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blindbeta · 3 years

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I just saw someone asked about making a character blind in their novel and you responded about ways to avoid it being portrayed poorly. I wanted to ask, could it also help if part of the arc is the character accepting becoming blind?

Like, even if it happens in some kind of accident, or like them becoming blinded as a sacrifice for the team, would it be a bad portrayal for part of the character's story to be realizing it's not the end of the world, that being disabled doesn't make them completely useless, etc?

Or is that sort of arc also ableist?

[Note: I used the words non-disabled and abled interchangeably here. Both refer to people with no disabilities. After a conversation with some of my followers, I decided to make an effort to be clearer about who I referred to when I used words like able-bodied, because able-bodied may, for some people, refer to people without physical disabilities or without any disabilities at all. There are times when the distinction matters, even when people said they can usually tell based on context whether or not able-bodied is meant to include them.]

Writing About A Character Accepting Being Blind After Going Blind - When You Aren’t Blind Yourself

An arc about a character accepting becoming blind doesn’t feel good to me and I’ll try to explain why.

I’d rather read a story about a character who happens to be blind, in whatever way that happened, than read a story where a writer who isn’t blind tries to write about a blind character accepting being blind. I just finished a similar book and it did not go well. There are some things that research cannot teach you. There are some stories that aren’t yours to tell.

I don’t want to read about a non-blind author, especially a non-disabled author, writing negative things about my disability.

A character starting out feeling overly negative toward their blindness already feels bad to me. Why? Because the author has to write negative, sometimes completely wrong things about being blind. When I read stories like this, I am bombarded with stereotypes or myths which are rarely corrected by the narrator, who is usually traumatized and somewhat isolated as they heal. Many of the things they think or say are not checked or revisited. Mean things other characters say or think about them are often internalized by the narrator. Things that, in real life, are said to blind and otherwise disabled people as truths. As tough-love. As part of the supposed -Real World-. As bullying. As ignorant, innocent questions. As rude comments.

All of these things are not even coming from a personal place. The author writing these things- while they probably don’t agree with them, of course- is still not blind at the end of the day.

Readers who aren’t blind may not understand the nuance of why some of the things they read were ableist if it isn’t called out in the narrative in some way, which can sometimes happen when the narrator says something negative about their new disability. This isn’t to say readers shouldn’t do their own research or examine the story more closely. This isn’t to say the author is at fault for the interpretations of readers who refuse to think beyond what is laid out for them. When I say this, I am being realistic. Not all readers are going to be proactive. Not all readers are going to approach a book about a person going blind from a good place.

Most of the time, this is just something the author needs to accept. It is impossible to anticipate the strange interpretations of every reader. However, this narrative can be dangerous to a reader who has never met a blind person. Keep in mind, most people aren’t doing what you all are doing. They just read what is given to them. And if what is given to them is a helpless or self-loathing blind person, they might believe in that image. That book may be the only expirience they have with a blind person and they may not read any other books with blind characters.

Another thing I thought of was that non-blind authors sometimes don’t understand how hobbies and skills translate to blind people. For example, in a story I read once, a character who was going blind practiced playing piano and typing on a keyboard blindfolded so they could learn how to do without sight. However, blind people can already play instruments even if they were born blind. Blind people can also easily type on regular keyboards and, technically, correct keyboard technique means typing without needing to look at the keyboard.

Authors who don’t understand what it is like to go blind often don’t get the nuances of what that person is losing and not losing. And it often shows. They also don’t often include the aspects of blindness that are actually challenging. Why focus your worry on typing on a keyboard when you can learn how to use assistive devices in the kitchen or learn to cope with anxiety you anticipate will get worse after losing vision? Why not try to find accessible copies of books you have or scan or Braille sentimental letters? Why not organize your closet so you can find things more easily?

Obviously this is related to characters who know they’re going blind, though.

It favors non-disabled readers, which is ableist.

Another reason this type of story bothers me is because it is so common. Or at least people expect it. This type of story is one abled / non-disabled people can swallow and feel inspired by. Showing the blind person accepting their blindness also favors non-disabled readers in ways I may not be able to articulate well.

Accepting disability is an arc non-disabled people are comfortable with. It is a feel-good type of story that usually doesn’t challenge people too much, other than to remind them not to bully people. Already, this story is not even for disabled people, or in this case, blind people. It exists to introduce people who aren’t blind to the idea of becoming blind, to blind technology, to inspirational ideas about how blind people actually can do things. Stories like this guide abled people along and prioritize their ideas about blindness. Because the narrator is almost always previously abled, the story is about adjusting to blindness in a way that caters to non-disabled people.

How does a story with this angle benefit blind readers? Even if a blind person has also recently gone blind and wants to see a character who on that journey with them, what can a writer who isn’t blind say that blind writer couldn’t say? Or say better? Or say with more power? With more nuancel? With more personal experience?

And it may seem like saying this arc is ableist is too much. Keep in mind, ableism isn’t just about being rude to or excluding disabled people. Ableism favors those who are able-bodied or neurotypical over those who are not. It favors those who are not disabled over those who are. This story is just another way of doing that. Often, people are ableist through what they consider kindnes. Authors are not exempt from that.

Disabled authors should tell their own stories

This is where I will get some pushback. (I already received some here if you think it will be helpful to know what this is like.)

There are a few parts to this.

First, I want everyone to know I am not telling you what not to write or that this type of story, at least with elements of this narrative, can never be done well. However, the more care you take when writing it and the more you know about why it can be ableist, the better you will be able to write it. I’m still not sure I would want to read a book that is dedicated to this topic of accepting blindness, but who knows?

I also might feel more open to this narrative from a writer who experienced becoming disabled in some other way and was open about it. While they would still need to research blindness, some of the issues I named here could be avoided through having prior personal experience that non-disabled people simply don’t have.

If, however, you find yourself upset or feeling excluded by this post, consider what I wrote again. Consider why you think you are the best person to tell such a story with this particular arc.

I am also not saying that non-disabled writers could never write this topic well. I just question, again, what they can add to the topic of accepting blindness that blind people can’t already add. This is also assuming they were able to avoid some of the issues I listed above that might come up. Which would be difficult on top of doing all the other research they need to do in order to write a book. Why make it harder for themselves?

Now that I’m done with the disclaimers, accepting blindness should be something mostly left up to blind writers. This narrative is so closely tied to the trauma-based / incident-based blindness that it can be hard to separate them, but I feel like the readers of the blog have thought hard to suggest ways to improve or subvert that trope and the problems that go with it. Maybe they can do the same here. Maybe not.

