#because fuck giving amazon free recs

[a-whisper-in-the-closet]

I HAVE DECIDED SOMETHING

Okay, so! If any of you grew up poor and socially isolated like I did, you might have had the same experience I did spending hours looking through the Android Google Play Store or the Amazon Kindle Store for free videogames to pass the time or running about the internet just to find something to do.

It sucked and yet was a wonderful time because it was extremely frustrating to find a game that looked really fucking cool just to have it be $0.99 USD and make you start screaming because It's A Fuckin' Dollar, Just Give It To Me For Free, Motherfucker or worse, downloading a software advertised as 'free' that softblocks players with in-app purchases to make the game even work. At the same time, I have really fond memories of spending so much time just looking around for something I could fall in love with.

Now!

Why am I talking about this? I'm gonna start compiling a rec list, both in a Google Doc and on this blog. The Google Doc is entirely because I use this blog for all fandom-related activities, so it'd probably get messy.

I'll also probably do rec lists for fanfic, movies, television shows, and other things, but the main focus rn will be free mobile videogames and mostly the ones I grew up playing. They'll also mostly be focused on the Google Play Store because my phone's OS is Android. I am sorry iOS and Amazon users.

Anyway, I'm actually really excited about this because I would have loved having a free game rec list growing up!

#game reccomendations #free mobile games #video games #i know this probably already exists but i also just wanna infodump about my favourite games growing up

[thebibliosphere]

So I'm currently unemployed because I got fired for taking too much sick leave (it was legally sketchy blah blah blah but in the end I just can't work and take care of myself and investigate my mystery health problems at the same time). So I've been spending more time writing!

I really admire your writing and loved Hunger Pangs. I'm looking forward to the poly elements developing and I'm wondering if you have any advice for writing about poly. I've made one of my projects a snarky take on "write what you know" ... Apparently what I know is southern gothic meets Pacific northwest gothic, chronic illness pandemic surrealism, and falling back-asswards into threesomes.

I know this is a very open-ended question and I don't expect an answer, I'm just curious about it if you have the energy. As a writer, trying to write honestly / realistically about polyamory/enm, I'm curious if you have any thoughts on what's different about portraying monogamy or nonmonogamy in books, romance or erotica or otherwise.

I'm trying to read examples but it's hard to find examples that fit the niche I'm looking at. Excuse me if this question is nonsense, it's the cluster headaches.

I'm sorry to hear you've been dealing with all that and solidarity on the cluster headaches. But I'm glad you're finding an outlet through writing! And I hope you're happy with an open-ended ramble in response because oh boy, there's a lot I could talk about and I could probably do a better job of answering this sort of thing with more specific questions, but let's see where we end up.

There's definitely a big difference between writing polyamory/ENM (ethical non-monogamy) and what people often expect from monogamous love stories.

Just even from a purely sales and marketing standpoint, the moment you write anything polyamorous (or even just straight up LGBTQIA+ without the ENM) you're going to get considered closer to being erotica/obscene than hetero romances. It's an unfair bias, but it's one that exists in our society. But also the Amazon algorithm and their shitty, shitty human censors. Especially the ones that work the weekends. (Talking to you, Carlos 🖕.)

So not only do you start out hyper-aware that you're writing something that is highly stigmatized or fetishized (at least I'm hyper-aware) but that you are also writing for a niche market that is starving for positive content because the content that exists is either limited, not what they want, or is problematic in some fashion i.e. highly stigmatized or fetishy. And even then, the wants, desires, and expectations of the community you're writing for are complex and wildly varied and hard to fit into an easy formula.

When writing monogamous love stories, there is a set expectation that’s really hard to fuck up once you know it. X person meets Y. Attraction happens, followed by some sort of minor conflict/resolution. Other plot may happen. A greater catalyst involving personal growth for both parties (hopefully) happens. Follow the equation to its ultimate resolution and achieve Happily Ever After. 

But writing ENM is... a lot more difficult, if only because of the pure scope of possibilities. You could try to follow the same equation and shove three (or more) people into it, but it rarely works well. Usually because if you’re doing it right, you won’t have enough room in a single character arc to allow for enough growth, and if ENM requires anything in abundance, it’s room to grow.

And this post is huge so I’m going to put the rest under a cut :)

There's also a common refrain in certain online polyam/ENM circles that triads and throuples are overrepresented in media and they may be right to some extent. Personally, I believe the issue isn't that triads and throuples are overrepresented, but that there is such minuscule positive rep of ethical non-monogamy in general, that the few tiny instances we have of triads in media make it seem like it's "everywhere" when in actuality, it's still quite rare and the media we do have often veers into Unicorn Hunter fetish porn. Which is its own problematic thing. And just to be clear, I’m not including this part to dissuade you from writing "falling back-asswards into threesomes." If anything, I need more of it and would hook it directly into my brain if I could. I'm just throwing it out there into the void in the hope that someone will take the thought and run with it, lol.

I’d love to see more polyfidelitous rep in fiction, just as much as I’d like to see more relationship anarchy too. More diversity in fiction is always good.

Another thing that differs in writing ENM romance vs conventional monogamy is the feeling like you need to justify yourself. There's a lot of pressure to be as healthy and non-problematic as possible because you are being held to a higher standard of criticism. Both from people from without the ENM communities, and from the people within. Granted, some people don't give a shit and just want to read some fantastic porn (valid) but there are those who will cheerfully read Fifty Shades of Bullshit and call it "spicy" and "romantic," then turn around and call the most tooth-rottingly-sweet-fluff about a queer platonic polycule heresy. That's just the way the world works.

(Pro-tip for author life in general: never read your own reviews; that way madness lies. I glimpsed one the other day that tagged Hunger Pangs as “ethical cheating” and just about had an aneurism.)

And while that feeling of needing to justify yourself comes from a valid place of being excluded from the table of socially accepted norms, it can also be to the detriment of both the story and the subject matter at hand. I've seen some authors bend so far over backward to avoid being problematic in their portrayal of ENM, they end up being problematic for entirely different reasons. Usually because they give such a skewed, rose-tinted perspective of how things work, it ends up coming off as well... a bit culty and obnoxious tbh.

“Look how enlightened we are, freed from the trappings of monogamy and jealousy! We’re all so honest and perfect and happy!”

Yeah, uhu, sure Jan. Except here’s the thing, not all jealousy is bad. How you act on it can be, but jealousy itself is an important tool in the junk drawer that is the range of human emotion. It can clue us in to when we’re feeling sad or neglected, which in turn means we should figure out why we’re feeling those things. Sometimes it’s because brains are just like that and anxiety is a thing. Other times it’s because our needs are actually being neglected and we are in an unhealthy situation we need to remedy. You gotta put the work in to figure it out. Which is the same as any style of relationship, whether it’s mono, polyam or whatever flavor of ENM you subscribe to* And sometimes you just gotta be messy, because that’s how humans are. Being afraid to show that mess makes it a dishonest portrayal, and it also robs you of some great cannon fodder for character development.

Which brings me in a roundabout way to my current pet peeve in how certain writers take monogamous ideals and apply them to ENM, sometimes without even realizing it. The “Find the Right Person and Settle Down” trope.

Often, in this case, ENM or polyamory is treated as a phase. Something you mature out of with age or until you meet “The One(tm).” This is, of course, an attempt to follow the mono style formula expected in most romances. And while it might appeal to many readers, it’s uh, actually quite insulting. 

To give an example, I am currently seeing this a lot in the Witcher fandom. 

Fanon Netflix!Jaskier is everyone's favorite ethical slut until he meets Geralt then woops, wouldn’t you know, he just needed to find The One(tm). Suddenly, all his other sexual and romantic exploits or attractions mean nothing to him. Let's watch as he throws away a core aspect of his personality in favor of a man. 

Yeah... that sure showed those societal norms... 

If I were being generous, I’d say it’s a poor attempt at showing New Relationship Euphoria and how wrapped up people can become in new relationships. But honestly, it’s monogamous bias eking its way in to validate how special and unique the relationship is. Because sometimes people really can’t think of any other way to show how important and valid a relationship is without defining it in terms of exclusivity. Which is a fundamental misunderstanding of how ENM works for a lot of people and invalidates a lot of loving, serious and long-term relationships.

This is not to say that some polyam/poly-leaning people can't be happy in monogamous relationships! I am! (I consider myself ambiamorous. I'm happy with either monogamy or polyamory, it really just depends on the relationship(s) I’m in.) But I also don't regard my relationship with a mono partner as "settling down" or "growing up." It's just a choice I made to be with a person I love, and it's a valid one. Just like choosing to never close yourself off to multiple relationships is valid. And I wish more people realized that, or rather, I wish the people writing these things knew that :P

Anyway, I think I’ve rambled enough. I hope this collection of incoherent thoughts actually makes some sense and might be useful. 

----

*A good resource book that doesn't pull any punches in this regard is Polysecure by Jessica Fern. It's a wonderfully insightful read that explores the messier side of consensual non-monogamy, especially with how it can be affected by trauma or inter-relationship conflicts. But it also shows how to take better steps toward healthy, ethical non-monogamy (a far better job than More Than Two**) and conflict resolution, making it a valuable resource both for someone who is a part of this relationship style***, but also for writers on the outside looking in who might have a very simple or misguided idea of what conflict within polyam/ENM relationships might look like, vs traditional monogamous ones.

** The author of More Than Two has been accused of multiple accounts of abuse within the polyamorous community, with many of his coauthors having spoken out about the gaslighting and emotional and psychological damage they experienced while in a relationship with him. A lot of their stories are documented here: https://www.itrippedonthepolystair.com/ (warning: it is not light material and deals with issues of abuse, gaslighting, and a whole other plethora of Yikes.) While some people still find More Than Two helpful reading, there are now, thankfully, much, much better resources out there.

*** Some people consider polyam/ENM to be part of their identity or orientation, while others view it as a relationship style.It largely depends on the individual. 

#long post #writing #ethical non-monogamy #relationship styles #relationship models in fiction #also that kindle link is an affiliate link #because fuck giving amazon free recs

[mensobrush]

its like almost 12 am where im at but fuck it imma ask; if you don't mind do you have any show/book/series recs? most specifically art related bc whelp im just someone wanting to draw and your style is really clean and i lowkey kinda want to diversify my art so uh.

yeh.

