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onyxmilk · 3 months

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May I also request a match-up? I'd like one for jjk and chainsaw man. I'm chill with either gender and I'd like both SFW and NSFW.

In terms of my likes/dislikes, I REALLY like fruit and fruity drinks, it's a very important detail that I tell everyone, but other than that, I enjoy reading (usually fiction works but I've gotten into classic literature the past few months), video games (usually horror), and I have a huge love for the fantasy genre (lotr, hobbit, got, DND, ect). Dislikes are a bit harder, but one main one is I absolutely despise loud and continous noises (pens clicking, loud chewing, drink slurping, ect) they drive me mad, other than that, my Dislikes are pretty basic, I don't like the heat, salty food, coffee (plain coffee, I'll drink a latte or mocha but not really enjoy it) and that's the basic stuff, we'd be here a while if I kept going. I'll also throw this in, I've been really loving mma the past few years so I've been taking classes for almost a year now, it's more than a "like" to me so I thought I should add it.

As for my appearance, I'm definitely taller than the average lady, I'm 5'10 according to my doctor. I have black hair that reaches just below my shoulder blades, grey-blue eyes (they look more like a pale blue in the sun) I'm super pale (I'm very Irish on both sides so 🤷‍♀️) and I mean like glow-in-the-dark or vampire pale, I have quite a few freckles but none on my face, they're all on my arms and legs, and I have 3 tattoos on my arms (cherry blossom branch, spider lily, and a bumblebee).

And lastly, my pronouns are (she/her)

I think that's everything, sorry if this is longer than the usual request.

thanks for the follow, toe gobbler!! - me, to the jjk server im in, nsfw under the cut, minors/ageless blogs dni

JUJUTSU KAISEN ; CHOSO

SONG; Apocalypse - Cigarettes After Sex

sfw;

THIS WAS HARD!!! I really thought on this and it was him or Megumi tbh- but then I thought harder and thought 'toe gobbler needs a fix me up man', so here he is!!!

Choso doesn't mind that you're taller or even the same height, he loves the comfort you bring.

He also loves to share drinks with you because you tend to know the best ones out there, that's how the two of you discovered he also has a thing for the fruit drinks.

He loves tracing your tattoos with his fingers, he finds the designs different and unique.

He loves to see what you're doing constantly when he's home and you're home too, often over your shoulder watching you read a book or even writing.

nsfw;

Something interesting he realized with you is that he feels more... safe, so that means being vulnerable with you.

He enjoys a slow pace, he gets to admire all his doing, even if you need to guide him through every move and how a woman's body works.

He likes to be able to trap your hands above your head, fucking you slowly as you moan and whimper out his name.

Choso is also learning his kinks, and so far he loves when you're quite literally begging for him to speed up and tears are pricking your waterline.

He tends to be rough too, despite his slow pace he will go as hard and rough as he can when gripping your hips or wrists.

CHAINSAW MAN ; AKI HAYAKAWA

SONG; Little Bit - Lykke Li

sfw;

You two met at a restaurant, you were his waitress and he was your guest. He laid eyes on you and immediately fell in love with you, asked for your number and you gave it!

He loves being able to brush back your hair and kiss the back of your shoulder in the mornings when you wear a tank top to bed.

Aki doesn't know the amount of times he's counted your freckles on your arms while you slept, he just does it and it helps him relax.

He finds your taste and his taste funny, you're into fruity drinks and writing while he enjoys a black coffee and reading. Sure, when you do read, its fantasy- Aki is more of a history enjoyer.

He's surprised you have tattoos, but similar to the person above, he tends to trace them when he can't sleep.

nsfw;

Fast and rough, that's the best way to describe sex with Aki.

He loves the way your nails dig into the skin of his shoulders or drag down his back, leaving pretty red lines in your wake.

He loves loves loves when you scream his name, makes him speed up even more which results in even more noises escaping your lips.

He tends to suck hickeys and such on to your skin, sometimes such different levels of intensity its hard for you to cover them up.

He enjoys biting at your thighs before eating you out, but never deep enough to leave marks.

#anime x reader #x reader #match up #anime match up #match-up #anime match-up #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk x reader #chainsaw man x reader #csm x reader

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jpn-langblr · 5 months

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thank you @maxsarchives for thinking of me! it's been a while since I did a tag game c:

barbie or oppenheimer // ketchup or mustard // crinkled fries or curly fries // robots or dinosaurs // silly hats or silly socks // spring or autumn // harry potter or lord of the rings // vacation or staycation // day or night // board games or video games // books or movies // money or love // milkshake or iced coffee // waffles or pancakes // chocolate or candy // beach or pool // laundry or dishes // take-out or dine-out // fantasy or sci-fi // lays or pringles

Tagging @earthyorangeaid, @ideas-of-immortality, @manablr, @sharpandpointies, @benkyoupann, @overgrown-ruins and @haiironoaki! No stressi if you don't feel like doing this <3

Below the cut are my reasons for my choices, in case anyone is curious.

Barbie because I have zero interest in watching the dude from Peaky Blinders test a nuke; ketchup because I think it has more utility as a "spice"; crinkled fries because curlies don't get crispy enough; robots because whoa huge robot cool; silly socks because I don't have a good head for hats; autumn because I like the way the air smells; LotR because it is so so so important; vacation because I like to see new places; day because I like watching the birds; board games because I like them as a way to hang out; books because movies are too long; love because I couldn't stay with someone just to be comfortable; milkshakes because I make them less often than iced coffee and thus they feel like more of a treat; pancakes because every waffle I've had in the past 15 years has been a disappointment; chocolate because it just does so much; the beach because I like the gulls and the waves; laundry because you can do more at a time with less effort than dishes; dine-out because I love not having to tidy afterwards; fantasy because she's always had my back; lays because pringles come in that stupid, unrecyclable tube.

#tag game

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davidfarland · 10 months

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David Farland’s Writing Tips: How Long Does it Take to Write “A” Novel?

One of the most frequent questions you’ll get as a writer is, “How long does it take to write a novel?” There are several perfectly valid answers, and some that are utter bull-puckey.

1: Bull-Puckey Answer: You can write a bestselling novel in just a weekend according to one coach. Another says you can do it in just 15 minutes a day in 21 days. Beware people selling easy answers. They’re just trying to separate fools from their money.

2: Two to Four Weeks: I can comfortably compose 1200 words per hour. If I have a good idea of what to write, and if each scene works successfully, it will take 80 hours of hard work to write a 100,000-word novel. Shorter books take less time. A huge book takes longer.

But it normally requires an hour or so just to get into a deep enough meditation to actually compose, and not every scene works as well as I’d like. So that 80 hour quickly doubles.

I can crank one out a novel in about three weeks. It might not be well thought-out. It won’t have much in the way of interesting twists or thunderous prose, but I can compose a piece of excrement about as fast anyone.

In fact, if you’re an excellent stylist, your piece-of-refuse novel might even be superior to much of what passes as popular literature.

3: Inspired Novels Go Quicker: Sometimes lightning strikes in the form of a stimulating idea that hits at a time when the writer is able to get into the writing zone and has the time and inspiration to work on it. Generally, if it all happens well, you can get the first draft of a great novel in four weeks. Several classics have been written that quickly.

Shakespeare took about four weeks to compose each of his plays. He’d be acting and putting on plays during the spring and summer, would write for a couple of months in the late fall (creating three new plays), and then go home for Christmas and New Year. So “Hamlet” took a month. So did “King Lear” and a “Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

But then again, were they really written that quickly, or just the first drafts? Shakespeare would revise his plays for years afterward, often re-writing scenes late at night after a performance. The works got better.

4: You Can Write Quicker When on Drugs: One of the bestselling novels in its genre was written under the influence of meth in about four weeks. Those who have tried meth report good results once, but tell me that it “fries your synapses” so that you can never write as well or as easily again. Don’t try this.

5: A Great Book May Take Years! JRR Tolkien was officially hired to write Lord of the Rings in 1937. He got writers block for many years and worked as a professor but finished a first draft in 1948. Then he had to write the “Appendices” over the next few years, so his first volume was not published until 1954.

You might say he took 17 years—except that he kept going back and revising even after his first edition. An upgraded version came out in 1965, and Tolkien went to work on The Silmarillion, which had further effects on LOTR. In fact, I suspect that Tolkien never officially finished Lord of the Rings.

If you dig up Tolkien’s grave, you may find him like a wight in his barrow, scribbling away on his appendices with bony fingers.

Tolkien once composed a story about writing, “Leaf by Niggle.” In the story, various elf-like creatures go about creating the world, and one of them, Niggle, spends an entire lifetime perfecting a single leaf while others create entire groves.

Yet when the world is finished and populated with vast forests and jungles, birds and insects, it is the leaf by Niggle, with its beautifully articulated veins and perfectly symmetrical edges, that is honored as the most beautiful creation of all.

It’s interesting that this story came out of Tolkien in 1937 as he contemplated his epic.

You may have books like that in you, too.

I’m finishing up a novel now that I’ve been working on for ten years. Yes, I wrote other books in-between. My novel In the Company of Angels took 18 months to research, three months to compose, and won a Whitney Award as best book of the year. And my novel Nightingale also won several awards two years after Angels. I’ve published a number of anthologies in the past few years, too. But I’ve been grinding away on A Tale of Tales for almost a decade.

Writing it presented a number of challenges. First, it is unlike any other book I’ve seen. I can’t just look at a model of “similar” books and try to top them. I don’t know of a similar story. I suppose I could crank out a quick tome and call it good, but that would be soul-destroying.

I want the story to be unique, and I want it to be powerful. I want it to express my vision, not anyone else’s.

Over the past few years I’ve had all the usual challenges—writer’s block, huge financial upheavals, and a couple of near-fatal illnesses.

Of course, I hear from “fans” that I’m taking too long. My wife is the most vocal of them.

People who want immediate gratification are like toddlers who smell a cake baking in the oven and demand to have it NOW. You could spoon out the molten glop, but it wouldn’t be what you envisioned.