Anyway, the reason I think it should be left to blind writers is because of the personal experience I mentioned previously. Acceptance will come from a more authentic place. Anything that comes before the acceptance will also come from an authentic place and blind writers will know how to deal these issues a little better.

Blind writers will know how to write this topic well. They can center blind readers in a way that many arcs like this don’t.

As a side note, blind writers also need more recognition and attention. This arc is specifically about or mostly about accepting blindness, which blind writers are intimately familiar with. Their stories should be prioritized in this area, at the very least.

If a non-disabled writer decided to do this topic, I think it would help to read and public ally promote books and other works by blind people.

Thank you for asking this question.

This was a really great question and I want to thank the anon for asking. I really appreciate the chance to discuss this topic. If anyone wants to expand on this question or figure out ways to subvert this arc, feel free to ask. Also, remember that I am not authority on stories about blind people, but I feel this opinion in shared by many of us and it should be known so writers can be aware.

Suggestions for alternatives.

1. Include only brief instances of acceptance and / or make it only related to blindness instead of accepting blindness as a character arc.

It will depend on how you do it, but brief, less direct instances of acceptance could be done well. One thing I’m thinking of is Toph challenging her father in The Blind Bandit. This could be seen as a form of self-acceptance for Toph, one which is related to her blindness without being the entirety of her need to accept part of herself, which gives her the courage to disrupt the view her parents have of her. Toph doesn’t struggle with being blind. She struggles with something related to being blind, which her parents being over-protective, limiting her freedom and expression, and putting her a gender role box.

The rest of Toph’s story wasn’t completely about being blind either. The writers, who weren’t blind as far as I can gather, handled this part well, and so I wanted to include it as an example.

Obviously, this can also be done badly, but that’s what beta readers are for. I personally would prefer the acceptance arc only be tangentially related to blindness, especially when combined with the trope about going blind through trauma / incidents / accidents.

2. Start in a different place.

You could start the story or character arc in a different place, rather than starting directly after going blind. This could be years later. After they already adjusted to the bigger parts of being blind. This saves you the need to figure out how to get around it.

Some parts of this ask might help.

3. Focus mostly on the practical stuff rather than the emotional side.

Focus on things like cane skills, adjusting to using screen-readers or needing to increase font sizes to read. Focus on learning to cook. Make the arc less about emotional stuff and more achieving goals. While I can understand how this might bother some blind people, I think it can work if blind readers are consulted, especially readers who went blind later in life. I wanted to include this as an option just in case people are determined to include going blind in the story. I think, if the author is careful, it could go well. A few narrative justifications for not writing the typical acceptance arc include:

-the character was already blind in some way first

-the character has a blind sibling, parent, or friend they grew up with

-the character got counseling or the story mentions they are getting counseling

Alternatively, you could also focus emotional difficulties on the traumatic incident, if there is one, and not the resulting blindness.

4. Write different stories - expand what stories about blind characters look like.

Writers have so many opportunities! I don’t see why they would feel the need to write a story primarily about going blind and learning you aren’t useless now after all, when they could be writing about a blind mermaid challenging the Mer Queen and falling in love with her instead. When they could be writing about blind space pirates creating new technology for other blind people. When they could be writing about a blind witch reclaiming their sexuality and also learning to dance to make their coven less worried about their social life after going blind.

See this post for more ideas about expanding the typical stories.

If you are creative enough, none of my claims that certain topics being best left to blind writers should stop you. If you feel limited, you might be trapped in the idea that blind people only have one narrative: trauma, sadness, helplessness, and just maybe, acceptance. If you don’t feel limited, you are in a good place.

Blind readers want other types of stories, too.

I hope this helps some of my followers. Thanks for the interesting question, anon. If anyone has any questions or would like me to clarify something, feel free to ask. I wrote this at night when I was tired. I have missed some things.

-BlindBeta

P.S. The ideas I pitched at the end are free to use if you feel inspired by any of them.

#writing blind characters #blind characters #blind people #ask #anon #acceptance narrative #trauma narrative

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imagine-loki · 3 years

Text

Hiding in Plain Sight

TITLE: Hiding in Plain Sight

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 12 Final Chapter.

AUTHOR: wolfpawn

ORIGINAL IMAGINE:Imagine coming from a line of nobility or royalty and being in an arranged marriage with Loki in an attempt to strengthen your kingdom / alliance with Asgard. You’re not entirely on board with the idea but figured that the best you could do was to get to know your fiancé. You form an agreement with Frigga for you to pose as Loki’s personal servant for a few months so you can get to know who Loki really is – beyond the veil of his responsibility to the Asgardian throne, behind all the masks he wears when facing the public, to really know who Loki is behind closed doors as you slowly fall for each other.How long will you keep up the ruse with the God of Lies?

RATING: General Audience

NOTE: final chapter

Loki scoured his desks and shelves for those letters. When the knock came to his door, he gave a nod to Tatianna to open it. The maid, who had been working diligently with him in search of said letters, rushed over to check it was who she had been sent for. “The Postmaster, Lord Johan, Your Highness.” She introduced as the Postmaster came in.

“Lord Johan.” The Postmaster bowed. “Prince Loki, I came as soon as I could.” “Thank you.”

“How can I assist you, Your Highness.” “My brother has informed me that three letters were brought to my rooms over a period of months from the Ljósáfar palace.”

The Postmaster’s eyes widened. “You did receive such, Your Highness. I organised them for your rooms myself as I do all the mail for your family. They even had the name of the sender on them, the Princess Raven of Alfheim. Such fine writing she has too. Artistic and neat.”

Loki nodded and took little heed of the statement, It was well-known that the Postmaster was a graphophile, he supposed a few millennia of looking at different handwriting would turn almost anyone into one.

“I have never received them.” The Postmaster’s mouth opened to speak. “I am not, for one moment, suggesting you to be telling me falsities, Lord Johan, I know of the due care you put into your work but also I know you have entirely no reason to lie.”

