#Guest Posts

[beneaththetangles]

12 Days of Christmas Anime, Day 4: Of Christmas Dates and Being a Girl – the Trials of Tomo-chan

In the wonderful realm of anime, we get to experience Christmas from the perspective of the Japanese, who view Christmas primarily as a holiday for couples. Perhaps this fits since a biblical marriage is supposed to mirror God’s love for His bride, the church! While many anime treat us with a lovely Christmas date episode, Tomo-chan is a Girl! handles the “Christmas date” a bit differently: because, this time, the focus is not only on the awkwardness of first love but Tomo’s very identity as a woman! Let’s see what this hilarious yet surprisingly deep series has to share with us about womanhood and the biblical parallels it contains.

(Read More)

#Anime #Christianity #Christmas #Tomo chan is a Girl! #Tomo chan wa Onnanoko! #12 Days of Christmas Anime #12 Days of Christmas Anime 2023 #Identity #Gender Roles #Gender #Anime Article #Anime Blog #Articles #Christian Anime #Christian Otaku #Guest Posts #Author: Kaitlin Simmons

[myfearbook]

May 06, 2011

G'day ghouls! Lagoona on the web (guest posts are so fintastic) letting you know that scaly skin isn't a monster problem, it's a blessing. I might need gallons of monsturizer on dry land, but under water these scales protect me from gnarly problems! Wouldn’t have my scaly skin any other way.

#freaky flaws #lagoona blue #monster high #monster high facebook #fearbook #guest posts

[winterhawk-olympic-bang]

Here is our first 2022 Writer Workshop post, written by @drgrlfriend​. Have a read and then head over to the Discord Server where we have a channel for you to take part in a discussion based on the post, with chances to share your own ideas too.

Character Development/Character Arcs

Guest Poster: Dr. Girlfriend

When I first started writing fanfiction, I stuck to a pretty standard three act structure. The characters meet, they form a relationship, and then together they confront and defeat a Big Bad.

Over time, the Big Bad got more perfunctory and started to feel almost tacked-on, and then I realized that ultimately a lot of times I wasn’t interested in including one at all. But what, then, creates a satisfying story and conclusion?

For me, I realized that the key to the story I wanted to write was character development, and the “Big Bad” is something within the character that they need to either come to terms with or overcome.

This is not to say that you can’t write a good fic with an external obstacle (pandemic keeps them apart, they have a mystery to solve, they don’t know they are soulmates, they are from rival crime families, a misunderstanding makes one of them think the other is in a relationship already, etc.), but most of the time, in my recent fics at least, it is something within the character that is preventing the relationship from progressing. Until the character overcomes that obstacle within themselves, the relationship cannot progress.

So, when you’re developing your characters, what can this be? Pretty much anything that prevents people from moving forward successfully in a relationship. Some examples might be:

Depression

Fear of intimacy

Trauma

Insecurity

Self-sabotaging behaviors

Negative patterns learned in childhood

The character can overcome their obstacle individually, or with the help of the other character, or they could each be overcoming their own issues in a parallel way.

Another thing I’ve found to be helpful is to think about how your character’s greatest strength is also their greatest weakness. Do you love a character because of their loyalty? Maybe they give their loyalty to the wrong person, or are blind to someone else’s faults. Maybe they are so loyal that they become downright uncomfortably ruthless when their “person” is threatened. Do you love a character because of their strength? Maybe in order to be strong they have repressed parts of themselves. Maybe their definition of strength means not relying on other people or even trusting other people. Marvel actually does a pretty good job of this in canon — Steve Rogers’ stubbornness is his defining trait, for better or worse. Tony’s futurism saved his life but he doesn’t know when to put on the brakes. Thinking about what appeals to you about the character, but then how the extreme of that trait may play out negatively in the character’s environment or close relationships, can be a good start.

For recent fics, I’ve found it helpful to put the character arc right at the top, as a kind of “touchstone” for where I want the story to go.

For example, this was at the top of Freedom’s Reach:

Clint’s character arc — he learns to ask for what he wants not just what he thinks he can get, knows his worth

Bucky’s character arc — he opens himself up to someone, lets himself need someone, realizes he has a lot to offer

E.g.: Bucky: “People have intrinsic value!”

Clint: “Sounds fake but okay.”

Clint: “I would choose you even if I had infinite choices!”

Bucky: “Sounds fake but okay.”