Oh BOY have I got a list for you my friend

SHOWS: I'm not too sure about shows that would teach you art necessarily, but i know of a few that are ABOUT art and artists (forgive me because most of these are all anime lol):

1. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! - super cute anime about three high school girls working together to create an animated short film, there's a concept artist, animator, and manager and they have such distinct personalities! Highly recommend for anyone wanting to go into those fields 2. Blue Period - manga and upcoming anime about high school students trying to get into Japan's best fine art colleges. Lots of deep shit about what being an artist is about and delves into struggles like impostor syndrome and shit. Had to stop reading the manga because it hit too close to home and gave me nam flashbacks

3. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun - definitely less on the art side and more of a shoujo between a mangaka and his assistant - super cute

The next few are shows that aren't about art, but have distinct/outstanding art, animation, or cinematography and i highly recommend them for artists to watch:

4. Ping Pong the Animation - probably the most distinctive anime in terms of art style, definitely worth taking a look at!

5. Mob Psycho - highly mainstream but the animation for that anime is insane, especially for fight scenes!

6. Godless - live action western/cowboy limited series on Netflix, probably the show with the best cinematography I've ever seen

BOOKS

This I can probably give more info on! Keep in mind that most of these are geared toward concept art/illustration since that's what I mainly do, but all artists can benefit from having these:

1. Framed Ink and Framed Ink 2 by Marcos Mateu-Mestre - Books on composition, lighting, and storytelling! Must have for people interested in illustration and creating full pieces, and it goes into storyboarding as well!

2. How To Draw by Scott Robertson - THE book on perspective (disgusting, i know, but if you're a character person and you want to level up, perspective is worth learning)! It's definitely more on the advanced side, so I don't recommend it for beginners!

3. Stonehouse's Anatomy by Seok Jung Hyun - I don't personally own this one but I've heard VERY good things about it! I think it's also a pretty advanced level book, but feel free to challenge yourself if you wanna get it!

4. Bammes and Bridgman - Gottfried Bammes and George Bridgman are the people to go to when you're first wanting to get into human anatomy! They focus less on scientific latin muscle names or whatever and more on the gesture of the figure and simplifying body parts into simple shapes that are easy to put in perspective! You can get pdfs of their books for free online or buy them off amazon.

5. Any art book from games that you like - art books are literally a gift from amitabha y'all, they are so insightful into the concepting for games and some of them (coughs the Ghost of Tsushima one coughs) have ALL BANGER art in there and there's NO MISSES

The next ones are again, not necessarily art tutorial books but books with insane art in them:

6. Vagabond/anything by Takehiko Inoue - this man is a fucking god, a legend, his art is so fucking good and delicious and it never misses and he's cracked out of his mind and

SERIES

I don't really know what you mean by "series" so I'll just use this as an opportunity to highlight "series" of videos/channels that are highly helpful for artists:

1. 10 Minutes to Better Painting by Marco Bucci - Marco Bucci's videos are fucking awesome in general, but his 10 Minutes to Better Painting series condenses painting concepts into something concise and easily digestible, and they're incredibly helpful for general painting skills.

2. Proko's Anatomy Series - again, Proko is a great resource for everything art related but he specializes in anatomy and is probably the best resource for people starting out and wanting to jump into anatomy.

3. Draftsmen Podcast - Podcast by Proko and Marshall Vandruff, less direct art tutorials but more talking about artist mindsets (which is just as if no more important than practicing technique)

4. Sinix - not a series, but a channel on youtube! Sinix is great at condensing complicated shit into simple to understand, short videos! He also graduated from my college hehehe

5. Rossdraws - another alum from my school ;) I have many mixed opinions on Rossdraws, but he's pretty good for beginner artists! And his videos are fun to watch so there's that

I might add more onto this as i think of them but these are all I can think of off the top of my head! hope this helps :)

#ask

[naralanis]

You're going to be the drain of all my birthday money with all this talk about fountain pens RIP

Anyway, I'm hooked, do you have any recommendations for pens that feel really nice but are under $100?? Do they exist?

To make matters worse: I'm a lefty, so I don't know if I even could write with one. But I'm also an artist, so I could try drawing.

Thanks for all your advice!!

I regret nothing, let your wallet suffer as mine has!

please god no don't be like me

Not only do the pens you ask about exist, I have several recommendations for fountain pens under $100, fret not! There's a fountain pen for every budget, but I especially have some great recs if you want something that feels luxurious without paying top dollar.

My top recommendation in your case would be the Lamy Safari or the AL-Star (and you can go for one of the special limited editions that are on sale pretty much everywhere right now; you can find the regular editions under $20 at Amazon and some other online retailers; the AL-Star is a little more expensive).

Here's my reasoning:

1. They're not expensive.

2. Interchangeable nibs. Find that the fine is too thick? Why buy a whole ass other pen? Buy an extra-fine nib! And yes, technically many fountain pens have interchangeable nibs, but the Lamy's are by far the simplest I've encountered.

3. Lamy makes a left-handed nib (designated by LH). Now, this might make a big difference or not, but I have some lefty friends who swear by them, and they're not hard to find, nor are they more expensive than the regular nibs.

4. They're light. This can be a good thing or a bad one depending solely on your own preference, but since you seem to be interested in trying to draw with it, lighter is usually better (according to my fountain-pen peeps who actually draw with them!)

OK, so, it's no secret I love the Lamy Safari/AL-Stars -- they're my daily drivers, and have been for several years. However, not everyone is a fan, and that's OK! Here are some things people don't like so much about it:

1. The triangular grip -- while the grip is there to make sure you keep the pen at the correct position when you write, some people don't like it, because they grip the pen a little differently. This may be especially true for lefties -- if you've adapted your grip to write overhand, for example, the angle may be a little bit uncomfortable.

2. It doesn't come with a converter. Yeah, this one bothers me as well. There are plenty of cheap pens around that give us a converter to use bottled ink. The Safari doesn't -- if you want a converter to come with your pen, you have to shell out for the AL-Star. Lamy, why??

3. The line may be thicker than you expect. This is especially true for people who want very, very fine lines (usually for sketching, or if they have handwriting like my wife's, whose writing resembles morse code to the naked eye). This is true for most European-style nibs. If you want like, hairline-fine nibs, you gotta go for the Japanese extra fines!

If you'd like to delve much, much deeper into the countless other recommendations I have, see below the cut! You've been warned!

Here are some other recommendations, from least expensive to most expensive! I'm attaching links to certain fountain pen retailers, but feel free to look for these models elsewhere.

1. Jinhao X450/x750 ($6-$10)

Pros: Cheap, hefty, comes with a converter, several colour options

Cons: May be too heavy, nib comes in medium (and it can be juicy!). Luckily, you can buy separate #6 nibs that you can swap out.

2. Jinhao 8802 ($12-$20)

Pros: Cheap, pretty, good heft, comes with a converter, and comes in a fine nib!

Cons: ... struggling to think of any, tbh! I love this little pen!

3. Hong Dian Forest Series ($15-$20)

Pros: IT PRETTY and also one of the most reliable pens I own. Comes with a converter, fine nib options, it's all-metal.

Cons: May be a little too slim if you have big hands!

4. Diplomat Magnum ($18-$25)

Pros: Ink-window so you can see your ink level, converter included, soft-touch nib (it can take a bit more pressure from people not used to fountain pens), several colour options

Cons: It's light. Very, very light, and some people really don't like that. It also has a triangle grip, so avoid if you're not into that.

5. Platinum Plaisir ($17-$43)

Pros: Japanese fine nib, so it goes very fine. Also, the Platinum seal on the cap is fucking phenomenal -- this shit NEVER dries out.

Cons: These nibs are pretty stiff and have a little feedback (a Platinum quirk). Also, the crazy difference in price reflects the addition of special editions.

See also: Platinum Preppy, Prefounte (cheaper!) and Procyon (expensive!)

6. Pilot Metropolitan ($15-$30)

Pros: classy look, good weight, smoothest fine nibs you'll find pretty much everywhere

Cons: a converter is included, but it is the shittiest one imaginable!

See also: Pilot Kakuno, Explorer (close or cheaper), Prera (expensive)

7. TWSBI Diamond 580 AL R ($50-$70)

Pros: It's a piston filler -- that means instead of that measly little cartridge or converter, you get a massive chunk of the pen body to house the ink! And it's a demonstrator, so you can see it sloshing around. It also has Fine and Extra-Fine nib options.

Cons: the TWSBI fine nibs are closer to the Lamy fines than the Pilot/Platinum ones -- they're overall juicier, which may be a hindrance for lefties.

See also: TWSBI ECO (cheaper, unless we're talking special editions), TWSBI Vac700r (expensive!)

8. Lamy Studio ($70-$80)

Pros: It's beautiful, comes with a converter, and has a nice weight to it without being too hefty. Plus, it takes the standard Lamy nibs -- from the Safari, AL-Star, LX, Aion, Scala, Logo, CP1... etc etc etc!

Cons: The usual with Lamy nibs (thicker line than you may expect). Plus, some people may find the grip a bit slippery (it's stainless steel).

9. Kaweco AL-Sport ($80-$90)

Pros: This little pen can take a beating. Toss it in your backpack, your laundry (pls don't), run it over with your car (pls pls don't). It's very compact, as it's a pocket pen -- fits in your palm!

Cons: It... tiny. Very tiny, with teeny ink capacity to match. No converter. Short cartridges only. Clip sold separately...

See also: Kaweco Sport Classic (cheaper, along with Frosted Sport and Skyline Sport!), Kaweco Sport Brass (same price or higher) Kaweco Perkeo (cheapest!)

WHEW, there you go. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg--there are many, many more pens around in this price range and below (and obviously, above). Have fun in the rabbit hole!

#anon #ask naralanis and maybe she will deign to respond #fountain pen #nara's recs #i am apologizing in advance #the rabbit hole be deep #HAVE FUN THO! #pen asks #pen talk

[nouveauweird]

do you have any recs for learning about screenwriting / how to screenwrite? i'm one of those writers who kind of sees things like a movie and i'm wondering if things would work out better for me with a new medium. thanks in advance!

I hope you’ve got some time to read all of this because it got really frickin’ long.

I was introduced to screenwriting in a Writing Lab in college and followed suit into a Screenwriting IA (Integrative Activity, where students demonstrate what they’ve learned over the course of their studies in the Cinema and Communications program). 

So admittedly, most of what I learned was from two teachers who already knew their stuff and worked in the industry. However, I was so interested in pursuing screenwriting once I’d fallen in love with it, that I bought all the “optional” resource books my Screenwriting teacher had recommended. 

The Screenwriter’s Manual: A Complete Reference of Format and Style by Stephen E. Bowles, Ronald Mangravite, and Peter A. Zorn Jr. really has the basics for what you need to learn how to get into screenwriting. It is available on Amazon for a range of prices. 