“On two of the three occasions, they came alongside other post. On the final one, it did not and I ensured they all made their way to your rooms. Because of their importance, I placed them in the centre of your desk rather than the usual place.” Loki’s eyes widened and he looked at his desk, which was kept clean for when it was needed for work matters but there was nothing on it at present. “It begs the question then, where did they go, and why would anyone do such a thing as to move them?” He looked at Tatianna as he spoke. The maid shook her head slightly. Loki did not suspect his maid. He questioned her for a moment upon returning to his rooms, asking her if she recalled such letters but she stated that she did not. He had no reason to suspect her, she did not have anything to gain from dishonesty and she had even been readying the rooms in case Raven was to be joining Loki in them. She had tidied shelves in case she too was a reader and had books to join Loki’s. She had gone through each and every item of clothing of his that she could find, discarding the damaged, repairing others making room for the new princess. If anything, Loki suspected she was half excited to have a woman to assist tending to. She loved fashion and hair meaning having a princess to assist with events would undoubtedly be something pleasant for her. “Tatianna, have you tried behind those scrolls?”

“No, Your Highness, I will try now.” She darted off to do that. “Do not forget, Your Highness, Her Majesty insists you turn up for dinner. Missing lunch was unacceptable, missing dinner is...well…” “Let me guess, if I do not turn up, I will have Gungnir force me to turn up?”

“Something to that effect.”

Loki rolled his eyes at his parents’ attempts at threats. “Very well, you keep searching.” She nodded and did so. “Where in the realms are they?” Loki muttered to himself. * The prelude to the dinner did not fair as badly as Loki had worried that it would. For most of it, he spoke with the Ljósáfar princes, all of whom seemed amiable in their own ways, but what he did notice was his mother looking worriedly at him, though he barely acknowledged her unless she spoke to him directly as he did not want to embarrass his family and that there was no sign of Raven.

When dinner time arrived, he began to feel insulted that she had been able to avoid it while he was being forced to endure it. The fact that it was a public dinner made it all the worse. The whole realm would hear the announcement of the forthcoming wedding and she was not even present. What also caught his attention was the Vanir that Thor was clearly speaking within an intimate manner before the meal but who was sat down separately for the meal. He recognised her. She was of good personality but little on looks but she was from a powerful house and Asgard’s tie to Vanaheim had to remain strong so he suspected that she would be announced as Thor’s betrothed as soon as Loki’s marriage ribbon was tied. Raven was of far better looks and he knew from her knowledge of literature that she at least was not without a mind but he still felt angered by it all.

Thinking in his own mind, he heard nothing of the talk around him. It was only when he noticed a severely tense atmosphere around him that Loki got pulled from his thoughts as a shadow came into view beside him. At first, he thought the tense atmosphere was from Raven, who finally decided to grave them with her presence but after a moment, seeing her meek demeanour, he noticed she was the subject of the tense atmosphere, not the instigator. Sitting beside him, she did not even try to look at him or engage him in any manner.

“It’s good to see at least that your brothers and parents disapprove of your actions,” Loki growled lowly to her as the noise around them increased, allowing them some privacy to speak.

“My parents do not care in the slightest about that. They were more worried about me embarrassing them by learning to sew and such than anything. They were simply glad that I was no longer there being of age and unmarried.” She stated in a monotone that still seemed to seep sadness.

Loki frowned slightly. “So what has them all looking at you as though you are a disgrace?” His curiosity got the better of him.

“I should not be in public at present. It’s disgraceful. They disagree with your parents insisting that this dinner go ahead, they felt it should have been postponed.”

“I am very much inclined to agree with that sentiment. Though, I doubt our reasonings are the same, are they?”

“I very much doubt it.” She toyed with her hands.

Loki watched the action carefully, realising she had been doing so with nervousness and anxiety clearly for at least the day if not longer from the marks on them. “You will pull the skin off if you keep doing that.” She stopped and put her hands to her side. “I’m curious, what happened to the woman that stormed my room today and called me a...was it a pretentious prick?” Raven’s eyes widened and she looked around at her parents, praying to every Norn that they had not heard.

Loki studied her reaction. Thor’s and his mother’s words coming to the fore of his mind. They were both right, he didn’t like this more than he disliked a woman that would snap back. He didn’t like being called a pretentious prick but the silent and moping creature next to him was a thousand times worse. “So, you have left two things unanswered, how you shamed them enough to want them to call off this dinner announcement and where you hid the woman that barged into my rooms?” Raven said nothing for a moment, her tongue toying with her teeth as she considered her answer. “I should not have done that and I sincerely apologise for having done what I did to…”

“Norns, stop. I don’t want to hear it. Just answer my questions.” Loki hissed.

“Because I am bleeding.” She said nothing more and waited for his reaction, awaiting disgust.

Loki did not comprehend as to what she was referring to for a moment. He was going to insist that she head to the hospital wing for herself when it dawned on him what she was referring to. In his own mind, he thought to make a comment about it explaining her attitude towards him but he knew that was a cheap excuse. She had stated several times she was told off by her parents for being sarcastic and outspoken. Even when they were waiting for dinner to begin, her brothers had made comments on her behaviour being seeing as unlike other Ljósáfar women. “I am failing to see how that affects things. I am aware it is not an overly pleasant situation for a female but there are surely some things that can assist?” Raven gave a small smile at his innocence to the situation. “In Alfheim, high-born women are not seen while bleeding, or pregnant, or not until she is a certain date past childbirth, it’s seen as shameful and dirty.” “But they are basic parts of being female.” Loki didn’t even think over his reply, it came straight out of his mouth before he could process it. He looked at her, seeing the agreement in her eyes making him realise her earlier words on trying to see if she could be forced to continue such a life and how much they actually meant. Suddenly, he realised there was some sense to her actions. Insane as they were. He knew his and Thor’s lives were restricted by their positions in society, but what Raven was describing was nothing short of a form of imprisonment to him. “Obviously, it is different here. Mother did not retire from court until she was almost due my brother and myself.” He didn’t know why he used that example, she made it clear she did not like the idea of even having children but he wanted to settle her some bit.

Raven merely nodded.

As Loki was going to ask her about the letters, Odin rose to his feet silencing the room. He spoke on and on of the honour of hosting the Light Elves, the sharing of ancient magical knowledge and other such things, how they have been allies through several wars, nothing, of course, on the ones they were adversaries and other such words. No one spoke through the Allfather and when he ceased that speech, there was a cheer and raising of cups and tankards. When he spoke of the marriage, Loki gave a slight nod, as would be expected, while Raven looked around in a manner that she hoped offended no one yet knew it would offend her family terribly. When another cheer was made and another drink was taken, the talking began in earnest.

Raven seemed to think to do nothing but swirl the contents of the cup.

“Have you had mead before?” Loki found himself talking to her both out of boredom and curiosity.

Raven shook her head. “It’s nice, though.” She kept her voice down.