You don’t have to rush every novel, and you’re being short-sighted if you try.

So how long does it take to write a novel?

A Lifetime. Every novel that you write is the sum of all your learning and experiences. I’m 62 years old, and when I finish this novel in a few weeks and people ask how long it took to write, I will answer, “62 years.”

I can’t wait to finish my first 100-year novel!

For more on David Farland's Writing tips, visit https://mystorydoctor.com/writing-blog/

And you can also click here to get your David Farland Daily Meditations.

#writing help #writing tips #writing advice

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judgementdaysunshine · 1 year

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Hi, if you don't mind and they're still open could I please have a LOTR and The Hobbit matchup? 🥺👉👈

I'm fine with either a male or female ship, though I think it's important to note that I'm Asexual. I'm an autistic adult who also has arthritis, scoliosis, asthma and a bunch of other symptoms like feeling faintish too.

I tend to cover up a lot clothing-wise because I sunburn easily, but that doesn't mean I don't like myself. I'm actually pretty confident, or at least don't feel the need to change myself for others. I'm also a huge nerd who enjoys nonfiction books and informational videos, especially on subjects like archaeology, science, botany, paleontology, witchcraft and history. I can infodump about just about anything, and I know tons of trivia, especially about those subjects and my favorite authors. I'm also learning how to sew and crochet, and I write a LOT. I have an ongoing journal that I've kept for years now.

My style can be best described as "Cottagecore Ms Frizzle" tbh. It's also very important to note that I'm 4' 10" because of a disability that stunted my growth. If you're not American that's about 147 cm so yeah, very tiny. I also have glasses and very long wavy brown hair.

I'm very sweet and I try to be friendly to everyone. I can also be a little sensitive at times, but I'm also very wise and I give good advice. I often write about very deep issues and I can think very big picture, but I also appreciate small things in life. I think you can find beauty everywhere if you really look for it. Though I can also be stubborn and once my boundaries are crossed I don't forgive easily, I will admit. I love caring for people though and if someone is sad, I'll often ask if I could get them anything (mainly tea because I love tea) or rub their back to comfort them. Focusing on little things and helping people is what keeps me going in a world that is constantly wracked with disaster tbh.

Thanks so so much, I hope you have a great day hun! Take care of yourself and drink lots of water!

Absolutely take care of yourself babe! 🥰

First I ship you with Galadriel! 💜

She makes tea every time you are in Rivendell always making it herself and making sure it is always the way you liked it

She loves watching you write and reads it after never taking the sweet smile off of her face every time she reads the things you write

She doesn't mind that you are shorter than her nor the fact of you having a disability doing research on what you have and what it does to you

She always checks your glasses when you leave them next to her when you shower or fall asleep cleaning them if they are dirty and replacing them if they are damaged somehow

She loves that you always try to give the best advice to anyone in need of it whether they are going through a rough patch or unsure of something

She always listens and enjoys your info dumps no matter what it is or how long your talks are she is always happy to listen

She always reminds you to take care of yourself from taking your meds, drinking more water, eating when you haven't eaten in awhile, or to sleep when you're clearly exhausted

Finally I ship you with The bard

He likes hearing you info dump whether it's about something you like, how your day was going or went, what you and the kids did or were going to do, or just anything at all making him smile

He repairs your glasses if they get broke making sure to always replace the glass if need be necessary and to tighten the sides as well

He always makes sure to remind you to drink water especially when you're sick, to eat food when he knows you haven't eaten in a while, to sleep even when you haven't been sleeping well, and to take your meds on time even when you're dealing with things around you

He loves seeing you give advice to others when they're in a situation especially when needed and even giving advice about bullying and growing up to the kids helping them making him love you even more

He never minds that you have a disability and that you're shorter than him because of it and doesn't mind helping you when you need help with getting things

He always loves reading what you write even having a few he will have copied or write down to keep somewhere

He makes tea for you every day always trying different flavors and ways to make it and keeps track of whether you like it or not

#lord of the rings x reader #galadriel #the hobbit #the bard x reader #lord of the rings #the bard #the hobbit x reader #galadriel x reader

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thenerdyalchemist · 3 years

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Bro how long has it been since you thought about TDP

I knew this was gonna happen :’3

For the record it’s okay to be interested in other fandoms :3 . I’m just having a lot of fun getting back into lotr. So! Please respect that and let me draw what I enjoy :3

#why #y’all think I only gotta be dedicated to one thing #I love tdp #and as soon as season 4 comes out u get ima be so exited #but to be honest #not much is happening with tdp right now so..#getting back into lotr has been a huge comfort for me #so

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pastafossa · 2 years

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hi pasta❤️❤️❤️ idk if this has been asked already but is there a reason you got into writing? was it always a passion or did you randomly one day decide to start writing things…

xoxo, from a fellow matt manwhore lover

It has not been asked but I'm happy to answer it! I feel like there's a couple things that on their own weren't enough, but together they kinda worked like building blocks until they clicked:

Being born into a family of readers. My family LOVES books and reading, so not only was I read to early on, I was read to enthusiastically. Reading for fun was constantly modeled in front me, as was a love of characters and story (parents were Trekkies and LOTR fans, loved to discuss characters and stories, etc). I devoured books as a result, and learned to love a good story and relate to characters.

Family is also a theatre family. My dad actually has a degree in theatre production (he even worked on Golden Girls!) and my mom liked to write scripts for small plays and stuff. And they let me play small roles once I was old enough, do theatre camp, etc etc. This means I became comfortable getting up and actively helping tell a story, and I also had a chance to discover just how much I loved doing that (which is great, cause my other art attempts went poorly 🤣). I loved helping tell a story. I loved making people feel things.

Discovery of fanfic: so I already knew I loved stories and telling them, and I'd been supported in loving characters, but I didn't really have anywhere to put that love until I stumbled on fanfic at like... I think 11? 12? And it was like... I can get more stories??? About characters I love??? For free??? Wait... and you don't have to be a big grownup writer??? Cue lightbulb. I'm pretty sure my face was like

Thus much bad fanfic

I wrote on and off for a few years as a young teen, wandered off, came back, wandered off again. I saw it as a hobby at most, something I enjoyed doing but didn't really see myself as all that great at, mostly resigned to just reading. Ironically, I still took a ton of english and writing classes because I kept hoping I could at least find something related to stories and writing (I cannot understate how much my anxiety had convinced me I was a terrible writer). But it wasn't until I came back and did a Mass Effect fanfic for a friend that something clicked, and it was like... holy shit, this is a lot of fun, and I'm better than I was as a kid because all the reading and practice paid off! And people seem to like it and feel things???

Not only that, but I realized that maybe I could keep getting better and tell even better stories, and make people really REALLY happy (or sad, in the case of angst). So I jumped back in with a bunch of Dragon Age fanfic that did pretty decently well for the fandom. Nothing as popular or expansive as TRT, granted, but the DA fics were when I accepted that this had become a huge thing for me, that this made me really happy, and I decided I'd keep writing, and eventually found my way to TRT!

So in a way, it wasn't so much writing that was always a passion, though the building blocks were there. But there was always, always a passion for telling stories, and making people feel things. I just had to try a bunch of other story telling avenues first before I found what fit. 🥰

Let us never speak of my storytelling through dance phase

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neptune-midheaven · 3 years

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💓 Astro Notes PT 3 ! 💓

+I’m definitelyy gonna do sign posts soon, like houses, planets, asteroids, and all, it’s all gonna have a theme to each topic yada yada yadaa, so look outtt+

>A bit of a long post here so have fun scrolling through it hehe :))

*All aries risings have sign/house synchronization because the house order doesn’t move or if it does move at all it hardly does, only shifting by a sign or two depending on how late the ascendant degree is, this is notorious of aries’ independence streak by wanting each sign to be in their native houses, to feel its house’s full power, aries rules 1st the house of identity so there’s the more symbolic way for this occurring. It’s pure energy here.

*Venus-saturn, especially conjunction, definitely carry a big daddy vibe. It’s more prominent if the two are placed in the angular houses.

*Taurus and libra are both rules by venus, but these energies are distributed between the two signs in different ways. A basic way to differ the two energy wise is taurus is the “masculine” side of venus, libra is far more “feminine”. Both are delicate but in different ways taurus is “heavier”, for it being an earth sign, contrasted with the airy and flighty libra.

*Libra sun is in fall in astrology, the fall meaning the behavior of the sign contradicts the traditional role of the planet, the role of the sun is to stand out from everyone else, its your radiance, what makes you special, it’s your ego and what you take pride in. But libra wants to be relatable to everyone, to NOT stand out, merge and meet and balance !! This is the opposite of aries, aries is independent, “what makes ME independent, me me me !!”, explaining its exaltation when the sun enters this sign, it’s not absolutely the same as leo sun or the suns energy overall but it’s a close fit, almost... perfect, that’s what the exaltation means represents here. Libra is focused on everyone else around them, everyone other than themselves, the people around them and how they can compromise to fit everyone’s needs. I mentioned before they don’t like to stand out, this is excluding fire placements in a libras chart which will create a person who relates well to others but still demands to stand out in whatever planet is in a fire sign.

*Whatever house leo is ruling is wherever your rising sign’s ego is being expressed in, ex: leo in 11th expresses their ego, creativity with friends, causes. This area of life is where you’ll likely take most pride in, excluding the suns placement in the chart.

*Neptune in 7th can attract a lot of partners in need of healing or help. This person is very healing and guiding in relationships, maybe they could even make a good guidance counselor, but I’m not so sure astrologically because I haven’t looked into it entirely, let me know if this is true.

*Neptune in 2nd is the type of person to browse a shop, find whatever they like but never end up buying it, they change their minds about it by putting it back right before they leave. They could’ve been talking about hooow much they want to get whatever they’re holding onto over and over again but never buy the thinggg.

*Aries mercury were always told to lower their voice or be quiet as kids I swear.

*Uranus in 12th feels they should hide their brilliance, these are veryy creative people they just keep it a secret.