If you have this character arc in mind you have already “built in” an emotionally satisfying ending! All you have to do is have the characters start in one place, defined by the obstacle, and end in a completely different place (hopefully together), defined by the success of overcoming the obstacle.

Freedom’s Reach starts with Clint desperate and alone — betrayed by his brother and the circus folk. It ends with Clint feeling secure and happy, confident in Bucky’s love. Similarly, the fic starts with Bucky alone in his empty house, isolated from his friends and leading a joyless existence. It ends with him happy and affectionate, socializing not just with Clint but with the wider world.

So, now you have your point A and your point Z, but what about all the points in between? First, ask yourself this question:

Maybe time alone is all the characters need to decide to be together now, but in a story like I’m describing usually there’s something else — they have to make their way further along the path of character progression to be at a point where they can have a successful relationship.

To be fanciful, I think of the path from A to Z as being paved with brick and mortar. First, let’s talk about the bricks.

Once you have the character arc, you have to translate it into actual events. You can’t just say in narration, “Clint used to be insecure, but now he realizes his worth — hooray!” To use the old cliche of “show, don’t tell” — you have to demonstrate through events what overcoming the obstacle will actually look like. Here are my character arcs again, this time with specific events I brainstormed that would represent points along the journey:

Clint’s character arc — he learns to ask for what he wants not just what he thinks he can get, knows his worth

forming friendships (Widow, etc.)

realizing he has value beyond his usefulness to others

standing up to Barney

culminating in asking Bucky to keep him

Bucky’s character arc — he opens himself up to someone, lets himself need someone, realizes he has a lot to offer

lets Clint see him in a vulnerable state (in pain after nightmare)

pushes himself out of his comfort zone in order to make Clint happy (using his words, going to the dance)

talks about Andersonville, which early in the fic it is made clear he never does

culminating in asking Clint to stay and saying he’ll follow him if he doesn’t

Next, to construct your Character Arc Pathway, you need to set these bricks in place with the “mortar,” which is the character’s state of mind. You first have to establish their beginning state of mind to make it clear what their obstacle is, and then over time you need to show that their state of mind is changing.

Let’s use some examples in Freedom’s Reach. First, there are Clint’s thoughts that show how desperate and alone he is:

He lies down on the rickety cot, suddenly exhausted. He’s used to scraping by, but it’s always been him and Barney, scraping by together. Even before the circus, when they were kids catching and eating rats to fill their bellies, they were in it together. Clint squeezes his eyes shut but the tears are already welling up.

He’s been trying not to think about it, trying to focus on just surviving, but at times like this, when he’s too tired to keep the thoughts at bay, they overwhelm him.

Bucky starts out as a less reliable narrator. He’s in a “I’m fine, everything’s fine, I am happy here behind the walls I’ve constructed from my own trauma” state of mind. For him, it requires an outside character to point out that his life is not as peachy as he is trying to pretend it is:

“It shouldn’t have happened this way,” Steve agrees. “But Bucky, I just wanted to show you that there’s more out there than you’re considering. I don’t like to see you like this.”

“Like what?”

Steve sighs. “Bitter. Withdrawn. Like you’ve given up on anything good ever happening to you.”

“I like my life, Stevie,” Bucky says wearily. He’s said it hundreds of times, but Steve can’t seem to get it through his thick skull.

Steve pushes up on one elbow. “What you’re doing here — it isn’t living. It’s just waitin’ to die.”

As the fic plays out, you want to see the characters slowly adopting a new mindset, through both thoughts and actions.

Clint starts the fic basically not familiar with the concept of intrinsic worth. Because it’s what he’s experienced so far, he feels that people only want him around because of what he can provide to them, and that the moment he stops being useful he’ll be abandoned. So, how do you make that kind of mindset clear?

First, Clint’s train of thought — in every situation he immediately tries to think how he can make himself useful:

And Clint is young, and healthy. He’s a hard worker. It must be difficult, having only one arm. Maybe the man just wants someone to do for him, help out with simple things he can no longer do on his own.

He covers up his hearing loss because he perceives it as a weakness that will lead to rejection:

“Do you think I should mention my poor hearing?”

“Perhaps — perhaps that’s something you could save for when you meet in person. Just in case,” she finally decides.

“Oh. Yeah, of course.” Just in case it makes him not want you, is what she means, and she’s probably right.