Loki pursed his lips. “Could the woman from today who sassed me please come out? Is there a button that activates her or is it only until a certain time of day, then at night, this meek creature emerges?” Raven’s eyes flickered toward her father, which Loki caught. “Ah, that explains things.” He leant closer causing her to shift slightly in her seat. “As of tonight, you realise you are supposed to adhere to Aesir norms, not Ljósáfar ones. Now, I need to discuss a matter with you.”

“Regarding?” “Some letters.” Raven frowned at him. “It was brought to my attention today that you sent letters to me before this...charade.” Raven looked at him suspiciously. “I did. Three.”

“Yes, Thor mentioned and the Postmaster confirmed.”

“And going by your reaction, you doubted this?” “I never received them.” Raven could not help pursing her lips in disbelief.

“I did not.” “You leave all of your post on that platter, you never miss anything. I saw that myself.” Loki studied her carefully, seeing the disbelief in her eyes. “You think I discarded them without reading?” “You read everything, this I know.” “I never received them.” He stared straight back at her, his rich green eyes willing her to see he was being truthful. “The Postmaster placed them on my desk but I never got them.”

“All three escaped your notice?”

“It appears they did.” “One I would believe, three, I am sceptical.”

“So was I when I heard such for the exact same reason,” Loki admitted. “Did you move them when you came?” “I...They would not have still been there by the time I came.”

“But you did not see them in the room, since you organised things in it?” “No, you’re not listening, they would not have still been in existence. I used paper made with Cat’s Claw oil, meaning…” “It dissolves within a month,” Loki completed. “Why, though?”

Raven nodded. “Yes, I did not want private correspondence with headed paper to be at risk of forgery, so I use that oil. Don’t you?” “I will now.” Loki could not fault her logic. If anything, he was embarrassed he had not thought of it. “What did you write?”

“Nothing too taxing. What were the best books to understand Aesir court and history best? I had heard you were an avid reader, so who you enjoyed? What other hobbies you had, nothing too intimate. The first and second were similar as I thought you had not received the first for whatever reason. The last was a tad more abrupt. Then I stopped trying.” She toyed with her hands again.

“You’re damaging your skin.” Loki admonished. “I am sorry your letters went unanswered. I don’t know what happened to them, I will find out but I did not ignore them.” “I believe you.”

Loki could see she meant it. “If I had seen them…”

“We could be dealing with a different situation right now. Not that it excuses my actions.”

Loki nodded slightly.

“I am sorry for what happened. I truly wish I had not done such. But thank you for your concern also.”

“Concern?”

“When I told you I would be leaving your service and I seemed upset, even though you were upset, you were adamant that if I was being mistreated, I could tell you. Even when you felt terrible for yourself, you showed concern for me, even when you did not like me. I think it showed me so much about you.” She gave a small smile. “Even if you think little of me as I truly am.”

Loki was going to challenge that but he saw the slight smirk and playful glint in her eye. “Norns, you switch between two different demeanours faster than the Bifrost travels realms. It will be exhausting to keep up with.” “I think you forget that I know what you are like. We will be suffering together.”

Loki chuckled to himself, thinking that this situation may not be entirely terrible if they tried. Seeing the hopeful look on Raven’s face, he suspected with some work, perhaps they could.

Raven found herself looking at a certain someone staring at her disapprovingly in the crowded room. She took a moment to realise just who it was before giving the other woman a raised brow. For her part, the other woman seemed genuinely startled as to the Light Elf she had previously spoken down to. With Loki’s interest in the princess and the princess knowing full well who she was and what she had said, she knew there was no manner to get into her good graces under false pretences but also that the Light Elf knew full well about everything and could ensure she kept a close eye on such, so she looked at her food again.

#Loki #others #submission #submitted fic #chapter 12 #wolfpawn #hiding in plain sight

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sugarcomatosed · 3 years

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i love your stories so much!! and was wondering if you can give some writing tips perhaps? 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

Breaking this up into sections for you + putting it under a cut cause I went overboard. 😅

General Writing Tips

These work for both academic and creative writing.

Make an outline.

It doesn't have to be a formal one, but having at least a general idea of the scenes you want to include is helpful. If I know my fic is going to be a longer one (like Don't Hesitate was and my current WIP is), I break down the larger story beats i want to hit on a piece of paper or my iPad.

It's good to know what you're planning to do, in a any piece I usually have a single specific scene I want to do and depending on what it is, I might either just do the scene I want to or turn into something longer.

Draft, draft, draft.

I cannot stress the importance of going through and reviewing your work. This is a big part of any sort of writing.

Your first idea isn't always your best idea. As you work on a piece you might find your original idea is holding you back, focus shifts! Don't be afraid to let your work change as you go. It's not always easy to let go of your original idea but if you find it's not working, you have to let it change. Sections will need to be rewritten, things have to be readjusted to fit with later sections. Reread for clarity while you're drafting and look to see if this makes sense to you, or reads well to you. If you can't follow it and you wrote it, chances are your reader can't either. Did you use the same phrase again and again? Find and search it on your doc to double check.

Sometimes you have to cut things you really like because they just don't contribute to the fic anymore. Save those bits and use them somewhere else!In a lot of my longer pieces I will write a paragraph, realize that's not where it should go and cut/paste it into another part of the doc because the pacing/scene doesn't make sense where I had it originally, but it works somewhere else.

If you're stuck, skip around, come back and then stitch the bits you have written together.

Don't Focus on a Word Count

This might be controversial, but I'm of the opinion just because something is longer does not make it better. Some works are short, and that's okay! I very rarely try to aim for a specific count of words unless it's for a prompt exchange or a personal challenge. I write till I feel the piece is done. Some stories require more words, some require less.

Don't Hesitate is a great example of this again, because all I wanted to do was a bittersweet first kiss fic, but jumping write into the kiss wouldn't get the full effect I wanted. Meanwhile, with Old Habits all I wanted to do was write dumb comedic kisses, we didn't need a 2k preamble.

Get Someone You Trust to Edit

My go to editor for the past six years or so is one of my good friends. She has edited everything from college papers to my fics for me before I post them to read for clarity, find any funky phrases or misspelled words I missed, and I do the same for her when she asks! A fresh set of eyes makes a world of a difference. Find someone to trade fics with or ask a friend! They might have good suggestions you never thought of, or be able to tell what you were going for when you don't even know yourself.

I also rely on my friends a lot to brainstorm and talk my ideas out before I start because it helps me think and figure out what I need. It's super common for me to text someone and say "im gonna spitball at you, that okay?" and then spend twenty minutes chatting through my ideas.