*12th house feels like a never ending game of hide and seek, you find the planet sometimes but you’re always in a never ending loop, always searching for it.

*The moon in astrology, when looking into the mother, who’s ruled by the moon in astrology, describes your relationship with her, what she’s like, how she raised you etc...

*Ex: taurus moons, your mother gave you many gifts, she adored youu as taurus is ruled venus which rules gifts and appreciation, she was also very relaxed in your childhood, she still is now. This relationship is a very calm, steady one, moon is exalted in taurus meaning the role of the moon is comfortable in relaxed and comfy taurus.

*Ex: a moon in 8th, the house of intense and psychic scorpio, could have a psychic or even telepathic bond to the mother, this is a very strong connection overall and depending on its sign and aspects is where you’ll find the specifics of the relationship from, the details, how the relationship is flavored.

*Sun in 12th indicates an absent father figure. This placement is difficult, i’m so sorry if you have it because you can never feel like you can be yourself, it’s hidden from you. With any other placement in astrology, there’s a gorgeous, forgiving upside to it, you’re very healing and understanding of others, an empath or at least someone who sucks in the negative vibes out the environment, it can get quite exhausting !! so always need to seclude yourself now and then, you’re very loyal and caring of your loved ones, people love you for your sensitivity and empathy as this placement also makes you an old soul, someone overflowing with wisdom others rely on.

*5th house shows you what your child will be like, what traits they embody, what they will do and even how they act.

*Capricorn risings look elvish, they have high cheekbones a lot like a LOTR character and elvish, chiseled ears. It’s not OUT there but it’s subtle.

*Chiron in 9th has experienced religious trauma.

*A lot of 12th or 8th house placements carry a lot of karma.

*Mercury-pluto (especially negative) can become inconsiderate in arguments, they bring up a ton of shit to use against you, only as long as they can win.

*Scorpio suns are far more optimistic and light hearted than the moon sign.

*Mercury-ascendant aspects can make even an introverted rising sign more out-going, open, talkative (not that introverted risings can’t be talkative this is just what comes with this placement).

*You may be good at something without realizing it, take a peak at your 12th house or quintiles !! For quintiles, look up the trine form of whatever two planets are aspected for the general description since there’s not too much to find online sadly. 12th house is something you don’t really know or realize you’re good at, especially early in life, the secret talent pertaining to whichever sign or planet are ruling/in this house.

*Leo venus take pride in their loverss like damnnnn they literally treat their partners as royalty, king and queen, kissing the ground they walk on and everything, they’re so devoted in love, it’s adorable !! <33

*Pisces and leo moons, THE dreamiest, most romantic moon sign pairr, it’s well known pisces is the hopeless romantic of the zodiac, however to bring up the flamboyant, dramatic leo moon when describing a dreamy romantic you wonder, really ?? Yes this is extremely true ! Both signs, pisces and leo, are fairly alike, almost alike in fact, considering they both create a inconjunction in the natal chart, two signs who share some similarities while still contradicting one another in ways they express these similarities, both pisces and leo are creative, talented, have a love for the arts, film, music, loyal as friends and love to care for others, both are insanely idealistic. Leo rules the child remember !! so they’re a childlike sign with young idealism, an idealistic moon sign here. Both leo and pisces moons are children at heart, they’re so gooey and sweet.

*Sun in 10th can get any job they apply for, they could even be terrible at that job they want, the one they want to try out for, they would even have a breakdown over how terrible they were in an interview but still get the job like HOWW- WITCHCRAFTT.

*Aquarius mercuries were known as the smartest kid in class, the einstein’s of the class, everyone asked for their answers for the homework, they just carry this flair of intellectual superiority just like the sun sign haha.

*Your 12th house is what you unconsciously give off the vibe of, your ascendant and midheaven are noticeable layers, different types of layers of you !!but the subtle layers of the 12th house, sign or planet, can always be sensed unconsciously, 12th house energies are at a higher octave, a higher vibration than the other houses, even 11th, you can notice a person’s subtle 12th house energy but they’re still completely unaware of it as it’s ! hidden ! from them.

*Aquarius venus, and really all air venuses in general, are soo stereotyped UGHH, what I mean by stereotyped is the descriptions of each of these venus signs is literally like the same shit over and overrr again, they all get terrible reps in the astro community it seems almost close minded because it’s also such a hugee generalization. It’s only about how the air venus energy is used, manifested in the person, if its underdeveloped or not. If it’s underdeveloped it’s going to be chaotically afloat from material love affairs, which earth venuses don’ttt like, water too, fire can handle the floaty-ness but if the passion’s not there- BYE !! If you develop an air venus well enough, you can balance the material and intellectual realms in your relationships, this is kinda natural for earth heavy charts with one the air signs here, however fire or even more air could become a little tricky to ground yourself in relationships. Just let your partners know you deserve your space because you guys can really run out of mental power after a while, so it’s necessary for you to recharge !! just don’t ghost people completely when you do, it’s where this immortal stereotype comes from.

*Saturn dominant people are flawless beings.

*Saturn in 3rd, YOU GUYS ARE SOOOSOO SOOO SMART AHH. Their minds are always running at a fast pace like literal lightning, or they become too overwhelming (not in a bad sense ofcc, it’s just how it is) that the person’s speech rhythm is kinda forgotten about in a way, it feels like that their mouths aren’t always running in sync. The thought they’re going to express into words should come out but it’s so quick or even “heavy” it jumbles up a sentence or it causes the person to mix up a word or two. Their minds are fast fast fastt but they feel like their mouths are running in literal slow motion. There’s nothing wrong with this, this placement makes amazingly smart peoplee. Just relax, try letting yourself go in conversation, let all that big, brain energy freee !!

*Alsoo, as singers they would and definitely ALWAYSS get their notes right, they have actual PERFECT voices, they really should become writers or, like I said, singing would be perfect for them because they would never mess up lmaoo.

*Libra, computerized concern and sympathy...

*Pluto in 8th feel unbeatable, indestructible almost, they have above average regenerative abilities, they have the best survival tactics but they keep it a secret, it’s 8th house we’re talking about.

*Whatever saturn is in is the area where you’ll become flawless in, you’ll master that area throughout your life with time.

*There is a guiding planet in astrology, the planet that is closest behind the sun, it’s considered your “second” chart ruler, or basically has the energy of it because you can probably relate to it being one of the most prominent energies in your chart.

*Sagittarius//9th house mercury is soooo blunt, so blunt. Wait did I mention they’re SOOO SO BLUNT.

*Moon in 5th need to perform, they love to get out on stage and perform with their entire hearts, they’ll do amazing in the performing arts, theatre, and honestly they probably already aree. These people are so playful and generally so fun to be around, they’re natural hypemen as well !!

*Taurus venus love to be appreciated by their partners, the gifts, the kisses, the food and allll.

*Neptune in 3rd feel everything in their environment, they can sift through the energies and vibes, it’s second nature, no not second nature, FIRST nature, they’re one with everything around them. Their minds are like a hazy, cloudy ocean containing every drop, every thought of a place, a person.

*Moon in 11th, and 10th too, have a special ability to understand and sympathize with the public, they always know what the public wants and even how to give it to them. This can easily get them famous since they’re extremely understanding people, especially if moon is healthy in the chart.

*Someone with a lot of capricorn/10th house or aquarius/11th house energy is very extroverted, they enjoy socializing with others but suffer from social burn outs often, they often need to recharge.

*Scorpio risings have intense voices, like their tone radiates throughout your head and it can feel intense overall, even when they’re speaking casually. The specific flavor or tone doesn’t matter but how it sounds overall is piercing.

*In astrology, libra rising starts the house cusps with each houses sister signs ruling each cusps ex: pisces rules 6th house, the house of virgo in astrology. Symbolically, libra wants to balance out the houses by blending the energies with the sister signs together, by with what is (house number) and how it’s done (sign on each house cusp), for balanceee !!

*Moon conjunction uranus TRANSITSS can cause literal earthquakes on earth, shocking news or something shocking or groundbreaking will happen that day either around the world and in personal, daily life. Ex: this transit happened on halloween during the blue moon, so basically no one ever trick or treats in my neighborhood, like barely anyone comes out i mean, it’s always 5 houses apart where people typically hand out candy, some people are just hanging out, we always run out of houses to go to since it’s not very active, but this year EVERYONE was out trick or treating it was so crazy to see so many people out, it was quite literally shocking because that actually never happens also there’s a whole pandemic going on too lmaooo.

#astrologyobservations #astro notes #astrology

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blitheringmcgonagall · 3 years

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20 questions Writer’s Edition

@of-stars-and-moon and @velvethopewrites thanks for the tag!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

508,562

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Harry Potter Marauders Era and a crossover with LOTR

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

We Can Be Heroes

(Canon Jily & Wolfstar - from The Prank to Halloween 1981)

Sirius Black seemed to have broken the Marauders after revealing Remus Lupin's secret to Snape, James Potter was failing miserably in what his friends called Prongs Pursuing Evans, and Lily Evans was realising she may have misjudged certain people. Voldemort and his followers were beginning to show an interest in the Marauders. All was not well...

Maybe I waited too long

(Medical marauders - Jily & Wolfstar)

Dr. James Potter and Dr. Sirius Black had gotten their lives and careers back on track after the nightmare that followed the collapse of Slytherin Pharmaceuticals, and moved abroad to work in Dublin to get away from painful memories. But they find themselves confronted by their past, their lost loves and arch enemies.

Birthday Blues

(Happy canon Wolfstar)

Sirius is turning sixty and he is appalled...

Nah, He Didn’t

(BlackEvans broTP)

“So then as he’s so clearly not interested in me, if he ever really was-“

The dog dropped his head onto the grass and whined loudly.

“I decided the only way to address this was by us both dating other people. Excellent idea, I thought,” she said.

The dog looked at her as though she had grown two heads.

The New Boyfriend

(Medical marauders au - Wolfstar)

Sirius hears about Remus' new boyfriend

5. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I do, all the time, because I’m so happy when I read a beautiful comment I have to thank you! Also some comments are hilarious and need a banter-filled reply, right??