I also read significantly through The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver: How to recognize, identify, and define screenwriting problems by Syd Field and to be honest it can actually be useful for any kind of story writer, as I perused it and applied some of its content to a few films I found were really poorly executed. 

I own, but have not significantly perused:

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee 

My uncle who is a screenwriter recommended highly, I personally haven’t dived in yet because the McKee has a stupid disclaimer about why he chose to use He pronouns to refer to the writer throughout the book which was a bit irritating so I just covered it with a sticky note and let it sit for a while.

Writing Short Films: Structure and Content for Screenwriters by Linda J. Cowgill

*Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark.

*Showing & Telling by Laurie Alberts

*Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg (currently reading)

*Take Off Your Pants! : Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker. 

* = not screenwriting specific, general writing.

Two other books that come highly recommended by both of my uncles who work in the industry are: Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, and Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field.

Since I didn’t learn this completely on my own, I don’t have many online resources, but a quick google search of “Basic Screenwriting Format” should yield you some decent results. HERE is one I found, which has a few book recommendations in it as well. Airtable has resources for screenwriting as well but I am not as familiar with it, search “screenwriting” in the template section.

Here’s what I can recommend right off the bat, sign up for Celtx. It has free and paid subscription services, and you can keep 3 projects on your account at a time, but you can also just download them as PDF’s to free up space and reupload them later and the format will be in tact. Scrivener also has a screenwriting word processor, but it’s a (one time) paid program. 

There are many other word processors for screenwriting, but the best for beginners is Celtx. Most processors these days do the formatting for you, unlike 10-20+ years ago when you had to figure that shit out yourself. All you have to do is get familiar with where everything goes. 

Which brings me to the next part of my answer…

A Screenwriting Crash Course 

For a whole fucking load more of information, look under the cut.

First and foremost, I think it’s important to understand that the narrative description / action / description (all terms used interchangeably) is written in present tense 3rd person, and that you should focus on describing exclusively on what can be SEEN and HEARD. You should also try to be as concise and brief as possible. I found this was quite freeing because while I do love the metaphorical descriptions in prose, screenwriting is a very snappy and visual medium to write in. 

Another thing to understand is that beyond learning the basic formatting rules of screenwriting, you can pretty much bullshit formatting you’re not sure about. I’ve read many screenplays where certain elements were not consistent, such as whether or not the writer chooses to put their characters’ names in CAPS every single time (you should at least do so when the character is first introduced).

It’s actually really easy to find scripts of your favourite films online with a quick google search, it might take practice but I’ve managed to build a decent collection of screenplays that I like to read and get an eye for certain formatting tricks that won’t be in a “how to” book. Screenplays also read very quickly. There’s a general rule of 1:1 for page:minute, meaning 1 page is usually equal to one minute of screen time, and if not, it usually averages out.

I’m going to pull some quotes from The Screenwriter’s Manual to give you a bit of an idea of where you can start: pg 25 - 44, 49 - 63

You can find photos of the table of contents HERE if you’d like to message me directly with specific questions, I’d be happy to send you photos of the section you want. 

The Staging

The first component in the scene line [or slug line] provides the most basic information about the set-up for the scene.

The staging is ALWAYS abbreviated and followed by a period. There are only two choices for a scene: 

INT. for an interior set, informing the reader that the scene takes place in an inside environment

EXT. for an exterior set, specifying an outside environment. 

1. The Location

The second component in the scene line is the location in which the scene takes place. 

The location follows the INT. or EXT. designation and is separated from it by two character spaces [most screenwriting processors will do this automatically].

Do not abbreviate any words in the location component of the scene line. For example,

INT. APARTMENT is correct, and INT. APT. is incorrect.

VERY IMPORTANT

It is absolutely essential that every specific location be distinguished from every other location. 

If Joe lives in an apartment, then you can call that location INT. APARTMENT But if, in the same screenplay, Bob also has an apartment you can no longer use INT. APARTMENT as a location for Bob’s apartment.

To eliminate confusion, one solution is to call each apartment location by the resident’s name: INT. JOE’S APARTMENT and INT. BOB’S APARTMENT

Once a specific location has been identified in the scene line, all subsequent scenes taking place in that location MUST be identified in exactly the same way.

FIRST NOTE:

The location identifies where the activity and dialogue take place…

… if John lives in a multi-room apartment and John is currently in his bedroom (so that other rooms are concealed from view), then the scene line must read, INT. JOHN’S BEDROOM or INT. JOHN’S APARTMENT, BEDROOM

[If the action moves from one location to another there are different ways to indicate it; one would be to created a new scene line to indicate the new location, or to indicate the new location in the description like “John walks out of his bedroom and into the LIVING ROOM”. ]

…

FOURTH NOTE

A scene line can take either of two common variations: 

Most often, the scene line will define a specific location, such as INT. JOHN’S LIVING ROOM which limits the field of view to the area where the “camera” is placed.

If the scene takes place in a more generalized location, you can write it as an open scene, such as EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS … By identifying the scene in a generalized way, you are indicating that it is not important to your narrative to identify precisely where on the campus this scene takes place.

THE TIME

The third component of the scene line indicates the general time at which the scene begins. 

The time follows the location and is separated from it by a character space, then a dash, and then another character space.

[ example: INT. JOHN’S HOUSE, ATTIC - DAY ]

The time component of the scene line is most typically specified as a simple DAY or NIGHT. However, the time component can define a more precise period of the day or night. For example, DAWN, MORNING, AFTERNOON, RUSH HOUR, etc.

… You CANNOT specify an exact time, such as 3:30 PM, in the scene line. If such a specific time is required, you need to [include it in your description]…

When there is no lapse of time from one scene to the next, the time element in the scene line could simply be, CONTINUOUS. … if the time lapse is very brief, then you could use something like, MOMENTS LATER, A FEW MINUTES LAYER

AN EXEMPTION:

If a scene takes place in a location in which there is no way to gauge the visible time (DAY or NIGHT), then that element is omitted from the scene line.

ADDING SPECIFICS TO THE SCENE LINE

IDENTIFYING HISTORICAL PERIOD

[example EXT. PARIS, FRANCE - DAY (1946)

EXT. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DAY (1920′s)]

INDICATING A MOBILE SITUATION

If a scene opens with a moving vehicle within the location, then that can be indicated in the scene line. For example… INT. JOHN’S CAR - DAY (MOVING)

2. ACTION or [DESCRIPTION]

Description imparts the necessary detail to the essentials of the scene, describing such features as the characters, sets, props, and any necessary action and sound cues. 

It is generally best to keep the level of detail focused on the actions and dialogue that comprise the narrative. That is where your attention and the reader’s interest should be directed. 

By describing the particular props and decor in a scene and how each character dresses or grooms, you can suggest such character information as personality type, emotional condition, religious affiliation, economic level, artistic taste, and for forth.

First, establish the scene, describing only what is visually apparent in the location and giving only as much detail as necessary. 

You cannot describe anything that cannot be seen… until they have been revealed. 

You do not need to itemize things that are generic and would ordinarily be present, such as furnishings, colours, arrangements, [etc]…

However you MUST specify anything that is unusual or essential to the scene. 

[ My uncle imparted me with a great tip; screenwriting doesn’t maintain traditional prose rules about paragraphs. You should try to keep your descriptions a maximum of four lines, and feel free to break them up into one-line or even one-word for emphasis.]

… 

VERY IMPORTANT: 

You can only convey what is happening at the moment… [No what has happened or what will happen]. 

You CANNOT provide any biographical, psychological, or situational information [about your characters] unless you can find visual means to do so (such as a newspaper article, a television program, [etc.])…

INTRODUCING CHARACTERS

Each character must be introduced in the description the first time [they] physically appear in the screenplay. This includes not only major characters, but also supporting characters and even minor characters and groups that function as characters. 

NAMING CHARACTERS

When a character is introduced, [their] name is ALWAYS typed in ALL CAPS regardless of whether the character is identified by a proper name, a profession, or an appearance… EVANS, AGENT ONE, DERELICT…

Once a character has been introduced, all subsequent references to that character’s name in the description should be written in a normal manner with initial caps… Evans, Agent One, Derelict… 

DESCRIBING CHARACTERS

As the screenwriter, you know who is a major character and who is a supporting or minor character because you have the entire story in your mind. The reader, however, is in a different situation.

… The amount of detail you provide about a character’s appearance and demeanor will give the reader a key to that character’s important in the script. 

As a guide, when characters are introduced, you need to make clear how important each is going to be by tailoring the description and context accordingly.

[ You should describe their appearance and what they are doing when you introduce your characters. There are many different formats to describe a character when you are introducing them, and none of them are the hard and fast rule, you will probably end up settling for your own preferred method].

WARREN EVANS, late twenties, intense, handsome with closely cropped hair and a neatly trimmed moustache, is working with cool precision at one of the hundreds of banks of wiring terminals. he is dressed in coveralls and wearing thin latex gloves.

A VARIATION:

A character’s age can also be assigned a numerical designation, such as…

WARREN EVANS (late 20s), ruggedly handsome, dressed in… 

Seated at the table is CINDY LEWIS, late 20s and very attractive…

[ Generally you should only mention eye colour, skin colour, height, weight, hair style/colour if it is relevant to the narrative. ]

WORDS THAT GET CAPPED

In addition to using CAPS to introduce characters in the description, there are established conventions for other elements that need to be typed in CAPS but only if they affect the narrative…

Those elements include: 

all essential costumes, props and decorany important action, effects, or emphasisany required music or sounds

Although some of the following instances require CAPPING, many will be judgement decisions. 

FIRST NOTE:

You CANNOT identify every costume, prop, or decor on the set. Ordinary objects that have no special significance to the narrative should be left [ in normal text].

SECOND NOTE:

… if a certain prop is important to the story, you should CAP it when it first appears, regardless of whether it is important to that particular scene.

WHEN TO CAP AND WHEN NOT TO CAP

CAPPED words can be effective only if they are used sparingly and appropriately, if CAPPED words are used too frequently, their significance will be lost.

3. THE DIALOGUE-BLOCK

The dialogue element, [also] called the dialogue-block, of the screenplay format consists of three components:

the character-name specifies which character is speaking…the dialogue reveals what is being said by that charactera parenthetical, when necessary, instructs [or indicated an element of] how or to whom the character [is speaking].                           EVANS                 (to the group)   Sorry I’m late. This round’s on me.