He panics once he realizes that he does not have skills that are useful in the situation he ends up in:

This all seemed so possible when Miss Lewis was helping him, but now she is all the way in Philadelphia, and he is here, and James is — James is not at all what he expected. James is not even James, he’s Bucky. In Clint’s imagination James was homely and poor and kind and desperate for companionship, but Bucky is handsome and rich and brusque and he doesn’t want Clint at all.

When Bucky points out the Clint has low expectations, Clint doesn’t even seem to understand what the alternative is:

“How come you don’t think about what you actually want, just what you think you can get?”

Clint doesn’t understand. What point is there in thinking about things you want? Nobody gets what they want.

And ultimately, when pushed to the breaking point, he comes right out and expresses this philosophy:

Clint’s expression flattens, a muscle clenching in his jaw. He looks away, flushing, his hands balling into fists before he shoves them into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “What do you think anyone is, except for whatever use other people make of them?” he finally says, his voice sharp.

Even when Bucky flat-out tells Clint that his worth doesn’t depend on his usefulness, Clint can’t come to terms with it. He interprets it through the lens of his mindset, which is that he has to be even MORE useful.

You shouldn’t put your value in what other people want from you, Bucky had said. The words just don’t make any sense to Clint. What value does he have, if it’s not his skill with a bow, or his strong back, or his ability to bring someone pleasure in bed? It’s like Bucky is speaking a foreign language, setting some standard that Clint can’t even comprehend, let alone reach.

He clenches his jaw, firming his resolve. He’s got no one to rely on but himself anymore, and it means he’s just got to be better, is all. He knows for sure now that Bucky is attracted to him — no one can fake that. He just needs to find something to offer Bucky beyond his body, something that makes him worth having around long-term.

He just needs to be good enough to keep.

So how does Clint’s mindset change? First, he realizes he has more to offer people. He develops friendships outside of the relationship (e.g. with Natasha and Wyatt Wingfoot) that aren’t given in exchange for any skills or usefulness.

Next, he realizes that Bucky wants him around even when it is inconvenient. Even when he fails at household chores, or brings on the extra burden of Lucky, or Barney shows up to bring chaos, Bucky stands by Clint.

With a little bit of security at his back, Clint starts to realize that he is worth more than he’s been told. He has made true friends in the town, and he realizes that Barney is no good for him. Ultimately, despite misunderstandings, he asks for what he truly wants, and he gets it. He’s not with Bucky because he has no other options. He recognizes many other options he has, but he chooses to ask Bucky for his love, and receives it in return.

In the meantime, Bucky is progressing along his own path. When the fic starts he is disconnected from his friends, taking solace only in his work. He’s cut himself off from a lot of the little things that used to bring him joy. He has trouble expressing himself, and that slows things down considerably because he is not good about conveying how he feels. He tries to communicate with Clint through actions — accommodating his hearing loss, reading to him, buying him a bow. Clint reintroduces him to some of the things in life he didn’t realize he was missing, but for the romance to be satisfying they both have to convey that they are choosing the other person specifically, and not just out of convenience. So, Bucky finally finds his words and can tell Clint what he loves about him — a level of explicit explanation Clint, in his insecurity, requires. All the things he starts the fic saying are good enough to make him happy in his life — his house, his job — are things he’s willing to leave behind for Clint.

A final note about “satisfying” endings. It may be tempting to think that solving all a character’s problems results in a happy ending. Someone wins the lottery, and all their financial concerns disappear! They have a wedding and a baby and live happily ever after! There’s a few reasons that these endings are not really as satisfying as they may seem on the surface.

First, to be truly satisfying, an ending needs to be earned. You need to see how the character’s actions directly resolved the problem and led to their changed circumstance.

Second, endings are often most satisfying when they allow the characters to live on in your head in the way you got to know and love them. If you end a fic with everything completely different, it can also feel unsatisfying. You want to leave the characters at the next logical step, better than they were, but not completely changed or untethered from their prior circumstances.