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Halloween 1981 - Canon Marauders Ending

It’s awful, in the way “canon” is awful: first of all from Lily and James’ PoV, then from Sirius’ PoV and finally from Remus’ PoV 🥺🥺🥺🥺

7. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Well, We Can Be Heroes ends with a much better ending than canon which is now my canon! Otherwise maybe Have Yourself A Merry Little Wolfnoote has very cute James and Harry moments at the end which I shamelessly love!

8. Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I’ve only ever written one, for @therealrjlupin : a lord of the rings / marauders crossover called Ithildin and Silmë !!

9. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yeah not much, only relating to We Can Be Heroes I think? Once a weirdo big rant on ff.net saying I was going to hell… pretty sure because it had Wolfstar in it. I felt a bit sorry for the person, they may have been unwell, it was a really huge long thing. I got it deleted.

Then the odd “I hate the way you write Snape” which is A MASSIVE COMPLIMENT SO THANK YOU! And the odd “I don’t like the way your Lily is such a strong woman, she’s making James look weak” which is hilarious and James Potter would be snorting at your ridiculousness and making heart eyes at Lily.

10. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Nope, because I think in my job I wouldn’t feel comfortable if it ever got out 😂!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No thankfully.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes I had The Graham Norton Christmas Special - Snily vs Risky translated into Chinese!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yeah a Wolfstar fic with a few great writers called All’s Well That Ends Well but then removed my name from it due to the work thing as above, lol!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Jily (Wolfstar is either joint favourite or a close second)

15. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

None!

16. What are your writing strengths?

Ugh I hate this question - Maybe understanding a character’s childhood/ psychological background and how that impacts on their personality and behaviours, why we do what we do? (I feel it helps me write characters)

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Again, very hard to know as I’m not objective! I think writing chapters that are too long!

18. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I’ve written Italian!James saying a few sentences in Italian in A Little Risk (the murder mystery 1930s anti fascist fic) and Sirius speaking in French and Lily speaking (and cursing) in Irish in We Can Be Heroes but not a huge chunk of dialogue!

19. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter Marauders (Jily)

20. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

We Can Be Heroes is my baby and my favourite, closely followed by the medical marauders AU because medical Jily & Wolfstar is such fun to write, plus like WCBH, it has some real life inserts 😉!

Tagging @mollymarymarie @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world @tumbledfreckles @stonecoldhedwig @nymphadoratonqs @corinnesamuels @chierafied @sisforsammi @letthebookbegin @missgryffin @fromtiime @moonzelle @alittlebitofeverything23 @isahorcrux @justfinishthis @booksarelife-stuff @lorrainebow @itsvioletttt @jilyesplz @oyprongs @cesays and anyone else who wants to!

#tag games #loveliest tumblr friends #writers asks #marauders #Jily and Wolfstar #wolfstar & jily

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laora-ryn · 2 years

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Fanfic Review

tagged by @sapphireswimming, @ninthfeather, and @hawk-in-a-tree ! went back in the thread a little to get some extra questions, because I could lol

How many works do you have on ao3? 100 ahhhh. I posted #100 in August, and apparently my brain liked the round number enough that I haven't posted anything since ;0;

What’s your total ao3 word count? ...1,143,375...jesus christ

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they? 18! "main" fandoms: Gundam 00, Harry Potter, Fullmetal Alchemist, The Hobbit, The World Ends With You, Persona 3, Supernatural, Danny Phantom, Kingdom Hearts "side" fandoms (only one offs, or crossovers): Bleach, Final Fantasy 13 + 15, Persona 5, Lord of the Rings, Van Helsing, Legend of Zelda, Doctor Who, Octopath Traveler

Are there any new fandoms you want to write for? Of fandoms that aren't in the lists above, I have fic ideas for Assassin's Creed, Gnosia, and The Hunger Games. P5, DW, and OT will ideally be in "main fandom" list at some point lmao

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Byzantine (HP/FMA)

Desiderium (Hobbit/LOTR time travel)

Symbol (Danny Phantom)

Chrysalis (FMA)

Yggdrasil (Hobbit)

Honorable mentions go to Penance (HP/FMA) and Men and Angels (FMA), which were wildly popular on FFnet, but since they got back-posted years later to AO3, their numbers here are lower.

Which of your fics do you want more attention for? Every single one of my 00 fics, tbh. It's a tiny fandom but it still makes me sad because I'm really proud of them :(

Do you respond to comments, why or why not? I try to! except sometimes my brain is an ass about it

What sorts of things do you normally write? I uh got a little infamous in a few fandoms for the angst/tragedy side of things lol. Anymore I tend more toward angst with a happy (or at least not terrible) ending, found family, trauma recovery, dramatic irony/revelation fics where the reader has more info than many of the characters (looking at you, Bring Down the Sky)

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? Oh lord, hope you were looking for a list lmao, because it's impossible for me to pick. in reverse posting order, going down my ao3:

our fury burns, a TWEWY haunting AU that I guess isn't angsty so much as Dark As Fuck

Empty Promises, a DP fic where Danny dies in chapter 1, and the rest of it is people dealing with the aftermath. it is, i have been assured by many people, awful

this is the way the world ends, a Gundam 00 AU where [redacted] survives their death in canon, only to die horribly a few months later. [other redacted] blames themselves and there is, um, all sorts of trauma to unpack

Phantasm, a Supernatural fic that I don't even remember the details of anymore except it is Dark As Fuck and Sam dies at the end

Ash Like Snow, an old Harry Potter/Fullmetal Alchemist fic set in an HP Dark Timeline, where Ed, Ling, and half of Al's blood seal show up in the Great Hall during their fight with Gluttony.

Honorable mentions go to Promised Eternity (FF13) and Asymmetria (FMA). They're both grimdark fics I started and then decided were Too Much, Even For Me, so I abandoned them halfway through.

What’s a fic that pushed you out of your comfort zone? Idk what it says about me that?? I don't know?? the only thing I can think of is my 100 word drabble collections (Gundam 00, TWEWY) since i, uh, don't know the meaning of brevity lol. But yea other than that, nothing I can think of? And I can't tell if that's a testament to my comfort zone being Very Big, or me limiting my fics to things I'm familiar with lmao

Do you write crossovers? What’s the wildest one you’ve written? Occasionally yeah! I wrote several Harry Potter/Fullmetal Alchemist fics back in the day that were pretty well received. I think the latest crossover I wrote was a TWEWY/Gundam 00 fic that I'm particularly proud of (but got next to no traffic, since neither of them are huge fandoms OTL)

Wildest?? i mean the crackiest one was probably Dimensional

Have you ever received hate on a fic? yeah back in the day on FFnet, tbh I'm just glad the concept of 'flames' isn't around much anymore, it's so pointless

Do you write smut? if so what kind? i am way too ace for that

Have you ever had a fic translated? A lot of them actually!! I have them (+gift fic art) all archived on this page

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Hooooooo boy this one takes me back. Yea, ten years ago I had 3 friends on a forum on FFnet, and we made a joint account to post all our co-written HP/FMA stuff. Playing God was the biggest one, but there were a bunch of oneshots too. You can read them here

What’s your all time favorite ship? Lockon/Tieria and Christina/Lichty from Gundam 00. they deserved better

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? Yggdrasil, and I feel awful about it ;0; I had big plans for it, but it's definitely a case of "bit off more than i could chew, and found plot holes, and got overwhelmed" so :(

What are you currently working on? Currently, the main one is the next installment in Bring Down the Sky. It's taking so long since I don't know how the next several blocks are gonna be split fic- or chapter-wise, so I'm pre writing a lot of it to figure it out as I go Px I've also got a set of character studies of the season 1 Ptolemy crew from 00, but that's uh 2.5 / 11 done so that's gonna be a while There's more in my WIP folder but those are the ones that are probably at the front of the line for posting!

What are your writing strengths? I've been told by several reliable sources that I'm very good at The Angst lol. I also pride myself on characterization and character interaction in general! My fics are definitely character-driven

What are your writing weaknesses? Action scenes are a WIP for me otl. I'm also very bad at like, describing visuals for people? Since I'm 100% one of the people who doesn't visualize things in their head at all, so I forget a LOT of the time that people appreciate that lmao

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? I mean, depending on the fandom, it's kind of inevitable? For multilingual characters, I only write out the dialogue if the POV character can understand what's being said Main example right now is Lyndsay Dylandy (Lockon's mom in 00), who I write as severely deaf and speaks in Irish Sign Language. The people around her are fluent, but randos around town (and the kids' friends, the first several times they come around) aren't When it's in those people's POV, I just write that Lyndsay is signing, and if the friend need to know what she said, one of the kids translates for them. For Lyndsay's POV, if the person's vocalizing, she does better if they're facing her, and talking louder, and is patient if she needs something repeated. She can read lips okay but it's not fool proof, so in non-ideal situations i tend to write vocalized dialogue from her POV with gaps in the parts of speaking that she would miss (ends of sentences, hard-to-parse words for lip reading) Tbh it's been a really interesting thing and I'm working hard to get it right - I've got mild hearing loss myself and am learning ASL, and I'm modeling Lyndsay's progressive loss after a close friend with the same condition. She wears hearing aids, but still has a lot of issues with hearing/understanding if she's not on her A game.

What was the first fandom you wrote for? Most recent? First, a bad Harry Potter fic from when I was 14 - most recent, a much better Gundam 00 fic from August lmao

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written? how dare you make me choose probably Nodus Tollens (TWEWY post-game trauma recovery) or the endings of stories that never got to be told (Gundam 00, an exploration of the Dylandys' backstory and the impact the war had on their family and friends)

What fic are you most proud of? Same answer as above??? I guess I'm pretty proud of writing our own secret ceremonials for TWEWYtober 2020, 33k words within a month for 31 separate oneshots was impressive

anyone who wants to Do The Thing can consider themselves tagged! @the-stray-liger, @neildylandy, @tieria-erde maybe??