GENERAL RULES

ALWAYS contains the character-name and dialogue, and it MAY, if helpful, also contain parentheticals.is ALWAYS single spaced with no blank lines that internally separate the individual componentsis ALWAYS preceded and followed by a single blank line

[ Parentheticals should not be used too often, you should be attempting to provide context for how the character is delivering their line in the description by providing adequate mood/intensity/emotion.]

CHARACTER NAMES

A character-name is the designation used for the speaker…

… Once a character-name has been established, you MUST consistently use that name from that character.

For example, if you’ve introduced the character as COLIN PRYCE in the description, then you will probably want to use the designation COLIN or PRYCE in the dialogue-block.

DIALOGUE

Everything that the actor speaks that is heard by the audience is dialogue. 

[Dialogue] is ALWAYS written in basic prose with initial caps and proper punctuation. 

EMPHASIS IN DIALOGUE

To emphasize a particular word or phrase you should underline it.

OFF-SCREEN or VOICE-OVER CUES

[ Off-screen: when a character is not physically present in the scene peaks from a nearby location, close enough that they could enter the scene. Such a character might be speaking from a room out of view or from behind a concealed area.

Voice-over: (1) a voice heard from a mechanical device such as a telephone, radio, intercom, tape recorder, answering machine, walkie-talkie, etc. (2) The voice of a narrator, which is required when the dialogue is spoken by an unseen narrator. (3) The thoughts of a character, applied when a character is visually present and what is heard are their thoughts.

Usually, a character who is speaking dialogue is visually present within the scene. However, there are two important exceptions: off-screen and voice-over.

The off-screen (O.S.) and voice-over (V.O.) cues 

- ALWAYS follow the character-name on the same line- are ALWAYS enclosed in parentheses- are ALWAYS abbreviated in upper case.

PARENTHETICALS

Parentheticals are a convenient device to convey specific information about how the dialogue is being said… 

[Parentheticals] are ALWAYS enclosed by parentheses… are restricted to words, phrases, and fragments… ALWAYS apply to the dialogue that immediately follows it.

Parentheticals need to be concise and direct, indicating such brief information such as:

- to whom the character is speaking (to John), (into phone), (to himself)- a particular gesture or mannerism(raising his glass), (looking at her watch)- how the dialogue is being spoken(angrily), (coughing), (softly), (thick ____ accent)

WRITING PARENTHETICALS

Because parentheticals are limited to words and phrases, they [should always be written in lowercase and with no punctuation, for example:

(loudly)

No more than two directions should be included in any parenthetical. If two directions appear they should be separated by a semi-colon:

(to the class; loudly)

THREE SPECIAL CASES

- a (beat)- a (pause)- an (interrupting)

[A (beat) indicates a change of thought, suggests a moment of indecision, or conveys a dramatic effect.

A (pause) signifies that a break in the dialogue occurs. This is most often used in phone conversations. 

An (interruption) indicates that the dialogue begun be the previous speaker is being interrupted by the current character (there are a few different ways you can format this). ]

I won’t go any further than this because this is already extremely long, but ultimately I invite you to take a look at some of the scripts (here and here) I’ve written and doctored as an amateur screenwriter as well as digging up your own favourite movie scripts which will give you a good idea of how to implements what formatting.

#anon asks. #answered asks. #writeblr #am writing #screenwriting #resources. #writing advice. #on screenwriting. #long post. #my resources.

[philester]

Younow Stream 10/21/18

dan is wearing red hoodie and phil is wearing jurassic shirt

dnp had a fight about his red hoodie

phil pulled dan’s bow because he was tempted to but dan wanted to keep it in a bow  

phil doesnt even know how to tie is shoelaces, but he just tied dan’s hoodie into a vertical bow 

filmed a new gaming channel and dan pushed phil off onto the floor alksjdhasd 

phil was injured

on the eve of spooky week they will change their layouts 

the ii dvd is phil’s children and he wouldnt choose between blue or red 

phil calling out dan for saying “on the back” and almost ruining the surprise

directors commentary!!

the “duvudus”

 they sold out limited vip in america but it is back on there 

the dvds they have is just the packaging because they will come out in december

holographic!!!

VIP edition has its own thing

amazon version is also limited

phil’s mom bought like 27 and thats why they were on the amazon best seller

they are going to give it to their friends for christmas 

“we’ll talk about it more” they said in unision

phil said jinx, ill give you a pinch”

dan has an idea of what he will do for his halloween layout 

BBC won’t put it on youtube for free alkjshd

Phil thinking about being hannibal lester but he will do an official tweet asking for requests

Dan and Phil mukbang 

dan thought a mukbang was a tiny girl on a livestream eating 15k calories but its like all the youtube beauty community does and talk about drama 

people want AmazingPhil to be a mukbang channel...maybe they will make it an annual thing

Clickbait video alskjhdaksjd

its not clickbait but the name of the game is Clickbait

do a dan and phil boxing video...phil would win

job interview advice: ask them questions , be really interested in the job 

phil put eye spray and missed the first time

PINOF 10...its 9 years but 10 videos...its going to have to be a special one right (THEY FUCKING SMILED AT EACH OTHER IN THE MOST FONDEST WAY UGH)

there will NOT be a halloween baking :/ but there will be some good spooky videos

no plans for vidcon

riverdale --> phil really likes it!

there are a lot of shirtless people which is why phil was so excited akjhsd (people who think phil is straight is found dead in a ditch)

went to the Hayward gallery which was about space and illusions

a woman walking around wearing a mirror -->“dan, we were the art”

a room full of oil but they put a trench into it (21 pilots joke) and the queue was an hour long

“daniel howell death: fell in the oil”

dan enjoyed the album Trench...his favorite out of 21p

dont get catfished...dont get dog fished

they went out for brunch irl and walked around a park

Phil had french toast 

they saw some pelicans 

dan wanted to put the love filter on the people who were marching at the park

they are singing some songs

thanks for all the emojis 

they are up to date on AHS but episode 2 was bad 

its like a crazy fan fiction coming to life

last episode was directed by sarah paulson who is an icon

“uwu” 

OwO whats this???

everyone is uwuing in the stream 

pinof 10 towards end of november or early december 

Venom was bad but also good at the same time but they havent watched it yet 

they dont judge things until theyve seen them

people can disagree

fandoms can exist in harmony with each other 

they have to find out some kinks about the tbc

dnp started watching the american version of The Office during the tour and they just finished it

dan is living vicariously through Jim and Pam

they cried a lot watching the Office

they will watch anime first and then possible watch Parks and Rec

Dinner Party was their favorite episode from The Office

gonna watch My Hero Academia and they finished SNK

promo code for crunchy roll is still working...good for fall half term

dnp watch an hour of TV for a day

phil want to do more mukbangs in the future

someone has a lowkey bf but phil was like they should at least be a middle key bf

phil is hungry so they will yeet

saying bye to a few people

#mine #younow stream

[arsenicpanda]

I need your guidance senpai 😋 What anime series should I watch with the Boy next? We just got through HunterXHunter and I endured but then was endeared. We also watched Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun. I have gotten a lot better at taking in anime that isn’t Cowboy BeBop, the Grail War series, or Gurran Laggan over the years but I still have my limits lol Any recs?

Okay, so I’d really need to know more about your individual taste to make proper recs, but let’s go with general stuff I love.  I’ll note where it’s legally streaming (Note: I think some of the stuff on Funimation’s site can be streamed for free, but I’m not sure which of these that applies to).  Warning: This is gonna get long because I couldn’t help myself 

- Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood - You can’t go wrong with this one, you really can’t.  This is probably the best show I’ve ever seen period, and I’d rec it regardless of taste, honestly.  The setting is amazing, the plot is flawlessly executed, the characters are fantastic and fleshed out, and the ships are adorable.  Bonus: it avoids the classic shounen problem of being bad at female characters; the FMA series in general has such fantastic female characters.  The first 13 episodes can fly by a bit fast with less than fantastic pacing because they were already done back in the original 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist, but I promise it’s worth it.  In fact, here’s a whole video about why you should watch it.  It’s streaming on Netflix, Amazon, and, I think, Hulu, so it’s easy to watch.  If you just watch one of these shows, it should be this one

- Revolutionary Girl Utena - SO GOOD.  This show is weird, but in the best way, and not to the point that it’s difficult to understand.  If you like symbolism and deconstruction of fairy tales, this is a good show for you.  Also, highly complex characters!  Note: The dub for this one is…less than good, so probably watch it subbed.  It’s on Amazon, but you have to pay for it.

- Mawaru Penguindrum - Yeah, I know, more Ikuhara anime, but I love it so.  Again, a weird show, but understandable.  Good characters, good ships, and a very interesting premise that’s well-executed.  Streaming on HiDive.

- Code Geass - Do you like giant robots, political intrigue, and complex characters?  Then Code Geass might be the show for you!  This is also the show with my all-time favorite character and ship.  The main character, Lelouch, is also cut from similar cloth as Jughead in his darker moments, so that’s fun.  Now streaming on Netflix with a great dub!

- Durarara!! and its continuation Durarara!! x2 - Teen gangs, headless riders, the mafia, a serial killer, a mastermind, a magic sword, this series has it all!  And it’s so good!  Seriously, the character work is great, and it’s not afraid to spend episodes on one character if that’s the best way to pace the plot.  And, oh man, is the pacing great.  The plot too, honestly.  I highly recommend it, and, if you watch it, you can finally understand my “Riverdale season 2 is just live action Durarara!! but not written as well!” ravings.  Also streaming on Netflix with a great dub.

- Baccano! - An excellent period piece set in the late 1920s that’s full of the mafia and magic and excitement.  It follows three sets of characters and storylines at once, and they all come to a head in the final episode, although there are also some bonus episodes.  The characters here are phenomenal, and the opening is killer.  I highly recommend the dub because they do a great job with everyone’s accents.  Inexplicably, I don’t think it’s streaming anywhere

- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - This is more of a weeb-y show, as it’s set in a Japanese high school and talks about anime culture, but it’s also so good and one of my favorite shows, so I have to recommend it.  It follows a girl with reality-warping, god-like powers that she doesn’t know about; the people who are studying her and trying to keep those powers a secret from her and others; and this regular guy who befriends her.  There are a number of orders to watch this show in, but it’s generally recommended to do broadcast order rather than chronological order.  Again, a phenomenal dub.  The first few episodes (sub only, I think) are streaming on Funimation’s site for free (chronological order).

- His and Her Circumstances - This is just a fantastic romance anime, old though it may be.  You can watch it on Amazon with a Starz subscription.

