My school’s semi formal was tonight and!!! I actually danced!!!!! And that probably doesn’t sound like a huge deal but like, I’ve never danced spontaneously/unchoreographed like this before at any event, much less a huge public one with three hundred students crammed in a banquet hall together, because I’ve always been too embarrassed to do so. And at first I was nervous as heck and kept cursing myself out like “why am I even standing up, I look ridiculous and I should just go hide at our table until it’s over”, but eventually some part of me decided to eff it and I eventually found my friends and started dancing with them. I felt super awkward for the first portion but gradually warmed up until I was having the time of my life by the end of it. Obviously I’m not the best dancer but for once it didn’t matter to me, I was just able to enjoy myself. We all danced for two hours straight and I was totally stepped on by a few tall people lol but it was just genuinely such a great time. I still feel giddy from the excitement of it even though it ended over two hours ago. Plus the food was absolutely amazing and we took cute photos at the photobooth and all my friends looked stunning and ethereal in their beautiful outfits and I also loved my own makeup and what I was wearing. 

it was just the best night I’ve had in such a long time and I’m getting almost weepy with happiness just thinking about it

Oxford interview responses come in soon and I am truly terrified!!! This is like… the moment I’ve been building up to all this time and the suspense is killing me, lol. I’ll either get an acceptance or rejection likely within the next few days, if not tomorrow (today? since it’s past midnight). 

whatever response I get, I’m moving forward and using it to improve myself. I just look forward to getting a response at all if only to end this tension lol

Click here to support Assaulted by Police in the Grocery Store organized by Katie German

allthecanadianpolitics:

This fundraiser is to support Dante Newman and his family as they heal from a violent incident with Toronto police.

A note from Dante’s mother:

On November 15, 2018 my son Dante Newman went to our local grocery store at Freshco located at 561 Sherbourne Street and on his way out the grocery store he was ambushed by the Toronto Police 51 Division.

The police physically threw him on the floor and pressed his knees into his back handcuffed him to a point where he lost circulation in his fingers causing his wrists to be bruised and sore.

As well the trauma that he endured and the emotional effect this terrible ambush has caused my son has left him in a deep depression and a fear to go outside.

The police literally pushed a gun in his face which is the root of his fear and accused him of being a suspect in a homicide investigation.

My son Dante recently graduated from high school and is inspiring to become a welder and has taken courses at George Brown to go towards graduating as a welder just like his grandfather.

Dante works the night shifts at McDonald’s at 345 Bloor Street East and as well works during the days at the Pickle Barrel at Yonge and Eglinton.

Dante has never been in trouble with the law and received an award from the Outward Bound Canada Program for his contribution to his school and his community.

As well he completed a summer job placement program through Tropicana where he worked at the Toyota located on Eglinton Ave East.

Dante also worked as un Urban Farmer during the summer with FoodShare Toronto.

When he attended Highland Heights Public school in Scarborough he was chosen out of all the students at his school to attend the Tim Horton’s summer camp because of his kind and gentle nature.

I have spoken with his manager at McDonald’s  and have shared with him Dante’s traumatic experience on November 15, 2018 and he is willing to provide a written and a verbal character witness for my son as Dante has been a well loved employee at the restaurant for three years.

Dante was also an Air Cadet at 631 Sentinel and was promoted to Corporal as well in 2013.

My son did not deserve to be randomly humiliated and assaulted in the grocery store that we attend and to have a gun brutally into his face because he looked like a murder suspect.

The 51 division did not respect us when we called to lodge a complaint at their wrong doings and literally laughed at us and disconnected the call.

The Freshco grocery store is refusing to allow us to obtain the video footage of this whole incident that took place in the store.

We are seeking counselling as he is extremely shaken up by the trauma that the Toronto police force unleashed upon him.

Due to his character and ambitious nature there are many in the community who are extremely concerned not only for my son’s safety however for how easily it was for a weapon to be drawn on someone who abides wholeheartedly by the law and is a shining light in his community and loved by many around him.

Had my son reacted in a different way on November 15, 2018 the outcome could have been volatile in which I am grateful for however my son has to go through the healing process simply because he supposedly resembled a murder suspect.

I have been writing to the mayor of Toronto Mr. John Tory, I have tried to contact the Chief of Police Mr. Saunders however they fail to return my messages that I have been sending.

So often people remain silent when they are abused by those who are in authority to protect and to serve. The first reason being that no one will listen, and the second for fear of the same action being repeated.

My son is a good young man who has made me proud since the day that he was born – most describe him as a light in the community, his teachers describe him as a pleasure and have went above and beyond to plan his future.

Recently this year he went through the trauma of losing his father to stage four lung cancer and was starting to come to terms with his death.

I am sending a message that violence can not eradicate violence and that every citizen has a right to be dealt with as a human being and not a wild animal.

While this story will eventually fade out the emotional scars that were rendered to my son will remain and it will be a long road to recovery.

Dante is definitely not the same young man that he was when he left home on November 15, 2018 to buy juice and enjoy a chocolate bar.