#mine #ask games #this was fun!!! thank u for the tag

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yourehomesickiunderstand · 3 years

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About/Rules/Verses

Hello, and welcome to my Bofur RP blog. This post is a HUGE wall of text, if you are on desktop and would like to see it a little tidier, please see the separate pages in the sidebar to the right.

Promo Post Found Here

About the Mun

1. Firstly I am over 30, own a house, have a husband, 1 baby, 2 cats, and a wealth of commitments and responsibilities. I will do my best to reply in a timely manner, but will state up front that sometimes life gets in the way.

2. I am in EST and work M-F from 9-5, plus a half hour commute. Please understand that I can not post from work, and will not be posting during those times.

3. In addition, I am Mom to a very active toddler who is my priority over writing and who’s nap schedule tends to dictate when I can post.

4. My native language is English, though I can understand French, and a little bit of Spanish and Japanese. Don’t bank on me carrying on a decent conversation in any of those languages though.

About the Blog

1. When I first set up this blog I didn’t realize that secondary blogs can’t follow back, ask, or submit. My main blog name is Saffity, so if you see that blog follow you, it’s me. If I send an ask or submit, I will mention this blog name so you don’t get confused.

2. My inbox, ask, etc. is open. Please feel free to write me any starters, questions, or whatever.

3. Please send any critiques or suggestions to me. I’ve been on Tumblr forever, but have never really been a poster. If you see me doing basic noob mistakes with my posts that can be easily fixed, please let me know.

4. I will be tracking #yourehomesickiunderstand so please use that tag with our threads.

Mun’s Playing Style

1. I prefer my Bofur straight. I understand Boffins and other ships and have no qualms with them, I’ve been known to enjoy a good fluff fic once in a while, but this Bofur is straight.

2. Please send me an ask or fan mail if you would like our characters to have an already established relationship, I’m totally cool with it. I respond to all cannon characters as known as it shows in the books or movies, but if you are an OC and want something other than a “Nice to meet you” please let me know first.

3. I’m willing to do some fluffies, but not full on smut, if the thread calls for smut (which will often happen), I’ll fade to black when I’ve gone as far as I feel comfortable with. (Don’t worry, I’ll fade when I’m ready, you’ll never get any angry messages from me about going too far.)

4. Bofur here is multiverse, au, indie, whatever you want to call it. I’m sure he’ll fit into whatever crossover or world you decide to drop him in, he’s very easy going after all.

5. I tend to write in the past tense, third person. If you’d prefer a different style, just let me know and I’ll try to accommodate.

6. I’m bad with my images, so bad! I’m still figuring everything out, so if I’ve royally screwed something up, please let me know and I will delete and repost correctly.

7. I am super okay with editing anything I write if it doesn’t jive with your character or where you want the plot to go, please just let me know.

8. I mainly play on mobile, as such, I’m not able to cut my posts down. Please do so whenever you feel the need/want, I won’t be upset.

Head Cannons that go across all verses

1. Bofur has a Northern Irish accent and his hat, always his hat.

2. Bofur has named his hat Bundushathur, which in Khuzdul means “Cloudyhead” and will sometimes refer to his hat as a sleeping rabbit. If Khuzdul does not exist in the verse (like Modern) then the hat is called Cloudyhead and still referred to as a rabbit.

3. Bofur is the everyman, he isn’t special or high born. He is good natured, friendly, and the world’s best wingman, even if it means connecting someone he pines after with someone else. He would rather see them happy and keep their friendship than try to force his feelings on them or lose their friendship because of his pride.

4. The main characteristic about Bofur is that he is unimportant in the hierarchy of society.

Main Verse - The Hobbit/LOTR

Bofur is 4'6" but fairly thin for a dwarf.

Bofur is a dwarf who’s family line comes from Moria. He is of the mining class. He was born and raised in Ered Luin with his brother. Shortly after Bofur became an adult, his parents died, leaving him to raise his brother. Shortly after that, Bifur was injured in an orc attack. Bofur and Bombur took Bifur in, however there were a number of difficult years as they all got used to Bifur’s new personality.

Once Bifur was stable enough, the brothers decided it would be a good idea to head out and find new customers for their skills. They ended up at Bree, opening up a shop to sell Bifur’s fabulous toys, and offer tinkering services.

During their stay in Bree, Bombur got married to a passing female dwarf and moved his overly large family near the shop. Bifur and Bofur live together in living quarters at the back of the shop, Bombur lived with them until he got married.

Bofur travels around Middle Earth, usually west of the Misty Mountains, and most often between Bree and Ered Luin by way of the Shire. He collects supplies, sells wares, and visits many friends and family that are about the lands.

When Thorin calls for assistance in taking back Erebor, Bofur and his kin lock up their shop and head for the Shire.

After the quest they settle in Erebor, though Bofur heads back to Bree to close up their shop and settle accounts prior to settling in for a long life of enjoying his 14th share of the treasure.

Head Cannons that can totally change if my partner is a Bifur or Bombur

1. Bofur’s father was killed in Moria at the battle of Azanulbizar, his Mother died in an Orc attack when Bofur was in his 40s. He has taken care of his brother ever since.

2. Bofur took Bifur in after Bifur was orphaned as well, the three are like brothers, having shared the experience of loss and growing up together.

3. Bombur stopped speaking after their mother died. Bofur’s tried to get him to speak, and has managed to get him to speak sometimes, but usually just small replies and often with much prodding. Bifur and Bombur use the same sign language to speak to each other and those who don’t speak Khuzdul. Bofur takes care of both of them and is the one who speaks to customers.

Modern Verse

High School

Bofur is not popular, though he’s friendly and basically knows everyone. He enjoys shop class, classical music, and historical literature.

Studious and hard working, Bofur can often be found with his nose in a book, when not sitting on the bleachers playing the tin flute he always has on him.

College Student

Bofur is a TA in college. His major is historical literature, and his goal is to eventually become a professor. His passion is delving into historical fanatasy from cultures other than England and Western Europe.

He enjoys learning languages in order to read what he is researching in its original state.

General Modern Adult

In most modern adult verses Bofur is a general labourer, most often a janitor. If he is a teacher, he teaches music and drama.

Ice Cream Shop

Bofur runs a small home made ice cream shop that is part of a coffee shop run with a companion or family member (his partner can be any member of the company). He makes a variety of flavours, and offers lactose and gluten free varieties.

He prides himself on being able to guess his customers’ favourites on sight (like the movie Chocolat).

Marvel

Bofur is a janitor within shield. He can be found on the helicarrier, within the Avengers training base, or basically anywhere the heroes may be destroying things that need to be cleaned up.

While he is quiet and without powers, he has wisdom and a patient ear to lend to those supers who require a moment to vent.

Star Trek

This is the only verse where Bofur stands out. Bofur is a red shirt, but by some miraculous turn of events, he has gone on a number of away missions and made it back alive. Poor Bofur would love to get off the enterprise with his life, and shirt, in tact, but it appears some of the higher officers like to see him lose his mind and suggest him for more away missions, even if only in jest.

Head cannons that exist in all modern verses

1. Bofur and his family are from Northern Ireland, though Bofur travels around, goes to school abroad, and in general can pop up anywhere in the world.

2. Bofur is short for a male - 5'6", with a stocky build, and fairly strong.

3. Bofur’s younger brother Bombur is still at home (or married with kids depending on their age).

4. Bofur’s parents took Bifur in after he got injured during Armed Forces training, as Bofur’s family lives closer to the rehab resources that Bifur requires.

#out of songs

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polarb2709 · 4 years

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Romanogers

The post is a long time coming. On May 12, 2019, I said my romanogers post was on its way. It is now August 18th, 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, that I’ve decided to actually write. I don’t know what has taken me so long. I guess between raising a toddler, holding down a job, and trying to advance my writing career, I’ve neglected some of the more, how do I say, fantastical sides of my life, my love for romanogers included.

And I suppose it’s for the best. It’s been over a year since Endgame. We’ve had everyone from the writers to the directors to Scarlett Johansson herself comment on the appropriateness of her character’s ending, which is such shit, to be honest, but whatever. The point is: I’ve had time to think about why my love for Romanogers is so strong and why I felt like there was such a disservice to both characters, and for that, I think my post will be more substantive than if I had fired off right after Endgame. Welp, here it goes…

DO I REALLY NEED TO SAY SPOILERS?

Okay spoiler alert for reading further ahead.

...

Okay.

It’s all about conflict.

What any good script writer will tell you is that conflict is the main road to which plot and character development can be done. It’s the foundation of everything. And the conflict can’t be something minor, either. As any screenwriting book will tell you, it has to be huge: DEATH, FAMILY, LOVE. These major conflicts allow for the greatest growth. There can be external conflicts such as LOTR where most of the character growth is pushed forward by external forces – HELMS DEEP, THE RING, SAURON or internal forces – GUILT, GRIEF, ANGER -- such as the case with Natasha, where much of the conflict is her “Red in her Ledger” that everyone keeps talking about.

This isn’t to say that there are not multiple internal and external forces acting on a character at the same time, but in the case of LOTR much of the character development comes from circumstances they are placed in, and for Natasha – despite all the external forces (Ultron, Thanos) – it was not as significant as her past “RED IN HER LEDGER.” I guess Thanos’s destruction was the only external conflict that propelled her to take “care of her family” but as I’ve noted in previous posts, I disagree strongly with this sentiment.

Conflict also comes from relationships, when two people differ on such fundamental levels that it makes for compelling drama on screen. HOUSE MD is a great example of that. House was ALWAYS in a moral or value conflict with the person he was trying to help, and thus, led to nuanced messages at the end of each episode.

