Dogs, but not for that reason.

I AM SCREAMING

Everything is great and nothing can ever be wrong again. CHARLIE. OTIS. MY SWEETS.

I am not usually a puppy person but OMG THESE PUPPIEEEEES

I was not expecting those sudden puppy feels at the end there.

You had me at “back at the corgi ranch” but OH MY GAWD *inaudible squeals*

Outlander Behind the ScenesYes yes yes YES YES YES YES

Outlander Behind the Scenes

Yes yes yes YES YES YES YES