- Neon Genesis Evangelion - A seminal anime, and one that holds up in my opinion.  Giant robots, fully explored three-dimensional characters, and some weird shit, Eva is just a damn good show.  Coming to Neflix some time this summer!

- Black Lagoon - Damn, is this show dark but good!  Seriously great characters and a fantastic dub.  Streaming on Funimation’s site.

- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - A great bit of sci-fi.  You can buy it on Amazon, but stick to season 1; season 2 (Second Gig) is a whole different beast.

- Hyouka - A cute series about a group of kids who solve mysteries.  Really, it’s just precious.  I think it’s only streaming on Funimation’s website, though.

- Kara no Kyokai (aka The Garden of Sinners) - Ok, so this is a series of movies, not a tv show, but it’s pretty good!  And it’s from the same universe as all the Holy Grail/Fate stuff, so if you liked those, you might like this.  Streaming on Crunchyroll.

- Ouran High School Host Club - Kiss kiss fall in love!  This is a very funny reverse harem show that does not take itself seriously.  Streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and Funimation’s website.

- Princess Tutu - A truly fantastic magical girl show that’s a mix of fairy tales, ballet, and awesome meta stuff.  Streaming on Amazon Prime and Hulu (dub only on both sites, weirdly enough).

- Puella Magi Madoka Magica - A dark take on the magical girl genre, but pretty good.  It’s streaming on Netflix, I think.

- Steins;Gate - A really great sci-fi show.  Good characters, good plot, a damn good ship.  Streaming sub only on Hulu, sub and dub on Funimation’s site and Crackle, and you can buy it on Amazon.

- School Rumble - Such a good comedy show in a high school setting.  Streaming on Funimation’s site in sub and dub, sub only on Hulu, and you can buy it on Amazon.

- Tsurezure Children - An adorable series about a bunch of couples, told in various snippets of their lives.  Seriously, it’s got so many flavors of ships, there’s bound to be one you’ll like.  Streaming subbed on Crunchyroll and both subbed and dubbed on Funimation’s site.

- The Vision of Escaflowne - So good!  Steampunk mecha with a bit a magical girl stuff set on another world.  And Van/Hitomi is such a good ship.  Streaming on Funimation’s site.

- Vatican Miracle Examiner (but just the first four episodes) - This is the weirdest fucking thing I’ve ever seen with the highest WTF quotient.  I have no words for it, but damn is it funny, although not on purpose.  Streaming on Amazon with Amazon Prime.

And here are two movies:

- your name. - So good!  Such a great romance, and it’s so beautiful too!  I think you can rent it on Amazon (I wouldn’t know because I bought it.)

- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time - Fantastic sci-fi/romance movie that’s not hardcore sci-fi.  It always gives me so many emotions.  Again, I think you can rent it on Amazon, but I’m not sure because I bought it.

#anime #a true janian reply #asks #god I hope read mores work on mobile #not tagging all these anime because there are just too many

[phoenix1966sbottom]

Stories where Jared (and a few Sam Wesson AUs) is a ghost or around them. I’m sticking to Jared (and AU Sam), since Sam Winchester is often around them. Given the nature of the rec, please be aware there are death fics in this lot. As always, heed the warnings where the stories are posted!

J2 AU

Shadow of Doubt by saucyminx on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jared sees spirits. It's something that he's learned to live with in a rather dysfunctional way - that is - until the next spirit to visit him is one he knows. Detective Ackles might be the one person who can help him. (no penetrative sex)

A Cottage With A Sea View by Tempestquill on LiveJournal. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  In 1993 Jared Padalecki inherits a cottage with a sea view on Santa Rosa Island, just off of the California coastline. 2008, jaded actor Jensen Ackles buys a beach house on a small island off of the California coastline from his therapist to escape the frenzy that his life has become after a recent scandal. See how the lives of these two men collide...

The Darkest Things I’ve Seen by anyothergirl415 on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jared sees ghosts and has a hard time coping.

A Ghost in Your Garden by dimeliora on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  A very loosely based AU of Season One of American Horror Story, Romcom style. Jensen has suffered an accident, and moves into a new home as a form of occupational and geographical therapy. He's surprised on arrival to find that his house is haunted and that his relationship is more damaged than he imagined. Luckily his new neighbor Jared is there to help him deal with the mysteries of his new home, and pick up the pieces of his broken life

Giving Up the Ghost by dimpleforyourthoughts on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Since his parents’ divorce, Jensen Ackles has just about given up on the living. Moving from town to town with his Mom and Sister, his only solace has been found in music, and ignoring pretty much everything else. The latest move to a massive plantation home in Louisiana feels like a dream come true: he'll have all the space and privacy he's ever wanted. But there's something--someone--else living in the house. And they're absolutely bent on making Jensen's peace and quiet a living hell. Jensen's just a moody teenager who wants to be left alone. And Jared is the lonely ghost that haunts his bedroom. Determined to get rid of the pesky poltergeist, Jensen makes it his mission to get Jared to move on from this earth. But the more time they spend searching for Jared's way to cross over, the more Jensen is discovering that Jared might be one of the few people on this earth--living and dead--that he might want to keep around.

Soundproof Box by orphan_account on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  After Jared's mother dies, he buys an old, old house far away from his childhood home. Alone and introverted, always thought to be too weird, the ghost living in the house is Jared's only company. Jared doesn't exactly mind -- turns out Jensen is just as weird, if not weirder. Oh, Jared likes him.

The Crying Boy by etoile_etoilee on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jensen Ackles' journalist career has hit an all-time low. He's ready to jump on whatever story that could make an interesting article. Come along student-journalist Jared Padalecki, who might have found a legitimate haunted house. (no penetrative sex)

Breaking Free by MorganaDW on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jensen Ackles is a psychologist who breaks free of his old life to hunt ghosts in a small New England town. When he finds out that his new home is actually haunted by the cursed spirit of a young Puritan man he becomes determined to help free him from the torment and pain that has kept him trapped.Jared Padalecki has long since given up hope of ever being freed from the curse that’s held him prisoner for over 300 years. He lives in fear of the old evil that originally cursed and abused him and knows there’s no hope or freedom for him.When Jensen’s arrival starts an unexpected chain of events that brings hope back to Jared, he also begins to learn more about himself and the lies and guilt he was told three centuries earlier that makes him long for a life that he was never allowed to have.As the pair struggle to break the curse they will soon discover that it’s not only the power of the evil witch that still seeks to hold Jared captive they’ll have to face and overcome but feelings that Jensen wasn’t expecting and Jared doesn’t fully understand.

Ghost Sex by Anon on Spn-blindfold. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. From the prompt:  Jensen is a spirit haunting Jared. Every night Jensen fucks Jared to exhaustion, but the sex is the best that Jared has ever had. The longer that it goes on the more isolated that Jared becomes - Jared doesn't want to leave Jensen and Jensen doesn't like Jared away from him. Jared's friends don't know how to save him.

High Spirits by Blueeyedliz on LiveJournal. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jensen is engaged to Danneel but when they take a weekend break together at an old - supposedly haunted - hotel in Texas, Jensen meets someone who turns his life upside down and steals his heart.  This story is a J2 retelling of the 1988 film ‘High Spirits’.  

The Lengths I Would Go To by insertcode11. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. The author deleted her journal but allows her work to be shared. Jared runs a matchmaking business and Jensen is looking for a date. 

In My Thoughts… by spn_j2fan on A03. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jensen just wanted to be a father and a husband. He never pictured himself a serial killer. (warning: Implied but not described that Jared tops once)

First Days Gone by insertcode11. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jared and Jensen are soldiers in WW1. The author has deleted their work but allows sharing. The story is one of many in the file. I have said it before and I’ll say it again…run, don’t walk to download this author’s work. It is amazing and almost all bottom!Sam/Jared!

Because Ghosts by indiachick on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jared's had a terrible summer, what with all the hereditary insanity, possible hauntings, and Jensen.

Haunted Houses are Love by tigbit on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jared moves into a haunted house. He takes it in stride. (no penetrative sex)

Don’t Even Fix a Price by cleflink on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Heroes sure have changed since Jensen became the ferryman of the dead.  (no penetrative sex)

Paranormal 101 by dugindeep on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  There are currently 19 paranormal TV shows broadcast across the world, and the Paranormal National Investigators of the Supernatural are no different. Led by Jensen Ackles, the show is a staple on the Travel Channel and of Jared’s TV (and masturbatory) habits. When there’s an opening in the crew, Jared jumps for the chance to join his ghost-hunting heroes. It’s not an easy transition into the cocky gang of paranormal experts, but Jared manages to find his way, and prove what he’s believed all along: ghosts are real. (no penetrative sex. Warning: Jared rims Jensen)

The Lost by Phoenix1966 (me) on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Big screen star Jensen Ackles was on his way to Brazil to continue filming his latest project. He was glad to lose himself in the role and bury the pain of his broken heart by slipping on a stranger’s skin. Because of his manager’s twisted attempt to help, he found himself on a private jet with a high-class rent boy. Before he could figure out what to do with that, a bolt of lightning sent them tumbling into the rainforest.With them believing there were no other survivors, Jensen has to figure how to get them back to civilization. It was a good thing he was as strong and capable as the leading men he portrayed on screen, because how much help could an expensive hooker really be in the middle of the Amazon?

Cheyenne by Magser on mediafire. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  An actor looking to hide, a quaint cabin by a beautiful lake and an old ghost story... (no penetrative sex)

Here Burns a Candle Out by erushi on LiveJournal. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  WWI steampunk AU. Aeronaut and part-time spy Jensen Ackles has every intention of leaving the spy service after his last job in Europe during the Great War ends poorly. Instead, he finds himself sent to a resort outside the city to recuperate, where he meets Jared, an eccentric ghost hunter who is determined to unlock the secrets of a nearby haunted house. Unfortunately for Jensen, things at the resort aren't quite what they seem, and when matters take a sinister turn, Jensen discovers just how impossible it is for anyone to truly ever leave the world of espionage. (no penetrative sex, but Jared seems the more forward/dominant of the pair)

Heaven’s Just A Sin Away by jeyhawk on LiveJournal. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Jared is a medium and Jensen a ghost...and the sequel And Her Lips Were Cherry Red. After separating from his lover of five years, psychic Jared Padalecki finds himself at loss for what to do, but a plea from help from the FBI turns his life around and soon Jared and his estranged lover find themselves knee-deep in mystery, murders and ghosts with a very real threat towards their lives hanging over their heads. Can they unravel the truth before it's too late, or will their separation turn out to be of the terminal kind? (warning: although there is no penetrative sex onscreen, it is heavily implied they switch.)