Which brings us to Romanogers. What is immediately apparent and what engages us as viewers is that Cap and Black Widow in Winter Soldier are FUNDAMENTALLY different human beings that are forced to work together. They see in the world in completely different ways, and just because it is cliché (the soldier and the spy mentality) doesn’t make it any less compelling to watch, especially when Chris and Scarlett have such fantastic chemistry on screen. By the end of WS, Cap and Widow have learned and GROWN from one another – Cap can no longer see the world as black and white as he thought it was and BW has to begin trusting and standing for something. The chemistry between them makes it easy for us to want to see more of these two together moving forward. It’s the foundation of not only a good friendship but also romantic relationship. This reflects real life. We want partners not exactly like this, but that build us up, force us to change.

Now compare this to Age of Ultron where out of the blue we are TOLD not SHOWN that BW and Hulk are together. This is fatal flaw numero uno in the romantic relationship – we NEVER got to see it develop on screen, as compared to the two hours we saw Cap and BW share, playing off one another. Joss simply tells us that “hey these two are an item now deal with it.” I would have been amenable to the relationship if we actually watched it play out on screen where the characters differ fundamentally but they don’t: both Hulk and Widow view themselves as monsters, which is sad, but doesn’t make anything compelling. We never get to see how Banner views things like truth, black and white worlds, and choices – all of which were raised by Winter Soldier.

I always thought it would have been fun for Joss to push forward the relationship with Cap and Widow – either romantically or not – in the sense of Steve saying something like: “you’re not a monster, Nat. You’re one of us.” I think that would have cemented the “I would now” comment in WS. Their bond would have deepened. The problem with marvel movies is that there is a different director and a different vision for each movie instead of having a streamlined idea written out that everyone has to adhere to. It’s nearly impossible to adhere to that over ten years, I get it, but once Feige saw Scarlett and Chris’s chemistry on screen they should have stuck with it – not just because it would have been a great romantic pairing but because of their differences become one of the most compelling interactions on screen. Tony and Cap is another example. How compelling are those two when they are in the room together? They differ on so many levels.

By Civil War, Cap and Widow are comfortable with one another, and it’s beautiful when they are put on opposite sides and they check on one another. I thought Civil War was a great set up for the eventual romance between the two. Anyone else think that?

RETCON TIME

I think the saddest thing, above and beyond the fact that we didn’t get much Nat and Steve screen time in Infinity War or Endgame, is that Endgame did a whole retcon of the major character arcs, foregoing the last few movies. That was particularly salient with BW, Hawkeye, Cap, and Thor.

Besides the blatant sexism throughout BWs character arc, Endgame was caught in the trap of trying to tie to many threads together, and instead of staying the course of the character’s current behavior, they reverted back to how everyone was in their original movies. Cap was back like he was in the first avenger despite living much of his life in the modern world and CHANGING in the process. BW was back to her ledger. Hawkeye appears out of nowhere after being COMPLETELY absent in IW.

Why is this important? Because Cap and BW relationship got retconned too. What would have been more interesting and more in line with the last few movies is if Cap and BW went to Vormir together and the two were forced confront their feelings for one another. You see how this relationship now is constantly evolving, as compared to stopping, stalling, restarting again. BW didn’t have any scenes with Hawkeye from Civil War until Endgame. Made no sense. And talk about conflict. You have these mixed feelings toward one another and now one of you has to die in order to save the universe. Putting Steve and Nat in Vormir together would have been such a gut wrenching thing.

This would have also propelled Cap or Nat – but most likely Cap – into another quest/character arc of getting Nat back at all costs.

Why?

Why? Why am I saying this? I really don’t know. I guess I’m constantly disappointed by Marvel failing to capitalize on the potential in front of them. There are so many opportunities that they fall short on. They destroy character arcs, retcon relationships, fail to hold to consistent threads of their stories, and all the while their movies get praised by critics. I think it’s one of the reasons that Martin Scorcese made the comments that he did: in the end, there is no growth, and the growth that is apparent gets ripped from us because some director or some writer has a different take on it.

Bottom line: Romanogers was the biggest relationship ball dropped by Marvel. And it sucks. It just fucking sucks.

#romanogers #capwidow #captasha

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davidfarland · 6 days

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David Farland’s Writing Tips: How Long Does it Take to Write “A” Novel?

One of the most frequent questions you’ll get as a writer is, “How long does it take to write a novel?” There are several perfectly valid answers, and some that are utter bull-puckey.

But it normally requires an hour or so just to get into a deep enough meditation to actually compose, and not every scene works as well as I’d like. So that 80 hour quickly doubles.

In fact, if you’re an excellent stylist, your piece-of-refuse novel might even be superior to much of what passes as popular literature.

If you dig up Tolkien’s grave, you may find him like a wight in his barrow, scribbling away on his appendices with bony fingers.

It’s interesting that this story came out of Tolkien in 1937 as he contemplated his epic.

You may have books like that in you, too.

I want the story to be unique, and I want it to be powerful. I want it to express my vision, not anyone else’s.

Over the past few years I’ve had all the usual challenges—writer’s block, huge financial upheavals, and a couple of near-fatal illnesses.

Of course, I hear from “fans” that I’m taking too long. My wife is the most vocal of them.

People who want immediate gratification are like toddlers who smell a cake baking in the oven and demand to have it NOW. You could spoon out the molten glop, but it wouldn’t be what you envisioned.

You don’t have to rush every novel, and you’re being short-sighted if you try.

So how long does it take to write a novel?

I can’t wait to finish my first 100-year novel!

For more on David Farland's Writing tips, visit https://mystorydoctor.com/writing-blog/

And you can also click here to get your David Farland Daily Meditations.

#writing help #writing advice #writing tips #writing tips and tricks

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skinks · 4 years

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hi!!! what are your favourite movies? like actually good ones but also any trashy comfort movies? is IT (2017) one of them?

Hello!! IT (2017) IS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THEM oh man, thank you for this, I love talking about movies!!!! This is possibly the most difficult question you could have asked me. Apologies for how absolutely off the rails this got, I just... love movies so much lmao

I’ve said this before, but opening night of IT ch1 was the best cinema experience I’ve ever had, I’m so glad I got to see it with a fully packed audience who were all laughing and screaming together the whole way through. I’m a huge fan of... everything ch1 was doing, the 80s nostalgia, the summer-coming-of-age themes, the solid ghost train funhouse JOY of the Pennywise performance and scares, the washed-out cinematography, the tiny background details to make everything that much more eerie, the kids’ ACTING?!

Like, a lot of the time I find child actors can be really awkward and stilted to watch, but I remember leaving the cinema really impressed by JDG and Sophia Lillis in particular. I liked that they were all allowed to be little shitheads with potty mouths, it felt like a callback to 80s movies like The Lost Boys or Stand By Me. The whole thing worked to make me really care about what happened to the kids (even if I do still have issues with how they handled Mike. I understand even ch1 had limitations with juggling so many characters, but still). I saw it another 2 times in the cinema and have rewatched it at least, I dunno, 7-10 more times since then?

Add to all of that the retroactive CANON R+E baby pining subplot? I just love it, as if that wasn’t obvious by now given my Whole Blog. It’s a really special movie to me!

Anyway!! Ok, the main handful of movies I rewatch all the fucking time are:

Back to the Future, The Lost Boys, Pride and Prejudice (2005), Jaws, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Ocean’s 11, POTC 1, The Dark Knight, Inception, Die Hard, LOTR trilogy, Snatch, The Nice Guys, Logan Lucky, Mad Max Fury Road, Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You, Billy Elliot, Dirty Dancing, Tomb Raider (2018)...

Those are the easily consumable ones that I’ve seen so many times I don’t really have to concentrate or think about them, but I really love them and unfortunately often KEEP rewatching them instead of new stuff. It would take too long to go into why I love all these movies so much because I could write the same amount as I already did for ITCH1, and everyone already knows why those movies are good, so, lol.

I think I’m gonna have to subdivide and categorise this whole post because there are too many separate criteria for... goOD MOVIES, AUUHH 😩

Okay so first off, HORROR MOVIES? I’m especially in love with Re-Animator (1985) and its sequel Bride of Re-Animator, they’re such good examples of camp and batshit 80s practical effects, and also EXTREMELY funny. I’m actually just gonna post my list of my fave horror movies that I do actually keep on my phone at all times lmao. These are in no particular order:

Wholeheartedly recommend every one of these. I’ve never been so scared in my life as I was watching Hereditary in the cinema, hoo boy. Mother! by Aronofsky is one of the strangest experiences I’ve ever had (and I actually saw it on the same day I saw IT ch1 for the first time!! That was a fun day)

Psycho (1960) and The Fly from 1986 should also be on there but I couldn’t fit them in the screenshot.

I’m a HUGE fan of a ton of martial arts movies too, like Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer, Ip Man, The Raid movies, John Wick 3 is my fave of the trilogy, Drive from 1997 with Mark Dacascos is incredible, SPL 2, Ong-Bak, Operation Condor, Project A, Iron Monkey, and Zatoichi (2003) are some favourites.

My favourite Tarantino is Reservoir Dogs, fave Coen brothers are Raising Arizona, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and O Brother Where Art Thou. Love some old-timey colour correction and weird offbeat dialogue. I also love Goodfellas!!! And Donnie Brasco! And The Firm, I’m so easy for any good crime/law/gangster/heist procedural like that, especially if they’re from the 80s or 90s in a super dated way.

Fave Disney movie is Tarzan, favourite Ghibli movies are Spirited Away and Lupin III. I remember watching Spirited Away during a thunderstorm one time and it being.... god! Transcendent! Favourite Pixar movie is The Incredibles (the first one. ALSO the documentary “The Pixar Story” is great and well worth a watch, it’s very comforting for some reason) and my favourite Dreamworks movies are HTTYD1 and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron.

I tend to watch more anime movies than tv shows, so stuff like Akira, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, Journey to Agartha, and my ultimate fave anime is Sword of the Stranger (2008). The climactic fight in that movie is fucking stunning and should be counted in “bests fights” lists right alongside anything live action

Also if we’re talking animated movies another hearty favourite is Rango, and a Belgian stop-motion (which at one time I considered my favourite movie ever) called Panique Au Village (2009) which is one of the funniest movies ever made imo.

