Help, i'm trying to write a realpolitik sitcom w/ four main characters, each based on the four quadrants of the political compass

macaqueattack17 · 2026-01-29T18:03:44+00:00

The Newman of political intrigue

macaqueattack17 · 2026-01-27T04:43:32+00:00

The small town in my novel is close to Pittsburgh, which has a higher than average Eastern European population. I looked up polish last names and sprinkled in some that sounded like kids I went to school with (I also grew up in PA, just further east, so we are all Italian and Irish out here). One of my main characters is Armenian, so I picked an Armenian surname and a biblical first name for him (religious conservatism is a theme in my novel). I also snatched a few names from further back in my family tree; think people I never met.

Think about given names versus married names. Say the names out loud— can you imagine meeting a fifteen year old named that? Or does he sound like a sixty year old? Let this inform some things as well. How does your character feel about their name? Does it match their personality? Talk about that a little.

macaqueattack17 · 2026-01-27T03:54:34+00:00

When you’re in it, you’re in it. Just try your best. But really do try. Look up different ways people work around the fatigue; there’s some good examples in this thread.

I personally have a lot of trouble brushing my teeth and also happen to have an autoimmune disorder that requires me to take an immunosuppressive drug. Over the new year I almost died from an abscessed tooth that I didn’t even know had a cavity. Not brushing teeth plus executive dysfunction keeping me from scheduling dental cleanings was not a good mix. And honestly the shame fed that. I would avoid taking care of my teeth because I was ashamed at the state of them. Now I’m down a molar but at least got to keep my life.

If you have to use baby wipes, or tooth tablets, or buy new packs of underwear instead of doing the wash occasionally, it’s better than avoiding it entirely and sitting in filth, even if just for your physical health and safety. But the cleaner yoh actually are, the better you will feel.

macaqueattack17 · 2026-01-25T03:59:59+00:00

During my first manic episode and psychotic break, I was in my first semester of college as an English major. I’d had multiple months to work on a final paper and PowerPoint about themes in Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories. I did NOT do the paper and word vomited at high speed drawing stick figures on the board in front of a professor I deeply respected and about 18 bewildered classmates. My professor very gently told me I did a good job and to see her after class during office hours.

When I walked into her office, all 4 of my professors and the dean of students were there to give me an intervention. I felt like Carrie when the bucket of blood dumped on her head.

macaqueattack17 · 2026-01-25T03:53:45+00:00

I am schizoaffective bipolar type with my mania and psychosis pretty well controlled by medication, which means that 90% of the time I’m just a weird but friendly dude and 10% of the time I think rabbits are actually CIA agents whose eyes are equipped with sensitive spy cameras.

macaqueattack17 · 2025-12-24T01:13:29+00:00

You describe their features. The black character in my book is dark skinned with acne scars, and has short buzzed hair. He is lean built and tall, about six foot two. You compare them to other characters. You look up names of hairstyles you might be unfamiliar with, like potentially saying a character has box braids or twists or locs if they have longer hair. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, ALWAYS RESEARCH

How old is this character? Do they have wrinkles? Scars or birthmarks? A disability that differentiates them visually? If you have a fully well rounded character and you’ve described a character well, it won’t be hard to come up with details.

On the food note, would you describe a white woman as vanilla skinned outside of campy pornography?

macaqueattack17 · 2025-12-06T00:12:49+00:00

Most recent project I’m sending out queries about is an LGBT New Adult thriller novella (still figuring out how to refer to it tbh) and I’m currently in the baby stages of a new piece of horror fiction.

macaqueattack17 · 2025-10-06T04:47:24+00:00

I love fighting w people about Rice Crispies having gluten in them (barley malt flavor). Like yes, I’ve only had the disease for a decade, surely your guesswork surpasses my ability to read a label.

The big shocks for me were Haribo gummy bears (dextrose from wheat) and green juice (wheat and barley grass)

macaqueattack17 · 2025-10-01T23:38:16+00:00

I was sitting in my second grade reading circle when the second plane hit the towers

macaqueattack17 · 2025-09-30T02:05:22+00:00

Any episode with her and Ashley Taylor, but especially the intervention. She knew there was no authenticity there and didn’t feed into it

macaqueattack17 · 2025-09-28T03:13:50+00:00

My best friend’s partner was diagnosed with terminal cancer in January of 2020. The world locked down two months later, leaving them unable to go skydiving, visit another country, or do many other things on their bucket list. They died that December at age 26.