Stigmata by Jenshih_Blue on A03. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU. Jared Padalecki is a tattoo artist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania living a carefree party life until a twist of fate makes him a messenger of God-a God he wants no part of nor believes in either. Father Jensen Ackles is a priest and a scientist, who after years of disproving miracles across the world is jaded. When their worlds clash, they find themselves faced with a truth that will either destroy them or unite them in a way neither expected.

Song of the Reaper by Jenshih_Blue on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  Private detective Jensen Ackles is a cynic and believes he's seen the worst humanity has to offer until one night a dark haired beauty by the name of Genevieve walks into his office. The job, discover the truth behind the death of her fiancé Jared Padalecki, a local artist. The cops have labeled it a suicide, case closed, but she refuses to believe it. As Jensen digs into her fiancés mysterious past, he finds himself drawn into a world darker than he imagined, a world leading to a path of emotional self-destruction. After all—how can you fall in love with a dead man? (warning: although bottom!Jared onscreen, Jensen thinks about bottoming)

Haven’t Met You Yet by sandymg on Ao3. Jared/Jensen. J2 AU.  After an unsettling break-up with his lover, well-known horror writer Jared Padalecki has settled into the quiet and privacy of his new home. Except he's developing an obsession about the visitor in his garden who feels like someone Jared has been waiting for his whole life. Trouble is, the man he wants to meet lives in a world where Jared hasn't even been born. (no penetrative sex, ambiguous who tops and bottoms)

Wincest AU

Crimson Peak by TwoBoys2Love on Ao3. Sam/Dean. Wincest AU.  In the aftermath of a series of family tragedies, Sam Wesson finds himself swept off his feet by the debonair Baronet Dean Winchester. When he arrives at his new home he discovers a place with far too many memories and spirits. Things are not at all what they seem and Sam finds himself struggling to stay alive. Based on the Del Toro film: Crimson Peak.

Uninvited by TwoBoys2Love on Ao3. Sam/Dean. Wincest AU.  Sam buys a new house. All is going well until strange things begin to happen. This brings a strange man into his life and together they fight what is inhabiting Sam's home.

Can’t Take the Sky by saucyminx on Ao3. Sam/Dean. Unrelated wincest. Sam’s brought to yet another foster home but this time he finds a friend. Of course, he also finds an enemy and something other-worldy he wasn’t quite prepared to accept.

Love Make Monsters by riyku on Ao3. Sam/Dean. Wincest.  Sam’s sure of only two things in this world. A Crimson Peak Au.

#fanfic rec #bottom!jared #bottom!sam #ghosts #j2 au #wincest au #deathfic #unrelated wincest #wincest

[thecloserkin]

fic rec (2/2): I Don’t Hear the Church Bells Chime Anymore Part by Noccalula (Part 1 is here)

They present themselves at the Hydra compound to volunteer as human guinea pigs. This is their last, best shot at taking down Tony Stark and his “imperialist death machine.”

Both of them were iron deficient, running light fevers, and dehydrated to the point that they were immediately given IV fluids. The first few weeks were nothing but antibiotics and lightning rounds of samples and examinations as the medical team worked to ensure that the twins were at least coming to a safe point to begin working on gaining weight and exercising; Pietro could not aptly put into words what it did for his heart to watch the sallowness in Wanda’s skin disappear, her eyes brighten again

almost makes you think their freedom a small price to pay for being restored to to peak health doesn’t it

but that autonomy had been the first thing they were informed that they would be signing over.  Wanda had reached down to lay her hand across her brother’s, which lay across her thigh, and gave it a soft squeeze before she put pen to paper and quite literally signed her life away before handing him the instruments to do the same.

have any of you guys ever signed a cell phone carrier contract? or bought anything online from any merchant at all? or opened any kind of bank or credit card account? nobody actually reads the fine print — maybe you’ve seen the video of the voice actor who was hired to read Amazon Kindle’s TOS front to back and it took him 8 hours — but how much of that autonomy that Pietro and Wanda value so much was illusory? Even if they’ve never had a cell phone? …. Sure, we’re free to sign these one-sided impenetrable legalese contracts or walk away, but how do you function as a person in the modern world without signing them? You don’t have to worry about affording a lawyer to decipher them for you, since most of them include mandatory arbitration clauses to prevent you getting your day in court, or god forbid bringing a class action suit against the corporation. There’s no overt coercion going on but it’s not much of a negotiation when one party is holding all the cards. In the previous chapter Pietro and Wanda observed that they didn’t have a choice, really, and here the “choice” to sign their rights away is a farce of freedom. Capitalism is fucking depressing let’s move on to a lighter subject aka sexytimes:

So many of the things that Pietro was dying to do were still logistically tricky but it didn’t stop him from whispering them to her in the dead of night, his lips against her ear or the back of her neck just like old times as she heaved soft sighs, her back pressed against his chest. If they were covert enough, sex could pass for spooning or cuddling when the nurses passed by, shining muted lights into the room to ensure no one had gone awol. Somehow, the thrill of possibly being caught and the shame of just how forbidden the act was became part of the appeal for Wanda.

This is my jam: Sex that passes for spooning? Yesssss. The thrill of being caught? Hell yes. The taboo heightening the hotness? Sign me the fuck up. Can you imagine how wet she got when he whispered all the things he wanted to do to her? And the herculean struggle to stay quiet, to not tip off the nurses, damn I need a shower.

So Wanda gets her period after five years of being too undernourished to get it and the way it happens is the two of them wake up in a pool of blood which ofc freaks them the fuck out THEN when Pietro starts lifting weights without a shirt on there are all these scratches on his back from Wanda’s nails and the doctor who is no one’s fool decides Wanda needs to go on birth control asap. THEN the experimentation begins in earnest and the they insist on separating the twins afterward — these are Herr Strucker’s instructions. Nobody, no other subjects so far, has survived the second round of treatments.

”Now, most of Mengele’s experiments on twins were utterly worthless,” Von Strucker continued … “Because he was not interested in science - he was interested in torture … But we, doctors, are not interested in torture, no. And we noticed very quickly that there was one thing that Mengele missed, His research suggested that twins were more likely to survive lethal experimentations for longer if they were reunited after a separation.”

This is sO cReEpy — no we are doctors we are not torturers we are doing this for SCIENCE ok. It’s little wonder Strucker didn’t miss a beat when the true nature of the twins’ intimacy came to light: he saw it as something he could use. Their soul-deep bond would give him the leverage to fashion them into the perfect weapons. And spoiler alert, they survive! Pietro zips around super fast! Wanda can read minds now!

Though Pietro posed the more immediate physical threat, everyone was markedly more afraid of Wanda. This was something Pietro was almost visibly proud of.

There is a very specific kind of competency porn where one member of your OTP is just bursting with pride at the other member of your OTP doing something superbly well and this is a prime example of that, this is Pietro Maximoff telling these bitches to fuck off because look at my sister she is a telepathic reality-warping witch. (I just rewatched Firefly and the scene in “Ariel” where Simon breaks character in the middle of a hospital heist to save a random patient’s life and River just looks at him is also a prime example of this trope.)

“Superheroes.” The word felt disgustingly capitalist on Wanda’s tongue.

I am crying haha because this is so true. Isn’t the superhero story par excellence about a human with extra-special abilities accomplishing extraordinary things rather than, say, a bunch of regular schmucks building collective power through solidarity? One of the things I love about this fic is the fact that the people who work for Hydra, from Strucker down to Doctor Bellato and Istvan, are none of them evil people. They commit evil deeds, to be sure, but they are working within a system which greatly constrains their array of choices.

They could run forever – he could run forever, with Wanda in his arms. But he knew there was still a growling, raging thing in the pit of his heart that lived in Wanda’s as well, and that thing would not know satisfaction until it knew justice.

This is a very good, succinct account of what drives the twins. Justice is what propels them forward day by day but it is also, I think, what drives them to be together in the romantic sense, because I am not sure if, in a universe where Sokovia remained at peace, the Maximoffs would turn to each other. I think the shared trauma was a necessary precondition to the incest. Fight me but that’s my reading of their characterization in this particular fic, not applicable generally, and god knows I haven’t read any of the comics.

Wanda and Pietro had carried nothing from the old life but one another and fistfuls of nightmares, scars that would never fade and wounds that would never heal save but for through one another.

There is a whole chapter that is like, just the two of them holing up in a hotel and screwing each other’s brains out. A well-deserved interlude, kids. (Well-deserved for me the reader as well, I hasten to add I thought it was a real treat.) There’s a mural erected by some of their erstwhile comrades from the anarchist commune, titled “Long Live the Maximoffs” because they are now apparently the face of the (failed? stalled?) revolution. You know, every time I read the twins’ internal monologue repeating that old “we came into this world together and we’ll leave it together” aphorism it’s like twisting a knife in my heart. Of course it never occurs to them only one of them will die, and the other will have to learn to live without him.

The ultimate betrayal of Wanda’s heart was that the damned thing continued to beat without him.

And there it is. Not to take anything away from Vision but Pietro was the love of her life, thanks for coming to my ted talk. Thanks for joining me in combing through one of my favorite fics of all time and enumerating all the 987654321 reasons I loved it, and thanks to @noccalula-writes for the gift of this brilliant story.

#maxicest #pietro x wanda #fic rec

[liarboo]

You know what, even though it’s late and I’m fucking tired, I still want to at least try to give a list of horror movie recs for this Halloween night.  I’ll mostly only be reccing stuff found on Shudder, though, ‘coz I’m too tired to scour through all the other streaming services I have access to.  Shudder is good and has a free trial. Okay, so, in no particular order: • Terrified -- really, really good, like I’m still thinking about it I liked it that much.  Basically weird things are happening in a neighborhood and when people investigate it shit goes down.

• Southbound -- an anthology movie, but they all tie together really, really well. Weird shit happening in an isolated, desert area.

• Noroi the Curse -- Awhile ago I did a little challenge where I watched found footage horror movies before Cloverfield brought on a huge onslaught of them, and Noroi is a Japanese one from 2005 and it’s v.v.good.

• Ghost Watch -- watched as part of that early found footage challenge, this is one of the first examples of the genre from 1992 that aired on the BBC that many people thought was real. It’s cheesy and not particularly scary but an interesting watch, considering.