As for TRASHY movies, I’m not sure if that’s the right word for how I feel about these ones but.. dumb/silly/slightly guilty pleasure movies? Ones that I feel need some kind of justification lmfao

Troy - something u must know about me is that I’m a giant slut for the Assassin’s Creed franchise, so if a movie smashes historical and mythological nonsense together with fun costumes and sword fights, I’m gonna enjoy myself. Even if they should have made Achilles and Patroclus gay. Other movies in this vein are King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and Immortals (2011)

Gods of Egypt - I know all the reasons this movie is whitewashed bullshit. But it was already bullshit with giant Anubis mecha and giant snakes and bad acting and ridiculous CGI and frankly I had a blast at the cinema (my friend who I forced to come with me did not have a blast. Sorry H***)

Avatar - yes, the one with the big blue people. This movie gets a lot of flack nowadays but I really do enjoy it just for the spectacle. The full CGI world technology was so new at the time and I love to wallow in the visuals and daydream about riding a cool dragon around in the jungle

George of the Jungle - I’ll defend this movie to the death ok this movie shaped me as a person, it is fucking hilarious and Brendan Fraser is the himbo to end all himbos. It’s perfect. The song Dela is perfect. I still want to write a reddie AU about it. It’s one of the best movies ever made and I’m not being ironic

Set It Up - I KNOW this is a dumb Netflix original romcom but consider this; it was funny and the leads had great chemistry. I got butterflies. I once watched it and then literally immediately set it back to the start so I could watch it again

The Brady Bunch Movie - when people talk about great satires or parodies you will see them bring up the same movies over and over again, Blazing Saddles, This Is Spinal Tap etc, but they never talk about The Brady Bunch Movie from 1995 for some reason, which they should. It is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen and every time i watch it somehow it gets funnier

Some more general favourites that I do still love but don’t rewatch as often, and don’t wanna go into more detail about are:

Moon (2009), Crna Mačka Beli Mačor, The Sixth Sense, Parasite, The Handmaiden, Tremors, Wet Hot American Summer, Tucker and Dale vs Evil, What We Do In The Shadows, Hunt For the Wilderpeople, The Secret of My Success (I love kitschy 80s movies, is that obvious by now), The Green Mile, When Harry Met Sally, Rear Window, The Odd Couple, Breaking Away, Pan’s Labyrinth, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Eagle, Gladiator, The Artist, The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec, Call Me By Your Name, Master and Commander, Pacific Rim, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Legend (1985), Emma. (2020), Flash Gordon, Trolljegeren, Hross í Oss, Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, WarGames, District 9, Ajeossi (2010), Tracks (2013), Sightseers, Mud (2012), Pitch Black, Four Lions, Shaun of the Dead, Starship Troopers, The Truman Show, Withnail & I....... Jesus Christ ok I need to stop

NOTABLE EXTREME FAVOURITES that I didn’t include in the regular rewatch list because they’re too heavy/not as well known/require more attention.:

Thin Red Line (1998), Badlands (1973) both dir. Terrence Malick

Malick’s brand of dreamy impressionistic filmmaking is something I find really appealing, both of these movies are gorgeous and unusual and poignant and, in the case of Thin Red Line at least, have a lot of things to say about a lot of rough subjects. I don’t totally understand all those things sometimes, but a theme with a lot of my favourite movies is that I’ll be more likely to love something long-term if it raises unanswered questions, or is surreal/esoteric etc. Plus the cinematography is incredible, and I wish there was a way to get Jim Caviezel’s narration from The Thin Red Line as an audiobook because it’s very poetic and soothing.

Let the Bullets Fly (2010) dir. Jiang Wen

This movie is WILD, it’s so much fun. It’s sprawling and intricate and epic and smart and really fucking funny, it! Has! Everything! A gang of very tolerant outlaws!! Jiang Wen’s beautiful broad chest!!! Chow Yun Fat absolutely DECIMATING the scenery, and the two of them outsmarting each other in order to gain control of a small Chinese town!!! Plus it’s long, but it packs so much nonsense and intrigue that it goes by really fast. Wow what a flick

A Field in England (2013) dir. Ben Wheatley

I know I included this in my horror list but aaaaahhh ahhhh Wheatley is one of my favourite directors (he also made Sightseers, and is directing the Tomb Raider sequel which makes me absolutely rabid.) This is a surreal black-and-white psychological horror black comedy set in the English Civil War about some deserters who may or may not meet the Devil in a field. People eat mushrooms. It’s bonkers. I love being blasted in the face with imagery that I don’t understand

Mandy (2018) dir. Panos Cosmatos

Speaking of being blasted in the face!!!!! This movie... I saw it in the cinema and I can’t even begin to explain the experience, but I’ll try. My favourite review site described it like this:

“...somewhere between a prog album cover come to life and a metal album cover come to life, and subscribes to both genre's artistic tendency towards maximalism: what it ends up being is basically naught else but two glorious hours of being pounded by bold colors...”

So, prog and metal are my two favourite genres of music. This movie opens with the quote “When I die, bury me deep, lay two speakers at my feet, put some headphones on my head and rock and roll me when I'm dead.” and then a King Crimson song, it is SURREAL to the nth degree, it’s violent and bizarre and Nic Cage forges a giant silver axe to destroy demonic bikers and there is a CHAINSAW DUEL. A galaxy swirls above a quarry. Multiple animated horror nightmare sequences. At one point a man says “you exude a cosmic darkness” and releases a live tiger. At another point Cage says, in a digitally deepened voice, “The psychotic drowns where the mystic swims. You’re drowning. I’m swimming.” and I haven’t stopped thinking about it for two years

Paper Moon (1973) dir. Peter Bogdanovich

Really fantastic movie set in the Great Depression (and also in black & white) about a conman and a little kid who may or may not be his daughter, running cons across the Midwest. It’s beautifully shot, so sharp and sweet and the progression of their dynamic is really well done because they’re played by an IRL father and daughter. Tatum O’Neal was NINE YEARS OLD and she’s so amazing in this movie she’s actually the youngest person to win a competitive category Oscar. I keep trying to get people to watch this fbdjfjdbf it’s wonderful

Alpha (2018) dir. Albert Hughes

THIS MOVIE IS A VICTIM OF BAD MARKETING ok, the trailers made it look like some twee crappy sentimental Boy And His Dog Adventure, plus it had voiceovers in American-accented english? That’s a total disservice to one of the coolest things about this film; the fact that they got a linguist to construct an entirely original Neolithic language that all the characters speak for the entire runtime. And yes, it is eventually a Boy And His Wolf adventure, but it’s COOL and fairly brutal, and it has some really incredible cinematography. The landscapes are so strange and barren and alien, you really get the sense that this is an ancient world we no longer have any connection to. And it’s also about like, the birth of dog & human companionship sooo it’s perfect.

Free Solo (2018) dir. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin

The Free Climbing Documentary. I loved climbing as a kid, I love outdoor sports, and I love movies that elicit a physical reaction in me, whether that’s horny, scared, real laughter, overwhelming shivers, or in the case of Free Solo - HORRIBLE SWEATING TENSION. Like, I knew about Alex Honnold beforehand because of this adventure film festival I go to every year and I followed him on IG so obviously I knew he lived, but the actual climb itself was torture. My hands sweat every time I see it!! It’s incredible, such a cool look into generally what the human body can do, and more specifically, why Honnold’s psychology and life means he’s so well suited to free soloing. It’s such an exercise in getting to know an individual and get invested in them, before they attempt something very potentially fatal.

Brokeback Mountain (2005) dir. Ang Lee

I can’t even talk about this. When I was around 13 I snuck downstairs to watch this on TV at 11pm in secret, and my life was forever changed. I wouldn’t be who I am if I hadn’t seen Brokeback at the age I did. I seriously can’t talk about this or I’ll write an even longer essay than this already is

God’s Own Country (2017) dir. Francis Lee

The antidote to Brokeback Mountain, I’m so glad I managed to see this one in the cinema too. It makes me cry every time, as someone who’s spent years working on a cold British farm with sheep it was very realistic, which is expected since Lee grew up on a farm in Yorkshire. I love that this movie isn’t really about being closeted, but about being so emotionally repressed and self-loathing that the main character finds it so hard to accept love. Or that he deserves to be loved. The cinnamontographies.... lordt... but also the intimacy and sex scenes are fucking searing wow who hasn’t seen this movie by now. 10 stars. 20 stars!!!

Tomboy (2011) dir. Céline Sciamma

I saw this years ago but I’ve never forgotten it, it cut so deep. It’s from the director of Portrait of a Lady on Fire and it’s about a gnc kid struggling with gender and misogyny and homophobia in a really raw, scrappy way, it reminded me very much of my own... childhood... ahh the central performance is amazing for such a young age. I haven’t seen Portrait yet but I feel like if you went nuts for that, you should definitely check this out, it’s lovely.

Donnie Darko (2001) dir. Richard Kelly

EVERY TIME I WATCH THIS MOVIE I UNDERSTAND LESS AND LESS and that’s what I love so much about it. I love surreal movies, I love time-fuckery and stuff about altered perception etc etc and Donnie Darko scratches all my itches. I wish I could find a way to figure out an IT AU for it, because I know it would work! Somehow! Plus it’s got the subdued 80s nostalgia and I found it at an age when I was really starting to explore movies and music and the soundtrack FUCKS.

Offside (2006) dir. Jafar Panahi

I wish more people knew about this!!! It’s an Iranian film about a disparate group of women and girls who are football fans and want to watch Iran’s qualifying match for the World Cup, but women aren’t allowed into the stadium, so they all get thrown into the Stadium Jail together? They don’t know each other beforehand, but it’s about their changing relationships with each other and the guards and just, their defiance alongside hearing the match from the outside and WOW it’s so lively. Great dialogue and very funny, and such a different kind of story from anything you usually see from Hollywood.