Have Reference Material

For my 13sar fics, I regularly go back and review/screenshot videos of the dialogue to make sure I am staying consistent with story events, character nuance and small details. You don't have to go crazy, but it is really helpful to have your source material to go back to and check yourself against. In non creative writing I always had a pile of papers highlighted with my own notes on the margins.

Take Breaks/Pace Yourself

Know your own limits, and if you are working and working on something and it's not coming out leave it alone and come back to it. I'm really bad at this personally because when I get an idea in my head I want to see it through but sometimes you gotta step back! It's not healthy to keep working on things and overwork yourself. Stretch, get up go for a walk.

Write What You Want to Write

Don't focus on what people want to read. Focus on what you like. Find a topic, a scene, anything that you are passionate about and the rest will follow. The only time I write fic for other people is when I am writing for a friend. Even prompt requests I only take open ended ones, if I am not interested in writing it it's not gonna happen. I know it's super hard and I get really anxious sometimes about letting people down now, or worrying people won't like something but then I step back and remind myself this is a hobby and I'm doing it for fun.

Play to Your Strengths

You shouldn't try to write like me, you should try to write like yourself. Find what skills you have and use them to your advantage!

I can't give you a step by step list to write like me, because nobody in the world has my background! We're all unique. Everything I've listed so far I know because I'm not a beginner anymore! I'm in my twenties and have come from a strong academic writing background.

I took on an intensive course load in high school, and then went onto college for a sociology degree. I very rarely had test based finals and at the end of each semester would have five 10-15 page papers to submit. Straight up some of my skills come from having read and studied the works of anthropologist Clifford Geertz. I am not saying you should read anthropology/sociology texts. Unless you like that sort of thing lol

I also have 6+ years of theater experience (acting & directing), I use this all the time for my writing. When I think about a scene, I think about how I would work through it as an actor, how the character would move, and how would things read to an audience. The GOTE ("Goal, Obstacle, Tactics, and Expectation") method of acting by Robert Cohen is really useful hear if you want a more technical breakdown of what I mean by that.

This leads to a lot of what we called "business" in acting, doing small tiny things while you talk or move around on stage to give the sense you're a real human. I don't have to think or try on these sort of things because they're in my skill set already!

Things I do Personally

As in, these are not transferable skills this is just the stuff I do while working on projects.

Find a Vibe™️

I come into any fic with usually a goal I want to hit, a line of dialogue or something I want to capture. Just like, the general idea of a feeling a song even if the lyrics don't match up. Make a mood-board, a playlist, just find something you wanna do. It's less about the actual words on the page and what you're aiming to do.

Look to things that inspire you

Don't Hesitate got written because I wanted to write a fic that captured the same vibe as a scene in Macross Frontier, where two characters have a bittersweet kiss before the final battle and that scene still has me fucked up six years after watching it.

My current WIP is doing the same thing but with the song All I've Ever Known from Hadestown. Two characters working through loneliness, the sudden feeling of falling in love and the frustration that feeling can bring on sometime.

I don't plagiarize them word for word, but these are scenes that inspire me! I also patchwork quilt ideas together. Using Don't Hesitate again, I also ended up pulling from a bunch of shoujo anime, Toradora, Sailor Moon, Yona of the Dawn, Princess Tutu...specific scenes I enjoy to blend and create something new.

Goof Off While You Write

I name my documents stupid things, I write dumb placeholder dialogue or vague sentiments like "insert better word here", I make memes when I'm struggling and roast myself and my predictable tastes.

I spent twenty minutes texting a friend Juro's name with different letters spelt out and then the "fuck your chickenstrips" vine saying it was Juro during destruction. Just have fun with it!

Listen to J-POP On Loop for Hours at a Time

i am not kidding I do this all the time. Perfume, AKB48, anime idol osts, Sailor Moon's OPs/ED, vocaloid songs. I like technopop and Japanese is good because it usually doesn't distract my brain since I only know random phrases, but still know what the meaning og the song is.

I love music, it helps me vibe out.

Thank you so much for enjoying my work ;o;

I hope this is useful to you in some way! I'm so sorry it's so long winded but I am overly thorough and love to teach people ;w;

#sugar speaks #sugar writes #okay to reblog

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stargirlberry-blog1 · 6 years

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Character Information

Full Name: Rachel Barbara Berry

Age & Birthday: December 18, age 16

Gender Identity: Cis Female

Preferred Pronouns: She/Her

Romantic Orientation: Biromantic

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual / Attentionsexual

Hometown: Lima, Ohio

Family Information

Mother: Shelby Corcoran

Father: Hiram Berry, Leroy Berry

Siblings: N/A

Pets: Rachel would love to keep chickens or something equally homey in which she could dedicate a chapter of her memoir to the simple life she had keeping chickens. However, an unfortunate experience with eggs has ensured she has an entirely new chapter regarding chickens planned.

Other Family Members of Importance: No other living relatives

Financial Status: Middle class. The Berry family are by no means rich, but Rachel has never had to struggle for anything. They are entirely comfortable, her fathers have successful careers and aside from having to attend public school, Rachel never goes without.

Please describe your character’s family dynamics: Rachel was planned, bought and paid for. A baby that was desired and extremely wanted. Her dads have worshipped her from birth, she has never wanted for anything her entire life. Rachel had never had chance to form a pout, or develop a fever before attention was given and any hurts soothed away. Her parents are loving and attentive, and perhaps overly indulgent. They have their family traditions, movie night, musical theatre night, karaoke night and at least once a month will sit and watch home movies which include, and are most definitely limited to, a highlight reel of all Rachel’s achievements. Her fathers were grown, successful men by the time they had the finances to be able to afford to create a baby, so she only had one set of Grandparents on Hiram’s side until she was eight years old. The Jewish faith and adherence to the religion even though she isn’t particularly religious herself, came from the relationship with her grandparents, and a way to honour their memory, when it’s not being honoured in song form.

Personality Information

Positive Traits: Caring, talented, dedicated, loyal, loving

Negative Traits: Selfish, insecure, desperate, obnoxious, blunt

Star Sign: Sagittarius

Likes: Broadway, Gold stars, Singing, Animals, Writing strongly worded letters, Herself, Sweaters, Knee socks, Old movies, Pink, MySpace, Attention, Admiration, Praise

Dislikes: Meat, Rudeness (in others, not herself, obviously), Bad singing, A lack of dedication, Slushies, Eggs, MySpace comments, Being ignored

Pet Peeves: A lack of ambition. She cannot understand it, nor can she keep her mouth shut when she notices it in others and when people sing through movies (unless it is her).