• Grave Encounters -- ghost hunting tv crew get fucked up in a haunted asylum yeah

• Cannibal Holocaust -- This is, like, the 2nd found footage horror movie ever but be warned there is real animal death in it, you can find time stamps and skip over, though.  But it’s a pretty brutal movie all around, so much so the director was taken to court because people thought it had actual snuff in it.  It’s about a guy that goes looking for what happened to a documentary crew that was filming in the Amazon and he finds their film.

•  Tucker and Dale vs Evil -- Black comedy, a very good take on the cabin in the woods, killer hicks trope

• Troll Hunter -- Found footage movie about documentarians following a man that hunts trolls, surprisingly good for such a ridic sounding premise/

• Channel Zero -- Shudder has all three seasons of Channel Zero up, and I like it a lot, even if the third season severely disappointed me for its bad bad take on the Search and Rescue creepypastas it was SUPPOSED to be based on.  But they’re still great and use practical effects more often than not.  I mean, S1 features someone in a head to toe suit made of teeth, you guys, it’s so cool.

The following movies aren’t on Shudder, but I think are all on Netflix and probably other services:

• The Void -- Delicious practical effects rub them all over my body

•  The Last Shift -- A cop has to stand guard in a mostly empty police station where a cult leader and his followers had been held, and spoooooky things happen. I am so tired I can’t write good synopsis.

• Train to Busan -- A zombie movie that made me cry for like 15 fucking minutes, it’s so good.

[sharkfish]

Ugh, stop tempting me with all your Sterek posts! I don't have time to watch a new show! Do you think I really need to watch in order to read some fic about them? Or can I just skim wiki about the show haha

oh you absolutely do not have to watch the show and in fact i would recommend you do not. i started reading fics kind of randomly a couple weeks ago and had never seen the show – i wasn’t going to bother but it’s streaming free on amazon prime so i watched a few episodes just trying to get an idea of like… their voices and mannerisms? anyway it’s real bad. like, i talk shit on supernatural for not being a good show, but teen wolf is… in another category of not-good tv. and even the fandom seems overall pretty miserable about everything that happened past s3 or so (multiple people have told me specifically to stop watching past s3 if i make it that far) (spoiler: i won’t). watching the main character (scott mccall played by tyler posey) is real painful. i’m cringing thinking about it. 

TEEN WOLF SPOILERS FOLLOW FOR ALL SEASONS PROBABLY

the main thing you’ll probably want to know about teen wolf is re: werewolf lore [link to teen wolf wiki]. even a lot of tw au fics feature werewolves, which i expected to really hate but i am actually pretty into. i’m still relatively confused about what exactly it means to be an alpha, beta, or omega werewolf in tw-land (no relation to a/b/o in an spn fandom-style omegaverse, though those exist too!!!), but as long as you realize it’s unrelated to a/b/o stuff you can generally figure out what it means in the context of whichever fic you are reading. 

otherwise, here’s what you need to know: setting: beacon hills, california (fictional but probably somewhere in nocal). scott mccall got bit by a rogue alpha werewolf, turning him into a werewolf. he is not relevant, but he does accidentally fall in love with a girl (allison argent) from a family of werewolf hunters. his best friend is stiles stilinski (played by dylan o’brien, who you may know from the maze runner), the boy with a polish name so unpronounceable it isn’t even actually said in canon until later in the series (it’s Mieczyslaw, though many older fics use various difficult-for-americans polish names). stiles talks too much and is super bi. they meet derek hale, who is a hottie werewolf. (derek is played by tyler hoechlin, who is currently running around with this beard that is really upsetting to me because i am not generally into beards but i’m actually really into his beard, ugh, god dammit.) he is very broody and really just gives off some alarming edward cullen vibes in his first appearances in the show. very grumpy and mysterious and quiet and shirtless a lot. there’s a scene where he pushes stiles into a wall that is one of the gayer things i’ve ever seen since the last time dean and cas were on screen together. (seriously – there’s a similar scene between scott and stiles a couple episodes prior that is extremely non-gay, and then stiles and derek start staring at each other’s lips and fixing each other’s jackets and shit, WHOA.) 

stiles is in love with lydia martin, who is a super popular pretty redheaded girl who is dating jackson. stiles’s mom died when he was younger (cancer i think but i am not sure) and his dad is the sheriff. 

derek fell in love with kate argent when he was 16-18 (canon never specifies derek’s age and there is confusing info specifically in response to his age during the kate thing) (are we never told his age bc he and stiles’s antics are a little gay and stiles is only 16 at the beginning of the show? idk), not knowing she was a hunter. she used his love for her to trick him and ended up murdering his entire family (mom: talia; dad: idk his name; sisters: laura and cora [one of them may have survived the fire but died later? i am confused about this] [and then i guess cora wasn’t really dead at all?? that all happens later in canon and doesn’t come up in fics very often]) in a house fire. also i’m pretty sure derek killed this other girl he loved when he was younger (paige) – i’m not sure of the details but he’s real fucked up and guilty about it even though it is generally presented like he does not deserve that guilt. 

other notable characters: erica, isaac, and boyd are members of derek’s pack. sometimes in fic isaac is in a poly thing with scott and allison which is p cool! erica and boyd are usually together. ummm there’s also a chick named kira who is a kitsune (i have no idea what that actually means in the tw verse) and might hook up with scott in later seasons. chris argent is allison’s hunter dad but some fics portray him as an ok dude. peter hale is derek’s uncle and is a creepy dick. 

fics!!! k i have read a LOT of sterek fics (like.. hundreds…..) in the last couple of weeks but here are the 3 that have made it on my bookmarks list so far: 

Love Runs Wild by DevilDoll derek and stiles are porn stars who do like softcore werewolf-human porn for a magazine called neckz ‘n throats. stiles shows up to a shoot with a hickey on his neck and this is Bad News cuz werewolves have this whole thing about marking (!!!) and derek is like really upset but trying to pretend it’s fine and he’s not all in love with stiles. this is probably a good intro to general ideas the tw fandom has about werewolf mating rituals. also it’s just in general A+ smutty good times.

Sell Your Body to the Night by Dira Sudis (dsudis) this one is about 16 year old sex worker stiles, hired by rich werewolf derek. so… like… warnings for all the consent implications re: being a 16 year old sex worker, and generally i stray away from underage stuff even if both characters are the same age, but this is a really beautiful sweet love story, and i can’t believe i’m describing something that is tagged with watersports as a “beautiful sweet love story,” but it really is. (i am not into watersports lmao but am glad i read this anyway. it’s one scene at the beginning of ch9 that can be skipped but tbh unless you are super squicked, i would suggest reading it bc the scene manages to come across really intense and intimate and all around great despite, you know, someone getting peed on.) 

Cornerstone by Vendelin derek is a marine vet and stiles is blind. derek makes a dick out of himself and stiles kind of forcibly befriends him anyway and it’s sweet and fluffy and all-around wonderful as fuck. this was the first sterek fic i ever loved and i hope i don’t forget that feeling (i was just lamenting last night that i have zero memory of when i went from someone who was real scared of the spn fandom in general bc wincest was the only ship anyone ever talked about to dedicating 90% of my available brainpower to destiel – how did i even hear about it?? when did i start reading fics??? what kind of fics did i read??? how did i feel about them??? i have no idea!!!). 

also i went through most of @bleep0bleep‘s fic rec list [link] and enjoyed the vast majority of them so i would definitely suggest checking that out for some good fics!!! (i read a bunch of bleep0bleep’s fics, too, and they are also great [link to their ao3]) 

keep me updated!! send me the good fic links!!!! 

ps i am vaguely working on my first sterek fic. destiel is the first fandom i’ve ever completed fics for (i do have one (1) unfinished merlin fic that predates any of my spn writing, but that’s it) and the only thing i’ve written in years so it’s super weird/fun to play in another sandbox! 

#robotsnchicks #sterek #sharkrecs #teen wolf #sharkprimer

[tiny-princess-catherine]

Fantasy Lesbian Romance Novel Review Corner Extravaganza

so i’ve been reading a lot of lesbian fantasy romance novels! i always knew they were a thing that existed but upon just picking one up lately i haven’t been able to get enough so i’ve gone through quite a few. if you are a fan of swords, sorcery, and girls kissing girls, you might be interested in some of these too! 

i’m going to give my thoughts about the ones i’ve read, and also mention how much homophobia exists in the book and how relevant it is to the plot, since i know people have varying feelings about that kind of thing. 

i’ll put a cut here for kindness, so people don’t have to scroll forever. let’s begin!

Dragonoak by Sam Farren (Amazon: books 1, 2, 3) this is where it all began for me (thanks @d-medusa for the Sick Rec) and it’s pretty much the pinnacle of the genre for me thus far. it stands out hard because the vast majority of characters (and there are a lot of them) are gay women. there are several important non-binary characters, a handful of trans women, and best of all, no one ever comments on any of the above. ever. at all. it’s just a very gay setting and no one questions it, no one argues, it’s just How Shit Is. beyond that appeal, there’s a lot of fun fantasy shit: kingdoms and queens, dragons and necromancers, pirates and political intrigue, and it’s just a really great, fun time. i could not recommend these books any more highly than i already am. book 1 is admittedly a little slow/scattered, and if you can’t cling to the budding romance taking center stage, you might have some trouble with it; things pick up hard in the latter books, however. please give them a try! Homophobia Content: none. literally none. zero. no transphobia either.

When Women Were Warriors by Catherine Wilson (Amazon: books 1, 2, 3) these are not exactly fantasy as such, but they’re very much in the same vein. old-style, bands of female warriors, warring tribes, all that kind of thing, just without magic or anything supernatural. a touching if extremely straightforward tale of a girl become a warrior’s apprentice, falling in love with that warrior, undergoing trials, proving herself, et cetera. i might be making this sound sorta bland, and parts of it are, but there’s enough solid girl-love to carry you through. high points include a lot of allegorical stories inserted into the text here and there, low points include the most Hemingway-style writing i’ve seen outside of Hemingway himself.  Homophobia Content: none at all; romances between women are expected and encouraged.

Lyremouth Chronicles by Jane Fletcher (Amazon: books 1, 2, 3, 4) oh boy, Jane Fletcher. i really dug this and her other series (detailed below), but man, once you’ve read one of her books, you’ve read them all; she has a very definitive style and she sticks to it hard. whether or not that style works for you may vary, but it hit with me really hard. these four books detail one specific couple, an exiled warrior and a budding sorcerer, and the adventures they have in the world. i ADORED these two characters, their consistently strong romance, and i was extremely sad to finally see their story end; both of them are extremely flawed, both have a great deal of depth, and they complement each other very well. i love the explorations of magic that permeate all four books, i love the world, just a great frickin time all around. Homophoba Content: ehhhh, there’s definitely some, and while it’s limited to the first portion of the first book, that section is fucking brutal if you don’t like homophobia in your books. once it’s past, though, the rest is totally free of that kind of thing.