The Fall (2006) dir. Tarsem Singh

This movie... I guess it’s the ideal. This is the platonic ideal of a film for me, it has fantasy, magical realism, glorious visuals, amazing score and costumes and production design and a really interesting, heartbreaking relationship at the core of it. I don’t know why so many of my favourite films feature incredibly raw performances by child actors but this is another one, Catinca Untaru barely knew any English and improvised so much because of that, and it’s fascinating to watch! Also the dynamic with Lee Pace is one of my favourites, where a kid forms a friendship with a guardian figure who isn’t their parent, but the guardian grows to really care for them by the end. It’s like Paper Moon in that sense. What is there to even say about this movie, it’s pure magic joy tempered and countered by genuine gutwrenching emotional conflict in the real world, it’s also ABOUT old moviemaking, in a way, and it’s stunning to look at!

Mad Max Fury Road (2015) dir. George Miller

I know I included this in my “most rewatched” section but it deserves its own thing. We all know why this movie is fucking incredible. I remember clutching my armrests in the cinema and feeling like my skeleton was being blasted back into the seat behind me and tbh that is the high I’m constantly chasing when I go to see any movie. What a fucking gift this film is

Théo et Hugo dans le Même Bateau (2016) dir. Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau

I only found this movie last year and it became an instant favourite. Initially I was just curious because I’d never seen a movie with unsimulated sex before, but it’s so much more than the 18 minute gay sex club orgy it opens with. No, not more than, AS WELL AS. The orgy is important because this movie is so candid and frank about sex and HIV treatment in the modern day, it was eye-opening. Another thing that really got me is that I’d never seen a real-time film before. It’s literally an hour and a half in the lives of these two men, their intense connection and conversation and conflict in the middle of the night in Paris, with some really nice night photography and just!!! Wow!!! AMAZING CHEMISTRY between the actors. This is such a gem if you’re comfortable with explicit sexual content.

Ok. This is already over 3k but film is obviously one of my ridiculous passions and I can and do talk about it for hours. I’ve been reading magazines about it for years, listening to podcasts and reading review blogs and recently, watching video essays on YouTube because the whole process is so interesting to me and I want to learn more!!

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of valuing form over narrative. The idea that story can often come second to the deeper physical experience and emotional reaction that’s created by using ALL the elements of filmmaking and not just The Story, y’know? Whether that’s editing, shot composition, colour, the sound mix, the actors, how it should all be used to heighten the emotional state the script wants you to feel. And so, I think for a few years now this approach has been influencing the types of films I really, really love.

I think I love surreality and mind-bending magical realism in films specifically because the filmmakers have to use all those different tools to convey things that can be way too metaphysical for just... a script? I’m always chasing that physical response; if a movie can make me stop thinking “I wonder what it was like to set up that shot” and instead overwhelm that suspension of disbelief, if I can be terrified or woozy or crying for whatever reason, that’s what I’m looking for. That’s why I watch so many fuckin movies, and why I’ll always remember nights like seeing IT (2017) for giving me another favourite.

Thank you again for this question, I didn’t mean to go so overboard. Also there’s no way to do a readmore on tumblr mobile so apologies to anyone’s dashboard 😬

#long post #films #this is like bill hader being asked to pick his fave comedies and he gives a 4 page list #he has such good taste though ahhahbfhfhfhh lemme talk with him nonstop about movies while i ride him. thank you

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ellaofoakhill · 3 years

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My Thoughts on Boxes

Something has kinda been bugging me the last little while, that I like to think a lot of people can relate to. We live in a society that, generally speaking, likes putting things into boxes; we like analyzing and sorting and organizing. And there’s nothing really wrong with that in and of itself--frankly, I could stand to do a lot more of it in the more practical aspects of my life--but such a system only really works with things that easily fit into discreet categories, and the things that aren’t or can’t be easily sorted are either forced into a box where they don’t fit, or left adrift without any real place to be.

In particular, I’m talking about fiction. You have numerous genres that multiply by the day, and the age categories that stories within those genres are deemed suitable for. And don’t get me wrong, there are lots of practical reasons for those categories; they make advertising and the organization of bookstores and libraries dramatically easier, and for most stories, this system works great, with each finding the audience most likely to derive benefit from reading it.

But--again, solely my opinion here--this may have produced stories that are a lot flatter than stories written in previous eras (which had their own problems, I will NOT get into that today). By flat, I don’t mean boring, or a failure of the story. I mean that the story feels like it was changed to fit into the category it most closely matched. In the most egregious examples, I feel like things were either added to a story that did nothing for it besides make it fit its box better, or taken out that were either integral to the story or added a depth and breadth to it that improved the work overall, even if that made it harder to sort.

This makes me think of the Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch quote, “Murder your darlings”, but completely opposite to what he was getting at. The general interpretation is “Even if you like a given piece of writing/painting/sculpture/etc., if it does more bad than good for your work, you need to remove it for the sake of the art.” What I feel is happening is “You need to change your story so it fits the target demographic, no matter what it looks like at the end.” The former serves the story and its spirit; the latter sacrifices the story for... I don’t know, ease of advertising, perhaps? Certainly financial gain is involved there.

So my first argument against this jaded, greedy way of thinking runs thus. Look at the stories that are now considered classics of Western literature: look at Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice; look at White Fang and Call of the Wild; look at Dracula and Frankenstein; look at The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia (no, I couldn’t resist throwing in two classic fantasy titles, and no, I won’t apologize for it). If you haven’t read these stories, you probably should. Yes, they have problems that mark them as products of their time, but every last one of them has one thing in common: none of them were written with a box in mind. We’ve thought of lotr as a fantasy staple for so long that we’ve forgotten that, prior to its popularity, fantasy as a genre wasn’t really a thing. There were fairy-tales, yes, and stories with fantastical elements, but a genre of story with precise conventions? Not really.

Let’s zoom in on Tolkien’s work, for a moment. Look at his world and its origins, and it draws heavy inspiration from Old English and Scandinavian myths and legends. Look at his characters, in particular his four hobbits, and he drew from his love of the English countryside, his respect for the common working man (Sam, the gardener, literally carries Frodo, the wellbred young gentleman, on his shoulders in the final leg of their gruelling journey to the Cracks of Doom), and his horrific experiences in the First World War. Hilariously enough, a big part of the reason he wrote the stories was as a self-justification for his indulgence in and lifelong love affair with language invention (look at the huge appendices at the back of The Return of the King and tell me I’m lying!). Read his work and any and all interviews with him, and a “genre box” seems clearly to have never crossed his mind.

Putting aside the genre box for a moment, let’s talk age categories. The Hobbit was a story he invented for his children, and it does show. Look at the Lord of the Rings, and it is clearly at a higher level of reading comprehension, and written for a more mature audience; there’s less silliness, though he keeps the wonder at this wild, magical world. But where to put it? The hobbits run a spectrum from basically teenagers (Pippin) to almost middle age (Frodo is in his fifties when he embarks on his journey to Rivendell), yet they’re clearly his protagonists, though we also see some narration revolving around Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, all of whom are adults, though the latter two are somewhat younger for their respective races, whereas Aragorn is in his eighties (this being offset somewhat by the fact that he lives to over two hundred, but I digress...). We’re told today (falsely; VERY falsely) that the main character(s) should match the age of their target audience. Where does lotr fit, then, in terms of age category?

The answer you’re looking for is: not really very well anywhere; at least, not according to modern convention. As for my personal experience, I could and did read both The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion at age thirteen. I consider myself a fairly intelligent young man, but I was varying degrees of lost when I read those. When I re-read them as an adult I was fine, but that isn’t to imply that teens shouldn’t be reading lotr, far from it. There’s nothing in them content-wise one wouldn’t reasonably expect a teenager to handle, and there’s a lot of good, powerful story and commentary in there that’s relevant to this day.

My point is, the age category doesn’t really matter. If I may shamelessly plug my own work for a moment, when I was first writing tftem, and even as I’m editing and publishing it now, I wondered and still wonder about this age category business. There is nothing in these stories I’d consider inappropriate for kids, and anyone above the age of about 8, with perhaps a slight stretch to their vocabulary, could comfortably read every story beginning to end. Further complicating matters, my beta readers ranged from 8 to almost 80, and most of the spectrum in between. They all liked it; whether they liked it for the same reasons is moot.

Which leads me into my second argument against boxing and categorizing stories. The boxes aren’t very reliable. If I may change media for a moment, cultural convention says, as an adult, there is only a narrow sleazy strip of cartoon entertainment I should be watching and enjoying. That tiny slice of the cartoon pie is the only slice I avoid like the plague. Yes, there are stories that don’t appeal to me because they’re too simplistic, or are problematic in ways that I find repellent, or just aren’t executed very well, but aside from things aimed at toddlers and the aforementioned “adult” cartoons, any cartoon is fair game. Give me an interesting concept, or a fascinating character, or hell just give me a good laugh or line of dialogue or beautiful fight scene, and I’ll give it a try.

My point is (yes I had one, and no, believe it or not I didn’t forget it), don’t write or draw or create with a box in mind. You will murder the spirit of your darlings. The box does not exist to define what you, the writer, are allowed to do, or what you should do. At best, the box exists in hindsight, once the work is done, to tell your prospective audience whether your story was written for them. And even then, lots of fantastic stories don’t sit well in boxes. Some of them actively rip the boxes to pieces. Lotr is a story that transcends boxes, and as a result has many layers and rabbit-holes and nuances that you can pick up when you’re ready to appreciate them, however old you are. In many ways, it’s ageless.

I didn’t write tftem to emulate Tolkien, nor even as an homage to him, or C.S. Lewis, or anyone else. But I did want to write a similarly ageless story, a story that could be read and appreciated a hundred years from now, by an audience of eight-year-olds or octogenarians. Why did we ever start moving away from stories like this? They were the foundation of stories for as long as stories have existed on Earth. People are still reading and marvelling at The Epic of Bloody Gilgamesh!

Tl;dr: don’t try to force your stories into boxes; they suffocate. Write what you enjoy writing; chances are it’ll live longer.

#writing #my posts #the box must fit the story not the other way around #on writing #on publishing #tolkien #lotr #my thoughts on the industry and its flaws

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