– Vanessa St Louis.

Donate here!

Click here to support Assaulted by Police in the Grocery Store organized by Katie German

ierohero:

ierohero:

nothing makes me more nervous than my bus taking a different route then it normally does like???? where are u taking me

me: I’m the king of public transportation, a ghoul haunting the streets that run like veins through this city-

the bus: turns left where it normally goes straight

me: I am naked and alone in this universe and no one is watching over me

Does she fancy me?

hedgehogsinsparklypjs:

aliveaminellielizadeadtaylor:

aliveaminellielizadeadtaylor:

aliveaminellielizadeadtaylor:

aliveaminellielizadeadtaylor:

aliveaminellielizadeadtaylor:

silverspectrumm:

aliveaminellielizadeadtaylor:

aliveaminellielizadeadtaylor:

aliveaminellielizadeadtaylor:

Or is she just being friendly?

My favourite game

Update: she fancies me

Update: She’s my girlfriend

Update: We live together

Update: We just got our first house 🏡

Update: Here’s us with our first Christmas Tree

Update: Here’s a little doodle of us I had commissioned for her birthday

Update, we’re engaged

THIS IS THE CUTEST THING EVER

Hello! Would you mind doing an example of not using filter words in a first person point of view? While I know that you can just switch out the pronouns for I/me/my, I just want to see it in action and when you should (and shouldn’t) use the filter words. Thank you!

thewinterotter:

the-writers-society-deactivated:

Hi there! I would love to! I think I’ll start out with an example with filter words and then cut out the filter words to show you the difference.

For those of you who haven’t seen my post on Filter Words.

Now, for the example:

I felt a hand tap my shoulder as I realized I had made a huge mistake. I knew the consequences would be unsettling, but I had no other choice. I saw the light of my desk lamp bounce off of the officer’s badge before I had even turned around. It seemed like I always found my way into trouble.

It was the first thing off the top of my head, so it’s a bit rough sounding….

Now for without filter words (And a bit of revision):

A hand tapped my shoulder as it dawned on me: I had just made a huge mistake. The consequences would be unsettling if I didn’t get out of this mess, but I had no other choice. The light of my desk lamp bounced off of the officer’s badge. I always found my way into trouble.

By taking out filter words, you get right to the point.

I’d also like to add a few more notes that I didn’t have the chance to post previously.

Some Examples of Filtering:

  • I heard a noise in the hallway.
  • She felt embarrassed when she tripped.
  • I saw a light bouncing through the trees.
  • I tasted the sour tang of raspberries bursting on my tongue.
  • He smelled his teammate’s BO wafting through the locker room.
  • She remembered dancing at his wedding.
  • I think people should be kinder to one another.

How can you apply this?

Read your work to see how many of these filtering words you might be leaning on. Microsoft Word has a great Find and Highlight feature that I love to use when I’m editing. See how you can get rid of these filtering words and take your sentences to the next level by making stronger word choices. Take the above examples, and see how they can be reworked.

  • FILTERING EXAMPLE: I heard a noise in the hallway.
  • DESCRIBE THE SOUND: Heels tapped a staccato rhythm in the hallway.
  • FILTERING EXAMPLE: She felt embarrassed after she tripped.
  • DESCRIBE WHAT THE FEELING LOOKS LIKE: Her cheeks flushed and her shoulders hunched after she tripped.
  • FILTERING EXAMPLE: I saw a light bouncing through the trees.
  • DESCRIBE THE SIGHT: A light bounced through the trees.
  • FILTERING EXAMPLE: I tasted the sour tang of raspberries bursting on my tongue.
  • DESCRIBE THE TASTE: The sour tang of raspberries burst on my tongue.
  • FILTERING EXAMPLE: He smelled his teammate’s BO wafting through the locker room.
  • DESCRIBE THE SMELL: His teammate’s BO wafted through the locker room.
  • FILTERING EXAMPLE: She remembered dancing at his wedding.
  • DESCRIBE THE MEMORY: She had danced at his wedding.
  • FILTERING EXAMPLE: I think people should be kinder to one another.
  • DESCRIBE THE THOUGHT: People should be kinder to one another.

See what a difference it makes when you get rid of the filter? It’s simply not necessary to use them. By ditching them, you avoid “telling,” your voice is more active, and your pacing is helped along.

The above list is not comprehensive as there are many examples of filtering words. The idea is to be aware of the concept so that you can recognize instances of it happening in your work. Be aware of where you want to place the energy and power in your sentences. Let your observations flow through your characters with immediacy.

Ok, sorry for the lengthy answer, I know you just wanted an example…. sorry!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask at my ask box

THIS IS SO GREAT. I dind’t even know there was a term for this (I should have figured, right, because writers have words for everything), but it’s one of those things that being aware when you’re doing it (and editing it right the fuck out) will improve your writing SO MUCH. Removing the filtering helps to draw your readers more intimately into the action of your story, and as the text above says, adds power and immediacy to every sentence. THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TIP I WANT TO SCREAM ABOUT IT.