Most Embarrassing Memory: Being egged by vocal adrenaline. Rachel is very rarely embarrassed by her own behaviour, she is able to rationalise her own embarrassing traits to herself and what others may cringe at, she takes pride in. Being egged was something she hadn’t prepared for, and had been completely mortified to not only

Hobbies: Singing, dancing, blogging, acting, vlogging, theatre, exercise, crafts

Guilty Pleasure: Vegan ice cream, she is an emotional eater.

Unusual Talents. She is excellent at scrapbooking, Rachel is terribly sentimental even if she doesn’t always seem as though she cares about more than herself. She longs to fit in and be accepted, so any happy memories that seem even a tiny bit like friendship are cherished and recorded. She has a talent for song writing not yet discovered.

Habits. Nail biting and playing with her hair when overly stressed

Schooling Information

Grade. Senior

GPA: Rachel puts effort into all of her studies, she is a perfect student and nothing less than the best is good enough for her. She may dot her i’s with hearts and stars alternately and assign herself gold stars for work well done, but she maintains a perfect GPA despite obnoxious habits. Although she would say, because of them.

Extracurriculars: Glee club, drama club, school council, dance

Character Development

Canon Integration:

I’d like to include her crush on Mr Schue and sending Sunshine to a crackhouse as episodes that happened during her past. I think they are important to her personality.

I don’t want to infringe on anyone who might play Jesse, so I will incorporate Shelby into future development plans.

I would however, like to include her experience of being egged by vocal adrenaline, but I am happy to have had that be another boy.

Plans for Development.

I’d like to explore her friendships, how they develop and how she becomes less selfish because of them. I’d be keen to explore possibly within the future her tendency to sacrifice herself for the greater good. She can be loud and obnoxious and incredibly selfish, but I’d like to explore how she changes because of the attention of those around her. Once she’s given the chance to be a friend, she can make a great one.

It would be interesting to explore Rachel’s sexuality in comparison to how she see’s herself. She imagines her life to be the standard, girl meets boy and falls in love and whilst that may happen, it would be interesting to explore her acknowledging at least that she has an attraction to women too, and that she can’t always control every aspect of her life.

I’d like to explore her issues with her mother and her feelings of being unwanted when it comes to her. She’s been worshipped by her fathers, but her mother very clearly did not want to be that to Rachel and as much as she pretends that she doesn’t need her, she desperately wants to be loved and longs for a maternal figure. During the course of the RP, I’d like to explore her writing to her mother and trying to form the relationship she desperately craves but isn’t going to receive.

It would be fun to explore Rachel romantically, she can be too much and doesn’t know how to pull it back. It would be interesting to explore how Rachel acts when she has genuine feelings and when she simply wants to be loved.

Character Biography (654 words)

December 18 was the date a star was born. Quite literally. The day one, Rachel Barbra Berry, entered the world and began her destiny to stardom. Born to gay fathers, Rachel was adored from birth. Never did a frown or pout have time to form on her face before her needs were attended to. Anything she desired, any dream she had, however far fetched, was made possible through the love and devotion of her parents. Rachel expressed an interest in performing and everything financially possible was done for her. She had acting lessons, singing, dancing, and was entered into every competition available in their small town and beyond.

When she was younger, she had not only the devotion of her parents, but that of her grandparents on Hiram’s side. Until her grandfathers death when she was 6 and her Grandmother's the following year, they had been two of her biggest fans. They would visit every weekend and sit patiently as Rachel performed song after song, applauding dutifully after each. Her grandmother had a love of animals and Rachel learned from her to cook and use only cruelty free products. Her devotion to a faith she isn’t strict with, came from a respect for the grandparents who loved her and a way of honouring their memory when sometimes, very rarely, a song simply wouldn’t do it.

Although her family life was close to perfect, Rachel always missed a maternal figure in her life. She certainly didn’t go without, and her dads provided everything they could. But she’d stand to the side for mother/daughter days, and would stare longingly at the mother's day greeting cards in stores, knowing she had no reason to purchase one. Sometimes she did, she’d write cards to the mother she didn’t have. She’d write about herself, and the problems that girls had as they grew up that she couldn’t always share with her dads. They’d prepared a PowerPoint on periods and puberty, had been sure to buy every single brand of sanitary products they could their hands on. But it wasn’t the same, there were things she didn’t understand, changes happening to her body she couldn’t account for and unlike other girls, she’d had to find those things out for herself. Rachel longs to find what she feels is a missing piece within her life, but is incredibly wary of seeming ungrateful for the amazing life her parents have provided.

Whilst her home life was filled with love, laughter and joy. Rachel had never had the same experience with school. She very rarely related to her peers and whether that was sometimes through no fault of her own due to living in Lima and having two dads, a lot of it came down to her spoiled nature and overbearing personality. She went through her younger years longing for a friend, and yet driving anyone away who tried to be that. She was overly critical, bossy and often too much. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and had many delusions of grandeur when it came to her own talents. She’d thought that might change in high school, a chance for a fresh start, but her interests simply didn’t line up to those of her peers. They were never going to make her popular and well-liked and instead of conforming, Rachel went the same way she always had and over compensated her loneliness by being loud and obnoxious in a desperate bid for attention and admiration.

Since finding glee she’s made steps towards creating true friendships. She can still be overbearing, she can be bossy and selfish at times. But she cares and she’s learning to allow others to shine, even when she wants to take the spotlight for herself. Rachel is slowly learning how to make lasting friendships and is hoping to be able to fill the memory board in her room with something other than certificates of her achievements.

#mchqapply

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impracticaldemon · 7 years

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(Text Meme) 💌no.10 from kazama to chizuru

A loving text letter from Kazama to Chizuru ♥

Note: Contribution to the Inaugural KazaChi Ship Week hosted by @hakuoukishippingweek !

My dear Chizuru-sama,

The cool autumn wind blows the leaves along the streets and reminds me that I am back in Edo after several months in the far south. I may one day learn to call this city Tokyo, but more likely I will not bother. I have no need to appease the sensibilities of the human Emperor, after all. (Ah, I can see you smile with fond disapproval at that comment - quite a feat! You continue to believe that my views on the empty vanity of humans are themselves vanity, I’m afraid.)