Recommendations for fics with central themes of character development:

Clint Barton’s Super Secret Sniper’s Club by @captn-sara-holmes​

Like Real People Do by @kangofu-cb​

Starving for the Light by @thepartyresponsible​

Superior by @teeelsie-posts​

Choose Every Single Day by @noxnthea​

Symbiotic by @lissadiane​

Play it Again by @sakkakitty

#whob #winterhawk #winterhawk olympic bang #2022 #writer workshops #writer workshop: characters #guest posts #drgrlfriend #discord event

[myanime2go]

Top 10 Iconic Katana in Anime

Iconic Katana in Anime? Well that's what we will be looking at today! #anime #afrosamurai #samuraix

Weapons are the love of every man. Even if you are a fan of hand-to-hand combat, you can never come to hate weapons. But not all weapons receive the same amount of love. Such favoritism might exist because of Katanas. No matter what your age or nationality is, you can never get enough of a Japanese Katana. The craftsmanship paired with its deadliness is enough to keep one fascinated. And this…

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#Afro Samurai #Akame ga Kill! #Bleach #Blue Exorcist #Chivalry of a Failed Knight #Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba #Gintama #Guest Posts #lists #Noragami: Stray God #One Piece #Samurai X

[rsdigitalbacklinksservices]

#rsdigitalservices #best backlinks services #backlinks services #guest posts #link insertion #niche edits #high authoritative backlinks #Edu backlinks #tech sites #general guest post sites

[mellowcreatordestiny-336a47e7]

Call for Writers: Guest Blog Posts (with audio podcast version)

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2hAqxucLo3gN1ttbPbkgWU?si=d9004b6d291a41e9 Want to listen to a podcast/audio version of Happiness Between Tails? Click the Spotify podcast link above. And please give it a follow. My friends and I are eager to meet you! Let my readers (about 10,000 across my socials) get to know you — and yours get to know Happiness Between Tails — by guest blog posting…

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#Blogging #Guest Posts #Podcasting #Writers #Writing

[kristinawkelly]

April Poetry Month: Celebrating Verse and Creativity

It's National Poetry Month and I have ideas on how to celebrate at home, as well as announcing my guest post initiative on poetry, and my own scifi and fantasy poetry collection coming this fall.

Welcome to April and… April is National Poetry Month! Last year I used this month to prep my science fiction and fantasy poetry, including writing several new pieces, for my soon-to-be-released collection, Imaginari. This month, I am planning on participating in a poem-a-day challenge where I write a new poem every day, and I’ll be attending an open mic event at my work. Follow along on my…

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#guest posts #poetry #poetry book #poetry month #poets

[guestpostingsite]

Guest Posts

In the dynamic world of online content, guest posting has emerged as a potent tool for both creators and platforms alike. From bloggers and influencers to businesses and media outlets, the practice of inviting guest contributors to share their insights, expertise, and perspectives has become increasingly prevalent. This collaborative approach not only enriches content but also fosters community engagement and expands networks in the digital realm.

A Platform for Diverse Voices

Guest posting offers a platform for diverse voices to be heard. By featuring contributions from a variety of authors, websites can offer their audiences a broader range of perspectives and expertise. This diversity enriches the content ecosystem, providing readers with fresh insights and stimulating discussions.

For guest contributors, the opportunity to reach a new audience presents an invaluable chance to expand their reach and establish themselves as thought leaders in their respective fields. It allows them to tap into the existing audience of the hosting platform, gaining exposure and credibility in the process.

Building Relationships and Networks

Beyond content enrichment, guest posting serves as a means of building relationships and networks within the digital sphere. Collaboration between creators and platforms fosters connections that can lead to future partnerships, collaborations, and mutual support.

For platforms, inviting guest contributors demonstrates a commitment to fostering a vibrant community and supporting emerging voices. It opens doors for reciprocal opportunities, as guest contributors may later extend invitations for the hosting platform to contribute to their channels or events.

SEO Benefits and Audience Growth

From an SEO perspective, guest posting can be a powerful strategy for improving visibility and driving traffic. When reputable websites host guest content, it not only exposes the guest contributor to a new audience but also enhances the host platform's credibility in the eyes of search engines.

Backlinks from guest posts can significantly impact search engine rankings, as they signal to algorithms that the hosting website is a reputable source worthy of referral traffic. However, it's essential to maintain a balance between quality and quantity when incorporating guest posts into an SEO strategy, prioritizing relevance and authenticity over mere link-building tactics.

Guidelines for Effective Guest Posting

While guest posting offers numerous benefits, it's crucial for both hosts and contributors to adhere to best practices to ensure a mutually beneficial collaboration:

1. Relevance: Guest posts should align with the host platform's audience and content theme to maintain coherence and engagement.

2. Quality: Both hosts and contributors should prioritize high-quality content that adds value to the reader's experience.

3. Transparency: Clear communication regarding expectations, guidelines, and attribution ensures a smooth collaboration process.

4. Authenticity: Authenticity builds trust with the audience. Contributors should share genuine insights and experiences rather than solely focusing on promotion.