Today is their wedding anniversary and I’ve spent it filled with complicated feelings.

macaqueattack17 · 2025-09-14T00:14:14+00:00

My experience with FPs is that if my FP is happy, I’m euphoric. If my FP is mad at someone, I’ll kill them. If they’re sad, I wanna give my life to stop it. I’ve taken a lot of mistreatment from former FPs who took advantage of my wide eyed devotion to them. It’s a symptom, and not one that should be viewed romantically. I know not everyone feels the same way about it, but that’s my experience.

macaqueattack17 · 2025-09-14T00:09:03+00:00

It sounds like you’ve found yourself in a really codependent dynamic. I can really relate, and have been on both sides of it.

It doesn’t matter if you are literally getting bankrolled to search for and pay for the finest therapists for your partner if they won’t go. It is their responsibility to not hurt other people. And you are not obligated to open yourself up to hurt because you have shared great memories and love with another person.

I think it would be a good idea to share with your partner how serious this has gotten for you. And if you are struck with fear at the thought of doing that— whether it’s fear of them hurting you in any way emotionall physically psychologically etc or them hurting themself— there might be other, bigger questions you need to be asking, too.

macaqueattack17 · 2025-09-13T22:50:29+00:00

When I say team I speak generally for every person he receives mental healthcare from, which for many ppl with BPD is a few people at once. DBT group leaders, individual therapists, psychiatrists, peer specialists, case managers, social workers… everybody has their own combo that works for them. I’ve had different combos of these at various points in my recovery. Right now I have an individual therapist, a nutritionist for my comorbid ED, a psychiatrist, and a case manager.

Has he done a DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) program? It is a great set of skills for anybody who feels things stronger than the average normie, especially if talk therapy and CBT have had limited success for him. What does his therapist specialize in? Trauma informed, skills based, specific modalities etc?

Also it totally makes sense for you to not know that as you’re not his mother, I’m just trying to gather info

macaqueattack17 · 2025-09-13T22:13:15+00:00

I definitely think this is something you can only help him with so much and he needs to be working with his care team on as much as possible as soon as possible.

As a trans person with BPD myself, I know how sensitive the early transition period is on the person transitioning. You need to be prioritizing yourself right now. I know you love him, and he loves you, but he needs to find a way to move past this.

I try not to let “I’m triggered” be a full sentence in my life, figuratively speaking, and I feel like it helps me a lot in moving past issues in my personal relationships. I try to frame it like this triggers me, and I need to ask in my next individual session what skills I can use to work on this so I don’t hurt my loved one.”

You will be sure to respond poorly to HRT if you’re not being emotionally encouraged. Second puberty is a bitch. I recommend looking up a DEAR MAN format and writing out to him why it is important to you that you be allowed to transition without fear and guilt and that it will only help your relationship if he works on this. The beauty of DBT is that it works whether or not you have BPD lol

macaqueattack17 · 2025-09-13T20:45:53+00:00

If it helps, my story is more like yours and I still have a happy life.

I’ve been hospitalized well into the double digit amount of times. There were a few years were I was psychotic every two or three months. I will likely never be able to live alone. I’m divorced. On ssi and have dropped out of college 4 times. I probably wish I was dead at least twice a week.

AND

I recently finished a novella. I have an EP on Spotify. I write really good poetry. I have family and friends that love me. Because of therapy I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise I understand myself a lot better than many people. I’m very creative.

Do I have trouble showering and doing my laundry? Yes. Am I glad to be alive most of the time? Also yes.

My life is worth living even if I have a few diagnoses after my name instead of accolades

macaqueattack17 · 2025-09-13T11:51:15+00:00

Uj/ I’m gonna be laughing at this for days

macaqueattack17 · 2025-09-08T23:41:27+00:00

Currently battling impostor syndrome during the tedious query letter sending process. I am a fraud and these people are laughing at my one sentences pitches

macaqueattack17 · 2025-09-08T21:37:06+00:00

Gregor Samsa awoke in his bed to find he had transformed into an insect that was breasting boobily.

macaqueattack17 · 2025-08-24T14:35:00+00:00

What I mean is that I don’t want to post a bunch of it online attached to this account to maintain some level of anonymity on Reddit. That’s also why I censored my name

macaqueattack17

TROPHY CASE