I will not ask after your health, as I saw you yesterday and an Oni of your lineage is unlikely to be unwell. Nevertheless… I was sorry to see you looking rather tired and thin. I do not dare comment that this is the result of trying to live a lonely, human life, for fear that the lovely but overly-belligerent Sen-hime will descend upon me with her fan, despite being miles away in Kyoto.

[Ed.’s Note: It is remarkable how often people say that they won’t comment while in the midst of commenting. Also, such comments are rarely favourable.]

I will visit you again later today, so that we can continue to discuss what our next steps together should be. You will note the use of the word we, which is intended to assure you that I have not forgotten that although you appear to be demure and rather shy, you prefer to be consulted about certain matters (i.e., most things!), rather than leave decisions to your husband-to-be. I suppose that you believe this to be a reasonable preference, and I am more disposed to agree than I was in the past.

I am not always good at expressing myself, Chizuru. Moreover, I am not a sentimental man, and that makes me appear cold to you. The Shinsengumi of whom you were so fond were undeniably sentimental men, which I believe appealed to you. Nevertheless, after all of the months that we spent together searching for those overly-sentimental fools men,** I cannot help but know that you embrace sentiment with fervour and are an immensely empathic creature. Therefore, I will allow myself the indulgence of sentimentality for a moment to say that I have come to admire you greatly. You show the true courage and steadfastness of your family. I believe that your Clan would be proud of you.

[Ed.’s Note: Kazama-san followed in the steps of the Shinsengumi for an extraordinarily long time for a non-sentimental man. Even supposing the journey to have been in part on Chizuru’s behalf, which was not the case at the beginning, the Editor must admit to skepticism regarding Kazama-san’s claim to only marginal interest in the Shinsengumi. There are different types of sentiment, after all. Even Kazama-san’s determination to marry Chizuru strongly suggests a significant depth of sentiment, at least for traditional Oni beliefs.]

Six months ago, I kissed you to remind you that we had developed a bond, something quite apart from any requirement to marry for the sake of our people (as real as I still believe that to be). Strangers may wed, and often do, but I hoped to convey a particular understanding of and affection for Yukimura Chizuru.

Yesterday, I kissed you because there was such joy and relief in your eyes when you turned and saw me. You are utterly transparent, Chizuru! Perhaps I should not have taken advantage of such a moment, but I cannot truly regret or even condemn my actions, especially as it was extremely pleasant to eat dinner and spend the evening in your company afterward.

What I am trying to write is that I hope that our true first kiss is not long delayed. That is, I look forward to the first kiss that is neither an assurance nor (as some would see it) stolen from you. A shared kiss. I can hear you now, Chizuru, saying that this is sentiment! Perhaps it is. I would call it the logical next step, although… honesty impels me to confess that I wish for it with more emotion than logic can reasonably explain.

I will see see you in the early afternoon at your father’s home. Tea is more than acceptable to drink, since it is clear to me after yesterday evening that you keep little decent sake on hand and have neither the head nor the palate to enjoy it. [Ed.’s Note: The brusqueness of this final comment suggests that Kazama-san felt impelled to restore a less “sentimental” tone to the letter.]

Most sincerely,

Kazama Chikage

** The Editor notes that only modern restoration techniques were able to uncover the original word.

References:

♥ ~ A Mutual Kiss ~ Needed Here ~ ♥

Tags (just ask to be added/removed):

@shell-senji @fury-ous @queen-mizera @kazama-hime @hakusaitosan @tealdeertamer @very-x-vice @sabinasanfanfic @walk-tall-my-fr1ends @hakuokifirst @annahakuouki @eliz1369 @canadiangaap @vav-airis @moon-faced-pear-shaped @lady-yomi @thesweateristoobig @doodlethewhiteraven @nalufever @nollatooru @chocoiice @silkysilk

#hakuouki #hakuoki #kazachi #hakuoukishippingweek #fanfiction #text meme #kazama chikage #yukimura chizuru #impracticaldemon

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lorenzoandmaria-blog · 5 years

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from maria // 042719

Hi there :) Before anything else — I’d like to ask if your schedule is free on May 11-12?

I organized the school strikes for the Philippines last 15th March (they were mostly just my friends from all over the archipelago so it was just a matter of contacting them and following up on the plans), and we’re planning to join the 2nd global strike again this 24th May. In line with that, we’ve been in close contact with Ate Bea from 350 and she’s been cooking up a training workshop on climate strikes and mobilizations for key youth organizers before the date of the 2nd global strike. To sum it all up: her proposal has recently just been approved by 350 Global, so now we’re putting together a list of youth organizers to fly into Manila for the training. Of course I put you in the list (your mob skills are admirable, and I’m pretty sure your organizing skills are far better). Would you be up for it, if ever?