5. Mutual Benefit: Collaboration should be mutually beneficial, with hosts providing exposure and support to guest contributors in return for quality content.

Conclusion

In an increasingly interconnected digital landscape, guest posts offer a powerful means of collaboration, community-building, and audience expansion. By leveraging the diverse expertise and perspectives of guest contributors, platforms can enrich their content offerings while fostering meaningful relationships within the digital ecosystem. As creators and platforms continue to embrace the spirit of collaboration, guest posting will remain a cornerstone of online engagement and growth.

#Guest Posts

[quickbloging]

QuickBloging - Submit Quick Blog Free Guest Posts to All Niche

All Businesses can benefit from Quickbloging's Free Guest Services. We provide all niches-sponsored guest posting services. You Can Expand Your Business by Offering Quick Blog Guest Posts. Visit quickbloging.com   If you interest in submitting the guest posts or want more details about the guest post submission, email us on: [email protected]

#QuickBloging #Guest Posts

[beneaththetangles]

Universal Longing in Your Name

Have you ever had a pleasant dream that quickly faded from your memory after waking up? It leaves you with a kind of longing, without being able to specify what it’s for. It’s the same feeling you get when you’re at the beach, or in the mountains, longing for something past the horizon. It’s also the feeling that Mitsuha and Taki are haunted by in Makoto Shinkai’s international blockbuster, Your Name. Shinkai made this desire central in his film. The vague nature of the desire can make us doubt it can be satisfied at all, but I think it can, and Your Name answers the same way.

So let’s go on a journey together, with Mitsuha and Taki, Shinkai, and some other friends, as we explore that elusive feeling of deep longing and what it means for us… Spoilers ahead!

(Read More)

#Anime #Christianity #your name. #Kimi no Na Wa #Longing #Hope #C.S. Lewis #Anime Article #Anime Blog #Articles #Christian Anime #Christian Otaku #Guest Posts #Author: Michel

[myfearbook]

July 15, 2011

Spectra here on scare-cation at Stonehenge. Did you know ginormous stone blocks were placed here centuries ago by indigenous monsters with no technology (you heard it here first)! Or was it aliens? Shoot. Don't fret – I'll be sure to get to the bottomless pit of the story before I return.

#Guest Posts #monster high #monster high facebook #fearbook

[canajunfinances]

#wordpress #guest posts

[junesprout]

I recently started writing little love letters over on my website all about beauty found in the world, daily artist life, and what it means to be a human.

you can find the first one here:

no.1

and the most recent one here:

no.9

I’m also open to submissions! you can check out the guidelines if that’s something that floats your boat.

looking forward to hearing from you!

#personal #love letters #writers of tumblr #writers on tumblr #writing club #writing submissions #poetry submissions #blog submissions #nonfiction submissions #guest posts #writers community #writing community #diary entry #journal entry #diary pages #digital diary #dear diary #sentimental #keepsake #soft #poets on tumblr #tumblr poets

[sewgeekmama]

Guest Posting, Blogs and the Rise of AI

I accept guest posts and sponsored posts on my blog, and I used to get some good ones. Now, 9 out of 10 are written by Chat GPT and have a lot of words that add up to very little useable info. And why does every Chat GPT article start with, “In a world…?” AI makes me very uneasy. Because in a world of bloggers carefully crafting their articles (see what I did there, haha) AI is cranking out one…

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#ai #ai checker #bloggers #Blogging #chat gpt #guest posts #link building #Sponsored Posts

[theopenbook]

Guest Post: Bibber Visits the Bookshop

It’s guest post time! Ynze van der Spek, author of children’s books and part-time inventor writes about how his self-published children’s book ended up in a bookshop Imagine you’ve written a children’s book. A children’s story, about Bibber, a vibrobot. A real story with a plot and a hero (Bibber) and a conflict. You’ve written and rewritten until all the words and sentences tell the story the…

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#Bookshop #Children&039;s books #Guest posts

[gadgetrumours]

8 Incredible Instagram Video Ideas To Capture Your Lead Conversion Rates

In today’s fast-paced digital world, social media has become a crucial marketing tool for businesses seeking to expand their reach and attract new customers. With over a billion monthly active users, Instagram has emerged as a popular platform for businesses to connect with their target audience and promote their products or services. But with the ever-evolving algorithms and increasing…

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#Guest Posts #Instagram #Instagram Tools #Social Media