Celaeno by Jane Fletcher (Amazon: books 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) not exactly fantasy, again, but not super far from it either. this was interesting initially because there are literally zero characters not only in the series, but in existence in the world, and if you’re shallow about your lesbian fantasy like i am, that is absolutely a good thing. unlike Lyremouth, however, which was pretty steady in quality all throughout, these vary hugely; i found myself less and less interested as the series progressed. each focuses on a different couple, and each have a very different level of stakes. in a world dominated by a religious order, some women become heretics and seek to eke out their own existence, even while hunted down by said religious order; an interesting enough backdrop, but some of the books (3 and 5, specifically) are just so low-stakes (solving an individual murder, talking a lot about sheep theft, respectively) that even the romance can’t carry them. book 2 is by far the best with the deepest characters, so read the first two and then stop there, imo. Homophobia Content: as mentioned, no men exist in this world, so homophobia as a concept simply doesn’t exist.

Adijan and her Genie by L-J Baker (Amazon; sadly, they don’t seem to carry an ebook version) super fun individual novel, in a fictionalized middle eastern setting; i can say pretty thoroughly that it didn’t go the way i expected it to whatsoever, in a good way, but i absolutely HATED the protagonist for constantly making the worst decisions possible over and over. an desperate alcoholic seeks to eke out a living for herself and her wife, loses her wife, gains a genie, and proceeds to continue to make terrible decisions constantly until things just kind of work out for her. as much as i hated the protagonist, the rest of the characters were interesting enough, as was the core romance. still recommended, if you can get your hands on a copy. Homophobia Content: peppered throughout; the genie of the title is exceptionally homophobic, though (surprise) she relents by the end.

Lady Knight by L-J Baker (Amazon) another of my top favorites, we watch the world’s sole lady knight as she faces constant sexism and discrimination, falls in love, faces constant homophobia and her lover forcibly married away from her, general sadness and ill tidings abound. by and large, it’s a tragedy, but the characters (especially the protagonist) are extremely excellent, relatable, and well written. the constant sexism (however realistic it may unfortunately be) definitely wears at you, but it’s worth going through. Homophobia Content: oh my god there’s so much and it never ends. sexism too; if you can’t handle them, avoid. 

The Pyramid Waltz by Barbara Ann Wright (Amazon) oh my god there’s like three sequels to this? i just found out when i went to get that link, holy shit i’m so excited now. anyway apparently i only read book 1 of a four book series, but book 1 was really fucking great! standard fantasy setting, romance between a princess and an exotic visitor, political intrigue and murder, you get the idea. really fucking cool details, though, like that magic is performed through little pyramid-shaped objects; they go to a lot of detail about it and how it all works and it clicked with me pretty well. the main couple were great, but the side characters vary in depth and interest. overall, recommended, i’m gonna go buy the other three right fucking now and binge on them. later. Homophobia Content: none that i can recall, at least in the first book. the princess is very gay and no one ever questions it.

#lesbian fantasy fiction #oh man i'm so hype for more pyramid shit now #Cat's Reviews

[themusicenthusiast]

Single Review: “Ghost” by Badflower

Badflower is probably a new band to many, though the Los Angeles-based quartet has spent several years cutting their teeth, preparing for the noteworthy tours they have since been a part of, where they made certain that they were a supporting band that patrons would want to check out. The heavy touring schedule they’ve kept (which has included some appearances at major festivals) has been instrumental in them getting to where they’re at now, where they’re poised to be one of the next biggest things in the modern rock era. That’s sure what their latest single, “Ghost” (out via Big Machine Records / John Varvatos Records), leads one to believe as Badflower continues to build anticipation for their forthcoming debut LP. “Ghost” has become a smashing success on some of the rock charts, probably becoming one of the most played songs currently on radio, and for good reason. However, where a lot of songs in this modern era achieve that because they’re catchy and have a good vibe, Badflower went a different route in scoring this hit: they made something with substance.

“Ghost” is a testament to the fact that bands can still write something meaningful, something with passion and heart and find an audience for it. There are multiple ways to interpret “Ghost”, all depending on the listeners’ perspective. Some may consider it outright morbid and depressing, while it may offer some sort of hope to others thanks to the artfully way it deals with the sensitive topic of depression and self-harm that can result from some cases. Whichever way you choose to view it, there’s no arguing that it’s an incredibly visceral song that delves into the complex emotions people in those circumstances are experiencing, neither condemning nor glorifying their choices, all while trying to offer some sort of insight for those struggling as well as those close to them. The story depicted by the lyrics begins innocently enough, introducing the listener to a person making a cry for help, cutting themselves, but being measured with their actions. The final lines from the first verse then set the tone, “…And all I really wanted was someone to give a little fuck. But I waited there forever and nobody even looked up,” Josh Katz mournfully croons, depicting a person who feels ignored an unimportant, and therefore doesn’t believe there’s much reason to keep going. Katz and fellow band mates Joey Morrow (lead guitar), Alex Espiritu (bass) and Anthony Sonetti (drums) cover a lot of ground in the slightly less than four and a half minutes that “Ghost” runs, the severity of the situation becoming more apparent, the character in the song acknowledging their thoughts aren’t normal and expressing their fears, though it’s countered by steadily feeling as if existing is too much of a burden to bear, as the line, “…this life is overwhelming and I'm ready for the next one,” makes so painfully clear. It’s a story that’s real and raw, and bound to strike a chord with quite a few, but as bleak as it often sounds, there are little things peppered in meant to make anyone who may need to hear it second guess their potential actions. The vivid bridge is the best example of that, especially how it ends, “…The cutting part was easy but regretting it is so fucked.” Whether it’s the idea of suicide or actually following through with it, that’s a tricky subject matter for any band to try to tackle, yet Badflower has done it masterfully. With “Ghost” they’ve created a song that does it’s best to capture how some people may feel, like as if they don’t matter and have no direct impact on anyone’s lives, especially when an attempt at getting a helping hand goes unnoticed. It also tries to offer a different perspective, though, such as the thoughts that occur once there’s no going back and how it may not actually be as freeing as how some might imagine it will be. As well as it’s written in regards to the story it tells, the emotive layers of “Ghost” are only bolstered by the music bed. It’s a prime example of how music and lyrics are meant to interact with one another, striking up a sort of harmony in order to convey the full depth of emotions that any quality song should have. In this case it’s the more tranquil, at times even barren first verse that is reflective of the isolation and depression, the gentle riffs and atmospheric percussion enhancing that mood. The first chorus sees a dramatic rise in emotions, the guitars, bass and drums unleashing a sudden onslaught that sounds blistering before slipping back into some feeling of being disconnected. There’s something marvelous about the way it’s so restrained, roars to life and then tapers back off. It so accurately captures the internal struggle that is transpiring, growing more painful and even chaotic during the interlude as everything comes to a head. The near a cappella delivery of the first segment of the bridge is absolutely phenomenal, Katz sounding desperate, broken and at the end of his rope, the track ultimately unleashing the full potential it has been hinting at by becoming a beast of a song in its final moments. “Ghost” is everything a truly amazing song should be, the members of Badflower having essentially caught lightning in a bottle with this one. It carries a powerful message and is executed so meticulously in order for said message to fully resonate with people. Katz, Morrow, Espiritu, and Sonetti didn’t hold anything back when it came to penning this one and it shows, the heart and soul being evident throughout this palpable piece that is alt rock at its finest. It’s of such a high caliber that it’s one of those songs a band could spend a whole career trying to write and still not succeed at it. The kind of song that, in a way, is timeless and will be crucial to the legacy that Badflower is sure to have. It also sets a high standard for their upcoming full-length record. “Ghost” will be central to it, no doubt, but will the other songs they’ve written be on par with this one? Hopefully so; and if they are, it will ensure Badflower ranks as one of the most elite of the next group of future rock stars. Purchase “Ghost” on: iTunes | Google Play | Amazon MP3 Visit Badflower’s websites: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube Current Shows: 2018 September 13--Saint Paul, MN--Amsterdmam Bar 15--Chicago, IL--Riot Fest @ Douglas Park Mini Golf 16--Spartanburg, SC--Ground Zero 17--Huntsville, AL--SideTracks Music Hall 19--Tampa, FL--The Orpheum 20--Destin, FL--Club LA 22--Las Vegas, NV--iheart Radio Festival Day Time Stage @ Las Vegas Festival Grounds 25--Columbia, MO--The Blue Note 27--Ringle, WI--Q and Z Expo Center 28--Louisville, KY--Louder Than Life 30--Fort Wayne, IN--Pierre's Entertainment Center October 2--Joliet, IL--The Forge 3--Belvidere, IL--The Apollo Theatre Ac 4--Detroit, MI--Saint Andrew's Hall 5--Cleveland, OH--House of Blues Cleveland 6--Camden, NJ--Rock Allegiance @ BB&T Pavilion 9--Watertown, NY--Exhibition Hall 10--Rochester, NY--Montage Music Hall 11--Sturgis, MI--Nikki's 12--Madison, WI--High Noon Saloon 25--Grand Prairie, TX--Freaker's Ball @ Grand Prairie Theatre 26--Amarillo, TX--XR Downtown 27--The Woodlands, TX--The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion 29--Little Rock, AR--iHeartMedia Metroplex 30--Oklahoma City, OK--Diamond Ballroom 31--Lubbock, TX--Jake’s Backroom November 6--Tucson, AZ--The Rock 7--San Diego, CA--Voodoo Room 10--Portland, OR--Paris Theatre 11--Seattle, WA—Corazon 13--Salt Lake City, UT--In The Venue 14--Denver, CO--Marquis Theater 15--Omaha, NE--The Waiting Room Lounge 16--Lawrence, KS—BOTTLENECK 17--St. Louis, MO--Delmar Hall 21--Grand Rapids, MI--The Pyramid Scheme 23--Buffalo, NY--Rec Room 24--Columbus, OH—Skullys 26--Cambridge, MA--The Sinclair 29--New York, NY--Gramercy Theatre 30--Baltimore, MD--Baltimore Soundstage December 1--Asbury Park, NJ--Asbury Lanes 3--Nashville, TN--The High Watt 4--Atlanta, GA—Purgatory 6--Tulsa, OK--The Vanguard 9--Austin, TX--Stubbs JR

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