The workshop schedule will be May 11-12, but we’re flying people in by the afternoon/evening of the 10th. We’re flying back to our respective places on the afternoon of the 12th so we can make it back for the elections on the 13th. Sorry to dump this on you at short notice (!!!) but things were only finalized yesterday afternoon -- would need your response on this as soon as possible, though, so feel free to reply here or drop a quick message on my mobile once you finish reading this part :) You can message me at 0927 461 8620 (Sorry for the rush! Trying to keep my work, advocacy, and personal life in balance ) Anyway, hi again :) Just want to say -- thank you for writing me, by the way. Don’t know how else to say it, but our exchanges are one of the very few things I look forward to these days. I like leaving things unexplained, if only to have something to mull over for later, so I guess I’ve yet to get to the bottom of my current emotional turbulence. Wanted to respond a little bit earlier, but today was a little on the heavy side of things for me! Waking up to your greetings, life crisis, and the promise of a portrait in prose was honestly the only thing that got me through this day. So thank you, really I’m a pretty stubborn person, so I’m quite unsure if I’m glad to stumble upon someone whose persistence is at par with mine Thank you for remarking yet again on my knack of evading questions -- not denying, but it’s mostly on the grounds of me not being able to go through the process of thinking it through yet (I have a lot of stuff put aside to think about for later, which I always convince myself I have the time to). When I do find the time to get thinking, words would get lost in the grey skies. It always ends up in frustration and/or a bit of self-loathing, which explains why I actively leave things behind and focus on what’s ahead instead. Am I speaking in riddles? I feel like you’ve been sharing a lot of good stuff with me but all I’ve done is go round and round with the same jumble of thoughts. My apologies. It’s the only way I can speak without, again, spilling my life all over the place (trust me, it isn’t deserving of what little time you can spare). But I guess if I have to give you a bit of context... I’m overly anxious about the interpersonal troubles within the advocacy -- we’re very close-knit, which adds to the frustration that this isn’t solving itself easily when the problems have been surface-level at most. But of course, being myself, I’ve been psychoanalyzing people and I’m aware it’s gone beyond superficial reasons now. I’m a pretty direct person when dealing with troubles, but I haven’t had the chance to voice out my concerns lately and find solutions, what with all the hectic schedules. It’s been almost a month of constant worry, blanking out, and going through other forms of anxiety. I’m so frustrated that I still haven’t gotten to the bottom of this. Apart from that, I’ve also just gotten out of a long-term, really toxic (and I don’t say that lightly) relationship, which largely explains why I was able to say I haven’t felt this peaceful in a long while (doesn’t mean I’m downright bereft of troubles, though!). It’s been almost two months since this happened, so I’m gonna answer the hanging question: yes, I am alright, and no, I’ve never been better. The relationship weighed me down for the past 3 years (we were together for 4, but I was actually happy in the first year of it) and I’ve seen the end coming for so long -- was probably only waiting for it to happen, actually. Would run out of things to describe the feeling, but it is freeing in so many ways. I haven’t looked back since, and my friends have been on cloud 9 the moment they knew I finally put my foot down. There’s usually a template of questions one asks to another who has just gone through a break up, so let me just put into writing that it’s completely unnecessary to dive into before you predictably contest my conviction :)) (how do I combat your stubbornness when I like seeing your persistence anyway?) I guess that’s where I end the context-giving I would apologize for the late response, but I echo your sentiments about writing for necessity. Our exchanges have been somehow therapeutic. I’m now finding the time to sit down and translate my thoughts into physical matter (that being in the form of these letters) at least once in a while, which is more than I’ve been doing for the past years. I’ve been swimming with my jumbled thoughts for so long -- maybe as a form of denial, since putting things into writing make it real. An excerpt from a 2017 journal entry: “Without physical proof of its existence, one can fool oneself into thinking pain is fleeting — easily blown away by other, more convenient forms of distraction. It is out of reach until it pins you down. It does not become the whole of you until it draws close enough to consume you.” Props to my 19-year old self for explaining it better (and more dramatically ) than I can now. I’ve also written a poem about lost thoughts — will definitely share once I remember where I have a copy of it I go back to it once in a while since it resonates heavily with me despite the changing times. To answer your question, what keeps me going is my fierce belief in the future and the lack of fear of oblivion. The future exists beyond myself, anyway, and it’s the lack of fear that powers me through the impossibilities. What is there to lose, after all? Life is transient. If we do things right and create the spark the world needs, the flame will burn on without us. I assure you things haven’t arrived at a life-or-death situation yet, I just like being dramatic. Pretty sure you get what I mean, though. Would like to hear updates about your confrontation with your boss if it happens! I’ve had my share of being under mushroom management. Hands down one of the worst experiences ever. I’m still actively trying to repress memories up to this day. I'm a firm believer of good leadership, and stuff like that drains the life out of me. Let me know once you find the inuman place you’ve been looking for -- it’s becoming more apparent that drinking plays a huge role in your life, eh? When I’m sad, I listen to a lot of music to clear my head, read a few pages from books (can’t really find the time to finish one nowadays), and sleep. Talking to friends help, too. Just not really used to it for the most part, as I said I don’t like it when people fuss over me. Maybe this is why I’m more comfortable opening up to strangers, as there are limitations to your reactions and responses, unlike friends in close proximity with me. And maybe also just the general comfort of talking to a stranger who knows nothing about your life? The titles sound interesting -- might check them out in the unforeseeable future (time is always the question, isn’t it?). I’m still finishing a huge number of books I’ve been collecting in the recent months, all acquired from physical and online bookstores, secondhand shops, book fairs, and loaned/given to me by friends. Reading is one of the things I’m painfully trying to get back to, after the deluge of advocacy work that left me little to no time at all for (and have drained the life from) any personal interests. (Mindful) consumerism of books has been one of my coping mechanisms, a way to lull myself into a sense of connection into whatever life I had before the advocacy. The smell of the pages usually do the trick of transporting me back to younger years. That being said, I am falling back into reading and writing bit by bit, and our exchanges are helping me ease back into it. I’m looking forward to that portrait, too! There’s nothing more interesting than reading about a life well-lived (that, and the fact that it’ll come from you). Advocacy work has also been a form of coping mechanism from the aforementioned toxic relationship, loneliness, and my search for purpose, I guess. One of the struggles I’ve always had was my burning passions lacking purpose and direction. I’ve been dancing, painting, taking photographs, writing poems & screenplays, making/directing films, and creating digital content for fun for years (couldn’t really do it all professionally since I’m stuck with reality and school work as a Psychology major), and the advocacy has been a really good outlet for these skills. For the first time I’ve felt like I wasn’t just throwing my art and thoughts into the void -- it actually helped change things. Helping out a cause and trying to make little changes in the world is pretty straightforward, if you ask me. I find it weird for people to try and find back stories. I probably have one if we really wanna flesh it out, but for the most part, I’m just a concerned human being with skills people can exploit, so I’d rather have it used for good causes. I think I’ve said enough for you to piece together my response to your question about how much of ourselves we should set aside for the “greater purpose”. I have zero fear of nonexistence, advocacy work has become my daily grind and coping mechanism, and I have nothing else to do with the skills I’m equipped with anyway. Your question warrants me to rethink these sacrificial tendencies, I guess? I’ve always wanted to pursue art professionally, but at this point, pursuing art outside of all this seems self-serving and vain. How do I invest many years of my life honing a skill or two, when it also means leaving behind campaigns that need urgent attention and action? I’m pretty sure it’s a choice I have to make, but I’m setting it aside for now. What do you think of it? And how much are you setting aside for all of this? It’s been a pleasure to write you. Rest assured that these exchanges aren’t merely one of my coping mechanisms, but one I genuinely enjoy taking part in I’m skipping out on asking questions for now, so feel free to rant or be sad or write me anything under the sun. I’ve talked too much today, so allow me the pleasure of listening to your unbridled thoughts I hope my troubles haven’t spilled over to yours. If I can bottle up all the light, warmth, and sweetness from this smiling city and sugar town, I would gladly send them over to you. I hope your days are as bright as your smiles and as warm as your wishes. It would comfort me greatly to know you’re allowing yourself some respite after long hours of waking -- let the stars witness you dreaming. Good morning and good night

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